What a summer! I am working 25 hours a week at summer camp. I teach drama, songs, and games in my regular classroom. The work is fun and easy, but it still means my time is taken. I am also taking two online classes required for my certification. I have put it off for too long and now I have to complete 80 assignments by the first week in August. I have only turned in 6 so far. Sigh.
I am off to work on that, but I've been invited to several demonstrations and meetings in my "spare" time this summer. It could lead to some amazing things next year and while they are all still in progress, I wanted to share them here.
Aquaponics
The middle school science teacher and I talked about starting a garden next year in the shared area outside our classrooms. We were planning to put in a few raised plant beds. On the first day of summer vacation I got pulled into a meeting with our STEM coordinator about aquaponics. It looks like things are on track for us to get an educational victory garden system. If all goes as planned, we will have a tank of tilapia and raised beds that filter out the fish waste. It should be pretty impressive! I've already warned them that I lack a green thumb, but I'm will to try.
WeatherSTEM
At FETC I saw a demonstration by WeatherSTEM. I was impressed at all the easy to use data gathered. They install a weather system with cameras and tools that feeds the information to a web based site. The graphs and information available is amazing. The weather system even has its own Twitter account to post auto updates about the temperature and rain for the day. (Here is an example of a site in action.) It looks like we will be getting WeatherSTEM for next school year. My mind is spinning with possibilities!
zSpace
Yesterday I went to a demonstration of zSpace. This video explains it better than I can:
I got to try it out and I can tell you it really is a cool as it looks. It is pricey, but they are looking at the possibility of acquiring funds to set up a lab where we can bring our classes.
Meanwhile, I'm back to my online classes. I hope your summer is going well!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Fifth Grade Owls
My fifth graders won't have STEAM classes next year, so I decided to end with a ceramics project. After consulting Pinterest, I decided on this one. We followed the tutorial.
Days later, I loaded the owls in the kiln. It was my first time running the kiln without help.
Thankfully, all came out okay! The original plan had been to glaze and refire. Due to time constraints, we used acrylic paint and a spray finish.
We were painting up until the day before school was out.
It was more than a little hectic, but I was thrilled with our owls!
I'm working on a mini grant for next year that will allow me to do a ceramic project with each of my classes next year. I'm currently researching ways to make ceramics work with the other letters of STEAM. I'm brainstorming ideas involving 3D printed rolling pins. Fun Times!
Friday, May 30, 2014
End of the Year Fun
We have 2 and a half days left with kids. This year has flown by!
I brought home a chrysalis over the long weekend. I expected to have a butterfly by Monday. Of course butterflies always come on their own schedule. My house was full of excitement as we were trying to get ready for school on Tuesday morning. I took the newly emerged butterfly to the day care with my kids. I left school a little early to release it for an audience on the playground.
My 5th grade students made ceramic owls last week. I actually loaded and turned on the kiln all by myself. I'll post a pictures after we paint them next week.
My sub sent my this picture today. I bought this building toy with some money from the PTO.
They LOVE it! It really makes me feel like I'm doing something right if my K and 4th grade students beg for the sub to send me a picture of their work!
Enjoy your weekend!
I brought home a chrysalis over the long weekend. I expected to have a butterfly by Monday. Of course butterflies always come on their own schedule. My house was full of excitement as we were trying to get ready for school on Tuesday morning. I took the newly emerged butterfly to the day care with my kids. I left school a little early to release it for an audience on the playground.
The thing wouldn't fly away. I was scared that it was injured or dying, so I coaxed it onto the tree high above the kids' reach. Thankfully it flew away after a few minutes!
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Tuesday also meant a pizza/pool party for my SumDog champion first graders. Our students take swimming classes during PE, but they still love an extra free swim! My fourth graders were on a field trip so I got to sit poolside for a while.
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My CHANGE Club students created a wrap up presentation using Google Drive at our last meeting of the year. I have not yet used shared presentations with my classes, so it was a good chance to try it out with some of my 4th and 5th graders. It was amazing to watch them work together in real time.
I really want to look at Google trainings and tests this summer. I have dabbled enough this year to be sold on the possibilities for using GAFE next year. I'm even looking at starting a PLC.
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My 5th grade students made ceramic owls last week. I actually loaded and turned on the kiln all by myself. I'll post a pictures after we paint them next week.
