Although it's not yet the end of this year, in between all the EOY tasks I normally do, I am already looking ahead to next year! I keep reminding myself not to "wish my life away" by being impatient about the new school year prior to the end of the current one! (Plus, I have great summer plans so I don't want to skip July!)
The first thing I am eagerly awaiting is being one of the Digital Learning Coaches (DLC) for my school. I will get to spend time with different departments and other groups helping them utilize technology and introducing new technologies to them. Zaption, LitTrips, and DiscoveryEd classrooms will be the first topics, and there are many more after those! Working with staff is always rewarding because, ultimately, it also helps my students (and with a projected enrollment of 1811, I have a LOT of students).
Another exciting addition to my school is the implementation of MTAC. I was co-chair of MTAC (Media-Technology Advisory Council) at my former school for 8-1/2 years. Having a council of teachers to determine technology and media needs, especially after teachers return from conferences with new ideas, helps to budget for these needs and discuss the effectiveness of different tools and programs. This also will help teachers since they can present information to their rep and the reps will have some helpful troubleshooting tips for our existing technology.
Finally, my most exciting addition to the media center (pending final approval -- fingers crossed!) will be our Makerspace! (Makerspace is a learning environment that is student-directed for the creation, discovery, and innovation of S.T.E.A.M. activities. -Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.) Because a lot of students come to the media center for either A or B lunch every day to work on projects, study, do homework, and read, this is the perfect place to have students explore one of our four Makerspaces. (A different one each day, Monday thru Thursday. Fridays are reserved for something special!) The first four Makerspaces, decided upon with a lot of student input, will be Forensics, Engineering, Future Fashion Design, and Animation.
Forensics: learning how to take and compare fingerprints, blood splatter, DNA analysis, shoe and tire prints, and solving a mystery contest.
Engineering: CAD, designing bridges online, creating penny catapults, and more!
FFD: working on the Shoe of the Future Contest and the Stuck-at-Prom Challenge.
Animation: Using our GoAnimate accounts to create entries into the Pirate Film Festival!
Whew! Sound exhausting? Well, since students can only do one of those a semester, they will hopefully be excited every week to work on a project.
Oh, what about Fridays? Well...we are planning to start a Makerbot Academy donors choose page to get a 3-D printer. Students will have to sign up on Mondays for a printing slot (and pay for the materials...fortunately it will be a small printer so it won't be expensive). I'm SO excited about having that technology!
Keep watching for updates and how-to information regarding Makerspaces in the Media Center!
(Reminder to self...this year is going very well, and you're not ready to be done with it quite yet!)
I know about those plans for July......they involve plenty of READING in advance!
ReplyDeleteApproval has been received! In hopeful anticipation, I've already gathered most of the forensics information (except for creating the final mystery and, of course, the supplies to be donated/ordered). Engineering is partially done. Fashion design is ready to go, and so is Animation! Now to start the donors choose site for the 3-D printer.
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting!!!!