tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55875022242892332492024-03-14T01:04:59.707-07:00STEMing aheadJust writing about my STEM journey and where it leads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-67890978795334713142019-03-07T07:34:00.002-08:002019-03-07T07:34:41.518-08:00Robots <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Dot and Dash</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c41945b6-7fff-2ce6-bed5-2166cfb58802" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Being a STEM coach at a public school and a mom has its advantages. I get the newest STEM toys and gadgets and I get to try them out on my own family! Everyone wants to get toys for their kids that will teach them something, but that’s not even enough anymore. We need toys that challenge our kids to solve problems and to think and look at things differently. So now everyone is on the STEM kick and every toy supposedly is a STEM toy now because that’s what sells. Well, hopefully I can give you some insight into some of my favorites and then you can decide for yourself which STEM toys are for your family. My favorites are the robots. Robots are the toys of the future and several companies have some products that I just absolutely love and so do my students and my own child. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Let’s start with Dot and Dash. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img alt="IMG_0004.JPG" height="299" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Q4cdbOnAfh0A70ueKDKr7opxkCiPp46XPNDGCiekJBbYh1j7nW3oB44gRzbPbxmpdm8HhhOxzT2GR37x5KtYpYW-EPUr880VmcWNbOn1MrKrShpX5AbKBNSIqjknzTPd9hQHRSQz" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="449" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Dash stands a little under 7 inches and looks like 3 balls stuck to a body with a head on top. The head has a single eye that is made up of 12 led lights. If you flip Dash over you will see 2 large wheels and another smaller wheel that allow Dash to have a pretty good range of movement. Now this is a robot that you operate using a supported Android or iOS device and you can get a full list of those on their website </span><a href="http://www.makewonder.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">www.makewonder.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> Dash links up to your device via bluetooth and has really simple on screen demands that make sure they are linked and are super kid friendly. Dash is sold as a robot for kids 5 and up and I was interested to see just how my 5 year old test subject would fare with the robot. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Dash has varying levels of difficulty apps, but I would strongly suggest getting your feet wet first with the GO app. It makes Dash a simple remote controlled robot that your child can move around. Simple. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">My 5 year old immediately picked it up and without any direction from me started using the GO app right away and moving Dash. This app is nice, but I don’t think most people will buy Dash to simply let their kid control it like a remote controlled vehicle. Once the novelty of simply moving Dash around, we moved onto the Path app. This app allows you to program Dash to follow a path. I think this is really where I saw my child’s imagination take flight. She had her own personal chariot that would deliver messages to the Queen of her Kingdom. It was a lot of fun and I saw her really using problem solving strategies and trial and error to get Dash to avoid obstacles along the way. </span><img alt="IMG_0003.JPG" height="334" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9A0N7kaR6zsikRzmPdJNiUyEYxfU_Bz-GR9OuUgiuyumIcBJuG0ZdBXY8ZnNxERZgyGB2csFFOxihbjydt3mULFW4fgYfngjundReVxuSe3QafhlvNfxPtUDLph3y2waZDgF3WVl" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="334" /></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">She then ventured to the Blockly app that is a drag and drop programming app that says it’s for kids 8 and up. I would strongly suggest letting your little ones try this one. There may be struggles to understand at first, but once they understand the drag and drop then the possibilities truly are endless. WIth this app, you can make Dash talk, change the colors on it, look left or right, move in any direction and as far as you want. You can pretty much program Dash to do just about anything you want, within its parameters. My daughter enjoyed this app but needed my help really understanding how it worked. So it made it a great activity for us to do together and make up magical adventures that Dash had to perform. The other app Xylo requires the xylophone accessory, but it is worth it. Your child can make dash into a musician and do musical performances with just a little programming and imagination.</span></div>
<br /><img alt="IMG_0002.JPG" height="314" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9ClOIeJ0IT9khg0IGhP29JO0d2mXPsWA-fWynLpltfpfbZ4_P7Z9Ry1qQpAnji6MIaTNYQFG5NuB60TEPvaqt8BTZ_551lOUI6f5l3tRXPzjnS7mzpVuD9hzKcgBeW1IU6aR4VN4" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="472" /><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">This robot is one that I strongly recommend. It sparks curiosity and creativity and helps foster critical thinking skills. Not only will your child be immersed in the world of robots but also learning the beginning stages of coding in a fun way.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-31881091912487404932017-02-15T11:27:00.001-08:002017-02-15T11:27:46.332-08:00Our Learning Commons<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVLKthnnr7c/WKSre4uDYqI/AAAAAAAADcE/W05dzPjFh-gUmNTDp5kGkzMykBI94IGMQCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVLKthnnr7c/WKSre4uDYqI/AAAAAAAADcE/W05dzPjFh-gUmNTDp5kGkzMykBI94IGMQCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace4.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dkr0NMR8-98/WKSre89-VbI/AAAAAAAADcI/LSBvTli09vsvDa9RUhN8SLfzgzeFHilAQCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dkr0NMR8-98/WKSre89-VbI/AAAAAAAADcI/LSBvTli09vsvDa9RUhN8SLfzgzeFHilAQCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace5.jpg" width="320" /></a><a 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href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mf5myKplNAU/WKSrdV5y_dI/AAAAAAAADb8/_l43boZtjXMsyu4Stu2ppbSnnEYWkicYQCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace33.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mf5myKplNAU/WKSrdV5y_dI/AAAAAAAADb8/_l43boZtjXMsyu4Stu2ppbSnnEYWkicYQCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace33.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt9Yxy28Sts/WKSrdJNpY_I/AAAAAAAADb4/AhCegta8_voaLvKLm6NkITEPSJJTXkeoACLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace34.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt9Yxy28Sts/WKSrdJNpY_I/AAAAAAAADb4/AhCegta8_voaLvKLm6NkITEPSJJTXkeoACLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace34.jpg" width="236" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aK8vjF1yC_M/WKSrdduqutI/AAAAAAAADcA/hizGmagQSbUaI-yZeMPclUWmQMcPigcxACLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace35.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aK8vjF1yC_M/WKSrdduqutI/AAAAAAAADcA/hizGmagQSbUaI-yZeMPclUWmQMcPigcxACLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace35.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1U9tb1fJqOE/WKSre8h5rTI/AAAAAAAADcM/-fC-VToaBFUeJnmK1WZnAL77iKLabYWFQCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace36.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1U9tb1fJqOE/WKSre8h5rTI/AAAAAAAADcM/-fC-VToaBFUeJnmK1WZnAL77iKLabYWFQCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace36.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNqqKmI4pEc/WKSrTwiDcYI/AAAAAAAADaQ/0ASdwteGPjopQRV_FrviuNw1kz5cqc5QACLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNqqKmI4pEc/WKSrTwiDcYI/AAAAAAAADaQ/0ASdwteGPjopQRV_FrviuNw1kz5cqc5QACLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wk1QGWT-_EY/WKSrcJTG-uI/AAAAAAAADbs/h6J1BsJlebUFWWxzHdOx0HKh5tnHYa4xQCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wk1QGWT-_EY/WKSrcJTG-uI/AAAAAAAADbs/h6J1BsJlebUFWWxzHdOx0HKh5tnHYa4xQCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace3.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xECdUqFtdNQ/WKSrYE4194I/AAAAAAAADa8/s4t2mVEyLIoe93TQ3yWzpqcB6vZPL7i4wCLcB/s1600/flex%2Bspace2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xECdUqFtdNQ/WKSrYE4194I/AAAAAAAADa8/s4t2mVEyLIoe93TQ3yWzpqcB6vZPL7i4wCLcB/s320/flex%2Bspace2.jpg" width="213" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-23151632513611944502016-10-26T13:43:00.000-07:002016-10-26T13:43:16.509-07:00Engineer Expo 2016<iframe width="100%" height="600" src="https://www.smore.com/a4e2y-engineer-expo-2016?embed=1" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" style="min-width: 320px;border: none;"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-61294192461634844832016-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:002016-10-04T13:55:13.341-07:00Professional Development Grant<h1 class="js-title js-project-title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; font-family: rooney-web, AmericanTypewriter, Rockwell, Georgia-Bold, serif; font-size: 2.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Engineering is Elementary</h1>
