Got an email a couple weeks back from Sam Walker, Tech Facilitator phenom/NCTIES (North Carolina Technology in Education S...) inviting me to set up a Makerspace booth at the 2016 NCTIES Conference March 2-4 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Also invited was Karie, my counterpart at SEMS - we immediately confirmed we wanted to join forces and work together. Too, UNCG/Mike Renne et al will be there, (I forwarded Sam's email to Mike - yay, me!) I have to tell you, I am very excited to be headed back to NCTIES again. 2 years ago, we were invited to go by Steven Anderson, then District Instructional Technology lead guy as a reward for the hard work we had done on our 1-1 Device Pilot the previous year. Last year, I submitted a presentation proposal and was accepted!! The ABC's of Technology in the World Language Classroom. (Click on that title and it will take you to a great website loaded with tech tools). So when I received the email from Sam asking that we present our Makerspace... I felt a strong sense of achievement. Some ideas I've already been considering are: I've rediscovered the very cool wire inside the CAT5 ethernet cables - great for jewelry, pictures & artwork.. and have gotten permission to collect old cables (with the promise of MORE if I want them). Too I think I want to do the playdough-Makey-Makey-Scratch thing and then there' s a real cool way to do holograms using old CD cases and your iPhone, see it here:
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On Thursday, the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Prize Patrol came in to my classroom during 1st period to bring me a gigantic check for $410. Each year the Chamber sponsers Eating for Education to be able to offer grants for classroom wants, needs & desires to Kernersville schools. This year I wrote the grant for the white paint to replace what we had to return to the 6th grade Science teacher from the Makerspace. Being that it was to benefit the entire school - of course I/we won! There were 4 other teachers who also were funded for the projects. To brag, (quietly.. :) ) This is the fourth one I've one! After talking with Ann, (Media Coordinator) and Dave, (6th Grade Science) I think we're going to look at another way to do the white board thing in the Makerspace. I've heard the paint is just chip-chip-chipping away in Amanda H's Science classroom, so instead we're going to try shower board cut to table size and gorilla glued in place. We're going tomorrow to Lowe's Home Improvement to pick up a prototype. We'll keep you posted!
We've been busy this week in the Makerspace. Ms. Brandes has students creating items for their rooms/shoeboxes that they are demonstrating comprehension of dimension, patterns, interior design and textiles. Several students have brought files to 3D print - beds, a dresser.. I've got the 3D printer printing again. Where it had not been sticking, changing the bed cover did work and now things REALLY stick. We've had several more students asking what the website is that they can design their own 3D objects to print. I've created a Kernersville Middle account so everyone may log in and design and I can access, download and print sans usb, email or other device. Also this week, we've almost finished the Spanish weather reports, had a group of 6th grade AG differentiation presentations using the green screen, and a 7th grade teacher changing point of view to demonstrate how it effects presentation. I've sold the 8th grade and 6th grade teachers on Makey-Makey + Scratch + playdough for points of view & Ancient Greece edifices presentations. I'll have to make the playdough to keep cost down since we don't have our October $ allocation, 5 more devices, (which we've decided to choose iPads) and our computer cart. See the youtube video below - like I said quick and easy! What a great opportunity! Thank you, Mike, Matt and Christine (UNCG) for including us in your invite to the Charlotte Maker Faire this past Saturday, 10/10. Rainy, wet weather didn't stop Julie, (EHS), Karie, (SEMS) and myself from traveling to the Discovery Place in downtown Charlotte to enjoy the sites and sounds and learning opportunities going on at the Charlotte Maker Faire.
