context 2015 program

What is true innovation?The corporate world has co-opted this powerful term, turning it into a prosaic reason to buy the next, new and improved technological gadget. But when we go back to the true, social roots of innovation, we find a much more fulfilling place, where innovation catalyzes freedom and opportunity. Freedom only arrives when we all strive to bestow it upon everyone around us, and that openness to unexplored futures allows us all to imagine a new tomorrow, to learn from the best practices around us, and then to combine the best wisdom with our personal know-how -- that magical mix that combines the right risk-taking with our intimate knowledge about local culture and local context.

The CREATE Lab has always been focused on hyper-local engagement, because to have meaningful, sustained impact, we must be the most participatory, most culturally sensitive organization possible. As our programs have succeeded and demands for scaling have risen, we have developed satellite relationships because, that way, true innovation can be born of our technical creations coupled with the context and ecology supported by our satellite partners in each of their respective locations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

At this, the first CONTEXT conference, we celebrate the importance of relationships by concentrating not on technology for technology's sake, but on the teacher, the administrator, the parent, and the student: all critical ingredients that together form the essential context for innovative learning. We are proud to have two keynote speakers with us who have embraced and crystallized the significance of context in education: Indira Nair and Shree Nayar; they are our role models, and we hope they also inspire you. But we are also inspired by the teachers and administrators willing to privilege relationships over technology, willing to create spaces in which every student and every teacher is an extraordinary communicator, able to dream, design and create within nurturing and stimulating communities.

On behalf of the CREATE Lab Satellite Network, and our partners in bringing you this event,The Sprout Fund and the Remake Learning Network:

WELCOME TO CONTEXT 2015

We hope you make new friends, discover inspiring processes and continue your journey as an innovator.

Suzie AmentRebecca BeresTarabeth BrumfieldKeely CamdenJeffrey CarverStephanie ConradPatrick CoulsonMatt Curci

Carrie Beth DeanTeresa DeFlitchBeatrice DiasCheryl GriffithKarl HarrisRae Ann HirshLou KarasDeAnna Kwiecinski

Melissa LunaIan MagnessLori R. MaxfieldStan MaynardJohn MeighanJessica MeyersIllah NourbakhshMichelle A. Peduto

Jamie PirainoRoberta L. SchomburgCynthia PulkowskiJames RyeColleen SmithKevin SniderShannon WagnerDror Yaron

Technology Fluency for Teaching & Learning

April 21 - 23, 2015Google Pittsburgh

Carnegie Museum of ArtCarnegie Mellon University

WQED Studios

@context2015#TechFluency

presented by

Jamie PirainoRoberta L. SchomburgCynthia PulkowskiJames RyeColleen SmithKevin SniderShannon WagnerDror Yaron

Sessions 4

Tracks 4

Schedule Overview 5

Wednesday Keynote 7

Wednesday Morning 7

Wednesday Afternoon 12

Thursday Keynote 17

Thursday Morning 17

Thursday Afternoon 21

Finding Your Way 24

Wireless Network 24

Speaker bios: CONTEXTconference.org/speakers

Session resources: CONTEXTconference.org/resources

About Us CONTEXTconference.org/about-us

Thanks 25

Credits 26

Table of Contents

Melissa LunaIan MagnessLori R. MaxfieldStan MaynardJohn MeighanJessica MeyersIllah NourbakhshMichelle A. Peduto

Table of Contents | 3

We are excited to offer sessions featuring dynamic speakers, educators, and technologists from Pittsburgh and beyond. You have the opportunity to select from a set of talks, panels, or workshops.

Talks and panels are scheduled for one hour while workshops are scheduled for two.

Most sessions take place in Gates Hillman Complex (GHC) but some take place nearby in Newell Simon Hall (NSH).

Sessions are organized into two tracks to help you determine the best way to spend your time.

PRACTICEEducators sharing ideas and stories around their methods and experiences with integrating technology creatively into their classrooms or programs

ECOSYSTEMDiscussions about the networks and conditions that support and empower meaningful technology practice in education

TRACKS

Sessions

Sessions | 4

Workshop:Learning Experience Design Challenge

GHC 6115

8:00am-9:00am

9:00am-10:00am

10:00am- 10:15am

10:15am-11:15am

11:15am -11:30am

11:30am -12:30pm

12:30pm-1:30pm

1:30pm-2:30pm

2:30pm-3:30pm

3:30pm-3:45pm

3:45pm- 4:45pm

REGISTRATION @ Carnegie Museum of Art

Teaching Technology, Relating to the WorldKeynote: Indira Nair

Carnegie Museum of Art

Panel:Prototype Creative Learning

GHC 6501

Panel:Systems for Teaching Innovation

GHC 2109

Break

Workshop:Observational Drawing - Children's Innovation Project

GHC 6115

Workshop:Entire Community Partnerships

NSH 1507

Panel:What is Tech Fluency?

