Tinkercad

As you read this title you probably thought 1 of 2 things:

1. Yes, I love Tinkercad! I wonder what she has to say about it? (Because you already know what this awesome tool is!)

2. What in the world is this? Mhhmm tinker? We tinker as we’re learning in the classroom, so it must have to do with building something.

While that second thought isn’t entirely wrong, Tinkercad is so much more than just building something. Have you head of a CAD system before? It stands for Computer Aided Design system. Architects, drafters, and engineers use these types of systems to help them draft, design, modify, and optimize new structures to be built. Back in 2010, a former Google Engineer, Kai Backman, wanted to make 3D-design accessible to the general public. With that in mind, Tinkercad was born. And the best part? It’s all free!

Tinkercad is an easy to use system that allows anyone, as young as elementary school, to be introduced to creating objects in 3D. In the system there are tutorials that breakdown how to create 3D objects to be printed. The overall system allows students a visualization to go from their 2D-drawn designs to something that is 3D and can be printed using a 3D-printer. On their system students can build anything they want, simulate the programming of electronics, as well as design through code in their code blocks. Through these hands-on learning opportunities, students as young as 5 years old can use Tinkercad and it will grow with them as they become more comfortable.

I use Tinkercad every year to expose students to other STEM career fields. With the growing market of 3D-design and using CAD systems in a variety of careers, my students are offered opportunities to expand their horizons. When I was going to school I had never even heard of CAD. Architects were just people who designed things. I had no concept of what exactly they designed and how they designed it. However, with Tinkercad my students are getting this exposure early on and that is so important to ensure that they are lifelong learners who are career ready.

Do I have you hooked? Are you ready to dive in yourself? And guess what - even if you don’t have a 3D-printer your students can still design, manipulate objects, and create plans on in Tinkercad!

Tinkercad - design today!

3D-Printing for the Community

Right before we received the news that our school district would be closing the buildings due to Covid-19, I had just gotten my students setup for our 3D-printing unit. I’m not sure who was more excited about this unit - me or my 4th and 5th graders. Knowing that our buildings would be closed for at least 2 weeks, I brought one of my two printers home thinking I would print items that my students built in TinkerCad, so I could give them their prints once we got back to school. Then a week into the school closure we received the news from our governor that teachers and students would not be returning to school for the 2019-2020 school year. It was a shock. And here I was passing by my 3D-printer sitting in its box everyday. I was barely surviving days between distance learning, chasing my 16 month old around, and trying to figure out a new routine for our family.

Then I checked my email.

A coworker in my county, Rob Motrynczuk, who’s my local 3D-printing guru, found a need that we could fill in our community - nurses at VCU Medical Center were complaining how much their ears were hurting from wearing masks all day long. And he has a neighbor who’s a nurse there that could make the deliveries. Finally! I ran upstairs to start setting up my 3D printer with the file that Rob sent me.

I had my reason to finally unbox my 3D-printer. And it has been running non-stop ever since!

My son’s new favorite thing is to let me know when he hears it stop running and he’s very adamant (even though he doesn’t have full language skills, yet) that he WILL be the one to press the button to send the file to the printer!

In the first delivery I had printed 100 ear savers and together a group of teachers were able to print over 300 to be delivered! And as you’re reading this, I have more printing! I’ve had friends donate filament. Others that have sent me messages asking for an ear saver for themselves and their grandchildren who work in the medical field. And I’m so thankful for all of them. We are nothing without our medical heroes. I’m so thankful that I can do just a little something to make their job a tad easier each day.

---

If you’re interested in donating filament for this cause, I have listed it on my Amazon Wishlist.

Are you looking for a file for ear savers that you could print? Check out what the National Institutes of Health has listed.

Cozy Up to a Good Book

Teachers are constantly trying to learn more to grow as individuals and to help their students. Are you like me and feel stagnant if you’re just doing the same thing year after year? We're constantly searching for the best lessons, activities, and professional development to afford our students with the best of the best.

As a STEAM teacher, it can be hard to find professional development that is just right for me. There are so many conferences out there for education in general, but content specific conferences can sometimes be hard to find, especially if you’re trying to stay local. And then you worry about the registration fees, travel, hotel, and the list could go on.

