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Promoting Literacy in our Elementary Library Makerspace
The main goal of my library makerspace is to support and promote literacy. Those literacies include traditional literacies like reading, writing, and research, but also include supporting students in digital literacy, coding literacy, and making. My main goal is still to get kids to love books and reading. I see the makerspace as an extension […]
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Putting the “A” into STEAM
As an art teacher of 33+ years, integrating technology tools into my curriculum is a new and unexplored endeavor. Sure, I have used laptops to look inside art museums and research artists’ work and biographies, used projectors to display images and demonstrate techniques, used social media platforms and blogs to share students’ achievements with a […]
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Learning Across Borders: Collaborative Global Projects
by Cathy Collins Original post in Education Week’s Global Education blog, January 25, 2019 Global collaboration projects, which allow students to work with peers across geographical boundaries, aren’t just interesting, engaging, and fun. They also address several of the ISTE Standards for Students, including “Digital Citizen,” “Global Collaborator,” and “Empowered Learner.” Each year, a wide range […]
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Making A Difference through Collaboration
“All of us are smarter than any one of us.” These words by Ken Blanchard repeatedly resonate for anyone acquainted with Chris Parker. As the Technology Coordinator for Gateway Regional District in Huntington, Massachusetts, Chris is a model collaborator in his quest to improve education through involvement in his own community as well as outreach […]
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Building Self-eSTEAM Program
A year ago, I was inspired by my work at MIT and the Mobile Makerspace. I set out to build a layered, multi-faceted STEAM program that promoted the “self-eSTEAM” of my students through deep and applied learning in circuitry, digital fabrication, and robotics. I was fortunate to receive support from MassCue through a grant that […]
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Coding and Engineering with LEGOS WEDO 2.0
MassCUE graciously supported my grant to obtain Lego WeDo 2.0 kits. The grant allowed me to obtain 10 Lego WeDo 2.0 robotic kits. When I received notice of the award, the Carver School District was completing a new elementary building and the timeline had the obstacle of the moving to and opening of our new […]
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Operation Welcome Mat
How do you draw creatures in? By laying out the welcome mat, of course! Fourth-grade and fifth-grade students at Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham, MA are creating a variety of “habitat enhancements” to make the school’s science garden, vernal pool, and nature trail a more welcoming place for people and pollinators. This fall, with help […]
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Neal Sonnenberg
Taking time to reflect is a common trait of those with a growth mindset. Neal Sonnenberg is one such person in his quest to educate others. As a technology integration specialist in the Medfield Public Schools, Neal strives to support students and teachers alike in their own journeys of engagement. While his initial career was […]
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Robots in the ELA Classroom
This year Concord Middle School received a MassCUE grant for a classroom set of Sphero Balls. With these Sphero Balls we were able to engage the students in learning about a different type of writing in that students were coding robots to mirror character journeys as well as the character’s encounters with injustice. During a […]
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The Power of the Podcast
I spent the summer after my son Rayner was born, pushing his stroller around our neighborhood. I loved being able to get some fresh air and a little bit of exercise, about as much energy as I could muster with a newborn. While walking around, I found myself yearning for something to listen to that […]
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Lee Tighe
For the Love of Learning “From the moment I saw my daughters’ faces light up when they ‘got it,’ I knew that providing children with access to knowledge was my passion.” These are the words of December’s Featured Educator, Lee Tighe. After raising her children and working outside of education for many years, Lee found […]
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Make CS Accessible to All Students with physical computing
by Rashmi Primrikar Reposted with permission of author from original post 9/14/18 www.iste.org The notion that computer science education is essential for all is picking up steam in the United States; however, we still are a long way from making it accessible and equitable for all. The reality is that so far only five states […]
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