GHC 6501

Panel:Authentic Youth Voice in Practice

GHC 2109

Lunch | GHC 6121

CONTEXT Clinic - for specific questions, small or largeOur tech fluency specialists will see you now

GHC: Collaborative Commons, 6115, 6501

Walk to CMU for Conference Sessions

Talk:GigaPan and littleBits: Engage, Explore and Extend

GHC 6501

Talk:Libraries as Engines of Out-of-School Learning

GHC 2109

Break

Workshop:Refining Projects for Grant Funding

NSH 1507Talk:What is Digital?

GHC 6501

Talk:Supporting Student Talents

GHC 2109

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Schedule Overview

Wednesday | April 22,2015 Overview Schedule | 5

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Schedule Overview

REGISTRATION @ Carnegie Museum of Art

From Computational Imaging to Experiential Learning CameraKeynote: Shree Nayar


Remake Learning Network Rally (Open to the public)

WQED Studios

Walk to CMU for Conference Sessions

Remake Learning Lunch, Sessions Lunch GHC 6121 | Sessions NSH 1507, GHC 6501, GHC 6115

8:00am-9:00am

9:00am-10:00am

10:00am- 10:15am

10:15am-11:15am

11:15am -11:30am

11:30am -12:30pm

12:30pm-2:00pm

2:00pm-5:00pm

Talk:Designing Educational Robots

GHC 6501

Talk:Outdoors through Technology

GHC 2109

Break

Workshop:Learning Experience Design Challenge

GHC 6115

Workshop:Game-Based Learning - Institute of Play

NSH 1507Talk:Teaching Children to Be Innovators

GHC 6501

Talk:Mobilizing Art &Technology

GHC 2109

6

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Schedule Overview

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Schedule Overview | 6

9:00am - 10:00am

8:00am-9:00am Registration



Indira Nair is the former Provost of Education at Carnegie Mellon University. Most of her work at Carnegie Mellon was in research on science and engineering education, women in engineering, and the biological effects of low-frequency magnetic fields. She was active in developing and teaching innovative undergraduate courses in curriculum design in the local schools and in enabling and encouraging students of all ages to participate responsibly in technology. The Carnegie Mellon Chapter of Student Pugwash was founded by Professor Nair to give students a forum for discussion.

10:00am-10:15am Walk to CMU for Conference Sessions

Teaching Technology,Relating to the WorldIndira Nair

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Morning

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Morning | 7

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Map from Carnegie Museum of Art to Carnegie Mellon University

Map from Carnegie Museum of Art to Carnegie Mellon University | 8

10:15am - 11:15am Panel:

Using Technology to Prototype Creative LearningGHC 6501

Roberta Brandão, Ellis SchoolRick Malmstrom, Ellis SchoolRegan Drew, Riverpoint AcademyJohn Marshall, Riverpoint Academy

In this panel discussion, educators will explore student-centered approaches to promote critical making and creative learning in an ecosystem that values design thinking, entrepreneurship, and STEAM+. Regan Drew and John Marshall will be modeling storytelling techniques to demonstrate how they use “technology” organically as a tool for thought and expression at Riverpoint Academy. They will present how students use real tools, to solve real problems, for real people in a multi-disciplinary public high school. Rick Malmstrom and Roberta Brandão will present examples of how teachers use technologies and active learning to promote STEAM+ at Ellis (an all-girls private school in Pittsburgh), and Escola Parque (a co-ed private school in Brazil) – including their cross-cultural exchange. They will discuss creative and collaborative strategies to help K-12 teachers integrate technologies in the classroom.