Sometimes we forget that some of the best professional development can come right at home when you curl up on the couch with a book! But then there's the problem that there's so many books out there that you don't know where to start! So I wanted to break it down for you. A list of books recommended by teachers! Over the past few years, as teachers have recommended books to me, I’ve written them down to save for later. I also used this list with my own co-workers for a summer professional development. We created small book clubs, shared our thoughts, and implemented new ideas the following school year. And let me tell you, they LOVED it!

I’m here to tell you, this list doesn’t disappoint. Each of these books came highly recommended by my closest friends, Twitter friends across the world, and co-workers in my building! Maybe you’ll even find some books that you haven’t even heard of. So don’t hesitate to download the list and start checking off those boxes because YOU and your students deserve it!

Professional Development Book Club Part 1

Twitter Chats

So you’re on Twitter, but you’re struggling to connect with a wider audience or to just make a personal connection in general? Like any social media, once you’re on Twitter you could spend as much or as little time actually diving into the program itself. You know you want to make connections with other educators, but you’re not sure how? Then Twitter chats are your answer! Not sure what I’m talking about? No, I don’t mean just communicating back-and-forth with other educators on Twitter.

Twitter chats are a way to connect people with specific interests and are centered around a hashtag.

By now you have probably seen a few recurring educational hashtags pop up or you’ve used them yourself. For those of you that have been with me for a while may remember that I got on Twitter thanks to Adam Welcome’s book, Kid’s Deserve It. In order to start my Twitter community, I joined their weekly #KidsDeserveIt conversation on Wednesday nights. This allowed me to connect with educators all over the world, see different view points, and share my own ideas, and gather project ideas/tips/tricks for my own classroom.

Weekly chats are centered around a specific topic and typically have about 4 questions that are asked in a 30 minute time period. Someone hosts the conversation and participants respond to each question with the appropriate hashtag at the end of their answer. The hashtag allows all the responses to the questions to be tracked together. This way if you can’t make the chat, you search the hashtag and can read through the responses later, or you can engage with other people throughout the week by using the hashtag.

Are you intrigued by this professional development type of conversation on Twitter? I mean, it’s from your couch! Is there any other better type of professional development out there?! Below is a list of my favorite Twitter chats for you to get started. Pick one. I promise, you won’t regret it. I bet you’ll even find yourself trying to engage in more chats as time goes on!

#edtechchat Mondays 8pm EST (30 minute chat)

#tlap Mondays 9pm EST (1 hour chat)

#BeTheOne Wednesdays 8:45pm EST (15 minute chat)

#KidsDeserveIt Wednesdays 9pm EST (30 minute chat)

#PrimarySTEMchat Thursdays 6:30am EST (30 minute chat)

Are you looking for a more comprehensive list of chats on Twitter? Check out this amazing calendar made by educators that lists all education chats on Twitter!

Are you not on Twitter yet, but you want to learn more about why you should be? Read my blog - Why Join Twitter?

What is Flipgrid?

Flipgrid is an online learning tool for learners from PreK to PhD to create and share videos! And the best part? It’s 100% free to all educators! Are you saying sign me up?! That’s the exact thought I had just a few short years ago. So let’s break this tool down.

1. Create an educator’s account - This allows you to start exploring how to use the tool with your students.

2. Create a grid - You could break it down by subject, topic, or have a grid for your class for the whole school year. I prefer to create a grid for the whole school year because step 3 will allow you even more flexibility by topic.

3. Create a topic - Within your grid you can create a specific topic that you want students to respond to. You can modify the title, response time, prompt, add a media source (ex. YouTube, Kahoot, Nearpod, and more!), allow students to comment back to one another, use stickers, and so much more.

Are you not sure how you would utilize this tool? Think about icebreakers, weekly reflections, book talks, recorded presentations, math talks, small group work, app-smashing, and more. The ideas are endless!

How have I used them with my students? Since I only see my students for 45 minutes, once a week, I love that Flipgrid can be used as a tool for students to record their learning and I can reference back to it at any point. We can record group presentations one class period, clean everything up, and still be able to see the product weeks later.

Are you looking for more detailed information on how to get started as an educator? Then checkout the Flipgrid Educator’s Guide!

---

Are you wondering how Flipgrid can easily integrate into distance learning? Then don’t miss my blog post - Remote Learning with Flipgrid.

Want to learn how to combine augmented reality with Flipgrid? Then read my blog post - FlipgridAR.

You know you want to start with Flipgrid, but you’re not sure what a good topic is? Then learn more about their library that holds more than 10,000 user-generated topics - Flipgrid Disco Library.

Cardboard Creativity

Who loves online shopping?! Me, personally? I love shopping in stores and sneaking in some extra steps to hit my daily goal at the same time. But what do I love about online shopping? Well, the convenience, of course, but also the boxes! My whole family knows that if they receive a box they cannot throw it out because my students certainly need it. That box is going to be turned into a roller coaster or new shop for Disney or a plant labeled with all of its parts! Bottom line, it’s not going to waste.

You see, students don’t just look at an empty cardboard box and see cardboard. They’re imaginations are running wild. They immediately start thinking of all the intricate designs they can create to display their learning.

So I challenge you, the next time you receive a box, don’t throw it out. Save it for your own kids at home, or give it to a teacher because our students have big plans for that box!

If you want to challenge your kids or students to expand their creativity with cardboard, but you find they need some extra help getting started, I created just the thing for you! My next STEAM at Home challenge board has been created…this time, Cardboard Edition! So download it today and start creating!

STEAM at Home - Cardboard Edition

3Doodler STEAM Education

Have you ever heard of 3Doodler? Well if you haven’t you’re in for a treat! They make several different 3D-printing pens, so children as young as 4 years old can 3D-print!

I have been able to partner with them on several unique opportunities to share how I use 3Doodler in my STEAM classroom. Checkout these articles to learn more!

Full STEAM Ahead with Brittany Ballou, Harnessing Student Excitement

STEAM Education: An Overview from an Expert

Doodle Snowflakes: Geometry and Symmetry

My students use the 3Doodler Start pens, which is the same one pictured above! I love the pen because it operates similar to a hot glue gun, which students are all familiar with. However, they’re even better because they are NOT hot! Yes, you read that correctly. Students could touch the white surface where the filament is extruded and they would never burn themselves! That’s a big win in the elementary school world. I also love how the filament doesn’t fully dry for about 30 seconds, so if students make a mistake, it is malleable, so they can use their fingers to squish it in place.

The sky is the limit when it comes to building with 3Doodler pens! Just don’t run out of filament…

5 Ways to Manage a Work Life Balance

You probably read this title and thought, “uhhh Brittany there is NO work/life balance as a teacher!” A few years ago I would have told you that you couldn’t be more correct. Before having my son, who’s now 16 months old, this was my exact fear. How am I going to work and have quality time with my son? Will my house ever be clean again? Will I ever have ME time to watch my favorite shows?

Ok. Did those questions sink in? Do they sound familiar? Let’s be honest with ourselves for a second. Life as a teacher can be hard. But there are ways to make it manageable, so you’re not giving up one thing for another. So let’s dive into 5 ways to help you manage a work life balance!

1. Planning Time - We all have some sort of planning time at school, maybe a 30 or 45 minute resource class that your students attend, so you can get things done. Before each day I want you to write yourself a to-do list with the highest priority items on the top. Your goal during this planning time is to get 1 - 3 items checked off that list. And let’s be real, it’s ok to put bathroom break on there as a teacher! That’s a huge priority!

2. Close Your Door - People may tell you that it creates an uninviting environment, but we also know that teachers are the biggest talkers. I mean relationships are one of the biggest parts of our job and if your door is open during your planning time, people will come in. You have that to-do list to complete and you’re trying to manage your time, so close your door. I promise it works!

3. Technology - Utilize the technology you have available because it will save you a lot of time and resources. If you’re one-to-one on devices for students and use a learning management system like Google Classroom or Canvas, use it! Don’t let it sit there. These systems allow you to easily push lessons how to students without having to spend extra time copying papers (and it helps the environment!). It will also help you with grading as you don’t have to lug extra papers back-and-forth in your car.

4. Calendar Management - If you don’t already do this, use a calendar to create your schedule. And I don’t mean for your classroom lesson plans, I mean for your family activities, meetings, etc. It’s important to have a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule, so you know what to expect for the week ahead. This will help you mentally plan ahead and not feel overwhelmed last minute. I used to keep all of this in my head, but as my life became busier I needed to keep track of everything better.

5. Close the Computer - Those are powerful words - Close. The. Computer. The work will always be there. The email can be sent later. The papers can be graded when your kids go to bed. Some people even take it a step further to leave their computer at work. Personally, I always take my computer home each day. I’ve always been afraid of an unexpected snow day, or the morning I unexpectedly woke up in labor almost 4 weeks early! So I would suggest bringing the computer home, just don’t open it!…which I promise, I too follow what I preach!

