Week 7 - Catch Up, Wrap Up, and Catch My Breath

     This week in school is a partial week.  Students are in classes only Monday - Wednesday.  I was hoping to wrap up loose ends, administer a quick concept assessment with clickers, and run the robots in 5th grade.  However, now some of my classes will be off due to no school on Thursday and Friday. I will proceed as planned for the classes I have and decide what to do with the other classes during the course of this week.  I hate it when they have to miss.

Week 6 - Tricky, Tricky, Tricky

     This week 4th and 5th grade classes will be wrapping up a programming challenge and Academy of Engineering build.  I hope an hour will be enough time to tie up loose ends.  Wish my Monday classes luck.  They are my guinea pigs for the process.
     In Kindergarten I am going back to teaching the alphabet builds in alphabetic order.  I was trying to have it correspond with the letter they were working on in their classes, but they builds are harder as the alphabet progresses.

Week 5 - Tears to my Eyes

     Now I have to admit it is not always that difficult to bring tears to my eyes.  However, I experienced a special moment recently that I feel would have managed to bring tears to most anyone's eyes.  For the 3rd graders, I alternate each week with presenting them a concept and a scripted build, and then the following week providing them a challenge that is unscripted but has constraints and criteria that tie in with the previous week's concept.  Last week the 3rd graders worked on builds with inclined planes.  This week, their challenge was to build a marble track that used at least two inclined planes for the marble to travel.  I was still very unsure of what the end results of the challenge would be, but the students always seem to enter the lab with excitement and enthusiasm to learn what the challenge is.  They struggled and stumbled for the course of about 40 minutes working on some elaborate and some simple constructions.  Some students had to be reminded of the qualities of an inclined plane, while others had to be reined in to build within the time constraints.  The students are always proud and anxious to show me the final results.  What seems to have had an even greater impact on them was when we had a "walk about."  I played a song and the students walked around to take a look at the other projects.  They are usually working with at least a partner on these challenges.  So, the group members took turns staying to demonstrate their builds while the other group members visited the projects around the room.  During the building period, I had already heard numerous "Yes!" and "We did it!"  Then as I watched the students during the "walk about," I could see the pride on the faces of the builders and the viewers being awed by the contraptions before their eyes.  There are many times I feel under appreciated in my profession, but this was one of the times when I was thankful to be where I was.  Their expressive faces and gasps of awe were more than I could have ever hoped to have achieve.  This was not an outcome that was measurable on any standardized test, but some of these students will remember their marble tracks and the success they had for many years to come.

Week 5 - Building Confidence in 2nd Grade

     I had my first 2nd Grade class of the week yesterday.  For the past couple of weeks they have been able to choose if they wanted to build by themselves or with others.  This week, students had to build a simple project by themselves.  There were a handful of students who were a little nervous about this project.  After a little reassurance, they built a project entirely on their own.  Those who rarely chose to build alone received a great confidence boost in their abilities.  Then they all had time for "free build" where they can build anything with the materials.  After everyone had completed their projects, we did a walk about.  They love showcasing their projects to other students and having the opportunity to view other student's work.  I also take pictures of each of the required completed projects, so that when students have to take apart their handiwork, they are more willing knowing it has been saved for posterity in pictures.

Week 5 - Surprise Surpise

      My first Kindergarten class of the week seemed to be a complete failure.  This week, I was going to try and have a more structured build activity to teach the students the basic principles in building with the Brick Lab. The first issue I had is that there are 21 of them and only one of me.  I had directions for them to share with a partner and I was also demonstrating on the document camera.  However, it was very difficult to keep everyone at the same building point.  Many students didn't get their build completed before it was time for them to go, not to mention time to clean up.  I decided after that lesson to not require them to do a structured build until after Christmas.  Then I talked with their teacher.  She had thought it was a wonderful success.  The students were so proud of what they had done and were showing her with glee.  I am going to stay with the structured build for this week and see if I can improve the instruction.  I'll see how it goes.

