Presenters, Panelists
& Interviews
Dr. Christian J. Anderson, Sr.
- Associate Professor
Morgan State University - School of Education -
Founder & Director, STEM Lab for Outstanding Professional development Experiences (S.L.O.P.E)
-
President, Association of Maryland Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMMTE)
- MSU Teacher STEM Initiative
Sessions:
- Necessity is the Mother of All Invention - STEM Literacy in the Age of COVID
- Panel: Bringing Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Into STEM
Brooke Brown
Brooke Brown is a National Board Certified Gifted Resource Coordinator for K-2nd Grade in Oklahoma. She has a passion for integrating STEM, Makerspaces, coding and robotics, and play-based learning at the elementary level. She is the author of Teach Outside the Box.
Sessions:
- Unplugged Coding for Kids
- Top Read-Alouds for STEM
Kerry Tracy
Kerry taught 2nd - 7th grades in public schools for 10 years and holds a master's degree in Design-Based Learning. She creates teaching resources and delivers professional development to teachers and parents around the world to help them uncover more feel-good teaching moments in their lives, with brain-busting work disguised as fun (AKA: STEM Challenges). You can learn more about Kerry on her websites: STEM Challenge and Feel-Good Teaching.
Sessions:
- 7 STEM Challenge Myths, Misconceptions, & Missed Opportunities
- STEM Challenge Assessments
- Troubleshooting the Top 3 STEM Challenge Problems: Student Shutdown, Lookalike Designs, and Epic Fails
Meredith Anderson
Meredith Anderson is a STEM educator with a background in mechanical engineering. She runs two STEM education websites: Momgineer and STEM Activities for Kids. You can connect with her at The STEM Teachers Group on Facebook.
Sessions:
- The Engineering Design Process
- Get Started with Stop Motion Animation
Dr. Yen Verhoeven
Yen is a learning theorist, the CEO of Qi Learning Research Group, and founder of the STEAM Café. When she isn't creating STEAM professional development workshops for elementary teachers, she can be found in her backyard harassing the chickens with her dog, playing Beat Saber with her sons, and doing her best to be a kind and decent human being. She loves warm socks.
Sessions:
- Curiosity Cues to Kickstart STEM Learning
- Aligning STEM to the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core, & 21st Century Skills
Andrea Beaty
Andrea is the beloved children's author of Ada Twist, Scientist; Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and others!
Session:
- Live interview on April 24, 2020 inside the Conference Facebook Group.
Vivify STEM
Vivify is a STEM education resource company that is co-founded by Natasha and Claire, two aerospace engineers turned educators who live in Texas. Natasha is the STEM Director for a non-profit organization and is currently working on her Masters in science education. Claire is an informal STEM educator while taking time off from her engineering career to raise her two young children. These former college classmates and roommates at Texas A&M University share a passion for providing access to quality STEM education. Through Vivify, including a website and shop at TpT, we provide resources and curriculum for teachers and parents to successfully implement STEM activities that inspire and prepare students for STEM pathways of the future.
Sessions:
- Not All STEM Is Equal: The 3 Stages of STEM
- Teaching STEM Through A Story
- STEM Challenges Using Sphero Robotics
- Engaging Students with STEM Careers
Michelle King
Michelle King is a learning instigator & love activist. All of her intersectional identities and lived experiences are her “big data” which have deeply informed her practice as a human being and middle school, social science teacher for over 25 years.
Panel:
-
Post-Pandemic: Opportunities to Remake Education
Carol Davis
Carol Davis is a STEM Specialist for grades 3-5. Her teaching experience includes 30 years as a classroom teacher. Carol is the teacher-author for her Teachers Pay Teachers store and her STEM blog, both called Teachers are Terrific.
Session:
- Creating Inspiration for STEM with Picture Books
- Planning - Intentional Procedures for STEM Projects
Donna Ratchford
Donna is a gifted education teacher in Memphis, Tennessee. She has a Master's Degree in Gifted Education and loves integrating STEM and coding in the classroom. Donna specializes in coding, STEM enrichment activities, and Destination Imagination.