Do you already do some of these things? Now be honest with yourself. Do you follow through all of the time or do you find yourself falling off the bandwagon and again feeling overwhelmed between work and life? Don’t do it to yourself. Your mental health is important. Your family is important. Carve out that time to create memories with your family! They’re only little once and you won’t remember that paper you were grading, but you’ll certainly remember them crawling into your lap wanting to read a book.

Behind the Scenes...Virtual Learning

Ok, we’re all about 4 weeks into this new “normal” of distance/virtual learning. And I hate to say “normal” because I know it won’t be this way forever, but for many of us, it is our normal until the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Who’s been on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter during this time? Have you been checking in on your teacher friends? Have you seen their amazing work spaces? I’ll be the first to admit it, yes, I’m jealous, or envious, or just happy for them in general! But I also know that’s not my reality and I’m ok with that! So let me take you on a behind the scenes tour of my virtual learning work space…

1. Couch.

   Yes, you see that picture correctly. That is where I’ve been working for 4 weeks, haha. It’s the furthest point in my house from my toddler’s bedroom and if you have kids you know the number one priority is DO NOT wake them up! Who’s with me?!

2. Toys.

   Do you have kids? Then this comes as no surprise to you! Toys are everywhere. And I’m ok with that…as long as I don’t step on one of those blocks as I’m carrying my computer and not looking at the ground. My basement looks like a tornado went through it by the end of the day when it’s clean up time.

3. High chair.

   I honestly don’t know where my son puts all of the food he eats, but boy does he relish it all! This is the only time I can manage to work on my computer when he’s awake because he loves Mama, wants to play with Mama, and more importantly wants to play on my computer haha. If my computer is out, there’s a meltdown to be had. I’m very thankful he’s at the stage where he loves to sleep in, so I can get several hours of work done before he wakes up and, if needed, respond to those emails while he eats.

4. Crib?

   I wish I could say I’m a nap time warrior Mama! The kiddo is a champ at crib naps at daycare!..But at home? Nope. He’s a snuggler and I truly think he just misses being with us, so he craves that time on the weekends, ending with him napping on one of us. This has been a struggle as I’ve transitioned to virtual learning and could very much use that time to work on my computer, which leads us to #5…

5. iPhone!

   This baby has been a lifesaver this past month, as if I wasn’t heavily reliant on it prior to this ordeal! I have to be connected with coworkers and families throughout the day and if it wasn’t for my iPhone, I wouldn’t be able to do it. I can take conference calls, while I’m on a walk with my son, send an email or work on my Google docs (thank goodness for apps that work on the phone!) while he’s napping on me, and get notified with an email when I’m taking time to play with him throughout the day.

I know that my work space isn’t perfect. I wish that we had a bigger house to separate our work/living environments more, but I’m ok with where we’re at. I am happy that I’m taking the time to truly be with my son. This new work/life balance is hard. I dare say harder than when I went into school everyday away from my family. But I’m making it work. It’s not perfect, but nobody is, and in the end we’ll get through this virtual learning and have a lot more family memories to hold onto!

Virtual Science

You probably read this title and thought “Uhhh Brittany, science can’t be done virtually. The nature of science is hands-on!” And you’re not wrong. Science is all around us. It’s how how students learn that when they’re throwing a ball in PE and gravity allows the ball to fall back towards the ground. Or when your toddler grabs an egg out of the refrigerator and drops it on the ground and realizes that eggs in fact have an ooey gooey inside (luckily not speaking from experience…yet!).

There are so many different websites that allow you to explore and learn about science virtually. While you will never have the same experience as you would completing an experiment with your own hands, that doesn’t mean you’re not learning. Our kids are growing up in an age where technology is all around them. Let’s harness that need for screen time and make it a time where students learn and begin to fall in love with science to the point they can’t wait to do a hands-on experiment!

I have listed 3 different websites that will help you with virtual science instruction. Some of these tools have features that are always free, some require subscriptions, and they all have free trials!

Explore Learning - This parent company has three different resources partnered together, two of which focus on science (Science4Us and Gizmos) and one on math (Reflex).

1. Science4Us is geared for students in grades K - 2 and they allow students to learn science through instructional models. There is also professional development and lesson plans to help guide teachers through instruction.