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I was at the FCR STEM Conference this week. My last session of the day involved making this cool little thing.(Directions available here)My sub sent my this picture today. I bought this building toy with some money from the PTO.
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Friday, May 16, 2014
Mostly May
I am loving my new blog design! Megan from A Bird in Hand Designs did an amazing job. She really captured the look I wanted. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a new look.
It has been so long since I blogged, I went through my phone last night an pulled off pictures of what we've been up to in the lab. My students are on a three day rotating schedule, so I see each class only 4 more times before the last day of school on June 4th. Crazy!
This post is a bit of a catch up. The pictures are mostly from May, with a little of April thrown in.
I am responsible for this bulletin board. It is a beast. I still want to have every student get to take part in the design, so it takes me weeks! This one was put up before the Kindergarten Round Up. Each of my K-2 students drew a fish in pastels. The students got to select their shade of blue tempera paint. The sign hanging from the ceiling in front of the fish says, "We love our school!" Of course I had more fish than I needed, so they also swam down the hallway.
One of my favorite features of my STEAM Lab is that I have a working kiln in my room. I keep it covered by bright green curtains most of the time. For the big kindergarten Mother's Day Breakfast, the PTO asked if we could use the kiln. I had an art professor from the university help me. Even with guidance, it is a little unnerving to watch that thing get up to 1,800+ degrees. Cool, but scary!
The students made pinch pots that we decorated as lady bugs. (Inspiration came from this post.) There was not enough time to glaze them, so we used acrylic paint and a spray glaze. The students decorated the boxes like little gardens. For the cards, I embossed their thumb prints with red glitter powder before they added details with a marker.
For my first clay project in the STEAM Lab, I am happy with how it came out. I am going to apply for a grant for supplies so that I can do at least one clay project with each grade level next year. I've already started to plan my STEAM curriculum connections.
The CHANGE Club gave me a mini grant to pay for new worms for my worm bin. I was also able to order coconut coir and gloves. The first bin was actually too full, so I found another that was empty outside the middle school building. My own kids came to school to help me transfer the worms. They thought it was the best thing ever!
The caterpillars are back on the outside my house. My daughter was terribly concerned that the lizards would eat them. We have not had a successful chrysalis in a long time. I agreed to bring them into school to "save" them.
I picked up some milkweed from Home Depot. I'd planned to move the caterpillars into a small habitat before they formed a chrysalis, but I misjudged the time. Instead I ordered a larger habitat from Amazon and put the whole plant in it. I brought in a total of 6 caterpillars from home. Two of them didn't make it, but 4 more have hatched. Thankfully my students haven't been paying much attention to the numbers. They are more concerned about when the butterfly will emerge from the chrysalis. I am afraid the first one will be over the weekend. We shall see!
Enjoy your weekend!
It has been so long since I blogged, I went through my phone last night an pulled off pictures of what we've been up to in the lab. My students are on a three day rotating schedule, so I see each class only 4 more times before the last day of school on June 4th. Crazy!
This post is a bit of a catch up. The pictures are mostly from May, with a little of April thrown in.
~~~~~~~~~
I am responsible for this bulletin board. It is a beast. I still want to have every student get to take part in the design, so it takes me weeks! This one was put up before the Kindergarten Round Up. Each of my K-2 students drew a fish in pastels. The students got to select their shade of blue tempera paint. The sign hanging from the ceiling in front of the fish says, "We love our school!" Of course I had more fish than I needed, so they also swam down the hallway.
~~~~~~~~~
Minecraft Club wrapped up at the end of April. At one of our last meetings I logged on to play. In exactly 2 seconds the screen flashed, "You died." I am seriously bad at video games. I do think that gaming in the classroom is a great tool though, so I am making an effort to learn. The staff member who helped me with the club brought in these cupcakes for our last meeting. Too cute!
~~~~~~~~~
One of my favorite features of my STEAM Lab is that I have a working kiln in my room. I keep it covered by bright green curtains most of the time. For the big kindergarten Mother's Day Breakfast, the PTO asked if we could use the kiln. I had an art professor from the university help me. Even with guidance, it is a little unnerving to watch that thing get up to 1,800+ degrees. Cool, but scary!
The students made pinch pots that we decorated as lady bugs. (Inspiration came from this post.) There was not enough time to glaze them, so we used acrylic paint and a spray glaze. The students decorated the boxes like little gardens. For the cards, I embossed their thumb prints with red glitter powder before they added details with a marker.
