Maker Mondays in 2019--Forms Coming Home Soon!

I am preparing the flyer to announce Maker Mondays for January and February 2019.

Here is the information that will be coming home soon!

The Enrichment Program at RES is excited to support a winter session of:

MAKER MONDAYS!

When: Monday Afternoons January 14th, 28th , February 4th, 11th, and 18th

Time: Immediately After School until 4PM

Where: The RES Makerspace

The Details:   Mrs. Rankin will work with students to design, create and make in the makerspace.  
During our time together we will have an opportunity to do guided tinkering projects as well as the
freedom to create from our own imaginations! If you are a student who loves to make and take apart
things, or wants to learn something new in a fun and exploratory environment, then this is the after
school program for you!

Cost:  This five week session will be $35 per student (Part 2 students are welcome to attend,
provided they pay this additional fee). Partial and full scholarships are available.

Students: All students in Grades K-4 are invited to attend, but class size is limited to 20.  Slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis (with a lottery if I receive more than the amount on the same day). *Note last year I had over 75 applicants in the first two days!*

Hour of Code ar RES, December 2018

This week RES students will be participating in Hour of Code during enrichment classes. The week of December 3rd - 7th, 2018 all RES students in grades kindergarten through four will have a hands on introduction to computer programming with Hour of Code activities during their enrichment classes! 

Computer programming helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity in people of all ages. Kindergarten, first and second graders will use  Scratch Jr. app for iPads, while third and fourth graders will choose from a variety of tutorials on Code.org.

                                   

Introducing Hour of Code! Here is a great video explaining some of the benefits of coding:

STUDENTS:  Here are the links for Hour of Code at school this week....some great choices:
Dance Party
https://hourofcode.com/danceparty
Minecraft
https://hourofcode.com/mchoc
Star Wars
https://hourofcode.com/star-wars
Animate your Name
https://hourofcode.com/scratchanim

or choose your own challenge (make sure to note the grade level):
https://hourofcode.com/us/learn

FAMILIES and TEACHERS: Here are links to continue the learning beyond this week at school!  ALL of the included links and recommendations are FREE!
Scratch Jr. iPad app
Scratch Jr. Android app 
More ways to learn from Code.org
Scratch  


Do you have questions about coding?  Do you want to figure out ways to help your kids use computers and tablets to create things versus consume content?  I would be happy to chat with you about this...just reach out to Darcie Rankin at darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org.

“The 'Hour of Code™' is a nationwide initiative by Computer Science Education Week [csedweek.org] and Code.org [code.org] to introduce millions of students to one hour of computer science and computer programming.”

RES Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop Success

The Thursday before November break RES families came together for the fourth year in a row to celebrate creativity and engineering at the RES Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop.
What is an Inventor’s Workshop? The workshop was a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science and technology.  Students worked with their families to create. Activities were facilitated by engineers and teachers. Families had an opportunity to learn together as they experienced the fun of making / building / constructing / designing and more.

I am so thankful for all of the school and community volunteers that made this evening possible. Volunteers from the Society of Women Engineers ran stations to build jitterbots, create rockets and lead our youngest makers in building marble mazes and floating objects for the wind tunnel. ECHO brought an amazing 34 foot Lego car racing tack and a 10 foot high wind wall that had students laughing and cheering all evening. Radiate Art Space brought a variety of spin art machines and created amazing art with students. CHMS educator, Quinn Keating brought a 3D printer and taught families how to use software that drives this tool. RES educators were on hand to support learning and challenge students as they learned to code in Scratch and build with various materials. Cardboard Tek donated some PinBox 3000s for the evening so students could get excited by the design possibilities they will get to have later in the school year.

Here is a video that captures some of the fun of the evening:

Maker Mondays

Maker Mondays at Richmond Elementary school is an after school program that gives students an opportunity to design, create and make in our makerspace.  During our time together students do guided tinkering projects, such as lighting up their creations with LEDs (as shown in this video) as well as the freedom to create from their own imaginations!  Students also enjoy using our Take-Apart station to understand how things work as they dismantle and investigate broken keyboards, computers and more!  The makerspace offers an exploratory environment where students can make and learn through hands on discovery. Students of all ages work side by side--learning from each other--supported by their teacher-- and independently driving their own learning through choice.

Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop 2017 Success!

On Thursday November 30th the RES community gathered with volunteers from the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Studio, and CHMS and JES educators to celebrate making, creating, building and learning.  Students and their families had an opportunity to try a range of hands on activities that encouraged them to Make, Create and Share!  The evening was a true celebration of collaborative learning and FUN. 
Here is a video that gives you a small peak into the great events of the evening.

This event could not happen without the help of volunteers inside and outside of our school community.  I am so grateful to be surrounded by people that believe in student hands on learning and are willing to give time to create this type of experience.

Special Thanks for all of their time and talent to:
Chef James-Awesome Farm to School Dinner
Chris Whitaker--ECHO Science Center, STEM Education Coordinator
Rebecca Garavan and Heather Drury--Radiate Art Space Founders and Marble Painting Artists
Basak Simal,Joan Hathaway (and family), Pam Gillis--Society of Women Engineer's Engineers and Rocket and Jitterbot Inspirations
Willie Lee-- BRMS Technology Educator and Vinyl Cutter Extraordinaire
Quinn Keating--CHMS Technology Educator and 3D Printing Master
Dave Bouchard--JES Enrichment Teacher and Little Bits Synthesizer Sound Enthusiast
Beth Redford--RES Library Media Specialist and Coding Guru
Tonya Darby- RES Third Grade Teacher and Lead Learner in all things Electronic
Katie Lefrancois--RES Fourth Grade Teacher and and All Around Student Creativity Supporter

Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop--Save the Date!

Richmond Elementary School , in conjunction with

the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Space and  MMUSD Educators is proud to present the third annual:

COUGAR CUB INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP

Thursday November 30th, 2017

5:30 – 7:30pm

RES Gym, Library and Art Room

Cost: 2$ per project (to cover cost of disposable resources, scholarships available)

 

Join Us Before for a Farm to School Dinner !

5-6pm, RES Cafeteria

Chili, Mac-n-Cheese, Salad and a Sweet Treat

Donations to benefit RES Farm to School Programming

What is an Inventor’s Workshop?

This workshop is a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science and technology.  Students will work with their families to create!  Activities will be facilitated by engineers and teachers, but tasks will be open ended and creative.  Families will have an opportunity to learn together as they experience the fun of making / building / constructing / designing and more! A variety of activities will be available to challenge students from Grades K – 8.

Activities planned for our workshop include:

Cardboard Challenge:  Create with cardboard! The possibilities are endless!

Making a keyboard with bananas!  MaKey MaKey Boards are electronic devices that convert many regular objects into keys on your computer to control programs like Scratch or videos games.  Objects that are conductive, even slightly, like fruit or people, can be used with the MaKey. 

*New this year*Build and Launch a Rocket!  Using makerspaces materials we will build rockets that reach for the stars as they travel several stories into the night sky.

Creating lighted artwork with throwies!  LED Throwies are LEDs connected to coin batteries to create artwork with light.  They can be added to greeting cards or origami, or used to create nightlights or glowing badges. We will have a station to add LEDs to our rockets

Creating interactive circuits with littleBits!  littleBits are electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make circuits.  Each bit has a specific function (light, sound, sensors, buttons, motors, etc), and modules snap together to make larger circuits. We will have a teacher on hand to use synthesizer Little Bits to create awesome sounds.

Checking out a 3D printer in action!  CHMS and RES students have been using a 3D printer during technology/enrichment classes. Come and watch a 3D printer in action and explore the Tinkercad software we use to make our designs.

Make it Fly!: Create objects to fly in the wind tunnel and fly gliders with BRMS middle schoolers and staff.

Creating abstract art with a digital microscope!  DinoXcope Art is artwork created using a digital microscope to photograph intentional arrangements of materials.  

Programming interactive games with Scratch!  Scratch is a visual programming language.  Use colorful interlocking building blocks of code like legos to build interactive games and programs.

Green Screen! Green screen technology is used to create background scenes for pictures in films and photographs.  Come and create your own awesome photo.

JitterBots!  Back due to popularity, you can create your very own jittery robot!

      SNAP Circuits, Art Creation with Radiate Art Space, ECHO Engineering Challenge, Keva Planks, Robots…and more!!!!

Please contact Darcie Rankin, RES Enrichment Teacher at darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org with questions.

We hope to see you there!

Makerspace Plans and Information

Coming to RES

in the 2016-17 school year

THE RES MAKERSPACE!

