Sustainable Professional Development & Learning Series
STEM Without Borders: The Power of Transdisciplinary Connections
Focus: Understanding and applying transdisciplinary STEM planning to build meaningful connections across subjects.
Description:
Explore how transdisciplinary STEM learning breaks down subject silos to create rich, meaningful experiences that connect science, technology, engineering, and math with literacy, history, and the arts. This session guides educators in designing cohesive, student-centered lessons that align with TEKS and emphasize real-world relevance, collaboration, and inquiry.
Blueprints of Learning: Building Blocks of Effective Transdisciplinary STEM
Focus: Developing planning frameworks that foster student-centered, inquiry-based lessons.
Description:
Learn how to construct rigorous and coherent transdisciplinary STEM lessons from the ground up. Participants will use frameworks like 5E, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and backward design to build lessons that intentionally connect TEKS, foster inquiry, and promote deep understanding across disciplines.
STEM + X & C4: Cultivating Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical
Focus: Embedding the 4Cs and digital citizenship into STEM classrooms.
Description:
Explore how the 4Cs—Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking—form the foundation of successful STEM instruction. Through hands-on design challenges and reflection, participants will learn how to embed the 4Cs into daily learning to build essential 21st-century competencies and foster digital citizenship.
Connecting the Dots: The 3D World of STEM
Focus: Integrating 3D learning—core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science & engineering practices.
Description:
Dive into the 3D learning model—Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science & Engineering Practices—to bring phenomenon-based instruction to life. Educators will experience hands-on examples of how to use real-world phenomena to drive inquiry, connect standards, and engage students in authentic scientific thinking.
Thinking About Thinking: Metacognition and Critical Thinking in STEM
Focus: Strengthening student reasoning, reflection, and problem-solving through metacognitive practices.
Description:
Empower students to think about their thinking. This session focuses on embedding metacognitive strategies and critical thinking routines into STEM lessons. Teachers will design reflection prompts, formative assessment tools, and questioning techniques that help students plan, monitor, and evaluate their problem-solving processes.
STEM Sparks: Igniting Student Engagement Through Inquiry
Focus: Transdisciplinary Learning
Description:
Reignite your students’ curiosity by designing inquiry-driven STEM lessons that captivate attention and inspire exploration. This session emphasizes hands-on investigations, questioning strategies, and culturally relevant engagement techniques to help students take ownership of their learning and see themselves as capable problem-solvers.
STEM in Action: Real-World Connections and Project-Based Learning
Focus: Creating real-world, hands-on PBL experiences that promote relevance and authenticity.
Description:
Transform classrooms into innovation labs where students apply STEM concepts to authentic, real-world problems. Participants will design project-based learning experiences aligned with TEKS that integrate inquiry, creativity, and community impact—helping students see the relevance of STEM in their everyday lives.
Tech-Savvy STEM: Educational Technology for Innovation and Inquiry
Focus: Using digital tools to enhance exploration, data collection, and collaboration.
Description:
Harness the power of technology to deepen inquiry and collaboration in STEM. This session explores digital tools for data analysis, design thinking, coding, and simulation—while emphasizing digital citizenship and equity. Educators will leave with practical tech-integration strategies for immediate classroom application.
Designing the Future: Engineering, Data, and Differentiation in STEM for All
Focus: Applying the Engineering Design Process and data literacy for inclusive STEM education.
Description:
Bring the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and data literacy to life through inclusive, differentiated instruction. Educators will engage in hands-on engineering challenges, analyze real data, and design supports to ensure all learners—including ELLs, SPED, and G/T students—thrive in rigorous, inquiry-based STEM environments.
Gifted in Every Way: Elevating G/T Learners in STEM
Differentiation strategies for gifted and talented students in STEM using depth, complexity, and choice.
Description:
Uncover strategies for challenging gifted and talented learners through depth, complexity, and creative problem-solving. Participants will examine frameworks such as Bloom's Taxonomy, Webb's Depth of Knowledge, Costa's Level of Questioning, Kaplan’s Icons of Depth and Complexity and Renzulli’s Triad Model to design differentiated STEM experiences that nurture advanced reasoning, innovation, and leadership in all learners.