WHAT WE ARE DOING
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How is Technology Transforming Education? - Sir Ken Robinson
Technology is changing the world rapidly, impacting the way students learn and opening new possibilities for educators. Take a look what Sir Ken Robinson had to say when asked about the role of technology in education.
Last year, Blake's school-wide participation in the Hour of Code and the Technovation Challenge has sparked the need and desire to include computer science curriculum at the middle school level. This year's lucky incoming 6th graders will now have Coding offered as a related course to replace keyboarding! The course itself will introduce computational thinking and visual, blockly coding for beginners as well as opportunities for beyond beginners to learn a basic computer programming language. Our tool bag will consist of curriculum from Code.org with the integration of the HopScotch app, MIT's Scratch and App Inventor programs, and Code School online courses and more.
Please visit Hour of Code, A Maze of Parallel Lines, and Lines of Slope to see some of our coding work from last year.
Coding Relateds Course for 6th Graders
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Makerspace
“A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network and build. Makerspaces provide tools and space in a community environment - a library, community center, private organization, or campus.” (Educause Learning Initiative, April 2013).
The intent of a makerspace is to provide materials, resources, and space for students to design, create, tinker, discover, and explore with the objective to inspire deeper learning, based on student ownership of their learning. This is not just a place ‘to play’ - while there will be opportunities for students to do just that, we will be examining the STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) frameworks for formal connections to the Common Core.
Blake's newly designed Makerspace is integrated into the community setting of the LMC/Collaboratory for accessibilty and availability to all students, teachers, staff, parents and community members. The hope is to foster and allow opportunities to...
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Invite curiosity
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Inspire wonder
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Encourage playfulness
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Celebrate unique solutions
The guiding principles of a makerspace include…
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It’s ok to fail
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Breaking things is not a cardinal sin
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Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate
Stay tuned for an introduction to the Makerspace, blog posts and a MakersFaire at the end the year!
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Dash & Dot in 8th Science Curriculum
“In fifteen years we’ll be teaching programming just like reading and writing . . .
and wondering why we didn’t do it sooner.” -- Mark Zuckerberg
Blake weclomes its newest members.. the Dash and Dot robots! These robots will introduce coding and problem-solving/collaboration when integrated into the 8th Science-Technology curriculum and as a huge part of our Makerspace! Come by and take them for a spin!
A 3D Printer for the Blake Collaboratory (Library Makerspace)
3D printers have become very popular around the world, and in schools across the country as the price and accessibility of the technology has become better. Multiple stories in the news have emerged about students designing and creating objects such as prosthetics, wheelchair attachments and even parts for cell phones. The limits are virtually endless.
Students exposed to 3D printing will be involved in the planning, creation and design of objects that they need for a class project or for personal use. This will expose students to engineering, math, science and architectural design used in the industry in today’s real world.
We are so thrilled that the MCPE has approved our grant to bring the Makerbot 3D printer to Blake Collaboratory! Check out the Mobile Learning blog for our latest designs and experience!
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