<![CDATA[Creatively Teaching with Technology

<![CDATA[Creatively Teaching with Technology - Blog]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:23:29 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Book Creator App is On Sale!]]>Thu, 22 Sep 2016 15:20:10 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/book-creator-app-is-on-sale

The book creator app (that I constantly rave about) is on sale this week only. The app is available for half price, which means the full version of the app is discounted to $1.99. If you are buying for a school, using the Volume Purchase Program, the reduced rate is $0.99. This price is for 20 copies or more. The sale ends this Sunday, 9/25. You can purchase the app here. Want more info on the app or need ideas? Check out my blog post for lots of ideas for using the tool in your classroom.

]]><![CDATA[Back to School with Book Creator]]>Fri, 26 Aug 2016 15:39:58 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/back-to-school-with-book-creator

One of my all time favorite creation apps. While the $4.99 ($2.49 with VPP for Education) price tag might turn some away, once you try it you will find that it is worth every penny. It’s basic enough for Kindergarteners to use but it’s packed with features making it appropriate for use by all - including middle/high school and even adults! More on that in a bit. If you are new to the app, download the free version (which allows you to create one book). A few of my favorite things about this app:

I use it for both student created material and teacher created material.
Books can be exported as video, making them accessible by all and handy for use in the classroom.
It doesn’t matter if you have access to one iPad or 25, you can make this work for your students. Consider having a publishing station if you only have a few iPads. (And rumor has it that a Chromebook version may be on it’s way!)

For the purpose of this post, we’ll focus on back-to-school ideas - but the options for this tool in your learning environment are endless!

If you are new to Book Creator, the best way to check it out is to download the free version and PLAY. It’s extremely intuitive and students end up discovering lots of ways to get fancy with their work. In a nutshell, it’s a creation app that allows you to publish written work. You can use it in your classroom for any written piece (Examples: personal narrative, how-to, research, imaginative narrative, etc.) Students should still write and edit however they typically do in class (on paper or in Google Drive, etc.) but then have them create the final copy in Book Creator. Their work can now be shared with classmates, parents or anyone you choose. Their audience just grew exponentially! And, audience is what gives our kids purpose in their writing. Chances are that as your kids use this tool, or any for that matter, they will discover new features that we didn’t even realize were there. Kids are good like that, aren’t they?

Capitalize on these a-ha moments. As kids discover tips or tricks, have them teach your class a mini-lesson. Mirror their iPad to the board and let them go. Kids teaching kids creates such an authentic learning experience for all involved.

Now on to the Back-to-School ideas...

Add stuff that you have already created on your computer.

Collaborative Books
Book Creator allows students to each create a page (or pages) which can be combined into one book. This is handy for beginning of the year projects such as these:

Building Classroom Community: A quick get-to-know-you activity such as the following can serve as a great way for kids to learn this app. Pair students up. Have students interview each other and make a page about their partner. Join the pages together and you have a class eBook and video to share with the class (and perhaps to share at Back to School Night). For specifics on how to join the pages, check out this blog post. If you are new to the app, a great way to learn the features would be to create a book about yourself to share with your class.

Tip: As seen in the example above, use stuff you have already created on your computer. Check out the great stuff the TwoTechieTeachers create for their students and follow them on Twitter for a continuous stream of great ideas! @MrsCoppleSES and @KindergartenVF

Procedures, Procedures, Procedures!

Besides paperwork and assessments, we spend the bulk of the first few weeks of school teaching our expectations and routines. Have your students make “How To” books for your classroom procedures. Their directions can include text, audio and video. Download the book as a video and insert them into your morning message slides or show them during morning meeting as a review. You can also share them with parents via email so that they can reinforce at home.

If you are a PBIS school, consider making a book that covers your school matrix. Feature kids modeling positive behavior. The books and/or videos can be posted on your school website.

Access for All
As you are working on these projects, remember to make them accessible to all learners. Have a bilingual student record each procedure in his or her native language. This will not only help the student, it will also help his or her family know what is expected in your classroom. Other great accessibility features of Book Creator include:

The Open Dyslexic font which is designed to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. Consider making this the standard font your students use in book creation.
The Alternative Text feature allows you to add descriptions of your images for the visually impaired. Having students create the alternative text is a great learning exercise. Check out this fabulous article by Dr. Luis Perez (@eyeonaxs) 5 Easy Accessibility Tips for Book Creator Authors. Such easy to implement ideas that are so important for ALL of our students to understand as they present their work.

