EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Here at PIE, we value educators and the work you do for our future inventors and leaders! So this edition is jam-packed with resources to hopefully help with your creative lessons and playful teaching methods!

Morgan Russo, a former educator turned curriculum developer, understands the importance of teaching children how to navigate media and technology usage. Drawing from her expertise, Morgan wrote a book with fun characters that empower all children to make the most of their time with devices and find a healthy balance with screen time. And best of all–The Mediators includes a free media literacy curriculum with worksheets, lesson plans, discussion questions, and activities. Let's hear a bit more about this incredible resource:

The Mediators is a children's chapter book that teaches media literacy through an action-packed, pun-filled adventure. Students will join Tabby the Tablet, Buzz the Cell Phone, and Roller the Video Game Controller, as they go on a mission to mediate their family's media use. This book hopes to empower all children to make the most of their time with devices and find a healthy balance with screen time.

What teachers are saying:

"The Mediators is a phenomenal book that I have used with my students for many years. As a mom of 3, I have personally used many of the strategies The Mediators teach with my own family. The kids and parents of my classes have loved this book." -Amy P., 2nd grade teacher

"The Mediators and curriculum are spectacular companions to use for a media literacy program. We have used the book and corresponding curriculum with our students for the last few years. We need strategies to learn how to use our media positively - The Mediators does exactly this! She gives kids different strategies that they can use both in and out of the classroom. Both staff and students will genuinely enjoy reading this book and learning how to be media experts!" - Colleen P., CPS teacher

The Mediators can be purchased through Amazon by searching ‘The Mediators by Morgan Russo’ or emailing Morgan Russo directly for bulk/digital pricing at mjstumbras@gmail.com

Access to FREE corresponding resources: The Mediators Amazing Resources

Want to inspire innovators in your classroom? Encourage your students to enter the Global Innovation Field Trip (GIFT) through Innovation World! GIFT is experiential world learning at its very best, offering reimagined methods of showcasing and recognizing student innovators and educational programs which support and inspire inventors and innovation. Since every GIFT session is recorded, classrooms and students have the ability to view other participants and innovators anytime of the year, hopefully fueling the innovator fire in your students!

Let’s hear about GIFT from Juli Shively:

"The Global Innovation Field Trip (GIFT) is the quarterly, 24-hour, live-streamed, multi-country celebration of young innovators and programs that promote and prioritize youth innovation in all fields and career paths. The design is inclusive, allowing students of all ages, economic status, and from any country to participate, encouraging students to explore commonalities, interests, and collaboration with their contemporaries from around the world. In total, GIFT has hosted 1574 presenters from 63 countries.

Young innovators and program leaders typically sign up for a 10- or 25-minute presentation space. Presenters sign into the webinar at their agreed upon time and are greeted by the hosts who will guide them through their presentation time. Post-event, the video presentations are added to the GIFT site for easy access by innovators and educators around the world."

Who doesn’t love building with LEGO bricks?! Brixilated harnesses this universal passion and pairs it with their specially crafted curriculum to create educational, play-based magic for children and adults alike. Not only can the Brixilated method be used as after school programming, in traditional education, or as a day-camp experience, but it is flexible and versatile enough to be used in a variety of non-traditional settings like in adult autism centers, micro- and nontraditional schools, substance abuse recovery centers, and children’s hospitals.

Let’s hear a bit more about this playful company:

"At Brixalted, we believe in the power of play to change the world. That's why we use play to teach foundational skills needed to thrive in today’s changing world- skills like creativity, critical thinking, empathy, curiosity, and problem-solving. Our Brixilated Builders Academy (BBA) program uses a specially created LEGO® building curriculum to provide an innovative, play-based environment where students are better able to take in new information, build confidence, and practice the skills needed to thrive in our changing world, all while having fun!"

Please visit the Brixilated website for more information, to find classes near you, or to read more about how we can be part of your classroom!

Looking for creative ways to get your students excited about math!? KenKen involves solving a grid by placing numbers strategically as well using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. With difficulty levels from beginner to advanced, it improves logical-thinking, concentration, number sense, and perseverance for people of all ages.

Robert Fuhrer shares a bit about this fascinating puzzle:

"KenKen, translated as “wisdom squared” from its original Japanese origin, is a beautiful logic and math puzzle published daily in the New York Times and hundreds of other newspapers. It is the fastest growing puzzle in the world with millions of players worldwide.

You are invited to join over 35,000 teachers and receive FREE educator packets each week during the school year, just by registering for an account. Visit KenKen Education section and check the teacher resources to set up your account and have personalized access for all your students."

To learn more about this remarkable educational game, watch The New Yorker documentary, "The Puzzle Inventor Who Makes Math Beautiful" about KenKen’s creator, Tetsuya Miyamoto.

Ever need a minute to just pause? Our next spotlight, Debi John, educator and founder of Play Healing CIC in the UK, is suggesting we all find time to PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECT Ⓡ. Debi recently collaborated with hundreds of Ukrainian families in Polish refugee centers. Her mission was simple yet powerful: introduce play-based attachment games to these families awaiting permanent homes. Debi's visit witnessed remarkable changes in the family’s well-being, thanks to these profoundly therapeutic activities.The PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECT Ⓡ Model, piloted in Poland and beyond, offers hope for families in crisis.

Debi explains a bit more about her program:

"There's a difference between playful activities and therapeutic play. This distinction is at the heart of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECT Ⓡ Model, which has yielded incredible results. The program has been piloted across Europe including training around 50 Ukrainian psychotherapists, making it ideal for families in crisis or struggling with traditional parenting programs. This innovative approach leverages the power of play to heal and strengthen parent-child bonds, offering hope in challenging times and a practical framework for educators and psychotherapists, to include simple games easily adapted for classroom use."

There are several course options on the PlayHealing website, from the Practical Feather Training (use Code: PLAY for 90% off) to more involved Professional Live Training with Connection Sessions (use Code: POP for 50%).

For more information email: debi@playhealing.com