If you dream it...

Today marked the last of our "Enrichment Showcase" for the year.  Parents, teachers and students roamed through the hallways enjoying the projects that our 4th and 5th graders had created over the past 6 weeks.  Everyone enjoyed photographs taken by 4th and 5th graders, knitting projects, Minecraft challenges, stop motion videos and coding challenges such as "Sphero Chariot Racing" and a synchronized dance with two Bee Bots.  There were smiles all around and students were so excited to show off their creations.

I really stopped to sit back and try to take everything in.  Last year, 4th and 5th grade didn't even exist at my school.  It was simply a plan.  Last summer, our school coordinator collaborated on a Google doc with the new 4th and 5th grade team imagining every possibility.  Nothing was off limits and there truly were no bad ideas to be found.  Even the idea of an enrichment time was part of our crazy brain storm. 

It was based off Google's 20% time and passion projects.  Essentially, we wanted to allow time for students to really engage in what interested them or even try out something new that they might want to explore. 

said Google doc.

Final knitting projects

As we put together our 4th and 5th grade daily schedules, we committed to carving out 45 minutes at the end of each day in which our students could choose a subject to study that was interesting to them.  Starting out, the teachers chose topics that we were passionate about: play writing, speech & debate, engineering and cultural art.  

When we first proposed the idea to our 4th and 5th graders, they were so enthusiastic! Throughout the first eight week session, kids were always excited to head to enrichment, ready to work on new skills and talents that may not have been explored before.

During the second round of enrichment, after the 4th and 5th graders knew what enrichment was all about, we began asking them what they might be interested in. One Google Form and 121 responses later and we were off with a fresh round of enrichments: Minecraft, school newsletter, Zumba, Photography and Knitting! The excitement was so much greater than even before.  Our team of teachers couldn't stop talking about just how engaged kids were in these enrichment classes.

Student created game of "Bee Bot Sorry!"

Finally, in our last round of enrichments, as students became more comfortable with the use of tech in their classrooms throughout the day, they were asking for more tech enrichments!  For our last round, we offered Minecraft, Photography, Coding Challenges, YouTubing and Knitting again.  

I was reluctant to take on the coding enrichment since I had no experience with it before.  But I knew our kids were so bright and super motivated, so I allowed them to take the lead.  I offered a few tools I knew of such as: Bee Bots, the Hour of Code, Hopscotch, Spheros and MaKey MaKey (not a coding tool, but still awesome).  We played with them and then the kids actually came up with their challenges and final projects.  

Showing off Minecraft projects to peer and families

In reflecting on this year's enrichment exploration, I am just truly amazed at how powerful this 45 minutes per day has impacted our students.  There are some things I will never forget seeing during this sacred time of the day.  One thing that truly astounded me was that every student was truly engaged. Students who are typically reluctant to engage during math and language arts instruction are completely different kids when in enrichment.  They are focused, engaged, passionate, and curious. In this arena, these students feel successful.  They are leaders.  They are validated through their passions.  They create.  And they are proud.  

Sphero Chariot Races

I am also blown away at the acceptance these students have for the passions of others.  When a number of 5th grade boys proudly showed off their creations from knitting, no one blinked an eye.  When girls talked me through their lines of code, I was so proud.  Everyone cheered others on.  It was truly a positive experience for students and teachers alike.  For whatever reason, enrichment just kept getting better.

I was approached by one of our 4th graders this afternoon during our showcase and she asked me, "Will you be offering coding again next year?  I want to take it right away because this is awesome!  There is just too much to choose from in enrichment."  

And isn't this what every child deserves...too many good choices to choose from?  

I am so looking forward to another year of enrichment with my colleagues next year.  I am so lucky and proud to work with such a phenomenal team of teachers, students and admin who support our crazy Google doc dreams.

Student photography.

Stop Motion Film made in YouTubing

MaKey MaKey Foot Piano made in Coding

Bee Bots programmed to "dance" to Uptown Funk.

Girls can.

Last week, I was invited to visit Stoneridge Elementary in Roseville.  Before going, I was told I would see STEAM projects in action.  Since we have been playing around with coding and engineering-type challenges in class this year, I was excited to get some ideas and inspiration.  What I left with was so much more.

This year, Brandon Blom, the amazing principal at Stoneridge has brought in Project Lead the Way for students in all grades.  As we toured through the different classes, we saw SUCH a variety of projects that students were engaged in.

Structures built by 1st graders

In first grade, kids successfully built houses that could withstand wind.  I LOVED that it was tied to literacy with the Three Little Pigs! Even my 4th graders would love this activity.

We also toured through a group of 5th graders, building a VEX IQ robot along with programming it to move 2 blocks off a surface. Even before we stepped in the room, it was buzzing with excitement.  Walking in, these 5th graders were engaged in their small groups of 4.  While each group was at a different place in their building and programming, each student was completely engaged in the process.  One thing I couldn't help but notice was a group of 4 girls working together to program their robot on the floor.  I wanted to check in with the girls and see how the process was going. They were all 4 SO excited to tell me all about what they were working on.  They told me how they had coded the robot in the wrong direction, but knew how to fix it and that it would be much easier now that they had already done it once.  These girls were not only engaged, but confident in their abilities as well.

ramps for testing in 4th grade

When visiting the 4th grade classroom, kids were in groups of 4 again, this time completing a project in which they were to design a protective "car" for an egg, which could be sent down an incline without cracking.

