Makerspace Adventures (4th grade science style)!

What can you do with a makerspace? Check out the ideas below from one of my classroom visits this week!

4th Grade Science

How can students show an understanding of phases of the moon, seasons, sunrise/sunset, and vocabulary such as orbit & rotate? I taught these standards in summer school, so I am familiar with some of the traditional ideas out there! I was blown away when I visited this classroom where students were given the opportunity to "show what they know" using whichever makerspace tools they wanted! Even better than seeing their creations was hearing them talk about what they had made. They clearly had an understanding of the standards, but also shared about their challenges in creating the models, how their ideas evolved, and how they could continue to improve their projects.

Without further ado...here are some of their demonstrations!

Ollie is rolling around, stopping at each
phase of the moon, and saying the name of it.

They built a contraption to hold the "sun" (flashlight) while the
Cublet orbits around it!

Programming Sphero to roll around the sun

Which Cublet is rotating - the Earth or the sun? They even
have a low-tech moon orbiting the Earth!

This group wanted to use a lightbulb for the sun. Why not?

Scratch programming to show the movement of the sun
across the sky in different seasons

Ozobots show what the sun looks like
as it moves across the sky!

Dash has planets taped to him
so they can rotate around the sun!

How do you use makerspace tools to integrate with science standards?

Classroom Visits: Lessons Learned

This week, I've had the opportunity to visit the classrooms of two amazing teachers, which has left me reflecting on my own practice. The classes were totally different - elementary literacy and middle school math - but there were some common traits. Here are three quick takeaways from my visits.

Side note: I love getting out in other classrooms now, and it makes me wish I could have done this more when I was teaching kids everyday - it is so inspirational and pushes me to grow!

1. Be intentional

One trait that both of these teachers shared is that they were intentional in the way they planned and used their lesson time. It was evident that they had put a lot of thought into what they were going to do that day and that they had prepared all of the materials ahead of time. Equally as important, they were intentional in the time that the students were there, checking in with them, explaining and clarifying, and not letting a minute go to waste!

2. Don't aim for perfection, aim for growth

Another thing that impressed me about these teachers was their growth mindset. They were willing to try new things and didn't get discouraged when everything didn't go perfectly the first time. They were reflective and looking for ways to improve and grow, but fear did not hold them back from trying something new.

3. Collaborate

Both of these teachers are excellent collaborators, and it was clear that they had not developed their classrooms in isolation. They were open, looking for new ideas, and happy to share what they are using. They are much more concerned about student learning (everywhere, not just in their classroom) than they are about their own ego!

Do you ever get to observe others? What sticks out to you when you go into other classrooms?

Teachers, Take Care of Yourselves

I had planned on writing about other things, but after receiving some tough news this week, suddenly this message seemed more important.

Teachers, take care of yourselves.

All around us, life happens. Family issues, relationship issues, health issues, societal issues, accidents and tragedies, etc. Some of it inevitably affects us. It affects our kids, too.

The problem is that we, as teachers, are really good at paying attention to and taking care of others. That's part of what drew us to this profession! But we are not always as good at taking care of ourselves.




Some of the best advice I have been given came from a principal, days after a major event happened at my school that affected students and teachers alike. She said, "Don't be surprised if it comes back around and you really struggle with this in a couple of months. Right now, your focus is on helping the students deal with it, and you are not spending as much time on yourself...that's how teachers are wired. At some point, after the intensity has passed with students, you might find yourself coming back around and really dealing with it yourself." She was so right. And her words helped me not feel crazy when, two months later, all of the emotions came back strongly, with no apparent trigger.



So, while I would never tell teachers not to focus on students (not like we could, anyway), I just want to remind us to take care of ourselves, too. As a friend asked me in the middle of my tough week, "What are you doing for YOU today?" Take a moment. Treat yourself. Go for a walk. Take a nap. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace. And realize that YOU are worth taking care of, too.

We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we can all spread love to the world.

Give that love to others, but don't forget about YOU.

Teachers, take care of yourselves.

Doing the Impossible

At one of our 21st Century Cohort (#bvsd21cc) meetings, a teacher shared a lesson plan idea that stopped me in my tracks. Seriously, it was that good.