<div class="subheader js-fulfillment-trailer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #606060; font-family: rooney-web, AmericanTypewriter, Rockwell, Georgia-Bold, serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; margin: -0.75rem 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I need to attend the EiE Teacher Educator Institute. It will help me develop a deeper understanding and pedagogy of the EiE curriculum and gain foundational knowledge of STEM and the engineering design process.</div>
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My Students</h3>
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We are one of the largest campuses in our district, which provides unique challenges in meeting the specific needs of all students.</div>
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Additionally, we are a full Title I campus with a vibrant bilingual program.</blockquote>
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With 60% of our population on Free and Reduced lunch, we are faced with obstacles that require us to advocate passionately for our students. Many of our students have gaps in learning and background experiences which translate into a significant disadvantage when it comes to academic performance and eventually can lead to higher drop-out rates.</div>
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We aspire to level the playing field for all of our students. Global trends are heading toward the areas of math, science and engineering, but our students are less and less likely to pursue these subjects after elementary school. We want to give them opportunities that they never thought possible.</div>
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<h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; font-family: rooney-web, AmericanTypewriter, Rockwell, Georgia-Bold, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.75rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My Project</h3>
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I am requesting funding to attend the EiE Teacher Educator Institute at the Museum of Science in Boston. These workshops are hands-on and learner driven. From attending, I will develop a deeper understanding of the pedagogy and structure of the EiE curriculum, and I'll take away a large collection of valuable resources to help me facilitate my own EiE workshops for my campus.</div>
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The EiE curriculum has been proven effective for improving student learning of science concepts required to understand the problems and processes of engineering.</blockquote>
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This Institute will allow me to gain foundational knowledge of technology, engineering, and the engineering design process.</div>
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The Teacher Educator Institute will prepare me to facilitate immersive, active EiE workshops for teachers both on my campus and in my district.</div>
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<span style="color: #303030; font-family: rooney-sans, Avenir-Book, Corbel, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">https://www.donorschoose.org/project/engineering-is-elementary/2235138/?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=project&utm_campaign=twitter&rf=twitter-siteshare-2016-10-project-teacher_580054&challengeid=34297 </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-24010027740045358192016-09-09T11:11:00.001-07:002016-09-09T11:11:04.698-07:00Benefits of project- and problem-based learning<div class="prePost" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 280px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
<h1 class="entry-title post-title" style="border: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 25px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">In both project- and problem-based learning (PBL), students are pulled through the curriculum by a meaningful question to explore, an engaging real-world problem to solve, or a challenge to design or create something. Before they can accomplish this, students need to inquire into the topic by asking questions and developing their own answers. To demonstrate what they learn, students create high-quality products and present their work to other people. Students often do project work collaboratively in small teams, guided by the teacher.</span></div>
<ul style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 1.5em 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Length of the project can vary.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Typical phases include a beginning, middle, and end.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Projects can take many forms.</li>
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A well-designed and well-implemented project helps students see how school connects to the outside world.</div>
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Project- and problem-based learning enable teachers to work more closely with students, acting like a coach instead of the deliverer of knowledge. Teachers are the <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">project managers</em> and are responsible for teaching the content knowledge and skills that students need. Teachers provide structured lessons, facilitate the inquiry process, and guide students through the process of creating products. Doing PBL doesn’t mean giving students free reign to do and learn what they want.</div>
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Project- and problem-based learning are student-centered. It’s a fundamental shift from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. The process aims to use the power of authentic problem solving to engage students and enhance their learning and motivation. Typically, these learning styles conclude with the development of a project or artifact of some kind and results in possible solutions to problems presented.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-46487980220717000972016-08-22T07:33:00.002-07:002016-08-22T07:33:30.060-07:00Christie Teacher Olympics 2016Who doesn't love the Olympics? The world's best and finest on display for all of the world to see? Well, we believe we have some of the best and finest teachers around, so we wanted to give them a chance to show off their teaching abilities in a super competitive team sport way. What better way than TEACHER OLYMPICS? So during the week before school started we created a variety of events that teams of teachers would compete in. Those events included: Synchronized stapling, Sharpened pencil relays, Carpool karaoke, and finally a relay where teams had to collate a packet, color a page, cut out a design and finally unscramble letters for a bulletin board. Here are the slides to the events.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/a/pisd.edu/presentation/d/1kFK2y1UeRmnJ-R9ZzZURfFkKyuChRm8RnmPxQZSIGlw/edit?usp=sharing"><img alt=" Teacher Olympics" border="0" height="175" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KSr_NTECpMg/V7sK_cBjAXI/AAAAAAAADU0/qhcaPRUuxrUBDUtF1Ik0ZMjQx5P_HChpACLcB/s320/olympics1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So here's what we learned: </div>
