Thanks to some inspiration on Twitter from Jessica Hirsch (@jhirschcusd), I thought it would be a neat idea to have my 4th grade gifted students try to create Makey Makey Operation games with shapes. (They are on a Geometry unit in their regular classrooms, so this seemed like a good time to try it.) As… Continue reading My Brain on Open-Ended Projects
A few years ago, I thought I would help out the parents of my gifted and talented students by writing about some games, toys, or books that I thought might make good purchases during the holiday season. I called the series of posts, “Gifts for the Gifted,” and I have continued to do it annually on every… Continue reading Gifts for the Gifted – Circuit Playground Express
When my students were working on their cardboard mini golf courses, I casually suggested using a Makey Makey to make things interesting – and realized that I hadn’t yet introduced this group of kids to the wonders of this invention tool. When I saw a post from Colleen Graves about making interactive stories and poems… Continue reading Interactive Onomatopoeia
Many of you, like me, may have found the Makey Makey to be quite fun and a great way to inspire creativity. But where to go from there? Makey Makey now offers a Lesson Plans section with suggestions for integrating the Makey Makey into your classroom. The current list is fairly short, but I’m guessing… Continue reading Makey Makey Lesson Plans – Beyond the Piano
I really wish Kickstarter would offer gift cards. I have a huge obsession with creativity – and browsing Kickstarter fuels that craving. I am awed by the imagination of the inventors, and constantly berating myself for not coming up with any of these ideas. So I do the next best thing. I back them. Because it takes imagination… Continue reading Makey Makey Go
For many families, the second week of Winter Break is when boredom kicks in. New gifts and games have lost their luster. No one wants to return to school or work – but lack of structure is beginning to feel less like freedom and more of a chore as everyone tries to find ways to fill… Continue reading The Winter Break Survival Guide for Parents
