Organization in an Elementary Engineering Classroom

As I scrolled through Twitter this morning, I came across a great post on Engineering is Elementary (EIE) blog @EIE_org. There were some great tips and it reminded me of the routines and practices I have established in the elementary engineering lab at my school to manage the 22 classes, 572 students in kindergarten through 5th grade, I see on a weekly basis. Of course storage is always an issue, whether it's storing materials or storing projects. I had tried using student engineering notebooks off and on. I made a commitment to make it work three years ago. However, storing 572 student notebooks would use a lot of my existing storage space that I was not willing to surrender. Instead of using composition notebooks, I choose to use file folders. File folders make it easier to insert full page handouts and I don't use any storage space storing unused pages. I write the name of each student on their folder and color code grade levels. Each grade level has its own color. That way if a folder gets misplaced, I can at least identify the grade level it belongs to and then identify the class. In addition, students are allowed to decorate their folder covers as they have time.

In this photo, you can see how the covers of the folders have evolved.

In the inside front of each notebook, students in 3rd through 5th grade staple group roles. Inside the back of the folder, each previous year's work is stapled at the end of the year. If students are in 5th grade, that year's work is not stapled because they will be taking their folders with them at the end of the year. Stapling the previous year's work makes it easier for students to manage the loose file folder system.

Sometimes it is necessary to staple items back in, but not very often.

I have a heavy duty thick stapler for stapling previous year's work.

If a folder gets dropped, there are many fewer papers to reorganize. Our school has a maximum of 32 students in 4th and 5th. Those classes take up a little more room. As students folder fill up over the years, the folders are able to expand and hold the materials.

I lay out the folders at the beginning of class on the front counter of my room for all grades except kindergarten.  For kindergarten, I handout the folders once the students start building their projects. This gives me practice with their names and the cabinet is a little high for them to find their names. I have a basket at the back of my room that students stack their folders in at the end of class. This keeps them nice and neat until I can put them away.

Folders are on the cabinet to the right of the picture.

The folders are also a great way for me to take attendance. I use claim, evidence, and reasoning writing in some form with all my classes.  The engineering notebooks are a great place to house those pieces of writing, as well as, handouts for particular projects, rubrics, and other resources that may be relevant to a lesson. It is really nice to be able to use full size pages rather than having to resize for composition notebooks.Storage is also very easy. I just use on 4-drawer filing cabinet to store all the student notebooks. 

No Need to Compare Professionally

It is easy with social media to get caught up in what others are accomplishing in their lives. This can occur at a personal and professional level. There are numerous awards and application professional development opportunities for educators. I share frequently on social media about opportunities available to educators and sometimes students. Some I participate in and some I don't. When I share about those I participate in, it is a chance to thank and support the organizations that made the professional development or award possible.  It also allows me to share with other educators that possibilities that exist. If I can do it, so can someone else. In fact, I share many opportunities that I am not successful at receiving. However, I apply for opportunities so frequently that the numbers are in my favor. I receive a fraction of the grants, professional development, or awards that I apply for. In fact, my second application to Honeywell Educators at Space Academy was unsuccessful (https://educators.honeywell.com/).  Will I apply again next year? If I am eligible, I will apply. As an educator, I look to social media, not to compare myself to other educators, but to find those amazing opportunities I want to be a part of. There are many ways to feed your passion for educating students. Social media can be used to connect with others that are doing things that inspire you in your classroom, or follow organizations that offer grants, professional development, awards, other opportunities for you and your students. Use the power of social media to motivate you not to compare your professional path with others.

Space Expedition Educator Crew

I am new addition to the SEEC Crew and have joined the Destiny Team. We comprise a large geographical area from Alaska, parts of the Northwest, California, and the Southwest. I am still learning what it all means but am certain I have joined an amazing team. The inaugural SEEC Crew began in 2017. They added ten team members to help replace members who did not continue on for a second year or add to geographical areas. I look forward to posting more as I learn more. 

https://spacecenter.org/teacher-programs/space-exploration-educator-crew/

ASE AstroSAT Challenge

Our school has been selected to take part in the 3rd Round of the ASE AstroSAT Challenge. I attended a session at the 2018 SEEC Conference that should be the ins and outs of the Because Learning! Space board. Now I can use it with my classrooms and help them learn what experiments might be possible from a satellite orbiting Earth. Woohoo! If time permits, I will be back with updates on the progress.

http://astrosat.ardusat.com/

2018 Space Exploration Educators Conference

A team of teachers from our school wrote grants to attend the 2018 Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC). We had all taken part in the NASA Microgravity University for Educators (#NASAMgUE) last year. During that experience, we traveled to NASA Johnson Space Center for profressional development and testing of our students' deployment device (https://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/about-mgue.cfm). During that amazing week, we did not have any time to visit Space Center Houston, but we did learn of the SEEC conference. We quickly made plans to return to Houston and attend the conference as a team. We all took part in writing grants for travel and scholarships for registration costs. In the end, we had enough funds to fully cover the costs of the trip.  Our school district supported us by providing substitutes for the team to have time to attend the conference. Our school supported us by managing the grant funds and helping us secure all the necessary travel arrangements. The PTA was even ready to cover our registration costs; however, that wasn't necessary because we had additional grant funds come in to cover those costs as well.



In January we were able to register for sessions. We were all amazed and excited about the fantastic sessions offered and the tours available at NASA Johnson Space Center.  It really was difficult to choose. Nevertheless, we complete our session choices, reserved our hotel and rental car, and before we knew it, it was time to board the airplane to Houston. After not having any time to visit Space Center Houston, our entire conference was based in the museum. It was amazing! Session were taught by knowledgeable and experienced educators, as well as, industry professionals who have worked in the space industry. Gina Kwid and I presented for one session sharing about our NASA MgUE experience, the robot components we used in the deployment device, and teaching educators how to code those same robots using C++.  The entire conference was an amazing individual experience, team-building experience, and something I will never forget. 

 

 

 

I also became part of the Space Educator Expedition Crew on team Destiny which is a phenomenal opportunity for educators. "Educators from around the country are collaborating to prepare students for 21st century science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers through Space Center Houston’s inaugural Space Exploration Educator Crew.  Space Center Houston launched the program in 2017 to help meet a nationwide need to prepare students for STEM careers and an equal need for extraordinary teacher leaders to inspire students. The crew aims to empower teachers to build leadership competencies by creating innovative STEM programs for their students, schools and communities." For more information or to apply for next year visit https://spacecenter.org/teacher-programs/space-exploration-educator-crew/.

Amazing opportunities await all attendees at Space Exploration Educators Conference (https://spacecenter.org/teacher-programs/teachers-seec/)!