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Showing posts from January, 2016

So Fortunate!

Chromebooks+Tinkercad+Perseverance+Creativity+Cura+ Ultimaker2=Gidy 5th graders!

Tale of Two Girls

Last Wednesday morning during Page Turner's book club these two sweet girls found themselves sitting and enjoying a great book.  15 minutes before I took this picture, Addie (a kindergartener) had come to school with her big brother who was working the early shift of the student council school store.  Addie didn't really have anywhere to go, so naturally she ended up where all the action was...the library.  There were about 45 kids reading all around the library.  Not surprising, Addie was a bit intimidated and a little worried; a tear or two leaked from her eyes.  Without missing a beat, Ava (a fourth grader) noticed what was happening and immediately took action.  She volunteered to read to Addie, she wiped away her tears, and let Addie pick the book they were going to read.  This makes my heart smile.  Kids displaying great character and showing empathy for others.  

Quick Update

TinkerCad Tutorials for 5th grade. 1st graders working on their insect inquiry at the standing desks...a little difficult for one!  4th graders mastering stop-motion. Allie, our resident Floors expert helps the 4th grade boys get going. 5th grade boys done checking out so they are settled in with a good book! Our interior windows get a makeover.

Yes, We Read!

Bringing a MakerSpace to our library has definitely changed the way we learn in our library.  But we continually strive for a balance of making, thinking, and reading.   Yes, we read!  We read visiting author books, we read books to help us as makers, we read holiday/seasonal books.  We read for information and we read for pleasure. Page Turner Book Club members read every Wednesday morning. Book clubs read with Mrs. Haynes at lunch and at the end of the day. Our school PTA gives books to kids on their birthdays. Our library has a Little Free Library where kids can take a book anytime they wish (even if they don't bring a book to swap). We have classroom checkout times scheduled and we have open access checkout so kids can come to the library every day if they wish...and some do. I read the Building Block and Show Me Nominees aloud to K, 1st, and 2nd grade.  I read one GKCRead nominee to get our 3rd graders started on their award books, I introduce our Mark Twain no

Third Grade MakerKid's Club

What a great way to end a busy week...another MakerKid's Club!  This month's club is for our 3rd graders.  We had a fabulous turnout of kids and everyone found something they wanted to do.  Kids had many options which included littleBits, OSMO, creating bookmarks, Lego WeDo, Lego bricks, Lego wheels and ramps, Dot and Dash, Sphero Robotic Balls, Yarn Bombing, Cubelets, K'Nex, or simply using MakerSpace materials to create.   I am so thankful I have Mrs. Haynes to work with...she is truly amazing!  She had to be gone Friday morning but was sure to be at MakerKid's Club to help our kids out, especially explaining how littleBits work. Looking forward to our next 3rd grade session on Friday, January 29th-same time, same place!
Meet... Lewis, Clark, Liberty, Nashua (we like to call him Nash), Palmer, and Ferguson (also known as Fergie).  My second graders (ok, the entire student body and even some staff) are absolutely giddy every time they even catch a glimpse of these cute little fellows.  We love the possibilities that these robots offer!  Coding, creativity, and collaboration!  I am so lucky to get to end every day of the week sharing these guys with my second graders.

Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game By John Coy

A cold morning 11:00...1944... two teams hop into their cars. The members of Duke University Medical School team knew they were going to play a game but against who? They would round the streets of Durham to make sure they were not followed.  When the cars stopped, they pulled towels over their heads and walked into the gymnasium. Who are they facing? How will it end? Reviewed By Ben H.