Day 175 Toy Dissection Workshop- An E-Workshop Presented by ScienceNorth

A month ago a student came to the library here at Portageview Public School, looking for information about a specific rock as she was gathering research for an inquiry in grade four on Rocks and Minerals.    

Together we composed a tweet and sent an email to Science North/ Dynamic Earth in Sudbury.  

A quick reply was received.  The response from Science North led me to wonder if they would be interested in connecting with the students at Portage View to discuss and answer additional questions about rocks and minerals. Through email, they explained that they didn’t yet have an e-workshop for rocks and minerals but that they did have one for Gears and Pulleys. A phone call was set up between the two grade four teachers at our school and Melanie Smith a scientist from Science North to discuss this opportunity.  

Through this communication, we learned that the Gears and Pulleys workshop not only was available but was also free at this time as it was being subsidized.  We were very excited to hear about this program and set in motion the steps necessary to take part in this program.  A date was arranged, materials were sent and arrived from Science North and a check to ensure that the online conferencing we would use for our meeting (Zoom) would work.  We were now ready to go!

In April, the grade four students arrived in the library with their ipads ready to take part in this online workshop.  Scientist Melanie from Science North facilitated the program from her office in Sudbury.  

The grade four students used ipads throughout the workshop to document their learning and then used Book Creator to create a finished product to share their learning.  We have been asked to share some of these with Science North.  

Below is a video of one of the recounts created by a group of students:

This experience was an excellent opportunity for the students at Portage View to participate in hands-on learning, connect with a real scientist and ask questions to an expert in the field!

submitted by Jacquie Raycraft, Teacher Librarian

Day 169 - The Little Inquiry That Could!

Next week is June first. I can't believe it, but it is that time of year. June is a time for endings and beginnings, grief and excitement. For me, it is a time of reflection. A time to look back at the work we have done and the impact it has had. 

This year, nothing has given me more gratification than the transforming learning spaces inquiry. It has been a privilege to work with incredible educators who have pushed themselves out of their comfort zones to meet the learning needs of their students. This was a true inquiry, we didn't really know how it was going to go. We certainly had no idea the spread it would have. We started with a small group of teachers and it organically grew to touch schools in all areas of our Board. It has become a constant conversation and starting point for many other inquiries. Educators are seeing the connections between transforming their spaces and it's connection to STEAM, Inquiry and play based learning. When space is transformed so is the learning. We have heard from students and staff that changing the space has created an environment that has allowed students to make decisions. They need to think about the working space that works best for them. 
Moving to community space rather than individually held real estate has fostered collaboration, a sense of team and empathy.

Mrs. Sweeney's Door!

We are also seeing that having a variety of spaces is having an impact on movement. Students are moving and being active in their learning significantly more than they were with traditional desks and chairs. We know this is important, "Amazingly, the part of the brain that processes movement is the same part of the brain that processes learning" (Jensen, 2005) For more information on the movement/brain connection, check out this link; Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen. We are seeing students who are now motivated to come to school and engage in learning in ways they never have before. 

We have learned a great deal about the importance of physical space on student learning over the last few months but this is just the beginning. We are encouraged by what we are hearing from the participants of this inquiry. We have also been inspired by spaces in Private Industry. Tyger Shark digital media welcomed us into their thoughtfully considered space in downtown Barrie. They have designed their space to foster creativity and collaboration. Between their space and their message of, "we need people who are hungry to constantly learn" we felt inspired and affirmed in our work. 

This work is challenging and there are often more questions than answers but when I walk into a transformed space and feel the learning, I know it is worth it. 

This year, I feel like June is only a launching pad for the incredible learning and work to come. The little inquiry that could is no longer little and it will only continue to gain momentum. I couldn't be more proud to part of this team that is changing learning environments for the better.

Day 46- Coding and Simple Circuits Come Alive Through the Arts

Join us throughout the day today at Nottawa Public School as we explore artbots, coding Spheros to complete tasks and collaborative art pieces...and a whole lot of STEAM fun with grades 1 -6!