We spent some time playing/helping at the UNCG table. Little Bits, Green Screen, 3D Printer, Makey-Makey were the major offerings and boy were they hits! We saw so many type of 3D Printers, met so many representatives from area Makerspaces, and came away with some wonderful maker ideas, the light up pumpkin, the led light/popsicle stick flashlight, the Cat5 wire jewelry. It was pretty overwhelming! Karie and I have been invited to support a table at NCTIES 2016 and this gave us some ideas. Burlington's having a Maker Faire in March. Perhaps we'll gather some more ideas! Here are a few photos... This past Wednesday, we gathered together as recipients of the UNCG T4 Grant at East High School. The Media Coordinators of our 3 schools; KMS, SEMS and EHS collaborated to get us together to look at where we are individually and together. It was wonderful! We toured Mary's (EHS) Makerspace and heard how their Club meets once a week to work on things like their 3D printer which they bought as a kit, use the Makey-Makey, and try out fabric circuits. We've all agreed to meet on Wednesday, 10/21 at SEMS to tour theirs and continue our discussion. Primary on our list? October funds, the UNCG class, how to get teachers & curriculum into the Makerspace.. Too, our Media Coordinators have been directed to catalog our Makerspace Inventory. Charlotte Maker Faire! 10/10Many thanks to Mike, Matt & Christine for allowing us to tag along to the Charlotte Maker Faire on a very rainy dreary Saturday. We learned so much! We (Juli (EHS), Karie (SEMS) and I) were very impressed and overwhelmed with all the making. Here are photos! The fan is fixed! Mike came in and while I "supervised", he replaced the broken fan that finally arrived from China with the new one. It was easy!! (Well, from a viewer's point - I think Mike said it wasn't bad either) I've had my first students bring me designs to 3D print. So far - unsuccessful. One has hangy-down arms that I need to figure out how to support, (forgot to ask Mike), the 2nd and 3rd had more than one design on the bed and it kept snagging, pulling, globbing... failing. I've asked them to re-design - one per download. We'll see if that works. We've been videos Mr. Luthi's 8th grade Social Studies students presenting their Revolutionary personalities using the Green Screen. That has been the biggest seller so far. We're getting questions - curiosities. Mr. Boyer is skyping his sister next week for Science. She's a singer, (for a better word) in NY. He's also having Dr. Helms, and Mr. Shu presenting as well. Here are the expectations for students: -- What is at least one way that you can manipulate your instrument and change the PITCH? (They will have to connect that the frequency of the sound waves determines the pitch) -- What is at least one way that you can manipulate your instrument and change the LOUDNESS? (They will have to connect that the amplitude of the sound waves determines the loudness) -- What did your guest share as a way to change the timbre of their instrument? (This is the tone or quality of sound - what do the musicians that play your instrument do to alter the style of music?) I can't say that's Makerspace because Mr. Boyer has done this without the benefit of our great Makerspace, but it is definitely is Maker-y! Our middle son has been granted a Fulbright Scholarship and is in Italy. When I told him I was headed to the Maker Faire in Charlotte tomorrow, he sent me this picture: It’s been a busy week in the Makerspace. Josh, and Mrs. C 8th grade Science teachers booked time in the recording studio. Grateful Jeff, 8th grade ELA teacher asked for it as part of our initial Makerspace set up purchases - and that he told us what to order. We’re using Audacity as our program of choice. Highlights of the recording sessions – The students! Their assignment to write about one of the rows of the Table of Elements. The words they had to rhyme! Great work! I wonder if writing/performing it helped them memorize the facts better. One student, Thorny, asked if I would burn a CD of his work. When I gave it to him he remixed it at home and burned a new CD. He’d never done it before. I love that he took his learning to the next level – independent of anyone, he researched, struggled and succeeded. This is why the Makerspace is so important! Students need to WANT to learn for learning’s sake. Makerspace offer that inspiration!
The green screen was back in business this week with Isabel, Spanish & World Languages teacher having students act out greeting conversations in German. They weren’t shy – didn’t let pronunciation get in the way. The same occurred when 6th Grade students from Isabel’s class came and recorded themselves in Spanish – Great idea though – faces drawn on fingers – lowered the filter to allow them to present with less anxiety. Had a group of students who needed a place to practice/record a project for Jeff, (see above). They were practicing in the hall and there was too much student traffic. The Makerspace served as the perfect location and I got to be the extra set of hands to give them the opportunity to finish the project. When they expressed gratitude, it was another coup for the Makerspace. Supplied some materials for the Life Skills teacher, Victoria. Her students are creating room diaramas with coordinated carpet, wallpaper, etc. Lisa, EC teacher borrowed 7 iPads and I helped her pen her Kville Chamber of Commerce grant to get one of her very own. Her students are over the moon for Today’s Meet. She’s checked them out two more times since then! On tap for next week? Marianne, 8th grade Spanish filming weather reports in the target language and more visits to classrooms to lend a hand with technology. There are so many great things we’ve not even introduced to our students yet – Makey Makey, Arduino, Drone technology, clay, paint, … I spoke with Sage (UNCG) and we agreed we need to get with Rachel, (CC-Kville Middle) to have her work with us to identify Makerspace eligible projects based on curriculum. |
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March 2016
KMS MAKERSPACECreated through the generosity and affiliation with UNCG and its Transforming Teaching Through Technology Grant, (T4), Our KMS Makerspace will offer our students creative ways to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in learning at Kernersville Middle School. Categories |