Sessions:
- Live interview: We'll talk with Donna about coordinating her school's Destination Imagination team and taking them to the state level for four years running!
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Panelist
Lisa Taylor
Lisa Taylor is a full time fifth grade teacher and a mother of two very active teenage daughters. She is National Board Certified Teacher and has her Masters in Educational Leadership. Lisa loves creating engaging lessons that make even the most disengaged student have fun learning. You can connect with her on her blog Lisa Taylor Teaching the Stars or on her Facebook page.
Session:
- Fun & Easy Ways to Add STEM Into Your Classroom
Anita Goodwin
Anita Goodwin, also know as Goodwinnovate, is a second grade teacher in Berne, Indiana. She loves helping teachers learn about a variety of apps and web based programs and how they can use these tools in the classroom. She specializes in Green Screen and STEAM and is also a master of making creative Instagram Stories.
Sessions:
- Getting Started with Green Screen
- Anything Can Be a Green Screen & a Little Bit More
Suzanne Edwards-Acton
Suzanne is responsible for directing a teacher residency program assisting graduating residents in job placement and providing field support. She designs & facilitates sessions around the theme of equity in support of residency teachers, while serving on the Equity Committee of her organization. Suzanne is a trained Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) facilitator, SRI facilitator for community of practice, and hosts virtual seminars supporting white people in building stamina in learning and talking about systems of whiteness, race, oppression and equity. (MyWorkToDo/TwoFriendsTalking)
Previously Suzanne served as Director for a year of service program and was a principal and teacher in both public and charter schools in Los Angeles. She earned her BA/Psychology from University of California San Diego, MAPM from Seminary of the Southwest, and MA/School Administration from Loyola Marymount University.
Session:
- Interview on Differentiated Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Teacher PD
Tammy DeShaw
I am Tammy, The Owl Teacher. I am passionate about providing teachers with the support they need to help all their students be successful AND still have a life of their own outside of the classroom. My goal is to help teachers take back their weekends, without sacrificing quality teaching.
Sessions:
- Getting Started With STEM
- How to Create STEM Lessons
Melanie Flores
Melanie leverages what a mentor calls “an extremely rare combination - an MIT brain and a teacher's heart” to create memorable experiences for others. She worked in industry for ten years and was on the startup team for Corning’s optical fiber manufacturing facility in the Charlotte, NC area. She loved training new engineers and watching them grow into strong problem solvers. After becoming a parent, Flores set forth on a new path to blend her technical background with her ability to connect with children. She was a classroom teacher for eight years, founding a kindergarten engineering design workshop that was the basis for her TEDx talk. Before starting OctoGifts with Sebastian, Melanie led the STEM coaching team serving 24 Easter Seals classrooms across Atlanta. She and her family live in the Atlanta area.
Session:
- Join us for a live interview with Melanie Flores as she shares how she and her 14-year-old son Sebastian started OctoGifts, a card and keepsake company that landed him on the 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 25 under 25 list. (Time/date TBD)
Dr. Jeffrey Bennett
Jeffrey Bennett holds a B.A. in Biophysics from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He specializes in mathematics and science education, writing for and speaking to audiences ranging from elementary school children to college faculty. His extensive teaching experience, which spans all levels from preschool through graduate school, includes having founded and run a private science summer school for elementary and middle school children and teaching more than fifty college classes in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and education. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and writing, including the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award. Learn more about Jeffrey on his website.
Session:
- Live Presentation & Q&A: Story Time From Space & Bridging the Gap Between Literacy & Science
Jennifer George
Jennifer is Legacy Director of Rube Goldberg, Inc. and granddaughter of Rube Goldberg.
