#BRESA Tech Talk

On Friday, Joe and I had the privilege of working with 5th grade students in Mattawan. We figured this was a great time to break out our micro:bit 's to see what could be done with them in only 30 minutes.  One of the main perks of the micro:bit is the simplicity and complexity that it can offer. Many of the 5th graders found that they could make an image appear on the LED screen with very little code. This often lead them to explore what they could do if they added more images. For some of them, it turned into animated versions of hearts scrolling across the screen. For others, it was their names or messages to other students.  Given that Joe and I gave very few directions, this was AMAZING! A couple of the projects that were tackled by the students that astounded us were a coded game of rock, paper, scissors on the micro:bit and another code set that turned the micro:bit into a fully functional compass.  Now I must give a small caveat.  The students were using ...

In partnership with Cornerstone Alliance, and through the generous support of the Bosch Corporation, the season of giving has started a little early here at the Berrien RESA technology department.  What this means for Berrien County teachers is more items available to checkout in their classrooms ... a lot more! Meet Dash! In speaking with our area technology coaches and other instructional technologists around the state, coding would inevitably enter the conversation.  We knew we needed to add something to specifically support coding in the younger grades.  Meet Dash!   Dash is controlled with your choice of several free apps.  Programming a robot like Dash allows students immediate feedback to their code.  The apps are available for both iOS and Android .  (If you are planning to connect with iPads, you will need something newer than iPad 2's)  There are prebuilt challenges, a curriculum, and accessories that enable to Dash to do...

Some of you may have been aware that this past weekend the Pontiac Silverdome was scheduled to be imploded.  I say scheduled, because while there was a loud noise, the building definitely remained standing.  I couldn't help but chuckle as I followed along, joining plenty of others who quickly attached the failed attempt with the myriad other disappointments that are my Detroit Lions. Then I came across this article on MLive ' Failed Silverdome Implosion - 'A Really Good Mistake, ' science teacher says.   That science teacher is Todd Bloch.  On his blog Sweat to Inspire he posted about how the upcoming implosion was a great teachable moment.  He was even taking his son to see the event.   Turns out it was a bit anticlimactic. Though probably not quite as comical as the Weather Channel bus blocking cameras of the recent Georgia Dome implosion. Rather than being completely disheartened, and being the educator he is, I think Todd actually got MORE idea...

"Cardboard is the gateway for all makers!" - Adam Savage On Saturday October 7th, Joe and I took a pallet of cardboard, Makedo connectors, and some markers and crayons and invaded the gymnasium at Lincoln Elementary in St. Joe.  This event was inspired by the Global Cardboard Challenge  which stemmed from the inspiration of Caine's Arcade. We had approximately 40 students and parents show up for this day of creativity. The best part was being able to see the students eyes light up when they saw the pile of cardboard and were told that they could make anything that they wanted.  Even the parents loved this instruction! After about 2 hours, we had a lighthouse, multiple houses, a geodesic dome, and a rocket with launchpad.  In terms of event planning, this is one of the easiest that you can pull off at your school. Joe and I have a source for cardboard that we can connect you with and help you gather the tools that make the day easier.  Check out s...

September 2017 Dear Michigan Teachers, Parents, and Students: Welcome to the 2017-18 school year! As everyone heads back to school, the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) wants to remind everyone that MeL is your go-to resource! Students of all ages can go to MeL.org to find eBooks and articles to read, conduct research, prepare for high stakes tests like the SAT®, or maintain/improve basic skills. Watch our Back to School video at https://goo.gl/tXcoii . MeL provides all Michigan residents free access to quality, vetted subscription databases that can be used all year. Resources are available 24/7 and are mobile compatible. Quality resources and weblinks are organized in convenient portals. For children from birth to 5th grade, MeL Kids ( kids.mel.org ) has four centers that will help support and build basic skills such as reading and math. For the older students in grades 6 through 12, MeL Teens ( teens.mel.org ) offers a wealth of resources to not only maintain and build basi...

Like many of you I was school shopping this past week and purchasing requested supplies.  One of those requested was a pack of reinforced paper.  Yep, there is such a thing.  I taught for 15 years and did not even realize this was a thing!   Apparently this is paper that has a reinforced margin surrounding the three hole punch to help it last longer.  This longer life is useful when students take notes throughout the year.   But I think if your school, like many, has devices for students and uses Google Apps for Education then I have a better way - Google Slides. The key to using Google slides to create a digital notebook is to resize the slide dimensions to 8.5 x 11 to mimic conventional paper.   This can be completed under the 'file' menu and selecting page setup.  The default size of the slides is 'widescreen 16:9' but if you select custom you can resize the slides to any size you would like. Once completed, the template is set. ...

I know it's hard to believe that today is August 1st! It seems just like yesterday that everyone was celebrating the beginning of summer and the sand beneath their toes. While you are wrapping up your vacation and preparing for the year I wanted to share a couple of thoughts and ideas that may help you start on a great note! First, I would encourage all of you to take a deep breath and realize that while it may be stressful today, the school year will arrive just as it does every year and you will be there to greet it with a smile. The work that you pour into your classroom is always appreciated by your students whether they tell you or not. Second, remember that we are all in this together! As educators we need to draw on the strengths of our colleagues and share our strengths with each other in order to help all students grow. If you find yourself feeling isolated, jump on Twitter and start talking to the world to ask for ideas. There are many passionate educators who are m...