Blog Archives
Can MakerSpaces Invent the Future? (Video)
It is incredible what kids can do when we believe in them, coach them, and get out of their way! Our students recently participated in a robotics competition that was invented from the ground up by staff and students. We designed and printed 3D “exoskeletons” that fit over our Sphero robotic droids…and SpheroExo was born. The rest is history.
Check out the 5 minute video below and prepare to be amazed at what kids can do.
We are so proud of our students and all they are creating, engineering, and achieving. Watch for our students next week as they present SpheroExo to teachers at EdCamp Eau Claire! Students will be sharing their design process and how they’re inventing the future at #EdCampEC.
I’m not sure that MakerSpaces can actually invent the future, but I’m very confident that cutting-edge tools and a culture conducive to innovation helps. A relevant and connected pedagogy empowers all kids to create, connect, and dream bigger.
Within Reach
The teacher-observation process provides me access and insight into classroom learning experiences that very few people have. I’m consistently inspired by the relevant and connected learning I observe. Recently I was in a classroom and I didn’t want the lesson to end. As I was watching the lesson unfold, I knew that what I was experiencing was also within reach of classrooms and schools everywhere.
Here are some of the salient things I observed during the lesson:
- I observed an elementary Language Arts lesson.
- A clear learning target based upon state standards guided the learning process.
- The teacher used one of our Mobile MakerSpace carts to teach students how to create an alternate ending to a text by manipulating various elements of the plot.
- Students constructed models depicting their alternate story endings using Lego building bricks from the MakerSpace cart.
- Students were empowered to collaborate on plans for their alternate story endings and projects.
- Students had opportunities to talk, create, experiment, fail, and redesign.
- The teacher purposefully connected with individual students and small groups to elicit high-level thinking and scaffold as appropriate.
- Formative assessment was seamlessly interwoven through the lesson.
- Students presented their creations to the class near the conclusion of the lesson. This public speaking provided students time to explain their thinking, and the teacher was able to use some metacognition connected to the learning target.
- Students used digital tools to curate their work so it could be referenced in the future and shared with parents.
- As part of this process, students photographed their projects and uploaded them to Google Drive to share their learning with their families.
- Students did not want the lesson to end. (Based on what I was seeing, kids would’ve opted to skip recess if given the opportunity.)
- The teacher ensured that the lesson was led by learning; not tools, technology, or activities.
- This was an authentic learning experience that was scholarly and highly relational.
Did I mention that this was a kindergarten language arts lesson?! That’s right…our youngest learners were empowered to innovate, collaborate, present, and curate their work using digital tools.
At one point one of the kindergarteners yelled out in exuberence, “Teacher…we’re engineering!” and her amazing teacher responded, “Yes…you are designing and building.” Kids were making connections to past conversations about design, building, and engineering.
During our observation post-conference I invited the teacher to share her reflections in a blog post instead of the traditional electronic form required by the district. I knew that we could meet the requirements of the standard district form by copy/pasting reflections from a blog post if the teacher was interested in pursuing this. (Stay tuned for her reflections and first blog post…)
I am convinced that a paradigm shift is underway in education because I see it every day at Greenwood Elementary. A new and connected learning paradigm that puts students in the center of their learning is possible. Deeper learning that’s both relevant and connected is within reach!
Image Credits:
1.) “Sparkler” photo from Pixabay (Creative Commons)
2.) “Kindergarten Collaboration & Digital Curation” photo from Greenwood Elementary
Are You the next MakerStar?!
Students showcase their Sphero Mobile MakerSpace.
Our school is looking for somebody to design the next Mobile MakerSpace cart at Greenwood. We’ll supply the budget and pay for the materials, but we need kids, teachers, and parents to provide the creativity, voice, and ideas! Who knows….your class or students just might be the next #MakerStar! To submit an idea for a new cart follow the rules below:
Rules:
- Be persuasive…WHY would your idea be great for our students?!
- Stay on budget with supplies ($750 max.)
- Stay succinct (provide a focused plan, drawing, or video)
- Include costs, quantities, and any relevant ordering information
- Your idea must fit inside (or on top of) the cart pictured below. Shelves are removable.
- This design opportunity is open to students, groups of students, classrooms, parents, and educators everywhere.
- Submit your idea to hashtag #MakerStar on Twitter by January 15, 2016.
- We’ll be empowering our students to make the final decision and to announce the winners!
Ready to Take the Design Plunge?!
Are you ready to dive in? If not, click HERE to see an inspiring motivational video by Steve Harvey! His “Jump” video applies to many things in life, but it gets me fired up every time I watch it.
Now that you’re ready to jump, just remember to post design submissions to hashtag #MakerStar on Twitter. Submissions can be in any format (short video, diagram, photo, etc.). If you don’t do Twitter don’t worry! Feel free to contact me and we can arrange a way for the design(s) to be e-mailed. The video below demonstrates how our students and staff are using some of the different carts, so be sure to check it out for possible design ideas.
Background Information
We currently have a fleet of carts capable of transporting hands-on, collaborative learning tools to virtually every classroom and hallway in our school. Click HERE to see our carts in action. A complete list of all our current carts is below.
