Mini-Courses

is the most empowering experience a high school student can have, coding is joyful, and all students deserve access to this life-changing form of fun.

Taylor Want holds a B.A. in Physics from Carleton College and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University. She has built her career around increasing educational opportunities in computer science for underrepresented populations in tech. Taylor began her career in education as a high school physics and computer science teacher and then as the Director of Strategy and Operations at Upperline Code. At Upperline Code, she built, managed, and trained teachers for computer science education programs in partnership with organizations like Google, JPMorgan Chase, the New York City Department of Education, and Cornell Tech. She is now an Engineering Director at Giant Machines, where she works to support early-career software engineers in their growth and development.

Coding With Minecraft: More Than Just a Game!

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Luis Saltos

WEDNESDAYS, MAY 17, MAY 31, JUN 14 MƒA  COMPUTER

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Have you heard students talking about Minecraft and wondered what all the fuss was about? In this minicourse, we will learn how to incorporate Minecraft Education Edition (EE), a game-based learning platform that uses block-based coding to build STEM skills, unleash creativity, and engage students in collaboration and problem-solving. Using their Coding FUNdamentals lessons and command blocks, teachers will explore algorithms, sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, functions, and more. We will also learn how to apply Minecraft EE across content and skills, such as constructing models of atoms and compounds, learning about cybersecurity, and engaging students in social-emotional learning. This course is best suited for elementary and middle school teachers who are new to block-based coding and are interested in adding some coding to their classroom instruction.

Luis Saltos is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at J.H.S. 189 Daniel Carter Beard in Queens.

Conquering Cancer: Recreating the Experiments That Led to Defeating Leukemia Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Subarna Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., and Jason Econome

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 22, MAR 29 OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

+PLEASE NOTE: ALL THREE SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL.

Patients diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have one of the highest (85%!) ten year survival rates thanks to incredible achievements made by oncologists and researchers. Join us in this mini-course as we retrace the steps leading to the development of oral chemotherapy treatments such as Gleevec (imatinib mesylate). In session one, we will perform a simulation of a DNA microarray assay to identify and better understand the genes and mechanisms that contribute to the unregulated production of myeloid cells. In session two, we’ll conduct an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the effectiveness and longevity of Gleevec. In our final session, we’ll perform gel electrophoresis on a PCR-based diagnostic of patients’ blood samples, analyze prepared slides, and explore Sanger sequencing of p53 to assess the threats of relapse. Teachers will leave with a variety of resources, including student handouts, articles, protocols, and assessments to effectively implement these activities in their high school biology or AP Biology curriculum.

Dr. Subarna Bhattacharyya is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at N.Y.C. Museum School in Manhattan.

Jason Econome is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Co-Teaching in Inclusive Secondary Mathematics Classrooms p

Facilitators: Jennifer Smith and Michelle Stephan, Ed.D.

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 14, MAR 28

MƒA & ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA . SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

How might general and special educators work together to co-plan, co-enact, and co-assess for equitable access to mathematics? In this mini-course, teachers will learn strategies for developing genuine co-teaching practices that ensure all students, especially those with special needs, have access to high-quality mathematics instruction. First, we will learn how to co-plan effectively through lesson imaging, where teachers anticipate how chosen activities will unfold in real time—what solutions, questions, and misconceptions students might have, and how teachers can promote deeper reasoning. Then, we will deconstruct co-teachers’ instructional practices by watching videos of a student-centered inclusion mathematics lesson. Finally, we will adapt and modify assessments without lowering cognitive demand for students with special needs. Any middle school mathematics teacher is welcome; no prior ICT experience is necessary.

Jennifer Smith is a Teacher on Assignment for Seminole County Public Schools in Florida. She has taught students with special needs for 17 years and co-taught three of those years with Dr. Stephan in 7th grade mathematics. She teaches K-12 teachers how to create equitable classroom environments for all students.

Dr. Michelle Stephan is a professor of mathematics education at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She and Jennifer Smith co-taught 7th grade mathematics for three years and have published multiple articles about implementing high-quality co-teaching practices in inquiry mathematics environments. She currently researches how to create equitable access to high-quality mathematics for all students.