Professional Learning Opportunities

Building upon our initial AI Task Force, our goal is to continue to bring educators across our community together to learn from one another as we navigate the evolving world of Artificial Intelligence. In this next iteration, we will check in on where everyone currently stands in the AI landscape while sharing recent classroom experiences, testing new tools, policy & guidance updates, and supporting each other so no school has to figure out what comes next alone. Why Join? *Build on Our Progress: Stay at the forefront of educational innovation as we collectively deepen our understanding of how AI can transform teaching and learning. *Grow Together: Learn & share alongside peers, positioning yourself as a collaborative leader in educational technology. Who Should Join? *Instructional & Technology Coaches ready to explore new tools and support colleagues in taking their next steps with AI. *Administrators & Technology Directors looking to check in on current district progress, align on best practices, and balance innovation with safeguards.

These half-day job-alike gatherings will be facilitated by IU13 and open to any staff invested in supporting the academic growth of gifted/advanced learners and complying with Chapter 16 regulations. A key component of each meeting will be time set aside for collaboration with grade-level, job-alike colleagues. District/school staff will also have the option to plan as a team during a portion of the meeting. Communication for the Gifted Network will primarily take place through Schoology, and anyone interested may join this Group for updates, resources, and discussions. The access code is FBGZM-ZHCMD. Registration will be required for each meeting for planning and Act 48 purposes. There is NO COST for IU13 district and nonpublic school staff to participate in network meetings.

Turn Student Motivation for Video Games into Curricular Engagement & Career Skills Development Aligned to Industry Certifications Transform student enthusiasm for video games into high-impact classroom projects and future-ready career skills in digital media and interactive 3D. This intensive 2-day workshop series features four 3-hour hands-on sessions designed to equip educators with industry-aligned tools and ready-to-implement curriculum kits. You will receive free enrollment in a year-long Unreal Professional Learning Community (PLC) for continuous, year-round support. Day 1 • LEARN UNREAL ENGINE BASICS WITH THE RUBE GOLDBERG LEARNING KIT o Harness Rube Goldberg's witty engineering designs to teach essential interactive 3D skills in Unreal Engine. Educators will explore hands-on physics and environment mechanics while connecting classroom activities directly to student opportunities in the official Rube Goldberg Competition. • USE GAME DESIGN TO DEVELOP INTERACTIVE 3D CAREER SKILLS o Guide students through the process of creating fully functional, publishable video games using the Unreal Learning Kit. Learn how to deliver bite-sized activities that build the creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills needed to master industry-standard software. Day 2 • LEVERAGE FORTNITE FOR VIRTUAL EXHIBITS AND SCHOOL ART SHOWS o Leverage student engagement in Fortnite with Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) for authentic, real-world academic projects. Discover how students learn the skills needed to construct immersive virtual museums of historical and cultural relevance or host virtual art shows for your feeder schools • IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING AND SUPPORT o Collaborate with peer educators to craft concrete action plans for bringing these interactive programs to your students. The Cleverlike Studios team will provide personalized guidance and additional preparation resources.

Transform your feedback from a compliance ritual into a catalyst for growth. Designed specifically for building and district leaders, this immersive, full-day session explores how to establish the ideal conditions for growth-minded feedback within the Danielson Framework. Through interactive, turn-around experiences, you will walk away with practical strategies to immediately engage your team in actionable, reflective conversations. Additional Information: Act 48 hours provided Lunch is provided

This comprehensive workshop offers a hands-on exploration of the Sphero Blueprint Engineering continuum and Bolt+. In the morning, you will experience the vertical progression of mechanical and electrical engineering, starting with foundational concepts in Snap and scaling up to middle school and then high school level complexity using Blueprint Engineering kits. The afternoon shifts focus to advanced Engineering Design with BOLT+ and concludes with "open-sandbox" time. If you are an Engineering byDesign (EbD) user, there will be time to explore the Sphero integration into the curricular resources. *Note: The focus of this workshop is Sphero, and not EbD. All Sphero tools presented are integrated into EbD, and area available to borrow through the IU13 Lending Library.