Think About Code- Vermont: Guest Speakers

Join Vermont Learning Hour of Code Series of Guest Speakers

sponsored by Agency of Education, Vita-Learn, and GEG Vermont

The Vermont Agency of Education is very pleased to again support schools involvement in Hour of Code Week 2017. To help engage students and educators over the week, the Agency has solicited a number of individuals and entities to engage with the education community on the topics of programming, coding, career paths and innovations. We have partnered with Vita-Learn and GEG~Vermont to offer this Vermont Learning Guest Speaker Series as a virtual Vermont events during the Hour of Code Week.

To collaborate with one of the following special guest during Hour of Code, please contact Peter Drescher, Education Technology Consultant - Vermont Agency of Education

Ph.: 802.479.1169 peter.drescher@vermont.gov

Guest Speakers

GUEST SPEAKERS 2016

2016 Hour of Code Guest visit Vermont School via video conference

Watch Recording

Mon Dec 5

11:00 AM EST

Sarah Roman
Raspberry Pi Certified Educator and her students share how they Code a Raspberry Pi Sensor Hat in their high school Literature classes with high school students from Champlain Valley Union High School

Watch Live
Tue Dec 6
4:00 PM EST

Donna MacDonald
Librarian Orchard School [BIO]
We will start by launching Vermont's 2nd Annual Robot Rodeo at 4:00 pm. and at 4:15 we will be interviewing Donna MacDonald about her work introducing younger learners to Code

Wed Dec 7
11:35 AM EST
No Recording

Alexandra Diracles

Vidcode CEO/Co-founder
shares her career journey with students from Essex Town Schools along with a VidCode Challenge

Watch Live

Thu Dec 8

6:30 EST

Sam

Patterson

Educator, Maker, Author of "Programming in the Primary Grades - Beyond Hour of Code"

will share his WHY for moving Beyond an Hour of Code in the Primary Grades with Marlboro Graduate students.

Thu Dec 8
No Recording

Danielle

Burnett

Principal Learning Architect for Game Salad

will share her career path and an Hour of Code Challenge with students in South Royalton School.

The Vermont Agency of Education is very pleased to again support schools involvement in Hour of Code Week 2016. To help engage students and educators over the week, the Agency has solicited a number of individuals and entities to engage with the education community on the topics of programming, coding, career paths and innovations. We have partnered with Vita-Learn and GEG~Vermont to offer this Vermont Learning Guest Speaker Series as a virtual Vermont events during the Hour of Code Week.

To collaborate with one of the following special guest during Hour of Code, please contact Peter Drescher, Education Technology Consultant - Vermont Agency of Education

Ph.: 802.479.1169 peter.drescher@vermont.gov

Guest Speakers

GUEST SPEAKERS 2015

“With the jobs of the future increasingly in the science, math, technology, and engineering sectors, we need to make sure Vermont students have the skills to be competitive. “Hour of Code” does just this and prepares our students by getting them interested and excited about coding and problem solving. I am proud that so many of our Vermont schools see the importance of participating in this event and continue to pave the way for students to explore new and exciting fields.”

~ Governor Shumlin

2015 Hour of Code Guest visit Vermont School via video conference

Jeffrey Sprenger ~ Xemory gives North Country Career Center students an advanced UNITY coding lesson

Megan Harney - MIDAS Education

explains coding to Chamberlin school students

Marguerite Dibbles - Game Theory

shares career path with Williston students

Isaiah Keepin ~ BlueHouse Group

discuss coding for the web with The Dorset School

Rebecca Holcombe ~VT Secretary of Education

congratulates Chamberlin School for Code.org award

The Vermont Agency of Education is very pleased to again support schools involvement in Hour of Code Week 2015. To help engage students and educators over the week, the Agency has solicited a number of individuals and entities to engage with the education community on the topics of programming, coding, career paths and innovations. We have partnered with Vita-Learn and GEG~Vermont to offer this Vermont Learning Guest Speaker Series as a virtual Vermont events during the Hour of Code Week.

To collaborate with one of the following special guest during Hour of Code, please contact Peter Drescher, Education Technology Consultant - Vermont Agency of Education
Ph.: 802.479.1169 peter.drescher@vermont.gov

Guest Speakers

Jeffrey Sprenger - Founder of Xemory Software, a Vermont company

Come listen to Jeff share the magic of Neurobotik, a game that allows kids to design and perfect robot brains by simulating evolution.

Jeff Sprenger, Founder of Xemory Software, a Vermont company. Jeff will be showing and discussing coding and programming by demonstrating a robotic arm his company has created. He will also discuss and possibly showcase ways that schools might use Unity3D software to create basic video games. Jeff’s company is already working in some schools in VT and Jeff may be available to come to a school during the week to teach students about robotics design. Click here to watch the archived event from Thursday December 11, 2014 1:00 p.m. EST

Read more about Jeff and Neurobotik in this great article in KidsVT

"There's certainly magic in evolution," says Jeffrey Sprenger "When you evolve the robots, you get some really crazy results."

Here is the link to the Jeff's Unity lesson with North Country Career Center students during 2015 Hour of Code Guest Speaker. A GREAT model of collaborative troubleshooting together ending with Jeff sharing insight into his career path. Jeff also two local Vermont schools, including St. Albans City School during the week.

Marguerite Dibbles - Founder of Game Theory ~ a Vermont company

Come listen to Marguerite Dibble, Founder/CEO at GameTheory

Marguerite Dibble graduated from Champlain College in 2012 with a degree in Game Art and Animation. As CEO of Game Theory, a company she founded, she produces games, apps and engagement strategies focused on making learning fun.

Host School: Williston Central School
Leah Joly and students

December 11: Noon. Click this Event Link to WATCH the Archive
An amazing exchange as a dozen teen girls ask some fantastic questions and Marguerite shares her experience.

Megan Harney - Founder and CEO of MIDAS Education

Megan is the founder and CEO of MIDAS Education. She holds a master's degree in Technology, Innovation, and Education as well as a bachelors degree in English and computer science from Harvard. Education.

Click here to WATCH Megan share her coding experience with Chamberlin School in South Burlington. December 7, 2015

BlueHouse Group -Gives a Little Love to Vermont Schools
December 10 12:45 - 1:15

Host School: The Dorset School (Phyllis Tate and students)
Click here to WATCH and ARCHIVE of this Event

Isaiah engages students with his career path and insight into the varied roles in website development (from creating great design elements to coding the front and back end, as well as working with users).

Isaiah Keepin

Web Developer

Equal parts storyteller, architect, and entrepreneur, Isaiah is passionate about the vast range of expression and connection that the web makes possible. Ever since the 1980’s, when he wrote his first computer game on a Commodore 64, he has loved exploring the intersection of human stories and systems of information. These days, he works mainly in JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL, but you never know where you’ll find him next. When he’s not weaving code, he loves exploring the woods of Vermont, reading the latest Haruki Murakami novel, and homeschooling his three kids.