Student Engagement, Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, Supporting All Learners and Computer Science & Computational Thinking Pedagogies are the main topics for a four-week professional learning series being offer by the MLTI Ambassadors starting on November 28. These daily offerings will go live on the MLTI Youtube channel and are open to all interested educators and will include useful resources and contact hours.  These are also available as a professional learning calendar with links to the video and slides going live every day! 

Student Engagement
Lead by Joshua Schmidt on Mondays 

The student engagement series will extend last year’s videos from Erik Wade to four additional topics to help teachers create more authentic engagement in their classrooms. We will cover the similarities and differences in game-based learning and gamification, creating breakouts and escape rooms, leveraging group work to increase classroom discussions, and strategies to make those discussions more authentic and valuable. We will also discuss tools to help with each of these strategies and speak to other MLTI Ambassadors to hear examples of what has worked in their schools.   

To find the previous professional development sessions in this series, and receive contact hours for them, please visit our YouTube playlist. 

• Topic 1: Comparing Game-Based Learning and Gamification 
• Topic 2: Creating Escape Rooms and Breakouts to Increase Student Engagement and Critical Thinking 
• Topic 3: Leveraging Group Work and Technological Resources to Increase Classroom Engagement and Discussions 
• Topic 4: Making Classroom Discussions Authentic and Using Tools to Support Authentic Discussions  

Computer Science & Computer Technology Integration Pedagogies
Lead by Yuhong Sun by Tuesdays 

Over the past decade, there has been increasing research on computer science pedagogies. The data shows that certain teaching methods are more effective than others in computer science education. The series of Computer Science & Computer Technology Integration Pedagogies will explore the popular pedagogies for Computer Science and Computer Technology Integration, such as computational thinking, contextualized learning, collaborative learning and learning away from the computer. The series will use examples from Computer Science teachers, math and science teachers and discuss how the teaching methods are effectively used in the classrooms to support the learning process, to develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and prepare them for the 21st century job market. 

• Topic 1: Computational Thinking Skills Development 
• Topic 2: Engaging Students Through Contextualized Learning 
• Topic 3: Building Critical Thinking and Problem-solving Skills Through Collaborative Learning 
• Topic 4: Cultivating Computer Science Skills by Teaching Away from the Computer 

Blended Learning
Lead by Martha Thibodeau on Wednesdays 

The Blended Learning Series will explore an introduction of this pedagogical strategy and tools to enhance student learning. Included in this series will be an overview of blended learning models, techniques to support student choice and pacing, and developing teacher workflows. If you like the idea of blended learning, but are overwhelmed by the details, this is the series for you. Join the MLTI Ambassadors as we discuss ways to maximize student learning and efficiently manage your role in the blended learning environment. 

• Topic 1: Introduction to Blended Learning Models.  
• Topic 2: Student Experience in Blended Learning   
• Topic 3: Teacher Workflow within Blended Learning 
• Topic 4: Tools to Enhance Blended Learning
   

Recipes for Project Based Learning
Lead by Tracy Williamson on Thursdays 

The Project Based Learning series will offer creative ideas to help students learn to think critically, collaborate and communicate on real-world projects. We’ll share tips, digital tools and resources to help you implement engaging team-based activities aligned with content area standards like creating a student news team, a student podcast series and STEAM projects that support the Sustainable Development Goals. We’ll also share digital tools and techniques for curating resources and data for long-term projects and creating effective and aesthetic presentations to share work with the community. 

• Topic 1: Student News Team Projects 
• Topic 2: Student Podcast Series 
• Topic 3: STEAM Projects around the Sustainable Development Goals 
• Topic 4: Presenting Projects: Taking PBL to the Community  

Support for ALL
Lead by Nicole Karod on Fridays 

This professional development series will share tools and methods for supporting all learners.  As we all know our classroom are filled with a variety of needs, both academically and behavioral.  In this series you’ll discover ways to meet students’ needs through differentiation, be a trauma informed educator, create and design with all students in mind, as well as fill your toolbox with tools for modification and accommodations.  I will also be joined by other MLTI Ambassadors to discuss how these strategies can look different in different classrooms. Join me on Friday each week to develop your toolbox toward supporting all students in the classroom. 

• Topic 1: Differentiation in the classroom 
• Topic 2: Trauma informed classroom 
• Topic 3: UDL (Universal Design for Learning) 
• Topic 4: Tools for modification and accommodations