Tag: engineering

Apps, Creative Thinking, Education, K-12, Parenting, Student Products, Teaching Tools

Goldieblox and the Movie Machine App

Terri Eichholz

You may already be familiar with Goldieblox toys.  I’ve featured a couple of them on this blog.  I recently visited their site, and they’ve added quite a few more products to their selection – all with the aim of getting children, especially girls, interested in engineering.  One of the kits available for purchase is “Goldieblox and the Movie Machine“, which includes pieces and directions for creating a zoetrope.  The company has released a free app to complement this product, but you don’t need to purchase the kit to get a lot of fun out of the app.

screen shot from GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine app
screen shot from GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine app

Our Maker Club has transitioned from making cardboard games to making movies, and one of the apps the students explored last week was Goldieblox and the Movie Machine.  They quickly figured out what they needed to do to create their own short animations, and they were too busy having fun to ask for help from me.  The club is still testing out different options for movie creation, so we haven’t worked our way up to making final products, but I think this app will definitely be a contender for most popular movie-making tool (along with the Lego Movie Maker app).

If you do happen to have the actual kit, then you can use the app to print out your drawings to put in the zoetrope.  However, this is certainly not mandatory, as you can watch your video play on the iPad just as easily.

I definitely recommend that you add this to the list of apps from which students can select for sharing their learning.  They could, for example, make a video of the life cycle of a butterfly or portray how a character changed in a novel.  I’m sure you can think of many more ways to integrate it with academics!

3-12, Careers, Education, Motivation, Parenting, Teaching Tools, Videos

Like a Girl

Terri Eichholz

Screen Shot 2014-07-09 at 4.25.57 PM
Two recent ads tackle sexist stereotypes that contribute to a culture in which women are often seen as inferior.  In the Pantene ad below, women are encouraged to stop apologizing for everything.  This is a bad habit that I am guilty of, and I’ve been trying to curb it for years.  Ram me in the supermarket with your cart, and I guarantee that I will automatically say, “I’m sorry.”  I never realized excessive remorse was a vice primarily displayed by women, but being aware of the problem might help us all to think twice about giving the message that anything that goes wrong is our fault.

The second ad, from Always, gives a pretty powerful message about the phrase, “like a girl.”  If you think about it, you will probably realize that those words are usually not uttered as a compliment.  But they should be.  It’s interesting to see in the commercial that the perceptions about “like a girl” seem to vary with age.  I hope my daughter grows up to be as confident and assertive as the young lady in the blue dress near the end of the ad.

I bring these two examples to you because I’ve talked a lot on this blog about the need for more women in STEM fields.  It’s important to recognize how deeply sexism infiltrates our society through the media and under-educated family and friends.  Coincidentally, I saw a list of the 22 Most Powerful Women Engineers this week on Business Insider.  I’m happy to see these women being honored in an article, but I hope that, one day, it won’t be so notable that there are 22 women who are capable of doing the same intellectually demanding job as men.

UPDATE:  Here is a link to an article about Mo’Ne Davis, the female Little League pitcher who gives a whole new meaning to “throw like a girl!”  H/T to Julia Warner for letting me know about this amazing story!

Careers, Critical Thinking, Education, K-12, Math, Research, Science, Teaching Tools, Videos

This is Your Brain on Engineering

Terri Eichholz
image from: GoldieBlox - "This is Your Brain on Engineering"
image from: GoldieBlox – “This is Your Brain on Engineering”

GoldieBlox, the company devoted to encourage more females to develop interest in STEM, has had its controversies.  But I think they’ve done an excellent job with their latest PSA, a video that parodies the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” campaign.  The ad creatively shows the use of its toys to highlight the entertainment value of engineering and design.  However, it also sprinkles in some sobering facts about the relatively low participation of our gender in engineering careers.  I like that GoldieBlox offers explanations, resources, and links about each of these facts on its site.

For more information on STEM resources for girls, you might want to visit my recent post on Women Role Models, or this one that gives several links to books, games, and sites.

Careers, Computer Science, Education, K-12, Math, Motivation, Parenting, Science, Teaching Tools, Videos

We the Geeks

Terri Eichholz

We the Geeks

In the fortuitous way that things seem to often happen in my life, I spent a fabulous Saturday morning with my daughter at a free event designed to spark girls’ interest in all things STEM related, then 24 hours later stumbled across a “Women Role Models” video on We the Geeks that reinforced all of my strong feelings about this topic.

We the Geeks is a series of Google Hangouts sponsored by the White House.  The purpose is “to highlight the future of science, technology, and innovation here in the United States. ”

In the latest episode, “Women Role Models,” several female guests are interviewed (you can see the guest list below), and give their insight on how to encourage more girls to pursue scientific careers. Many of the guests mention how influential their teachers and teachers were in stimulating their interest in science.  What I heard repeated several times, though, was how important the excitement of the adult mentors can be.  One guest said, “If you have an excited teacher, you’re going to be excited about it.”  Another guest advised that parents should “learn with the kids… stay excited with them.” The latter point is key because, as she pointed out, if parents show that they are intimidated by science and math, that “trickles down” to the children.

Some of the other past episodes of We the Geeks have included: “Celebrating Black History Month,” “Student Startups,” and “Don’t Be Bored, Make Something.”  I haven’t watched any of the other videos, yet, but they all look pretty intriguing.

(Here is a link to a collection of videos to encourage girls in STEM from Amy Borovoy at Edutopia.)

Guests who recently appeared on "Women Role Models" in We the Geeks series
Guests who recently appeared on “Women Role Models” in We the Geeks series

 

My daughter peers through a telescope at the sun during the Girls Inc Science Festival
My daughter peers through a telescope at the sun during the Girls Inc. Science Festival
3-12, Careers, Education, Math, Parenting, Science, Teaching Tools, Videos, Websites

Connect a Million Minds

Terri Eichholz

Connect a Million Minds

Connect a Million Minds is a program that is sponsored by Time Warner Cable with the aim “to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”  The program includes some videos, a website, grants, and other initiatives. In today’s post, I want to focus mainly on a couple of sections of the website – though I encourage you to also visit the collection of videos that show how STEM is used in many careers that students may not usually associate with these subjects.

One of the features of the Connect a Million Minds website is “Connectory.”  This is a page that allows you to search for STEM activities occurring in your area.  I did a search for my zip code, and was a little disappointed.  I am aware of a few upcoming events that weren’t listed.  Obviously, this database requires entries to be submitted from the local programs, and there does not seem to be two-way communication going on everywhere.   Parents are often asking me for camps, classes, and events, and I would love to be able to use this as a one-stop resource.  This has potential, but may need more media exposure to be fully realized.

Another feature of the site is the “Campaigns” section.  Currently, they are running a “STEM in Sports” campaign, which looks like it could really be beneficial for “hooking” some students into STEM.  It includes videos from some sports celebrities, such as Victor Cruz, Magic Johnson, Ian Poulter, and Jeff Gordon.  In the videos, the men relate their specific sports to STEM. (Notice that I said, “men.”  It would be nice to find some women to include in the sports section, as well!)  The “STEM in Sports” campaign also includes some resources for Parents and Educators to download that give suggestions for fun activities highlighting STEM connections in each sport.

If you are trying to find some STEM resources for students, try taking a look at Connect a Million Minds.  You may find something new that will spark a student’s interest in STEM.

 

Creative Thinking, Education, K-5, Student Products, Teaching Tools, Websites

Design Squad

Terri Eichholz

Design Squad

Recently, I did a post on Engineering for Girls Resources, and included Design Squad as one of the resources.  I realized, though, that Design Squad really deserves its own post, so here you go!

As Maker Education becomes more and more prevalent in schools, Design Squad, a product of PBS Kids, is the perfect website for finding projects for elementary aged children.  Similar to DIY.org, it has everything from “Hack a Greeting Card” to “Build a Blaster.”  There are videos and instructions galore.  You can choose by topics of interest, such as:  food, art, sports, etc…

Design Squad includes resources for Parents and Educators here.  There are lesson plans and other links for the adults who want to get kids involved in hands-on engineering projects.

The site features a “Top Builder” challenge.  Today, November 6th, is the deadline for the current challenge, “Newspaper Power.”  But you can always take a look at the Past Challenges, and find some great ideas for your classroom, club, or at home.

Kids can also take the “Build it Better” challenge, such as designing school supplies that work better or clothes that you can wear in any kind of weather.

To enter the challenges, kids will need a log-in, but the great thing is that the log-in does not require any personal information.  Once students are logged in, they can also offer feedback on the other designs that have been uploaded by awarding stickers to the ones that they like.

Design Squad is a great site for involving kids in creating and problem-solving.  Whether you are using it in your classroom, after-school, or at home, it is sure to offer you ideas that will keep students engaged and excited.

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