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<ol>
<li>Teachers are super competitive. Even when sharpening pencils.</li>
<li>We needed team building activities to bring us together as a staff.</li>
<li>Administrators lead by example. Our principal was in there, stapling, karaoking and collating packets with the rest of them. It really set the tone.</li>
<li>Work hard. Play hard. </li>
<li>Our teachers are olympians in their own right!</li>
</ol>
<div>
So here are some of the events:</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765242017181949952">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765242017181949952</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765236248990523392">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765236248990523392</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765236069675610112">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765236069675610112</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ChristieCubs/status/766248195298963457">https://twitter.com/ChristieCubs/status/766248195298963457</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ChristieCubs/status/765352294191800320">https://twitter.com/ChristieCubs/status/765352294191800320</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765589680054161409">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/765589680054161409</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766637317364731904">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766637317364731904</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766637566581874688">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766637566581874688</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766698625413984256">https://twitter.com/jess_malloy/status/766698625413984256</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-80494272331523360482016-04-20T07:51:00.001-07:002016-04-20T07:51:53.450-07:00Mickelson ExxonMobil STEM AcademySuper excited that I was selected to attend this amazing Academy this summer. Check it out here!<br />
<a href="http://www.sendmyteacher.com/">http://www.sendmyteacher.com/</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-34392434163861346842016-03-10T20:24:00.001-08:002016-03-10T20:24:26.717-08:00From Unicorn Hair Do-er to Police Officer My 4 year old daughter who lives and breathes princesses, rainbows and unicorns had money to spend on a toy today. This is the same little girl seen here describing what she wants to be when she grows up...<br />
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So you can only imagine my shock, surprise, and joy when she told me today that she wanted to be just like Judy Hopps and be a police officer when she grew up. She wanted police stuff so she could dress up and catch "bandits" as she called them. So I did what any other elated parent that now had a child with an actual real life goal does- I took her to the toy store. Today was going to be the day my little fairy princess graduated from simply wanting to be a unicorn hair-do-er to a police officer! Yet, things took an unexpected and horrible turn for the worst as we went down aisle after aisle. Now remember, we were looking for police costume things, things that now I know do not exist on the girls side as my 4 year old called it. Aisle after aisle was clearly labeled for this little one who doesn't read. "This is the girl barbie aisle. This is the baby toy aisle. This is the girl cooking aisle. This is the girl jewelry making aisle. That is the boy star wars aisle. That is the boy nerf gun aisle. Oh mom look! They have pink girl nerf darts!" It went on and on. The movie we just watched, "Zootopia", figures and stuffed animals were on a "boy" aisle next to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sponge Bob stuff. We finally found the police officer stuff. My daughter stood there gazing at the costume complete with badge, hand cuffs, and walkie talkie, but I immediately knew we wouldn't be getting that costume today. Nope. It was wedged between the ninja costume and various swords and weapons. Every picture was that of a boy wearing the costumes. I watched as what was once excitement, quickly turned to disappointment. The toy store seemed to be telling my daughter that this stuff wasn't for her, it was for boys. As much as I tried to persuade her, the damage had been done. We walked out of the toy store that day with a barbie.<br />
I know Target removed their labels for the aisles as being gender specific but more has to be done and others need to do the same. We have to be more proactive. Don't the #KidsDeserveIt?<br />
I think this article has some great points. <a href="http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/08/12/how-gender-specific-toys-can-negatively-impact-a-childs-development/">More needs to be done</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-43813021594719206022016-01-28T08:36:00.001-08:002016-01-28T08:36:37.523-08:00What do some women say is the key to success? Take that risk.<strong>1. Great, otherwise unforeseen opportunities often come from risk-taking.</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
We tend to view risk-taking negatively, often regarding it as dangerous and even unwise. But while some risks certainly don't pay off, it's important to remember that some do. <br />
Sandra Peterson, CEO of the $10 billion business <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":6}}" href="http://www.cropscience.bayer.com/" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">Bayer CropScience</span></a>, <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":7}}" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/sashagalbraith/2011/12/07/bayer-cropsciences-sandra-peterson-successful-woman-ceo-navigates-in-a-mans-world/" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">told Forbes in 2011</span></a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
Most women I know who have been successful in business, it’s because they’ve been willing to take on the risky challenge that other people would say, "Oh, I’m not sure I want to do that." If you look at my career, I’ve taken on a lot of risky roles. They were risky to some people but to me it was, "Wow, this is this great opportunity and it’s allowing me to learn new things and take on a bigger role and a bigger organization." But some people would view that as, "Are you crazy? What do you know about diabetes, or what do you know about washing machines or the food industry or automobiles or the agricultural industry?"</blockquote>
<strong>2. Taking risks shows confidence and helps you stand out.</strong><br />
Taking a risk is also a great opportunity to stand out and to present yourself as a leader, not a follower satisfied with the status quo. Tamara Abdel-Jaber, who is the CEO of the tech company <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":8}}" href="http://www.palma.com.jo/" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">Palma</span></a> and was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women in Arabian Business Magazine in 2011, <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":9}}" href="http://women2.com/interview-with-tamara-abdel-jaber-jordanian-woman-ceo-who-founded-and-runs-high-growth-business-palma/#SY4vpKLRuX5AtdXA.99" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">told Women 2.0</span></a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
The way I see it, many people in ... [the Middle East] don’t have many resources and knowledge. In order to stand out, expend a little extra effort ... I am passionate about knowledge and pursued that from an early age by working hard in school and have continued to do so throughout my life. My knowledge helps me to be confident, and I like taking risks.</blockquote>
<br />
<strong>3. We learn from risks -- and those lessons may lead us on an important, new path. </strong><br />
