With just a few days left, we are excitedly making the final preparations for our first annual [?] FTC Winter Warriors event. Union Pines High School will host all seven Moore County sponsored teams: UPHS (2), PHS (2), NMHS, WPMS, and NCMS. This sort of “live action” tests will prove incredibly helpful for our kids to get the feedback they need to improve their bots and programs. Our kids and coaches have been working hard for months and I’m glad we can give them this opportunity to test their designs, engineering choices and programming skills in a fun way before they try to qualify for “states” in January.

  

What is FTC?
First Tech Challenge robots are by far the most customizable and challenging bots in the MCS robotics k-12 family. Teams start with only a box of metal, wires and cell phones to construct what they hope will be a highly functioning bot. They have to analyze the year’s challenge, collaborate on a strategy for scoring, then design and build to that plan. Building well is hard but that isn’t enough though for FTC success, students then have to build an multiple computer programs that allows the robot to be controlled by hand as well as programs that the robot runs autonomously.

This event is also a great example of the generosity of the Moore County community and beyond. The robots and competition floors were all made possible through the gifts of the Public Education Foundation and Microsoft Inc. I have to also thank the Digital Integration team of MCS who all volunteered their time and talents to plan and staff the event as well as our terrific hosts at UPHS.

You should come!

The Winter Warriors are taking over the Auxiliary Gym at Union Pines High School Thursday. 1981 Union Church Road in Cameron. The first of 14 rounds begins at 11 AM and our champions will be crowned around 3PM. Come see what it’s all about and encourage the kids to win it all. Park in the grassy field and you can sign-in at the Gym entrance.

Can't be there? Follow the event on

@MCSDigital

@WilliamHerrin16#WinterWarriors

Teacher Feature: Julie Willis- Making Science and Social Studies come alive!

Teacher Feature: Julie Willis- Making Science and Social Studies come alive!!

When it comes to testing there may not be as much emphasis on Science and Social Studies as there is Reading and Math, but you would never know that walking into Ms. Willis' 6th grade classroom at Southern Middle School.

If there is an idea to tie effective technology into a lesson, she has had it. Probably once a week she is in my office planning some other project that she wants to do with her class. I get questions like: "Can we do a maker space to make pyramids?", "Can we do an augmented reality periodic table?", "Can we 3D print instruments that the kids make?", "Can we use the green screen so some students can use Pokemon to explain states of matter?"; and we have managed to do all of the projects that she comes up with. That's the beauty of teachers like Ms. Willis. Not only is she excited about what is happening in class, but I'm excited, and most importantly her students' are excited.

Most days when you walk into her room the kids are out of their seat. Not in the undisciplined kind of way. But in the we are doing this really crazy experiment that requires me to walk around the room and collaborate with my friends kind of way. And it's not just about the technology, although that is technically what I'm there to support her with. It's just the excitement that she brings to her classroom that can be so infectious to everyone else.

Recently she approached me with an idea for the students to use a 3D creating website called Tinkercad in order for the students to build their own sound machines so that they could study sound waves and how they change based on the size and measurements of the sound making device. It started simply enough, but by the time we were done, they were creating some of the most interesting sound devices I have seen, and they were all so different. All of the minds in the room came up with so many different ideas that no 2 were alike. The project was beneficial in so many ways, including a great number of her students asking to create more 3D objects in the future to further their understanding of concepts. Isn't that what we want from our students? To WANT to do great things?

In my time on the Southern Middle School campus, I have witnessed some amazing learning opportunities for students. Things like augmented reality, computer coding, country fantasy leagues, maker spaces, and digital art projects. There are so many opportunities being offered to these amazing students and Ms. Willis is one of the teachers leading the way.

Go Dragons! Show Me Success!!

Beth Alderson
Digital Integration Facilitator
Southern Middle School/ Aberdeen Elementary School

Ready, Set, Robotics!

