Professional Development
Whether you’re brand new to STEM or a seasoned coding teacher, SAM Labs’ professional development will take your STEM, STEAM, and coding instruction to the next level.
Level up with STEAM & coding
SAM Labs offers supplementary professional development to all educators who want to elevate their instructional abilities and boost their confidence in teaching STEAM & coding.
With SAM Labs’ professional development and training, you’ll:
- Discover the importance of computational thinking and how to enhance students’ potential with 21st century skills.
- Master how to promote collaboration, perseverance, and problem-solving through STEAM & coding.
- Experience the SAM Labs computational teaching approach within our standards-aligned content and beyond.
- Learn how incorporating SAM Labs promotes active engagement and authentic learning experiences across different classroom contexts and use cases.
Choose your pedagogy track, delivery method, and specialization options to customize the experience to your needs.
Training on-demand
We know you are always short on time. That’s why SAM Labs’ professional development is now available on-demand. Do your PD at your pace with our online, self-guided courses.
Self-guided
With our on-demand platform, you can fit training into your busy schedule. Just log in and pick up where you left off. It’s as easy as that.
Content you need, none you don’t
SAM Labs’ Level 1 and Level 2 courses each contain 5 hours of content. We’ve included all the information you need to teach STEAM & coding confidently, without any of the fluff. Plus, you will receive activities, implementation guides, and resources that are ready to print and use with students. These additional resources can only be accessed through our PD courses.
Lifetime access
Once you’ve unlocked a SAM Labs PD course, you can revisit it anytime. Just log in and use the navigation menu to select the section you’d like to review. Simple!
Experience SAM Labs yourself
Best of all, PD through SAM Labs means you’ll get the full SAM Labs experience yourself! Our hands-on embedded activities, such as coding programs and building prototypes, will allow you to apply your learning in meaningful ways. From SAM Blocks and SAM Studio to the pedagogy behind our curriculum, you’ll see it taught by the best, so you can become the best.
Celebrate your certification!
Once you’re done, celebrate with your official SAM Labs certification! Add it to your resume or your social media profiles, and let the world know with #SAMLabsCert. Well done!
Benefits of certification
Current courses
Level 1: Foundations & Pedagogy
Session 1.1
Getting Started with SAM Labs
Build confidence by building a strong foundation with SAM Labs
Session 1.2
Purpose & Pedagogy
Learn the principles behind SAM Labs’ pedagogy, & how to leverage it with your students.
Level 2: Engagement & Application
Session 2.1
Hands-on, Minds-on Teaching
Learn how to use SAM Labs’ hands-on, project-based education to boost engagement and learning with your students.
Session 2.2
Implementing SAM Labs in Context
Select your specialty—General Education, Science/STEM, Computer Science, Gifted & Talented, Librarian/Media Specialist/Makerspace, and more—and learn detailed strategies for implementing SAM Labs in your context.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm a new customer. Do I need PD to get started?
Good news: every purchase of a SAM Labs Bundle—including a SAM Labs classroom kit and a subscription to SAM Studio—comes with complimentary onboarding! You'll have everything you need to use SAM Labs in your initial purchase. Our PD is about taking your SAM Labs expertise to the next level.
Does everyone on my team or staff need access to the PD?
We suggest each staff member using SAM Labs complete Level 1 of the asynchronous training. This will ensure that your entire team will feel confident with how to teach STEAM & coding utilizing SAM Labs.
My team would rather do synchronous PD. Is that possible?
Yes! SAM Labs' Education Consultants are available for synchronous professional development by Zoom. Please contact us for details and pricing.
What about in-person professional development?
Our Education team is trained to deliver in-person PD, but availability is limited. Please contact us for details and pricing.
Can SAM Labs' PD be customized to meet our program's unique needs?
SAM Labs' professional development features in-built customization, particularly Session 2.2 which discusses how to integrate SAM Labs within your unique context. If you're looking for additional customization, please reach out so we can can discuss.