Block 1 : Artbots- Gr.4/5/6 - 50+students 

With a quick lesson on simple circuits, and a reminder about forces causing movement, these Grade 4,5&6's were ready to rock and roll with their artbot prototypes. Iteration was key and embraced whole-heartedly as they worked through the design cycle / creative process to solve problems and step up to their challenge.

The challenge:

I find it essential to not show a prototype or exemplar of what an artbot could look like. We're not looking for replication, but rather inspiring creativity and innovation by presenting a challenge and the tools required to create it. It never ceases to amaze me how different each and every artbot can be when left to the creative genius of the group. Cue #theartoflettinggo

Some vibrate, some squirm, some spin...but they all dance and make their mark on the world. It is a great reminder for students that we can all be so different, yet accomplish tasks in our own way and leave a positive and unique mark on the world...just like our artbots. Teachable moments make the most of any design challenge as students are directed to think and extend upon their own schema in math, science, technology, engineering and the arts.

What's an artbot without a dance battle? #bettertogether has never been truer!

After prototyping, students were invited to create a collaborative art piece, contemplating the concepts of colour, balance and line while composing the collective piece. A masterpiece was born!

Block 2: Coding Spheros with the 'Tickle' App- Grade 3&4

If you're going to learn to code, let's add some movement! None of these kids had coded before, but before long they were coding like pros and make their Sphero's perform planned tasks! These kids were fully engaged in learning how to use the technology as a tool and not just a toy...although that doesn't mean that a whole lot of fun wasn't to be had as well!

What we did:

Step 1- visual intro to scratch/blockly style coding ( it's just like Lego!)

Step 2- mini lessons on degrees and speed vs. time variables

Step 3- Code the teacher! Be silly and have them recognize how precise commands need to be to execute a simple task, like walking a straight line 90 degrees to your right that is 5 meters long.

Step 4- predict what some sample lines of code will allow their Spheros to do by 'acting it out'. It's a drama technique, a math strategy, a kinesthetic learning technique and yep...a STEAM strategy too.

Can you act out this code? Try it! A lot of body awareness and geometry was happening to determine that this code makes a square.

Step 6: Code your sphero to follow a line or shape in the tile on the floor! How fun! And all in 50mins ;)

Block 3: Jackson Pollock inspired art created by coding Spheros to colour mix- Grade 1/2

This may have been the highlight of my day. I'll be honest with you, I have grandiose ideas at times and tend to trust that something amazing will happen...even and especially if it doesn't all go according to plan. But a plan I had. Where it goes is up to the students... and that is always the best part of the adventure!

Grade 1's, non readers, never coded before, paint, end of the day and robots. What could be more exciting to take a leap of faith into!!!

What we did:

1. Leaving our mark: write your name and draw a picture that represents who you are anywhere on the paper with markers- 5mins.

2. Learn to code- act it out. 

The pinnacle highlight of my day was when a little girl who recognized me from when I had worked with her in summer school this past summer (great difficulty with reading, writing and paper/pencil tasks in general), explained that if we had to code our teacher to walk a square, 'they need to take 4 steps because the other side was 4 steps and all the sides of a square have to be the same number of steps". I almost cried. Amazing right! If we hadn't given that child the opportunity to express their mathematical learning in a different way, we would never have known how much they really knew and understood. Yay for movement integration in all that we do!

3. Use the Tickle app code template and change the variables of time or speed or rotation to change the trajectory of your sphero.

Next...add paint of course!

I must thank my husband for suggesting the garden hose as a sphero fence...brilliant! And a BIG thanks to Chris Gilewicz for picking up a drop sheet and dropping in to play with us at Nottawa this afternoon!

As I sit here wrapping up this blog and tidying up for home this evening, I can hear the kids in YMCA homeport showing their parents the art that they made today just down the hall. I'm pretty sure mini motors and Spheros are on a few Christmas wish lists in Nottawa this year. ;)

Day 31: STEAM Acronym Conversations I've Had Lately

This year, every school in our board will be participating in an inquiry to explore STEAM education. Two weeks ago we launched this initiative with a kick-off event for secondary teachers at the Education Centre.

