The One-Hour STEAM Challenge!

This is part 2 sharing my visit to Amazing Grace and Renton Prep Christian Schools in Seattle. These progressive project-based learning schools daily offer students opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving, experimentation, revision, and producing. Today we explore the One-Hour STEAM Challenge, a project where students are challenged to create a boat that floats in one hour using supplied items.

After explaining the project, the teacher promptly set the timer for one hour and projected it on their large TV screen to keep everyone on task. Brainstorming collaboratively, students designed their project by inking with a design pen on their Surface device to plan their engineering feat. Students then selected building supplies from a range of materials: Peeps marshmallow candy, straws, plastic bottles, straws, duct tape, making tape, plastic tape, paper bags, and more. Listening to students discuss their process, they explained why they decided to use each item in their boat.

After a five minute warning to complete the project, students went to get water to fill the plastic tub where the newly-created boats will be tested to see if they float. One at a time students put their boat on the water as the teacher used a hand-held hair dryer to provide the wind that would move these devices. Will it float? The anticipation rises.

Some boats leaned to one side or the other, as students problem-solved what the designing error could be. Others floated well initially, but as their materials got saturated they began to sink further into the water. Some boats were made with plastic bottles and the air inside provided the buoyancy this project required. Students also realized that using the right type of tape could make other materials hold up in water. Expert teacher questioning led students to evaluate their construction and devise a plan for revision where needed. "Why do you think this boat leans to the left? Will it float in the wind even if it is not symmetrical? What makes you think so? Can you make an adjustment in your design that might help your boat float longer?"

I challenge each teacher to find one time space where your students could engage in a one-hour STEAM challenge. Perhaps it provides a break during testing times, or ties into a science topic. Maybe the design phase is completed during computer time or independent stations, then the building takes place during math or science, with the final testing at the end of the day. Whether the hour is in one block or divided into several shorter timeframes, your students can create to solve problems and answer challenges. Let students document their process using video or pictures which they can turn into a multimedia presentation to explain the project to parents and "the world!" And have fun!

Project-Based Learning Schools in Action!

I just returned from an invigorating visit to Amazing Grace and Renton Prep Christian Schools in Seattle. These schools involve students from PreK-10 in asking questions and devising a plan to find a solution through a process of testing and revising. By adding STEAM content (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) to traditional topics in learner-centered ways, these schools are lifted up as "bright spots...with promise for the future" in Calfee & Wilson's (2016) ground-breaking book
Assessing the Common Core: What's Gone Wrong--And How To Get Back On Track, a book I highly recommend. In the coming weeks I will address various examples I encountered as students combined the rich content areas of STEAM with innovative project-based learning pedagogy. For more information and examples of STEAM projects click here: Edutopia.org.

I begin with the youngest students and their projects. Preschool students were studying fairy tales and integrating STEAM in ways I have never seen! As they read each fairy tale they analyzed what problem the character was encountering, then brainstormed ways to help. For example, the day I was there they read The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Their teacher masterfully asked questions to help them analyze the situation: Why do the three billy goats need to cross the bridge? Who lived under the bridge? Why does this cause a problem for the three billy goats gruff? How could all the billy goats get across the river safely without anyone getting hurt? After considering these and other questions, the students decided that they could build a boat to hold all three billy goats so they could cross the stream to go up the hillside to eat, without disturbing the evil troll. So they set out to do just that. Working with a partner they gathered the allowed materials including popsicle sticks, duct tape and masking tape to build a boat that could float holding three goat figures, the required criteria. As they built they talked about what shape the boat should be to float, and how strong it needed to be to hold three goat figures. They experimented with tape to make it waterproof and sturdy. Then they put their creation in the water, placed the three animal figures on top, and tested to see if it would float. Students found multiple ways to safely get the Three Billy Goats Gruff over the bridge without disturbing the evil troll. Project-based learning in action!

During their fairy tale unit these preschoolers also assisted Cinderella in getting home from the ball after her coach turned back into a pumpkin. They decided to create a wind-powered car! Not only did these students find a solution to help a character in need, they also explored an environmental issue of global concern in creating alternative power sources to fuel transportation. After reading Rapunzel students tried to build a tower strong enough to support the prince so he could reach Rapunzel. They developed towers of various heights using newspaper & tape, then placed the prince figure on top to check its strength; design and engineering in action!