Side note: This is why I love our PD opportunities - as a facilitator, I always learn so much from the amazing teachers that come!

It went something like this:

1. Ask the students to make a list of what a Sphero can't do (they had previously had an introduction to Spheros).

2. The teacher goes around and stars his/her favorite idea on the list.

3. Ask the students to figure out how to make Sphero do that "impossible" thing.

That's it. It's that simple. This teacher said that all of the students were able to complete the task, with her favorite being a contraption to help Sphero deliver McDonalds. I can only imagine the empowerment her students felt and how this helped them shift perspective about what they "can't" do.

This lesson was designed using Spheros, but it could really be replicated with many different materials. It's not about the tools, but the mindset, the creativity, the critical thinking, and moving past constraints. These are transferable life skills that our students must learn to be successful both in school and beyond!

My personal challenge: What do I think is impossible right now? How can I make it happen?

What's your "impossible" dream?

Gratitude: How #Edtechteam Summits & #BreakoutEDU Changed My Life!

As we prepare for the #edtechteam summit this weekend, I've found myself reflecting on the path that has brought me to my position as an ed tech specialist. In many ways, my journey started two years ago with a summit that I didn't attend.

Wait, what?

Two years ago, my brother, who is a math/computer science teacher, attended a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) Summit hosted by my district. Here I was, barely even aware that it was happening, yet my brother drove an hour and a half to attend. We met up for breakfast one day because he was in the area, but that was about the extent of that.

A few weeks later, we were both home for Thanksgiving break, and he set up this cool thing that he had heard about at the summit: a BreakoutEDU box. My sister, dad, & I all played Time Warp, and we had a blast! I liked the idea of using it in the classroom, but didn't really see it as realistic for music...or for the number of students I had in each class. It became a fun idea, tucked away in the back of my mind, that maybe I could pull out if I ever found myself in a situation that would fit.

Fast forward two years. 

My mind continued to stew on the idea of BreakoutEDU, and that summer, seeing the digital versions really drew me in. Creating my own games led me to get on Twitter, to develop a PLN, to begin this blog, and to dive into the ed tech world. From there, I started gamifying my classes, implementing genius hour projects, experiencing a pseudo-1:1 environment by hogging regularly checking out a Chromebook cart, getting more involved in my district's ed tech initiatives through applying for a cohort, and eventually landing in my current job as an ed tech specialist.

As I reflect, I can't help but feel grateful to so many people who influenced my journey without even knowing it. I'm thankful for the Ed Tech Team & the people in my district who brought the summit to Boulder, CO. I'm thankful to the BreakoutEDU folks for creating an engaging opportunity that was my first glimpse of why I should attend conferences like this. I'm thankful to my brother for sharing his learning! I'm thankful to the people who started BreakoutEDU Digital, which was my gateway drug to the world of PLNs & connecting with a global community. And I'm thankful for all of those who encouraged me along the way and let me step out, explore, and grow, even when that included some wins and some failures.

"Big things often have small beginnings."

Tech Doesn't Inspire...Teachers Do!

Can I be honest? I've found myself complaining way too much this week. The weather has been dreary and gray, I've had some long days at work, and I'm just tired. I've been making a conscious effort the past few days to STOP complaining and instead focus on gratitude & the good I see around me. It's an hourly battle & a daily choice, but as I spend less time complaining, I have found it easier to really recognize how many great things are happening right in front of my eyes!

In my role as an ed tech specialist, I spend a lot of time planning PD and training others. Sometimes, this means the very basics, like how to use Google Drive or sharing ideas for improving workflow. Sometimes, it bridges to more instructional uses, like finding the right tool for the desired use or "leveling up" a unit plan based on the SAMR model. What I don't always get to see is the follow-up to these interactions - how things are applied in real life with students.

That's why I have been so excited this week to hear about some awesome things happening in our schools! Teachers really are amazing...they can take an idea and run with it, and turn it into so much more!