   Elementary students from around the county are excited to join this year's robotics clubs. Many schools have either started clubs or are in the final selection process. Robotics has become a booming activity in Moore County over the last three years. We are now in our third year of our elementary showcase, second a year of our middle and high school competitions, and first year of holding regional competitions. "It has been amazing to watch the growth and excitement of robotics over the past couple years", Mrs. Steingraber, a Sandhills Farm Life (SFL) 3rd grade teacher reports.

  At Sandhills Farm Life, the robotics program is well under way and the students couldn't be more excited. "We had to fill out applications, use our best handwriting, and really explain why we wanted to be in the club", says Aiden, a robotics club member.  According to Mrs. Elliott, another robotics coach at SFL, "there has been so much interest in robotics, we are doing two showcases! One showcase will take place at the school and the other will be for the county."

   The theme for this year's Moore County Elementary Showcase will be "American Cities". Students will be designing boards centered around an American city theme and will create challenges for robots to solve. The middle school competition will also be centered around the same theme; however, instead of creating boards, students will come prepared with advanced pre-written programs. We are eager to see how this year's showcase and competition unfolds, and more information will be coming soon about our regional showcase/competition. 

   Robotics has been an exciting way to interest students in the careers associated with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). As a county, we are now holding two STEM camps during the summer due to increased interest. The week long camps are filled with inventions, robotics, 3D printing, and entrepreneurs from our community. STEM careers and learning is the wave of the future and Moore County students want to be a part of it!

~Deanna Boesch

Travel the world (and beyond) with Google Expeditions

Google Expeditions

Wanna get away? That's the catchy slogan that Southwest airlines uses to advertise their low prices on airfare but I think this would make a nice jingle for virtual reality headsets too. You may have seen the commercials for companies like Samsung and Playstation who have brought virtual reality into the homes of consumers but now these headsets are popping up in classrooms across the country. It's basically comprised of three things, a cell phone that has the gyroscope feature to enable the virtual reality pictures, a headset to house the phone and a set of lenses that view the pictures (usually included with the headset).

You'll find a number of apps that are compatible with virtual reality but the one that I've found most helpful for teachers is Google Expeditions. This is the perfect app for teachers who are interested in taking their class on virtual field trips. There are over 400 locations to travel to within this app. There are many appealing features that this app offers for educators. First and foremost, it's free! But what I love about Google Expeditions is all of the information that is provided for teachers with each location. For each destination Google Expeditions provides:

• Descriptive paragraphs that teachers can read to students to provide background information while they're immersed in their journey. 
• Leveled questions to check your students for understanding
• Focus Points that direct your students' attention to certain spots where Google provides you with more information to enhance your trip 

Another thing that I love about Google Expeditions is the teacher is the "Leader" of the expedition which puts them in complete control and the students are the "Followers". The teacher determines where we go on our expedition and they can also stop the expedition at any time through the use of a separate device, I used an iPad. There are locations that are waiting for you to explore that are directly aligned to the curriculum. We've traveled to a Native American fair to learn more about their culture and how they adapted to their environment. We're flying into space to examine the many features of our solar system next week. I'm really looking forward to that lesson! 

Here's what we purchased and the cost for each:

Teefan Headsets - $15.72 from Amazon   Samsung Galaxy S4 Smart Phones (Refurbished) - $120.00

                                             

Disclaimer

Be sure to consult your IT department to ensure your district has the wireless capability of pairing the cell phones to other devices, such as an iPad. 

Making WIZER Worksheets

Wizer allows you to produce great looking worksheets with embedded elements including YouTube video and formative assessments including matching, fill in the blanks, short answer and several more.