STEAM is part of my job title; it is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. We anticipated some uncertainty about what this would look like in schools, particularly in secondary schools where we naturally separate the subjects into different rooms, hallways, or wings of our school buildings. I am proud that this acronym is part of my title, though I might add that I've had my fill of STEAM puns and jokes for the time being. (These include, but are not limited to 'STEAM rooms,' 'getting STEAMy,' references to trains and conductor's hats, and the use of phrases like 'full STEAM ahead!'...I'm sure you get the idea.) 

I have had many conversations with teachers in the two weeks since the secondary STEAM launch. There are lots of great ideas brewing as school teams decide what direction their projects will take. Interestingly, many of my conversations with teachers have touched on the acronym itself. Months ago, when the idea to focus on STEAM was ‘born’ at the SCDSB, we were aware that the acronym might be met with some raised eyebrows. It turns out we were right!

Acronym Conversations, Type 1: “Where’s my letter?”

• Can I ‘do STEAM’ if I am a History teacher?
• I don’t teach Science and I’m not comfortable with Math. I don’t see myself in this.
• I teach a Foods class and would like to incorporate some Science and Geography. Does this count?

It is obvious from these conversations that the STEAM acronym understates the scope of this work. Focusing on the letters puts us at rick of limiting our thinking. It leaves out the ‘H’ from History, the ‘C’ from Civics, and the ‘G’ from Geography. Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, Business, Modern Languages, are also missing (I'm sure you'll let me know if I have missed 'your' letter). Imagine the possibilities if we bring in other subjects: SHAM, SASS, GAME, CHAT, CHEATS, BEACH, CHASM, GAMES…

I can picture students creating wearable electronics in fashion class, advocating for community needs through kinetic art projects created using found materials, or partnering with schools across the world to learn about the impact of water pollution on health and well-being. I want everyone to hear, loud and clear, that this project can include your letter, even if it's not one of the letters in the slide deck.

Acronym Conversations, Type 2: “There are too many letters!”

• I already do STEM really well. Do I need Art?
• I can imagine bringing some Art into my Math class, but Science too?!?
• I’m a Tech teacher. I think I do these things already, just not all at once.

It is clear to me that the other problem with the acronym is that it may imply that the removal of a letter diminishes the value of subject integration, suggesting that STEM, MAST, SEAM, TEAS, SEM, MST, TEM, ST, SM, MT, ET, ES, and EM, when done well, are less valuable than STEAM.

Unless subject-specific departments and course codes disappear from secondary school it will be difficult for most teachers to engage in '5-letter STEAM' in a rich way. In our team’s view, every time we purposefully integrate skills and knowledge from more than one discipline into our teaching, we are bringing STEAM education to our students. Teachers who are helping students make these transdisciplinary connections are doing a great job being STEAMy! In this case, the upcoming inquiries may be an opportunity for these teachers to share their good practice within or among schools, or may allow them to meet with like-minded teachers to explore a particular area of interest such as assessment.

So what?

In giving this initiative a name we certainly did not intend to strictly define – or limit – its boundaries. I hope that teachers will be able to look beyond the acronym and see two things: that STEAM already lives in their schools, and that the possibilities for this project are endless.

The word STEAM has become a word that encompasses everything we love about student-driven, inquiry-based learning that integrates a variety of skills and concepts from across our curriculum. As one colleague correctly stated, we could just call it ‘SCHOOL!’ 

Day 20 - Popsicle Stick Autonomous Robot (Technological Education)

Computer Engineering - The Popsicle Stick Robot

Nathan Fisher, Bradford District High School

     Often when thinking about trying a robotics project the main factor of intimidation preventing people from getting started is how to create a robotic chassis to hold all of the electronics, sensors and motors that make a robot function.  A metal platform requires machining and metalworking tools, plywood and wooden platforms still work best with access to a shop to create custom cuts and wood materials can still be cost prohibitive for an initial learning experience in a classroom.  That's why I decided to link craft stick crafting and robotics together.  All that is required to shape the structure is a pair of snips to cut the craft sticks and hot glue to reliably assemble the robotic platform.  It is a low-cost and highly creative 'canvas' for robotics solutions.

