Hartwood Elementary to get visit from state Department of Education STEM consultant

Hartwood Elementary students will get a special visit Wednesday from Judd Pittman, special consultant to the Secretary of Education for STEM.

The Fox Chapel Area School District school is among three that Pittman is scheduled to visit, along with Pittsburgh Public Schools' Lincoln Elementary and Pittsburgh Gifted Center.

Specifically, Pittman will sit in with third graders at Hartwood and be joined by Jacob Hanchar, CEO of Digital Dream Labs, whose flagship Puzzlets game, Cork the Volcano, has been in the digital library at FCA for years.

Jacob will demo two additional games developed for use with the Puzzlets platform that promote sequential thinking and that are the only hands-on gaming system included in CSforALL.

Bonnie Berzonski, district coordinator of communications, said The Grable Foundation has been supporting the use of of gaming and game design in learning communities benefiting students, educators and parents.

Classroom visits have been identified by consultant Heather Mallak because of the educators' participation in some of these initiatives and their enthusiasm for leveraging play in learning.

Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. Reach her at 412-782-2121, ext. 2, tpanizzi@tribweb.com or @tawnyatrib.