2. Gizmos offer a hands-on tool, while using the computer with simulations for grades 3 - 12. Students can change variables in an experiment and quickly see results in real time. This offers a great alternative if you don’t have the necessary tools available to complete science experiments at school or they offer a way to quickly see results because of the time lapse feature.

Mystery Science - I maybe biased, but I absolutely love this tool! Never heard of it? Well it has two amazing parts:

1. Mini Lessons with Mystery Doug - Who’s Doug? He is a former educator that answers student questions! Each week students from around the world submit questions to Doug and he answers them in a way that kids will understand. Anything from how does a snake shed its skin to how does hand sanitizer kill germs. The videos are typically about 5 minutes long and the perfect way to start a Morning Meeting or end the day.

2. State Standard Curriculum Alignment - Do you ever have a science topic that you know you want to do a hands-on lesson, but you can’t seem to find the project that fits? Mystery Science has done the work for you! They comb through the standards of learning for your state and align the appropriate teaching materials and labs that fit the standards. They break down lesson guides, material lists, extension questions, reading materials, videos, and more!

PhET Interactive Simulations - This simulation tool is similar to the Gizmos on ExploreLearning, but the content ranges from elementary school through college. The simulations are also intended for downloading and using for whole class introduction. For example, if you are introducing a topic to your students and you want them to be able to quickly visualize the science concept in real time, the simulation allows you to quickly and easily manipulate variables in an experiment to see immediate results as a whole class. They are perfect for introductions to a new concept before you let students explore the topic individually or a small group.

Technology has certainly changed the world of education. It is up to us as teachers to be able to synthesize the materials that are available, so we can use them to our advantage. Now don’t waste any more time, dive into one of these tools! See how you can boost your instruction with students today, tomorrow, and weeks to come!

Encouraging STEAM at Home

STEAM does not have to be the latest technology or most expensive building materials. In fact, all of STEAM is rooted in the basics - finding random materials and building.

My 15 month old son is the perfect reminder of this!

Just the other day he grabbed his wooden blocks and coasters off of our coffee table and just starting building. In this moment I did not discourage him. There was no reason he couldn’t use the coasters and I knew he was about to make an amazing discovery! In fact, he learned that the coasters have a larger surface area to stack blocks. Now you’re right, a toddler is not going to remember the term surface area (which I definitely shouted in excitement!), but he is definitely going to remember that moment of building. It’s up to us as teachers and parents to encourage moments, both small and large!

Our children are born engineers! They are inquisitive. Constantly testing how to make an object fit inside of another object, or throwing books (probably not want we want at the moment) to see what happens when they fall. Ok, not your kids, just mine? That’s ok he’s a toddler and he’s still learning! I want to help you build these engineering moments in your home. Whether your children are pros at building, or they’re still getting used to the idea, this resource is for you! I have put together 8 easy STEAM activities to get you started. In fact, you don’t even need a lot of resources to be successful. All of the STEAM challenges in this free resource require materials that are just laying around your house. I bet there’s a lot of materials hanging around your living room that you don’t even realize can be used to help you children learn and grow as engineers! So download this free resource, grab a pencil and paper, and let your children start planning their next great adventure!

Free Resource: STEAM at Home

Are you in need of more ideas? Check out these blog posts to get your gears moving! STEM Movies and Building Materials

Georgia on My Mind

Spring Break.

Usually I long for it. I have travel plans booked. Packing to be done. The anticipation of it all is just so exciting.

2020.

You fooled all of us. Instead of all of that excitement, we’re trying to figure out how to make it day-by-day as we social distance. I was definitely in denial for a long time that we wouldn’t have to cancel our plans. You see, for the first time in years my husband, who is a physical therapist, and I were finally able to work out a plan to make it to my family’s farm in Georgia. Flights booked. Rental car ready. And my husband and son (16 months old) would get to experience what I’ve been talking about for years.

The fresh breeze blowing through the air. The fields full of sprouting cotton. And pecan trees lining the road. The sound of four-wheelers running around the farm. I wanted it all. I needed a break from the hustle-and-bustle of work life in a suburban town. The escape with cousins, my aunt’s cooking, the promise of memories past leading to new memories. I wanted that for them.

