Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Every Voice Matters Blogging Challenge

#shakeuplearning 

Kasey Bell is challenging us to blog and share our voice.  No matter how much I fumble with my words, I am going to try.
I am going to work on doing more blogging this school year and I have chosen to start a bit before I take vacation.  Vacation - isn't that what teachers have from June through August?  Ha!  I have been working since school got out and I am loving it!  I have worked with some spectacular educators during the Oregon Personalized Learning Symposium and Oregon Literacy Academy.  My incredible literacy coach and I are doing some curriclum work to get her resource site for our teachers up and running! I also work for Innovative Educator Consulting over the summer.  I get to travel, meet many educators and spend time with Tim and Naomi!
As I prepare to teach with IEC in Madison tomorrow, I find myself encompassed in Google today!
Computational Thinking for Educators https://youtu.be/u_JWGzIAdNo Starts July 15 and it's FREE! 
 and makercamp.com are also starting in July!
So many Google Opportunities.  I have been thinking about trying for a Google Trainer certification this year.  We shall see where the year takes me!
On the student side, I have taught summer school pretty much every year since I began teaching in 1994.  This year, it's Rock the Code II and I have tried to integrate some makerspace/STEM ideas in along with computational and creative thinking!  We have used all our coding resources, plus created bristlebots, LED bracelets,  and vibrating bugs.  Students also have the choice to explore Sphero, MakeyMakey, Legos, marble runs, robot building, and a HotWheels creation station!  I am co-teaching this class with my fabulous colleague Mariah and it has been so much fun!
As this week ends, I transition to vacation.  One week of appointments, one week at Couples in Negril, Jamaica, and one week of just FUN!  #unplugged
Then, it's August and football practice, new teacher and para training, catch up on my Google Computational Thinking class and a training in Portage and Big Foot with IEC is upon me.
Happy Summer to you all!

Transformation

In the past 9 months, my school has been fortunate enough to gain access to many different tools and opportunities including  Sphero balls, ...