McHenry County ROE Excellence in Education 2026

In this hands-on session, educators will explore how LEGO® Education Science can be used to help Illinois students model, investigate, and redesign solutions to real-world environmental challenges. Participants will engage in collaborative design tasks focused on local systems such as climate patterns, land management, and human impact on the environment, while strengthening students’ skills in scientific modeling, data analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. The session highlights practical strategies aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards and NGSS practices, emphasizing systems thinking and sensemaking rather than single “right answers.” Educators will leave with adaptable lesson ideas, assessment approaches, and connections that make science learning relevant, rigorous, and grounded in students’ lived experiences across Illinois.

In this interactive session invites, we will explore how LEGO® Education Computer Science & AI can help Illinois students understand how automated systems make decisions—and why those decisions matter. Through hands-on modeling and guided discussions, participants will examine foundational concepts such as computational thinking, data inputs, and algorithmic behavior, while also addressing issues of bias, transparency, and responsible use of AI. Using real‑world contexts relevant to Illinois classrooms, educators will experience strategies for making abstract AI concepts concrete and age‑appropriate. The session emphasizes problem‑solving, collaboration, and ethical reasoning aligned with the Illinois Computer Science Standards and equips educators with practical and intuitive approaches for teaching AI as a tool students can question, refine, and improve.

In this hands-on session, educators will explore how LEGO® Education Science can be used to help Illinois students model, investigate, and redesign solutions to real-world environmental challenges. Participants will engage in collaborative design tasks focused on local systems such as climate patterns, land management, and human impact on the environment, while strengthening students’ skills in scientific modeling, data analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. The session highlights practical strategies aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards and NGSS practices, emphasizing systems thinking and sensemaking rather than single “right answers.” Educators will leave with adaptable lesson ideas, assessment approaches, and connections that make science learning relevant, rigorous, and grounded in students’ lived experiences across Illinois.

In this interactive session invites, we will explore how LEGO® Education Computer Science & AI can help Illinois students understand how automated systems make decisions—and why those decisions matter. Through hands-on modeling and guided discussions, participants will examine foundational concepts such as computational thinking, data inputs, and algorithmic behavior, while also addressing issues of bias, transparency, and responsible use of AI. Using real‑world contexts relevant to Illinois classrooms, educators will experience strategies for making abstract AI concepts concrete and age‑appropriate. The session emphasizes problem‑solving, collaboration, and ethical reasoning aligned with the Illinois Computer Science Standards and equips educators with practical and intuitive approaches for teaching AI as a tool students can question, refine, and improve.