One of my favorite books to read to my Kinder GT class when we talk about Inventor Thinking is Christina Katerina and the Box by Patricia Gauch. Christina is a very creative young lady who finds all sorts of uses for the box delivered to their house “on a refrigerator.” Her mother keeps trying to … Read more
No one has ever accused me of being artistic. And, though some might call me “crafty” I’m pretty sure that they don’t mean it in the complimentary sense. When it comes to technology, I am comfortable. When it comes to Scratch programming language, I’m all over it. When it comes to making things from scratch, … Read more
If you want to spend the best $50 ever on a classroom supply or birthday gift, then I would highly recommend Makey Makey – touted as “the invention kit for everyone.” For today’s Phun Phriday post, I bring to you the most versatile piece of computer hardware that I’ve ever used. I’ve seen MaKey MaKey … Read more
Last November, I published a post about an interesting product by Modular Robotics called, “Cubelets.” It was included in my “Gifts for the Gifted” series, which I try to do every November and December. (You can find a collection of these here.) Cubelets are a bit pricey for a birthday gift, but they make a … Read more
In his TCEA 2014 presentation, “Failure to Innovate,” Randy Rodgers stated the above quote, and I realized that it really says a lot about the problems in education today. Our students are far too reliant on following directions, and so many are afraid to deviate in order to do some creative thinking. I remember my … Read more
At the beginning of this school year, I found myself working next to an empty classroom. I thought, “Hey, now we can spread out a bit more during Robotics Club meetings.” In the meantime, I had been reading about the surge of Maker Spaces in libraries and schools. I decided to move the gigantic … Read more