The "Code" Never Bothered Us Anyway

This week our REACH students have participated in the Hour of Code. We started exploring the basics to coding with Angry Birds and characters from Frozen. Although these tutorials may seem like games, they actually involve problem solving and logic. The neat thing about these tutorials is that they progress from simple tasks to more challenging ones that allow the students to apply concepts that they have learned throughout. Also, there are several video tutorials where experts give advice for new skills such as using loops.

Another feature I particularly liked was that the tutorials offered different levels to accommodate a broad range of learners. I used the Angry Birds tutorial as our introduction and for younger learners in 2nd and 3rd grades. I encouraged my 4th-6th grades to start with the Frozen tutorial if they were proficient in games and computers. Finally,  my more advanced learners (aka My Minecraft bunch) moved on to the Flappy Bird and Scratch tutorials featured. To read more about different tutorials to try with your students, click here. 

It is safe to say that we enjoyed exploring the language of coding and computers. We plan to continue coding by trying out the 20 hour course offered through code.org as well as other programs such as Scratch and Tynker. I may also try the Unplugged activities featured on the site to make the concepts of coding more concrete for my younger grades.

I have to admit that coding has been on my mind and "to-try" list since last year. Due to my lack of confidence in an area I was not proficient in, I kept postponing it. Thanks to code.org, I feel like I can explore this new area with my students without pressure.

Social Media Inspired Writing Prompts

Recently, I have taken the plunge into my own form of blended learning. While my students have used Edmodo for social interactions and collaborative projects, I have also integrated Google Classroom with my 5th and 6th graders. Eventually, I want to utilize Google Classroom as our main LMS and Google Drive for eportfolios. For now, I am posting all writing prompts on either Edmodo (grades 2-4) and Google Classroom (grades 5-6). These platforms are ideal for our current writing unit, where my goal is to use a variety of social media inspired prompts to hook my students while showing them the more playful side of writing. Here are some of my favorites so far:

Dear Letters 

Skills/Focus: Multiple Perspectives,  Developing Voice,  Descriptive Writing 

To introduce this assignment I show the Dear Kitten Series by Buzzfeed. These immediately grab my students' attention and have been a favorite! After the video, we discuss point of view and the purpose behind the letters. Next, I challenge students to write their own letters. Here are the directions I give: 

Instructions

1. Pick an inanimate object or animal.
2. Pick audience (who/what), Nontypical context (i.e. Instead of animal in the wild, what about animal in a zoo?)
3. Write a letter giving advice to something else (point of view)
4. Make the setting specific and interesting. (i.e. marker in PreK class on the 1st day of school)
5. Select picture to capture the message/mood of letter. Use ookaboo.com or pixabay.com

Here are few student examples: 

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Two Sentence Stories 

Skills/Focus: Storytelling, Vocabulary, Summarizing  

I modified this assignment based on the article, 20 terrifying Two-Sentence Stories. I came across this article on Facebook and shared only those samples that were school appropriate. Students created their own stories based on the following guidelines: 

1. Choose a genre (i.e. Adventure, Epic, Romantic, Mystery, Scary, etc.) 

2. Condense a story into two sentences. Choose your words wisely! 

3. Select a picture to use as an illustration or cover for your story. Use ookaboo.com or pixabay.com

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Image Source: Pixabay.com

 Scary Stories in 5 Words 

Skills/Focus: Storytelling, Vocabulary, Context 
This prompt was inspired by a Twitter hashtag. I found this humorous trend appear in my feed and thought why not use it to insert some humor into writing! I recommend to not use actual hashtags in the event that there are inappropriate examples. So to make this more school appropriate I selected a few samples to share.

The internet is down worldwide. 

Imagine a world without pizza. 

There is no wifi here.

Whatever you do, don't move. 

I am telling on you. 

Tips for Student Writing 

Although all final products are posted online, I encourage students to use whatever method works for them as they are brainstorming and writing their first draft. While some students choose to use a graphic organizer/thinking maps, others can doodle or take notes on a piece of paper. Most my students have chosen to draft using Google Docs, so I encourage the use of add ons and tools to assist them. I am moving towards collaborative editing "teams" where students will need to "hire/contract" their own peers to assist in the editing process. It is important that as a teacher I am not the only individual giving feedback for student writing. Finally, student work is displayed either on our class blog or class Twitter account to share with a global audience. 

