Engaging Minds, Inspiring Discovery~ "Mistakes are proof that you are trying.": May 2013

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Measurement~ Capacity games~ Play and Learn

Click Here to Play Measurement game~ Horrendous Soup

Click Here to Play PBS Kids~ Can You Fill it?

Click Here to Play Measurement~ Soda Game

Monday, May 27, 2013

Measurement, Capacity, Gallons, Quarts, Pints, and Cups Videos~ Watch and Learn

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Invitation~ Team 16's Endangered Species Museum

Math Trail~ Combining Math and Geography for Fun and Engaging Learning Experiences

Math Trail~ Combining Math and Geography

Math Trail from HeyMath!
*Powered by GoogleMaps
*Exciting trails take you to locations connected by a theme
*Test your Math and Geography along the way
*Students need parent permission to play (Families, you need to have an email account to play)

Click on the link below to discover Math Trail and watch a short, how to play video:

Click Here to Learn About Math Trail~ Engaging Math and Geography Education

Families, if you decide to explore Math Trail with your child, please sign them up with your email address. After exploring myself, I found Math Trail to be a unique, enriching, educational game that combines both math and geography. I liked the fact that it offers various levels of difficulty to choose from. Discover for yourself!

Google Chrome~ Web Lab~ Explore and Learn How the Web Works

Google Chrome~ Web Lab~ Bringing the Extraordinary Workings of the Internet to Life

Click Here to Learn About Google Chrome Web Lab

"Web Lab is made of up 5 Chrome Experiment installations that bring the extraordinary workings of the internet to life and aims to inspire the world about the possibilities of the web.

The installations make up a year-long public exhibition at the Science Museum, London and can be interacted with by anyone, anywhere at chromeweblab.com.

Worldwide visitors both on and offline will be able to make music with people across the world; launch information into cyberspace and see where images on the web live; watch their portrait being processed, translated, and then drawn in sand by a robot; and travel instantly to far away places all over the world."

Learn about the science and technology that powers the web. Click on the link below for additional resources for students and educators.

Click Here to Learn More About Google Chrome Web Lab and the Educational Value

Watch the short (less than 2 minutes each) videos that explain:

Real-Time Collaboration~ See how the web enables you to collaborate

Compression~ See how the web can give you experience of being somewhere else

Programming Language~ See how the web connects to physical objects

Data Travel~ See how data travels across the web

Finding Data~ See how information on the web is easily accessible

Below is a brief description of the 5 Google Chrome Experiments:

Universal Orchestra~ Make music with people across the world by playing real instruments live in the museum or in the virtual orchestra

Teleporter~ Travel instantly to far away places and take real- time photos

SketchBots~ Take a picture of yourself and watch your portrait being processed and drawn by robots.

Data Tracer~ Trace routes across the internet's vast network and discover where images are stored

Lab Tag Explorer~ Explore Web Lab's global community and browse visitors' creations

Great Article~ Why Programming Teaches So Much More Than Technical Skills

Click on the link to read an interesting and informative article on programming and student learning:
Click Here to Read a Great Article on Programming and Education

Below is a snapshot of the article:

1. SUBJECT MASTERY

A primary use of programming is to lead a user through the acquisition of knowledge, whether it’s through a traditional lesson or an educational game like those created by Blazes and Hounyo. To lead a user through a range of possible options requires a coder to understand all those options and their implications. Blazes, for example, had to master the basic principals of genetics before creating his game, while Hounyo’s team had to learn about the principals of electricity.

2. SYSTEMS THINKING

Whether writing code to lead a player through a game or a robot up a pyramid, the programming process requires an understanding of how possible inputs and outcomes effect one another. Further, as students move from their first programming language to others, they also learn what organizational elements are universal and what elements may be specific to a particular coding language.

“They’re all sort of the same grammatical structures, and there are sort of different dialects, key words, or quirks to them that you sort of have to learn,” Blazes said of the coding languages he’s learned.