     Below is a final result of one of the craft stick robots working autonomously.  It encounters obstacles with the bumper sensors.  Depending which bumper circuit was completed, it will turn away from the obstacle it encountered.

Design Process

*Image from: Ontario Technological Education Curriculum 2009 , Page 23

     The creative design process is an integral part of Technological Education.  Creativity, design and innovation are all built into each and every technology course offered in SCDSB. As a teacher, it is a learning experience each and every time a project is assigned since every student can have a different take on how to accomplish the same task.  When we analyse the final design effectiveness, there is never one 100% perfect solution and all solutions have some merit which is very rewarding for students to see.  Creating a project is about maximizing merits while minimizing demerits of design concepts to create the most effective solution for a particular problem.  Different problems benefit from different design concepts being emphasized.

For this project there are 4 specific areas emphasized in the creative design process.

• Robotic platform design
• Bumper Sensor
• Bumper System
• Autonomous Algorithm

Students had to design a bumper mechanism using salvaged supplies that that would connect a circuit when an object is encountered. The main problem to overcome is getting the connection to break again after the bumper is hit.  One solution was to cut a spring from a dried out/broken pen or mechanical pencil. Another solution was to use foam that would expand again after the the circuit bumper was placed.  Finding out whether a bumper was fully functional on a wide range of obstacles took a lot of of testing and adjusting.  If a bumper was hit a certain way it wouldn't trigger, requiring the spring or contact to be adjusted.

Bumper sensor pictured on left.

     The design of the bumper system was another challenge for students.  Functional requirements of the bumper system required it to be held in place and be able to slide back and forth with a low amount of friction while having a wide range of contact to prevent the robot from getting stuck.

Bumper system pictured on right.

The final stage of building the robot is to program the micro controller which controls the input and output.  It is was set to constantly read the bumper switches, and adjust direction away from the object it encountered.

PicAxe microcontroller system pictured on left.

The Learning Experience

     As with all Technological Education classes there is valuable learning for both the teacher and the student. Trying out new projects that will be approached with new ideas or students having innovative takes on old projects that have not been seen before.  The number of potential solutions is near limitless, and we need to enable students' creative problem solving processes by giving them manipulative and constructive opportunities to solve authentic problems.  This is what technological education is. Thus the importance of Technological Education as a physical and practical learning experience for all students from K-12 is clear. And the opportunity to share this experience with students as a Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Robotics teacher is extremely enlightening and rewarding.

Day 19: Coding and Holograms at Tosorontio

'Mr.Mac's' Grade 5/6 class was ready and raring to go this morning. I've never seen a more enthusiastic class first thing in the morning! Spheros and Ollies were awaiting some coding.

As a die hard Hour of Code class, they only needed a brief introduction to the 'Tickle' app and they were off. 

The Challenge: Code your robot to drive the taped line on the floor.

A variety of lines from a simple straight line (not so simple!) to squares, triangles and irregular polygons were pre taped to the classroom floor so that students had choice through parallel tasks. After successfully completing one line design, students were encouraged to tape their own design. 

The perseverance that they exhibited was note worthy, in that students did not just hop around from task to task when they were 'close enough', but stayed with a task and completed countless iterations to keep making it more and more precise. Amazing!!! The inherent problem solving and collaboration strategies involved in coding the bots to execute a specific task, was a joy to observe. Below, a group of girls debates angles and rotation direction, speed and time, in order to code the turn of a corner.

As Mr. MacAlpine and I were chatting about consolidation strategies, we self reflected on the task itself and discussed how even more powerful this activity could be if the students used the iPads (which they were using anyway) to take screen shots, videos and pictures all along the way to document their learning journey. They could then use an app like Adobe Voice to 'journal' about their task and post to a class or personal blog! I love the ideas that evolve out of self-reflective discussions amongst educators as to "how else could we do this?". Such powerful new learning almost always ensues! 