It’s amazing how in just a matter of weeks all of our plans are completely changed. I see people erasing their monthly calendars, canceling vacations, staying inside as much as possible, and praying this all ends soon. As a teacher it has been hard enough being thrown into this digital learning world, but having a spouse in the medical field adds an extra layer of anxious thoughts. Are we doing enough to protect our family? Did we mess up not adding that extra life insurance a few months ago? No son, you can’t hug your father when he gets home because he MUST shower first! And don’t you dare want to help with the laundry because those clothes have so many germs on them!

Our lives couldn’t be anymore different than they were just 1 month ago. I’m ready to go back to our old normal. I’m ready to just have to worry about cold and flu germs. I’m ready to see my family and friends again. But until then, I will look at pictures and dream of the day when we can try to make our schedules work again and make it down to the farm because we all need a little bit of hope right now.

Engineering Design Cycle for Elementary Students

You are probably wondering what this title even means. Unless you’re an engineer by trade or a STEAM teacher, like myself, you may not have even heard of this before. In short, it’s a way of teaching students to solve real-world problems. Any time they are given a challenge we go through each step of the Engineering Design Cycle in order to find a solution.

Have you ever heard of the Scientific Method? I’m sure you have. Think back to the days you did science experiments in school. You started by asking questions, creating a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, and reporting your results. It’s a linear approach, while the Engineering Design Cycle is cyclical and allows the problem solver to revisit the problem and continue to improve it. You have probably heard of the saying “Practice makes perfect!” Well I prefer “Practice makes better,” because the Engineering Design Cycle teaches students that there is always room for improvement in their design.

So how can you use this with your students or kids at home an in school?

Start small. Don’t try to throw every step at them at once because it can feel overwhelming, especially to our youngest learners. Start with having them plan their design. Give them a challenge, paper, and pencil and have them brainstorm what they want to build. This gives them time to think it through and be intentional about the resources they have available to build with. Then let them build. Their design will probably fail at first and that’s ok. That’s why the Engineering Design Cycle is a cycle. There’s room for improvement and they can always go back to the drawing board and start over!

Are you ready to get your engineers building? Check out this free resource to walk them through a challenge!

Basic Engineering Design Cycle!

If you’re hooked and looking for more ideas to get your students building, then look at these blog posts: K-2 Can Too and STEAM on a Budget

STEM Teacher Summit 2020

Are you looking for looking for in-depth professional development on STEM/STEAM education? But, let’s be honest, our lives are busy right now. We can’t seem to get away to travel somewhere. We have a to-do list a mile long. And you would rather be able to sit at home, learn on your own time, and be able to access the learning after the conference is over? Well, then I have the conference for you - STEM Teacher Summit 2020!

And guess who’s presenting?!

ME!

Along with numerous other amazing STEM educators!

June 22 - 24, 2020 join us for an online STEM Conference hosted by Carly and Adam

Your ticket includes:

• access to 4 STEM keynotes

• 12 PD sessions on various STEM topics

• access to a Facebook community during the conference

• access to all of the replays and content for 1 year

• a PD certificate for 12 credit hours

• bonus STEM activities

Right now, super early bird registration is only $29!

Prices increase to $39 on May 1st and $59 on June 22nd

I’d love for you to join me at this conference! If you’re interested in learning more details go to STEM Teacher Summit 2020! See you there!

Why Join Twitter?

Who does your Professional Learning Network (PLN) consist of? Often times we immediately think of the colleagues in our school building. However, in today’s world we have an unique opportunity to expand our PLN beyond the walls of our school building and even within our district.

Twitter.

No, Twitter is not just filled with teenagers, memes, or political posts. It’s also filled with amazing educators from around the world! Maybe you have an unique teaching position and you’re the only person in your building or even district. You’re constantly searching for ideas online to make you a better educator, but seem to lack the connection that we need to bounce ideas off of another person or you just can’t seem to find quality ideas at all. Twitter can change all of that for you!

As a STEAM teacher myself, I am the only person in my building, so within the first week of my job, I was encouraged by my principal to join Twitter. At first I was hesitant. I knew the stereotype of this social media platform and boy, was I wrong. Within a few days I was connecting with teachers across the country who also were STEM/STEAM teachers or we’re successfully adding this type of instruction into their classroom. I had found my people. Teachers who weren’t afraid to think outside of the box, fail with their students, share ideas/tips/tricks to help make sure I was also successful in my classroom. And maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “But Brittany, I already have this in my building.” Well, then I’m so happy for you, but does it hurt to push yourself further, make new connections, and show off the amazing things you’re doing? That way other teachers who may feel like they’re on a teaching island don’t feel so alone.

