Summit ELO walk in the life of a college student for one day

BOOKFEST 2016

     On Friday, April 29th, the ELO (Extended Learning Opportunities) 5 and 6th graders from Summit and a group of Maddux students attended the annual BookFest at Northern Kentucky University.  In order to be eligible to attend this event students from Summit had to read six books from a required reading lists and Maddux students had to read three requried books and enter at least one event contest.  Students were given choice in their learning for the day as they were permitted to sign up for various sessions throughout the day that included enrichment activities from the books.  

     Students started the day by listening to a flourshing author, Michele Houts, and learning how a book becomes published.  Students then attended their chosen sessions, which included many different oppounitites.  Including chalk drawing, tours of the university, writing activities, Planterium adventures, and Makerspace activities.  All sessions were led by university staff, local librarians, or future leaders in the education world.  Students had so much fun living the life in the day of a college student.  

Congratulations

      Maddux students were requird to enter one contest in order to attend the event.  They not only entered but students walked away with the following awards:

Interview & Creative Writing, 2nd place- Emma Bobst & Ellen Scott

Movie Trailer award, 1st place- Ellie Baxter, Serra Lindsey, Stella Scheidler
     Thanks to Tonya Swisshelm (Summit Media Specialist), Meredith Lindsey (Maddux Media Specialist), and Tiffany NeCamp (ELO teacher) for leading the way for this trip.  Also, all the chaperones for the day from both schools. 

Here is an album of pics from the day.  We had lots of fun.

Fifth grade Geniuses

So my 5th graders have been exploring their passions in Genius Hour time during their last few weeks in the Media Center.  I am going to post some of their projects for you to enjoy.

Danny (a reluctant student not easy to motivate) yet was the first to share his project for Genius Hour.  He had his dad film him playing Minecraft with a friend, whom he has never met, through the game.  He brought in his flashdrive with his videos on it.  He shared that he chose this project because he loves Minecraft and he learned how to make three new items for his character to carry.

Seth shares how to makes peanut butter cookies.  He even got special permission from Mrs. Sulfsted, our principal, to bring in cookies to share with his class.  She approved and they were very yummy!

Cassidy wrote a story.  She has four chapters completed and shared the first chapter with us.  What an amazing writer.  
Click here to listen to her read the first chapter.

So a few 5th graders, whom have already presented their Genius Hour projects, are experimenting with Makerspace items.  Here was a creation from this week.  A cardboard cat with a feathered hat.  

Green Screen +research = AMAZING PROJECTS with FIRST GRADE

My first graders were so curious about the Green Screen so I decided to incorporate it into their animal research projects.  We started this research by reading I Don't Want to Be a Frog by
Dav Petty.  Students then completed a biography sheet about themselves.  Look below.  Students then partnered up and worked on PeebleGo to pick an animal they were curious about and they had to gather facts about that animal.  After this they used both their biography and research notes to make a script for their Green Screen video.  Students got to select a background image for their animal video and then they were told to practice reading their scripts 3x before coming to me to film.  

Step #1 - READ THIS BOOK

Step #2- COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY SHEET

  

Step #3-CHOOSE AN ANIMAL ON PEEBLEGO AND GATHER FACTS ABOUT THAT ANIMAL ON THIS SHEET.

Step #4- Copy your information on the Green Screen script.  Assign the red and black parts so students know which part to read.

Step#5-Take a look at our finished projects.  They turned out amazing!

Mrs. Werking's Class

Mrs. Bitler's Class

Ms. Huntington's Class

Mrs. Beiting's Class

Fourth grade finishes up their NUTRITION commercials.

The fourth graders were challenged to create a commercial that would advertise some type of food or drink.  This went along with their NUTRITION unit in Science.  They first learned about the techniques that advertisers use to sell a product, they then created their groups, signed up for which type of food/drink they would advertise, write a detailed script for their commerical, rehearse at least twice, and then film their commerical using iPads, flip cameras, or the Green Screen.  This took us a long time to complete due to days off and snow days but we finally made it.  Take a look!  (we are still figuring out the sound on the iPad so I apologize if you can't hear the voices)

Monday Commercials

Tuesday Commercials

Friday Commercials

Genius Hour in Action

So our Genius Hour projects are now underway.  I am still struggling with pushing kids to some higher thinking projects but overall I feel that this year has been more productive than years past.  Students were given more time to choose their passion, which I feel in turn is producing higher level projects.   

Here are a few pics from our Genius Hour projects in the making.