For my first clay project in the STEAM Lab, I am happy with how it came out. I am going to apply for a grant for supplies so that I can do at least one clay project with each grade level next year. I've already started to plan my STEAM curriculum connections.
~~~~~~~~~
The CHANGE Club gave me a mini grant to pay for new worms for my worm bin. I was also able to order coconut coir and gloves. The first bin was actually too full, so I found another that was empty outside the middle school building. My own kids came to school to help me transfer the worms. They thought it was the best thing ever!
I had a successful vermicomposting program set up a few years ago. Fingers cross, it looks like I am on track again. I hope to have each grade level take a turn next year caring for the worms. There is so much potential there! Decomposition, mass of their food, life cycle, and so many other STEAM links.
This morning during my planning period I put up new signs around the worm farm. I'll post pictures of that soon. It looks as cure as worms can look now.
~~~~~~~~~
The caterpillars are back on the outside my house. My daughter was terribly concerned that the lizards would eat them. We have not had a successful chrysalis in a long time. I agreed to bring them into school to "save" them.
I picked up some milkweed from Home Depot. I'd planned to move the caterpillars into a small habitat before they formed a chrysalis, but I misjudged the time. Instead I ordered a larger habitat from Amazon and put the whole plant in it. I brought in a total of 6 caterpillars from home. Two of them didn't make it, but 4 more have hatched. Thankfully my students haven't been paying much attention to the numbers. They are more concerned about when the butterfly will emerge from the chrysalis. I am afraid the first one will be over the weekend. We shall see!
~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Finding my Focus
I started my blog in in October 2012. I had a family blog. I enjoyed reading teacher blogs. I figured that I would post ideas from my classroom.
I’d previously tutored to supplement my income. After my second child was born, I just didn’t have time. I discovered TpT at about this time. I found that there were some wonderful resources that I could make myself, but that with two small children at home it was worth paying $3 for an afternoon with my family. I decided in place of tutoring to start a TpT store. I could spend time working on things for my classroom anyway to sell.
My store now almost makes enough to support my clip art habit. I enjoy having just enough tucked away to buy clip art for each project I start. I haven’t posted new products in a while. I’ve lost the desire to be the next millionaire. It would be nice, but it isn’t worth the time and effort. I’m okay with that.
This year has been full of changes. I have always liked my job, but I truly love teaching in the STEAM Lab. I have had the freedom to create an ideal space. I have been able to explore and expose my students to digital citizenship, gaming in the classroom, week of code, GAFE, augmented reality, and more.
My blog has changed, too. It is still there, but I am not worried about my TpT store. I want to share ideas and interact with like-minded educators. I love the community of educators I’ve found online. The cardboard arcade we spent a month working on in the STEAM Lab all started with a blog post I read. Thanks to a technology newsletter in my inbox, several of my students have extended the ‘Week of Code’ and are currently working taking online courses in coding outside of school. A Pinterest post about the ColAR app has me addicted to using augmented reality. I love the way things are developing.
I hope you will join me through this process as I find my new focus! I cannot wait for my blog redesign in May. I found the perfect clip art and an amazing blog designer. I can’t wait for a new look to go along with my new focus.
I’d previously tutored to supplement my income. After my second child was born, I just didn’t have time. I discovered TpT at about this time. I found that there were some wonderful resources that I could make myself, but that with two small children at home it was worth paying $3 for an afternoon with my family. I decided in place of tutoring to start a TpT store. I could spend time working on things for my classroom anyway to sell.
My store now almost makes enough to support my clip art habit. I enjoy having just enough tucked away to buy clip art for each project I start. I haven’t posted new products in a while. I’ve lost the desire to be the next millionaire. It would be nice, but it isn’t worth the time and effort. I’m okay with that.
This year has been full of changes. I have always liked my job, but I truly love teaching in the STEAM Lab. I have had the freedom to create an ideal space. I have been able to explore and expose my students to digital citizenship, gaming in the classroom, week of code, GAFE, augmented reality, and more.
My blog has changed, too. It is still there, but I am not worried about my TpT store. I want to share ideas and interact with like-minded educators. I love the community of educators I’ve found online. The cardboard arcade we spent a month working on in the STEAM Lab all started with a blog post I read. Thanks to a technology newsletter in my inbox, several of my students have extended the ‘Week of Code’ and are currently working taking online courses in coding outside of school. A Pinterest post about the ColAR app has me addicted to using augmented reality. I love the way things are developing.