10:15am - 11:15am Panel:

The Role and Impact of School Leaders: Creating Systems for Teaching InnovationGHC 2109

Lynne Schrum, Remake Learning CouncilKenneth Lockette, Avonworth High SchoolScott Gutowski, Pittsburgh Public SchoolsKaren Collins, Mountainview Elementary

How do we support innovative, authentic, and creative use of technologies to support and enhance teaching and learning? What does it take to encourage and develop an educational environment that allows for exploration and implementation? This panel brings together experienced school leaders who have successfully accomplished these goals; they provide insights, lessons learned, and strategies.

9



Wednesday - A

pril 22, 2015

11:30am - 12:30pm Panel:

What is Tech Fluency?GHC 6501

Dustin Stiver, The Sprout FundIllah Nourbakhsh, CREATE LabTodd Hoffman, Environmental Charter SchoolJeffrey Carver, West Virginia UniversityCynthia Pulkowski, ASSET STEM EducationRoberta Schomburg, Carlow UniversityLou Karas, West Liberty UniversityTanner Huffman, International Technology and Engineering Educators Association

Does technology and its practice empower educators and learners in your community? Does it expand teachers’ horizons and possibilities, and create diverse learning paths for students? Or, does it narrow the ways in which a teacher can teach, and a student can learn? Can technology span disciplines and contexts, and support pursuits of collective and individual goals? Or, is it only useful in limited, prescribed ways? Does it deepen conversation and personal interaction, or replace them? Join panelists in considering what is tech fluency and why it matters to educators and learners.

11:30am - 12:30pm Panel:

Authentic Youth Voice in PracticeGHC 2109

Jessica Kaminsky, CREATE Lab; Hear Me ProjectDevin Browne, Brashear High SchoolGreg Dietz, Shaler Youth Advocacy LeagueBrandon Tomasic, Steel Valley High School

How do we cultivate youth voice in schools to convert it into meaningful student leadership that drives action and engagement? This panel brings together experts on incorporating authentic youth voice in schools, and in school policies and practices. Panelists will discuss topics like laying the foundation for this work within a school, and the role of adult allies in creating a climate for youth voice. The panel includes two public school teachers and a high school student, all of whom have practice in authentically supporting youth voice in their schools.

10



Melissa Butler, Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5; Children’s Innovation ProjectJeremy Boyle, Children’s Innovation Project

Do you want your students to learn how to notice carefully? Develop a deep concept of perspective? Learn to trust that there is always more to see? Embrace a sensibility for slow, careful thinking? These are some of the core learning outcomes for children working with the Children's Innovation Project. Observational drawing is an essential method of practice that enables children to embrace these habits as innovators. During this workshop, participants will be able to practice observational drawing of parts, wholes and systems, engage in reflective conversations about this process and learn more about how observational drawing can support children of all ages to slow down and find more depth and layers to their learning.

12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch

GHC 6121

10:15am - 12:30pm Workshop:

Entire Community Partnerships NSH 1507

Michael Robbins, Span Learning

The digital learning revolution is more than trading textbooks for tablets ― it is an inflection point in education - a critical opportunity to transform how schools, parents, and community-based organizations collaborate on education. It should spur us to rethink how we connect all the assets in a student's life to advance engagement in learning and academic success. There is unprecedented investment in education technology and digital learning initiatives. Unfortunately, we lack the corresponding investments to evolve education culture and build family and community supports to make these transformations successful. Participants in this workshop will discuss bridging this gap through digital learning partnerships, and will explore how education technology can advance, in their community, collective impact in education.


Observational Drawing of the Children's Innovation ProjectGHC 6115

11


Attendees are invited to sit and relax in the Collaborative Commons or GHC 6115 and enjoy their lunch.Following lunch attendees may visit the CONTEXT Clinic.


1:30pm-2:30pm Context Clinic

Our tech fluency specialists will see you now. Get help with specific questions, small or large - pedagogy, partnerships, tech support, even parenting!You are free to visit as few or as many of the following stations:

Indira Nair Keynote Chat, GHC 6501Join Indira Nair for an informal chat about the topics she explored in her keynote address. Take this opportunity to ask her questions that we did not have time to address Wednesday morning.

Parenting for Tech Fluency, GHC 6115Join Illah Nourbakhsh for an informal discussion on topics covered in his book “Parenting for Technology Futures.”

Remake Learning with The Sprout Fund, Collaborative CommonsStop by to learn more about support services offered by The Sprout Fund, including networking opportunities, grant programs, and other ways to get involved in the Remake Learning Network.

