My Ed Tech World
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Learning Landscapes EDU
    • PD >
      • Rebel U
      • 12 Days of (Ed Tech) Cheer
    • Web Resources
    • iPad Resources
    • SIOP Resources >
      • Preparation
      • Building Background
      • Comprehensible Input
      • Strategies
      • Interaction
      • Practice-Application
      • Lesson Delivery
      • Review/Assessment
    • My Zazzle Store
    • Accomplishments
  • Conferences
    • 2018-2019 >
      • Fire Up (Spring 2019)
      • MACUL 2019
    • 2017-2018 >
      • Podstock 2017
      • Rebel U 2018
      • Fire Up (Fall 2017)
    • 2016-2017 >
      • Podstock 2016
      • Rebel U 2016
      • COETC16
      • Fire Up (Fall 2016)
      • MACUL 2017
      • Fire Up (Spring 2017)
    • 2009-2015 >
      • 2015-2016 >
        • Fire Up (Fall 2015)
        • Rebel U 2015
        • KISD Tech Camp 2015
        • Fire Up (Spring 2015)
      • 2014-2015 >
        • Fire Up (Spring) 2014
        • Rebel U - Cooperative Learning & Technology
        • Fire Up (Fall) 2014
      • 2013 >
        • Rebel U {Virtual Edition} - Sustainability
        • Fire Up (Spring) 2013
        • MACUL 2013
        • Rebel U - Teaching & Learning Like a Superhero
        • Fire Up (Fall) 2013
      • 2012 >
        • Fire Up (Spring) - Get Inspired with Technology
        • Rebel U - iSpy an iPad
        • MACUL - Personalized Learning Conference
        • Fire Up (Fall) - Bringing Learning Outside the Classroom
      • 2011 >
        • MACUL - Google Sites
        • Fire Up Spring
        • Rebel U - Test Taking Tools & Strategies
        • Rebel U - 40 in 40
        • Teaching & Learning in the Cloud - Building a Tech Leader's Toolbox
        • Fire Up Fall - Building a Tech Leader's Toolbox
      • 2010 >
        • KISD TechKnow - Google Sites
        • Rebel U - Google Docs
        • Rebel U - Picnik
        • Teaching & Learning in the Cloud - Google Sites
        • Fire Up (Fall) - Cool Web Tools
        • Fire Up (Spring) - Google Sites
      • 2009 >
        • Fire Up Fall - PP in the Classroom
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer

Unplugged Play {Learning Landscape EDU}

9/23/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Towards the end of the summer, I received a promotional email from Wikki Stix about their National Unplugged Play Day on September 29.  They were offering a kit of Wikki Stix and activities for only $5 with free shipping - I was sold!  I have Wikki Stix as part of my STEAM resources collection, but I feel I can never have enough.  Students use them in a variety of ways for creating where some can be reused and others, well, they end up as smooth balls of waxy yarn.

Picture
I decided to take advantage of the National Unplugged Day to work in a Learning Landscape.  I knew this was going to be a bit of stretch in thinking for the students, but knew they were up for a good challenge!  The teacher I was working with told me they were reviewing multiplication and factors, so I decided to work in my new Sum Blox with the Wikki Stix.

Picture
I started out by reading the story, Unplugged by Steve Anthony as a way to introduce National Unplugged Day.  I love a good picture book and even though I was reading this to 4th graders, they still loved it!  Our activity was going to be that the students had to select a number (between 4-20) and then determine all of the factors/fact families for that number.  Once they determined the factors, they had to use those numbers to design a piece of playground equipment using the Sum Blox (of their determined factors) and the Wikki Stix.  I feel like I had a lot of blank eyes staring at me when I explained this (to be expected!), but then I showed them how the Sum Blox "worked" and I think the pieces started fitting together.

Unplugged Play Handout

My Example

I intentionally did not want to show them what I had created, as then I knew I would see every group using the number 10 and building slides.  I did this activity with 2 classes on the same day, and I only felt that I had to show one group my example (as they were struggling a bit more with the concept).

Student Work

My focus for this activity (other than the content aspect of multiplication factors) was for students to be placed into a situation where they had to really collaborate to make one piece of playground equipment.  Working together in groups can be difficult at any age, but I feel it is especially important for younger students to learn how to share their ideas, listen, and create with others.  I felt that this would be a good activity for them to really dig deep into not only what they know, but how they can work with one another to produce something greater than what they could on their own.