It's Better to Learn Together

Just recently I attended and presented at our state gifted conference. I wasn't sure I was going to make it this year, but was glad I did! This year I presented, Birds of a Feather Tweet Together: Building Your PLN through Twitter and other Social Media Tools. For years, I have connected, collaborated, and as a result grown professionally thanks to my PLN. I have noticed that members of my PLN have even made it to more personal aspects of my life. From my Facebook account to my RunKeeper App, I am surrounded by my PLN who inspire me to be the best I can be. I know that sounds corny, but it is true. For this reason, I chose to share my love for my PLN with colleagues from all over my state.

My Sharing in a Nutshell

In my presentation, I focused on my why. This is what not only drives our instruction, but is the reason we connect. I made sure to also differentiate between a connected educator versus a connected person. This idea was inspired by Amanda Dykes' (@amandacdykes) post, Are You a Connected or a Connected Person? I shared that in my case, I was both. This is why I don't have separate accounts on Twitter or Facebook.

To check out my presentation slides, click here. 

For my handout, click here. 

Sharing is Caring 

But perhaps the biggest moment during my session was not my sharing. Instead, it was when my colleagues gave their input and insights. This made my heart smile to know that my fellow teachers were comfortable enough to share their experiences, whys, and questions. And to know that they were engaged throughout and related to my message was absolutely priceless! Conversations were going before, during, and after the session. We even started a Google Spreadsheet on our state Facebook group page to continue the conversations. And that's what's it's all about for me. The connections.

Takeaways

So here are a few topics that emerged from our sharing during the session. I have also included more resources to explore. This section is dedicated to my state crew!

Tips for Building Your PLN

• Find your people
• Start small (with one tool) and get comfortable with it! 
• Pick the tool that is right for you and stick to it 
• It's amazing how far we've come thanks to technology! Now we can connect with gifted educators all over the nation and globe. 

The Maker Ed Movement: 

• MakerSpaces, Maker Faire
• DIY is Right on Time- My take on Makerspaces in the Elementary Gifted Ed Class 

Coding:

• code.org
• Scratch 

Professional Conferences/Groups:

• NAGC- Computers & Technology Facebook Group  
• ISTE 2015- The Mega Tech Conference of the Year! 

Happy New (School) Year!

View from the back of the room.

It's back to school for many this week and I want to wish everyone a great start! As for me, well we're going into our fourth week of school since we are early starters here in the South. I wanted to take the time to share the learning spaces in my classroom. Thanks to my lovely and very talented teammate, I now have a classroom set up that works! After being in three different classrooms over the past four years, I can finally say I feel settled. I have struggled with finding the perfect set up with the space available to me. And now, I feel there is a certain flow to my classroom that is conducive to center work, collaboration, and flexibility. So here's a quick tour:

Supply Headquarters

At the front of the class you will find my supply headquarters. Here I have reference books, school supplies, and pencil sharpeners attached to a small bookshelf. At the top are two bathroom caddies that students can take for restroom breaks if needed. Above the shelf will be our Student Spotlight bulletin board. This board will be dedicated to a student who exemplifies strong work ethics and positive attitudes throughout the year. It will be changed throughout the term to celebrate our students and their achievements. We also provide guidelines to students who are selected. To read these, click here.

Front Board 

Adjacent to our Supply Headquarters is our front board. I was delighted to find a newly installed interactive whiteboard this fall. We use this part of the room to view the daily news either on CNN Student News or Channel One. Also, I post our schedule on a small red chart next to our board and use the left side for notes or directions, while the right side can be for reminders and notes. Students hang their backpacks and lunch bags underneath the board for organization. Because I had these hangers put up, that left me without a ledge to put markers and erasers. I use these magnetic bags to keep all markers and erasers and keep them low so that students may use them when needed.

Classroom Library

Past my desk is our classroom library. I have organized this section into reading levels, where each shelf houses a certain range of levels. I have placed novel sets on the bottom shelves and in baskets. All picture books are above the shelves in wooden crates. The bulletin board will highlight book review posters that students can share once they complete a book of their choice. I am missing a rug and will write a few grants to make this space cozier for students. This area of my room has been a work in progress, however I am pleased with it so far.