Ask a Geek, Collaborative CommonsHave a question about different technologies or tools? CREATE Lab technologists, Paul Dille and Chris Bartley, are ready to help you troubleshoot.

Engaging with the Whole Community, Collaborative CommonsConsidering ways to bring your entire school or organizational community into your conversations about tech fluency. Michael Robbins from Span Learning is ready to strategize with you.

Choosing the Right Technology for Your Learning Outcomes, Collaborative CommonsTalk with educators and technologists Roberta Brandão and Tom Lauwers about different types of technologies and what you might consider based on what you hope students will learn.

Partnership Building, Collaborative CommonsTanner Huffman and Lou Karas can help you strategize ways to form and maintain partnerships within and outside of your organization, and suggest specific individuals or groups you may want to connect with.

Strategizing Tech Fluency for Administrators, Collaborative CommonsKenneth Lockette and Lynne Schrum are available to explore different methods for integrating tech fluency in your school or district.

Digital Portfolio Clinic, Collaborative CommonsDiscuss the promises and challenges of digital portfolios with Marti Louw and Daragh Byrne or take a brief survey to help them better learn what pre K to 12 educators are looking for in digital portfolios.

12

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Afternoon

Wednesday | April 22, 2015 Afternoon | 12

2:30pm - 3:30pm

2:30pm - 3:30pm Talk:

Building Context: Libraries as Engines of Out-of-School LearningGHC 2109

Amy Eshleman, Digital Youth Network Toby Greenwalt, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Are your students engaged in relevant learning activities outside of the classroom? Do you seek out opportunities to acknowledge and build on those experiences? Public libraries are embracing a model of iterative change and experiential education, creating many new opportunities for out-of-school learning. In this interactive discussion, Toby Greenwalt, Director of Digital Strategy and Technology Integration, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh & Amy Eshleman, Partnerships Lead, Digital Youth Network, will provide an overview of current trends in libraries, and examine ways they connect with schools and other places of formal and informal learning to support learning ecosystems in Pittsburgh and across the nation.

Talk:GigaPan and littleBits: Engage, Explore and ExtendGHC 6501

Tim Hammil, Westmoreland Intermediate UnitSherrard Bostwick, Shuman Juvenile Detention Center

This session will take a detailed look at two specific tools that have proven to be very powerful in the effort to motivate and engage students. GigaPan and littleBits may be two completely different tools but both share a common strength: the ability to push students to go deeper, to seek answers, and to create more with what they have learned. Whether exploring detailed panoramic images taken by GigaPan’s robotic camera mount or constructing circuits and new creations from littleBit’s modules, these tools provide a seemingly endless stream of possibilities for exploration and adaptation. Join Sherrard Bostwick and Tim Hammill as they dive into the discussion of why these tools are so successful in the classroom.

13



3:45pm - 4:45pm Talk:

What is Digital?GHC 6501

Jeremy Boyle, Children’s Innovation Project

The digital technology and culture that surrounds us influences ways we think, learn, communicate and understand in our contemporary world. We are inundated with digital devices and media. We feel pressure to integrate digital media and tools into our learningenvironments, though we rarely spend much time asking questions about fundamental concepts of digital. Why might these questions matter as we work to develop educational opportunities for technology fluency? This presentation will address these questions, extending frameworks of the Children’s Innovation Project to consider why it might be important to think about digital as material.

3:45pm - 4:45pm Talk:

Supporting Student Talents through Cross-Curricular ProjectsGHC 2109

Jennifer Cross, CREATE LabEmily Hamner, CREATE LabSue Mellon, Allegheny Valley School District

A cross-disciplinary approach to teaching can help uncover a diversity of student talents within a single classroom. During this talk presenters will describe the use of cross-curricular classroom projects to help identify and cultivate diverse student talents. Arts & Bots integrates robotics components and craft materials into classes ranging from poetry to anatomy. The CREATE Lab team and an experienced middle school teacher will share examples of how Arts & Bots helped highlight students’ Computational Thinking and Engineering Design talents. This will be followed by a broader discussion about the use of creative technologies and cross-curricular projects to help cultivate student Computational Thinking and Engineering Design talents and their benefit to student success in fields beyond computing and engineering.

