Magee MakerSpace: Week 1!

The school year has started and we are very excited at Magee to implement MakerSpace.  This past Friday our multi-age group of seventy-nine 2nd and 3rd graders met in our new space, The Depot.  I introduced the students to seven stations that they are going to be able to explore starting this week.  I used the MakerSpace website that was created last year with the district's library media team.  Click here to see that site.

 The seven stations are: Lego WeDo, MaKey MaKey, Little Bits, Osmo, Video production using a green screen, Coding and Cardboard Challenge.  (To see a description of each, go to the above website.)  After being introduced to the stations the learners got on their Chromebooks and started to explore the website.  After going back to their classroom, they chose four stations that they were most interested in exploring.  The 2nd and 3rd graders are going to come to The Depot and Information Station for the next four Tuesdays and Fridays to explore a station a week.  I just finished creating the first groups.  I'm so excited to get started on Tuesday!  I hope the learners and teachers are too!

Stop Motion Videos

In my last post I talked about how I'd like the 4th and 5th graders I work with to try creating a stop motion video.  We used the online tool, ABCYa! Animate to get used to what stop motion video is.  To start our stop motion project I first showed the students a simple video I created using a toy bus, a Chromebook and the online video editor WeVideo.  I then put students into groups of two or three and gave each group a story board.  I told them they could use anything in the library as props or they could bring in items from home.  Students got right to work talking about their ideas and sketching out a story.  The following day some groups were ready to start filming.  It was really interesting to see all the different ideas students had come to life.  I've linked most of their videos below.  Enjoy!

Ben, Olivia and Colt

Lauren, Allyson and Caleb

November, William and Dillon

Kaytlyn, Kacey and Brett

Alyssa, Lee and Taylor

David, Luke and A.J.

Go Animate!

One of the many reasons why I love working at Magee school and in the Kettle Moraine School District is the great team of library media specialists (LMS) I get to work with.  They all have great ideas and we share with each other all the time.  Recently, Debbie Thompson, LMS from Dousman Elementary, was telling me about how she was having her 5th graders make stop motion videos using the Chromebook and WeVideo.  I thought that would be a great thing for my 4th and 5th graders to try.  I didn't think that the students had much experience with animation or stop motion video so I wanted to have them try an online tool first.  I had heard a lot about the tool, ABCYa! Animate.  I tried using it and it was a lot of fun and easy to use.  I introduced it to students and they took off!  I was really excited to see all of the different animations they

created.  The tool allows you to save your animation and then students emailed them to themselves so they could share them with others.  Next week we will start the stop motion video.  I can't wait to see what they create then!

Here is an example of one of the animations a student created.  This one is by 5th grader, November.

Why We Love Magee....by 4th and 5th Graders

Magee students love their school, but what do they love about it?  I wanted to expose the 4th and 5th graders to the online tool. Pow Toon.  Pow Toon  allows users to create animated videos.  I also wanted the students to do work collaboratively.  I first introduced Pow Toon to the group and let them each create their own video about anything they wanted.  The students were very excited.  Some even came back the next day with their video done!  The next week I let the students choose their own group of two or three.  Their job was to create a Pow Toon describing one thing about Magee they love.  Students chose things like TEAM time, art class, recess and field trips.  We discussed how our audience is someone we would like to convince to come to our school.  We also talked about how to work in a group.  It's up to the group members to work together to choose a topic and make sure everyone contributes.  It was fun to watch their collaboration.  Here is a link to their videos.

Hour of Code...Continued!

We have been coding the whole month of December! These past few weeks kindergartners, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders have been coding. I was really impressed with the kindergartners. I didn't know how they would do. Using Code.org's course 1,  they were coding with Angry Birds! Kindergartner, Luca, was so excited when he finished a level he exclaimed, "Now I'm going to build a computer!"

I was actually impressed with all the grades.  

They stuck with it when it got hard.  They helped each

other.  After finishing his Hour of Code in under an hour, 2nd grader Elliot shouted out, "I am the King of Code!"  Another 2nd grader, Gabby, was so excited after getting past a part she was struggling with said, "Yes!  I did it!"  

 I think we have some future computer programmers here at Magee!

Enjoy the pictures of students hard at work!

Hour of Code: Week 1

Students at Magee participated in the Hour of Code this past week and will continue to participate through the end of the month.  This is the third annual Hour of Code.  It occurs during Computer Science Education Week.  It was started by the website Code.org.  The purpose is to introduce kids to computer science, which is often not taught at schools.  Coding is the language that is used to create apps, websites, games and more.  Hour of Code shows kids and adults that anyone can learn to code!  It introduces them to the possibility of designing apps and games as a career.   If you want to read more about the Hour of Code and the benefits of computer science, click here.  This week 4th and 5th grade participated.  We used the website, Tynker.  Tynker has special Hour of Code activities. Some of the activities the 4th and 5th graders did were, Candy Quest, Puppy Adventure and Dragon Dash.  Here is what a few 5th graders said about participating in the Hour of Code:

David said, "I think that coding is awesome! This had made me think maybe I should be an engineer. Its so interesting and fun. This is job that would would be so fun. Now I want to be a engineer."

November commented that, "Hour of Code is a great way to advertise coding and it sends a message that anyone can code!"

Nate said, "I really liked it because it made me think about how hard coding a computer is. I really think that if I had to I would need a lot of lessons. I also really liked it because we got to learn how to code. I can't wait to do it when I have free time."

Luke commented that, "It was one of the most fun things I did on my computer!"

  

Using Google Maps in the Classroom

3rd graders are in the middle of a map unit in Social Studies.  3rd grade teacher, Mr. Suhr wanted the students to use all of the skills they've learned so far in a real world application.  He introduced the students to Google Maps.  Students stated at our school, Magee Elementary.  They then wrote directions from Magee to different places in our district, like the Delafield Public Library, Dousman Elementary and more.

After writing their directions, we took the students back to Magee.  I then showed them how Google Street View works.  That was so fun!  I asked the students to follow street view to downtown Genesee Depot, which is right down the highway from our school.  Most of them found my one of my favorite businesses, Sally's Sweet Shop.  I'm anxious to hear how many 3rd graders went home and looked up other places on Google Maps.  Mr. Suhr shared how he was going to find his brother's new house in Texas.  Google Maps is a great tool and using it effectively is a skill these students can use for years to come.