REMC 9 Newsletter
December bonus edition
I typically send out just one newsletter a month, but with so many exciting resources popping up during this festive holiday season, I couldn't resist spreading a little extra your way. Consider this a special winter bonus edition to keep you in the loop!
If you use Discovery Education in your classroom come join us for an engaging pop-up training session on Discovery Education, hosted in Frankenmuth on December 13th from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. This session is open to the first 25 educators from any Saginaw County school, so feel free to send a few educators from your buildings to participate. The training will cover the essentials of Discovery Education along with its latest features, empowering educators to maximize this valuable resource. Don’t miss out—reserve a spot today! If you have any questions email mlyons@sisd.cc
Please share with students and families
STEM@SVSU and the GLBR East Chief Science Officers are excited to offer a FREE Teen Science Café on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. Teen Science Café events allow teens and STEM professionals to engage in meaningful conversations and explore advances in science and technology. This event is open to any student in 6th - 12th grade in the Great Lakes Bay Region (Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw counties), as well as Huron and Tuscola counties.
Teen Science Cafés are always Free, Fun, and have Food! Pizza will be provided for dinner.
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Location: Saginaw Valley State University - Gilbertson Hall
7400 Bay Rd.
University Center, MI 48710
Topics: Computer Science (T in Technology)
Space is limited so RSVP today!
This is a great event made BY students, FOR students. We hope to see you there!
Hello Teachers, Parents, and STEM Enthusiasts,
The registration for the 2024-2025 You Be The Chemist Challenge® is open but will be closing on Dec 20th.
Local chemists, engineers, scientists, and educators are excited to bring the Great Lakes Bay Regional Challenge to you at Jefferson Middle School in Midland MI on February 22nd, 2025.
Register by December 20th for a chance to win a $25 gift card!
Challenge Registration link: https://bit.ly/4eryk0U
What are you waiting for?
• SPARK your students’ passion for STEM! CEF offers them a chance to shine and win scholarships, lighting the way to their future!
• CEF supports Team Coordinators before, during, and after the Challenge with comprehensive resources, ready to use toolkits, and valuable feedback throughout the Challenge cycle.
We can’t wait to celebrate you and your students at the Regional Challenge.
Celebrate CSEdWeek Dec 9-15, 2024! Check out these ideas!
This is being shared on behalf of MiSTEM CS for Michigan. Please direct any questions to Dr. Betsy Diegel, bldiegel@svsu.edu
Hello!
CSEdWeek (Computer Science Education Week) is here, and it's a fantastic opportunity to inspire your students to explore the exciting world of computer science! This upcoming week let’s work together to ignite a passion for coding, problem-solving, and innovation.
Here are some ideas to bring CSEdWeek to life in your classroom:
1. Engage in an Hour of Code Activity
Introduce your students to coding with an Hour of Code activity! These one-hour tutorials are perfect for beginners and are available for free.
- Explore activities at Hour of Code.
- Choose a tutorial that aligns with your students' interests—Minecraft, Star Wars, or creating art with code!
2. Highlight Computer Science Icons
Inspire your students by sharing the stories of famous computer science pioneers or researching current cs professional icons. Check out the available resources!
- Hang up posters of CS Heroes (CS Heroes Posters)
- Learn how to showcase CS Heroes in your classroom (CS Heroes Resource)
- Go further with project-based learning extensions (CS Heroes Resource)
3. Consider CS Professional Learning
The CSforMichigan sponsors registration costs for multiple workshops for Michigan educators. Workshops available during the week July 28-Aug 1, 2025 & Aug 4-8, 2025. (Notify Me When Registration Go Live in January)
- Code.org CS Discoveries, CS Principles, AP CSA
- Bootstrap: Algebra & Bootstrap - Math+CS
- Teach AI: AI for Educators
- CS Fundamentals (K-5) Virtual Sessions (Sessions Available Afterschool - Flyer)
4. Additional Ideas to Celebrate
- Host a "CS Career Spotlight" session: Reach out to a local professional to visit your classroom face-to-face or virtually to highlight CS careers.
- Creative Coding Challenges: Encourage students to design a simple game or animation using tools like Scratch or Tynker.
- CS Show-and-Tell: Invite students to present tech-related projects or apps they love.
We’d love to see how you’re celebrating! Share photos or stories from your classroom using the hashtag #CSEdWeek.
Thank you for inspiring the next generation of coders, creators, and innovators. Together, let’s make CSEdWeek an unforgettable experience for our students.
In case anyone is interested in attending the upcoming Cyber.org EdCon 2025 (in Chicago), please see details below to apply for a travel grant. Please feel free to share this with others interested in attending the Cyber.org EdCon 2025.
Don’t let financial constraints keep you from attending EdCon 25. CYBER.ORG has a limited number of $750 travel reimbursement grants to cover registration, airfare, and/or hotel costs!
Eligibility Requirements
You must be employed for the 25-26 school year in a K-12 institution in the United States or U.S. Territories. Employees of non-profits, other government agencies not categorized as K-12 learning institutions, for-profits, and any other individuals not employed in a K-12 setting ARE NOT eligible for travel reimbursement grants.
Allowable Reimbursable Expenses
1. One (1) round-trip ticket for airfare, train fare, or bus fare to the event city.
2. Three (3) nights of lodging at the conference hotel. Please use this link to book with our block rate.
3. Registration fee for EdCon 25.
I've recently started following a new-to-me newsletter to stay updated on the latest AI advancements. If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend checking it out—I’ve found it really helpful for keeping up with all the developments! https://www.theneuron.ai/
As many of you know, CSEdWeek is just around the corner! To get inspired, I recently listened to an insightful podcast episode from Unpacking Education by AVID Open Access featuring Kiki Prottsman (#346). The discussion highlighted computational thinking, AI integration, equity in education, and practical resources like unplugged lessons and micro:bits. Another great episode to check out is Free Resources for CSEdWeek (#345).
🎧 Podcast Highlights:
- CSEdWeek with Kiki Prottsman (#346)
Duration: 44 minutes
Topics: Computational thinking, CS Ed Week ideas, Hour of Code, digital divide, equity, student engagement, and more!
Listen here: avidopenaccess.org
For activities and events related to CSEdWeek, explore the official website: csedweek.org.
📢 Please feel free to share these resources with anyone looking to incorporate computer science into their classroom—whether they’re seasoned CS educators or simply curious about getting started!
Just a reminder!!!!
Student Podcast Challenge is back!!!
I'm happy to come in and do a 30-minute podcast lesson.
Who: Teachers can submit student podcasts for grades 5-12! No limit on the number of submissions per teacher—encourage as many students as you’d like to participate!
What: Challenge your students to create an original 2-5 minute podcast. Submissions can be done individually or in groups.
When: Submit NOW through January 31, 2025.
How: Submit via our Online Submission Form.
Win: Amazing Podcasting Hardware for your students!
Timeline:
Now - Jan. 31, 2025: Submissions Accepted
Feb. 14 - Feb. 21, 2025: Winners Contacted
March 21, 2025: Winners Announced at the MACUL Conference
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to showcase your students’ creativity and storytelling skills! Let's amplify their voices!
- Student Podcasting & the online submission An example of the student podcast
- REMC 9 Items for checkout
- REMC 9 site, checkout form found on the bottom button ( which is just a simple Google Sheet) https://www.sisd.cc/page/remc9
- PSTL Promoting STEM Through Literature- click on the book images for lesson plans
- Marks Podcast - The S.I.T.E. - Saginaw Integration Tech Education