Recently, I visited www.edcamp.miami/

I was explaining to some of my peers how I am working on creating PBLs (Problem Based Learning) projects that give me the most bang for my buck.  Meaning that I am trying to create assignments that cover the most technology possible so that students can take those skills back to their other classroom teachers.  A couple of them asked me to put something together in order for them to plan off of.  
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Here is how I pulled it all together:

Then students filled out an online form letting me know 3 sports they would be interested in researching.Note:  I made no promises to students regarding what sport they would be placed in.
Forms to Organize Groups:  
I wanted interest based groups but I didn’t want the student influenced by the decisions of their friends.
I created the form below in order to group them into the groups they would be working with on this project.
https://docs.google.com/a/pinecrest.edu/forms/d/1hWcaV-dEi7OkXh2OY78Uqf44Kjkv2eu1qzcKR_jGeW4/copy  

Research a sport:
What I said to students:  Create a Google Doc with your group.  Share the document with each other.  Show your research on the sport your team has chosen.  
Make sure to show references.  (Don’t worry we will demonstrate!)

I had the students use World Book Kids but you can use whatever search works for your school.
I explained to the students we would be using these facts later on when we are in our presentation/publication phase of the project.

Planning:
First I reviewed several guidelines/suggestions with the classes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uuW-RPkGf5Sxu2HACCxss6bfb4dm7B5jFeeo5y4o7OY/copy

What I said to students:
Either use a graphic organizer  (I’m a big fan of Smart Chick Design Cycle)
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STEM-Design-Cycle-FREE-Graphic-Organizer-970762

Or list on separate paper your materials list and draw out what you think that your project will look like.
To see sample designs:
ctbl.es/kjauZ8gz
www.creatubbles.com/creations/zmlgl25n

Materials List:
Once students materials were approved, some groups required materials that I had to plan for.  I created a shared document that students could add to which I checked on from time to time in order to order or scavenger for supplies:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z3o93kjXh20MocVf0SnjLhKUcILIHmCHZMOxksBpIFg/copy

Creation Time/Coding
This project required the students to use Blockly.  They were not able to just drive around the robots.  I also required the students to take a screenshot of their code and share it with me in their Google Drive.

Presentation of Projects:
Wanting to incorporate the ideas of Digital Portfolios and Educational Social Media we discussed the pros/cons of social media.  I reminded the students of their original sport fact finding research that they used to design:
https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/riW6JFGY

We were able to have wonderful conversations about what kinds of things to write in a post and how there are so many different ways to present information.

Rubric:
I actually decided against using this rubric in the end, opting to access students more on their work on using the site creatubbles.com however by putting in the work to create this document it helped my overall project design and may help others in creating different rubrics.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K-4SHYVRgcuyiVnE119z3L_YASRxW4UHptsVYtKLdWc/copy

Special Thanks to:
Smart Chick Design Cycle:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/STEM-Design-Cycle-FREE-Graphic-Organizer-970762

It all starts with a bit of power and a bit of action.  What is a circuit?  How can teachers bring circuitry to their classroom?  In my last entry I included some information on circuit blocks.  In the presentation below I started even simpler with AA batteries and holiday lights.  These lights can be purchased with crazy amounts in one box to keep costs down.  By using holiday lights we can also teach techniques such as cutting with wire strippers.  

The presentation goes through the importance of circuitry and why circuit blocks are important in the flow of information from tinkering to robotics.  We tried out some paper circuits with circuit tape and LED lights.  In the presentation there are recommendations regarding products to purchase and freebies I've found.

Not enough circuitry for you?  Towards the end we discussed soft circuits (either with battery pack or with Makey Makey) and some curriculum connections to literature.

I have received so much positive feedback from this presentation that I'm sharing it online.  Enjoy!

During the presentation we tried some of these fun lesson ideas.  We finished off with a presentation by a fellow PBS Digital Learning Media Innovator.

I love the trend at EdCamps and other Innovation conferences to offer a 'teacher play room' where teachers can explore new tools on the market.  The only challenge I've had is figuring out how to play the games once I get back and get myself a copy.  Sometimes there is not enough time to sit and play all of these amazing products at each conference.

So I've searched online and the good news is that some of the unplugged board games have tutorials.  There is real merit in having students do unplugged activities and now with board games we don't always have to craft them all.

​Now, full disclosure (and I know that I'm not the only C.S. teacher to do this) but since sometimes it is challenging to leave a tech infused lesson, especially with code, for a substitute often I leave board games for days when I'm out.  I do this for several reasons.  One of the reasons is that board games don't have power buttons which means they can't 'go down' or have tech issues that a substitute will be left to deal with.  It also forces me when I return to take a good, hard look at instruction of the games for the other classes.  

What I've found is that when I unplug with board games it does two things for the students.  First, it slows them down.  Instructors are starting to see how coding to understand vocabulary such as repeats, loops, functions, if/then, etc when off the tech helps students gain deeper understanding which then they take with them when the tech gets turned back on.  I've seen students create more difficult Scratch projects after playing a few rounds of Code Monkey Island (which is my personal favorite.)