Try Comic Books
Book Creator allows you to make learning fun with comic book creation. Kids are totally into graphic novels these days, what better way to have them get excited about writing? Have them create their own graphic novels - for any topic of required writing. As always, they should follow the planning and editing process that is required, but then use this tool to exercise creativity and publish their writing piece in the form of a comic book.

Teaching Procedures: Comic books can also be fun for classroom procedures. Create a class book of procedures and assign a page to each group of students. They can create a comic for each procedure and add audio (think: fun background music and voice overs!). This would be great if you decide to download the book as a video and play for the class (as mentioned in the procedures section above). Combine the pages to make one book. You can even download as a PDF and print the pages as posters for each area of your classroom. Read more about the comic book feature here. And be sure to check out yet another amazing project from the TwoTechieTeachers: "Heroes of Exploration" using the comic book feature.

Other Learning Ideas: Explaining science concepts, vocabulary words, reading response, etc.

I could go on and on about more ideas for using this awesome tool, but hopefully your wheels are now turning and your own ideas are starting to flow. Last but not least, be sure to connect with @BookCreatorApp on Twitter to keep up with all the great stuff they are doing. Also, check out their blog for TONS of great ideas and jump into one of their free webinars for teachers hosted by @ClassTechTips. Such great stuff!

Here's wishing you a start to this school year that will inspire both your students and your practice!

Follow @techtools4ed on Twitter and stay tuned to this blog for more tech tools you can use to kick off your 2016-17 school year!

]]><![CDATA[Tools You Can Use: Ignite the 16-17 School Year with Adobe Spark]]>Fri, 12 Aug 2016 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/tools-you-can-use-for-back-to-school-ignite-creativity-with-adobe-sparkIf you have not yet heard about Adobe Spark, listen up! This FREE set of creations apps is available on devices and in web browsers making it super accessible no matter what device your students use. It’s the perfect set of tools to jumpstart your school year. The following is a brief summary of the three apps and a few ideas for how to use them for teaching and learning during the first few weeks of school.

Spark Post
Allows you to create graphics with text that can be used for any number of things such as infographics, memes, announcements, invitations, etc. Use them on your website, in emails, etc. You can choose from a collection of images, or upload your own.

Ideas for Teaching & Learning

Building Classroom Community: Have 3rd - 5th grade students take a selfie and add some text that shares information about themselves, perhaps a favorite quote - something that will inspire them for this school year. Teachers can have a bank of quotes for them to choose from.
Other ideas include creating an advertisement for a favorite book they read this summer, infographics depicting classroom expectations, etc.

Teacher Tip: Use Spark Post to create eye catching images for your class website or parent emails. Create graphics to add to your Smartboard slides. Better yet, have students create graphics to use as parent reminders for all those pesky housekeeping items that need to be taken care of that first week. Examples might include uniform do's and don'ts, school supply lists, specials schedules, etc. Then pop them into your new, digital newsletter - see below for details!

Spark Video
Video creation made simple. Seriously. Combine text, graphics and music to slides using provided themes (or your own) to create a beautiful story told through video. You can also choose from a selection of story structures to build your video. Preloaded templates include: an invitation, show and tell, promote an idea, teach a lesson, etc. I love how simple this tool is, yet how stunning the final product turns out! When I discovered this suite of apps I handed my iPad off to a seven-year-old and here's what she came up with. Within a few minutes she had the app figured out and created this video (embedded below).

Ideas for Teaching & Learning

Create a video for a specific classroom procedures such as the expected morning routine (unpack, turn in homework folder, etc.). After seeing your model video, have students create their own for a specific routine or expectation. You can watch them each morning as reminders. You can also share them with parents via email so that they can reinforce the expectations at home. As you are working on these projects, remember to make them accessible to all learners. Have a bilingual student record each procedure in his or her native language. This will not only help the student, it will also help his or her family know what is expected in your classroom.
Are you a PBIS school? Have your class create videos for each positive behavior you expect them to use around the school. Teams of students can be assigned different locations of the building. For example cafeteria, media center, hallway, etc. Here is a basic example - but the students could really get creative modeling positive behavior in these short videos! They will serve as great reminders throughout the year. And again, parents will be more willing to watch videos sent home via email if they know their children are the stars!