Storage Corner

Past the classroom library and towards the back corner of the classroom is my storage corner. I have inherited some file cabinets where I keep my resource materials. My goal is to purge two more cabinets if not all to add space to my classroom. In the meantime, I use the top of the file cabinets as a storing area for any maker projects. Each grade or class will have an assigned bin where they can store their projects. Underneath is a poster box that contains all laminated maps to use for Mystery Location Calls and poster boards for any projects.

Tech Time Cart

To the right of my Storage Corner is our Tech Time Cart. This houses all our macbooks and headphones. I have put up some technology related posters above the cart and plan on adding some Mac Shortcut Posters. I have posted logins to student programs such as Accelerated Reader, Compass, Edmodo, and Scholastic's Book Flix. Students will also keep their logins and passwords in their folders. This year each student will be assigned a computer, which they will be responsible for putting back in the correct slot and charging. Also, I am excited to use Google Drive to set up digital portfolios and for submitting work.

A new addition to our classroom is our Non-Fiction Library! I was thrilled to have inherited this bookcase another teacher graciously donated. For the past couple of years, my teammate had all the nonfiction books in her room and decided to bring them over to my side. I created a nook near our classroom opening (we are in one large classroom with an opening to pass through). The top shelf has all parent and teacher resources for gifted children while the remaining shelves have books organized by categories such as World Cultures, Geography, Animals/habitats, The Human Body, and much more. These will come in handy once students start their Passion Projects and independent research projects.






Past the opening to our classrooms, is my closet door. Here I have placed a pocket chart to keep all student handouts such as reading logs or thinking maps. This will keep my desk area clutter free and accessible for all students. The pocket chart has labels that I can add to assist students in locating the appropriate resource they need.

The final section of my room are my counters and cabinets. The cabinets underneath contain a supplies that we don't use on a regular basis such as rulers, bulletin board borders, and craft materials. Each cabinet door is labeled to assist in locating materials needed. The counters hold our Literature Circle baskets, where students can keep their independent reading books, reading logs, and Literature Circle jobs. In the center I have placed a paper tray with construction paper and poster paper followed by cubbies with classroom folders. Our classroom folders will organize any weekly logs, handouts, resources, and projects we complete on a weekly basis. On the wall, above the folders is a red pocket chart with our Performance Standards Scale, which are based on the DAP Levels. Students work and behavior are evaluated using this scale.

Panoramic View from the door. 

From this view you can see that there are four rectangular blue tables located in the center and two round tables along the perimeter in case students want some more space to work. We normally hold our morning meetings and any whole class instruction or events (such as technology tutorials or Google Hangouts) at the blue tables. I also have an additional office chair near my desk where I like to have "appointments," or one-on-one conferences with my students.

This concludes my classroom tour. I hope you enjoyed it and of course I am open to modifications throughout the year from my best critics and problem solvers- my students.

Blending Research and Poetry to Capture Historical Events

The independent research project has been a staple in my gifted classroom. For the longest I struggled with ways to challenge my students to not only narrow their focus in their research but also convey what they have learned in creative and novel ways. Instead of finding basic facts on Google and throwing these facts back at me, I wanted something different and something that would push my students' thinking. This is especially difficult during my summer program, where my time is limited to 30 minutes. And this year, our program covered a theme that was rich in history: The Freedom Summer Movement of 1964. 

I was so pumped to learn that our program would focus on this pivotal event of the Civil Rights Movement. Students were going to dive into exploring primary resources of the time period, speak to community leaders who participated or lived through the actual movement as children, and even take a tour of sites in our community that served as locations for local rallies. I felt the pressure to deliver an experience for my students that involved more than the technology. Although I was assigned as their Technology Instructor, it was obviously more than just the tool for me, but about creating a learning experience to help them capture the mood and essence of Freedom Summer. The following is what I came up with.

Freedom Poems

Since students were devoting a majority of their time researching and examining key figures and events of Freedom Summer in the regular classes, I had students apply the information they have gathered to compose poetry. I chose poetry because it provided a structure for students to convey the moods, feelings, and themes that emerged from this difficult time in Mississippi history. I challenged students to think from the perspective of those who lived through the movement, which proved to be a challenging endeavor for them. I also added a visual element to this assignment by having students base their poems on actual pictures that were taken from the experience. 

To view some sample poem templates that work well with historical research, click here. 

To explore poem templates for younger learners, click here.  

Theme Memes 

Another project option I offered were Theme Memes. This idea was inspired by a post shared by a colleague on the NAGC Computers & Technology Facebook Page, where she used them to capture the theme of a documentary. I took that same concept and had my students choose a word to capture what Freedom Summer meant to them or those individuals in their pictures. Much like the previous project mentioned, the theme memes would be based on the images that occurred during Freedom Summer. The final step was to create a tagline to elaborate or exemplify their word. 

To create your own Theme Memes, visit: bighugelabs.com

Our source of inspiration.

 

Reflection

Overall, I was very impressed with the insight my students brought to these projects. Although they initially struggled with the concept of presenting themes and information from another's point of view, they put forth their best effort. I would love for you to share how you bring history to life with your students. 

Note: If you're having trouble viewing the video, click on the title on the left hand corner to view it on YouTube. 

Edmodo as a Creative Writing Space

It's almost back to school and that means back to Edmodo! My students and I have used this platform for quite some time now. Because I don't teach a core subject, my main goal is to ignite creativity among my students, especially when it comes to their writing. So far this is what my students have enjoyed the most from our time on Edmodo.

Creative Writing Activities 

1. Caption This!- For this activity, I provide a picture for my students to describe and challenge them not to use obvious descriptions. I like to follow @fascinatingpics and @earthpix to find stunning images of our world.

2. 6-Word Stories/Collaborative Stories - Another variation for the image sources above is having students write 6 word stories to describe a picture. These can also turn into a collaborative writing activity if you provide a story starter and have each student write a sentence or two to continue the story.

3. Title Talk- I'm always amused when I run into title talks on Twitter. These are hilarious remakes or substitutions of movie titles, which can also apply to book titles. Of course, my students know that all titles must be school and age appropriate. This is a great substitution activity, especially if your students are familiar with the SCAMPER model.

4. Friday Funny- On Fridays, I like to post a comic or funny joke that relates to what is happening that week. For example, if we are predicted to have a "snow day", I post some winter comics. Or if we have a class inside joke, I post a cartoon or comic that relates to that theme. This seems to build a sense of community among my students and gets the discussion going. This year, I will encourage my students to create puns for the week to model after one of the "punniest" people we know, Carl Azuz from @CNNStudentNews.

5. Journal Writing with a Twist- I recently bought the book, Unjournaling and have found several prompts that I would like for my students to share on Edmodo. I haven't decided whether I will preselect the prompts or have students self-select the ones they are interested in.

Next Steps 

Now I am brainstorming some activities to build vocabulary and to continue to develop writing in novel ways. As you can see, I like to keep my activities short and simple so that my students can complete these with minimal guidance. At the same time, I want to keep them open-ended as to not stifle creativity. Do you have other activities that you are willing to share? 

Birds of Feather, Tweet (and Hangout) Together!

Preparing to return to the classroom for the fall, is prime time for inspiration! Normally, I reach out to my amazing PLN and schedule a few Skype calls to catch up with my peeps, brainstorm exciting projects, and share cool tools for school. This gets my mind ready to tackle the new school year and pumped to try out new approaches that will improve my practice. I am a connected person. I live and breathe my job and can't get enough of learning. If you know me, you know that I get very excited at the thought of connecting with my Tweeps (My fellow teachers on Twitter)! And this year, I decided to spread my joy in connecting by inviting more folks to my "Brainstorming Party."

One of my go-to Tweeps for these brainstorming sessions is @amusone. We have connected for years via Twitter and have done several collaborative projects with our students via Skype. She was also the first person I tried Google Hangouts with. We have switched over to Hangouts to continue our annual summer brainstorming and invited @ellication to our session. I was blown away by the neat tools that @ellication shared and was thrilled to collaborate on a special project we have in store for our students this year (more to come later). But perhaps what I most enjoyed from our chat is the level of enthusiasm we have for our students in creating a space for them to own their learning.

Other Hangouts that I was looking forward to this summer were with my gifted education crew. These Hangouts were inspired by one of my favorite gifted education teachers, @bdlasher. She and I connected on Twitter and via our class blogs, which eventually blossomed into our summer brainstorming sessions. This year I took it a step further and invited @edu_ms_pagano, @mrlemere, and @teachagiftedkid to our Hangout.

Gifted Guru Hangout

In a nutshell: Our lively discussion went from organizing Maker Spaces to taking our kids' independent research projects to the next level. We even kept notes on a shared Google Doc that included links and resources we use in our own planning (Thank you, @ellication for the idea!). It was invigorating to learn from my crew and experience the collaboration in action! What is even more refreshing is the fact that all the tips and resources shared were vetted because they come from folks I trust.

I hope my fellow Tweechers benefited from our Hangouts as much as I did. We are fortunate to live in a time where technology can easily bring us together to bounce ideas and find other educators who "get us." I would love to continue our Gifted Guru Hangouts throughout the school year, especially since others from my PLN have asked to join us. So let's make it happen! Feel free to leave your Twitter handle in the comments or reach out to me via Twitter by clicking here.

*Shout Out: I wanted to acknowledge @mcoaty for chatting with me via a Hangout. We had our own chat about all things related to Math enrichment and collaborative/tech-integrated projects for our students. He is definitely my go-to person as I plan for my Math enrichment group! I am hoping he will join us for our next Gifted Guru Hangout.

The Struggle is Real: My Journey Towards Wellness

My Younger Years: Middle School (Left), High School (Right)

Those of you who know me personally are very familiar with my use of the saying, “The struggle is real,” or as I like to express it as #thestruggleisreal. I have joked a lot about my struggles with food and weight to make the burden seem lighter, but the truth? It’s not something to take lightly. I have recently become aware of my actual state of health and it’s not pretty. It’s also not funny anymore. My whole life I have struggled with my weight. As far as I can remember, I have been a chubby girl who loves to eat. That hasn’t changed. And even despite my most recent efforts to become an active adult, it’s still not enough. And the only person to blame is myself (Some thanks given to my genes, but mainly for my lifestyle). Ouch.  That truth hurts, but it is something that needed to come to my attention. Better now than later. No longer will occasional exercise be enough. It’s time to turn a new leaf, time for a new beginning.

Adulthood: College (Left), Newly Married (Right)- Thinnest I have ever been! 

Going through this has made me realize how oblivious I have been over the past years. It is easy to get caught up with life and ignore one’s needs. It’s even easier to become complacent. But the irony of all this is that this state of complacency has not transferred to my profession. When it comes to my learning, I don’t settle. In fact, I like to challenge myself, question, reflect, and even share the work I do. I love to make connections and learn from others who have similar passions as myself.  Where I have stimulated my mind, I have ignored my body.

I know what I need to do from now on. I’m taking that same energy that I have researching innovative teaching practices to seeking information for my own nutrition and fitness.  Just as I would make a plan for my professional learning, I am now going to set goals for myself. I will also connect more with my online friends for support. As insignificant as a comment or like on a RunKeeper activity may seem, it means a lot for me. And I appreciate those of you who have already offered this support on a weekly basis!

But I think the biggest challenge so far in this wellness journey, is finding activities that are right for me. By that I mean, exercise that I not only enjoy but will actually keep up. I have never been athletic, so exercise in itself has been difficult. For now, I will include a mixture of running, dancing with my Wii Just Dance, and exercise videos for circuit training. These are just some options for me to increase my activity and motivate me. I figure if I have to do something, I might as well have fun doing it!

My best run this summer! Was proud of my time & distance. 

I am optimistic that things will improve and just as with any challenge, I will remember to take small steps. We all have our own struggles that may deviate our journeys into different or unexpected paths. I hope that you will continue to follow my journey and in doing so helps you take a closer look at your own. 

Big Fish, Little Fish: Finding My School of Fish at ISTE

It's been a while since I have been here! The school year has been a busy but fulfilling one and my summer has not disappointed either. I wanted to share with you my reflections as a newbie at ISTE 2014. For those of you not familiar with ISTE, it is the mega Educational Technology conference in the world! No joke, it's massive! I was fortunate enough to be in attendance due to its proximity and relevance to teaching and learning. In fact, the title and theme of this post was inspired by the following conversation I had on Twitter. . .

