Above the Line in Elementary

As we all know - if it is a hassle to get something set up... we are probably not going to use it very often. That has been the case with the green screen in my classroom. Previously the fabric was folded and stored in a plastic tote and if we wanted to use it for a class project, we had to clear out an area in the classroom and pin up the green fabric. It was a pain, therefore it didn't happen very often. To solve this problem, I created a Green Screen curtain that can easily be pulled out when a student has a project they want to use. I used some heavy duty wire (previously it hang across my classroom as a work display wire but the fire marshal made me take it down). I also had this package of clips from IKEA that slide along the wire. The clips stay on the wire, but the fabric can still be easily taken down if it is needed somewhere else on campus. The curtain slides into this corner of my classroom so it is out of the way, but easily accessible. I have t

I purchased the New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer with money raised from an after school STEM party fundraiser. I saw the MOD-t demonstrated at ISTE 2016 in Denver. I had not con 3D printing in elementary school - the whole concept was very vague to me. I saw this example of a 3D printed model of one of the CA missions at the New Matter Expo booth and I was sold. I teach California state history and I thought it would be amazing for my students to design their missions in tinkerCAD and print them out - so much better than using cardboard and sugar cubes like I did when I was a kid. As I have learned more about 3D printing, I realize that a project like this mission model is very complex. I had to start small with my students. 

In an attempt to inspire a maker culture at my school I have begun my research with the book, Worlds of Making, Best Practices for Establishing a Makespace for Your School  by Laura Fleming  @LFlemingEDU This is a quick read and a great place to start when planning this kind of project. Laura has a great website full of resources HERE . Here are my thoughts, notes, and key takeaways: