Gale eBook Overview Webinar & Book Studies at No Cost

MESTRACT acquired an electronic collection of professional learning books from Gale for use by educators in our consortium.  Since this is a NEW platform, an overview webinar will be held on Monday, September 20th from 4:30 – 5:30 pm for those interested in utilizing this resource.  Registration for this webinar is now open in our Frontline catalog linked HERE.

Webinar Description:  Professional Development collections on Gale eBooks provide practical teaching techniques and innovative ideas for educators. In this webinar, you’ll learn to navigate titles available in MESTRACT’s professional development collection and explore document tools and techniques to enhance your learning and share with colleagues.

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MESTRACT is offering four 15 hour eBook Studies, which are now open for registration in Frontline.  Course titles are linked to the Frontline catalog below:

Gale eBook Study-STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum-Online

Instructor/Author:  Timothy Needles

​When:  Synchronous Meetings:  5:00-7:10pm on Thursdays October 21st, 28th, November 4th, 18th, December 2nd, 9th, and from 5:00-7:00pm on December 16th, 2021

Audience:  Educators

This in-depth online book study will explore fun, creative, project-based STEAM projects and concepts featured in the new book STEAM Power from ISTE along with the author, educator Tim Needles. A range of emerging and class technologies that teach the fundamentals and are cost effective will be covered. Educators that attend this presentation will leave knowing the 18 great STEAM projects that are elastic and appropriate for any classroom.  We will cover the book’s 3 parts beginning with incorporating the STEAM principles, engaging with STEAM projects, and elevating the learning to the next level by adding elements such as collaboration, community and global learning. Participants will receive a free electronic version of the book.  District approval is needed for in-service credit. (15 CTLE Hours)

Gale eBook Study-Creative Coding: Lessons and Strategies to Integrate Computer Science Across the 6-8 Curriculum-Online

Instructor:  Cindy Moshman-Southworth

Audience:  Grades 6-8 Teachers & Teacher Assistants

This book helps classroom teachers, in several core content areas, develop activities and projects to encourage computational thinking and coding skills, and to build bridges between those skills and practice.  The content of this course will be delivered synchronously via Zoom on Mondays from 4:30-5:30 pm November 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, and December 6th. The remaining hours of the course will be asynchronous assignments in a Learning Management System. The asynchronous hours listed below are simply placeholders for the hours of the course. Participants will be provided with an eBook link to access the book.  Please note: District approval is needed for in-service credit. (15 CTLE Hours)

Gale eBook Study-Coding + Math: Strengthen K-5 Math Skills with Computer Science-Online

Instructor:  Cindy Moshman-Southworth

Audience: Grades pre K-5 Teachers & Teacher Assistants

Dates: 11/1/2021 to 12/6/2021

This book provides a deep dive into computer science integration for elementary teachers, providing guidelines for designing integrated CS/math curricula through case studies and practical examples.
The content of this course will be delivered synchronously via Zoom on Mondays from 6:00 – 7:00 pm November 1st, 8th, 17th, 22nd, 29th, and December 6th. The remaining hours of the course will be asynchronous assignments in a Learning Management System. The asynchronous hours listed below are simply placeholders for the hours of the course. Participants will be provided with an eBook link to access the book.  Please note: District approval is needed for in-service credit. (15 CTLE Hours)

Gale eBook Study-Rev Up Robotics: Real World Computational Thinking in the K-8 Classroom-Online

Instructor:  Cindy Moshman-Southworth
Audience: Educators
Dates: 11/3/2021 to 12/10/2021

This cross-curricular book shows how to incorporate robotics in tandem with computational thinking into content area lessons or electives. Parts cover the basics, define robotics, share real-world applications, and show how to teach foundational skills, then show robotics in practice, provide lesson plans mapped to standards, offer pedagogy and teaching strategies backed by research, and approaches to project-based learning and after-school clubs or robotics competitions.  The content of this course will be delivered synchronously via Zoom on Wednesdays from 4:00 – 5:00 pm November 3rd, 10th, 17th, and December 1st and 8th. The remaining hours of the course will be asynchronous assignments in a Learning Management System. The asynchronous hours listed below are simply placeholders for the hours of the course. Participants will be provided with an eBook link to access the book.  Please note: District approval is needed for in-service credit. (15 CTLE Hours)

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To submit your eBook Requests for your personal professional growth or to start a book study in your district, please complete the Google Form LINKED HERE.