Each instance of STEAM Project-Based Learning (PBL) contained similar expectations:
(1) Teacher and students explored a fairy tale together.
(2) Teacher led students in discussing the problem.
(3) Students hypothesized solutions.
(4) They were given limited supplies and limited time to find a solution.
(5) Students collaborated to create something to solve the problem.
(6) They tested their creations against the criteria, made adjustments if needed, and retested.
(7) They captured their process using technology.
(8) They proudly shared their creations and clearly explained what they made, why they made it, and what they learned.

Are you teaching a unit where STEAM PBL could be incorporated into student-centered learning? I challenge you to try and let me know what you do! We are creating the innovative problem-solvers our global society needs now and in the future.

Student Technology Projects that Demonstrate Learning!

This was a full week of interaction with amazing

teachers who shared projects their students created that inspired innovation and met standards. ISTE standard 1: "Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology." ISTE standard 2: "Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively..." using technology.
Between Tech EDGE 16, TEC21, 
EdCampOmaha, and my 880J UNL graduate course, I was privileged to collaborate with teacher leaders who are integrating technology in their classrooms in meaningful ways. Let me share just a few of them with you in hopes that they may stimulate ideas for you as you encourage your students to communicate their learning using multimedia.

One teacher has his students planning the perfect vacation! Students were allowed $4,500.00 to plan their dream vacation. The teacher created a template with links to guide students' research for best dates, flight, hotel, cab, restaurants, and activities. Students calculated the cost of each item for each day of the vacation. Then they used Google Tour Builder to create the vacation and view these locations at street level. This inquiry project required critical thinking on the part of students using technology to take them virtually to the locations of their dreams, going far beyond a hand-written paper.

Two kindergarten teachers from different schools connect their classes weekly via FaceTime to study vocabulary. They use the Mystery Skype format with one class asking yes/no questions to guess the vocabulary word. That class continues asking questions as long as they get "yes" answers to their questions. When they get a "no", it's the other class's turn to try to figure out what the "mystery word" is. This collaborative exercise helps young children see the possibilities of learning in 21st century schools that extend beyond the walls.

In TEC21 one week we experiment with virtual fieldtrips, YouTube 360 videos, and green screens, the next week teachers share examples of how they used these tools with their students! One teacher ordered a Google Cardboard and signed her class up for a virtual fieldtrip to Tokyo, a city they were studying in their social studies unit on rural and urban. The fieldtrip sent them a free Google Cardboard app so students could explore Tokyo before they joined the virtual fieldtrip via video conference with other classrooms from around the world. Another teacher had her students create green screen videos using TouchCast in a talk show format discussing the Revolution from historical character points of view.

At EdCampOmaha I attended an innovative session on student presentations hosted by Eileen Heller and Tony Vincent. Teachers shared student project ideas including: collaborative presentations at Sway.com, Thinglink.com for students to create and post an avatar to which they connect the video or other project they made to demonstrate learning, and Masquerade (MSQRD app) that allows students to put masks on their video image to record themselves describing what they learned. Tony live recorded all teachers sharing their projects using Periscope which lasts for 24 hours, another great idea for the classroom!

Seeing teachers excited attending their first EdCamp, watching them realize that they have great technology ideas to share with other teachers, and listening to the way they are empowering students to be 21st century learners excites me! Let me know about student technology projects you are working on with your class!

3 Screencasting Tools Every Teacher Should Know How to Use

This week the teachers in my graduate class experimented with screencasting and video tools. It was exciting to see the creative ways these teachers used tools for a variety of purposes. One teacher experimented with Screencast-O-Matic, a web-based tool that allows you to capture your screen, use webcam to capture you teaching, or do both by capturing you teaching in the lower right corner of the screen and your screen on the remainder of the video. This teacher quickly created a screencast to demonstrate to his students how to create a Google Earth Tour. He will post this screencast at his Google Classroom site so students can view to remember how to create their tours during the Favorite Vacation project in which they are involved. You may save these screencasts on your computer, at Screencast-O-Matic, or in YouTube. I made a Screencast-O-Matic sample for you to see how easy it is to use this tool on any computer. I like the feature of the yellow circle that highlights your cursor as you teach your lesson, making it very easy for learners to follow as you explain.

