The GIANT Room Partners with NYC DOE Software Engineering Program for the First PD Session at Cooper Union

Recently, we had the pleasure of conducting a professional learning session for teachers aimed at integrating computational thinking, problem solving, and game design in elementary school classrooms. As part of the city-wide effort to incorporate coding and computational thinking into K-5 curriculum, funded by the NYC Department of Education SEPjr (Software Engineering Program Junior) Program, The GIANT Room will be conducting three Professional Development sessions this year, with our inaugural session held at Cooper Union.

Over the past three years, we have partnered with the NYC Department of Education, reaching hundreds of teachers through our Professional Development sessions. SEPjr is an integral part of CS4All (Computer Science For All), which develops programming for teacher-directed lessons and the application of computer science, with an emphasis on Explorer and Creator perspectives. Their balance of thorough and impactful direct instruction with open-ended creative computing aligns perfectly with our mission at The GIANT Room. Currently, The GIANT Room is also developing a guide focused on AI for teachers for the following school year.

Our Professional Development session followed a unique format where The GIANT Room facilitated the learning process that included drawing warm-ups and Computational Thinking-Unplugged exercises, where teachers explore algorithmic language to enhance their teaching methodologies. Teachers then made their own game projects and discussed strategies to bring the activities to their classrooms.

Designing and playing games form a significant part of our approach, guiding students through defining rules, prototyping artifacts, and playtesting to improve their games. Our game designing workshops cover a variety of categories, including chance games, sports, arcade games, mazes, marble runs, board games, and game cards. We even had the privilege of showcasing our latest "Would You Rather...?" Game Design Mission during the session, adding an extra layer of excitement for the participating teachers.

We are honored to have facilitated this professional learning session and are dedicated to fostering a joyful and innovative learning environment for both children and educators. If you are seeking impactful AI, STEM, and Coding Professional Development, we invite you to connect with us. Together, let's inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers!