Author: Terri Eichholz

Terri is a curriculum and tech integration specialist, speaker, and author with a passion for engaging and empowering learners. She delivers engaging professional learning, consultations on a variety of educational needs, and professional articles for various outlets . Find out more about Terri on the About page in the site menu.
3-12, Critical Thinking, Education, Games, Gamification, Problem Solving, Teaching Tools, Websites

Codecademy After-School Club

Terri Eichholz

Some of you may already be familiar with Codecademy, which offers free on-line courses in programming and web-site authoring.  Now, the site is offering a free after-school program that it states can be used with students as young as 7.  During the first semester, the students learn how to build a website.  The second semester teaches how to build an adventure game with JavaScript.

According to Codeacademy, even teachers who have little experience with programming can facilitate the after-school club.  There is a free, downloadable curriculum, and Codecademy also provides a mailed kit to the first 250 teachers to sign up, which includes stickers and “other stuff for your club”.

The program is self-paced, and there are no downloads or special pieces of equipment required.  As long as you have computers with compatible internet-connected browsers, you do not need to provide any other materials.

Codeacademy’s After-School Program looks like a great opportunity for younger students to begin learning the basics of computer languages.

Art, Creative Thinking, Education, K-12

How to Break Out of a Creative Rut

Terri Eichholz

How to Break Out of a Creative Rut
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

Apps, Critical Thinking, Education, Games, K-12, Problem Solving

Move the Box

Terri Eichholz

As promised last week, my Friday posts are all about “fun”.  Although, I am not sure how “fun” this particular game will be for people like me – who are spatially challenged.  Move the Box is a free iPhone app that requires logic and visual reasoning skills.  I have been trying to work on the latter, but seem to be particularly weak in that area.  In Move the Box, you are limited to a number of moves in which to pull boxes out of a pile, resulting in like boxes landing in vertical or horizontal rows and disappearing.  Your goal is to get all of the boxes to disappear.  You begin with a limit of 1 move, which might seem daunting, but it is easier to use process of elimination than when you get to the level that allows you two moves.  That is when it gets really challenging.  Good luck, and try not to get frustrated!

Art, Creative Thinking, Education, K-12, Student Products, Websites

100cameras

Terri Eichholz

 

photo credit: http://www.100cameras.org

Here is the basic premise of 100cameras:

The model is simple, bringing change full circle. 100cameras..

 ..identifies communities that are home to marginalized children

..partners with child-centered organizations that are successfully solving local problems

..provides art education by teaching children how to tell their stories through photography

..amplifies their voice by sharing their perspectives with the world

..empowers their story to raise awareness and funds to impact their own communities.

The photos on this site are powerful, and I love that they are taken by children in their own environments.  Seeing the world through their eyes is amazing.  Offering the prints for purchase gives the students a genuine voice.  This is a wonderful idea.  If you are interested in partnering with 100cameras to bring this project to your community, visit this page.

I can also visualize many ways that this concept can be adapted for the classroom or for a school.  The best thing about this is putting the cameras into the hands of the students.  Let them tell a story with pictures.  Let them display it to an audience.  And let them receive feedback for their work.  Engage their minds, and let them be heard.

 

 

Apps, Education, K-12, Motivation, Teaching Tools, Websites

Class Dojo App

Terri Eichholz

 

A little less than a year ago, I reviewed a site called Class Dojo, a free website that teachers can use as a tool for behavior management.  You can see my original review here.  Now, Class Dojo is offering an app for iDevices (with an Android app on its way).  Since my original review, Class Dojo has now added features for parents and students to access the accounts as well.  When students access it, they can create their own avatar, which will easily keep them occupied for awhile!  (Please be aware that, for the students to register, they must enter their birthdate and an e-mail address.  If the birthdate reflects that the student is younger than 13, than the prompt asks for a parent’s e-mail address, so permission can be given for the child to have an account.)  As far as I can tell, Class Dojo is planning a portal for parents to view their children’s progress, as well, but it does not seem to be up and running yet.  Class Dojo is a fun and useful tool for teachers that seems to be getting more robust.  Hopefully, it will continue to be free!

3-12, Behavior, Creative Thinking, Education, Games, Gamification, Motivation, Teaching Tools, Videos

The Positive Effects of Playing Games

Terri Eichholz
photo credit: mrsdkrebs via photo pin cc

The topic of gaming and its usage in the classroom has been popping up more and more in the last year or so.  Jane McGonigal, who is an expert in this area (check out this link to see her extensive experience and list of “unlocked” achievements), gives some good reasons that we should not dismiss gaming as “a waste of time”.  Other than improving flirting skills, it seems that many of the benefits might be worth consideration by teachers.  I am planning to create a gaming environment in my gifted classroom this year for my 5th graders, and I hope to see an increase in productivity in the areas of creativity and ambition, as Dr. McGonigal predicts!  If you are interested in this topic, you might want to visit Gamification of the Classroom and Classroom Game Design, too!