'Twas the Day Before Break (A Technology Tale)

‘Twas the days before Break, and all through the schools The  teachers were using technology tools. The iPads were charged and the “carts” were plugged in In anticipation for class to begin. The students showed up with a gleam in their eyes, Because when there’s tech, engagement arrives. They take to it like a duck does to water, ‘Cuz the tech is the clay and the kid is the potter. At Faris and Graber and Lincoln and Wiley, Cool projects like “Linkville” make wee ones feel smiley. Others like Manny write blogs yes they do, And Bleything and Williams tried Hutchdocs woo hoo! Corcoran’s vid made the board say “That’s Great!” Burlie’s sixth grade  iMovie  was especially first rate. Winters does projects with Educreations, They make herstudents give standing ovations! Don’t forget Magnet @ Allen  or our  MCC, They are as  busy with tech as they can be. With Compass and iPads and SMARTboards  galore, They are always on the lookout for more, more and more! Then Morgan and the folks down at Avenue A, Bring technology into most every day. With Keynote, Edmodo, QR Codes and FasttMath, Their students are headed down the perfect path. Don’t count out the high school or CTEA, Their tech is “sick” as the kids these days say. They’ve got Robots and green screens and auto-mechanics, Robotic welders, wind tunnels-  I’m not done yet, don’t panic… There’s the Hoss Mill and paint booth that’s state of the art, The saw stop and printer that prints 3D parts. The teachers are stellar as they teach the mobs Of kids hoping they’ll become the next Steve Jobs. Loewen and Gusty and yes, even Durham Tackled Hutchdocs without a bad word between ‘em. The students enjoy it , Roehm knew that they would, They turn things in paperlessly the way that they should. Hutch Middle School, it was not saved for last, Their use of technology can’t be surpassed. They “Explain Everything”, Socravite and such Infographics, Thinglink gosh, there’s so much. So as this last day with students draws near, There’s just one thing more that I’d like you to hear. Thank you so much for your hard work with tech, Have a restful holiday season, as the halls you do deck! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!!! Amy Reilly

Linkville: A "Tasty" Second Grade Community

2nd Graders at Wiley Elementary got a taste of what building a community is like in Kristi Link's class. Focusing on Social Studies Common Core Standards that center around communities and what makes them thrive, students spent time brainstorming what was important for all communities to have, what citizens needed, and how buildings might be designed. Then, using a variety of items, the kids set to work building their community (they named it Linkville).  Kristi's class is part of a larger, multi-state project called a "STEM to STEAM" challenge. During the week of December 16-20 classes will Skype with each other to compare/contrast their engineered communities and discuss what it is like to live where they do.  To read more about this activity, you can visit the project website here.

Yes, We Can...Write Code. :-)

It's here!  Computer Science Education Week is upon us and as I posted in last week's blog a great way to recognize it is by visiting their site and treating your students to "An Hour of Code".  I am a firm believer in practice what you preach where technology is concerned so I signed up and participated myself.  It was FUN!  It was also a tad addicting. The minute I saw the Angry Bird logo I knew that kids would be interested but I was still sketchy about adults.  That skepticism quickly vanished when I entered the site:  http://learn.code.org/hoc/1   It was engaging and educational at the same time.  Basically users are trying to "write code" that gets the bird to the pig.  This video explains how:  

What a great way to get students excited about writing code!  There are extension activities as well for those students and teachers who are interested in going beyond the hour where they learn the basic concepts of Computer Science with drag and drop programming. The website provides 15-25 hours of "unplugged" classroom activities interspersed with game-like, self-directed tutorials starring video lectures by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies.  
I strongly encourage you to introduce your students to the concept of coding in this way.  You won't be sorry!