3. COLLABORATION

Most programming projects are multiple-person efforts because the pursuit lends itself well to specialization. For example, if a group of students are creating an educational game, one may have a firmer grasp of the subject matter, while another may be the head coder, and the third may be the visual artist. Some students are actually drawn into programming because of collaborative environments.

“I joined my school robotics team, and we did an awesome first season, and I got hooked to robotics ever since,” Hounyo said. “There are students and mentors working together, and they program the robot to do different tasks, from basic to higher levels.”

4. PASSION

Both Blazes and Hounyo pursued programming out of their own interest, and suggested not all of their school classmates would be engaged by a formal computer programming education. But they also said the constructive nature of programming allows students who are passionate about it to harness that interest and take it as far as they might dare.

“Programming is fun to me,” Blazes said. “It’s something that I can sort of do and have fun and work on, and I can feel a sort of sense of accomplishment when I start working on stuff and even finish something.”

Friday, May 24, 2013

Pictures~ Building and Creating using Laser Pegs~ Nicholas, Daniel, and Mason

Laser Pegs~Unique and Educational Building Toys that Light Up

"The national award winning Laser Pegs® is the first unique toy construction set in the world in which each piece feeds the next piece low voltage current. You can design and build any lighted abstract model. Laser Peg® can be used lit up or turned off. Once one Laser Peg is connected to a power source it then illuminates any other peg it is connected with, making this a very creative construction toy set. "

Click Here to View Photos of Nicholas, Daniel, and Mason Building with Laser Pegs

Capacity~Gallons~Quarts~Pints~Cups Videos

Energy 3D~ A Computer-Aided Design and Fabrication Tool for Making Model Green Building

Explore Energy 3D~ Innovative Building Program~ Allows Students to "print out" their designs, cut out the pieces, and assemble them into a physical model.

About:

"Energy3D presents an easy-to-use 3D user interface for designing and analyzing model green buildings. Students can quickly sketch up a house, a building, or even a village. They can then analyze solar heating of their structures using a helidon that can dynamically generate radiation heat maps. Energy3D allows students to "print out" a design, cut out the pieces, and use them to assemble a physical model. Energy3D is developed for children of age 6-18 and can be used in math, engineering, or physical science classes."

Please click on the link below to learn more:

Click Here to Learn More about Energy 3D

Vision:
"Our long-term vision is to develop a "smart" CAD tool that can generate dynamic, adaptive feedback (based on logging and analyzing student actions) to teach engineering design to K-12 students. This CAD tool will provide "big data" for understanding how students solve engineering design challenges and for investigating how their learning outcomes can be improved."

Sophia and Jocelyn tested this tool out today. Please click on the link below to view photos:

Click Here to View Pictures of Sophia Assembling and Sophia and Jocelyn's Finished Houses

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Raul Gonzalez~ Graphic Novelist~ Cultural Enrichment

Click Here to Learn More about our Cultural Enrichment Workshop

"Students hone their visual communication and storytelling skills through hand-drawing their own original graphic tale with the guidance of award-winning artist Raul Gonzalez. An inspiring teacher, Raul has taught at both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute for Contemporary Arts in Boston. Graphic novels, anime, and comic book art are ideal genres for learning to express personal stories and work through challenges visually, tactilely, and with imagination. Students will practice finding their story, expressing ideas through line, shape and color, and creating narrative through visual sequencing. They will leave with a completed hard copy of their own graphic creation."

Click Here to Check out Raul Gonzalez III Art

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Simplifying Fractions Song~ Sing and Learn

Friday, May 10, 2013

Plate Tectonics~ Volcanos~ Videos/ Songs~ Watch and Learn

Make Your Own Volcano at Home Videos~ Parent Permission is Required

Plate Tectonic~ Exploring Volcanos through Games and Simulations

Click Here to Go to Kids Discovery and Explore the Virtual Volcano

Click Here to Go On an Interactive Field Trip to the Mighty Volcano

Click Here to Build Your Own Volcano Online and Watch it Erupt

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Endangered Species Research Project

Team 16,
Below are links to the endangered species research guide, slideshow requirements, and menu of project options. We will have an endangered species open house of some sort in June. I will send out a date and details by the end of next week. Thanks!