14



2:30pm - 4:45pm Workshop:

Idea Generation: Refining Projects for Grant FundingNSH 1507

Mac Howison, The Sprout FundGregg Behr, Grable FoundationJim Denova, Benedum FoundationMegan Cicconi, Allegheny Intermediate UnitZee Poerio, St. Louise de Marillac SchoolDon Martin, Intermediate Unit 1

Join representatives from The Sprout Fund, Grable Foundation, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and Benedum Foundation to brainstorm and refine ideas for grant proposals. Attendees will learn about funding opportunities and hear advice from educators who have been successfully awarded grants. A significant amount of time will be given to guided small group work, in which participants will brainstorm new ideas or refine previous ideas with panelists and other attendees. This is a great opportunity to interact with funders and leave with a workshopped project that may lead to a grant proposal.

2:30pm - 4:45pm Workshop:

Learning Experience Design Challenge GHC 6115

Jessica Meyers, ASSET STEM EducationTarabeth Brumfield, Marshall UniversityCarrie Beth Dean, Marshall UniversityRenee Williams Graham, ASSET STEM EducationKevin Hengelbrok, ASSET STEM Education

How many times have you gone to a meeting or a conference and said “Wow, that’s a great idea!” but your idea never makes it into action? Most great ideas remain dormant because people don’t have the time and/or resources to take action. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on great ideas they’ve heard, experienced or learned at the conference thus far, or ideas they have been considering for some time; explore different templates for bringing ideas into action; engage with experts and other innovators, creators, and collaborators to grow their idea(s); develop a document to give ideas life and flexibility for continued development; and share their learning experiences with others. For those who are looking for inspiration, facilitators will be available to help educators craft lessons using the Bigshot Camera, a specially designed camera for experiential learning, or the Speck Sensor, an air quality monitor designed by the CREATE Lab. This workshop welcomes all conference participants who are interested in converting a great idea into reality!

15



9:00am - 10:00am

8:00am-9:00am Registration



Shree K. Nayar is the T.C. Chang Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. He co-directs the Columbia Vision and Graphics Center and heads the Computer Vision Laboratory (CAVE), which is dedicated to the development of advanced computer vision systems. His research is focused on three broad areas: the creation of novel vision sensors, the design of physics based models for vision, and the development of algorithms for scene interpretation. In 2009, he invented the Bigshot Camera, a kid-friendly digital camera designed for education and currently in use by the CREATE Lab Satellite Network.

10:00am-10:15am Walk to CMU for Conference Sessions

Keynote:From Computational Imaging to Experiential Learning Camera Shree Nayar

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Morning

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Morning | 17

17

10:15am-11:15am Talk:

From Idea to Product: Designing Educational RobotsGHC 6501

Tom Lauwers, BirdBrain Technologies

Tom will describe the design processes behind the Finch robot and the Hummingbird robotics kit, two projects that have evolved from NSF-backed research projects - to educational products. The Finch robot is the result of an investigation into the use of robotics to improve learning and motivation of students in introductory computer science courses. The Hummingbird robotics kit was designed to enable learning engineering design and computing, through student projects that marry arts & crafts materials with LEDs, motors, sensors, and microcontrollers. Both innovations were the result of an iterative design process centered on collaborations between hardware and software engineers, educators, and students. This process, although not dissimilar from standard engineering design, contains a number of complications due to the nature of designing hardware for education. In his presentation, Tom will discuss the inherently messy and complicated, yet vital, steps involved in going from an idea to a product.


Martin LeBlanc, IslandWood

Can we leverage technology to inspire a new generation to engage in nature? The Nature Passport APP created by IslandWood, an Outdoor Education Center near Seattle and Nature Play Australia, is dedicated to empowering students and their families to play, learn and explore outdoors through the use of an educational technology tool. A generation is suffering from Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Nature Passport is dedicated to reversing the trend and connecting children, families and communities to the outdoors.

10:15am-11:15am

Talk:Play, Learn and Explore Outdoors through TechnologyGHC 2109



11:30pm - 12:30pm

11:30pm - 12:30pm Talk:

Teaching Children to Become InnovatorsGHC 6501

Melissa Butler, Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5

What does it mean for children to be innovators? How can teachers support students to grow confidence and competence to innovate? And how can school/district administration support teachers in practices that nurture children's habits as innovators, not just teach STEAM content or use new technology tools? This session will share learning from Children's Innovation Project work over the past 5 years, around theories and methods of practice to develop children's habits to notice, wonder and persist. This session will explore what sorts of materials - and lesson design limits - allow for maximum opportunities for children to practice such habits, in order for the habits to become internalized by children, and carried into other content areas and learning contexts.

