Makerspace activities excite and engage students and offer them a multitude of academic and mental health benefits! Cost should never be a barrier to implementation of makerspace activities in your classroom. Low-cost/no-cost makerspace activities are as engaging and exciting for students as higher priced activities. You can easily obtain low-cost or no-cost makerspace materials! You … read more »
You’re staring at a new unit plan, trying to figure out how to weave in media literacy, find credible primary sources, and keep thirty different students engaged—all while hitting your state standards. It feels like a solo mountain climb. But here’s the thing: you aren’t alone on that mountain. Just down the hall—or perhaps right … read more »
Summer is the perfect time for students to explore their creativity through maker projects and design challenges! These activities give students the freedom to create, experiment, and engage in self-directed learning, using materials found at home or provided in kits sent from school. Whether short and simple or long-term and immersive, maker projects encourage problem-solving, … read more »
Low-Tech, No-Tech STEAM……Isn’t that an oxymoron? Actually, no, it’s not! STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math to guide inquiry, discussion, collaboration, and critical thinking. It is still STEAM teaching, even if it is low or no tech. Technology is a broad topic; it does not have … read more »
March is International Ideas Month! Idea generation is an important skill for students. Maker education and design thinking (both aspects of making) nurture ideas in students! Students of any age can participate in making through short challenges, projects, or built-in maker opportunities—all of which allow students to generate ideas. If you would like to introduce … read more »
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison As teachers, we strive to invent and implement engaging classroom experiences only to feel compelled to change and tweak them the following year to meet the needs of our new cadre of students. It’s challenging to reinvent classroom experiences, … read more »
What is maker education? In maker education, “students imagine, design, and create projects that align the content of learning with hands-on application” (Makered.org). Maker education was born from the maker movement, which believes that we are all “makers” and can be creators—not just consumers—of things. Makerspaces are specific spaces in schools, libraries, and community organizations … read more »
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to the GeoFS flight simulator and discussed applying the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework using GeoFS in your lessons. GeoFS is a free online flight simulator with an open-source platform to render the global landscapes you can fly over. The free tool will work … read more »
Although it has been five hundred and seventy years since his birth, Leonardo da Vinci’s impact on the world continues. He is probably best known for his painting, the Mona Lisa; however, his genius carried across many different disciplines, making him known as a true “Renaissance Man.” In addition to art, Da Vinci is also known … read more »
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Big Huge Labs and discussed the application of both the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework using Big Huge Labs in your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions for using this tool and shares classroom use ideas. Big Huge Labs: Big Huge Labs does … read more »