A makerspace is an environment that encourages designing, making, building, and creating through hands on exploration. The RES makerspace (located in the existing computer lab space) will be  available for classrooms and small groups during the school day as well as endless opportunities for our kids!

 

Want to learn more about makerspaces? Check out some resources posted on the RES enrichment blog at:

http://enrichmentatres.blogspot.com/p/coming-soon-res-makerspace.html

Every makerspace is unique and ours will grow, develop and change as students, staff and community ideas and suggestions come alive through use and exploration.

Love this idea?

WAYS YOU CAN HELP TO GET THE RES MAKERSPACE UP AND RUNNING:

Recyclable/Free Items You Can Collect over the summer:

Cereal boxes

Paper towel and toilet rolls

Yogurt containers

Plastic lids

Old electronic toys (for a take apart station)

Large Cardboard Boxes

Valuable Making Items You Could Donate:

Straws

Pipe Cleaners

Masking Tape

Duct Tape

Ribbon

String

Wooden Dowels

LEDs

Coin Batteries

Material (scraps are fine)

Hot Glue Gun Sticks

Legos (small)

Tinkertoys

Keva Blocks

Kinex

$$ If you are interested in investing in the infrastructure of the space with a monetary donation, please contact me and we can find an item that would benefit all!

Hands on Help:

I am looking for space design and construction help. (We would need to meet in mid June).  I am looking for people to brainstorm ideas as well as people to make items that would be placed in the space (this would be a great family project for the summer).

Questions? Want to help? Please email darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org

 

Invention Prototypes

In third grade students had an opportunity in enrichment to design and build some invention prototypes.Their creativity and inventiveness was inspiring!

Here are some examples of the excellent inventions made by third graders during enrichment:

For details on our process check out this blog post:  http://enrichmentatres.blogspot.com/2016/04/engineering-design.html

Engineering Design

In third grade enrichment this year our classroom activities have been fairly well synched to the work students are doing in their regular classroom.  Our work has focused on enhancing and adding to the science and social studies curriculum.  However for the last four weeks, we left this lock step and students have been spending time in enrichment experiencing the engineering design cycle.  Time in the enrichment classroom is often spent making and creating, but for this challenge I wanted students to have a larger purpose.  Accordingly to the Engineering is Elementary website (http://www.eie.org/overview/engineering-design-process) in order to experience an engineering design cycle, students must ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve.  

Ask--What is the problem?  

We began our engineering design cycle by asking the question: What bugs you?  After we clarified that siblings did not count (!) and that students had to think about things in their daily life, or community or world problems that bothered them..the ideas began to flow! Each student began with an Inventor's journal in which they wrote down their 'bugs'. This was an odd experience for us...spending a large chunk of time just documenting negative things.....but we discussed the idea that often great inventions are born from necessity or the desire to improve something.  Many students wanted to jump right into creating, but to honor the design cycle we spent one class period simply asking questions.  I encourage you to talk to students about what bugged them.  The lists were thoughtful and interesting. Some students focused on one particular issue and spent time thinking about the constraints and how others have approached fixing the problem, while others listed many ideas!  Since students had just completed a persuasive essay, I encouraged them to try to think of physical things that they could manipulate, design or change.  A very few students really struggled to think of any issue that they felt worth working on and so they brainstormed with myself or a partner. (Can you imagine if nothing bugged you?  I think that sounds nice, so could not find fault in that feeling if they truly meant it!) 

Imagine- What are some solutions?  Brainstorm and pick your best idea!

On the second day students read back through their problems.  Some added a new problem they had thought of since our last meeting too.  Then the creative process began.  Some drew pictures, others wrote down ideas, some talked to a classmate or me.  Students added an idea or ideas to their Inventor's Journal of how they would solve their problem.

Plan- Draw a diagram and make lists of materials you will need.

Before leaving our class on the second day, students had to create a materials list. They let me know what they might need to build a prototype.

Create-  Follow your plan and create a prototype.  Test it out.

Last week students began building their prototypes.  We had many successes and many failures.  We learned that sometimes  making something is harder than imagining how to make it! 

Improve- What works? What doesn't? What could you do better?

We are finding that improving and creating are happening all together as students iterate on ideas as they complete their prototypes.

By next week our goal is to have a working prototype that students can bring home to share with families.  I also challenged students to think of a name for their invention!

As we wrap up, stay tuned for a video of their awesome prototype inventions!