The second screencasting tool we used was the TouchCast Studio app. This app provides very professional backgrounds where you can annotate a webpage, video, pictures, map, or file from Dropbox or Google Drive. You can select a background that puts you in a news studio, talk show, at the Lincoln Memorial, or any place you can imagine as you use the green screen feature to insert a picture or video behind you. Students can use this app to create a sportscast, how-to video, or review
of information covered. Think of the exciting book reports or story retellings you could do using this app! TouchCast also allows you to record screen, webcam, or both. Select from over 30 visual Apps to easily bring up websites, Twitter feeds, maps, photos, movies, files, and more! And use the screen as a whiteboard so you can add content as you present. Check out this short TouchCast I made on the current presidential debate.

And now for my all time favorite screencasting tool, Educreations. This tool was originally created as an early childhood tool to allow even young children to make their thinking visible as they write or draw on the whiteboard and simulateously record their voice as they explain what their process. As schools purchase a variety of devices for teachers and students, Educreations is available to everyone in both app and web-based formats. I know teachers who use Educreations to flip their classroom, creating a short 4 minute video to teach a lesson students view the night before, then come to class to apply their learning in creative ways. So this versatile and easy to use tool allows teachers and students to screencast. Click here for a sample Educreations video I made: Flipped Classroom video about creating screencasts.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to try out these screencasting tools, and share your videos! Remember to keep it short for maximum viewer attention, and keep in mind your purpose is to teach, not win an Academy Award! Have fun.

What Teachers Can Learn from Steve Jobs

I just finished reading one of the most intriguing books I have ever read, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I loved the way Isaacson chronicled the creation and launching of multiple creative devices over three decades that transformed many industries:
The Apple II personal computer
The Macintosh home computer revolution with graphical user interfaces
Toy Story and other Pixar digital animation blockbusters
Apple stores with genius tables
The iPod to store music digitally
The iTunes Store which expanded and changed the way music was purchased
The App Store to enable creation rather than consumption
The iPad which started tablet computing and a format for digital news, books, and videos
iCloud to sync all devices seamlessly, and
The Apple company "which Jobs considered his greatest creation, a place where imagination was nurtured, applied, and executed in ways so creative that it became the most valuable company on earth" (Isaacson, 2011, p.566).

But mostly I loved learning about this innovative man. I loved his vision for creating products that "push the human race forward" (p.577). His passion for designing and producing that led him to work many hours week after week until it was perfect. His insistence that devices must be simple so people won't be afraid of them, yet perfectly designed so even parts not visible to consumers are beautiful. His ability to "Think Different" as he challenged us to listen to the ones who see things differently because, "while some may see them as crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" (p.577).  Jobs modeled and valued creativity, just the thing we need to inspire in schools today.

So what can teachers integrating technology learn from Steve Jobs? I propose the following:

1. Keep it simple. Jobs went so far as to put a handle on a desktop computer so it would invite people to touch it and not be afraid of it, though no one would actually pick up a desktop computer. Teachers can themselves play with technology so they aren't afraid of it. They can encourage students to play with programs as well to design projects about which they are passionate.

2. Create. Jobs realized that the iPad 1 was more of a tool for consuming: books, videos, newspapers, etc. When he created the iPad 2 he intentionally made it a tool for creating: iMovie for videos, Garage Band for music, powerful camera for pictures, apps for your own ebooks. Our challenge today as teachers in 1:1 classrooms is to empower students to create using these devices, to use their creativity to learn and communicate with the world.

3. Don't be afraid of making a mistake. As Jobs was creating a computer for the 1990's in 1984, he was determining what would be best for people to use. Was he always right? Perhaps not. But he never looked at a decision as a failure, but rather an opportunity for the next product. For example, when creating the Macintosh he was convinced it should have a slot into which a disk would be inserted. His team said it should be a sliding door because soon companies would develop ways to burn music and it would use this existing format. Well indeed companies did use the sliding door format for burning discs, so Jobs said he needed to come up with a way to download music in a different manner, and iTunes was born.

4. Create learning spaces that motivate. When Jobs built Apple he intentionally looked for a design that put people in contact with each other so ideas could flow no matter where they went. He liked fluid meeting spaces where everyone could participate in sunlit areas. How can you improve your school learning space so students can collaborate and work on projects?

