Designing our Design LAB
2015-16: A Year of Learning, Making and Designing Together
Last Week at Design Lab:
10th Graders started building their robots. Our 10th grade students inventoried their kits and began building. I saw evidence of planning, collaboration, and more importantly questioning about a task they've never done before.
Student of all grades set a positive tone for caring in the cafeteria. So many of you came to me to name specific students who stepped up to help after D's seizure. You pointed out that students thought to move tables to make getting to our student easier for EMS. These small acts of kindness don't occur at every school, but they happened in a scary moment at our school.
A 9th Grade student became our first student to self-select a project and begin to build it. One 9th grader has taken it upon himself to build a gate for the office. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.
I watched students in the MakerSpace struggle and fail, and they didn't give up. We speak frequently about how easily our students give up on a task. But I saw students begin to exhibit stick-with-it-ness. Please come visit the MakerSpace and see this in action and formulate your own opinions about why this might be occurring.
We finally received our new laser cutter! Who wants to be trained on using it? Let me know if you're interested.
A student published her first blog post. As of the writing of this newsletter, 109 visitors had read the post, and one educator from New Zealand commented on the post. That is truly an authentic, real-world audience.
What Else Happened at Design Lab Last Week?
10th Grade Robotics
What Does Making Look Like at Other Schools?
Schools across the country are finding ways to meet the changing learning needs of their students and are using Making and Design as the vehicle to grow learning in their classrooms. Kevin Jarrett is one of those teachers. Kevin (@KJarrett) is a middle school teacher in Northfield, New Jersey. This summer, with some support from his school community, he redesigned a classroom space into a digital makerspace. He now has 3D printers (We've got them too), a green screen (Check-We've got it), a soundboard (got that too!) and tables and space for making and design to occur (Hey we've got that also!). Here's a short piece about the shift he and his school are making and there's a video in the piece of the space they've created. Check it out!
News and Notes: 9-28-10-2 and General October Dates
Thanks for the feedback about communication in the weekly staff survey. I hope more people will complete it this week and offer additional constructive feedback. Here are upcoming dates and events of note:
-Monday, September 28-Personal Planning Time
-Monday, September 28-10th Grade Robotics 8-10-Make sure to take attendance upon students' arrival-I will announce for students to come to the cafeteria-then Ana will change Present Students to PAL (Present at Another Location)
-Tuesday, September 29-Data Meeting w/Eric
-Wednesday, September 30-Team Project Time, Kickoff with Eric
-Wednesday, September 30-9th Grade Robotics 8-10-Make sure to take attendance upon students' arrival-I will announce for students to come to the cafeteria-then Ana will change Present Students to PAL (Present at Another Location)
-Thursday, October 1-Student Clubs and Organization Planning with Ken & Eric
-Friday, October 2-9th grade out of the building to install pallets at IngenuityFest
-Saturday/Sunday October 3/4-IngenuityFest Cleveland
-Monday, October 5-Personal Planning Time
-October 5-16-Conditions for Learning Survey-Details to follow
-October 5-9-Quarterly Interim Assessments (To be Developed)
-Tuesday, October 6-Data Meeting in Teams (Assigned)
-Wednesday, October 7-Project In-Service Meeting (led by Mr. Wheeler)
-Thursday, October 8-Student Clubs and Organizations
-Friday, October 9-Tentative AM Parent Advisory Meeting
-Saturday, October 10-MakerFaire Pittsburgh-Anyone interested in attending?
-Monday, October 12-Columbus Day-No School
-Tuesday, October 13-Data Meeting in Teams (Assigned)
-Wednesday, October 14-Team Project Time-Details to follow
-Wednesday, October 14-PSAT Grades 9,10,11 8:00-11:30
-We need a group of teachers to develop a plan for the afternoon for the testing students and to develop a plan for the seniors to be out of the building doing service or other activities. Please email Mr. Juli and Mr. Beavers to express interest in planning this event.
-Thursday-October 15-Student Conferencing-Details to follow
-Thursday, October 15-Tentative PM Parent Advisory Meeting
-Friday, October 16-End of the First Quarter
-Monday, October 19-Personal Planning Time
-Tuesday, October 20-Data Meeting in Teams (Assigned)
-Wednesday, October 21-Project Inservice Meeting-(Led by Mr. Wheeler)
-Thursday, October 22-Grade Input for 1st Quarter Report Cards
-Monday, October 26-Personal Planning Time
-Monday, October 26-Grades Inputted by 7:30 AM
-Monday, October 26-Friday, November 6-OGT for 10R, 11 and 12 (Schedule TBD)
-Tuesday, October 27-Data Meeting in Teams (Assigned)
-Wednesday, October 28-No School for Students-Parent/Teacher Conferences 12:30-7:00
-We need a group of teachers to develop a plan to increase parent and student attendance and to exhibit student work across all four grades. Please email Mr. Juli and Mr. Beavers to express interest in planning this event.
Thursday, October 29-Staff Meeting and Staff Celebration
October 31-Halloween
November 1-Daylight Savings Time
Monday, November 2-Personal Planning Time
Friday, November 6-Tentative Date for Homecoming
-We need a group of teachers to plan Homecoming. Please email Mr. Juli and Mr. Beavers to express interest in planning this event.
Thank You's:
Thank You to:
-Mr. Senor for stepping in for me when I was out at meetings.
-Mr. Wheeler, for his continued efforts to tweak and improve the Chromebook distribution plan.
-Meghan Paris for bravely working in the MakerSpace with students on her own.
-Kendra and Lisa for incredible work under pressure in the cafeteria.
-Rosemary and Shawntel for their efforts to support our students with IEP's.
-Jessica Y for beginning our 2016-17 recruitment efforts.
-Jessica S for taking the time to build relationships with all her students.
Thanks to all of you for your efforts. Let's keep our focus on teaching, learning, and supporting students.