Read & Write Extension in Chrome

This support tool was recently shared with me: add the Read & Write Extension in Chrome to allow students a reading immersive experience on any website. It's great for reading text out loud, understanding unfamiliar words & more. Here's how to add it:

Trust me on this one.....ROBOTICS works!

Yesterday was a surreal day for me.

This is a picture of me in my car, fully loaded with robotic equipment, heading to my first of the season VEX IQ Robotics Middle School Qualifier…. just like I’ve done for the last eight seasons.

Along with my 8 teams, there were 14 other teams who, by coincidence or not, had a teammate that had either been on a past team of mine or had attended one of the camps I held at school. All the members of one 'homegrown' team had teammates from several years of past teams – and – their coach was from one of the first teams I coached.

I kept thinking, “This is like seeing my life flash before my very eyes”. I hugged at least 15 other team’s kids yesterday – and – their parents.

Every one of them did so well, including my 8 new teams. I could not be happier or prouder.

Folks – if you have kids, especially ones that are not very good at sports or music, you must get them into robotics! It will change their life!

Trust me on this one...

My Name is Elana

The first day of 6th grade (circa 1972), the teacher called roll. When she got to my name, she pronounced it "ah-lawn-ah". I respectfully corrected her as my parents taught to do by saying "it's 'ee-lay-na'”. To wit, she said "Yes, but it looks like it should be 'ah-lawn-ah'". And around and around we went until she loudly grunted and said "Ok Miss Fremont" - a proud distinction, had it not been said with her sarcastic tone. So, for the rest of the school year, in a class of Marks, Toms, Andreas & even Sylvias, I was the only one called by my surname with a sarcastic tone. 

I didn't much care for that woman. Not just because of my name, but because of all the other slights to the rules of inter-personal relationships. And to this day, after all these years, it's still a clear memory of how she made me feel. I think we should all feel valued in our learning space, our work space & all spaces in between. 

A friend shared this article from 2016 and I think it still speaks volumes about this very topic: "A Teacher Mispronouncing A Student's Name Can Have A Lasting Impact" - If we are to build relationships with the students in our classrooms, it should begin by properly pronouncing their name.

And, for the record, I still believe that that teacher was the one that lost out. My Science Teacher, Mrs. Chalke, got the distinction for being my favorite teacher that year and beyond!

Computer Science -- why? Or, maybe, why not.

• Computer Science is so much more than learning to code. It's about blending computers and other brands of technology with computational and critical thinking. In Computer Science, we're teaching students to think about how to solve problems.

  This is done by decomposing a problem - or, breaking it down into small chunks. Recognizing patterns, similarities or trends. Adding in an amount of abstraction, where we weed out the information we need versus the unnecessary 'stuff' that we don't need. Then, putting it all together to determine the steps or rules - the algorithm.

  Just about every industry on the planet requires applicants to have some form of background in Computer Science.

  For example:

  In Agriculture - farmers look to Computer Science to make their farms more efficient with watering systems, robotic equipment that will harvest fruits and vegetables that take them from plant to table in short periods of time.

  In the shipping industry, Computer Science is seen in programmed robots that sort, scan, package, label and eventually move to ship out the item in record speeds. Think about just how fast it takes to order, then receive the purchased item. Some arrive the same day or overnight. Rarely does it take longer than that. 

  In Architecture, civil engineers are needed to construct computer programs to design bridges, buildings or other infrastructures.

  In businesses from every industry, Computer Science is used in the form of developing tools, designing webpages and software to make organizations more efficient and, in most cases, more profitable.

  In Medicine, Computer Science is used to design medical devices and surgical instruments, and, to even perform surgical procedures with pin-point accuracy that no human can replicate. 

  Biologists use drones and software to track and analyze the migration of animals, food and water supplies and the preservation of rainforests.

  This is all Computer Science. In education, it is intertwined into each and every one of our content areas. We are molding students to fill these jobs. 

  And....Computer Science is an integral part of that process. 

  So, why the study of Computer Science in our classrooms? It might be best to ask - why not.

The Power of Peer Review

Peer Review, point blank, just works. It’s a double check of things as simple as grammar, sentence structure, feedback on steps, and…you, name-its. In my middle school Computer Science class, we also have peers suggest ways to improve products, improved codes, and, in the end, suggest ways to make ‘it’ better.

I introduce the old concepts of T.A.G., but with a twist. TAG is simply: 

T - Tell your peer what you like. What has your peer done well. This is a time to bring out everything that is looking great in the project. Shower your peer with positive vibes here. 

A - Ask questions. When you look at your peer’s project, what are you curious about? What is tricky or unclear? Ask the question. Get more clarity or ask questions that may make your peer think of other aspects they may not have thought of. And….

G - Give suggestions. What can you suggest that would make the project better, more clear, or add that extra special elements to make the project pop? Brainstorm with your peer.

A cheery reminder before Tag-time to all students is to be kind, be constructive, be a helper. I typically have students submit the feedback they gave and the feedback they got as part of all project deliverables in class. 

It just works!

Finch 2.0 - Coding & Robotics

 

At first glance this looks like a really strange little kid’s toy. In fact, my middle schoolers were looking at me and wondering why we were going to use this thing in class. They were certain I had lost my mind. But as we dug deeper into the coding aspect of it, we all realized just how much this little robot can “kick a punch”.

Finch 2.0 by BirdBrain Technologies, is an educational robot that can be coded using block, JavaScript and Python languages, among many, and is rated for students 5 years and older. Make no mistake, though - the company does a fine job in marketing this bot for middle grades and up the ladder to college aged students as well - and with nice results, I might add.

Programming a Micro:bit in apps like Snap!, MakeCode, Swift, to name a few, has Finch accessible using Macs, PCs, Chromebooks, and tablets. Other cool features include Bluetooth, sensors, a 7-hour battery life (impressive) and more. This is a very impressive product.

In teams of two, my students have had their Finch:

• Code their way through mazes
• Define shapes
• Code their way through a scavenger hunt for information (space theme, civics ed theme, etc)
• Played a life-sized version of Battleship
• Worked their way through obstacle courses
• Drew figures, their names, you-name-it - a marker can be inserted into the bot easily.

I start by getting students used to the Micro:Bit - how it works, downloading their code, etc. In each program are tutorials, how-to’s, etc to help out on this part. Once you get past these logistics, the rest is relatively easy. Students will likely pick up other meaningful aspects of it on their own.

I’m a big fan!

https://store.birdbraintechnologies.com/products/finch2

Semantris

I’ve been looking for ways to explore ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE with my middle school Computer Science classees. I just happened upon this gem that mixes AI (aka machine learning) with vocabulary, keyboarding and mousing support features in a pretty cool way.

In Semantris, a project by Google AI, there are two types of games. One where the user types in clue words in an attempt to remove blocks that highlight like-words on the page. There is no time limit to come up with the clue, so you can take your time and be creative. Once typed, the program will match it with other words and remove them from play. It’s learning meanings or matching what users would associate with other words. 

The other game is a bit more intense. It’s an arcade game where you type clues to match the highlighted words on a list. The faster you type, the more points to win in a quest to earn a spot on the leader board. This one is fun as well, but you have to think and type pretty fast, in a rapid-fire manner, to keep up.

I would rate this site for 2nd grade all the way up the ladder. It was easy to access and easy to play. 

Artificial Intelligence, or machine learning, has become so popular in learning circles. This app demonstrates well to younger users just how the technology works. 

https://research.google.com/semantris