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When we changed my classroom from a computer lab to a design and engineering space that included technology some adults freaked out. Why? I only have my own story to tell. As a teacher lured toward elementary students, by nature, I tended to sway towards language arts and social sciences. I don't think I was alone in feeling like this. As a kid I was a solid 'C' student in science. I just didn't see how it was relevant to the world or how I could use it. Fast forward to being flexible, teaching digital media, and now Innovation. How was I supposed to explain to teachers with no frame of reference that design & engineering was part math, part science, part art and can be integrated into Language Arts and the social sciences? Hmmmm. What I found was by having the students pre-plan what they were going to create there was more reflection put into the process. Here are some of my favorites (I do love some good freebies that I don't have to create:) STEM Mini Journal (This is the one I use for JK-3) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-STEM-Challenge-Mini-Journal-1807836 Design Cycle (This is the one I use for grades 3-5) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STEM-Design-Cycle-FREE-Graphic-Organizer-970762 Independent Research Proposal https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Independent-Research-Study-Planning-Pages-Passion-Projects-Genius-Hour-1185154 Genius Hour Project Proposal: http://creativeclassroomtools.blogspot.com/2014/03/genius-hour.html Not going to lie. In the beginning there were some that would come in to the room, tell their class to grab supplies and try to sneak out. Even though some of these teachers are my good friends I stood firm and asked them (at a minimum) for five minutes to have their students create a supplies and materials list for the student creations. I did receive some grumbles from a couple adults who just wanted to rush in, rush out, get started on the project. However I keep repeating...It's the process, not the outcome that is important. My current challenge is reflection because I don't often get to see final results due to the nature of my room and time schedule. I have been invited to some classes to see presentations and hear feedback. The third graders videotaped the presentations and uploaded them for families to see at home. Some students complete the cycle forms (above) when time permits in my room however in general the reflection happens in the general classroom so that students can make use of the time they have in my room. This semester I plan on asking teachers their feedback on these design and engineering cycle forms in hopes of creating one that represents our school vision. Please 'click' on advertisements to show your support of this blog. Thank you.
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When students are in my room it is loud. I don't have the hang-ups that some have about having a quiet working environment and I encourage communication and group work. On the other hand I appreciate different teaching styles and I believe that students learn from every kind of teacher. As students line up to leave my room I remind them to take a deep breath (not a funny one) and take a moment to think about where they are walking and what lesson they are doing next. By taking a moment to talk about what transitioning means to elementary students and modeling transitions my peer educators have also mentioned that this works in other settings. Students have recognized that playing a game (even a noble coding game where they are thinking deep strategy) requires detox in order to move to the next class in the day. When we are in a making environment students are encouraged to shout out ideas and no one is really sitting in the chairs that are available because they are roaming the room looking for materials for their inventions. Some of my peer educators have found success in using some of the yoga sessions on https://www.gonoodle.com/ (which are fairly short) because the students are using tech, being interactive with the Smartboard, and taking a moment to reflect on what is next in their day. Please 'click' on advertisements to show your support of this blog. Thank you.