Talk:Mobilizing Art & Technology: Tools Towards Social ChangeGHC 2109

Tavia La Follette, Artist in Residence, CREATE LabHeather Mallak, Digital Salad

Connect with the creators of two social practice oriented projects that integrate the use of CREATE Lab technologies: GigaPan + CATTfish. These artists tackle complex subjects through the use of everyday actions and objects, coupled with the tech to engage youth, promote awareness, and incite change in communities. In her project, Digital Salad, Heather Mallak of Public Studio collaborates with local growers to mix art-making, technology, and farm education, to produce interactive and edible learning experiences. Tavia La Follette’s Lemonade Project enlightens and empowers youth through the use of science, art and activism. Participants should bring ideas, questions and concerns, so they can be workshopped. The artists will bring their activities, philosophy and problem-solving skills for a brainstorming session on how to use the tools of technology towards social change.


18



Game-based Learning & Collaboration Through Design with Institute of PlayNSH 1507

Liza Stark, Institute of PlayAndrea Henkel, Quest to LearnEmily Hickman, Avonworth Middle SchoolSamantha Abate, Avonworth Middle School

This workshop will explore the principles of game-based learning behind the success of the New York City public school Quest to Learn, where teachers collaborate with game designers to create games and curriculum units that situate learning in rich contexts that are relevant to students lives' today. Facilitated by a teacher from Quest to Learn, a game designer from Institute of Play, and teachers from the first cohort of TeacherQuest, a unique professional development program based on the Quest model – launched right here in Pittsburgh! – this workshop will provide an introduction to the basics of game design. Join us to learn how the game design process can create new opportunities for learning and collaboration, for students and teachers alike.


Learning Experience Design ChallengeGHC 6115

Jessica Meyers, ASSET STEM EducationTarabeth Brumfield, Marshall UniversityCarrie Beth Dean, Marshall UniversityRenee Williams Graham, ASSET STEM EducationKevin Hengelbrok, ASSET STEM Education

How many times have you gone to a meeting or a conference and said “Wow, that’s a great idea!” but your idea never makes it into action? Most great ideas remain dormant because people don’t have the time and/or resources to take action. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on great ideas they’ve heard, experienced or learned at the conference thus far, or ideas they have been considering for some time; explore different templates for bringing ideas into action; engage with experts and other innovators, creators, and collaborators to grow their idea(s); develop a document to give ideas life and flexibility for continued development; and share their learning experiences with others. For those who are looking for inspiration, facilitators will be available to help educators craft lessons using the Bigshot Camera, a specially designed camera for experiential learning, or the Speck Sensor, an air quality monitor designed by the CREATE Lab. This workshop welcomes all conference participants who are interested in converting a great idea into reality!

19 Thursday | April 23, 2015 Morning | 20

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Afternoon

12:30pm - 2:00pm Remake Learning

Lunch SessionsLunch at GHC 6121, Sessions at GHC 6115, 6501 and NSH 1507

Grab your lunch and join one of three sessions, to hear about interesting and relevant topics that might inspire your teaching.

Pittsburgh: A City and a Campus NSH 1507 Peter Wardrip, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Through the Pittsburgh City of Learning campaign, young people can navigate new paths of discovery, explore our city’s rich resources, and gain recognition for their accomplishments by earning digital badges. Peter will provide an overview of digital badges and lead a discussion with participants about the goals of the campaign. Engaging Beyond the Classroom: Strategies for Reaching Caregivers GHC 6501Erica Renfro, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Learning does not stop when the bell rings, which is why it is critical that we engage with learners and their caregivers during out-of-school time. Speaking from experiences working both in and out of schools, Erica will present strategies that enable educators to convey important messages to parents and guardians, so as to create more cohesive learning experiences for students. Educational Games: Transformational or Befuddling? GHC 6115Mike Christel, CMU Entertainment Technology Center (ETC)

Gaming is everywhere: from board games to mobile phones. For many students, gaming is fun and exciting but not educational or transformational. Mike will discuss how educational games can be used to create remarkable learning experiences for students, and even be used to elicit positive change among players.

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Afternoon | 21

2:00pm-5:00pm Remake Learning Network Rally

WQED Studios

The Remake Learning Network Rally is an annual showcase of educators and innovators working together to create innovative learning experiences in the greater Pittsburgh region.

