by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 11, 2015 | Imagine, Kids with Differences, Out of the Box Learning
Labels are made to sort things. There are sizes of clothing, types of food, and even prices at garage sales. We use them to create a sense of order for ourselves and the world.
But, with kids? I worry about the message behind labels.
Because what happens when we constantly remind kids of their label? You’re autistic. You’re gifted. You’re learning disabled. You’re dyslexic. What happens when some of the labels we’d proudly wear on a tshirt because of the misperceptions, and others are met with sympathetic eyes? Some labels are considered a “prize,” while others, “limiting.” For the record, I don’t see limits when I look at kids.
What happens is simple. We fail to see how the child realy, truly is. Not their label. Not because of a label. But, because of who they are as a human being.
And first and foremost, our children need to know who they are and feel confident about it. We need to build the kind of schools where labels don’t matter. Where needs are met because we know our kids hearts and souls. And if we get so caught up in their label? We might completely miss the chance to really know them.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 9, 2015 | Create, Make, Out of the Box Learning
Today I spent the day at the Independent Schools Association Southwest Technology Conference and was lucky enough to hear Sylvia Martinez, co-author of Invent to Learn, as keynote, followed by a day of making, creating, and thinking about my role as Innovation Coordinator. I think it was the equivalent of a Super Bowl, if I were a pro-football player. The theme was Maker Movement. All I keep thinking is… we seriously are IN the most exciting time in education… RIGHT NOW. This is what learning is made of. It’s finally happening.
Sylvia reminded us, at the close of the keynote, “Making is not a shopping list or a special place… it’s a stance toward learning.” That stance? It’s what I’ve been waiting for in education, since I was a kid.
Even though it’s not about shopping, there are five things I enjoyed playing with today. I loved them because I could immediately imagine them in the hands of learners… and that? It’s exciting.
Cubelets: These little cubes snap together to make things. We made a robot that had a light sensor on it. The robot spun in circles and when the lights went out? The top lit up. These cubes offer learners a safe, exciting, and engaging way to explore, discover, and dream up inventions. And, best of all? There is a piece that allows you to attach Legos. That’s right, Legos.
WeDo Legos: Build Lego creations that move. Enough said. Imagine these moving parts on a Lego Wall.
MakeDo: Cardboard construction kit. Build something, design something else. They even have a great little saw for cutting cardboard. School needs more cardboard, NOT the kind that carry boxes of standardized tests, but the kind that carry possibilities and get filled with imagination.
Circuit Stickers: Create art that lights up, design a card that brightens someone else’s day, illuminate your soul with tiny LED’s, or just get these because you love making puns about lights. Paired with a roll of Copper tape, battery, and some creativity? Endless Possibilities.
TurtleArt.org: Explore programming and geometry by creating visuals with this awesome FREE program. Check out this gallery.
I know, I know, it’s not about the stuff. You could have all the stuff in the world, but if you don’t take time to explore, discover, and play? The stuff is useless. So today? I played. And tonight? I’m reminded what it’s all about. We could all use a little more playtime.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 7, 2015 | Integrate, iPad, Out of the Box Learning
iStopMotion is one of those great apps. You know, the kind that are soooo easy to use, yet offer so many possibilities for learning and collaboration? Best of all? It involves hands on creativity to design the movie set and characters.
It’s great because it has an overlay, as in the purple clay man show below, so students can see where the object was last placed. It really helps students to know where to begin again with their object. The trick is to keep your iPad stable and set up a background using file folders stapled together or papers attached to the wall.
Please don’t limit students to just few ideas. Introduce the app, allow them time to explore and play, and then ask them what they could create. One question might inspire the next feature film in your classroom. Keep collaboration at a maximum by having each group member have a specific role, such as Producer, to move the objects, Director, to set up the scene and be sure story is followed, and Camera Operator, to click. Students could even work on storyboarding their movie before creating to save time in production and produce a more thoughtfully planned project.
So how can you use iStopMotion in the classroom? Here are some ways to get started in the elementary or primary classroom…
Character Project: After reading a favorite book, students can draw the setting. Then, students draw the character on cardstock and cut him or her out. Moving the character around on the background will work just like an old style cartoon!
Fractionator: Fractions are often hard to visualize. What if students design a movie to demonstrate fractions for younger learners, then invite them to your classroom and show them. Imagine a pizza made from clay that divides into fractions. Or, imagine what students could come up with if you asked, “How do fractions help us?”
Lego: A bucket of minifigs, a pile of blocks, and 5 minutes in a team to create a story? Then the app opens and students are writing, creating, and collaborating. The story could demonstrate challenging vocabulary words, character words, or even scientific concepts. Kids will think outside the box when it comes to Lego blocks and iStopMotion.
Patterns: Create a video that shows a pattern being built with blocks, manipulatives, food, or even paper objects.
Historical Stories: Imagine sculpting a tiny Lincoln for the Gettysburg Address? What about recreating man walking on the Moon? Whatever time period, it gets more interesting when turning it into a feature film. Ask students, “How might an event change the course of history?”
Measure It: Imagine if a tiny clay inchworm crawled up a ruler, one inch at a time, to measure objects in the classroom. It would not only reinforce how to measure, counting, and creativity, it would be fun to watch each other’s videos and see what was measured.
And if your students get hooked on stop motion video? Here are some fun videos that will inspire them….
- Pig vs Wolf
- Augmented Cartoon Reality
- Jellybean Music Video
- PostIt Stop Motion
- Western Spaghetti
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 6, 2015 | Reflect, Thoughts on Learning
I know it didn’t happen my first day of teaching. It probably didn’t even happen my second year of teaching. But somewhere in the journey, I realized that truly teaching was only possible if I was a learner, too. I let my guard down. I openly admitted when I didn’t know, and even better, I admitted when they knew more than me. I became okay with not knowing all the answers. I focused more on chasing powerful questions instead of creating perfect lessons with perfectly predictable outcomes. It still drives me crazy when things don’t work out or when I fail. It probably always will. I make it sound so simple, but it wasn’t one moment or even one week when this change occurred. It was an evolution over time where I started small and let go, little by little, through the uncomfortableness of uncertainty until it happened. The kids were driving. And that? It led the journey to a whole new place that I could have never imagined, or planned, on my own. And it was worth it.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 5, 2015 | Make, Maker Spaces, Matters of Creativity, Reflect, Thoughts on Learning, Tinkering
Create. Collaborate. Iterate. Dream. Reflect. Design. Take risks. It’s the stuff learning is made of. Not the kind you find in a textbook or in testing practice. The kind you find in the world. The kind that grabs a hold of your interests, ignites your passions, and launches you into a space where there are possibilities. The kind that is messy and tangled and amazing. We all need to be reminded of what true, authentic learning really is. Deeper than standards, into a space where connections are made with each other and with the world. Let’s make that happen.
Or you could just turn to page 26 and continue following the textbook company’s idea of what will engage your learners.
Click poster to open largest version, right click to download, and print on your own for FREE. Or, visit MagCloud to order 12×18 prints. NOTE: The posters will not automatically relinquish control of learning to the learner, that’s up to you.
Click poster to open largest version, right click to download, and print on your own for FREE. Or, visit MagCloud to order 12×18 prints. NOTE: The posters will not automatically relinquish control of learning to the learner, that’s up to you.
