DIY – iLearn Technology

DIY: a maker site for kids

March 8, 2013March 8, 2013Kelly Tenkely1 Comment4655 views

What it is: I LOVE everything about this site. It truly embodies everything I love about learning and technology. DIY is an online club for kids to earn maker skills. Kids (otherwise known as Makers) share their creations and work with a larger online community and collect patches for the skills they learn. Each skill has a set of challenges that help kids learn different techniques and create something fantastic. When a child completes a maker challenge, they can add photos and video to their online portfolio to show off their creation. DIY is a website where kids get a public portfolio, an app that they can use to upload videos and pictures of their projects, makers can choose to do challenges to earn “Skills” badges, and a parent dashboard where teachers or parents can follow along on all activity.

Maker identities are always secure, children are asked to choose an animal and a nickname to help protect their privacy. Parents get access to see what their kids are posting online.

I love that this site encourages creativity, reflective portfolios and using technology constructively. It is an outstanding balance of online and offline activity!

How to integrate DIY into the classroom: At Anastasis, we strive to encourage a maker community. We do have a 1:1 iPad environment. For many, this equates to a technology rich environment (it is) where everything is done or consumed on a device. I can think of nothing sadder than reducing learning to a device! We most often use our technology to capture and share our learning. DIY is a fantastic site that makes way for kids to be curious about the world around them, create something new and use technology to innovate.

DIY is a great place to help students discover the love and joy of being a learner and a creator. It fosters a classroom culture of innovation and sharing of learning and accomplishment. So many of the challenges incorporate learning that support standards and other learning that is “required” in the classroom. These challenges would be great to take on as individual makers, in small groups of makers, or to tackle as a whole class. Don’t think of DIY as an “extra” thing to add into your classroom routine. Instead, look through the challenges through the lens of how it can enhance the learning objectives in your classroom. Embrace the maker culture in your classroom and allow room for creativity and innovation. The inquiry model of learning lends itself beautifully toward this. DIY could be the catalyst to making the shift away from more traditional learning and into an inquiry based model.

Tips: Instead of assigning “traditional” homework (read: piles of worksheets), assign a challenge from the DIY site. Better yet, let students choose their own challenge to tackle and make time in the classroom for them to share their creations and accomplishments.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using DIY in your classroom.

Happiness is…

January 21, 2013Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment1600 views

Believe it or not, I have a life outside of education and technology. I know…it is shocking! When I’m not thinking education or technology I’m a big fan of cooking, decorating, sewing, creating. Because I can’t fully ever leave technology behind, I started a blog to contain all of these extra passions. Happiness is a Project is a blog that I started to chronicle my other passions. Some of the posts are creations from my talented, genius of a husband. Others are my creations.

If you find yourself occasionally needing a break from education and technology, head on over and be inspired by our passions. We hope that it ignites your sense of creativity and connection to more. The full blog is at http://happinessisaproject.wordpress.com You can also find us on my Happiness is a Project Pinterest board.

We are at our happiest when we have projects. We love to create and putz around with new ideas. Give yourself permission to pursue passions outside of education and tech. I find that my creativity within education and tech is spurred on when I take a break to pursue other passions!

Maybe you fall in LOVE with my husband’s projects as much as I do. If you aren’t down for recreating your own version, Jonathan just opened an online store where you can purchase some of his creations. Check it out at http://LegacyGoods.com That boy I love is TALENTED!

Science Toy Maker

August 2, 2011Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2413 views

What it is: Science Toy Maker is a teacher-created website with fantastic instructions and ideas for science toys and projects. These are mysterious, kinetic, noisy, do-it-yourself science projects that spur scientific investigation. The science toys and projects are inexpensive (seriously so cheap that anyone can make them!) and don’t require special skills, tools, materials, or work space. Each toy or project has a “more about” page that includes explanations, historical context, related activities, and high-quality links for more research. Each toy/project also has a clear step-by-step video directions or text instructions with helpful pictures. This is a GREAT resource for the classroom, for students interested in science and for parents.

How to integrate Science Toy Maker into the classroom: Science Toy Maker is a fantastic place to visit for fun science projects and inspiration. These simple toys/projects demonstrate powerful science concepts and can be used as an introduction to a new concept or an illustration of a concept. They are easy enough to follow for kids to do them independently making this a great stop for a center activity.

Do you have students who just can’t get enough science? Send them to Science Toy Maker to continue that passion inside and outside of school. Parents will appreciate the resource to keep their kids learning and students will enjoy the continued exploration and creating.

I love sites like this one, it may not be the most visually appealing site, but the content and ideas behind it are wonderful. Why not have your students create their own science experiment site? Throughout the year, students can record science experiments with photos or videos and add information and research they have gathered. This can be added to a class wiki for reference later in the year and to share with other students.

Tips: The most developed projects and toys are at the top of the site with those that are still a work in progress toward the bottom.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Science Toy Maker your classroom!

BBC Build a Catapult: the science and math behind the catapult

May 11, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment5291 views

What it is: Any time students can dig in and discover learning for themselves, I consider it a success. Recently I ran across the BBC’s DIY build a catapult. The site lets students explore the history behind the catapult, learn how to build one step by step and then discover principles of velocity, acceleration, force, distance and math. With the popularity of games like Angry Birds, I think a lesson in the science and math behind the catapult is in order. I like the step-by-step nature of this site and the way that kids are guided through a series of directions.

How to integrate BBC Build a Catapult into the classroom: Begin with a time of inquiry where students can inquire into how catapults work, what they can launch, what they have been used for in the past and the science and math behind the catapult. This site will help answer a lot of their questions and even prompt some additional questions. Students can follow the step-by-step directions for constructing their own catapult. Give students the opportunity to test their catapults, using the science and math concepts behind the catapult to predict where object will land based on angles and mass. The science section of the site does a fantastic job of illustrating vertical velocity, horizontal velocity, the circumference of a circle, acceleration, force and mass. These can be hard to understand concepts on paper (or in textbooks) but when students can see the concept illustrated and apply it, they will begin to build a framework of understanding.

After students understand the concepts of building a catapult, ask them to try building a catapult out of different types of supplies, do some energy sources work better than others? Ask students to think about objects in our modern-day lives that use the principles or science used in a catapult.

Students can access this site from classroom computers as a learning/building center or go through the steps as a class using a projector-connected computer or interactive whiteboard.

I really appreciated the step-by-step directions for students to follow. This is such a necessary life skill, and one that I don’t see practiced enough. If students know how to read, understand and follow directions, the whole world opens for them and Google becomes useful!

Tips: At the bottom of the site are printable versions of the directions for building a catapult.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using BBC DIY Catapult in your classroom!