Target Audience

As the target learner for this course, you are likely an instructor, manager, or volunteer seeking to use interactive strategies for engaging participants in our out-of-school virtual or hybrid program. You may have experience using Zoom and similar meeting applications for classroom and business meetings but may be unfamiliar with our strategies to engage program participants.

Program Information

Our programs include STEM Labs, STEM Clubs, and Scholars programs which consist of after-school club learning, leadership meetings, scholarship discussions, hybrid meet-ups, hybrid tours, and internship opportunities. Many activities that may have taken place in person are also virtual or hybrid. Hybrid programs take place bothin-person and virtually, with leaders interacting from the screen, while learners collaborate in the same location.

Duration

The expected duration of each module, referred to as an update, is 1 hour, including readings and activities.

Materials

To complete these modules, you will need a laptop or tablet with internet access. Learners refer to leaders, managers, instructors, or volunteers who will run any of our scheduled meetings and activities with program participants. Facilitators refer to the person or team who assigned this module.

Outcomes

Learners will effectively implement the chosen educational technology to: 

1. Engage participants in discussion during a meeting
2. Help participants create and share their personal stories and develop STEM identities
3. Share knowledge and discussions on selected topics outside of meeting times in educational, social media posts
4. Support and encourage virtual brainstorming, collaboration, and project development
5. Keep track of accomplishments and set goals
6. Communicate across programs and selected events, and share announcements

Question

How can you make Zoom meetings more engaging and inclusive for all participants?

Summary

Polling is a quick and easy way to collect data about your meeting attendees, understand their interests, and most importantly, encourage their engagement in the conversation. Additional features that promote discussion and engagement include chat, breakout rooms, whiteboards, and the use of emojis. How have you used these features in past meetings, and how can you incorporate others?

Key Terms

​Polls, Chat, Emoji, Breakout Rooms, Whiteboard

Video 1: Polling for Zoom Meetings and Webinars

Overview of Video

The video above addresses how to implement polling in Zoom meetings. Use this feature to gather helpful information and capture interest.

Note

Starting the Zoom with an informal poll is an excellent way to get people involved in your topic and check for understanding.

Video 2: Zoom In-Meeting Chat and Reactions

Overview of Video

Chatting during meetings and allowing reactions is a great way to gauge audience engagement, answer questions, and share related thoughts about a topic. Chatting will enable attendees to share questions without interrupting a speaker or when speaking out during the meeting is inconvenient. Reactions inform speakers of how they are doing when presenting in a meeting and allow meeting attendees to be part of the presentation.

Note

Video 3: Creating and Collaborating with Zoom Whiteboard

Overview of Video

This video discusses how we can collaborate using Zoom Whiteboard.

Note

Every meeting will not require whiteboard collaboration, but this feature should be used to support brainstorming, projects, and other similar tasks.

Comment

Which feature have you had the most experience with? How has your audience engaged better when you have used this feature?

Update

Create an update of 200 words sharing details regarding your use of whiteboard, polling, chat, emojis, or chat in your next Project Scientist led meeting. What challenges did you face, and why? Which feature was newly discovered, and would you use it again? Include one media element (photo, screenshot, etc).

Question

​How can storytelling help our learners to develop their own STEM identities?

Summary

Storytelling is an important feature of learning, connecting, and understanding the world. We use storytelling to foster STEM identity development in our girls and nonbinary participants. You will learn to share your story via Prezi to connect with our participants and also help them to develop their own stories.

Key Terms

Storytelling, STEM identity, Representation in STEM

Video 4: Prezi Storytelling - use a story in Prezi to share your message

Overview of video

This video discusses how Prezi can be used to tell a personal story.

Note

Part of our programming will help girls learn to create their own STEM stories using Prezi, your story will serve as a model for them to follow.

Video 5: Prezi tutorial: How to use story blocks

Overview of video

This video explains how to add story blocks as placeholders as you design your STEM story.

Note

Developing your STEM story in this way allows you to let your personality exude in your work, gives the learners a visual to keep them engaged, allows learners to imagine their own STEM stories.

Video 6: Jewel Plummer Cobb Tribute Film

Overview of video

​This video is not a Prezi, but it shares the story of Jewel Plummer Cobb. Think of ways that you might create your story to catch the participants' attention and get them excited for a possible future in STEM. 

Note

​How might a story like this one ignite confidence in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) girls' pursuit of STEM careers?

Additional Reading:

Storytelling in STEM:

https://www.aaas-iuse.org/storytelling-in-stem/

Remembering Jewel Plummer Cobb:

https://undark.org/2017/02/07/remembering-jewel-isadora-plummer-cobb/

Using Narratives and Storytelling to Communicate Science with Non-expert Audiences:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1320645111#sec-2

The Importance of Storytelling in Chemical Education:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-020-00617-7

Comment

Why is it important to find a visual way to communicate your STEM story with our participants?

Update

Creat an update of at least 200 words which includes the following: Share your STEM story presentation and details about your creation process. What did you learn about yourself during the Prezi creation? What would you like others to learn or remember about you as a result of sharing this presentation? How does your story ignite confidence is girls and nonbinary students?