5. "The Journey is the Reward"(p.537). Integrating technology is fun! It makes each of us lifelong learners. None of us can know everything about each technology, we need to work together. So inspire students with your vision of what they can accomplish, provide devices and support so they can try, and empower them to create.

So here's to changing the world, one school and student at a time!

Why Many Teachers Don't Engage Professionally Online

Last night I had one of the most exciting things happen! After the blizzard went through Nebraska providing two snow days in our area, I sent an invitation to the teachers in my graduate class on technology integration to join #nebedchat last night. I was so excited to see five out of eight teachers join in the ed chat! While there was a glitch in viewing questions, each participant found ways to add to and learn from the discussion. I look forward to reflecting on the process when we meet tonight.

Last week in class they practiced answering questions using Twitter notations such as A1 and their response, and remembering to include the hashtag of the ed chat at the end. But attending an ed chat for the first time can be a little intimidating. With two required Ed Chats in the syllabus, I felt these teachers were ready to participate. However, a recent article I read made me question if this would indeed be the beginning of lifelong education for these teachers. A Core Education study coming out of New Zealand asked the question, "What keeps so many teachers from professionally engaging online?" While teachers may join a required ed chat, the majority of teachers in the study did not network at all outside of the scheduled research meetings. The researchers considered factors of time, lack of interest, and dislike for social media, but found none of them to be the key factor. In fact "all of the teachers used social media on a daily basis in their personal lives."  After further interviews teachers noted that the real factor that determined whether or not they joined an ed chat conversation was confidence in their own teaching. They wondered what they had to contribute to a wider audience. Findings of the study suggest that recognizing the gaps in one's teaching knowledge in certain areas motivates one to look for ways to fill in those gaps. Ed chats can be one way to accomplish this, building PLNs of experienced professionals. As one teacher in the study stated, "You have to know that the network is a supportive group." 

Will my teachers continue to build their professional learning network online? I hope so! I have found the Teacher's Guide to Twitter by Edudemic to be filled with lots of great ideas to get started: creating not just consuming, connecting and networking, sharing your resources, and keeping at it. It takes time to build a network. It takes time to feel confident sharing your ideas. I have found Tweetdeck to be very helpful in organizing tweets to follow in an ed chat. To find the perfect ed chat, visit http://cybraryman.com/chats.html, and remember to check for your time zone as these chats go on all over the world at all times! You will never be without a professional to answer a question you may have.

So get involved in an ed chat, become a contributor, enlarge your PLN, and have fun!

"Computer Labs" of the Future: What Should We do in Computer Time?

This week I was asked a question by a principal that really inspired me. His school has been 1:1 iPads for three years. This principal noted that his school doesn’t have a lab (and likely never will), nor will they have computers. This being the case, he wanted to know what technology classes look like for schools that have implemented iPads? What are the general standards that they should be implementing in their teaching? While this school does have tech classes for their students, it’s more iPad applications – but no keyboarding or other computer literacy/programming. What an interesting question. This principal wants to be sure that his students are gaining the computer skills they will need to be productive citizens in the 21st Century. How would you reply?

This is how I responded. My philosophy is that we need to teach students today to go beyond keyboarding. They need to know how to effectively search for information online (asking questions, finding answers, How to evaluate websites), how to be safe online (digital citizenship: CommonSenseMedia.org), to evaluate information, synthesize information from multiple print and digital sources, and communicate learning using multimedia. These are the New Literacies (Preparing Students for the 21st Century) that we need to teach students today.

We focus on Creation vs Consumption so having students take information they learn on their iPads and learn how to present it using multimedia tools such as Puppet EDU, Haiku Deck, Google Slides and so many more great tools. I love how student technology use can look in schools as shown in this video Learning and Creating with iPads in Kindergarten​:

This meets the ISTE standards for students  focusing computer time on (1) creativity and innovation, (2) communication and collaboration, (3) research and information fluency, (4) critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, (5) digital citizenship, and (6) technology operations and concepts. The last area is the only one that talks about how to use the device, with an iPad how to take a screen shot, save an image, use the camera, etc. And this is only done so students can create using these functions and be prepared for the next device they will use.

Now that many classroom teachers teach computer themselves, perhaps we have more time to integrate technology into the content areas so students use devices to learn and communicate learning. How does your school teach computer?