Deb Shackell came by to help our class code today and started brainstorming ideas on how to use Sphero in phys-Ed...Amazing & coming to a gym near you soon!

The next picture beautifully illustrates how learning never stops...EVERY student put up their hand when asked by Mr.Mac if they were going to ask for a Sphero for Christmas ;)

Next stop... grade 7/8!

Do holograms exist? Are they only "movie magic"? This class isn't quite sure, but they're willing to give it a try! Find the full slide deck for this activity @ bit.ly/STEAMholograms

First steps, create a net for a frustum with given dimensions for the trapezoid faces. (Thanks to Jay Speijer for teaching me that math lingo!) Tough! 

Mrs. Hodgin's class showed perseverance and learned that the sharing of good ideas is always better. Some people had a hard time with people 'stealing their ideas', but were soon turned around when I reminded them that, 'if your idea is good enough that someone else wants to use it...then that's a compliment. It means that they think it's awesome!'

It was also great to see the support of the school admin, as the VP and principal both came to share in the learning with us.

Next steps after lunch and recess... Turning the nets into acetate 3D figures...and making holograms!

Stay tuned!!!

After a whirlwind of trial and error we tested our devices to many ooo's and aaaahhh's. A dark space was required so we all piled into the boys changeroom and turned out the lights. Don't tell the principal ;)

3:20 came far too soon! We consolidated our learning and ended the day with more questions. Would other shapes work? Other sizes? Can we get it to stand up by itself? Is there something special about the video or can we make our own?

Needless to say, The kids are excited to try and make their own hologram videos using the 'explain everything' app tomorrow. Maybe we'll throw in some green screening or glow in the dark objects. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Thank you to Tosorontio School today, who were all so welcoming in letting me come and play with them today!

Jamila Monahan

Day 15: The Hologram Story

I work with a phenomenal team of people. We don't always see a great deal of each other throughout the week as we pop in and out of the office on our way to and from schools across the county. One way we keep in touch is through Twitter. (You can see what our entire team has been tweeting by checking out Pat Miller's list here: https://twitter.com/pmillerscdsb/lists/pit-2015-16).

Tuesday evening, I saw this tweet:

Turn your Smartphone into a 3D Hologram | 4K @szwildcat guess what we're making tomorrow! #steam @scdsbmath https://t.co/qYdZwhlGbq

— SCDSB Arts (@jamilamonahan) September 22, 2015

Turn your Smartphone into a 3D hologram? Let's just say this: if you want to do an 'upcycling' project to create a device that turns iPads and smartphones into hologram viewers, you don't need to twist any arms in our department. Those of us who were going to be in the office Wednesday morning offered to bring supplies, and we were off and running.

In the morning we got down to business, creating templates for our CD case pieces on millimetre graph paper, carefully cutting out plastic pieces with utility knives, and trying out different types of glue to see what would best hold our device together. In true PIT fashion, we streamed the whole process on Periscope and viewers from all over the world checked in to see what we were making.

In the end? It worked. (It's really neat; you should try it.) But what happened next was what made this more than just an impromptu craft activity. We tried to improve upon our original design. We built a couple of larger templates. We talked about other materials we could use. We shared our project with nearby colleagues inside and outside the department. We discussed all of the curriculum connections (math, science, art, etc.) that this activity could support. We discussed classroom safety concerns and modifications for different age groups.

Do you think we'd allow our learning to stop there? Of course not! Later that day when we went home we shared the hologram devices with our families and continued to create bigger, better, and different devices. I made one out of an acetate sheet. My husband used my model to create a template for making more, and proceeded to use this as an activity with his math class on Thursday.