Cart 1: Cardboard Construction – Makedo Kits
Cart 2: Circuit Scribe – Conducive Ink and Writable Circuitry
Cart 3: Edison Robots
Cart 4: K’Nex
Cart 5: Knitting – Yarn and Assorted Looms
Cart 6: Legos – Motors, Creative Tubs, Base-plates, and Education Kit
Cart 7: Legos – Simple and Powered Machines, Wheels, and Creative Tubs
Cart 8: Lego Friends Kits
Cart 9: MakerBot 3D Printer – with 14 colors of filament
Cart 10: Makey-Makey Kits and Bee-Bots
Cart 11: Modular Robotics – Cubelets
Cart 12: Sphero – 31 Robot Droids, Turbo Covers, and Accessories
**Special thanks to my summer administrative intern, EmaKate, for collaborating with me on this student design opportunity. We’re excited to see what kids can create!
Mobile MakerSpaces in Action (Video)
The entire concept is really quite simple. The Mobile MakerSpace carts that line the hallway leading into our Media Center are capable of transporting new opportunities and tools to virtually any space in our school. Whether it’s high-tech 3D printing and modular robotics or low-tech knitting and plastic construction blocks…the carts contain tools that elicit collaboration and unleash student creativity.
When coupled with our amazing team of teachers the impact is quite profound.
Click the Picture of our Mobile MakerSpace Fleet above to View Video.
Our teachers continue to integrate collaboration, creativity, and ‘making’ into the student learning experience in a variety of ways. In addition to our Mobile MakerSpace Fleet, new instructional approaches like Genius Hour, flipped instruction, connected learning, and math workshop contribute to a relevant pedagogy. Best practices in literacy instruction, assessment, and classroom discussions further contribute to meaningful learning experiences. Staff are engaged in a variety of passions that contribute to a culture of learning and innovative school ethos.
The time, energy, and learning that our team invests into reinventing themselves for kids each year is nothing short of inspiring.
Student-led Professional Development using our Sphero Mobile MakerSpace cart.
We continue to expand upon student opportunities based on input from our students and staff. This year we’re adding another five or six carts that students will have access to. Be sure to watch the short video in this blog post to see how our Mobile MakerSpaces work.
Finally, stay tuned for a unique opportunity for YOUR students to design and propose our next Mobile MakerSpace cart! It’s going to be AWESOME!
Mobile MakerSpaces
Click picture to link to cart ordering options.
This year we introduced Mobile MakerSpaces at our school. A team of Greenwood teachers and I collaborated on the concept over the past year, and I earmarked some funding in our budget that we invested into the Mobile MakerSpace fleet and supplies. Our goal was to create an ethos of innovation and design-thinking. We wanted students to have the opportunity to create, build, tinker, fail, and think critically from any classroom or hallway in our school. At our summer teacher workshops we embedded the “welcome back” content into a MakerSpace approach to demonstrate how learning and sharing through creative construction was possible. Fast-forward to today…
Student-led Professional Development using our Sphero Mobile MakerSpace cart.
Our Mobile MakerSpace fleet is one of the many things our students LOVE about school! Combined with the Genius Hour time that many teachers are doing…I sometimes catch myself wishing that I was an elementary student again! Students are creating mini-golf courses using coding and Spheros. They are knitting, building, drawing, constructing, collaborating, and communicating their way through the school day. Students have world-class opportunities and they are learning right alongside a dedicated team of teachers that continues to learn as well. We even had a group of students lead professional development for some teachers and their principal (me). The student-ownership was AWESOME!
We’ve also had some classrooms start their own MakerSpaces and MakerSpace challenges to continue providing students opportunities to unleash their passions and creativity throughout the day. During observations, I’ve observed firsthand how teachers are seamlessly integrating Mobile MakerSpaces into the student learning experience using clear learning targets and standards. The creative materials and opportunities for student design-thinking have taken student engagement to levels I had not previously observed while students were completing worksheets.
Students have responded with a tenacity for learning. One of our grade-levels schedules MakerSpace time 1st thing each morning, and our students can’t wait to get to school! You do NOT need fancy supplies or expensive carts to create an ethos of innovation in your school. (You can use everyday objects and miscellaneous supplies from home.) However, I am including a list of our Mobile MakerSpace fleet supplies in case you’d like to bring any of the opportunities to your classroom or school.
Cart 1: MakerBot 3D Printer
Cart 2: LEGO
Cart 3: LEGO
Cart 4: K’Nex
Cart 5: CircuitScribe (Writeable Circuits)
Cart 6: Knitting Looms and Yarn
Cart 7: Sphero Robotic Droids
Cart 8: Modular Robotics Educator Pack
Cart 9: Edison Robotics (compatible with LEGO)
Cart 10: Bee-Bots & Makey-Makey Kits
Cart 11: Makedo Guided Kits & Creative Construction Bundles
Please feel free to view the videos below showing our students in action. To see more of our students’ work, you can go to our school’s hashtag on Twitter #GWgreats.
Adjusting Course 