These are the online professional development courses available through Aggie STEM. Click on the image for purchasing information.

Introduction to STEM PBL

What is a PBL? How does STEM PBL support STEM education? These and other questions will be addressed in this course. 3 Professional Development Hours.

Student Centered Learning Environments

Learn how to modify your current teaching strategies to put your students in charge of their own learning while you facilitate the process to ensure that they master requisite knowledge and skills for your class. 3 Professional Development Hours.

Professional Learning Community

You will become part of a professional learning community as you work through this course. You may create your own group or join an established group to communicate and collaborate on a topic of your choosing. 6 Professional Development Hours.

Designing and Applying Rubrics

Rubrics are an important assessment tool for STEM PBL. But how can I design or modify one that fits my students and STEM PBL? How can I apply it in such a way that minimizes student confusion and complaints about grades? 3 Professional Development Hours.

Writing a PBL Part 1: What Standards Should I Cover?

This course helps guide you in determining the TEKS to be covered in your STEM PBL. What considerations are taken into effect in planning the writing of a STEM PBL? How can I fit a STEM PBL into the scope and sequence of my course? 3 Professional Development Hours.

Writing a PBL Part 2: The Ill-Defined Task & Well-Defined Outcome

This course guides you through the process of crafting the ill-defined task and well-defined outcomes, the two key components to a successful PBL. 3 Professional Development Hours.

Writing a PBL Part 3: Exploration and Explanation

This course guides you through planning the stages of the STEM PBL for your students, the details of how you will implement the exploration and the formal teaching portions of the STEM PBL. 6 Professional Development Hours.

Writing a PBL Part 4: Refinement and Differentiation

Creating STEM PBL is an iterative process. You will to continue refine the STEM PBL before and after implementation. You will have an opportunity to receive summative feedback before taking your STEM PBL to the classroom. Furthermore, you will explore how to differentiate activities for the needs of diverse students. 3 Professional Development Hours.

Writing a PBL Part 5: Formative & Summation Assessment

How do I Assess STEM PBL Student Work? This course will guide the teacher in the development and use of various types of assessment through different phases of the STEM PBL. 3 Professional Development Hours.

Implementing a STEM PBL: Benny’s Bee Business

Experience first-hand the implementation of a simple, short STEM PBL based on honeybees. This STEM PBL give you the flexibility to focus on one or more of the following subject areas: Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics), English, and Social Studies. 6 Professional Development Hours.

Proportionality Concepts for Middle School

This content course was designed to address the teaching and learning of Proportionality Concepts. It builds pedagogically appropriate content that facilitates teaching to the standards for student success and teacher mastery. 3.5 Professional Development Hours.

Connections Between Representations of Linear Functions

Course content was designed to address fundamental concepts of the teaching and learning of linear functions. It builds pedagogically appropriate content that facilitates teaching to the standards for student success and teacher mastery. 3.5 Professional Development Hours.

Elementary Algebraic Patterning

Teachers will engage in activities to build algebraic habits of mind by building squares and cutting strings while recognizing, describing, and generating patterns.  10 Professional Development Hours.

Elementary Algebra Variables and Equations

Teachers will engage in activities to strengthen student concepts in equality, writing variables, and functional thinking by justifying generalizations. 10 Professional Development Hours.

Elementary Fractions

Teachers will be introduced to the Fearless Fractions program and will participate in an activity where they will fold up French fries to develop the concept of unit fractions.  They will examine five models for gaining a rich understanding of representing fractional parts. 15 Professional Development Hours.

Elementary Measurement

Teachers will use the problem scenario of jumping to count and combine units, make predictions about length and distance using nonstandard and standard measurements. 10 Professional Development Hours.

Elementary Problem Solving

Teachers will watch a video within the context of a marble problem and take note of effective strategies to elicit student thinking as they solve and pose problems. They will also play a game of “draw and discard” with their students and write a reflection. 10 Professional Development Hours.

Fearless Fractions Part A: The Quilt Project

Teachers will use Lessons #1 and #2 of Fearless Fractions to create a quilt using equivalent fractions. Lesson #1 emphasizes understanding fractions as a part of a whole using concrete models.  Lesson #2 focuses on demonstrating understanding of equivalent fractions using concrete models.

Fearless Fractions Part B: Mock Tail Project

Teachers will use Lessons #3 and #4 of Fearless Fractions to create Mock Tails using equivalent fractions.  Lesson #3 emphasizes understanding fractions in the simplest form using concrete models.  Lesson #4 focuses on understanding of renaming mixed numbers as improper fractions using concrete models.

Fearless Fractions Part C: The Storyboard Project

Teachers will use Lessons #5 and #6 of Fearless Fractions to create a storyboard using equivalent fractions.  Lesson #5 emphasizes understanding of renaming improper fractions as mixed numbers using concrete models.  Lesson #6 focuses on understanding how to add and subtract fractions with “like” denominators using concrete models.

Fearless Fractions Part D: The Pizza Project

Teachers will use Lessons #7 and #8 of Fearless Fractions to create a storyboard using equivalent fractions.  Lesson #7 emphasizes understanding how to add and subtract fractions with “unlike” denominators using concrete models.  Lesson #8 focuses on understanding how to add fractions with either “like” or “unlike” denominators as well as how to subtract “like” or “unlike” without regrouping using concrete models.

Fearless Fractions Part E: The Assessment Design Project

Teachers will use Lessons #9 of Fearless Fractions to design Performance and Open Response Assessments.  Lesson #9 emphasizes understanding subtracting “like” and “unlike” mixed numbers with or without regrouping using concrete models.

TOT Microcontrollers

Participants will engage in a two-fold experience:
– Put together a circuit board and program it to flash lights and  create movement.
– Learn the basics of circuits, electricity, engineering, and computing using Arduino.
– Focus on activities and lesson planning strategies for implementing a project-based STEM learning approach relying on building skills in programming and engineering.