Second, (and I've written this in other posts,) it's all about the manipulates.  What is it about having pieces to hold in your hand that translates for visual learners?  I love it.

Here are some of my suggestions on getting started with coding board games:

• Little Codr
  
• Code Monkey Island  (So much like playing Trouble)
  
• Code Master
  
• Coder Bunnyz (Invented by a 2nd Grader.  Talk about a conversation.)
  
• Robot Turtles
  

How can you expand on Board Games Unplugged?  Have the students create their own board games! 

Don't forget to look through the curriculums of other CS tools you may already own.  For example, ask yourself how you can reuse those Puzzlets pieces in another way.

In my previous post from 1/1/2016 I mentioned how ‘Take Apart Isn’t Just for Preschool’ has transformed learning at the exploratory level in our technology classroom.  The question that arises often from other educators is: 

What do you do with the take apart when your students are done investigating what is inside the piece of electronic?

 OR

What do the students make with the items they have discovered?

The truth is that there is a stage of exploration that students examine prior to creating.  This testing stage is a review on how to make basic circuits.  I do this with circuitry blocks I’ve created, a variety of batteries, and a ton of gator clips.
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The coolest part was when I started to see students take items (such as fans) from different electronics and create their own sets of circuit blocks.  Although some of mine use conductive screws, many of the student blocks were done with hot glue.

Have you created circuit blocks with your students?  Share your stories and examples.
 
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One of the biggest questions I receive from teachers in my role is:  Do you know any new digital tools on ________________ (fill in the blank with your subject matter.)  Since I encourage the belief that, ‘Technology is personal’ I like to encourage my peer teachers to find tools that will give them long term tools.  Better then doing the search for my tools, teaching how to search for the tools is a more proactive skill.  I like the mantra, “Find the tool that works for you and become an expert in it.”

Here are some of my favorite ways to find tools:

http://powermylearning.org/ Can be used by students, teachers, or both.  It is like pulling all of the free sites and games online and being able to sort them by grade and subject.  My students love the zombie typing game.  I like the Cell Phone design game because it also has the students looking at the financial risk in creating a new item.

http://pbslearningmedia.org/ Is wonderful resource for appropriate videos for the classroom.  They have a storyboard tool that you can send the links to others.  My most recent search was for a class that was into spies and math.  Yup!  They had videos on that.

Are you trying to search for apps?  Try these
https://edshelf.com/ 
https://www.graphite.org/  They also have certifications available for contributors. 
 
Product reviews:
https://www.edsurge.com/ 

My list of tools isn't a searchable database, but it does try to break down some elementary recommendations that are popular at my school:  http://www.symbaloo.com/shared/AAAAAUgvdx0AA41-4UGqDA==

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This time last week I had just returned from FETC trying to detox from the excitement that comes from being at a conference.  It doesn’t matter if it is an EdCamp, local conference, or large conference there is always something that you can ‘take away’ when you meet up with other educators and other schools.  I recently came back from FETC (http://fetc.org/ ) in Orlando and everyone at my school wants to know what I learned and what we can use immediately.  The thing is, for me, it isn’t always a quick process.  I like to ‘sleep on’ the information I learn, process it, and reflect on it thinking about how I can use it at my school.  We hear great projects and resources at conferences but I think that the best usage comes when you think about how a tool would work for your population.  Ask yourself, “Is it the best tool for your population?”  If you believe that technology is personal, as I do, then you know that not every amazing thing is right for every classroom. 

The idea that technology is personal is something I was thinking about as I was going off to FETC.  I was really lucky that for FETC I was invited to the ‘Executive Summit.’  I love that on our tags it even said, “People Who Get It.”  If you are ever invited, take the opportunity to meet some of the other innovative educators with great vision.  The speakers were amazing during this preconference.  A special shout out goes to @JenWomble for putting the session together.  Here were some of my personal notes (In no particular order:)

• Lesson Idea:Teach something to the world (via platform web, video, sound, image, etc.)
• “Isolation from new technology is now a choice educators make.”
  • The longer you wait, the more afraid you’ll be to try something new.
• When planning videoconferencing ask: “Who teaches space best, the astronaut, then find them.”
• EdCamp for Kids.Session w/students and teachers.
• Twitter in 60 seconds
• Think about who you serve, not how you think you best teach
• How to make the student innovators (who are the outliers) the norm?
• Make videos or storytelling on the process of learning.Interview on how you produced project (ex.How you took the picture) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uDDEEHDf1Y
• Student Infographics as resumes.Student resumes as sites are changing college admissions process for those who are low test takers but ‘can do’ (more then portfolio of writing.Portfolio of work as a person.)
• Music Studios as part of literacy (Makerspaces)
• Find good titles for good people/teachers
• Connected Educators (Learning from others not at your school)
  • Don’t wait for workshop.Research online.
• Avoid Logins as too time consuming (We already knew that!
• Getting away from ‘Mind Your Own Business Learning’
  • Ex.Tech not just to replace pencil.Too expensive.