But beyond the external opportunities and recognition risk-taking can bring, it also provides an opportunity for internal growth. Heather Rabbatts, the <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":10}}" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/dec/22/football-association-heather-rabbatts-director" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">first female non-executive director of The Football Association</span></a>, told the BBC in <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":11}}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/features/htbapw" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">an interview for the Woman's Hour Power List</span></a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
I think I’ve always felt that there was something quite exciting about taking risks. And there’s a great saying, actually, that you only learn when you are at risk and I’m fascinated by both risk and learning, so that has led me to take jobs that people would think "you can’t do that, that’s just impossible." No it won’t be. </blockquote>
<br />
<strong>4. Success won't fall in your lap -- you have to pursue it.</strong><br />
But beyond being personally or professionally beneficial, taking risks may be a necessary step in actively pursuing success. When asked how she became the first female CEO of a television network in <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":12}}" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-pace/the-first-female-ceo-of-a_b_3558422.html" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">a Huffington Post interview</span></a>, Kay Koplovitz responded:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
You really have to put one foot in front of the other and start on your journey. You have to be comfortable that you don't know exactly how you are going to get to the results that you want to see. There is going to be experimentation along the way. And you have to be comfortable that you can think your way through and actually execute your way through to the desired outcome. I expected to be successful. I wanted to be successful.</blockquote>
<strong>5. You don't achieve your dreams by playing it safe.</strong><br />
Risk-taking won't only potentially benefit the career-path you're already on -- it may actually open you up to a world of possibilities you have yet to consider. President and CEO of EngenderHealth Pamela Barnes urged female professionals to leave their comfort zone in order to achieve their potential in<a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":13}}" href="http://www.thegrindstone.com/2013/06/28/education/female-ceo-engender-health-pamela-barnes/#ixzz2bmvaW0zH" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;"> an interview with The Grindstone</span></a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
For all professionals, and especially young women, the world outside our comfort zone can be huge and scary. Until we are willing to put ourselves out there and take a risk, we will never be able to achieve professional success and realize our potential. It’s time to leave our comfort zone; time to go after what we’re passionate about; and time to achieve our dreams.</blockquote>
<strong>6. Embracing risk-taking helps you overcome a fear of failure.</strong><br />
Arianna Huffington has long identified the fear of failure as a major roadblock to success. She <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":14}}" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/arianna-huffington-women-are-more-risk-averse-2012-5" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">told Business Insider last year:</span></a><br />
<blockquote>
<br />
We women are a little more risk-averse because whenever you launch something there’s a big chance it’s not going to work. And we have a bigger problem with failure ... [Women deal with] what I call the obnoxious roommate living in our head that constantly puts us down, doesn’t want us to fail because we become identified with our successes and failures.</blockquote>
<strong>7. Taking a risk doesn't mean doing so haphazardly.</strong><br />
While risk taking can clearly be personally and professionally beneficial, it doesn't occur in a vacuum, either. People don't benefit from risks without preparing to take them and educating themselves on the possible fall-out. JetStream Federal Credit Union CEO Jeanne Kucey is well-aware of this fact. <br />
"While I'm definitely a risk taker, at the same time, I do my homework and understand the importance of implementation and follow through," <a data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"entry_text","lnid":"citation","mpid":16}}" href="http://www.cutimes.com/2012/05/29/women-to-watch-ceo-kucey-sees-reward-in-risk-takin" target="_hplink"><span style="color: #2e7061;">she told the Credit Union Times in 2012</span></a>. "You can’t just throw a bunch of ideas without seeing the whole process of a project and what the end should be or look like."<br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-47102643858137392572015-12-09T11:26:00.002-08:002015-12-09T11:26:46.867-08:00Dear Other Parents at the Park:<div style="background: #FCFCFC; line-height: 21.4pt; margin-bottom: .2in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I'm not sure if you've read this before, but this mom's plea is the same plea that we have as educators. Let them struggle and develop that growth mindset and the power of YET.</span></div>
<div style="background: #FCFCFC; line-height: 21.4pt; margin-bottom: .2in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Dear Other Parents At The Park:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Please do not lift my daughters to the top of the ladder,
especially after you’ve just heard me tell them I wasn’t going to do it for
them and encourage them to try it themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I am not sitting here, 15 whole feet away from my kids, because
I am too lazy to get up. I am sitting here because I didn’t bring them to the
park so they could learn how to manipulate others into doing the hard work for
them. I brought them here so they could learn to do it themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">They’re not here to be at the top of the ladder; they are here
to learn to climb. If they can’t do it on their own, they will survive the
disappointment. What’s more, they will have a goal and the incentive to work to
achieve it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In the meantime, they can use the stairs. I want them to tire of
their own limitations and decide to push past them and put in the effort to
make that happen without any help from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It is not my job </span><span style="color: #333333;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> and it is certainly not yours </span><span style="color: #333333;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> to prevent my children from feeling frustration, fear, or
discomfort. If I do, I have robbed them of the opportunity to learn that those
things are not the end of the world, and can be overcome or used to their
advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">If they get stuck, it is not my job to save them immediately. If
I do, I have robbed them of the opportunity to learn to calm themselves, assess
their situation, and try to problem solve their own way out of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It is not my job to keep them from falling. If I do, I have
robbed them of the opportunity to learn that falling is possible but worth the
risk, and that they can, in fact, get up again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I don’t want my daughters to learn that they can’t overcome
obstacles without help. I don’t want them to learn that they can reach great
heights without effort. I don’t want them to learn that they are entitled to
the reward without having to push through whatever it is that’s holding them
back and *earn* it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Because </span><span style="color: #333333;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> and this might come as a surprise to you </span><span style="color: #333333;">—</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> none of those things are true.