Have students take selfies (or use the “posts” students created in the example above), to create a classroom community video. Each student can record their name and something about themselves.
Have each student create a video about themselves. This could be planned out and illustrated on paper first. They can photograph their drawings to insert into the project, then narrate using their written words.

Spark Page
Allows you to create “web stories” or webpages of information pages such as journals, articles, portfolios, etc.

Ideas for Teaching & Learning

Create a page with a section for each student. Have the students write a paragraph about themselves and add a selfie. The final page is a great way for you to get to know your students and for them to get to know each other.
Use pages instead of newsletters, but have students create the content. At the start of the year, they could make one all about their classroom, classroom expectations, etc. Email the completed link to parents. Use this on a regular basis as a high-tech version of an old school newsletter. How much more likely will parents be to read the weekly newsletter if they know their child had a hand in creating it? Check out this sample newsletter (embedded below).
Later in the year, students can create pages to publish their written work in any subject area. They can cut and paste directly from Google Drive or other document creation apps.

What ideas do you have for using these tools in your classroom? Share with us in the comment section below. The options for using Adobe Spark in teaching and learning are endless! Head on over to the Adobe Spark website, set up your free account and start creating. Also check out the Adobe Education Exchange for tips and ideas. Your students can't wait to see what you come up with!

Follow @techtools4ed on Twitter and stay tuned to this blog for more tech tools you can use to kick off your 2016-17 school year!

]]><![CDATA[Making Earth Day Count]]>Tue, 19 Apr 2016 20:30:45 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/april-19th-2016

Earth Day is just a few days away (4.22.16), but with all the demands placed on teachers right now, is there time to even mention it? I hope so! I love the quote to the left and fully embrace its implications for teaching and learning. However, as a former classroom teacher, I'm also aware of the time and curriculum constraints placed on teachers. Today, I share a quick yet meaningful way to integrate Earth Day in your classroom this week. I just had the privilege of designing an Earth Day focused, school-wide STEaM Challenge for an elementary school. (More on that in another post.) We linked the project to the Earth Day Network’s theme for Earth Day 2016: Trees for the Earth. If you haven’t had a chance to check out their goal of planting 7.8 billion trees by 2020 (one for each person on the planet) read more HERE. The students loved being a part of this exciting goal as each classroom was able to plant a tree.

Another focus the challenge was to introduce students to the work of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace prize. She started the Green Belt movement, replanting the trees of Kenya and supporting women’s rights. Her story is motivating and powerful and thankfully, there are quite a few children’s books that do an excellent job of sharing her story. Hopefully you have one of more of these titles in your schools already, but if not, thanks to YouTube, we have a few read aloud for us. I would still encourage purchasing the books for your classroom and/or school libraries, but for the sake of this week, check out the videos. My favorite clip is the Hummingbird Parable. If nothing else, I would share this clip with my students and share Wangari’s story. Then have a follow-up discussion on how they can be hummingbirds every single day. Below you will find the list of resources I’ve compiled and a few quick extension ideas for free writes or even just discussion. I hope that you take a few minutes to explore them and squeeze even just a little bit of this powerful story into your classroom this week. You, too can be a hummingbird and teach what counts.

Teaching Resources
Videos

Hummingbird Parable Clip (embedded below) 2 minute clip

Extension Discussion Question or Free Write: How can you be a hummingbird in our classroom, in your home, in your school, in your community, etc.?

Read Aloud Video of Wangari’s Trees of Peace (5 minute clip)

TEACHER WARNINGS: The word naked is used. In this context: “The earth was naked. For me the mission was to try to cover it with green.” There is also mention of the women being beaten with clubs. It’s the facts - sad but true. Just giving you a heads up on these two items.

If you have time to go deeper with the text, Wangari’s Trees of Peace, check out this comprehensive Lesson Plan (designed for K) that has great discussion questions and more.

Read Aloud of Kid-Created Book: Great intro video for kids, by kids. Explains her life and work in a kid-friendly way.

Books
Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson (Grades 3 and up)

Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola (Grades K & up)

Video of Book Read Aloud (6 minutes 15 sec.)

