1st graders become Google experts!

First grade has been learning about their Google accounts and how to best use them.  They are turning into quite the publishers!  There are many steps necessary before they are ready to publish their first writing project.  They have to learn how to unlock the computer, how to log on to their grade level desktop, how to open a web browser, and how to sign on to their Google account.  Once they get through all of these steps, their natural creativity is unleashed!  They learned how to start a new project and choose the font type, color, and size.  Each day had a different writing prompt.  They also learned how to do a safe search for images that correspond to their writing and insert them into the written words.  For this project we used Google Slides and Google Docs.  When they finished their presentations, they gave their projects a title and shared them back to their teachers and myself.  This prepares them for the next few years when they will be using their Google accounts to collaborate on projects and communicate with their teachers.  Go, first graders!  You are ready!

Friday Projects

Each year at UTES we are tasked with working on an Innovation Challenge.  This is something that is new, research based, and brings a new dimension to the classroom learning.  This year, my Innovation Challenge is to start Friday Technology projects.  This spring semester every Friday 3rd-5th grade is given time to work on the project of their choice.  They are given a list from which to choose, but also they are free to come up with their own idea and get it approved.  The idea is that they can pick something we have already done in class that interests them and go to a deeper level with that project.  Sometimes they are learning beyond what I even know and teaching me new things!  Some of the projects that have been chosen are:

Scratch programming

Coding

Digital Storytelling

Stop Motion Animation

iMovie

Video Star (making a music video)

Claymation

Research projects with digital presentation

Drone Making

The students can work on some of these projects individually, but most of them take a group effort.  They are allowed to choose their own groups for this based on interest.  It's nice to see that the project seems to be driving the groups, not just friendships.  So students are working in groups other than their main social group.  The result of these projects will be showcased at the end of year showcase event for all special areas.  I'm very excited to see what they create!

This student is working on coding using code.org

These students are working on an iMovie.








She is working on creating a circuit loop with copper tape.







These girls are working on their Claymation project!







They are doing Stop Motion Animation with Legos.

They are working on a music video using Video Star!

Caught mid air while filming an iMovie!

Getting the shot just right for stop motion animation!

Making a music video that is full of fabulous!

Claymation in progress!

Stop Motion animation takes a lot of tenacity!

A very dramatic scene in the iMovie!

Making a music video requires lots of dancing!

Kindergarten and PreK learn about circuits!

Pre-K and Kindergarten have been learning about circuits.  We introduced this lesson with some background on circuits from Brain Pop and Bill Nye the Science Guy.  They learned all the parts necessary to make the circuit and the difference between conductors and insulators.  We tested different things to see what made the best conductors.  The students rotated among stations where they got to build circuits (and problem solve when they didn't work!).  Once we felt like we were ready to make our own, we started the final project... the circuit cards.  For this activity we used copper tape, LED mini lights, and a lithium battery.  With Valentine's Day coming up soon, we decided to make them a card for someone special.  "You Light Up My Life" became our theme.  Here are some pictures of the whole process.

You can't see it, but they just made the circuit to launch a disc into the air!

They completed the circuit to make the light turn on.  Up next, the motor!

And now we have light!!

Snap circuits are fun!

PreK learns circuits, too!

Motors are fun!

They used the switch to make the circuit work.

They added art to circuits by decorating something to spin on the motor!

Spin art with circuits.

Some snap circuits are very complex.

This one was a challenge, but they got it to play "happy birthday"!

Final projects work!  "You Light Up My Life" just in time for Valentine's Day!

Our circuits work!

Circuit Valentine's Day cards!

Brightest Valentine's Day card yet!

She said that this is for her Daddy because his smile lights up her life.

He made this one for his cousins!

Even with a broken arm she can work a circuit!

PreK enters the digital world in STEAM class!

PreK has been busy lately learning about the technology in our classroom.  They participated in the #HourOfCode just like the rest of the school.  They are learning basic concepts of how to use the track pad; how to press ctrl, alt, delete successfully; how to capture, drag, and drop icons; how to open a web browser; and how to navigate to certain sites.  Next up will be using Word to create some publishing work and using Paint to further control of the track pad.  These skills might sound simple, but to children who are just mastering some of these fine motor skills they can be quite a challenge!  I'm so proud of their tenacity with this project!

Here are some photos of the process:

When "oops" turns into a "win"

Some days your plans are perfect and the learning objectives are top notch.  The students enter ready for your challenges... it seems nothing can mess up the magic that is about to happen.  Then, "oops" happens!  My giant "oops" is that I somehow managed to lose the key to my laptop cart.  This is a major glitch in my impeccable plans to use them all day!  That cart sure is secure!  It took several adults, a drill, tenacity, and elbow grease to get them free a couple of days later.  In the meantime, I was going to have to figure something out.  What ended up happening was some "free choice" time for the students to work on other projects in the room.  What I learned is that when kids have some time to freely explore projects they enjoy, they tend to make magic happen.  It ended up being so much fun for all of us!  I captured some photos of what they did.  Plans are great, but sometimes mistakes end up with amazing results, too.

Tangrams with Osmo

They made a digital story with Toontastic.

They made a digital story with Toontastic and they made a digital book!

They are animating their story in Toontastic.

These boys built spinners and engaged a large group of spinning competition!  They built, tested, and improved each one to see what made them spin the best.  Super cool!