Welcome to my new journey into teaching middle school engineering, robotics, and prototype design. This blog was created to collect my thoughts and reflections through time. Please feel free to explore and comment on what you find.
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. — Isaac Asimov
Before the 2018-2019 school year ended, I had to opportunity to meet with my elementary partner teacher at the campus that feeds into my middle school. We are attempting to create a collaborative environment and continuity of services so our students will know what to expect from me in the future. My partner introduced me to a tool called Flipgrid which we plan to use for some of our goals.
It seems Flipgrid is designed to promote collaboration via short video recordings. My role as the teacher would be to create topics for the students to respond to, then the students can watch and respond to the other short videos. It’s similar to the discussion-style questioning that now rules the online education world, but with speaking into a camera seems more approachable to younger students who may not yet be fluent with typing. My partner described how her students used it to pen-pal with other students in Texas. I like that the platform mirrors other social media but with a protected twist. Students’ videos will not be available to the entire internet.
I’m still not quite sure what it will look like because school has yet to start, but my goal is to create a “back-to-school” task to be completed in the first couple of weeks then see where things go from there. I like the idea of students creating videos for a project cycle – an introduction to their problem and planned solution, a mid-point talk to reflect on their progress what challenges they have faced, and a final presentation. I feel the students having feedback on their ideas from their own peers will be more beneficial and authentic with this platform.
One more thought – Flipgrid does offer teacher training and certification, so I will definitely look at completing at least the first of three levels before school begins. Do you have experience with it? How have you used it in the classroom?
I recently took my family on a small summer getaway close to home and quickly realized how much science was going on everywhere we went. The trip reminded me of my personal need to take time out for play. We spent some quality time together in new places: Castle Rock, Denver Aquarium, and Elitch Gardens. Where do you experience science?
What resonated with you?
Having spent several years in the childcare industry working with very young children in a centers-based classroom model, I identified most with the discussion about role playing. This is an essential element to early childhood education and allows young children to act out the scripts of life they are familiar with – the home including cooking and eating and washing clothes, going to the grocery store, or even a trip to the post office – as well as new ones they are introduced to in class – such as being a scientist or artist. Now that I’ll be working with older students, I can apply this concept to my unique set of courses. The students will be role playing engineering careers, so I want to make the experiences as authentic as possible by simulating a work environment. I’m glad that organizational culture was addressed in the video too because it’s something I’ve been reflecting on recently with a reread of the Fish! Philosophy (see my blog post Going Fishing). The coincidence between the message in this video and one of the four tenets of this philosophy is not lost on me. There must be time to play which is necessary to getting the creative juices flowing.
What might you need in order to have the security to take risks and be creative in your classroom?
The video identified trust and security as being the number one factor to promote risk-taking and creativity. Building relationships with students instills trust, which will provide them with the security to do just that with their learning goals. But don’t I need this trust and security too? My goal is to build relationships with my colleagues and superiors to prove I can also take risks and be creative. Everything will be so new, I will have to experiment with a variety of methods to find the right one. I want to feel I have the freedom to develop my system and style.
How might engaging students in lessons with open possibilities, role play, and thinking with their hands bring more creativity and authentic learning experiences into your classroom?
The beauty of the classes I will be teaching is these ideas are exactly how I must implement my lessons. Students will be presented with problems that have open-ended solutions after which the students must design and build a final product. As for role playing, I addressed that above in the first question. I am committed to designing and facilitating meaningful and authentic experiences.
What resonated with you?
How the speaker focused on three human characteristics – diversity, curiosity, and creativity – which should be cultivated through any education system. Yet the American system appears to encourage the opposite – conformity, standardization, and closed solutions while looking to solve the problem of why our students are not up to par with other countries. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?
What did you wonder about?
The idea that America is going in the wrong direction in regards to how it educates the young. And as the speaker pointed out, we want to compare ourselves to Finland but cannot because variables such as size and homogeny would create an apples to oranges comparison. But we can at least take paradigm shifting ideas from them, such as the drop-out mentality mentioned in the video. Why doesn’t Finland have a drop-out rate? Wasn’t No Child Left Behind supposed to solve that issue? I am reminded of some articles I reviewed in graduate school which addressed how Finland understood the need to move from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based one. I wonder how the role I’m in can facilitate this.
What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success
From Finland, An Intriguing School-Reform Model
How may this video impact your practice?
It again brought me back to my role as a facilitator of the education process and not just the instructor. I will role model the classroom culture, build relationships, provide resources, organize materials, and assure students are making progress. I will be a mover, one who makes things happen, and not the one being moved. I want to water those seeds lying dormant in Death Valley and watch them bloom!
How do you know that you are creating learning and not simply teaching?
What is amazing about the position I’ll be in is how easy it will be to create learning. Once I have provided the students with the basic knowledge and skills they need for their projects, it will be up to them to create the final products and learn from the process, not me telling them what they should be learning.
Other than the guide that has come with the kit, here it the only other set of directions I have.
Here are a few files showing you how to build different robots with the NXT kits.
This first challenge asks you to move in a complete square.
This second challenge asks you to move around an official obstacle course.
This guide below shows how to build “The Flex Bot” and some basic programming instructions.
Beginning NXT Programming Workshop
The following guide is a digital version of the full programming guide.
Here is some information on basic programming of the EV3 kit. Please review this information to get you started.
Middle School STEM Resources with a focus on Urban Gardening and Environmental Initiatives
Using games to teach in and out of the classroom
Sharing my journey as a K-5 STREAM Teacher
Thoughts from Schult - Education is rapidly changing...I'm only trying to help others see it as well.
Learning, observing and reflecting on what it means to be a teacher.
Trust in the school context, especially around the use of technology.
Teach Tech Better. Learn Tech Better.
The future stems from STEM, and we need to prepare for it by improving our STEM education
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Books
Learning Together!
Goodbye overheads and chalkboards! Hello virtual "paperless" classrooms!
Robot Roll Call
My STEM Journey 