The Maker Playground and a Maker Must Resource

Today I spent the day at MSU at their EdTech Conference, and I led a session called The Maker Playground. I have done versions of it at each conference since CUE Rockstar Camp, when I presented The STEAM Playground with the awesome Tammy Lind from Wisconsin. It is one of my favorite sessions to lead, even though it requires to my car to be packed and longer to set-up before and clean-up afterwards. (However, I'm usually pretty lucky to have helpful educators aid in the clean-up mission!) Click here for maker resources.

I received 5 Ozobots this fall, and they have been a hit each time I have brought them out to present, as well as a hit with students!  They have such a wide-variety of applications and can engage learners of all ages! 

 Another robot that is easy to use for all learners is the Ollie!  Angela loved taking Ollie for stroll in the hallway!

Origami was a hit at this conference.  From folding trihexaflexagons to educators challenging themselves with more complex designs, paper making completed by several attendees.  

Some of the other activities included, playing with SumBlox, a newer educational tool to teach number sense!  (Of which I will have to reserve some time to create a separate blog post on...as they are AWESOME!)  We also played with Little Bits and Paper Roller Coasters. 

The best thing is the conversations that occur while participants are playing!  When I have makerspace time in my classroom, I also enjoy listening to the conversations.  It's nice when we are allowed time to play, connect, and learn! 

Speaking of giving kids time to play, connect, and learn, I am approaching a crazy week in my classroom, as we are building Explorer Coasters! Each student has been researching an explorer for the last 2 weeks.  They created a written report, and now they are going to build a paper roller coaster that represents the life of their explorer.  I am a bit nervous because it will require patience and perseverance, but I am hopeful it will also be EPIC! Stay tuned to by Twitter feed for progress on the project! 

The day ended with a dinner out with some awesome ITG ladies! 

Our fab keynote Sarah, Jen, Amanda, Mary, and I had a great dinner out in Lansing! 

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http://www.naeir.org/

Now for the Maker/Teacher Must Have Resource... NAEIR

I am not sure how I stumbled upon this resource...but I did, and I am hooked.  It is a wonderful site that has products that have been donated by companies, and then non-profits and teachers can purchase them for a price FAR, FAR below the store cost. I was curious when I first put my order in, as it seemed too good to be true, but my shipment came...and I got a lot of awesome things for a super cheap price. I am most excited about the 36 Stomp Rockets I got for $9!  As a teacher, you do have to register and be approved, which can take a bit, but then you are free to shop! There is something for everyone in their catalog!  From tools to craft items and adhesives to office supplies, NAEIR is a wonderful resource for classrooms and makerspaces everywhere! 

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Overall it was an AWESOME day of learning!  Great job MSU! Special thanks to Mary Wever (@WeverWorld) who was one of the lead organizers of this conference, as she is the Director of the Master's Educational Technology Certificate Program at MSU.  The entire team of MSU interns, directors, and staff were great hosts!  Thank-you Tech Smith for the yummy coffee and breakfast! 

Also...a special shout out to the wonderful food at Shaw Hall...college kids have it great these days with dorm food! 

Behind the Scenes of Summer Vacation for Passionate Teachers

I waved goodbye to the busses on June 12.  I packed up my room each day through June 15. I prepared for the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference the week of June 18-22. I attended ISTE from June 23-25, and was saturated in educational conversations every waking moment. I spent hours reflecting on my ISTE experience, following up with connections, continuing the conversations via twitter and edmodo, and sharing my experiences with others ever since.  I have spent 1 ½ days with the staff from Brighton Area Schools to help develop a vision for technology in Brighton, to put bond funds to use in the best possible way.  Taking a break from education?  Not the case here!

          My summer is not unique.  Based on the educators that I follow on twitter and communicate with in edmodo and Facebook, educators are not taking a break this summer from improving their practice, collaborating with others, and creating new content to share with next year’s students.   On any given night, you can check in on twitter and follow a chat.  This week I tuned into #edchat, in which we discussed, “How do we teach Collection of information, Collaboration, Communication, & Creation in setting of today's ed system?”  Through the hour long chat, I had wonderful conversations back and forth with groups of teachers.  Some of the teachers I had met at ISTE this year, but many that I have never come in contact with.  We talked about our roles in education, ways to encourage collaboration and data collection, and the journey of learning for both our students and ourselves. 

      Being in a twitter chat is like being in a room full of teachers and having many conversations to jump back and forth from.  High speed professional development!  Many teachers participate in several chats throughout the week to connect with teachers from around the world.  These chats take place all year long regardless if school is in session or not. You can find an extensive list of the chats on Cybrary Man's webpage, along with any thing else that you ever wanted or needed to know about education.  He is a wonderful resource!

Brighton Staff members tour Maker Works.

          Speaking of collaborating, I have enjoyed working with the Brighton Area Schools Tech Committee.  Earlier in the spring, I helped with Yes for BAS, a group of parents and community members who were in support of the 88 million dollar bond to improve the schools.  The bond passed in May, and there was a need for parents to be part of the committees that will make decisions on how the bond money will be spent.  Having passion for technology, the tech committee was a natural fit for me.  I have to give the Brighton Technology Director praise for the leadership he is providing for this committee.  Elson Liu has created a Summer Vision Series, with the hopes to first create a vision for Brighton Area Schools, which will lead to the purchasing of the technology and piloting the vision. The Vision Series so far has taken us to Ann Arbor to visit The Brandon Center, a modern learning space for media and technology, at the University of Michigan’s College of Education, as well as Maker Works, a shared workspace that has a craft lab, woodshop, metal shop, and circuit lab. 

The Brandon Center at U of M

We have also attended a session on 21^st Century Education with representatives from Apple, and communicated with Leigh Graves Wolf, the director of the MSU Educational Technology Program via a Google+ Hang Out.  We have several other sessions planned throughout the summer as well.  Each of the sessions I have attended have had around 15 members, combining media specialists, teachers, and even administrators.  I am very pleased to see the dedication of these educators…using their summer vacation to enhance our local schools. (To access my notes and photos from the series, click here.)

          I know that there are teachers out there that celebrate the summer and turn off the teaching light in their minds, but for many teachers around the world, it is a light that burns 24/7.  Teaching is more than a job, it is a lifestyle packed with passion and dedication, and I feel blessed to be amongst the teachers day in and day out that connect via twitter, edmodo, blog posts, Facebook, etc. and continue improving the educational world, one connection at a time!