Week 5 - Challenges and Wrap Ups

     This week 4th and 5th grade students will be complete the activity from last week they didn't get to yet.  They are either working on programming the LEGO NXT Mindstorms to perform sharp and curvy turns as prescribed on a mat prepared by me, or they are building with the Academy of Engineering.  Next week, we will wrap up unfinished builds, review concepts, and run robots under a timed situation to see which programs are the most efficient.  3rd grade will have a challenge of constructing a vertical marble race after working with inclined planes.  2nd will be building with K'NEX.  1st grade has a challenge of constructing bridges across a given distance after learning how to build bridges that cross a span or gap last week.  Kindergartners will be working on building things that start with the "s" sound.  I take a group picture of the class with their builds once time is up so that I can post it in the hallway with the appropriate letter above it.  It is all going well, but I have revisited some of my plans after looking at the year of planning ahead.  I'll share more about that another time.  The struggle with the Mindstorms is six robots for 300 students, 10 classes.

Obstacle Course Long Term Planning

     Ok, it may be crazy, but I am thinking of using the planter bed outside of my classroom for an obstacle course for the NXT robots.  It wouldn't be until towards the end of the school year, but I have to do some research before making that commitment because I don't want to damage the robots.  I just like the idea of a more natural terrain challenge.  I will keep the progress posted.

Week 4 - Turns, Gears, and Chain Drives

     For Week 4, students are practicing programming the robots for sharp turns and curvy turns.  I created a path on the back of some of my LEGO mats out of painters tape and removable marker.  It starts with some 90 degree turns and then goes into slalom like turns.  It has been interesting to see the students programming and the different levels of success.  5th grade students are also working on power ratios with gears, and 4th graders are working on chain drives.  The 5th graders build takes longer than one session to complete.  Many of the 4th graders are able to complete their builds.  This time however, since students rotate between robotics and building with the Academy of Engineering over the course of two weeks, I am going to add on a third week to the project for wrap up and assessment.  To make the build process quicker, I also pulled the tubs the students would need.  It's difficult to tell if it has made the process of gathering parts any faster.  The students are very positive about their time in engineering and the work we do there.  It's nice to see them enjoying their successes.

Week 3 - Partners and Groups

     Next week, I will definitely be assigning partners and groups for the building projects and the robotics.  I have still been getting to know the students and wanted to give them some freedom to work alone or choose their own partners.  Some students do a fantastic job of pairing up with someone they can be successful with.  Others, not so much.  In fact, I may have all the building projects be individual next planning period.  There are quite a few students who love being in engineering, but don't want to actually build.  I want to be able to accurately measure what they can do and what they know.  However, the building projects are fairly complicated and difficult for a single person to complete.  Perhaps they can each build their own project, while working with a partner to overcome technical difficulties. Or, I could modify the project so it is able to be completed in one class period.  Most of the time seems to be consumed in finding the parts.  I could have the parts bagged ahead for them . . . For robotics, students will be working with different types of turns, and then I will start adding sensors.

Week 3 - So far, So . . .

     Met with my Monday classes for the first time today.  It was tricky trying to decide how to combine three classes of information into one session.  It went well, except for not having enough time to go over the lab rules very well.  I gave the first grade class a choice of the project for this week or last week.  I was thrilled they chose the harder of the two, building large castles in groups of seven students.  Fourth and fifth grade classes spent half of their time on NXT robotics and a scavenger hunt.  The third grade class started with the challenge project based on last week's lever lesson.  There were some impressive levers with creative features!  An overall success, but it makes me realize how hard it is to have to miss classes.

Week 3 - Levers, Robotics, Drive Belts, and More

     Kindergartners will continue this week utilizing different materials and practicing our lab procedures.  We will work on sharing, building, and cleanup. First grade will be trying to build larger group castles after building individual castles last week.  I am most worried about the collaboration piece since there will be three castles being built for a class of 24.  Second grade will be working with K'NEX to build a 2-D owl and  house.  Next week, they will try creating a 3-D house.  Third will use their prior experience with levers to build a lever of their choice and get pompom balls onto the target on the floor.  Fourth and Fifth grade will be continuing the robotics challenge and the Academy of Engineering projects from last year, completing the one they did not do last week.  It's going to be a busy week.

Week 2 - Building in Review

     It was a fun and successful week of building overall.  It is interesting how different groups of students at the same grade level perform on the same tasks.  Having three to four of the same grade level classes, gave me the opportunity to refine the lessons, but also to judge the effectiveness of the lesson by observing it in action for more than one group.  I also have the opportunity to notice different learning styles while the students work in the engineering lab.  Working with the students provides insight into the lessons from the curriculum as well.  After teaching one lesson to first grade students, I realized the directions were a little difficult for one portion of the structure.  I was able to adapt the steps and use them with other classes.  It seemed to make the task a little easier for the students and provided a greater opportunity to work on the concept of symmetry.  I am looking forward to a full week of teaching next week and have a couple of challenges I have devised for first and third.  I am excited to see how they turn out, but am also nervous of the potential outcome.