The Network Rally provides an opportunity for new and prospective network members to learn more about the network, meet current members, learn how to seek funding and support services, connect with potential collaborators and ongoing programs, and access other resources.

More than a dozen organizations will share resources and present support services at the Network Rally including the Allegheny Intermediate Unit & Intermediate Unit 1, APOST, Common Sense Media, the CREATE Lab Satellite Network, Fred Rogers Center, PAEYC, Pittsburgh Technology Council, The Sprout Fund, and WQED Education.

The Rally, free and open to all, also serves as the closing public event of CONTEXT 2015. Rally attendees will hear a recap of some of the CONTEXT conversations and meet conference speakers.

Thursday- April 23, 20

15

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Afternoon

Thursday | April 23, 2015 Afternoon | 22

Finding Your Way | 23

Thank You! | 24

GHC 6121Registration and Help Desk; Lunch and Coffee Service As soon as you get off the elevator onto the 6th floor, turn left to find the registration desk. Room 6121 will be opposite the registration desk; it’s a small space with large glass doors

GHC 6115Workshops; CONTEXT ClinicLeft off the 6th floor elevator, past the registration desk, at the end of the hall

GHC 6501Panels; Talks; CONTEXT ClinicWalk straight off the 6th floor elevator, turn right when you see a sign for this room, walk to the end of the hallway

CONTEXT Clinic; Lounge areaOnce you exit the elevator, make a left U turn and go down the hallPart way down the hall, you will see this open area on your right

GHC 2109Panels; TalksExit elevator on the 2nd floor and turn left, follow the corridor all the way to the end

Gates Hillman Complex

GHC CollaborativeCommons

Newell Simon HallNSH 1507

Guest ID: your non-CMU emailPassword: V2TKT28Y

1. Connect your Wi-Fi enabled device to the CMU-GUEST wireless network. 2. Browse to any web page; you will be redirected to the guest wireless service page. 3. In the Guest Login section, click Log In. 4. Enter a valid (non-CMU) email address and your event access code.*5. Accept the terms of use and click Log In.

Sign up at bit.ly/context2016 to receive information about CONTEXT 2016.

Access Wireless Network

Finding Your Way

WorkshopsWhen you enter NSH you will be greeted by the Roboceptionist. Past the Robocep-tionist, take a right to find the elevator bank, go down to the 1st floor. Make a left U turn off the elevator, NSH 1507 (aka the ‘Multi Purpose Room’) will be on your right part way down the hall

Finding Your Way | 25

Thank You!

The CREATE Lab Satellite Network and The Sprout Fund would like to thank the following event sponsors for their generous support:

We would also like to thank the following people for their guidance, assistance and participation:

Our wonderful keynote speakers Indira Nair and Shree Nayar for taking the time to be here with us. All our amazing presenters for their hard work and support in making this conference a success. Michele Martin for helping us organize all the fun events at Google Pittsburgh. Catherine Copetas for guiding us through all the logistics involved with running a conference at CMU. Karen Widmaier for always supporting us and answering all our crazy questions. Lou Karas and Jessica Meyers for always offering to help, no matter how busy they are. Illah Nourbakhsh for generously donating copies of his book to conference attendees. Our fabulous conference attendees for their enthusiastic participation.

We are very grateful to the following foundations for their continued support, without which CONTEXT would not be possible:

Conference Coordinator: Teresa DeFlitchCREATE Lab Conference Team: Dror Yaron, Beatrice Dias and Rachel HiteSprout Conference Team: Dustin Stiver and Ryan CoonPencil Drawings: Courtesy of Children's Innovation ProjectProgram Design: Jacqueline Myra YeungWeb Design: Marissa MorganBoxed Lunch: Bluebird KitchenPodcast Coordinator: Alex WoodringMedia Volunteers: Satvika Neti, Maya Lassiter, Jacob Klingensmith and Lucy Havens

Credits

Thank You! | 26

Guest ID: your non-CMU emailPassword: V2TKT28Y

1. Connect your Wi-Fi enabled device to the CMU-GUEST wireless network. 2. Browse to any web page; you will be redirected to the guest wireless service page. 3. In the Guest Login section, click Log In. 4. Enter a valid (non-CMU) email address and your event access code.*5. Accept the terms of use and click Log In.

Sign up at bit.ly/context2016 to receive information about CONTEXT 2016.

context 2015 program

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