I couldn't help but be drawn to another group of girls who were so excited to run their final test on their egg that afternoon.  They had named their car "Fluffari," and explained to me, in detail, their thought process behind using the materials they chose.  This project had been going on for a few weeks up until this point and I felt so lucky to witness the final test with these girls.

a 4th grader giving me all the specs for the "Fluffari"

Driving home, I really got to thinking about how things have changed for girls in education.  I realize that I'm not that old...well...some days my 4th graders like to remind me that I am not as "hip" as I think I am, but it's such an exciting time in education...

As a young girl going to school in the 1980s, math, science and engineering were always geared more towards boys. Even toys in these areas were visually more appealing to boys (think Erector sets from the 80s). I'm not sure I was not explicitly told, "You are not good at math or science," but I certainly don't remember being encouraged or pushed in that area.  I was good at language arts AND talking, but didn't show interest in "boy" things and because of this, wasn't pushed to try it.

I think the younger me came out during my visit to Stoneridge. I wanted to cheer on these girls and tell them how smart they were and how anything was possible for them. While watching the 5th grade girls, I thought, "Wow. These girls are just amazing.  They have no clue that at one time, girls were not encouraged to try anything like this." With the 4th grade girls, I was SO giddy to watch them send their "Fluffari" down the ramp! I wanted to make signs and cheer with pom poms for these 4 girls. I'm sure they already thought I was creepy enough asking them a million questions about their project, but I swear I could have picked them up and hugged them like I was their proud auntie when that egg (spoiler alert) didn't crack.

I love that as educators, we are pushing our kids to learn skills that they will need as they move into their careers (whatever they might be).  Sending girls the message that they CAN be coders, programmers or engineers AND providing them opportunities to try out these skills is something I wish I had experienced and am proud to say is something that teachers at schools like Stoneridge are providing for kids.

Choice Seating: Genius or Asking for Chaos?

As a classroom teacher, I've always liked the idea of little nooks here and there for kids to read in.  Before this year, it was just a funky spot in a corner, maybe with a pillow or two and a comfy chair. Most kids love this...and by love, I mean it's a great opportunity to show dominance by racing to the chair and then giggling at the poor soul who did not make it to the coveted spot. To be clear, I am referring to my students, not adults.  Although, to be fair, I think there are still plenty of adults to do the same thing but are a bit more sneaky about it.  And it's not typically chairs they are vying for.  Just saying.

This year, though, I wanted to do something more dramatic.  I wanted to overhaul my whole classroom into an area similar to what you would find at the Google campus (or what I have seen in pictures at least).  I wanted my kids to sit and work where they were most comfortable.  I wanted to provide PLENTY of places for kids to fight over! :)  And fight they did.

Couch seating area.

When I started the year, I had four table groups of 7 students each.  Every day, I allowed for one group to enjoy "choice" seating.  I had set expectations on how to WORK in choice seating.  I just forgot to mention how to FIND choice seating.  In observing my students and their choice seating behaviors, it was clear that I needed to clarify that "shoving a friend to the ground so you can sit on the couch" was not part of my expectations, nor was "5 kids on the couch bouncing around for kicks" going to cut it.

Tabletop painted with white board paint!

Ok, I set out some expectations, but found that I needed to use "choice seating passes" for my 4th graders, a visual ticket type thing that I would take from kids if they chose to act crazy-town either on the way to choice seating or while working...and I mean "working."

Hey 4th graders: Supplies go back HERE!

That seemed work much better and over time (a few months), I was able to have 2 tables per day using choice seating with little issue.  One thing I had found, though, was that students were leaving supplies all over the place!  They would take their supplies with them for choice seating, but not return them back to their tables.  I am (clearly) an organization freak (in my classroom only, of course) and all these pencils rolling around were driving me BANANAS!


I'm still not sure how to manage this choice seating along with being responsible for supplies.  I don't have a "classroom currency" in my classroom...aside from getting some sweet high fives from me...so, I can't really "pay" someone to help clean.  Unless they will work for said high fives.  Meh. Maybe no.  I'm thinking of sectioning off parts of the room and assigning groups to check those areas before going out for recess.  I'm open to ANY ideas at this point.

Ikea shelves used for student storage: books, notebooks, folders, etc.

Spring Break is always a good time for me to reflect on the year and set up new systems/social experiments to try during the remainder of the year.  You know, use my 4th graders this year to see what I can improve for next year's group of kids.

Hokki Stools for wiggly friends!

I had an opportunity to visit Cove Elementary in Marin last week. Teachers at Cove Elementary do an AMAZING job of giving students choice in where they are comfortable working.  Rooms are HUGE and full of so many types of chairs: bean bags, Hokki Stools (jealous), soft benches, and comfy chairs from Ikea.  I was blown away when a 2nd grade girl asked, "Can we take our book club outside on the grass?" She and her small group went (for their Daily 5 reading) outside and when I checked in on them a few minutes later outside their classroom door, they were totally focused.  After visiting Cove Elementary last week, I was reinspired to give choice seating another go...a fresher look to it. Even though I teach in an office park with no grass or windows (wah, wah, wahhhh).

New bean bag chairs.

Into Walmart I went (cringe) and bought more chairs and some new carpets to make choice seating more welcoming.  My plan going back next week is to allow all of my 4th graders choice seating when there is not direct instruction happening on the front carpet.  I'm still thinking of all the expectations I will need to have and share with my kids when we get back next week. Although the management piece has been more challenging than I had anticipated, it is well worth it.  The kids do so much better with choice seating than they did in August.  I imagine with more trouble-shooting, choice seating will be awesome for everyone...even though I WILL miss seeing the daily dominance challenges.