How Strong Is Your Box?

Last week was rough disappointing just plain sucky!

 

Bad unannounced observation, classroom AC went out, not enough time to plan anything, finding out my module supplies were delivered a month ago and a teacher has just claimed them for themselves. Oh and the best part, we are just now approving some schedules changes so I am getting new students and losing students every period!

 

On top of a rough week both teaching wise and classroom management wise I ended up sick. It's an inevitable joy of teaching in a classroom with 170+ students who have tons of germs, you end up sick occasionally.

 

On the positive side I battled through the head cold and enjoyed Citizen Cope on Friday night with Mr. B and friends. And then spent two days bumming about the house and cooking. My favorite concoction so far is Coconut Thai Shrimp Soup, Coconut Chicken Tenders and Baked Orzo Eggplant with Mozzarella.

 

One project that has been a home run with my career tech kiddo's is something I made up based on a build idea I stumbled across. I called the project, How Strong Is Your Box?

 

Students had 5 index cards, 1 piece of paper and 4 feet of tape to create a box that will hold at least 50 pounds before crushing. The teacher who I borrowed the idea from had boxes that withheld 325 pounds but they had a nice machine that was crushing the boxes and all I had was my arm strength.

 

We did two builds. One with no planning and only 20 minutes to build. Over the next 2-3 days we learned the Technology Problem Solving Method and then the students worked through and typed up the planning process on their computer before they built again.

 

The kiddo's had so much fun building and even more fun crushing the boxes. It seemed like they also really connected the steps to each part of the thinking/building process.

 

 

I plan to use the Technology Problem Solving Method to do more build projects to break up our module rotations.

 

And the bonus of all bonuses, 6th graders HEART build projects! They look at you with such admiration that you let them create and design with a partner and I HEART finding build projects that don't require me to purchase supplies.

 

I can't believe we are already approaching week 5 of the school year, here's to a better week and wrapping up projects in Robotics and Web Design and moving forward to something more exciting! And to figuring out what happened to those darn module supplies before we get through the orientation module.

The Babbling Box!