Mama Miti by by Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson

Additional Resources

Cause & Effect Lesson Plan & Additional Videos Resources

Writing Prompt Extension Ideas:
Wangari Maathai’s dream was to replant the trees of Kenya. What is one dream you have for your neighborhood, school, town or planet? Brainstorm some ways you can make a difference. Write about it or draw a picture.

Can you brainstorm an invention that would help solve an environmental problem? Think of a problem you see at school (ex. Styrofoam trays in the cafeteria), at home (your parents plastic coffee cups or k-cups) or in your neighborhood or even on our planet ? Do some planning then draw a diagram or sketch a picture and tell us about it!

Other Great Earth Day/ Tree Themed Books

Celebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees of the World by Margi Preus

]]><![CDATA[Conference Quick Tip: QR Code Your Contact Info]]>Wed, 02 Mar 2016 17:21:43 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/conference-quick-tip-qr-code-your-contact-info

Although vendors will scan your official bar code, you may want to have your contact info linked to a QR code to make sharing your details with other attendees quick and easy. Business cards (are those still a thing?!?) get lost in the shuffle. Make your QR code the lock screen image on your device, since you will have the device handy at all times. As you connect with other attendees, they can scan and save your contact details. As an alternative, you can print your QR and slip it into your plastic conference badge holder.

Not familiar with creating QR codes? For QR code creation, I like qrstuff.com. You can link the code to a host of things including your contact information. You can also personalize the code with colors, etc. There are also some great Chrome extensions for QR creation and management. For scanning, I use the I-nigma app. Just make sure you have a system for organizing all those QR codes you scan.

Read this post for more info on organizing the QR codes you scan and other great conference tips!

]]><![CDATA[Tech PD for Teachers: Playground Style]]>Fri, 02 Oct 2015 03:42:31 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/tech-pd-for-teachers-playground-style

Need to spice up your tech PD for the 2015-16 school year? Try this out... {Re-posted from February 2015}

This month my classroom teacher colleague & tech integration guru, Courtney Sears and I presented a tech PD session for our staff. We wanted to mix things up and not require staff to suffer through yet another sit-and-get style PD. Instead, we implemented a playground model allowing our teachers to move around and get their hands on 10 tech tools that they might not ordinarily have time to check out. We ended our session with several rounds of Ed Tech Speed dating. Overall, we found this session to be a great way to engage our teachers. Interested in trying it in your school? Read on.

We started by creating a Google site to house the information about each tool. Each subpage includes a tutorial and links to legit samples from classrooms. This is our site: Ed Tech Playground.

Apps we Featured:

Animoto: Video/Slideshow maker
Padlet: Collaboration tool for students, teachers, etc.
Kahoot: Game-based classroom response tool
Plickers: Real-time formative assessment data collection tool (without the need for student devices!)
Discovery Ed: Board Builder (Glogster-like tool for DE users)
Learning A-Z: Subscription-based ELA and Science resource
Book Creator: My ALL TIME favorite ebook creating tool
Favorite Websites: We provide our favorite website resources.
Blogging with Students: Using the Kidblog platform
Blogs We Follow: A curated list of our favorite blogs broken down by subject

Setting Up the Space
We held the training in our school library. After a short intro presentation (linked HERE), teachers had 1.5 hours to rotate through the stations of interest to them. Each station had a sign with a QR code to the padlet question. We used this as an“exit ticket" technique for each station. Padlet was a great tool to collect teacher's thoughts and ideas. Samples of our Padlet questions:

Make a video with photos from your class (Animoto).
Post one way you could use this tool in your classroom.
Register your students and set their reading levels (RAZ Kids).
Post about how your students will use this tool during the school day.
Register for a Plickers Account and print cards for your class.
Post the name and link to an educational blog that you follow.

Meet Your Ed Tech Match
For the final 30 minutes of our PD session, we engaged our teachers in Ed Tech Speed Dating. We arranged our tables into two long rows and staff members, in pairs, sat across from each other. Each staff member had three minutes to share with their partner. They were asked to share their favorite tool from today and how they planned to use it in their classrooms. We used the handy 1-Click Timer (Chrome Extension) on the Smart Board to keep track of time. Every three minutes as the timer sounded, one group of staff rotated to the left and the other to the right - to allow for new partners. We were thrilled with the buzz throughout the room. This process helped solidify their learning through sharing and listening. Check out the video below.

