In collaboration with East-Central BOCES, our team piloted the Classroom Coding, Robotics and Innovation STEAM Studio program with teams of high school teachers and learners in Limon on Friday. It was an awesome day of science, technology, and innovation for the students, grades 9-12, and a great day of PD for the teachers! A teacher from Byers told us “I liked the student-engagement, collaboration and learning how to help them think through the design process…it was amazing to see them really come together!” Not to say getting a group of high school students to agree on a project is easy, or that everything worked well every time, but it was really empowering program and a great PD model for STEM and STEAM programs.

The day started with a crash-course on engineering, design thinking, and making, followed by two 1-hour technology and innovation trainings. The first course focused on designing, programming and building student-directed innovations with Edison Robots and Legos. The second course used Makey Makeys, MIT’s Scratch and the tools and 21st-century materials we bring in our portable makerspace. Students were cutting, drilling, bolting and getting a chance to incorporate conductive fabrics, paints, foams, and all the classic makerspace materials into their projects! We had a short design thinking and planning session before lunch, then turned the teachers and students loose in the afternoon to design and create their own innovations. Here is some of what they made in a jam-packed afternoon of making, coding, programming, and collaboration.