STEAM Ideas in Kindergarten #IMMOCC

My school is creating a new STEAM lab this year!  I am excited to help create the space layout and brainstorm ideas of STEM tools to purchase, craft items needed and other reusable materials to add.  Here is a list of some of the tools that I'd like to have at my fingertips! 1.  Ozobot - These are wonderful robots that students of any age can use.  They do not require any additional technology.  Students program the robots using a color coding system along the black line.  It works kind of like a train where they follow a black line and then change course based on the code that you color along the line. 2. Spheros - These are similar to the Ozobot except some type of i-device is needed to control it.  We have iPads at my school what we will use to program the Sphero to move around the room.  Students will practice basic coding skills when trying to make the Sphero move. 3.  Dash and Dot - These robots are made by Wonder Workshop who also has create 5 or 6 iPad apps to help code the robots.  There are also other add ons that the robots can interact with like an xylophone and a wagon to pull.  This is a great robot to start with if you have not had experience with other robots.  It is very basic and easy to understand for any type of user! 4.  DoInk - This is an app that can be purchased for the iPad or iPhone.  At our school, we are going to purchase the bundle of Green Screening and Animation for our students to use. 5.  Craft Supplies - These are different craft materials that students can use when designing their project.  Some examples are paper bags, sequins, toothpicks, playdough, popsicle sticks, plastic cups, dixie cups, etc. I hope you find this list helpful if you are planning a STEM lab or if you are adding to a lab you already have!  Let me know in the comments if there is something that you have in your lab that I haven't listed!  I'd love to hear your ideas too!!

Why Innovate? #IMMOOC

So I started this blog in 2013 so that I could share my ideas about teaching and what I was doing in my classroom.  I also wanted to connect with other teachers around the globe.  Little did I know how much change would happen in just 4 years!  We have added another child to our family, a son who just turned one, and I have totally changed as a teacher. I'm going to use this blog to share my thoughts about innovation in teaching during a study of George Couros's book Innovator's Mindset!  I hope you will enjoy this ride with me! 

My teaching has evolved over the years due to my amazing principal who has encouraged me (and all of us) to step outside of our comfort zone and do everything for the kids in our classroom.  She has asked us to fail forward - take risks, see if they work and make adjustments where needed.  My principal has "allowed me" to explain my thoughts and why I think these are the best ideas, lessons and teaching practices for my students.  For all of that, I am so thankful!  I also had a new team member join me last year who has a huge passion for technology, innovation and relevance.  We would discuss our plans together to brainstorm ideas of how we can make everything we do about our students and how they will gain knowledge and apply it in their adult life.  I am so thankful that this teacher joined my team and we continue to work together for the good of the kids!

For me, #innovation is important in my classroom because I have seen students learn to take a test and answer questions but have no idea what the content really means or how to be a critical thinker or how to even solve a problem without asking for help from a friend or adult.  I want to see my students grow to be the next (or even better) Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg.  In kindergarten, it is easier to encourage students to just create - not even thinking about rules or others' ideas.  #Innovation is about creating or developing something new or different, something that has never been done before.  

If you have read this far, thank you!  I am excited to go on this journey with all of the other educators out there to discover how and why innovation is important!  You can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #IMMOCC!  I'd love to hear how or why you innovate in your classroom!  Leave your ideas in the comments or questions below!