After experiencing ISTE, I realized it was much more than a professional development opportunity. And way more than a conference for tech junkies like myself. Here is a glimpse of what my brain has processed so far. 

Finding My School of Fish 

Of all the conferences I have attended, I felt like I was at home for the first time at ISTE. For years I have been on Twitter and have worked on building my PLN by connecting and collaborating with other educators, leaders, and ed tech specialists. It was at ISTE that I was finally able to meet some of these folks in person and let me say that was an experience in itself. I was delighted to discover that all those I have been in communication with were just as personable and amazing in real life! While I was able to chat and catch up briefly with some, there were others that I instantly clicked with and that stole my heart. Of course you know I have to mention my two #ISTEbesties Lisa Pagano and Joshua Lemere. I have followed these two exceptional gifted educators on Twitter, but really got to know them beyond the profile and small talk.  We learned, we laughed, and even lived our own ISTE newbie experience together. I can say with sincerity that our time together cultivated friendships that I hope will last beyond our time at ISTE. 

With the fabulous Lisa & Josh!

The Hustle is Real! 

With Top Hustlers: Dr. Will, Eric, Walter, & Sarah. 

Another theme that struck me throughout the conference was the energy, and what I like to call the hustle. It came to no surprise that ISTE was a place where all the "big fish" gathered since it was the mecca for cutting edge technologies and the brightest minds in ed tech. But this hunger for innovation and connecting wasn't exclusive to the "big fish" but rather something I observed in almost everyone I encountered at the conference. To some extent, everyone was trying to make their mark and share their story. I appreciated those conversations where you heard not only the back story to how an app was created, but the struggles that some faced in treading new waters. At the same time, I soaked up all the advice and support that my Tweeps had to offer to my husband, Dr. Will. That type of exchange truly warmed my heart and lifted my spirit. It was great to know that there are folks out there that have our backs. And that right there is real!

 Some more of my favorite hustlers!

With Shelly, Peggy, Jerry, & Krissy. Always supportive & keeping it real!

Choosing My Learning  

Another aspect I enjoyed about ISTE was that learning took place in many formats. I was overwhelmed by not only the selection of topics available to explore but at the same time pleased that my learning did not have to be limited to traditional sessions. I chose to participate in the Digital Storytelling and Maker Spaces Playgrounds, where various speakers presented short, dynamic, and even hands-on demonstrations. My two favorites were led by author, Peter H. Reynolds and Vinnie Vrotny. 

With author, Peter H. Reynolds. 

Peter Reynolds gave a great talk on the importance of allowing our students to make their mark. As he read his book, The Dot, he emphasized that we are all artists and must seek opportunities to be creativite and explore our passions.  

Vinnie's Maker Space Playground.

Vinnie's showcase of Maker Space projects, just blew my mind! This year I took a step towards Maker Spaces with DIY projects and was very interested in exploring other projects and resources. Vinnie not only delivered on that front, but also taught me much more. When I asked him if cardboard was the foundation to Maker Spaces, he turned to me and said, "The foundation is a teacher willing to take the leap." Priceless. 

I enjoyed Vinnie's playground because I was able to hear the stories and touch products such as duct tape skirts, light up sewing kits, and a plastic frame made by a laser printer; all of which were student inspired and created! I was in awe to say the least and will definitely be on the look out for Vinnie at future conferences. He is not one to miss! 

Overall, ISTE exceeded my expectations on all levels. From challenging my thinking to making deeper connections, I gained much from what at first felt like the ISTE tsunami. While it all came at once, I was glad to take the plunge because below the surface I was able to find my school of fish. Now I feel I can take my next adventure out to sea, and this time, I don't have to do it alone.  

It's all about connecting! 

Byrdseed TV: A Digital Hub for Teaching Ideas

Just recently I have been asked to contribute to Byrdseed TV by the ever amazing, Ian Byrd. I had the opportunity to meet Ian in person at the last National Association for Gifted Children Convention in Indianapolis after being a huge fan of his work for several years. I have also followed him on Twitter and love his approach to inserting rigor and relevance into core subjects, especially in writing. So I was very pleased when I came across his newest venture, Byrdseed TV.

