January/February 2019 • Mr. Shaw
It has been an eventful beginning to 2019 in the library, to say the least. The library was flooded at the end of January, thanks to a burst water pipe brought on by the extremely cold weather (see photo at left). As a result, the library is shut down and a complete library renovation project has begun. Another result is that our Tech program has moved to Room 300 in the Lower School, and will likely remain in the Lower School permanently. More details as they become available! Meanwhile, our tech classes continue in our new (smaller) space. Students have adjusted quickly and things are running as smoothly as could be expected. Thanks to all who have helped make this transition go so well. November/December 2018 • Mr. Shaw Here's another update on what Lower School students are up to in tech class... First grade: Our tech class was invaded by Blue-Bots! They are a cute little robot (called Blue-Bots because they use Bluetooth to connect to other devices). They can be easily programmed to move in different directions. We used an iPad app to accomplish this, and partners worked together to move their Blue-Bot around maps, both real and virtual. Second grade: We just finished learning how to make simple programs with the Scratch Jr. app on our iPads. Now, we are getting a chance to apply those programming skills as we build Lego WeDo 2 robots and create programs for them. In both cases, the code is created by linking virtual "blocks" together. Each block represents a snippet of code that causes something specific to happen (e.g. turn a light or motor on). Third grade: Recently, third graders were learning about programming as they worked their way through Code.org's sequence of coding lessons. Now, we're having a blast as we learn how to make music on our iPads, using Incredibox and Garageband. Fourth grade: Want to know how to do something on your computer? Ask a fourth grader! They are creating "tech tips" to share with you. First they practice their chosen tip (e.g. how to share a Google Doc), then they write a script, and finally record themselves demonstrating the tip. Watch your Seesaw feed for the final results! Fifth grade: It's all about STEM these days. Partners are learning about science, tech, engineering and math as they work together to build and program a Lego Mindstorms EV3 "rover" robot. Soon we'll be using various sensors to explore our surroundings. Dr. Collins also joins us during our morning tech session to lend her expertise. Finally, happy holidays from the Acorn Tech Lab! ____________ October 2018 • Mr. Shaw Here's a quick update on what our Lower School students are doing in tech class... First graders have been going around our campus, taking photos of important people and places. When our photo safari is completed, we'll use Book Creator to make a book about our school community, with captions written by the students. Second graders are learning some basics of programming as they guide their "fuzzballs" through mazes in the Kodable app. They are also learning how to use an online encyclopedia (Britannica Student) to find information about a topic. Third graders are learning how to make stop-motion videos. They are filming an artist's model mannequin "dancing" on a green-screen background, then creating their own design to display in place of the green screen. Fourth graders are excited to be learning how to "Scratch." Scratch is a block programming language that allows students to build their own animations and games. They are working with partners to complete several simple Scratch projects. Fifth graders are learning about the Internet and how to use search engines like Google effectively. They are also trying to evaluate web sites for accurate and trustworthy information that they can understand. _______________ September 2018 • Mr. Shaw It's a new school year and a new focus for this website. The main attraction is still our "Cool Tools" page, but on this page, I'll try to keep you up-to-date on what's new in our Lower School Tech program. For starters, we've added some new "toys" to our collection. We purchased 14 Lego WeDo 2 kits, which will be used in 1st-4th grades. The robots that we build with these kits will be connected by Bluetooth (no wires to plug in!) and programmable from our iPads. I know our students are going to love working with these kits. The WeDo sets are also being used as part of a special after-school program for first-through-third graders called First Lego League Jr. Another addition to our toybox is the Blue-Bot robot. We have six of these and they will be used primarily in first and second grades. They can be programmed directly, using the buttons on the top of the device, or remotely from an iPad app. Both of these new additions fit smoothly into our overall tech program, which aims to provide a rich variety of experiences with the 3 Cs: Creativity, Collaboration, and Coding. Keep your eye on this space as the year continues, and I'll bring you regular updates on our Lower School tech program. Acorn Library notes from previous school years can now be found on the Archives page (choose "More..." above, then "Archives"). |