Josie is making Easter eggs out of yarn, food coloring, and balloons.  Can't wait to see how they turn out.

I have lots of 6th graders who want to use the 3D pen for their Genius Hour projects BUT I am not an expert in this area yet.  I tapped my new friend, Mrs. Chumbley, the Anderson Teen Public Librarian, to come in and help us troubleshoot.  The great thing is she also brought another 3D Doodler so my students could get more accomplished.  In this video she is promoting her MakerFair coming up in June.

You can see the pink "K" that one of the Genius 6th graders created.

Brayden builds a crane...still problem shutting some things.

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Mercedes created 3D glasses with the 3D Doodler pen.

Liz is making her characters out of pipe cleaners for her stop motion movie.

Kayla building her characters.

Play Brennen's Game (he is still working out some problems)

https://flowlab.io/game/view/372003

Keenan showing us the 3D Motor Model he is building.

  

Kyle discusses his process for making a lava lamp.  Click here to take a look.

Logan explores the world of circuits, while creating a pocket fan to keep you cool.

Austin controls his computer games with the Makey Makey.  

Zachary shares his Incredibox music.  Click here to listen.

3D Doodler Pen Creations

Brayden builds a CRANE!

Sophia makes a FLIP BOOK!

Emily makes a DUCT TAPE pencil holder.  It was a huge success and I think she may be taking orders.

Haley is working on her hair bows.

Mallory is working on a 3D volleyball.

Katie shares how she made her tissue paper pom-pom balls.

Abby creates a Stop Motion video with Legos.

Maggie's Movie

Brennen makes another video game.  Are you up for the challenge?

Andrew creates a STOP MOTION Star Wars video.  What better way to celebrate "May the 4th Be With You Day."

Stop Motion Fun by Lily C. and Hannah

(pretty good for their first time)

Maker week in the Media Center

I am introducing Makerspaces into our Media Center/Library this week.  My kindergarteners eased into making by simply making a stone and a stick out of paper to use during our storytime of the book Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry.  If you haven't read the book you need to know that the two main characters are a stick and a stone.  The two of them build a friendship by helping each other out through tough situations.  Here is a picture of by friends with creations.

My first graders read Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.  This is a beautiful book about how a young girl, Annabelle, connects a small town with a magical box of yarn.  

                                      

After we read the book we became MAKERS and created our own magical sticks by using sticks and yarn.  The students had so much fun walking around and casting spells on each other.  This was a simply activity but they loved it.  

My third graders were introduced to our new Makerspaces today.  To say they were excited was an understatement.  I spent the entire class going over expectations and setting them up on Google Slideshow so they have a format to blog about their learning process once they start with their Makerspaces.  One of my fellow maker colleagues created this Innovative Menu, which is what I will allow students to pick their Maker projects from.  It was fun for me to see all of my students excited about these new spaces and they were disappointed they didn't get to start making today.  Even my less enthusiastic students were asking "can we get started."  I can't wait to see what they create.  

A few MakerSpace projects created by 3rd graders

Kuren -necklace, Sophia stuffed pig, Molly-guitar

Fourth graders are in the process of filming their NUTRITION videos.  They are using Green Screen, iPads, or flip camera formats.  Stay tuned for their creations.

Fifth graders are creating IMAGE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES COLLAGES.  We have learned about citing sources, gathering good images, finding free images, and design techniques.  Stay tuned for our amazing creations.  This is an example of what they are creating.

Sixth graders are deep into creating their PITCHES to their in-house classmates and posting their PITCH videos on their blogs for their out-of-house partners to provide feedback on.  As soon as they receive two green lights from their pitches they will start making their GENIUS HOUR projects.  Stay tuned for their GENIUS HOUR creations.  

                                       

Spring Book Fair was a BLAST!

     We just wrapped up our spring book fair.  Peace, love, and books was our theme.  We traveled back to the 70s for this wonderful literature adventure.  

     We had the best fair to date!  We sold $10,734.75 in products, we donated $395.48 to our "Loose" change contest (this is a wonderful service project for our kids because they bring in money that we keep for more books and Scholastic matches it and donates that much in books to distressed kids), we had a radical tee-shirt tee-shirt decorating contest, gnarley poster contest raffle, and amazing teacher participation.  I could not host my amazing book fairs without the help of my parent volunteers.  Thank you so much.  Take a look at this slideshow of some captured memories.  Enjoy.


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If you'd rather view individual pics rather than a slide show click here.