Authentic Design Projects - Supply Storage

We have completed two design projects so far this year. Both challenges occurred through a natural process of identifying a need and developing solutions. I had initially planned to have students share supplies but that option didn't work out. My initial plan for storage was extra large zip-lock bags to hold their supplies and stored in a filing cabinet. The organization of the bags didn't work well for students to quickly and efficiently access their supplies. As a class, we discussed what might be alternative ways to store the supplies. We identified all the constraints together noting that they had to be movable because students switch seats. They also needed to be accessible but not in the way.

Students then brainstormed ideas. Once they had chosen a solution to develop, they had to create a sketch and label the different materials used. The design focused on using the existing large zip-lock bags as a component for storing supplies. Rather than store them in drawers, students wanted to have them at their tables.

Based on all the completed sketches, we determined a list of materials. Once the materials had been gathered, students set to work creating their solutions.

There were a variety of solutions with similarities. Some worked well and some didn't. Students were given the opportunity to improve their designs with a Supply Bag 2.0.

  

  

Repairs and improvements continue to be made as needed. This taught students about creating a solution with durability as well as aesthetics. It will be interesting to see if there has been more iterations of the design by the end of the year.

I'm still here!

I am thriving in the transition from Einstein Fellow back to classroom educator. I did not return to my same teaching position and have had many changes along the road. I am finally catching my breath and able to spend a little time on my blog.

I am thrilled to be back in the classroom and teaching in a 3rd grade general classroom. One of my big goals for returning to the classroom was to bring the STEM experiences I have had to the students. This is always easier said than done when considering all that goes into classroom instruction. There have been days when I said, "I got this!" and other days when I have to reset and try again. While I have a lot of experience, ideas, and possible resources, I still do not have all the answers, and I am definitely not perfect. I am enjoying learning from my colleagues and my students.

Examining primary sources for a playground design project

I can't believe we are a quarter of the way through the school year. It has felt at times as though I have been on a hamster wheel, except a little more productive. At times, I have to remind myself to slow down and breathe because if I get stressed over things that need to be done, it usually transfers itself to my students.

Counting our unifix cubes

Composing and decomposing numbers

It has been a whirlwind of collaborative activities, projects, and working to integrate STEM instruction into the core classroom instruction. The students do quite a bit of engineering whether through a 3D printing project, prescribed build, or a free build.

Constructing out of cardboard

They share a lot of their project work on Seesaw digital portfolios (web.seesaw.me). The digital portfolios allow me to keep records of student work and performance based assessments. Families are also able to view student work and helps them understand what we are doing in our classroom.

 

Enjoying a little garden time

     

A refreshing game of checkers

A great spot for pleasure reading

Peer assistance with 3D design on Tinkercad

Sharing math strategies

Cohosting a #MSFTEduChat on October 15

I am so excited to be a part of the October @TweetMeet about STEM and NASA. If you have seen any of my previous posts, well, those two areas are fairly prominent. My teaching career was transformed through a hands-on real-world experience with NASA. You can get a little preview with the Flipgrid video below. I hope you are able to join us on October 15 for the live @TweetMeet at 11:00 am MT or check out the discussion afterwards.

Implementing Genius Hour

I am enjoying planning for the upcoming school year and excited to be back in the general classroom. In addition to looking for ways to integrate primary sources and other resources, I will be implementing a Genius Hour time. In some ways, my engineering classroom was a bit like Genius Hour, except students didn't usually get to choose based on their interests or passions. Though they had choice on materials and ways to create outcomes, the topic was based on what we were covering in the classroom.

Genius Hour is inquiry-based learning that allows students to work on individual projects that focus on their passion. Even if they don't know their passion, they know what they are interested in and may discover a passion. My planning is in its beginning stages, but I am quickly identifying how I want to implement this opportunity and resources I may need to manage and scaffold the open-ended student process.

I want to create an introductory video much like the video below but in another program with audio so that students can revisit it throughout the project as needed. I would also like to have Genius Hour at least twice each week. The amount of time is still to be determined.




I will ask students to complete an interest survey to assist with the brainstorming component of choosing a project for Genius Hour. After choosing a topic, students will be asked to identify the driving question they would like to answer and share. There are a lot of great existing resources for planning and sharing with students to support the process. I will continue to dive into those while formulating my plans. It will be interesting to scaffold 2nd and 3rd grade question development and research strategies for answering questions that go beyond an easy Google search. I plan to use Seesaw Digital Portfolios for managing student progress https://web.seesaw.me/. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I feel as though I am on solid starting ground. I found the article at We Are Teachers was a great starting point with additional resources listed. https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-genius-hour/

Identifying Possible Resources

After going through standards and curriculum to find good connections for integrating primary sources, I next wanted to look at the different resources I have accumulated over the years, especially the new resources I have learned about during my time as an Einstein Fellow.

