Hi Guest,
You know we love celebrating ALL things, big and small. This month, I get to share a very special moment with you. I saw Kevin Honeycutt speak at a conference almost a decade ago. I laughed, I cried, and I told myself, “he gets it, he feels it, he lives it”. Since then, we have been acquaintances, friends, grown-apart friends, reconnected friends, and mutual well-wishers. I never would have imagined being able to share a stage with him and sponsor him to keynote a conference. Last week, we were honored to do just that at the NC CIMC conference in Wilmington, NC. What a fun time we had together! And I know everyone there loved hearing his message and left inspired and invigorated to continue to support Career and Technical Education (CTE) in North Carolina. Let me know if you think his message would benefit your community!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at MAD-learn. We are so grateful for YOU!
– Alefiya Master
Have your students created an exceptional app that they would love to show off? If so, we want to hear from them at our upcoming Student Showcase on December 7, 2023, from 3-4 PM Eastern. Click here for student registration. Interested in learning what other teachers are doing and how students are using mobile apps? Register to attend here.
Throughout #CSEdWeek, the MAD-learn team will be visiting classrooms across the United States virtually! We can’t wait to inspire and be inspired. Interested in this virtual classroom visit? Register today: www.calendly.com/alefiya OR www.calendly.com/akummernes.
Would you love the opportunity to try out MAD-learn at no cost to you? Apply for our #appsthatmatter Holiday Grant. Each year, we award selected grant winners with a classroom set of MAD-learn licenses along with virtual PD for the Spring semester (a $2,000 value). The deadline to apply is Jan. 11, 2024.
This year’s Hour of Code will take place Dec. 4-10 (during Computer Science Education Week). MAD-learn is excited to have new activities listed on Code.org, including an activity that teaches students how to code using AI.
Calling all Georgia teachers! If your students are interested in participating in an App and Design Challenge, this is the competition for you. According to the CS4GA website, “This challenge encourages [Georgia] students to develop a mobile application that will solve a current problem facing their local community. The theme for the CS4GA app and design challenge for this school year will be Smart Communities and Sustainability. Students are to develop a mobile application that will make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable” Check out more details here.
The MAD-learn team is excited to spotlight Tali Ben-Senior, an Instructional Technology Specialist at The Epstein School. Tali gave an exceptional poster presentation at GaETC earlier this month. During her session, Tali shared with other teachers how her students used MAD-learn’s 6-step design thinking process – which allowed students to “find their CS comfort zone” – to create some truly exceptional mobile apps. Each year, her students create 2 apps based on their interests and design their own posters to highlight them. Then, in an App Fair showcase, elementary students are invited to engage with the apps and vote on their favorite. Tali has more than 20 years of experience in the instructional technology field and has been using MAD-learn with her students (one of whom has also placed in the CS4GA App and Design Challenge!) for the last 4 years.
Cheryl Clark, STEM Coordinator for Carroll County Schools in GA, attended a design thinking workshop that we did at the GA STEM/STEAM Forum a few weeks ago. Her feedback has us feeling all the feels! “The session was absolutely fabulous!” Thanks for being such a great participant, Cheryl!
…checking out the BEST spooky gif of all time (given that it was the day after Halloween). Courtesy: the Teq and MAD-learn teams at GaETC earlier this month.