Vendors:  There is so much anticipation for the conference floor to open.  I always notice that many run to the big vendors or go booth to booth for freebies.  Me?  I prefer to head straight to the newbies that stand at small little tables.  That’s where I try to guess where the edtech is going next.  I love to ask the vendors (who are often the inventors/owners) what their inspirations are.  I love to ask them tough educational questions and try to guess what a product will look like when it gets to a more polished level.

• I really liked http://mytrobo.com/ because it synched to Bluetooth so quickly and the apps made logical sense.I see tools like this as another opportunity to have an audio center in a different way.I like how the speaker located in the toy worked without the use of the app as well.
• Another primary tool I’m testing is the Curibot apphttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/curibot/id1054731063?mt=8 because I am curious on how to use the audio encyclopedia as a differentiation tool.
• Since I run a Makerspace in an elementary school I played with tons of electronics and robots but I really enjoyedhttps://www.lightup.io/ because after building circuits (it’s magnetic) you can scan them (with the camera of an iPad and see what you did right or wrong.)I also loved how easy the tutorials were to follow on the app.

As a side note to all of the other teachers I met…Maker can be anywhere.  You can start small, even in the corner of a classroom.  When I started I didn’t have a room for Innovation, I had a table in the corner of a computer lab.  (That’s right, I started by doing ‘centers’ in a computer lab.  It is possible.)  I met tons of people who were as passionate as I and are trying to figure out the combinations of Maker, STEM, STEAM, Coding, Robotics, Problem Based Learning, etc. in the elementary setting.

Now you know why my brain hurts because it is a ton to process.  Since we have to wait a whole year to go to another FETC, L  you may want to check out theeducationcalendar.com  which lists several upcoming ways to meet with other educators all over the country. 

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I'd love to hear what your 'take aways' were from FETC or other conferences below.

Often I get asked for recommendations on how elementary making areas can be safer.  The debate between exploration/freedom and liability is tricky.  However, I believe that there can be safe exploration.  Elementary makers have to operate differently from middle and high school maker areas due to the ages of the students.

You can find safety rulers on amazon.com   I do a ton of scoring on cardboard to get students started and then have them finish off the cutting.  (I learned this trick when I attended Maker Educator Bootcamp which was awesome:  https://pittsburghkids.org/education/maker-educator-bootcamp )

Caution tape makes it easy to define 'hot' areas.  Everything is still open for students to use however they know that when something they need to use is beyond the caution tape they should ask for adult backup.

Which version is safer?

We try to teach the student to look for safety issues in our lab and either report them immediately or fix the issue.

Hand drills...remember the ones without batteries?  These are great to encourage elementary students to SLOW DOWN.

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So your students have created an actual cardboard car that moves with the assistance of a remote control.  Now what?  If your student creations are as large as mine have been you are left with the challenge of what do with their projects after presentation and reflection.  Some we can display in the lobby of your school or take to a fair...but then what?  How can we share some of our new creations with others (including parents?)  I like the online format https://www.creatubbles.com/ because it also operates as a social media platform for students to comment or 'like' each others work.  There are some great safety features built in and the focus in on the upload of the work, not photos of the student.  I've seen comments coming in from around the world. 

Check out some of these projects:
2nd Grade Gliders  -- https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/Y2TOg0CT

3rd Grade Urban Planning--https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/k2ATqVTC

4th Grade Invasive Species -- https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/gao8anYQ

5th Grade Colonial Tools -- https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/VFt8NE70

Shoe Design Project-- https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/9ICOWKmj

Open Innovation Lab Projects  --  https://www.creatubbles.com/galleries/ScmyZxik

Please share different ways you share some 'maker' creations your students have made.

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Not all students come into my lab with a vision of what they want to create.  My room has a ton of tools and it can be overwhelming the first time students come in to use the room.  There are some that walk in with a drawing that they want to try and recreate but there are others that need further guidance.  They either don't think about themselves as 'makers' yet or are more analytical students who I'm still working on to think 'outside the box.'  The challenge is to choose centers that still push students into exploration and challenge them to 'figure it out' themselves.  I tend to put out a minimum of 4 areas for students to get them started.  An area can sit out for quite some time before interest is taken.  Sometimes an area is popular with one group of students and not with a different set of students.

Catapults encourage engineering skills and exploration if set out correctly.  I do not do a step by step explanation of what they are going to look like in the end.  (Although I have seen other instructors give elaborate instructions they think are needed.)  I do set up recommended supplies:  popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoons, along with a sheet of Google images on catapults.  (I try to leave one station glueless when possible, but I do allow students to utilize glue when they feel it helps their catapult design.) 

My directions are as follows:  Please try to create a catapult.  Try to do it by yourself.  Think about what doing something independently means to you.  I make this announcement loudly and in front of other classroom teachers so that they can pick up on my cue (that I don't want them to make the catapults for the students when they have difficulty wrapping the rubber bands.)  Overall my test has worked.  Students leave explaining that they 'figured out' how to put a catapult together by themselves.  I measure my own success when students return with their own visions about what they want to design using the room as their toolbox.

Word of warning:  Marshmellows make a mess.  Stick to craft fuzz balls.