So here’s your challenge:

1. If you’re not on Twitter, join this week! You don’t have to tweet amazing things about your classroom, but find at least 5 people you can connect with and learn from.

2. If you are already on Twitter, how can you help a fellow teacher? Can you provide words of encouragement? Lesson ideas? Or maybe they just need a funny meme to get them through because let’s face it, this world needs some happy memes right now!

If this post now has you thinking more about what it means to have a strong PLN, then check out the blog post - Do You Have a Teaching Partner?

It's Not Goodbye

It’s now been a few days since the governor of Virginia closed schools for the 2019-2020 school year and I’m still in shock. Honestly, I fully expected Governor Northam to close schools until May 1st and then reevaluate the situation. I know this is the best decision for the health and safety of our students, staff, and parents, but boy did it come as a shock to hear the words come out of his mouth at the press conference. Everything still seems so surreal, like we’re watching a movie unfold in front of us and we’re trying to guess what happens at the end.

Michelle Weeks, an amazing friend and former coworker, recently posted a blog, This One’s For You, that allowed me to stop and think. In the last few days we have all been dwelling on what we have already missed and what we will miss with our students. However, there are many things that this school closure can never take away from us. We’ve been in school since August or September and there are so many learning moments, projects, and relationships that are built during that time.

1. For the first time, 1st - 5th grades all successfully set up Engineering Notebooks! While it was a feat at first, students in all grade levels were rocking it!

2. Our 3D-printers were finally able to be set up for the first time in 2 years.

3. I had 4th and 5th graders excited they got set up on TinkerCad, so they could design at home too.

4. I was able to transition into a room that was over two times larger than my previous room and students had space to move around and learn!

5. I was able to present at 2 conference - VMI STEM Education Conference and Virginia Children’s Engineering Convention.

6. I worked with 3Doodler in a multitude of ways - publishing articles (Full STEAM Ahead with Brittany Ballou, Harnessing Student Excitement, and STEAM Education: An Overview from an Expert), writing a lesson plan (Doodle Snowflakes: Geometry and Symmetry), and we were in the middle of highlighting how my students were completing a project.

7. My 5th graders used a new piece of technology that we had never used before - Makey Makey, and they did an amazing job creating a model of a cell and detailing what each part did. They loved using the new technology so much that they were giving me more ideas to use it in the future.

8. I was able to get more hands-on learning tools, like Create and Design Drill Kits, so my younger students could have hands-on experience learning how to use drills and screwdrivers.

9. I led my first STEAM Enrichment - Design Like Disney! I had so much fun with that group of 12 students as they built new rides for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.

10. My kindergartners were really growing as engineers! They were sharing, planning, building, and learning from one another.

So, as Michelle challenged me, I challenge you. Reflect on this school year. While it is not over, yet, and there’s still learning to be had, we will be in a different environment than we’re used to. Take a few minutes to think of 10 positive things from this school year and hold onto those moments as we navigate the waters of digital/remote learning. Because the 2019-2020 school year is not over and it’s certainly not time to say goodbye to our students!

Flipping the Classroom

Who would agree with the statement - we live in a digital world? Let’s face it, it’s almost impossible to escape the world of technology because it’s all around us. At school, home, work, doctors offices, etc. And that’s a good thing because the technology is there to make our lives easier. Right now, teachers across the world are thankful for this technology as we’re navigating uncharted territory - a school shutdown due to covid-19. In a matter of days or hours, for some, we went from teaching in a classroom to learning how to teach remotely and/or digitally.

While this process is never going to be perfect because we have not been meticulously creating lesson plans for this exact moment, there are digital resources out there to help you navigate this transition. Check out these three tools that can keep your students learning and interacting from home!

1. FlipGrid - This is a video recording tool that allows students to respond and stay connected with their learning. As the teacher, you can create an educator account to start topic ideas, share daily videos, have students record responses to questions, and even interact with one another’s video responses. I highly recommend this tool for quick, easy video recording to get your students communicating about topics they are learning about.

2. Zoom - This is a video conferencing tool that allows you to see students live! You can schedule a time to “meet” your class for a discussion, read aloud, or a time to answer questions. It is also a great tool to use for parent/teacher conferences in a scenario that a parent is unable to meet in person.

3. Khan Academy - This is a tool that allows you to easily differentiate your instruction for all students through instructional videos and practice exercises. Students are able to learn at their own pace through all core subjects from kindergarten through advanced level high school/college courses. There’s even specialized content from NASA, MIT, and museums across the world.