Wrap-up
As usual, we used a Google form to collect feedback on the session. We kept it short and sweet. Take a look, HERE. Some of the responses we received included:

"Best PD all year!"
"I love love loved the delivery model. Time to work independently and as a group; lots of hands-on time; the chance to actually get something set up and ready to go. And the genius 'speed dating as vehicle for sharing-out' was both creative and effective. Coolest wrap-up ever."
"Having time to DO what we learned was great and will allow me to implement in the classroom!"

We will definitely continue to use this PD model in the future. I hope that you are inspired to shake up your PD a bit and give teachers the time and space to explore and process new tools.

]]><![CDATA[ISTE Packing Tips for Newbies]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:25:56 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/iste-packing-tips-for-newbies

Are you a first time ISTE attendee? If so, here are a few packing tips that have been helpful for me in years past. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the conference is packed full of sessions, events, vendors, people to meet and more. To max out your time, you need to take care of YOU, first. I do this by coming prepared. Here are a few items you may want to throw into your suitcase:

1. Water bottle. Sometimes conference registration bags come with a water bottle. It might not this year, so bring your own. I also find it helpful to pack snacks such as protein bars, trail mix, etc. It’s easy to get lost in ed tech heaven, so stay hydrated and be prepared for those times you opted for a session instead of a lunch break.

2. Backpack. Unless you want to feel lopsided at the end of each day, plan to carry a backpack. I find it much more comfortable than lugging my laptop, iPad and all that fun swag in a shoulder bag.

3. A Large Suitcase or Extra Duffle Bag. Depending on how much swag you choose to collect, having extra room in your suitcase or an extra bag to carry home may come in handy.

4. Comfortable shoes. Your laps around the Convention Center will provide you with an unintended workout every day, so consider ditching the heels for something your feet will thank you for.

5. Labels. This one depends on whether you want to spend time on drawings and potential prizes. If this is not your thing, pass this one over. However, when you get your registration bag, you will find that it has lots of stuff to fill out - prize drawings, etc. There is usually an "Exhibit Hall Raffle Coupon Book" with about 100 coupons that require your contact info. If you plan to participate, print a few sheets of labels with your name, address, email, twitter handle and phone number that you can be reached on during the conference.

6. QR Code for your Badge. Although vendors will scan your official bar code, you may want to have your contact info linked to a QR code. Print this code and slip it into your plastic conference badge holder. As you connect with other attendees, they can scan and save your contact details. An alternative is to make the QR your lock screen image on your device, since you will most likely have the device handy at all times.

Looking for More Tips?
Join me at ISTE on Monday morning, June 29, from 8:30–9:00 am (PCC 108) for Curating the Conference: Tools & Tips to Maximize your ISTE 2015 Experience. This snapshot session is designed for conference first-timers and will provide you with effective conference habits that will transform your day-to-day practice once you return to your teaching and learning environment.

]]><![CDATA[Summer Learning Collection for Students & Parents]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2015 18:05:38 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/summer-learning-collection-for-students-parents

Alice Cooper's School's Out seems to be on a loop in my head which was a good reminder to write this post. We've all been getting bombarded with emails filled with end of the year & summer resources. I've been collecting them in one spot. Check out this collection of websites, apps, online courses and more and share with parents, or anyone that might find it useful. Most of the tools are geared toward K-5, but some are applicable to younger and older students. I'll continue to add to it throughout the summer. Have a tool to add? Leave a comment. Thanks!

Summer Learning Tools for Kids 2015

]]><![CDATA[No 3D Printer? No Problem.]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2015 23:37:12 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/no-3d-printer-no-problem

Since the hype of 3D printing has hit the education market, schools have scrambled to get their hands on printers, laser cutters and the like. My stance with any new type of technology is to answer the important questions of why and how - before jumping into the commitment of a sizable purchase. I firmly believe that many are quick to put the cart before the horse when it comes to new tech, programs and initiatives. Besides researching the tools, it's critical to figure out how they fit into your curriculum and overall plan for your school's initiative. Of equal importance is who. Who will make sure the device is used effectively? Integrated into instruction in a meaningful and purposeful way? Who will be responsible for maintaining it from a technical standpoint? Is funding available for filament and maintenance needs once the warranty expires? This is all part of the journey. I opted not to seek funding for a 3D printer this year, however I did want to expose my students to 3D printing. One of the ways I did this on a small scale was through a field trip to a neighboring school. Read more below. We also have exciting plans to expose ALL of our students to 3D printing later this month. More details in a future post.

