Ozobots in grade one

We have been working with Ozobots the past few weeks.
This week we made a map of the classroom using lego pieces.  Students then had to program ozobot to come in the door and go somewhere in the room.  Students worked in groups of four.  The main challenges were in calibrating the bots and then downloading the program onto them.
Overall though, a successful activity.

Grade 5

I think I have tried to engage in some STEM activities, but really appreciate the opportunity to explore how to communicate with my students why or how this is Engineering, and acknowledging /looking for the connection to Math in our Science work.
While the robots left me wondering how this is specifically connected to curriculum, I have had some experience since that has helped me appreciate more of the potential for this to allow students to be creative - more than just from an excitement point of view, but from a big, designing, showing understanding perspective.

Goal Setting -- Changes... Understanding Yourself As A Learner

Design Thinking meets Math...
Students are creating 3D representations using loose parts to show their understanding of the concept of subtraction. They were asked to show their challenges and successes as they are learning. The students are gaining insight into themselves as learners. They are setting goals within IRIS and articulating their strategies to achieve their goals. They are goal setting to increase their areas of confidence and growth.

Grade 3 - Brainstorm of Possible Ideas

How would you design an activity that uses modeling as a way to experience science in an authentic way?

Basically anything that incorporates a table or data set could be graphed via ViMap.

Potential Ideas:

Science Units: Building with a variety of materials, testing materials and designs, life cycles, hearing and sound, rocks and minerals

-       catapults and measuring distance of marshmallow traveled

-       recording size of butterfly chrysalis, discover average growth rate over time

-       Relate bridge strength to weight supported

-       Record distance sound travels at various volumes or pitch

Social Studies: India, Tunisia, Peru, Ukraine

- move robot between countries (LEGO Mindstorms), calculate distance using a floor map, scale and cardinal directions, relate to flight travel time – discover shortest flight route to hit all 4 countries and return to Calgary?

Direct math activities

- Translations rotations reflections

- perimeter – possibly area?

- input/output tables and rules

- graphing

Modelling in Science - Gr. 5 Wetland Ecosystems

How have/would you design(ed) an activity that uses modelling as a way to experience science in an authentic way?

Based on the predator-prey models from the previous session, students linked the understandings from their Wetland Ecosystems unit and the book Wolf Island (Celia Godkin) to develop a deeper understanding of food pyramids when modeled using wolves and deer. Students used the Net Logo simulation to “play” with the variables and explore the result of a variety of ecosystem imbalances.

Explain the connections to one or more of the STEM disciplines in that activity.

The activity links to STEM education is a myriad of diverse ways. Science, as it is focused on ecosystem interactions; Math, as it is based on numeracy and specific math operations; Technology, as it makes use of computer simulations; Engineering, as students had to design and use iterative cycles to develop understanding of imbalances.

Coding

The past couple of months we have introduced coding to grade one students through some of the websites on Hour of Code (Kodables, Lightbot and Candyquest).  Most students have found the programs challenging but they’ve persevered, however, other students have given up quickly and found it frustrating.  While I’ve found these to be a great start to coding, it hasn’t related to anything else we’ve been doing in the classroom.  We did a few  “dumb robot” coding in the gym, where they students worked in groups and tried to program each other through a course (jump in the hoop, out of the hoop, over the rope, etc.).  I would like to do more of this, related to math shapes, as we did this morning.  This would then transition into coding a square/rectangle etc. into a program such as ViMAP.

We have daily (almost) STEAM stations where students are building with a variety of materials.  I’m still working on how to “mathematize” these activities.  Any ideas?

STEM Professional Learning

Overview As a teacher, learning leader or instructional coach in a K-12 school jurisdiction, you are invited to participate in a professional learning series as a component of the Imperial Oil Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (IO STEM) Education initiative. IO STEM is a joint commitment of the University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education and the Imperial Oil Foundation to foster the design and implementation of engaging learning experiences for K-12 students who will become the scientists and engineers of the future. To that end, the Galileo Educational Network provided the initial professional learning series in 2015-16 to build STEM capacities for teachers, learning leaders and discipline specialists.  The 2016-17 series is designed for new participants who have a teaching assignment that will enable them to enact the professional learning directly with students.

IO STEM Learning Series Intentions Design an experiential STEM learning environment for teachers and leaders in which they are supported to develop student STEM tasks Build capacity to design and enact intellectually engaging, experiential student tasks and assessments in STEM Sponsor research-informed, evidence-based practices for effective teaching, learning and leading in STEM areas Engage in an iterative process of reflection and action for continual quality improvement in designing STEM learning opportunities Build pedagogical capacity as designers and leaders in STEM Strengthen a STEM professional learning network where participants are committed to making teaching, learning and leadership visible, sharing artifacts, and disseminating learning with the broader community

Dates and Location Full day sessions (9AM – 3PM) will be held on the University of Calgary campus on the following dates: Thursday, November 17, 2016 Friday, January 27, 2017 Tuesday, March 14, 2017 Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Sessions will take place in EDT 450, located on the fourth floor of the Education tower at 2500 University Drive NW.