Session:
- The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest & Elementary Integration
Get Caught Engineering
Together, Cheryl Nelson and Wendy Goldfein bring a total of over 54 years of teaching experience in kindergarten through seventh grade. They have taught gifted and special needs students as well as English Language Learners. At "Get Caught Engineering", Wendy and Cheryl have developed an integrated engineering curriculum, encompassing grades K-6, that supports STEM benchmarks.
Sessions:
- Travel Through Time with STEM
- Family STEM Night: The Ultimate Community Outreach
Dr. Mary Payton
Dr. Mary Payton is a science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education professional who has taught throughout the United States and internationally in the United Arab Emirates. She also served as the principal of an international school in South Korea. Dr. Payton entered into secondary education after a successful 29 year military career as a U. S. Army Chemical Officer. She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and began her teaching career in Alabama at Jacksonville State University. She is a native Texan who has taught for Fort Worth and Dallas Independent School Districts, Texas A&M International in Laredo and Texas Wesleyan University. While at Texas Wesleyan University Dr. Payton was honored for her performance as a STEM educator in the areas of Robotics and Engineering.
Currently Dr. Payton hosts the All About STEM Radio Show, an international award winning internet broadcast and authors STEM children’s books.
Panel:
- Facilitating STEM Activities for Higher-Order Thinking
Brittany Washburn
Hi, I'm Brittany. I'm an educator obsessed with technology and passionate about teaching students 21st century skills. I do this by making and sharing teaching resources for elementary technology teachers, media specialists, technology facilitators, and classroom grade level teachers. For this virtual conference, I'm bringing you the T in STEM.
Session:
- Teaching the 4 C’s with Robots in the Elementary Classroom
Trina Deboree
Trina Deboree from Trina Deboree Teaching and Learning and the podcast One Tired Teacher spent 21 years in education teaching primarily in 2nd grade and a year in the media center. Trina has a passion for teaching and creating high engagement activities that motivate and inspire kids to think, wonder, and imagine. Trina has a love for teaching and learning and hopes to encourage teachers to believe in their incredible ability to touch lives.
Sessions:
- Podcasting In The STEM Classroom
- Every Classroom Needs a Makerspace
Renee Heinrich
Renee is the face behind the Science School Yard. She has over 25 years of teaching experience in all grades! Renee taught a bit of everything before her 17 years at 5th grade. In addition to adding a touch of STEM to each grade level every few weeks, Renee facilitates a large school garden, and teaches many after school classes that include makerspace, STEM, Adventure Club, Garden Club and more!
Sessions:
- Equity and Engagement: Culturally Responsive STEM
- Outdoor STEM
- After School STEM: Time to Start a Club
Jo Gick
Jo is an interior designer and was a finalist in season 1 of one of our favorite shows: Making It on NBC.
Session:
- Q&A / Interview (date & time TBD)
Picture-Perfect Science
The award-winning NSTA Press® Picture-Perfect Science program features ready-to-teach elementary science lessons designed to help K-5 teachers integrate science and reading in an engaging, kid-friendly way. Learn about Karen Ansberry & Emily Morgan of Picture-Perfect Science here.
Session:
- Picture-Perfect STEM Lesson Demo & Q/A
Darlene Cavalier
Darlene Cavalier is a professor of practice at Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Professor Cavalier is the founder of SciStarter (a popular citizen science portal and research platform connecting millions of people to real science they can do), founder of Science Cheerleaders (a non profit organization comprised of current and former NFL, NBA and college cheerleaders pursuing STEM careers), and cofounder of ECAST: Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology. She is a founding board member of the Citizen Science Association, an advisor and Fellow at National Geographic, a member of the EPA's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology and she was recently appointed to the National Academy of Sciences "Designing Citizen Science to Support Science Learning" committee.She is the co-editor of The Rightful Place of Science: Citizen Science, author of The Science of Cheerleading, and co-author of The Field Guide to Citizen Science (Timber Press, Jan 2020). She resides in Philadelphia, PA with her husband and their four children.
Session:
- Interview