Question

How can Flipgrid be used as a social learning tool?

Summary

Educators have used Flipgrid to incite out-of-school engagement in learning. We will use it in this program to keep girls engaged in a dialogue between meetings (since they only meet once per week).

Key Terms

Social Learning

Video 7: Getting Started with Flipgrid

Overview of Video

Flipgrid is described as a social learning platform. You will learn to create a group and recognize critical components of Flipgrid's features.

Note

Project Scientist staff may have already created a community for you. Please reach out to the person who assigned this training to find out.

Additional reading

Nine New Ways to use Flipgrid Classroom: https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-new-ways-use-flipgrid-classroom 

Comment

​Why do you believe Flipgrid is a Social Learning Platform? What are its similarities to common social media platforms?

Update

Make an update of your own in at least 200 words by sharing an example of a Flipgrid you have created and how it engaged learners between meetings. Include at least one media element.

Question

How can we use Jamboard as an informal learning or performance assessment tool?

Summary

While we do not give grades in out-of-school programs, one way that we measure the success of our program is through informal performance-based projects, in addition to surveys. Jamboard is a collaborative tool which allows learners to work together on a project from brainstorming to presentation. Our learners will be presenting their ideas to our corporate partners and will receive feedback. This update teaches you about Jamboard and its uses for collaboration.

Key Terms

Jamboard, Informal Assessment, Performance-based Assessment

Video 8: How to Use Google Jamboard for Teachers and Students

Overview of Video

The vIdeo shares how to use Jamboard and all of its basic features. It also includes an overview of ideas for using the Jamboard

Note

Scholars will use Jamboard to collaborate, brainstorm, and share a presentation on a STEM career or Topic based on the company's theme. Please watch this so that you can help them to use it effectively.

Additional Reading

Using Jamboard for Student Engagement and Assessment

Comment

Have you used Jamboard before? What feature seems the most useful to you for assessment purposes?

Update

Create an update of at least 200 words which shares details regarding your first implementation of Jamboard for student projects. Was it successful? What challenges did you face?

Question

How does Tallo help 13+ Scholars to prepare for college and develop workforce connections?

Summary

Tallo's website specifically states, "Tallo helps students, grades 8-12, build a professional digital portfolio, discover meaningful career pathways, and make career and educational connections earlier." (Tallo, Secondary Education Page, 2022) You will guide your learners through the creation of a Tallo Profile during this update.

Key Terms

Tallo, STEM Career Connection

Video 9: Tallo for Educators

Overview of Video

The video describes the benefits of joining Tallo for 8-12th graders as future college students or workforce members.

Note

Please create an individual Tallo profile, or view the video below (video 10) to learn about the signup process.

Video 10: Get Started with Tallo

Comment

Compare and contrast Tallo to another business social tool. Why should learners use Tallo over other tools?

Update

Create an update of at least 150 words. Share your recent experience with Tallo. How did learners feel about using this tool? How did they respond to the tasks of creating profiles for future college and workforce development? 

Question

How has the BAND platform made communication more efficient? How can you use it?

Summary

When working across teams and locations, communcation can become cumbersome, and some people may miss important information. We are practicing using the BAND application for our communications which involve participants, Superstars, and Volunteers. These communications might include meeting locations, times, and agendas among other pertinent detail. View the items below to learn more about its use and setup an account.

Key Terms

Superstar expeditions, meet-ups, scholar sessions

Video

Comment

Have you used this application before? What appears to be a benefit of it's use?

Update

Provide an example of your first communication using BAND. What was the result? Would you recommend this application to others? (Answer in 200 words with one media example-screenshot, video, etc)

Reflect on how you used each of the tools from this learning module to engage our STEM participants, how you can use them in the future, and how your views of STEM professionals have changed.

Explain 3 successes and 3 challenges that you experienced when deploying one of the six strategies in the module.

Why were these methods successful, and why were the others a challenge?

How has engaging with our learners changed your view of women, BIPOC women, and nonbinary people in STEM?

Rubric

Analytics and assessment will be based on 3 focus areas:

• Help
• Knowledge
• Focus

You may review your analytics score at any time to check on your grade progress (an A is an 85 in metric scores). This score will be averaged with a score recommended by your supervisor and mentor teacher to determine the final grade.

Focus is based on:

• a total of 6 comments on admin updates (making a comment on each admin update)
• a total of 5 updates to the community (the average length of each update is 200 or more words)
• 1 peer-reviewed project of 1000 words or more, with at least 3 media elements and 3 structural elements
• peer reviews total word length of 40 or more

Help is based on:

• number of views on your updates
• number of required reviews completed
• number of words per completed review (avg 80)
• total number of comments on peer updates
• average peer rating on assignments
• percent of assigned reviews completed

Knowledge is based on:

• average text quality score- writing academically
• average percentage score from your peers
• average self-review score
• average admin review score
• percentage of final works authorized as published