Hand and eye coordination is key for the pre-primary grades. Teacher buy-in to the use of IPads for the younger grades goes up when you are integrating something tactile with the game play. Some of the tools available are also at a nice price point for schools and are sturdy enough to be reusable. What I love is that many of the apps are free once you purchase the device and either their are multiple apps being developed or the reverse (more tools are created.) Here are some of my favorites: Tiggly https://www.tiggly.com/ I have the Letters, Shapes, and Numbers With the Letters I found them using a ton of blends which made them difficult for JK/K but perfect for 1st grade or our ESE program. Also, my stash only includes only vowels which is tricky if you work at a whole language school. However some teachers mentioned Shapes were too easy so we left them for the JK classes. The Numbers had the widest application and I adored the 'Tiggly Chef' game because you can use the distributive property to break apart numbers. The Osmo device https://playosmo.com/en/?utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=CPC The way I love to explain this to new users is that we are putting a mirror on top of the camera of the IPad so that the device can read what is in front of it. 1. Tangrams-What I like about the easy levels of Tangrams is that the pieces are color coordinated and light up when the student puts it in the right spot. The app will also tell the student to move the tangram they are matching if the design will go out of the scanned area. 2. Words-My beginning readers of sight words like this because the game operates like hangman with pictures in the background. Teachers can sign up for an account to create their own word lists or make the game harder...but I honestly have not had a ton of buy in because there are multiple steps. 3. Newton-This is my administrator's favorite because there are some engineering concepts with figuring the angles to which the game balls drop. This game gets difficult quickly. I like to use a white board instead of hands to deflect the balls because sometimes the device reads the creases in my hands as interfering objects. 4. Masterpiece-This is fun. This app operates as a tracing table of sorts. Also Osmo offers a variety of contests. I've had some students use this app to draw things to include on posterboards for presentations. 5. Numbers-This is the newest tool and my personal favorite. By using the distributive property students can place combinations of numbers in front of the screen to 'release' the goldfish. Marbotic-Smart Letters I confess that they come from France and I snagged an early set from Kickstarter but these were worth it. I want their numbers version, STAT. This was what I was looking for in terms of the JK classes. You receive every letter in the alphabet and multiple games. The JK classes decided to split the set into four groups and rotate them because to use the apps you do not need all the letters. This way the teacher can decide what letters to focus on. One of my mantras to students is a reminder of the 20/20/20 rule. For every 20 minutes, please make sure that you look up at a distance of 20 feet away. Yes, I know it isn't very techie to be preaching the putting down of a device but I don't want their brains to turn to mush. Manipulatives like the ones above help to break up the stare down that happens when looking at a screen for too long. Please 'click' on advertisements to show your support of this blog. Thank you.
The first time I had a group of 5th graders in my room and I told them they could take apart a computer they looked like I had given them a million dollars. They were so excited. The next day they started bringing in all kinds of electronics and tools saying that their parents would not have allowed to investigate until after they had been introduced to the concept at school.
I've also worked with high schoolers that do not know how to turn a screw driver (instead they slammed it down like a hammer.) It has made me realize how important exploration is to all ages. There have also been exciting times when teachers have been introduced to drills for the first time. (That actually scares me a bit because knowing how to use a drill is an essential adult skill when living through hurricane season in South Florida.) However I believe the best part of 'Take Apart' occurs when students look at the pieces and start thinking about what they can do with the leftover pieces. We have a mantra in my classroom: Take apart is about investigation, not 'break apart.' This means that we look at how to take an item apart and try to figure out the best tool for the job. When I hear a hammer, I do some serious inquiry into why that tool was chosen because most of our take apart has multiple screws. It is finding their locations that is the tricky part because there is always one hiding. Our 'Take Apart' area only exist with the help of the community. We accept old VCRs, Tape Players, Fax Machines, computers, etc. The funniest moments are when we get a piece of equipment that the students are not familiar with. For example, explaining what a fax machine did for those of them that have not seen one before. Please let me know how you utilize 'Take Apart' areas in your school. Yes. We are obsessed with Tinkercad.com and the way we can combine mathematics and design. What about students who still do not have the skills for the site? Non-readers still may have difficulty following the instructional sections. The Cubify Draw app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cubify-draw/id635482654?mt=8 can lead even our youngest students into 3D printing. Some teachers choose to use the app more for a visual idea of what a 3D image would look like (avoiding an actual print altogether) and then screenshot the image to send home. Here are some ideas I've seen teacher's use the product for: -JK Width and Height Manipulation -K Letter Formation -1st Grade Geometry Shapes -2nd Grade Tool Creations -3rd Grade Cursive Writing Keepsakes -4th Grade Quick Additions to Dioramas -5th Grade Beads Integrated into Textiles for Social Studies The prints are hollow unless you fill them. That means most of the prints have taken me about 20 minutes on average to print and don't waste the filament. Please 'click' on advertisements to show your support of this blog. Thank you.
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AuthorDebra Jacoby, J.D. Archives
January 2024
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