Teachers are students too through professional opportunities

When opportunities for professional development become available, the district is committed to enabling its staff to take advantage. In some instances, programs are held in the district, and with others, staff have an opportunity to spend time learning away from their classrooms.

Most recently third-grade STEM Teacher Maia Hood and AHHS Band Director Jaymie Giordano attended the Mercy University Center for STEM Education Westchester STEM Ambassadors Symposium.

“I was excited to be selected because I wanted to bring more experiences and hands-on learning opportunities for my students that they typically wouldn't get,” Ms. Hood said. “I was really interested in the focus on combining computer science, engineering, and educational technology in a meaningful way.”

Having always been personally interested in technology, Ms. Hood said she appreciated that the program provided both professional development and actual materials, like robotics and STEAM supplies, that could be used directly in the classroom.

“The opportunity to collaborate with other educators and develop lessons to share more broadly was another big factor that drew me in,” she said.

The program consists of 40 hours of professional development over the course of the school year, including in-person and virtual sessions.

“Throughout the program, we collaborated with other educators to design and refine STEM lessons aligned to NYS standards,” explained Ms. Hood. “As part of the experience, we worked in groups to research a topic and present our findings. My group focused on game-based learning in elementary math and we connected computer science standards, specifically algorithms and programming under the CT.10. We explored how game-based approaches can improve both student engagement and achievement, and we shared strategies for applying those ideas in the classroom.”

She worked with educators from throughout the county, something she found valuable as they each could share different perspectives, collaborate and learn from each other’s teaching experience, all thing she could bring back to her classroom.

“One of the biggest takeaways was a stronger understanding of how to intentionally integrate computer science and computational thinking into everyday instruction,” Ms. Hood said. “I also gained confidence in using tools like 3D Printing to support content areas like math. For example, I created a lesson aligned to standard 2-3.CT.10 where students applied their understanding of area by designing objects for 3D Printing. It was a great way to make learning more interactive and meaningful.”

“As a new teacher, I am forever in search of innovative and creative ideas for my classroom. I am a music teacher, and the idea of bringing more technology into my classes is a fantastic way to get more students interested and keep them engaged,” said Ms. Giordano.

“The program is designed to introduce educators to classroom technologies and resources, as well as hone strategies for incorporating them into your lessons,” she continued. “We started in September and just wrapped up the sessions in late March with a symposium where groups of ambassadors gave presentations on the topics of a research article we chose. Our group selected an article on discovery and learning through play in the classroom.”

“As a music teacher, I was excited to be part of this experience because it gave me so many fantastic resources and ideas for bringing technology into my classes. The connections I made through the program will be lifelong, and I am looking forward to collaborating with my fellow STEM ambassadors in the future,” Ms Giordano said.

She continued, “this program was amazing! All of the ambassadors had a blast and learned a great deal about educational technologies. Everyone walked away from the experience excited to implement more tech into their lessons, and to continue to learn and share with each other! It's a shame this is the last year for the program - I would recommend it to everyone!

“Overall, the program was an incredibly rewarding professional experience,” said Ms. Hood. “It not only expanded my instructional practices but also connected me with a network of educators who are passionate about STEM. I've been able to bring back both resources and ideas that have had a positive impact on my students, and I'm excited to continue building on what I've learned.”