students. Aileen Owens, Director of Technology and Innovation,
and substitute teacher Stephanie Harris worked with the
Teknowledge Team led by Amal Nanavanti from Carnegie Mellon
University, and Erik Pintar, a software developer from Google
Pittsburgh, to create a simulation based on “The Martian,” to help
students learn to code in a fun and powerful way.
Einstein’s Workshop from Cambridge, Massachusetts, joined
us to teach a workshop on BlocksCAD, the first block-based CAD
program where students use block-based code to program and
print 3D models. Teachers really flourished with the opportunities
to learn together, one expressing, “I am so grateful for the
opportunity to learn more about coding and modeling. Even
though my school does not have a 3D printer, I can use the
modeling software with my geometry unit and as enrichment for
my math club students.”