Much like his original website, ByrdSeed TV offers a variety of lesson ideas and tips for a wide range of topics such as Writing, Creativity, Technology, Careers, and more. Along the way, he has enlisted the help of several teachers of the gifted who are willing (and not to mention brave) to share their favorite and successful lessons. This sharing is what makes this site so dynamic for me. But perhaps the most helpful aspects are the explanations of how one goes about preparing/planning for several products as well as the different perspectives offered. As I watch lessons under each category, I find myself taking notes for future lessons that can either be inserted or modified into my own curriculum.

Here is an excerpt of my contribution on Research Podcasts:

I encourage you to check out this site because I genuinely feel that it is an excellent resource for educators of the gifted. Whether you are a newbie teacher looking for ways to challenge your students or a veteran teacher searching for fresh ideas, this is a great place to start. Or if you are an Ian fan like myself, I promise this site delivers! Make sure to type in “elle” at checkout for a free month on monthly plans, or a month off of annual plans. Enjoy!

DIY is Right on Time

I'm back! And this time, I bring with me some fresh experiences with the Maker Movement. All this talk on Twitter about letting our students become "makers" has definitely sparked my curiosity. The Maker Movement (a.k.a. Maker Spaces) promotes the idea that students learn by doing. It puts students in an active role when it comes to their learning because they are in charge of selecting, planning, and the actual creating or building of whatever it is they are making.

Exploring DIY
Our main source in our journey has been diy.org. I learned about this amazing site from Dr. Brian Housand at the National Association for Gifted Children Convention in November. Apart from being one of my top take aways, the site provides a wide selection of challenges, or tasks, that students can complete on their own time and share within the community (if you register). Another great feature about this site is that skills are divided by categories that reflect interests or professions such as linguist, architect, and interior designer (to name a few). This complements the notion of multiple intelligences since students are able to select skills that tap into their strengths and interests. Under each category or skill, you will find the accompanying challenges along with examples of finished products for inspiration. The page alone excites my students, especially when they run into interesting skills such as cardboarder and Minecrafter! Below is how we have implemented DIY Challenges in our classroom:

Independent Projects 
For my upper level group, I have had a couple students select their own skill/profession. They then selected a challenge to complete. This has worked out great, especially since these students are normally early finishers and self-directed learners. They have worked independently on the planning and actual making. As they are working, I guide them in their problem-solving and brainstorming as needed. These two have loved the project so much that they beg to stay with me during their Activity time (P.E., Music, etc.) to finish their projects. Both students have also thought or worked on their projects from home, which is not a requirement. One student mentioned that he started to build his helmet at home but was disappointed when it was misplaced. The other actually brought some patterns from a craft store to add to her final project. When they shared these stories, I have to admit my heart smiled.

Cardboarder: Design a Suit!

To Enhance Reading Projects
For my intermediate group, I modified one of the challenges and offered this as an option for a final project. This group has recently completed reading the novel, Tuck Everlasting, and were to re-create a scene from the story using cardboard and other items. With this group, I also provided guidance as needed. We also reflected on and discussed some recommendations for staying organized and building things. This group offered some great tips and were very engaged and helpful towards each other throughout their projects.

Recreating a scene from a novel.

TUCK DIY Projects 

Reflection

So far, the process of making is a messy one but so well worth it! My greatest challenge is staying organized and finding storage for all projects. Right now, I am using these storage bins and placing them under tables and on top of file cabinets. For this reason, I had to start with two groups; a larger one and a smaller one. As soon as I can find a solution for storage or as students complete their projects, I will offer more DIY challenges to different grade level groups. If you have a storage solution or tip, please leave me a comment!

My storage solution for the moment.

Resources
 Are you interested in joining the Maker Movement? Some great starting points are @cybraryman1's Page on Maker Spaces. You can also check out the hashtag #MakerEd on Twitter to follow some folks who are sharing and using Maker Spaces in their classes. Finally, for the tech savvy, check out @TeachThought's post on 39 Tools to Turn Your Students into Makers By Edshelf. So what are you waiting for, let's MAKE it happen!