And if I let them think for one moment that they are, I have failed them as a
mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #FCFCFC; line-height: 21.4pt; margin-bottom: .2in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I want my girls to know the
exhilaration of overcoming fear and doubt and achieving a hard-won success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I want them to believe in their own abilities and be confident
and determined in their actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I want them to accept their limitations until they can figure
out a way past them on their own significant power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I want them to feel capable of making their own decisions,
developing their own skills, taking their own risks, and coping with their own
feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I want them to climb that ladder without any help, however
well-intentioned, from you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Because they can. I know it. And if I give them a little space,
they will soon know it, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So I’ll thank you to stand back and let me do my job, here,
which consists mostly of resisting the very same impulses you are indulging,
and biting my tongue when I want to yell, “BE CAREFUL,” and choosing,
deliberately, painfully, repeatedly, to stand back instead of rush forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.2in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Janda Safe and Sound Solid"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get taller, and
scarier, and much more difficult to climb. And I don’t know about you, but I’d
rather help them learn the skills they’ll need to navigate them now, while a
misstep means a bumped head or scraped knee that can be healed with a kiss,
while the most difficult of hills can be conquered by chanting, “I think I can,
I think I can”, and while those 15 whole feet between us still feels, to them,
like I’m much too far away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-57109924722241377002015-10-29T06:40:00.004-07:002015-10-29T06:40:59.906-07:00Redefining Leadership: The Lollipop Moment<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
How many of you have a lollipop moment? A moment where someone said something or did something that you feel fundamentally made your life better?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
We need to redefine leadership as being about lollipop moments, how many of them we create, how many of them we acknowledge, how many of them we pay forward, and how many of them we say thank you for. Because we've made leadership about changing the world, and there is no world, there are only six billion understandings of it. And if you change one person's understanding of it, one person's understanding of what they're capable of, one person's understanding of how much people care about them, one person's understanding of how powerful an agent of change they can be in this world, you've changed the whole thing.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
Enjoy this TED talk by Drew Dudley about The Lollipop Moment. Who will you give your Lollipop to?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en">https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-72001084860250279772015-09-21T09:57:00.004-07:002015-09-21T09:57:57.672-07:00Everyone needs a little push<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zRcKYn7lYw/VgAyWcz05sI/AAAAAAAADKU/jW-XlEV1QE0/s1600/comfort%2Bzone.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zRcKYn7lYw/VgAyWcz05sI/AAAAAAAADKU/jW-XlEV1QE0/s320/comfort%2Bzone.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2a3333;"><span style="line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">You've</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a3333;"><span style="line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"> heard people say you need to get out of your comfort zone, right? You need to stretch yourself, they say. It'll be good for you, they say. Everyone seems to agree with this idea, but what do we actually know about the comfort zone?</span></span></span><span id="more-1816" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">Although people often refer to ‘getting outside your comfort zone’ in terms of trying new things, anything that raises your anxiety levels can be counted as being outside that zone.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">Although anxiety isn’t something we’re prone to go looking for, a little bit can be </span>surprisingly beneficial<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">We often need just a hint of anxiety to push us to get our work</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"> done, or to improve our performance. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">A lot of the anxiety that comes from leaving your comfort zone is due to uncomfortable levels of uncertainty. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">Familiarity is comfortable and enjoyable, so it’s no real surprise that new things get our guard up. From an evolutionary perspective, we see familiar things as </span>more likely to be safe<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">, and so we’re more drawn to what we know. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;">Trying new things takes energy, so when we’re feeling tired or flat, we’re more likely to </span>lean on old habits<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"> than take a new risk. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So why leave your comfort zone?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a3333; line-height: 32.5499992370606px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Well, it reminds me of my days playing college basketball. I was the starting point guard, highly recruited and thought I was a star. Every year, there were new recruits who came in, recruits that wanted to have my spot and were willing to put the work in to make it happen. I hated that time. I was the starter, the one the team counted on to make the big plays, the veteran. I didn't need some new Freshman to come in straight from high school and make me look bad, but looking back that was exactly what I needed. I needed someone to come and push me out of my comfort zone. To make me continue to improve my game and prove to myself and my team and my coaches that I was the one for the job. I hated the anxiety I felt at preseason each year, but it made me the player I was. It forced me to not get complacent. The same is true in teaching. We need new people to come in and push us out of our comfort zones. Our students deserve it. So keep pushing. Whether you are the newbie or the veteran, we all need a push sometimes.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-54506990852465493812015-09-03T09:29:00.000-07:002015-09-03T09:29:35.673-07:00Creativity in the ClassroomSir Ken Robinson said that schools are killing creativity. He said, "Creativity is now as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status." He had this TED talk over 10 years ago and we are seeing how important it is still. He talked about how we were preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist. If you would like to view his TED talk it's here <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en">Ken Robinson TED talk</a>. So how do we help or guide students to be more creative? Creativity is a life skill that students will use beyond the classroom, but it's a skill set that's a difficult one for schools to attack. Schools have started looking outside their walls to companies like Google and their idea of 20% time. A 2010 survey by IBM Global fond that creativity is valued as the most important business skill in the modern world. One of the most commonly used terms on LinkedIn year after year is "creative". Creativity is a crucial skill for everyone. So how do we foster creativity and bring more creativity into the classroom? Here are some tips:<br />
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<b>1. Don't box students in with format.</b> Leave assignments open so that students can choose how to the deliver the information.<br />
<b>2. Set aside time for students to be creative</b>. Go to the Learning Commons. Start trying Genius hour. Just give students some unstructured time where they can pursue things they are passionate about.<br />
<b>3. Use tech to enrich your assignments. </b>It's ok to not be a master Tech teacher, but it's not ok to not try. Be open to letting your students show you new tech, ask your tech team, reach out to your PLN.<br />