Makerspace & 3D Printing Field Trip
In April, I took a group of fifth graders to a local middle school. Since the fall, this group of five students, have been part of my "Coding Crew", learning the Python programming language. Because of their involvement in programming, they helped to implement our school wide computer science initiative, Hour of Code in December. These 5th graders taught younger students about the importance of computer science and helped them learn how to use coding programs and apps. The field trip was a reward for the efforts of these students in promoting technology at our school.

At Smith Middle, our group of students were led by the dynamic duo, Greg Garner, Instructional Tech Facilitator and Gabriel Grana, Teacher Librarian. They planned a rotation of four stations:

The Un-Makerspace: Students used a variety of tools to take apart old printers and computers. Some of the students even had time to come up with new uses for the parts.
Coding Station: Students used web and iPad tools such as Trinket, 123D Sculpt-It, and Tinkercad to practice their coding skills in conjunction with elements of design.
3D Printing: Students had a mini-lesson on 3D printing which included seeing the Makerbot in action and getting a chance to check out various 3D printed projects that were created by middle school students.
Video Creation: Students used the photos, videos and screenshots they had taken throughout the session to create and narrate a video of their experience using the tool, Shadow Puppet EDU.

This experience provided our students with time to make, create, design, & redesign - all components of inquiry based learning. They were able to apply their programming skills in a variety of ways. Most importantly, they were inspired to continue their pursuit of digital learning, in school and beyond.

]]><![CDATA[BetaBox: A Week of Engaged Minds & Hands]]>Fri, 01 May 2015 13:13:08 GMThttp://www.techtools4education.com/blog/betabox-a-week-of-engaged-minds-hands

Mirroring our school district’s focus on the growth mindset, we believe that all students have the ability to increase their intelligence through purposeful and sustained effort. We also believe that as 21st century teachers, we have the responsibility to provide our students with authentic, embedded learning opportunities that will prepare them for the future. One of the ways we were able to make this a reality for all 450 students and staff was through a grant we wrote: Thinking Outside the Beta Box. Fortunately, this grant was fully funded - by the Public School Foundation and the PTA.

BetaBox is a mobile prototyping lab - in a shipping container.

The Beta Box project was two-fold: a week long, in school event as well as, an evening STEaM Night for families. All of our students participated in a dense week of carefully curated maker workshops utilizing various technologies to help students gain hands-on experience using technology to solve problems while working collaboratively. This provided a platform for students to gain confidence in technology, engineering and the design thinking process, while strengthening critical observation, empathy and social skills.

Before the students engaged with the BetaBox, all classes viewed this quick introductory video on the morning of the BetaBox arrival.

The Projects
Every class had an hour with the Betaversity facilitators. While half the class worked inside of the box, the other half worked in our Exploratorium.

Grades 4 & 5 assembled and tested working prosthetic hands for a real children in need through a partnership with the UNC non-profit organization, Helping Hands. Students were exposed to socially responsible manufacturing, 3D printing, assembly and testing of basic robotics and biomedical engineering. It was incredible to see our students engage in real-world application, purpose and responsibility through hands-on learning.

Students in grades PreK-3 interacted with 3D printers, laser cutters and design thinking through the “Flowers Project”. They observed the lasers cutting their names into the petals and the 3D printers in action creating the plastic “flower bud” which housed a small battery and an LED light. Students had the opportunity to figure out how to assemble the flower and install the digital flower into the garden or take home and share with family and friends.

In addition to the grade level projects, when the students were working in the Exploratorium, they experienced many maker tools including: LittleBits, Makey Makey, 3D scanning of each student and more.

Check out the video below for a recap of our week with the BetaBox.

The BetaBox and the Betaversity facilitators culminated their time with us by joining us for STEaM Night. Students were able to bring their families through the Box and introduce them to our new "teachers" that became like family to both our staff and students. The curiosity, wonder and excitement sparked by the presence of the BetaBox reminded us all of what authentic learning is all about.

]]>