If your students think computer science means staring at a screen, Marci Klein is about to change that.In this session, the STEM educator and co-founder of 3Dux Design walks through the Monster Making Machine, a cardboard construction project that teaches input, processing, output, and debugging without a single device.Students build a monster, write instructions for it, pass those instructions to a team that draws from them, pass the drawing to a third team that builds a clone, and then compare the original to the clone to figure out exactly where the translation went wrong.
It’s telephone meets computer science, and it works for grades K through 5 with materials you probably already have.Marci also walks through how she used ChatGPT to adapt the same project for two students with very different learning needs, showing the exact prompts she used and how she translated the AI’s suggestions into redesigned student booklets that kept the core learning goals fully intact.Monster Making Machine: A Creepy CompSci/Cardboard Construction Lab + AI Differentiation Description: What if you could teach computer science concepts with nothing but cardboard, some connectors, and a monster? In this session, Marci Klein, STEM educator and co-founder of 3Dux Design, walks through the Monster Making Machine, a hands-on team project that teaches input, processing, and output functions through a game of telephone-style monster cloning.
Students build a monster, write instructions, pass them to the next team who draws from the instructions, pass the drawing to a third team who builds a clone, and then compare the original to the clone to debug where the translation broke down.No expensive technology required.She also walks through how to use ChatGPT to differentiate the same project for students with different learning needs, including a student with cognitive challenges and a student with a visual impairment, showing exactly how she prompted the AI and how she used its suggestions to redesign the student booklets while keeping the same core learning goals intact.
In this session, you’ll learn: How the Monster Making Machine project teaches input, processing, output, computational thinking, and debugging through hands-on cardboard construction How to run the project with grades K through 5 using free or low-cost materials How to use ChatGPT to adapt a lesson for specific learners without buying expensive tools How to access the free open-source lesson materials from 3Dux Design ️ Marci’s resource folder ️ 3Dux Design Register for the FREE Summer Learning Series Join us for the entire series–all summer long! The Summer Learning Series is a free, asynchronous online learning event designed specifically for K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and education leaders.Think of this as a slow-burn mini-conference with new presentations dropped every week all summer long! This series consists of expert-led presentations designed to equip K-12 teachers with a treasure trove of practical ideas, innovative teaching tools, and actionable lesson plans.️ REGISTER HERE and check out the full schedule! Get Credit for this Session with ALL ACCESS Each Summer Learning Series session is available as a full online course inside the ALL ACCESS Membership.
Members can watch ad-free, access bonus resources, and earn a certificate of completion for every session.It’s flexible, self-paced PD—on your terms! Join ALL ACCESS and start earning credit today! About Marci Klein, MD Pediatrician Founder and Dean, 3DuxUniversity As an NYU Medical School trained, board certified pediatrician, Marci Klein, M.D.completed a fellowship in Academic Pediatrics.
She has spent over 20 years in clinical medicine with a focus on community healthcare, patient education, and early childhood development.“I have discovered that the true value of education is not in teaching facts, but rather teaching children how to learn.That is what will give them the skills and confidence to propel them forward, even when heading toward unchartered territory.
It gives them the tools to face the many challenges they will encounter in life”.Dr Klein has helped develop the 3Dux modeling sets and many of the design challenges here at 3DuxUniversity.She remains a constant source of support for her children Ayana and Ethan, the original creators of the 3DuxDesign Modeling Sets.
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