Student Playground Equipment Creations

I saw so many great creations from this mini Learning Landscape EDU project!  There were swings, monkey bars, gaga ball pits, slides, zip lines, and so many other creations that I didn't get a chance to get pictures of because I was caught up in building and sharing!  Some groups put some great details into their creations beyond the basic playground equipment - people, balls, and other action pieces.
Picture
The final part of this activity was a gallery walk where each group had the opportunity to share what they created.  I received a microphone as part of a Donors Choose project, and it was amazing how one of the classes had such confidence in sharing what they created with the microphone.  The gallery walk also gave students the chance to be proud of what they created and show off their hard work.

For Next Time

I knew this was going to be a hard activity for students to grasp.  Taking something they are familiar with (multiplication factors) and then putting a completely different spin on it and turning it into playground equipment was a tall order.  Some things I would do differently next time:
  • Have them build a factor wall with the Sum Blox first.  This would help them visually see their factors and what blocks they could choose from.  I think some groups got caught up in the creation part of the activity and forgot the factor part.
  • We ran out of time at the end and I didn't have a chance to bring the activity back to the story concept, but I am glad that I chose to give students the chance to share at the end - definitely not something that I would cut out!
  • My personal thought - I wish the Educational Classroom Set of Sum Blox was four boxes instead of 2.  I think 4 boxes would give a classroom enough blocks to use for a whole class activity - especially when you are working with factors and multiples!
0 Comments

Paper Plate Mazes

3/19/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
The 4th grade class that I have been working with this year recently spent a week at the museum in their Immerse program.  The teacher was telling me about some of the activities they did through out the week and it sounds like the kids had an awesome week of authentic learning!

One of the activities that she shared was that they were able to go through a maze and learn about different things as they went through the maze.  So, for our STEM activity for the week we worked on creating mazes!  The teacher started off by recapping their experience in the maze and different aspects of the maze (dead ends, routes that led you back to the beginning, etc.) and how that could translate to their paper plate mazes.
Picture
For this activity, we used the following materials:
  1. Wikki Stix
  2. Paper Plates
  3. Marbles

Picture
As the students were working, you could tell they were having to work through some frustration points (which makes me so happy because they persevered through it and each group finished a maze!).  It was interesting to see how their creativity came out.  Some had amazing decorations, while others came up with rules for their mazes (such as, can't touch any red Wikki Stix, must go through each dead end, must go under every arch).  It was so great to see them make connections from their personal experiences and translate it into a fun, creative activity that they could share with others.

Student Mazes

0 Comments

Quickfire: Winter Olympic Pictograms

2/2/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was recently asked how some of the Quickfires I have done are different from a STEM Challenge.  In a lot ways, they are very similar.  But on the same note, they are also very different.  Totally clear explanation, right?

The biggest thing that is different with the Quickfires is the constraints and time limit that is imposed on the students.  In many STEM Challenges, the challenges are open-ended and give students time to plan, design, re-design, and explain their creation and the process it took to getting to the end product.  This is also part of a Quickfire, but due to the constraints set on the challenge as well as the time limit, you are asking students to go with their gut feeling and create something that meets the given constraints.  The time limit does not always allow for a full planning, design, re-design, and explanation, but rather, what can you create under the given circumstances.

Let's say your challenge involves pipe cleaners...
  • Example of a framed STEM Challenge: What can you create that represents a discipline in the Winter Olympics?
  • Example of a framed Quickfire Challenge: Using 10 pipe cleaners (using no more than 3 colors, must stand independently, and incorporates three 90 degree angles), create a representation of a discipline in the Winter Olympics.  Time allotted: 15 minutes.
Based on the example here, you can see where the Quickfire has several constraints that amp up a STEM Challenge.  At the end of the day, they are similar and a Quickfire is often rooted in a STEM Challenge.
Picture
For this Quickfire, we explained what the Olympic pictograms are and how the host country can personalize the pictograms to represent the feel of the Olympics in their own way.  We used Wikki Stix and asked students to think about if the Winter Olympics were to be held in our city.  How could they create a pictogram that would represent a discipline as well as our city?
Picture
The constraints we gave the students were:
  • Must use black Wikki Stix as the body of their pictogram
  • Use no more than 3 colors (includes the black of their body)
  • Pictogram must fit within the given box on the paper
  • Time limit: 30 minutes
Presentation & Printable Student Sheets
Picture
At the end of the given time, we had students present their new pictograms and include:
  • Name of discipline
  • Explanation of discipline
  • Who participates in the discipline
  • Where the discipline would take place in our own city
This was a great way for students to explore new sports/disciplines that they have not heard of before as well as build community among the class as they shared their creations and thoughts.
Picture
Picture

Student Creations

0 Comments
    My Amazon Wish List
    My DonorsChoose

    Follow Me

     Subscribe in a reader

    Would you like e-mail notifications?  Enter your e-mail address below to subscribe.

