Background Knowledge and Discovery Education To build background knowledge about different types of communities, I started by using Board Builder from Discovery Education. Board Builder allows you to create an interactive poster with embedded videos. I chose an overview video of communities and in the text there is a link to a padlet about communities.
3D Drawing with SketchUp-iMake iLearn
Looking for a fun easy way to engage your students in three dimensions for free? SketchUp Make from Trimble is your answer. SketchUp is a software program that allows you to draw and design in 3D. Your students will benefit from an opportunity to explore, create and express themselves in a visual way and
Some More Sphero – iMake iLearn
It isn’t often that I am impressed by a company’s support of their product. After finding out on Friday that 2 of my new Spheros were not working correctly and having planned to use them with students, I contacted the company. I was very frustrated and expected to have to jump through a bunch of
iMake iLearn: Sphero Me Some Fun and Learning
This week our three 2.0 Spheros arrived. What is a Sphero you say? It is a programmable ball and so much more. After looking at many different options to introduce robotics and coding into our SP Design Lab, I learned about the Sphero. Several great posts have already been done by Erin Klein and the Nerdy Teacher which made me realize
Building the Future iMake iLearn
Teaching code to elementary and middle school students can be a key component in sparking curiosity and problem-solving skills, potentially leading to career choices in science and engineering that will help address the challenges facing our planet. The first time I really considered teaching code to my students was during a DENSI (Discovery Education Network
3D Printing – A Shared Adventure
Sometimes you start an adventure only to realize that every time you talk about your learning, you are inspired by those around you. Our school has been extremely fortunate to have acquired a 3D printer for $100 as well as to have created a community partnership with Radiant Fabrication. Yesterday while presenting at DENapalooza Milwaukee, I
iMake iLearn – The Journey of the 3D Printer
My journey into 3D printing started four months ago in December when after successfully writing a Donor’s Choose grant our MakerBot Replicator 2 arrived at the cost of $100. Before its arrival, I had never even seen something print in 3D and was more than a little skeptical about how 3D printing really had a
Design Lab – Four Months In
One of the greatest things about our school and state community is the generosity that I have found when I write grants. Our PTO has contributed to so much of the technology that we have at our school and they have been no different in their support of our Design Lab. In addition to the
Encouraging Student Creativity Using Scratch
Today’s interconnected technological world is built on computer software. What are some things you can do to help your students gain a basic understanding of the underlying software that drives our modern world? Introducing your students to Scratch will provide your students with hands-on opportunities to think creatively, solve problems and work collaboratively. Scratch
Minecraft EDU continued….
In my quest to learn more about Minecraft and use it with students in a school environment, I have found some really powerful resources. I’ve spent time watching youtube videos of beautiful examples, read blog posts about how to use Minecraft to teach, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the most powerful resource I