Professional Development
STEM@GTRI’s professional development programs deliver free professional learning and classroom resources, connect teacher leaders, scientists, and engineers in STEM domains with teachers across Georgia to support innovative STEM teaching and learning, and work with teachers to develop curriculum incorporating cutting edge STEM expertise and technologies into classroom instruction and student projects. STEM@GTRI partners with schools and STEM educational-focused partners to create and deliver programming in response to the needs of regional and local education units.
Explorers' Guild
Since 1999, the Explorers’ Guild (EG) program has delivered free professional learning to Georgia’s K12 educators. The EGs focus on equipping educators with critical STEM skills and strategies to incorporate pedagogy effectively into instruction.
Past EG Series
AI4GA EG Series - 2024-2025
In collaboration with the Georgia Tech College of Computing's Constellations Center this series explored the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. This AI4GA EG series explored AI topics, including including AI-enabled robots and their role in education, how large language models (LLMs) work to enhance learning, and discovering how comfortable you are with giving control to AI with a game-based approach.
Sessions: 1) AI Education Best Practices - Video recording, 2) What questions do you have about AI (but are too afraid to ask) - Video recording, 3) Are you curious about the connection between data science and AI? - Video recording | Resources, 4) AI-enabled Robots for Education - Video recording | Resources, 5) How LLMs Work: What They Can and Can't Do - Video Recording 6) SatisfAI: A Game-based Approach to Understanding AI - Video recording
"How To..." Series - Feb-Mar 2022
Looking for new ways of doing STEM+CS inquiry and design or how to support students in giving their best presentations? This Explorer's Guild "How To" series featured educators and science communicators where they shared resources and best practices for engaging students in creating podcasts, pitch videos, and poster presentations for project-based learning. Educators walked away with new strategies, resources, and rubrics to take student product creations to the next level!
Sessions: 1) How to Make a Compelling Pitch Video, 2) How to Design an Effective Science Poster, 3) How to Create an Engaging Podcast
Resources Link: How to... Series
Virtual EG Series - Nov 2021 | The Educator's Guide to the GPB Galaxy
This GPB series was focused on PBS Learning Media and Lesson Builder and digital media integration strategies. Educators learned how to locate and explore engaging PBS content, organize it into folders, embed it into personalized storyboards and lesson builders, and integrate it into your instruction via your teacher dashboard and associated student accounts. They also learned about the latest, free digital learning tools and model several of GPB's differentiated teaching strategies and explore the PBS Lesson Builder tool and learn how to create lessons and share them with your students.
Sessions: 1) Crash Course into PBS LearningMedia, 2) Digital Media Integration Strategies for any Classroom, 3) If you Build it, they will Learn with PBS Lesson Builder
Resources Link: GPB Series
Virtual EG Series - Sept 2021 | Cybersecurity
This EG Cybersecurity series was created to support teachers curious about cybersecurity – for themselves, their students, or future opportunities. We covered cybersecurity basics, ways to bridge cybersecurity with other curricular areas, and opportunities to engage your students through cybersecurity competitions. The series was presented in collaboration with the University of North Georgia.
Sessions: 1) Cybersecurity Basics, 2) Cybersecurity Connections, 3) Cybersecurity Competitions
Resources Link: Cybersecurity Series
Virtual EG Series - Mar 2021 | The Good of Games in K12 Education
In this EG series, attendees explored how games can benefit student wellness and motivation for learning, how to integrate games into the classroom, how students can develop that connect to jobs in the gaming industry, and how to start an esports program at school! This series was presented in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) and facilitated by Laura Levy.
Sessions: 1) Introduction - Games are good for you! 2) Games in MY Classroom?, 3) What does it mean to work in the games industry, 4) Esports: Why should I care?
Resources Link: Gaming-Esports Series
Virtual EG Series - Jan-Feb 2021 | The Powerful Act of Prototyping
In this EG series, attendees learned how technical drawings, paper prototyping, and digital prototyping could be used in the face-to-face, hybrid, or virtual classroom to help students think through ideas in project-based learning curriculum. This series was presented in collaboration with IPaT and the Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design and facilitated by Dr. Clint Zeagler.
Sessions: 1) Technical Drawing – From Ideation to Illustration, 2) Paper Prototyping – Time- and Cost-Effective Prototyping, 3) Digital Prototyping – 3D Modeling and Virtual Prototyping, 4) Discussing Prototyping – Pulling It All Together
Resources Link: Prototyping Series
Virtual EG Series - Oct 2020 | Listen Up: Podcasts in the Classroom
In this EG series, attendees learned how to use podcasts to make connections across disciplines, facilitate project-based learning, and increase literacy and communications skills. This series was presented in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Library and Fayette County Public Schools.
Sessions: 1) Communicating Information Using Podcasts, 2) Introduction to Creating Podcasts, 3) Integrating Podcasts in Your Curriculum, 4) K12 Podcast Ideas and Strategies
Resources Link: Podcast Series
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