    Enter your email address:


    Categories

    All
    100th Day
    10 Minute Tech Tools
    1:1 Program
    2012 Edtechcheer
    21stcenturylearning
    3D Pens
    3D Printing
    6C Learner Profile
    Activators
    Aliens
    Alphabet Practice
    Angles
    App Review
    Arduino
    Army Men
    Assessments
    Augmented Reality
    Beads
    Book Spin
    Botley
    Brain Flakes
    Breakout EDU
    Bridge Builders
    Button Making
    Careers
    Cars
    Chalk
    Chopsticks
    Christmas
    Cinco De Mayo
    Circuitry
    Clear/Neon Building Bricks
    Clothespins
    Coding
    Coffee Filters
    Comics
    Computational Thinking
    Conductive Play-Dough
    Conferences
    Crack The Code
    Creation Cubes
    Creative Writing
    Culturally Responsive Teaching
    Dash
    Debate
    Design Thinking
    Dia De Los Muertos
    Dice
    Digital Citizenship
    Dot Day
    Earth Day
    Easter
    EdTech Cheer
    Edtech Cheer 2013
    EdTech Cheer 2014
    EdTech Cheer 2015
    Egged On
    Election
    Engagement
    Fall
    Fire Safety
    Fireup
    Flockmen
    Forces
    Four In A Row
    Glow Day
    Glow Games
    Glowie Mats
    Glow STEAM
    Glps Tech Blog
    Godfrey-Lee
    Googledocs
    Google Sites
    Graphic Recording
    Groundhog Day
    Guest Speaker
    Guided Practice
    Halloween
    Hour Of Code
    House Builders
    Imaginative Play
    Improv
    Index Cards
    Instructional Strategies
    Ipad
    ISTE
    KEVA Planks
    Knitting
    LearningLandscapesEDU
    Lego
    Legos
    Lesson Plans
    Lesson Preparation
    Listening Center
    Literacy
    LittleBits
    Lunch & Learn
    MACUL
    Macul11
    Macul12
    Macul13
    Mad Libs
    Magic Nuudles
    Magna Tiles
    Magnets
    Magnet Tiles
    Maker
    Maker Mat
    Marbles
    Math
    Memory
    Micro:bit
    Mini Erasers
    Mini-Erasers
    Monthly Integration Idea
    Multiplication
    National Unplugged Play Day
    Optical Illusion
    Outdoor Learning
    Ozobots
    Paper Circuits
    Paper Craft
    Paper Quilling
    Paper Rolls
    Passion Project
    Pattern Blocks
    PBIS
    Perler Beads
    Physical Education
    Pipe Cleaner Circuits
    Pipe Cleaners
    Pipettes
    Pix Brix
    Pixel Art
    Plastic Cups
    Plus Plus
    Podstock
    Pom Poms
    Popsicle Sticks
    Potato Head
    Powerpoint
    Power Tiles Circuits
    Professional Development
    QR Codes
    Qubits
    Quickfires
    Reading Month
    Rebelnet
    Rebelu
    Rebel U 2018
    Robotics
    Room Transformation
    School Spirit
    Senior Capstone
    Sewing
    Shrinky Dinks
    SIOP
    Sketchnotes
    Slinky Dog
    Sloths
    Snap Circuits
    Snowflakes
    Spanish
    Spanish Market
    Spelling
    Spiders
    Sports
    Spring
    Stamps
    Star Wars
    STEAM Night
    STEM/STEAM
    Stoneware
    Storybook STEAM
    Story On A Stick
    St. Patrick's Day
    Strawbees
    Straw Builders
    Straws
    STREAM
    Student Engagement Games
    Student Portfolios
    Sum Blox
    Summarizers
    Summer
    Task Cards
    Teacher Website
    Techintegration
    Tech Integration
    Thanksgiving
    Thaumatropes
    Thematic Learning
    Tinker Toys
    Toy Story STEAM Mania
    Unplugged Coding
    Valentine's Day
    Vehicle Builders
    Videostreaming
    Water Activity
    Wikki Stix
    Winter
    Winter Olympics
    Wooden Blocks
    Wooden Planks
    Yarn
    Zentangles


    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    March 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.