Week 2 - Beginning Building and Programming

    I need to begin by explaining I only see the first through fifth graders an hour per week, once a week.  Kindergarten is only for a half hour a week.  Now the Kindergarten time is probably just about right. However, one hour per week is just not long enough for the other classes.  Moving from the classroom, where I had more time and could shift my times around as needed, to such limited time constraints is definitely a challenge.  An hour works for an easy build and easy programming challenges, but not the more complex work I would like to move to.  After just the first day of instructing, I can see that more complicated projects will take several weeks.  I had several students that  were unable to complete their builds.  They had more success in completing their projects if they worked with a partner.  I plan to require that for the rest of the classes this week.  I know things will get quicker as we get into the routine and remember where parts are, but I will need to get better at assessing how much time a build will take.  My challenge is to teach as much as I can in the limited class time.  The upside is I won't have any trouble filling my lesson plan book.

Kellie Taylor

      All teachers bring their personal experiences into the classroom.  Therefore, I thought I would share a little about me so that you can understand my philosophy on education.  I have been married to a wonderful, genius of a man for the past twenty years.  We have three children, Nathan, Jacqueline, and Katie.  All three have been identified as gifted in our small rural school system, but I feel that every student is gifted.  It's just a matter of helping to discover where their gifts lie.  Nathan is presently a sophomore in college.  Jacqueline, or Jackie, is a senior in high school, and Katie is a sophomore in high school.  

     I returned to college to become a teacher when Katie was in her last year of preschool.  Up to that point, I had been mostly a stay at home mom since Nathan was born.  Financial circumstances dictated that I might need to go to work full time.  I had been helping in my children's classrooms and had always wanted to be a teacher, but didn't think it paid enough.  In rural Idaho, teaching seemed like the best option.  I ended up not having to go to work full time, but I decided to pursue my passion for teaching.  I call it a passion because that is what it truly is.  If you want to get me riled up or in a heated discussion, just bring up education.  

     I earned my bachelor's in elementary education in 2004, pursued my master's immediately after while starting my first full time teaching position, and earned my master's in education technology in 2006.  I recently, a week ago, started my doctorate in educational technology through Boise State's online program.  I have a strong desire to help shape the changes that education is making.  I have walked in the shoes of a parent, educator, and student.  My perspectives are not different than many others, but I feel that my blend of viewpoints helps make me a better teacher and a better parent.

     Amid my career and educational pursuits, I enjoy being outdoors in Idaho.  These tend to be our family activities when we can get away from it all and reengage.  It's nice if you don't get cell service when you are up camping or boating, until of course you realize you left the cat in.  Our family enjoys the occasional movie at the theater and dinner out.  The occasional part makes it even more of a treat.  My husband and I are trying to take advantage of the time we have with our kids and prepare for the time when it is just us.  We tried curling for the first time this winter.  We loved it!  When we have only our schedules to contend with, we plan on spending more time on it.

     This is just a little about me.  I believe my posting exceeds the typical length of a blog, but I hope you will bear with me this time.  Please ignore the time of day I published this.  I am actually very coherent.

Week 1 - Surviving Elementary Engineering

     I survived and enjoyed the first week of teaching elementary engineering.  I came into a classroom that hadn't changed much in the five years our school had been open.  Therefore, I decided to create a scavenger  hunt for the our first time together.  My goal was to help familiarize new students to the lab and give returning students a chance to learn where I moved things to.  Since I was working with students as young as kindergarten, I used pictures for the scavenger hunt worksheet.  My second goal was to include some fun items to find and give them practice finding the resources they would need in class.  All the grade levels seemed to enjoy the scavenger hunt, and it provided an opportunity to reinforce the lab rules.  Next week we build!

Plans for the Year

Materials I will be using:

PCS Edventures Academy of Engineering
Little Edventures - Think Bug Lab
PCS Brick Lab
K'NEX Education
LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT Base Set
NASA Educator Guides

Goals:

1. Provide hands-on project based learning
2. Teach engineering principles
3. Reinforce and enhance standards taught in the general classrooms