If you’re already comfortable with these online tools and you’re looking for something more hands-on that students can do at home, then check out these blog posts for ideas! STEM Movies, STEAM on a Budget, and Building Materials

Minute to Win It Game Show

When you’re stuck at home what do you like to do for family bonding? I know that growing up my family loved to play games and we still do! Maybe your favorite is Monopoly, Candyland, UNO, or you like something a little more active, like Pictionary. We all know that adding a little more movement into our days will help, so let me remind you of a show that originally aired back in 2010 - Minute to Win It! The title basically says it all - you have a challenge to complete in 60 seconds in order to win a prize. Competition, movement, and family bonding, what could be better than that?!

Do you have younger kids at home? 60 seconds may seem like a quick turnaround for them to feel like they have a chance to be successful, so you can adapt your game play! Instead of setting a timer for 60 seconds, allow them to compete against someone else, start a timer, and record the total time it takes them to complete the challenge. You can even take it a step further by dividing your family up into teams and recording the total time it takes for each round to get the winner.

If your family loves the competition and is all about winning prizes, I even added prize ideas to the list too. You won’t want to miss this free resource to get you started!

Minute to Win It Game Show

Are you looking for other ideas to keep your mind busy, while at home? Check out the blog post about bringing escape rooms to your living room with Escaping Boredom with Breakout EDU!

Escaping Boredom with Breakout EDU

Anyone out there starting to feel cabin fever, like me? At times it can be hard to turn off the television and just be present with your family. We live in a day and age where the 24 hour news cycle can suck us into a black hole of information overload, and it has gone into overdrive with the coronavirus news.

Take some time today to engage with your family in a new type of activity - an escape room! For me, I love them! You go to a room that’s decorated to fit an interesting theme, it is filled with clues, and you have to decipher how to fit them together in order to break open locks. Well, we can’t do that when we are trying to socially distance ourselves, but there is a way we can do them at home, right on our computers.

Cue Breakout EDU, an online platform that allows you to bring the atmosphere of an escape room to your classroom! They have physical games with real locks and puzzles to be solved, but they also have digital versions of an escape room as well. The games challenge students to think outside of the box as the clues have minimal words with the pictures. Students have to piece the information they have together to break out of different types of locks, which include color locks, word locks, number locks, and directions locks.

Currently, they have over 350 free games that anyone can access. They even break them down by content and age appropriate grade level. As a teacher who uses Breakout EDU in my own classroom, I would suggest looking into their full platform access to give you over 1600 digital and physical games. Having the full platform access has been a game changer both in my classroom and as I have transitioned to a distance learning teacher. Even when I am at home, I am able to send my students games digitally that they can use to review content, collaborate with their family, and most importantly, have fun while doing it!

So I challenge you to get started with a game, so you can put yourself in your students’ shoes. Can you help Lola the Ladybug get back to her family?! The Lost Ladybug (Hint if you cannot access the link immediately, create a FREE platform access)

Check out this landing page Breakout EDU created specifically for distance learning at home. You can find a list of digital games linked for easy access at Breakout EDU Fun at Home.

Are you looking for more free games? Check this out - Breakout Edu Free Games.

Are you curious to learn more about the process that goes into writing a Breakout EDU game? Then read about my own process as I wrote a Breakout EDU game in my article Breakout EDU Game Designer.

STEM Movies

What do you do when you’re stuck at home? Watch tv, movies, maybe some cleaning in between if you can find motivation? Let’s be honest, we all know it is hard for our students to completely transition from an 8am to 3pm school day to all of the sudden distance learning from home. On top of it, many parents are teleworking and trying to keep up with their normal work duties. It is so easy to pop in a movie, so you can have a few minutes (or 2 hours!) to yourself.

How can we make this time more meaningful for our students? You should pick movies that students can connect learning to! Yes, believe me, all movies have teachable moments in them - think about plot, literature elements, writing process, and even STEM! Well if you know me, you know STEM is my thing, and lucky for you, my friend, Chris Woods has done the work for us! He has compiled a list of well known STEM movies along with project ideas, big questions, and ways to challenge our students to study more about a topic from the movie.

Checkout the list below to get your students relaxing and learning at the same time!

And be sure to check out Chris Woods’ website, Daily STEM, to find more resources.