Take 2: No Green Screen? No Problem!

So, after many, many, many Green Screen photos over the last three weeks, I have been able to fine-tune the steps to create a layered image in Pixlr.

The revised slides show several steps that have been removed, which made it so much easier to create  images for students. With the previous directions I provided, I kept thinking there was NO way I could show students how to edit images like this. There was too many steps. Now, I think students will be able to easily follow these directions. 

Hour of Code 2017

Hour of Code is held each year during Computer Science Education Week. Fun fact I learned today: Computer Science Education Week is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). This year it fell during the week of December 4th. Over the last couple of years, my PIC (partner in crime) Denise and I have made tweaks to our schedules between Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break. Those weeks are just plain hard to schedule. 


This year, we used the week after Thanksgiving for Maker Stations, followed by Hour of Code week, and ended December with another round of Maker Stations. Just let me say, those of you that have a permanent Maker area or use stations daily/weekly...BLESS YOU! Holy cow, that's tiring! **Mind you, at the time of this posting, we are on the second round of Maker Stations.**

Maker Stations

Students moved through two stations per week in groups of 4 or 5. Remember how tired I was? Yeah...I forgot to record the group members. So...that was fun. The groups were able to get through four stations, and we will do another round of Maker Stations after Winter Break. 
Of course, I created Station Posters and directions on Canva to have at each table. I put a copy of the posters on the board and created the posters with our Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks the second round of Maker Stations. It didn't dawn on me until then. 


We had six Maker Stations:
1. EPIC Listening Station
2. Unplugged Coding
3. OSMO Station
4. Craft Station
5. LEGO Challenge
6. Green Screen/Writing Station


Copy of Maker Space Stations by acooksey

Hour of Code

We love Hour of Code. Last year was so much fun. The students truly enjoyed it.
When we announced Hour of Code this year, the students who had participated last year cheered. Our new students were so confused.
Kindergarten and first grade use CodeSpark Academy to code with The Foos. Oh. My. Gosh. It's so fun. And we added to our t-shirt collection with an awesome CodeSpark shirt of The Glitch! (We made shirts for every day of Hour of Code Week last year. You can see our binary iTeach t-shirt in the video.)
To build prior knowledge and foundation for coding, the students coded me. As an introduction, I would demonstrate how a computer component only does what YOU tell it. For example, "go forward" would cause me to walk until I ran into something; "turn left" would cause me to spin in a circle. After students grasped giving me one command at a time (i.e. "go forward two steps", "turn once to the left"), we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Students programmed me to navigate through the story and develop from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Second through sixth graders worked with Minecraft coding through Code.org and other more advanced blocky coding sites. The Minecraft coding site has some great videos that explain the importance of Computer Science and how Minecraft was developed. You can find many of them on our shared Pinterest Board. It was a great learning experience, not only for computer science but critical thinking. Students also learned the trick of using your forefinger and thumb to make an L shape for your left hand. Several students even acted out their problem to develop a path to complete their code. 

Sometimes #coding makes us THINK & problem solve. We can perfirm the commands to see if it'll work! #HourofCode2017 #hourofcode

A post shared by Ashley Cooksey (@ashley.cooksey2) on Dec 6, 2017 at 12:04pm PST

If you haven't ventured into Computer Science or coding, consider hosting an Hour of Code. It doesn't have to be during Computer Science Education Week. You can code any time!  

File Cabinet: 10 Things We've Done This Year (2017 Edition)

1. Practiced Yoga

During our annual reading of the Arkansas Diamond Nominee books, we incorporated more Yoga into our library. We always transition from carpet time to table work or reading spaces by stretching with basic yoga poses. Sequoia by Tony Johnston was the perfect avenue for us to add a new pose!

2. Broke a Geode

A student found an image of a geode in his library book. He asked if they were real and was curious about the crystals growing inside of a "rock ball". I happened to have a geode left from Christmas (my kids wanted some). We took a hammer and the geode outside to bash it open. They had fun watching it smash into pieces and choosing a piece to take home. I love that their learning wasn't even planned. Spontaneity makes the BEST lessons. 

3. Was Allowed at the Radio Station (again)

This was the fourth or fifth time I had been asked to do the radio spot. Our local station has a feature weekly highlighting activities at each campus. So much fun to see how the technology works and take clips back to our students. 

4. Invited Parents to Play

During our Spring Family Night, we set up stations of our tech fun for students and parents. I think the parents had more fun playing with OSMO, Cubelets, and watching our 3-D printer than the students. It was great to see families working together to figure out how to combine Cubelets to meet the challenges. 

5. Invited the Public Library to Visit
Our local public library Director and Cataloger love to visit schools. They talked with 6th graders about how to apply for a library card, how to use their e-book collection, and plans for the new library space. Babbs (cataloger) loves to share new books and her favorite reads! 

6. Created Standing Computer Stations

We removed the "chairs of death" in our lab and raised the tables. Students enjoy the option to sit on a stool or stand to work. Many choose to stand and have said that they love being able to move around while working. 

7. Went Old School

I found a box of transparency paper in the back of the library. Students designed a "stained glass" autobiography. Using Google Drawing, students wrote their name and added at least five images that describe themselves. 

8. Gave Away Books

Each year, we have Free Book Day. It had another name, but students just call it Free Book Day...so that's what it is. We use money raised through Scholastic Book Fairs to purchase "bruised book" boxes and sets of books. Each student receives at least three brand-new books and have the opportunity to choose a couple of weeded library books. All students that our library serves take home at least four books for their home library. It's crazy, made, and stressful, but it's also fun! 

9. Explored PD with Digital Breakouts

Thanks to my friend Jennifer Lyon, I didn't have to create the breakout myself! During a summer PD session, we explored digital breakouts. Teachers are really competitive! 

BreakoutEDU has some free digital breakout games; however, you do have the option to purchase pre-made games. You can also use Google Sites to create a customized Digital Breakout. 

 10. Explored Race through Literature and Art
Our fantastic art teacher wanted to talk about our differences. We searched the catalog for a book that would support her lesson and teach racism. The Skin I'm In by Pat Thomas was perfect for our learners. Students created a self-portrait that was displayed on a rainbow background (I believe each grade level was assigned a color). 
I loved the display and conversation students had about how important we all are.