This week, I've heard about:

• Teachers connecting their classes to real-world events (like the recent hurricanes), running a fundraiser via social media, and being able to see the tangible results that their money is bringing via a video chat
• Teachers embarking on a journey to meet the needs of all students by developing parallel lesson plans/units with similar content, one for students who are English speakers and a scaffolded version for newcomer students who are learning the English language
• Teachers who are collaborating across three grade levels in elementary to have students engage in research, write a script, film a video with the green screen, and put the final project together to show their learning

These are just a few examples (I know I've forgotten some that I wanted to share, because there's just too much awesomeness going on in our schools right now)! While all of these endeavors use technology, none of them are really about the technology. It's the creativity, expertise, and caring of the teachers that has really brought these lessons to life. The tech tools are simply avenues to build amazing experiences for kids. And THAT is what it should be about. THAT is what gets me excited. THAT is why I am in this job!

Thank you, teachers, for inspiring me this week!

21st Century Cohort 4.0 (#BVSD21cc)

Earlier this year, I applied for and was accepted to join an amazing group of educators - the BVSD 21st Century Cohort.  I am excited for what the next three years will bring for our group!  Even though we have just begun our journey, there are certain aspects of this professional development that have stood out to me so far:

• Toolkit - one of the most exciting things, initially, is that we each were able to choose a toolkit from a catalog of different tech tools (Chromebooks, iPads, robots, cameras, etc).  These tools are ours to use as we see fit throughout our time in the Cohort and beyond (if we stay in the district).  As fun as it is to get new tools, the more meaningful thing is the support it shows for our growth and development.  Having resources to enable us to implement some of our techy dreams is amazing!
• Freedom to play and explore - our catalog of tools had several things that I had never played with before.  Building time into our professional development days to explore and play with the different options was crucial in making decisions about what would be the most helpful in my classroom!  After we received the tools, we were given more time to play, share, and see what we could come up with through an EdCamp-style PD complete with playgrounds for all of our new "toys".

  "It's a robot party!" Thanks Beth #BVSD21cc Exploring Dash&Dot and Ollie w/ @Ms_A_Yeh @mdeckstein @MsKellyAnderson pic.twitter.com/QGI6zGQVlN

  — BVSD EdTech (@BVSDEdTech) February 16, 2017

• Attitude of a Learner - in our cohort, we are told over and over again that we are not supposed to have everything figured out or be experts right away.  This takes so much pressure off!  Especially in this first year, our goal is to learn, to grow, and to push ourselves.  Many of the assignments we get are designed to introduce us to new tools (or increase our familiarity with old ones) by asking us to create something, much as our students might in the classroom.  Our leaders have done a great job modeling the attitude of a learner, as well, by trying new things right alongside us!
• Time - this is a big one.  As teachers, we never feel like we have enough time.  Trying a new program or incorporating a new tech tool sounds awesome, but it takes time to plan!  And with conferences, grades being due, and other looming deadlines, it is hard to make the time to do that.  I have really appreciated that at each of our PD sessions, time is built in to explore new ideas, but also do decompress and synthesize what we have just learned.  This helps me get even more out of it than if the day was jam-packed with new information, because I have a minute to process what this could mean for me and my class, making it much more likely for me to implement it in the future!
• Relationships - I was talking with a friend who was a part of Cohort 2.0, and she talked so much about the relationships that she developed as a part of the cohort.  After the first day, I wasn't quite feeling that yet, but the more we get into this, the more I see a bond starting to grow.  Being with a group of people who are not afraid to try new things, imagine different ideas, and share our experiences & knowledge is invigorating!  Sometimes, in education, innovative ideas garner resistance from people who are happy with the way things have always been.  Both the in-person PD and the connections on Twitter & social media have been encouraging simply because I'm around other people who share a similar vision of extending our classrooms beyond where they currently are.  I know this will continue as we begin mentor groups and have more opportunities to collaborate and share our learning!

All of this has been so great for me as a teacher, but it has also been helpful as I prepare for a future in educational leadership.  Thinking about what aspects of the PD have been most meaningful to me gives me insight into what I might design in the future as PD for my staff.  The learning never ends!

I am so thankful to be a part of Cohort 4.0, and can't wait to see where the next three years take us!