Made a template to create a hologram using acetate instead of CD cases. Works! http://t.co/3D62hDf7br pic.twitter.com/uFibcPd0Be

— Amy Szerminska (@szwildcat) September 23, 2015

All of us shared our learning with our families and let our own children check out the holograms. They were a big hit. Lisa Boate used her dog's e-collar to build a larger hologram device that she took to a school with her the following day to share with a students. Their reaction sums up the way we all felt about our first glimpse of one of these holograms:

@pmillerscdsb @SCDSB_Arts @szwildcat @mapleviewheights students amazed by holograms! #sofun #STEAM #SCDSB_Schools pic.twitter.com/9NRb2XCGv0

— SCDSB Math (@scdsbmath) September 24, 2015

Jamila recognized the power of the hologram activity to inspire. I am grateful to her for running with this inspiration and I know that all the thanks she really needs is to see the ripple effect it created.

Sometimes it is OK to drop everything for the sake of making something beautiful. (As long as you have the appropriate safety equipment, of course!)

Day 13: Library Evolution

Today I had the privilege of visiting the library at Baxter Central Public School. Last spring I had corresponded with the librarian, Andrew Morrison, about transforming part of his library into a 'Makerspace.' 

Makerspace has become a bit of a buzzword in the last couple of years; many people are curious about them and wondering how they can create one in their school. Our teacher librarians have a key role to play in this venture as we see many 'learning commons' being transformed into multi-purpose spaces, and Melissa Jensen has been doing a phenomenal job sharing her expertise with all of our librarians as they consider their changing roles in our schools. The arrival of the green screens in schools last autumn was probably one of the first indications that our libraries were becoming key locations for students to engage in hands-on creation.

After our short exchanges in the spring, I was thrilled to hear that Andrew had decided to dive into the murky waters of Makerspaces head-first this fall. The list of opportunities that students are being offered in the library at Baxter Central is extensive:

• 2 puppetry / stop motion lego stations with green backdrops
• Electricity Snap Circuitry station
• Builder Station (variety of building supplies with principles about structures and design)
• Junior Coding Station with CanaryMod / Minecraft on four tablets, also serves as GAFE station
• Junior/Intermediate Coding Station with two Raspberry Pi devices
• Examination Station with microscopes, magnifying glasses, and various items
• Inventor's Booth with materials and guidelines on invention process (taken from Quirky.com)
• Deconstruction station where there are a variety of devices that the students can take apart.  Using a camera, they'll take pictures as they take items apart to document their findings.

Upon my arrival in the building this afternoon, I announced to the office staff that my destination was the library. I was immediately told that the library was 'the place to be' and that it was fast becoming students' favourite place to spend time. 

When I arrived in the library, it was buzzing with activity. The makerspace area was jam-packed with students working on a variety of projects. Students were disassembling coffee makers and computers, experimenting with a sonic motion sensor, analyzing body organs taken from plastic models, working on plans for inventions, creating green screen stop-motion videos with LEGO minifigures, and observing slides under a microscope. Sound like chaos? It was. The room was electric. Students were engaged, and reluctant to leave their projects when lunch time arrived.

 

After lunch I had the pleasure of sticking around to observe a grade 2 class experiment with a Roominate set. (You'll notice it's branded for girls, but any girl knows that branding shouldn't be a limitation for creativity...right, LEGO?) With no instructions students built buildings and furniture and figures out how to create circuits including lights, switches and motors. Students shared their newfound knowledge with their peers, saying things like 'You need to switch the wires so that red goes with red.' and 'If you add a button then you can switch the light on and off; let me show you!' Their enthusiasm was fabulous and it was a delightful way to end my first visit.

Andrew is calling his Makerspace the 'STEAM Room.' Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math were all happening in the STEAM room, but, more importantly, the essence of a STEAM program was alive in that room. Students were collaborating, making decisions, performing research, communicating with peers and with a wider audience, asking deep questions about their tasks, and engaged in authentic tasks. All of this with minimal guidance. Baxter Central is proof that, with appropriate provocations, students will create their own learning opportunities that are guaranteed to produce deep understanding of the world around them.

If you're thinking about STEAMing up your library or classroom, keep your eyes open for our STEAM inquiry. Every SCDSB school will have a chance to participate in this learning opportunity, and we can't wait to see how it will transform your buildings.

So, what are you going to make this year? Keep your eyes on this blog for more about our SCDSB Makerspace trailblazers!