The D-Tech News
Saturday, April 6, 2024
The Beginning of Marking Period 4
We are now into Marking Period 4. We are currently in the middle of our 2 lab rotations, so both of those projects will be placed on MP4 report cards. Just to give you an idea, we have been working on these labs since March 3. They were intended to be a total of 10 days each, but we had to adjust things a bit due to the DC trip and Spring Break. I am setting April 19 as the end goal date for both labs to be completed. In the event that they are completed ahead of time, students will have some neat projects to have a choice in completing...including simple wood projects, sewing, crochet, etc. The descriptions of the labs can be found below.
The past couple of weeks I have been giving them talks on soft skills like perseverance and grit, working hard, being a problem solver, etc. This class is a class that goes beyond filling out a worksheet and having an exact answer. This class has the ability to develop skills that aren't often part of other classes. It is hard for some of the kids, as they want to have a direct route to know exactly what to do. I am trying to develop their skills including collaboration, time management, creativity, critical thinking, goal setting, problem solving, etc. I tell them that I want them to be frustrated and work through the challenge. They think that I am being mean at some points, but I have the hindsight to know that they will get it, and when they get it, the joy and pride they will have is awesome to experience!
However, I have been not too thrilled with the lack of respect for the materials and for the classroom. There are many kids who leave things out and fail to clean up their areas. I am missing my mini miter box, we have broken battery packs, missing servo arms, etc. It is very wearing to manage the materials, and I am considering perhaps just switching to a digital curriculum moving forward for the remainder of the year if I don't see an improvement. This would be a bummer, as there are a lot of neat things that we could be doing out in our workshop, but I can't allow students to disrespect my personal materials and school/district purchased materials like this. I am sure you can understand.
What's Been Going on in Design Tech?
Design Thinking Projects: Cardboard Treehouses and Physical Computing
Students were split into 2 groups, and they are working on the Cardboard Treehouse Lab or the Physical Computing/Minecraft Lab. Students are designing treehouses for famous clients and including design elements based on the research they do on their client. One of the main constraints is size. They have to make sure it fits into their storage bin at all times. This is a challenge for students. If they cannot fit it into their bin...it takes away 10 points...so it is an important constraint to focus on. The groups that are done should have submitted a video to Flipgrid and taken photos of their treehouse and posted it to GC, so if your child has completed their treehouse, you can check it out by their digital presentations.
For our Physical Computing Lab, students are learning to code the micro:bit to run different programs. From light sensors to coding music, the students are exploring and doing block coding using Javascript blocks. Students are creating a physical project that interacts with a servo motor and have 3 programmed inputs. It is fun watching them to see what they come up with. After they finish, they are able to create a Minecraft House for a fictional family. Students created videos of their projects and posted them on GC, so you should be able to see their project. (Unless their partner shared the video...in that case, have your child get a copy of it to share!) Here is an example of a video from one of the more recently completed projects. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e0HAuP462Nx6NPjkG_z9WHcpt2JIGxGW/view?usp=sharing
Each lab is given 10 days to complete...however I have added some flex days. I have found that there are many students who are not putting forth their best efforts and not managing their time well. This week in particular, we have been talking about goal setting and breaking larger problems/projects into smaller pieces to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I went ahead and created posters that could help showcase the steps in different ways. I also have checklists on the board, as well as printed out for kids to use. It really comes down to them taking the time to read and listen to my directions. Trust me...I am like a broken record.
I am going to start adding the assignments for both labs into Skyward so that way you can see what has been accomplished and graded. Again, if they are behind...there are things they can do at home or even during lunch, if they would like to come to the workshop and have a working lunch. In addition, we have Connect and Create after school this upcoming Thursday from 3-4:15. They have access to the workshop as an open makerspace.
Coding Javascript with MakeCode.com
Servo motors for the jaws.
Servo motors added to the water cycle.
Straw Construction Challenges
Earlier in the semester we were focused on structures. We have straw construction kits that the students were able to build with over a few days. One challenge was more of a free build with loose criteria, while the second challenge was specific to creating a piece of playground equipment that could move. Check out the throwback playground equipment that was used as inspiration. (80's kids will remember this!) In order to get credit for these, students had the task to take photos and videos.
Digital Portfolios
Students have created websites to highlight the projects and skills they have worked on for Semester 2. They have been given at least 33-4 full class periods to work on it, so they should be pretty caught up, however, taking a peek at some of them...there are kids that have not used their time wisely. This is something that can be done at home to catch up as well. Have your child should you their digital portfolio from Design Tech. You should be able to see the following project photos, as well as a 5 sentence reflection for each project. 3D Nametag, Newspaper Towers, Pixel Art, Pop Art, Straw Construction, Canva Graphic Design.
If they don't have those completed...they are behind. The entire website will be due around Memorial Day. Here are the instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1enri93azxdxpvqNB8DlFVwaMT5i5ZrAHFGs3boxFlP0/edit?usp=sharing
😀 Enrichment Opportunities 😊
Henry Ford: Invention Convention
On May 4 I will be judging inventions from Michigan students at Henry Ford. From what I believe, people that visit the museum on May 4 can also view the inventions. This could be a neat opportunity for your child(ren).
Glengary STEAM Night Volunteers Needed
Friday, May 10, 2024 5:30-8:00
As you know, I used to work at Glengary Elementary as a 3rd grade teacher. When I was there, I helped launch a Family STEAM Night. When I made the move to middle school, I remained a part of the fun night. Essentially Glengary has STEAM activities set up around the school complete with experiments, demos, projects, experiences, etc. I have brought Clifford Smart Design Tech kiddos to the event each year. If your child would like to be part of this event, please fill out the Google Form here:https://forms.gle/LYY6GCiDMe4Ugkey8
Oakland Technical Campus Summer Camp
I am a Middle School Design Tech Teacher, innovative teaching and learning cheerleader, and advocate for teaching to and from the heart!