<b>4. Find out what interests your students.</b> Use social media to your advantage, teach with TED talks, create class Pinterest boards, use Minecraft to teach Texas History.<br />
<b>5. Encourage Collaboration</b>. Get your students communicating and give them opportunities to challenge each other and even you.<br />
<b>6. Make learning relevant to them. </b>What problems do they see around school or their community? How can we work to solve those? When learning is relevant, students are more engaged.<br />
<b>7. Question Everything.</b> Model questioning. Encourage your students to constantly wonder and question and seek answers.<br />
<b>8. Step Aside.</b> This one is tough, but let students really take the wheel and be in control. Things will be fine as long as you know where the destination is that you're going to. The journey is part of the fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-54956730784569532182015-08-18T07:42:00.000-07:002015-08-18T07:42:20.527-07:00How will you set the tone on the first day of school?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/miPYLJI247g/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/miPYLJI247g?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the first day of school I don’t want to do activities. I don’t want to play games. Nor do I want to fake my enthusiasm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the first day of school I don’t want to force student into awkward ice breakers, while they hope the teacher will forget it is their turn next. I will not force them to bare their soul, nor to share their dreams.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the first day of school, we will not have many things planned. We will not spend precious time listening to me drone on. We will not run around hectically trying to figure it all out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead, on the first day of school we will sit quietly and listen to a book read aloud. We will have the time to speak to one another. We will cautiously start to feel each other out, find our friends, glance at the new people.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will ask the questions about school that we have, not because we have to but because we will take the time if needed. Students will set the rules of the classroom, as always, and it will take as much time as it needs.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-b1c1dc33-4140-ca7c-43fa-4d1c050e906a"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.177279846191404; margin-bottom: 23pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333a42; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first day of school is meant to be a great experience, but that does not mean we cram it full of things to do. That doesn't mean that we put on our entertainer hat and try to juggle as many balls as we possibly can. Instead, it means that we take the very first step to get to know these students that have been thrust into our lives. That they take the very first step in trusting us and trusting the community. That can only happen in a genuine way if we take things slow. If we allow time to just be, to just sit, to just talk. So as you plan for the very first day of school, plan for the quiet, for the reflection, for the conversation. Don’t spend so much time planning for all of the things. Because this isn't about how to prove how fun you will be this year, it is about showing the kids that you care.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-66009269063531742462015-05-15T10:45:00.000-07:002015-05-15T10:45:58.528-07:00Thinking DifferentlySo everyone is "Gearing" up for our Engineering Expo that will take place next week, Thursday, May 21st.<br />
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All the teachers K-5 picked a TEK and came up with a Driving question for their classes. They are then letting their students really own their learning by letting them drive where their projects take them. The teachers have the end in mind and the blueprint and are simply navigating so their students stay on the right path. We have all been following this Engineering Design Process: </div>
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I know it's been a shift for many teachers, but everyone has jumped in and it's exciting to walk around the building and hear teachers questioning and sometimes letting students fail, but being right there when they do and brushing them off and getting them back into the game. I'm so proud to be a part of a school where people aren't afraid to take risks and try new things. It's amazing what the kids can do when you give them some space and let them lead the way! </div>
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Here is a cool thing that you might get if you come check us out at the Expo! See you there!<a href="https://vine.co/v/eKtAOhuqwM5">3D printing fun!</a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-64449490322692941572015-04-28T15:54:00.003-07:002015-04-30T06:22:55.826-07:00Teacher as _____________.<a href="http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com/teaching-is-dead-long-live-the-teacher" target="_blank">Teaching is dead, long live the teacher.</a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fN72uM47p-U/VUIsQmQIopI/AAAAAAAADGI/Vxp1LLegrx0/s1600/innovators%2Bmindset.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fN72uM47p-U/VUIsQmQIopI/AAAAAAAADGI/Vxp1LLegrx0/s1600/innovators%2Bmindset.PNG" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
This article was shared with me today after a conversation that I had with a friend about what our role is in education with the way the times are changing. I would add: Teacher as innovator. Teacher as risk taker. Teacher as navigator. Teaching is hard, but if we work smarter not harder then the work will be less. So what would you add to the teacher as__________?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-21728856587914462662015-04-22T08:53:00.000-07:002015-04-22T08:53:17.135-07:00If a tree falls in a forest...So we are all required to blog for the purpose of telling our classroom's story. Well, I understand that if I had a classroom. If I had a classroom then parents could read my blog to see what their child was doing in my class or maybe write about important events or things they need to know. It would be a digital form of communication tthat could be accessed at the click of a link. But I don't have a class or really even a set of students that I regularly see. So, then the story I would share would be more of a personal one, but this is supposed to be a professional blog. <br />
It's kind of like if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, we all would agree that yes it does, but doesn't that question even come up because there is no audience around? Therefore, why is a blog different? I know one would say reflection, but again that's more of a personal piece that many times I would prefer to be kept personal. It's just like our students. Don't we have them create and make projects for a specific audience? Isn't that part of the, "why should I do this" piece? Is some of that lost, if there is no audience, if nobody is actually reading your blog? The jury is still out on this...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-59573679298332492532015-03-24T11:00:00.000-07:002015-03-25T15:01:16.498-07:00Stop. Collaborate. and Listen.Collaboration as defined by Merriam Webster means to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor. I'm all about collaborating. I feel the best ideas come when I'm working in a group and we have a common goal. Why do teachers often work in isolation? So often we make lesson plans by ourselves, come up with our own unit projects alone, and try to find ways to improve our instruction. We forget that there is power in numbers. It is important that we work on developing conversations and networks with colleagues who have similar interests. Through collaboration we grow as educators and we inspire and energize one another. Collaborating improves instruction. That's what we all want, right? To improve our craft?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-81018554952062019302015-02-23T12:52:00.000-08:002015-02-23T12:52:02.061-08:00Camp Engineer It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this week is National Engineering Week and we are gearing up at Christie. We have a variety of activities planned this week. Exposure and simplicity. As we were planning, we realized that the Engineering mindset is embedded in everything we do at Christie. We use the Engineering design process, we have class jobs that are modeled after real Engineering jobs, we do school wide design challenges, we challenge students everyday to think differently and produce not just consume, and we have the Learning Commons where students can create and explore daily. By weaving Engineering into what we do, we are trying to create a culture that supports this mindset. Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking.<br />
We went with a camp theme. Camp Engineer It...where, "If you can imagine it, you can create it." We tied our challenges to 5th Grade camp to make it a more realistic problem. The challenges are very open ended for teachers to modify or adjust depending on the needs of their students. We have connected each Engineering challenge to an Engineering career along with a literature connection. Can't wait to see what our Cubs come up with this week. The week will end with us blasting off water rockets that the students have designed. I'll post pictures later. Be sure to follow <a href="http://twitter.com/ChristieCubs" target="_blank">@ChristieCubs</a> this week and #CubEngineer<br />
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/256694814/Camp-Engineer-It-Jessica-Malloy" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Camp Engineer It (Jessica Malloy) on Scribd">Camp Engineer It (Jessica Malloy)</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_27464" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/256694814/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-21667683046576305782015-02-15T20:05:00.001-08:002015-02-15T20:05:35.719-08:00Moving in the right direction<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had the opportunity to host a group of Librarians and administrators from GCISD in our Learning Commons this week. I was super excited to have <a href="https://twitter.com/tinaberumen" target="_blank">@tinaberumen</a> visit, whom I respect and believe that she is one of those people who "get" the Maker Space movement in Libraries. It was the first time we had a real expert come to our space. We have had lots of librarians come and visit, talk to us about our vision and ideas, but all were at the same stage in their MakerSpace transition - the planning phase. I didn’t feel the nerves or anxiousness before, but I definitely felt added pressure this time. I couldn’t confidently predict how the visit would go. Would they love our vision or would they think we weren't on the right track? My principal, <a href="https://twitter.com/R_H_Steele" target="_blank">@R_H_Steele</a> has really let my vision guide the way. Mr. Steele has continued to push ahead even when most principals, much less first year principals, would have put their hands in the air and said, it's just too hard or it's not worth it! I've seen firsthand the resistance to change and the repetitious, antiquated ways of public education and how hard it is to push a system out of its comfort zone. I have come to respect those trailblazers that have refused to give up, that have continued to move forward, even when doors were seemingly slammed in their faces. So finally seeing our library transition to the space that I had envisioned has been somewhat of a professional dream. Something that I don't take lightly, that I feel very grateful for having taken a part in. So with that, I feel responsible for our new Learning Commons success or failure. I feel a large amount of responsibility to create a space that magnifies our motto: If you can imagine it, you can create it. While at the same time, fostering those 4 C's: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking but not losing sight of the Standards. A very daunting task and one that I often find myself waking up in the middle of the night adding to my list of things needed to be completed or ideas to incorporate. So this project of transitioning the Library to the Learning Commons has been a very personal one, but one that I haven't done for myself or my own gratification, but because I want it for our kids. I want Christie Elementary to be the very best because we have the very best teachers that work tirelessly day in and day out. I want it for every one of them because they are the ones who the space will belong to. I'm simply creating the environment and learning labs. They will be the ones that take this vision and really make it soar. So that's why this visit was really important to me. I felt it was our first true test. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s actually hard to explain our space because I feel like it’s not like any other. It’s called a Learning Commons but it’s actually much more than that. It’s almost a Hybrid of a Learning Commons coupled with a Discovery Center with a Maker Space addition. Complicated right? That’s why we always invite visitors to come see it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The visit started like any other, with Mr. Steele greeting the visitors and introducing me. That's where it always gets interesting because as they always just assume that I'm the librarian. It makes sense. The person who has had a big part in transitioning the space and setting it up should probably be the person housed in the space right? Well...not in this case! Following introductions, I explain that I'm the Science/STEM coach and really confuse them. I think that our space is unique in so many ways, and one of the biggest ways has been my role. I look at our Learning Commons transition through a Science/Engineering lens. I also, make sure that all visitors meet our resident, Maker Man who doubles as our CTA, <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_svatek" target="_blank">@mike_svatek</a>. He wears many hats and has had a we make our way to the Learning Commons. They loved it. Once you enter those doors, we want you to be tran<a href="https://twitter.com/tinaberumen" target="_blank">@tinaberumen</a> and the new members of my PLN who had great perspectives, <a href="https://twitter.com/tonablizzard" target="_blank">@tonablizzard</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ajkeller1" target="_blank">@ajkeller1</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/osunewell" target="_blank">@osunewell</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/KJlibrarian" target="_blank">@KJlibrarian</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jparker6" target="_blank">@jparker6</a> noticed and noted every detail, took lots of pictures, and even asked me to share ideas. It showed me the power of my PLN. It was truly amazing to meet face to face. A success! This was more than a visit to show off the space but a validation that we are moving in the right direction at Christie Elementary. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-79579058807598875982015-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:002015-02-11T18:46:30.683-08:00That's the Learning Commons<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;">Our school is identified as a bilingual campus with a diverse student population, more than 60% of whom are </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;"><span style="background-color: white;">considered at-risk. Many of our students and their families tend to have a high rate of mobility, causing them t</span><span style="background-color: white;">o exhibit gaps in either background knowledge and/or academic achievement. Generally speaking, our students struggle with content knowledge and are further hindered by a lack of experience in proble</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;">m-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;">solving and critical thinking. During his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama called attention to the dwindling pool of future U.S. innovators and emphasized the importance of young Americans entering careers in Science, Technology, Engineering,Arts or Math (STEAM). Industry groups are also calling on schools to graduate more engineers while fostering educators with innovation-based skills to help the future workforce qualify for the Science, Technology, and Math fields that are projected to grow in the coming years. </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.0000019073486px;">According to a 2012 Lemelson-MIT invention index, this polled 16-25 year-olds around the U.S. and asked them what could be done differently in schools. 54% said including invention projects during school or a field trip would help. 52% said they wanted a place to develop an invention in school. 80% said they would be interested in courses that would help them develop innovative spirit and creativity and another 45% said that invention was not given enough attention in school. That’s where the Learning Commons comes in. It will immerse students in STEAM related activities that promote creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Learning spaces need to reflect the way that students learn today and that's what the Learning Commons does. It's an environment rich in evocative objects that will trigger active learning by letting students pick what to engage with. Children of all ages and levels need places where they can learn by touching, manipulating, and making things with their hands. That's the Learning Commons.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;">"Education must shift from instruction to discovery...to probing and </span>exploration.<span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;">" This quote from Marshall McLuhan explains the way our Learning Commons works. Our students learn best through independent discovery and creating things themselves. Giving students opportunities to make and create will transform them from consumers into makers and will foster their sense of creativity and wonder. By providing these experiences to our students, we can prepare them to be the engineers, inventors, and scientists of the 21st Century. We are closing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their peers by providing them with the same opportunities. The Learning Commons will immerse students in those STEAM skills.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;">School libraries are no longer the hushed, vaults of books that we remember. They are now active, </span>bustling<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> environments where collaboration and learning are on-going. Encouraging our students to embrace their </span>creativity, to<span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span style="background-color: white;"> collaborate, and to think critically about real world problems is a huge part of our Learning Commons mission. The Learning Commons promotes learning through play utilizing </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">standards-based<span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> activities and has the potential to demystify science, math, technology, and engineering. When students are engaged in a playful space, that student will learn more easily. Creating playful information-based spaces allows the learner to explore and engage with content on the learner’s terms instead of on the teacher's terms. </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica; font-size: 11px;">On the learner's terms, that's what the Learning Commons is really all about...the learner.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-57545355300693616482015-01-06T09:42:00.001-08:002015-01-06T09:43:28.858-08:00Catapult Design ChallengeSo we ended our semester with another School wide Design Challenge. This time we focused on catapults by looking at the history of catapults and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math behind them as well. <br />
Science: forces, simple machines, energy transfer<br />
Technology: using what we know about forces, simple machines and energy to build and design a tool that meets the challenge<br />
Engineering: design, build, and test your ideas<br />
Math: measurement, averages, accuracy<br />
The students were fully engaged in this challenge. They made their lists and checked them twice of what materials they would use and went through the Engineering Design Process like pros! It was truly amazing to see. Some classes even implemented a budget where students had to pay for their materials and stay within a certain amount or other constraints. Some of our blueprints and designs are displayed in our Inventor's Exhibit in the Learning Commons! The levels of engagement were truly awesome. Can't wait to launch into the new year with a new challenge!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-50323877131305415872014-12-12T13:52:00.000-08:002014-12-12T13:52:08.331-08:00Hour of Code week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week has been exhausting, but so worth it. The way things work at Christie is that we come up with an idea and then we try to see just how big we can make that idea. We've experienced many successes and failures from taking this approach, but that's never stopped us from trying. This week was no different. We signed up to host an Hour of Code event, but instead of simply hosting an hour, we wanted to create a week long experience for our students. We wanted to completely immerse them in code. We planned activities for everyday from unplugged activities that required no technology, to rotating every student and classroom through stations in the Learning Commons, to video conferences with experts, and even opening up our classrooms to other classrooms across the district! The students were using vocabulary that was completely new and actually understanding how the coding activities they were doing could eventually lead to the creation of video games, apps, or whatever they could dream of! Teachers even jumped outside of their comfort zones and tried activities also. It was an awesome sight to see. It all ended with a Community Coding event right here at Christie. We invited parents, administrators from the district, community members, and anyone else who wanted to come try coding with us. We set up ipads, chrome books, laptops and any other device students brought and devoted an entire uninterrupted hour to coding. The engagement was astounding. Kindergartners all the way up to adults were coding and having a great time doing it! Never would I have imagined the number of people who would show up to code! Everyone loved it. I'm still kind of in shock at the turnout. I guess it just goes to show you what can happen when kids are excited about their learning and go home and tell their parents about it. I can't wait until next year!What crazy idea will we think of next? Stay tuned...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-20210518433040702272014-12-04T00:34:00.000-08:002014-12-04T00:34:20.146-08:00Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas TreeSo today I found a pattern and instructions for building a Christmas Tree out of cardboard using our Makedo parts. I enlisted the help of our resident Maker Man and the project began to take shape. We had some student help and they loved using the connectors and tools to connect the cardboard pieces and watch simple boxes transformed into something like a Christmas tree!<br />
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As I reflected on this project, I decided that maybe I was going about things all wrong in the Learning Commons. I've created many open-ended learning labs in the Learning Commons. These open-ended labs were created to not limit student creativity but simply give them a starting point. As we finished the tree it hit me. Could we have come into the LC and walked to the MakerSpace and read a project card that simply said..."Make a tree out of cardboard"? Possibly, but don't we all like to start with some sort of plan? A picture, written instructions, something? By making learning labs too open-ended have I actually inhibited creativity? Could I give students instruction manuals for building and creating as a starting point and then as they get more comfortable let them own their learning and dive in deeper by veering off the manual and improving and redesigning? Time to reevaluate. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587502224289233249.post-43649525060197949052014-11-13T08:46:00.001-08:002014-11-13T08:46:14.095-08:00Learning Commons almost complete!We have been working hard to get things finished in the Learning Commons. I love seeing people come down to see what's new each day. So excited to have the space completely finished so that way it can be utilized to it's full potential. It's crazy to think that this idea that once seemed like something that couldn't be done, is now almost complete. I'm not finished though...now the real fun starts! Things to come: techshops, maker workshops, iGurus, Maker badges, STEAM clubs, lego leagues, K'Nex Clubs, Architecture and Design Challenges, STEAM role model workshops, and the list goes on and on! Stay tuned to see what we have up our sleeve next! Click on the link below to take a virtual tour!<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/lEUuBP" target="_blank">goo.gl/IEUuBP</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17061822972217808515noreply@blogger.com1