I hope you will join me through this process as I find my new focus! I cannot wait for my blog redesign in May. I found the perfect clip art and an amazing blog designer. I can’t wait for a new look to go along with my new focus.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Unintentional Blogging Break
I’m back! I started three posts this week, but never had a chance to actually post anything.
Last weekend was our first ever cardboard arcade. Each of my 18 classes made two projects. It was my ideal STEAM project. I was at school for 20 hours Friday/Saturday of last week. The end result was a LOT of work, but it was a success. Expect blog posts to follow. Most likely more than one!
For now, I’ll give you a quick preview with pictures of my own kids having fun with my students’ creations.
They had so much fun that day that my son actually managed to fall asleep standing up. They cannot wait to be big enough to come to “Mommy’s school.”
Of course spending that many extra hours at school + two small kids = getting sick. My two-year-old was happy to tell anyone who would listen that “Mommy got my boogers.” After living on hot tea and cough drops for most of the week, I’m feeling better.
Our home computer also took ill since my last post. Thankfully it was still under warranty. During a call to Apple during my lunch break for help getting the iPhoto pictures off the dying machine, they asked if I happened to have another Mac in the house. I laughed and said no, but that I was in my classroom which just happened to have 25 iMacs in it. They talked me through it and I am happy to report that the photos are safe and the hard drive has been replaced. My husband spent most of today trying to put everything back the way we had it. Fun times!
It is date night, so I’m off to spend some time with the Irishman. He just picked up dinner from Outback and we are going to watch The Help. After a PJ day, it is the perfect way to end to my Saturday!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Last weekend was our first ever cardboard arcade. Each of my 18 classes made two projects. It was my ideal STEAM project. I was at school for 20 hours Friday/Saturday of last week. The end result was a LOT of work, but it was a success. Expect blog posts to follow. Most likely more than one!
For now, I’ll give you a quick preview with pictures of my own kids having fun with my students’ creations.
They had so much fun that day that my son actually managed to fall asleep standing up. They cannot wait to be big enough to come to “Mommy’s school.”
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In other “more about that later” news, I was picked to be a 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator. I submitted a video back in February, and I am thrilled to get to be a part of this program. I’m just starting meet some of the other educators on Twitter.
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Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Graphite by Common Sense
Spring break was a blur. We spent a few days with Mickey Mouse in Orlando. When we got back, we had family in town from four states. One cousin got married on Saturday. We had a bridal shower for another cousin on Sunday. It was fun, but we didn’t rest at all!
Every night this week I’ve planned to do a blog post. Every night something has come up. Oh, well!
I got an e-mail yesterday to let me know that I was approved to be a Common Sense Media Certified Educator. They sent on a badge for my blog.
I’m currently waiting for a blog redesign from A Bird in Hand Designs. I’ll add the badge to the side bar once I get my new look. I can’t wait!
One of the other sites I’m having fun with right now is Graphite.
From Common Sense Media, this site lets you search for reviews of apps/websites. It is a really neat idea.
I’d registered and written a field note before. Last night I came across this post. I decided to write two more field notes. As a result, I got an e-mail tonight with the code for a $25 Amazon gift card. The offer ends March 31.
I’ve started working on my application to be a Graphite Certified Teacher. I love sharing technology resources. I think it is a good fit!
Enjoy!
Every night this week I’ve planned to do a blog post. Every night something has come up. Oh, well!
I got an e-mail yesterday to let me know that I was approved to be a Common Sense Media Certified Educator. They sent on a badge for my blog.
I’m currently waiting for a blog redesign from A Bird in Hand Designs. I’ll add the badge to the side bar once I get my new look. I can’t wait!
One of the other sites I’m having fun with right now is Graphite.
From Common Sense Media, this site lets you search for reviews of apps/websites. It is a really neat idea.
I’d registered and written a field note before. Last night I came across this post. I decided to write two more field notes. As a result, I got an e-mail tonight with the code for a $25 Amazon gift card. The offer ends March 31.
I’ve started working on my application to be a Graphite Certified Teacher. I love sharing technology resources. I think it is a good fit!
Enjoy!
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