Making on a more personal level

Sharing these links as friends have been asking where I got my Lego logo items:

This Spring I was able to purchase two sets of Lego WeDo2.0. In order to complete this transaction, I needed to converse quite a few times with the helpful folks at Lego Customer Service. One day I found their webpage in an effort to confirm the phone number that I had. I noticed their graphic banner at the top of the site: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service?icmp=COUSFRCustomerService
I hope the graphic doesn't change as it is priceless! So very well done. But being in edtech myself I had an idea to borrow their idea and create a Lego representation of myself.

It sparked an idea. I hoped to create something like that for myself for this coming school year. As Legos are a big part of #OurSTEAMCafe, it seemed a perfect concept to bring to life. I began looking at Amazon for Lego figures that looked like me. Didn't quite find any that I liked. I also hoped to write my name on it. So one night scrolling through Etsy, I typed in "customized Lego people." That's what brought me to http://www.brickis.be I was able to choose my hair color and style, some choices about facial features, clothing color, and pants color. I could also have "Mrs. Shields" inscribed upon it. I have to say that I love the resulting product. So adorable!

After purchasing a Lego-like mini-me I figured I needed some type of technology item to hold. Through Amazon I found a great black laptop for Lego. It looks almost like our chromebooks. Perfect! Add to cart!

Next I was on the hunt for Lego furniture. I found a very cute brown desk (some assembly required). Who doesn't love to play with Lego!? For those that have been asking, it was purchased through Amazon but the shop is http://www.interiorbricks.com. The kit actually included Lego-like sized speakers, desktop, mouse and keyboard. It arrived very quickly. The other night I assembled it. A perfect evening amusement while it rained outside.

After all the pieces arrived and were assembled, I carefully placed them on top of a sheet of white computer paper. I took photos from various angles with my cell phone. The interesting thing is the photos that I preferred were shot in the evening when it was a little darker in our apartment. I also took photographs the next morning in direct sunlight. But I was surprised that I prefer the first set's lighting.

After uploading my photos to Google Drive, I used Google Slides to create my graphic. I understand the Google Drawings is designed for graphics. But I find that I can overlap layers much better using Google Slides. When you are finished --> File --> Download as --> .jpg creates a picture image that can be used on Twitter, Facebook and most importantly Google Classroom. I have several Google Classroom classes for professional development purposes at my school. One for each of the upper grade levels. I added some text distinguishing the grade level and reoutput to be our Google Classroom banner images. Pleased with myself and my handwork, I shared it on Twitter and FB. Friends started asking, "Where did you get that?" This blog post is my response.

Please note I am an educator. There was no sponsorship from any of the companies in the creation of this blog post. It is just a very happy customer (funding came from my own wallet) glad to share with friends and/or colleagues. If you create something similar I would love to see your results.

Teapot 2017

Watched several friends selecting a word or phrase to symbolize their approaching new year. I was struggling for some time to discover the word or phrase that had meaning for me. So I decided to put the thought on the back burner and just enjoy Winter Recess. Along with all the splurge eating, family visits, I also started walking again. I spent some time making a dent in the extra clutter that surrounded our lives in our apartment. While cleaning, I unearthed a clock that I was given years ago. The clock is in the shape of a teapot. Yes, back in the day, I collected teapots. Since we got married and wound up in smaller living spaces, I let most of my collection either go or some pieces are in storage. Seeing my teapot clock reminded me to make a nice cup of tea and curl up on the couch. There was quite some satisfaction in having a slightly neater area by "my spot" on the couch. There was some satisfaction as snow squalls swirled outside to sit on the couch with a nice cup of tea.

Thoughts began to swirl about the coming year. I began to realize that I need to take some time for me. There is a saying about you can't fill other's if your own cup is empty. So true. Yet so overlooked most of the time. With these thoughts in my head, I continued to make some additional progress on our apartment. I rediscovered another gem. A book I had bought for a friend and myself. Felt finding that book was sign. So I had to snap a photo of the cover.  The book was "The Twelve Teas of Friendship" by Emilie Barnes. It is a collection of ideas for various tea parties throughout the year. Each month has a new idea for a tea to try and a tea party concept to implement. Not that I will be hosting 12 tea parties this year. But taking a moment to focus on a different tea each month might bring some peace, calm and relaxation.

My concept, idea, thought, phrase for the year was beginning to brew. It still needed to steep for a little while.  I looked online for tea quotes. I began to find several interesting thoughts that others had regarding tea. So I began with my summary tweet:

"Need to get back to me.

Find the comfort, find the joy,

even when life boils -

patience will let it cool

My hashtag for the yr: #teapot2017"

My comfort through tea reminds me to take a step back, soak it all in, and enjoy. When things feel like they are boiling over, maybe it is time to breathe (and perhaps whistle) instead. I came across an image on the web that had a quote "There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation. - Lin Yutang" [http://www.notable-quotes.com/t/tea_quote.jpg]

Additionally, recently I read another post someone shared online that speaks to when we walk into our schools WE set the mood. I would much prefer to be a source of joy, love, peace, calm and happiness. This applies to both students and my colleagues. So if I make the effort for me, perhaps it will have a ripple effect for others. So I will drop a spoonful of honey into my teacup and see where it takes me this year.

I hope you will join me (either in reading or in drinking a pot of tea) this year. I have indeed chosen my hashtag. I hope conversations of #teapot2017 will spread some warmth for others as well. I know some days my meanderings will be about being the tea bag floating in the cup. Some days it will be about the loose tea leaves settling at the bottom of the cup. And some days it will be the steam rising from the hot pot. But I will try to find the joy and share those ideas both here and in #OurSTEAMCafe. