Learning Commons

Christie Elementary is taking a big leap forward in the area of innovation and hands-on learning. As a Title I school, we have many challenges - That said, we believe every child can and will learn, be successful, and leave with a foundation for a future of excellence. One core belief we hold dear is that students need to learn how to think, create, and apply. By implementing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) educational practices in all classrooms last year, we took one step towards this belief. Our next step is to build a specific environment that fosters this core belief, and for us, that will be our Learning Commons. By repurposing the existing space in our library, we created a large area for our Learning Commons. This area will house eight different learning labs where students will use creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

Lab One: Maker Space/Reverse Engineering – This lab fosters play and exploration through hands on tinkering and creation. Students will take things apart, learn how they work, and create new devices or objects based on their interests.

Lab Two: Little Bits - Little Bits is an open source library of electronic modules that snap together with magnets for prototyping, learning, and fun. In essence, students will generate robotic type creations in order to learn and create new objects in a collaborative atmosphere.

Lab Three: iPads and Tangible Play – An iPad tech bar in an elementary school? Of course! With all the new aps and programs available to students, having the technology to implement these programs is a must-have.

Lab Four: Hexbugs – Cleverly designed tiny toy robots. Students can create and build all kinds of obstacles, mazes, and challenges for these tiny robots.

Lab Five: Lego Robotics – It’s one thing to build things with Legos, it’s another to add robotics. The sky is the limit with Legos and students working together to engineer and design new creations and inventions.

Lab Six: Scratch Coding –MIT students have created a computer coding program that enables students to write and create their own computer programs.

Lab Seven: iMovie Studio – Students will work together to create videos such as book trailers, puppet shows, morning news stories, and much with the use of cameras and software.

Lab Eight: Cardboard Creation Station – It’s amazing what kids can do with cardboard, tape, scissors, and their ideas. At Christie, kids have created arcade games, desktop golf courses, and much more.

Other ideas include: Christie Question Board, Research Lab, Drama Area for Puppet Shows, and a Makey Makey lab -

Blogs in Education

Here is a great link to an article about the use of blogs in education - http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html

Leaders are Agents of Change

Lorraine sent this great post my way, wanted to share -

http://jimmycasas.blogspot.com/2014/05/leaders-are-agents-of-change.html?m=1

13 Must Follows on Twitter

For those on Twitter, and those who need to get on...

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/09/23/13-twitter-chats-for-educators.aspx

Why STEM?

From Changetheequation.org Why STEM?

STEM is the future. STEM learning is an economic imperative. Experts say that technological innovation accounted for almost half of U.S. economic growth over the past 50 years, and almost all of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the next decade will require at least some background in STEM. Yet as many STEMtisticsSM show, our country is falling behind in science, technology, engineering and mathematics:

•In 2009, just 34 percent of U.S. 8th graders were rated proficient or higher in a national math assessment, and more than one in four scored below the basic level.

•In an international exam given to 15 year olds in 2009, U.S. high school students ranked significantly behind 12 industrialized nations in science and 17 in math. Students in only 4 industrialized nations scored lower in math.

•Only 45 percent of U.S. high school graduates in 2011 were ready for college work in math and 30 percent were ready in science. (Data sources)

For more, research and data that guides the STEM conversation, check STEMtisticsSM. STEM literacy has a profound and growing impact on our day-to-day lives. It helps us make critical decisions about our health care, our finances and our retirement. It illuminates the ever more complex issues that govern the future of our democracy, and it reveals to us the beauty and power of the world we inhabit. A literate nation not only reads. It computes, investigates and innovates.

Power-Point On The Texas STaR Chart

How To Be A STaR In Texas

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Thought on Educator Preperation and Instruction

When it comes to the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology the biggest red flag that jumps out at me lies in the area of "Educator Preparation and Instruction." When talking to teachers, the largest complaint I hear is that they have not received enough to be able to fully utilize the technology they have been given. Each year new technology is provided, software is developed and installed, and yet there are teachers using the same transparencies they used ten years ago.
Nationally schools are pushing towards a more technology based curriculum. Laws have been passed and technology proficiency is an expectation that the government has placed on schools. Our district and state does its best to offer technology training to all teachers, however, there are still those who struggle with the use of many of the tools they have been given. Each campus has a CTA, or technology specialist, who is always available for help, as well as to offer tutorials whenever needed, yet there never seems to be enough time to learn.
If we are ever going to improve in the area of technology understanding I recommend we allow more time for professional trainings to learn how to utilize our schools' technology. We have made great progress in the area of technology use; teachers are now using ELMO projectors and wireless projection screens to provide instruction. However, there is room for improvement; students needs greater access to computers, and teachers need a curriculum that is 21st Century based in nature.