• Wizer support single sign-on with Google
• items with a definitive answer are graded automatically
• Wizer supports “assign to students” > Google Classroom option
• There are tons of lessons already created by your peers

Examples: (click the course below)

Photoshop Selection Tools Algebra II Geography and Ancient Greece Cells and their Organelles Binary Review Making Inferences   Respiratory System Weathering

DASH as an Ambassador -Student Feature: Jacob Pyska

Jacob is a fourth grade student in Elaina Aponte’s self-contained classroom at West Pine Elementary.  Jacob is first and foremost a lover of robotics and technology.  Jacob has autism and because of this is very shy and has a hard time in social settings, including school.  That is until recently.  Jacob’s mother, Jeannie, had a goal she set for her son: to be able to walk into school independently without her walking beside him. At the beginning of the year mom would circle the parking lot a few times, giving her son a pep talk and would ultimately end up walking him in.  Mrs. Aponte and I put our heads together and thought we could use Dash as a way to entice Jacob to come into the building on his own.  Dash would greet Jacob at the door and Mrs. Aponte would let him take on the role of the ‘programmer’ and he would code him to get back to class.  Within about a month, Jacob now comes in school and doesn’t want his mother’s help at all. He tells his mother in the parking lot “I can do this!” When Dash is working in other classes on STEM infused lessons, Jacob walks to the classes he is in to check on him.

According to Mrs. Aponte, “Dash was able to give Jacob confidence and independence.  Jacob is proud of himself and that makes me happy.”

“Jacob has been a student here for three years and has grown leaps and bounds.  This robot has given him purpose and something to be excited about each day.”- Lisa Epling, Assistant Principal

Dash is programmable robot that is great for students as young as kindergarten to learn the basics of coding and programming. It is really exciting how much this little robot has helped this student in such a huge way! Recently, the Public Ed Foundation of Moore County awarded a grant to myself and Clint Rogers and we were able to purchase 14 Dash robots and iPads so that he may have an impact on learning in classrooms all over Moore County.  

A New Way to Engage: Using Video Creation Tools in the Classroom

Overview
Teachers often struggle to engage students when teaching concepts that are, quite frankly, boring.  We have all taught lessons that we knew the students would not enjoy, but are an essential part of the conceptual framework of the subject, so skipping the lesson was simply not an option.  Why not transform these boring lessons into fun, engaging lessons by integrating video creation tools!

Why Video Presentations?
Using video creation tools provides a platform for all students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept in their own unique way.  By providing the opportunity for students to be creative with their video, engagement increases exponentially which leads to a better understanding of the once "boring" concept.

One common fear that teachers have about using technology in their classroom is that it will shift the students' focus from the subject content to the digital tool being used.  Good news!  Video creation provides a content-centered approach to learning.  Students must first have a solid understanding of the concept being taught before creating a video presentation that displays their understanding of the concept.  This allows video creating to integrate seamlessly into any lesson across any subject.

The Tools
Students at New Century Middle School have used video creation tools for a variety of projects across many different subjects.  Here are the tools they used along with their finished products:

Touchcast (iPad and iPhone)
This tool is free and includes a variety of effects including green screen, virtual whiteboard, unique sounds, and many other virtual apps (called vApps).  Students used Touchcast to create videos discussing economic issues in social studies.  They researched an economic issue in America, then created a video to present their findings and give their opinion on how to fix this particular issue.






WeVideo (web-based)
WeVideo is a web-based tool that allows you to easily edit video clips from your computer.  This is a great tool for students who are using Chromebooks.  Students used WeVideo to create videos for Red Ribbon Week detailing the dangers of taking prescription drugs.  This particular video won second place in a drug prevention video contest.






Splice (iPad and iPhone)
The easiest of the tools to use, Spice allows you to create videos using pictures and video clips from your device.  Because of it's ease of use, minimal class time is needed to teach students how to use the tool.  This particular student used Spice to create a digital "book report" on a novel they read in class.  




The Bottom Line
The next time you are looking to increase student engagement during a lesson that is far from exciting, have your students create a video presentation.  Then watch in amazement as your students create digital masterpieces that helps boost engagement and leads to content mastery.