I am organizing materials for the upcoming school year within a single document with sections for resources. I am interested in uses ranging from digital portfolios to coding to associations and professional development opportunities. This document will then be used as a reference during project and lesson planning to maximize implementation for expanded student learning experiences with real world connections. Below are some of the various resources, pd, etc. that I am considering for my classroom. These do not include the resources that can be found at the various associations.

Library of Congress - https://www.loc.gov/

Primary Sources - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/

HABS/HAER/HALS - https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/

YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryOfCongress

TPS Teachers Network - https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/

TPS Consortium - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/consortium/

National Book Festival - https://www.loc.gov/events/2019-national-book-festival/

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/science/resources.html

Seesaw - https://web.seesaw.me/

Ecology Project - https://www.ecologyproject.org/

Scratch - https://scratch.mit.edu/

Minecraft - https://education.minecraft.net/

Raspberry Pi - https://www.raspberrypi.org/education/

The National Academies of Press - https://www.nap.edu/

IEEE Reach - https://reach.ieee.org/

BreakoutEDU - https://www.breakoutedu.com/

Globe - https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe

Digital Harbor Foundation - https://www.digitalharbor.org/ https://www.digitalharbor.org/whatwedo/projects/fabslam/

Code/FWD - https://techprep.org/codefwd/ https://www.sphero.com/education/codefwd/

Newseum - https://newseumed.org/

Smithsonian https://learninglab.si.edu/ https://www.si.edu/educators

NASA - https://www.nasa.gov/stem https://www.nasa.gov/education/materials/ https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/All_Alpha.html http://ymiclassroom.com/categories/language-arts/

PBS - https://www.pbs.org/education/ https://pbskids.org/

AEOP - https://www.usaeop.com/

ORISE/ORAU Opportunities - https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/index.html

ESRI - https://www.esri.com/en-us/home

Invention Education - https://www.lemelson.org/our-programs/us-programs/education

USPTO - https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/outreach-and-education

3D - https://www.tinkercad.com/

City X Project - http://www.cityxproject.com/

Civil Air Patrol - https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/aerospace-education

National Geographic - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/

Space Station Explorers - https://www.spacestationexplorers.org/ambassadors/

ShareSpace Foundation Giant Mars Maps - https://sharespace.org/education/mars-maps/

Idaho STEM Action Center - https://stem.idaho.gov/

AIAA - https://www.aiaa.org/home/get-involved/students-educators

Share My Lessons - https://sharemylesson.com/

Preparing for 2019-2020 in the Classroom - Starting with Primary Sources

As I am wrapping up my fellowship and preparing to return to the classroom for the 2019-2020 school year, I find myself very excited about the possibilities in front of me. I have been out of the general classroom for going on seven years. During my six years as the K-5 Engineering Teacher at Galileo STEM Academy, I felt as though what I was doing could be integrated into the general classroom. Now is my chance to put it to the test. I have begun mapping out the various resources I now have in addition to my engineering tools and identifying ways they can be integrated into the general elementary classroom.

Since my passion for integrating primary sources has been deeply embedded during my time at the Library of Congress, I first went through standards and district curriculum looking for areas that would easily integrate with primary sources. I highlighted areas I felt could be easily integrated with the use of primary sources. Since primary source analysis uses similar strategies as science based claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER), I also noted areas where I could integrate the use of CER with primary sources and various content areas.

I look forward to the challenge of integrating the various resources I have accumulated in my teacher tool box and the lessons learned from the elementary engineering lab.

Only Three More Months

When I first arrived in Washington, DC to start my time as an Einstein Fellow, I felt this urgency to take in and experience as much as the city and the fellowship has to offer.  By the end of December, the urgency started to fade and seemed to coincide with winter weather that made it more pleasurable to remain indoors.  Now that there are only three months left to my fellowship and the weather has taken a decidedly spring if not summer turn, the urgency to go forth and take in all I can is back in full force.





I know I will not ever feel as though I have seen it all or done it all, but I am trying to take in more panel sessions and DC experiences.  I also have plans to take some personal time to travel a bit around the northeast, making my way up to Maine and out to the Atlantic Ocean.  And yet, with all the amazing events to attend and places to see, I am still trying to enjoy the beauty of the day-to-day living and working in the capital.  I used to worry about looking like a tourist by taking pictures around DC, but I am a tourist and don't want to miss the opportunity to record this fantastic experience.

















I am excited about the upcoming opportunity to put new skills and resources into practice in the classroom. In addition, I will be pursuing ways in which to share the STEM knowledge I have developed over the course of my time as a K-5 engineering teacher, an Einstein Fellow at the Library of Congress, and integrating all of those experiences into an engaging learning experience for students in my classroom.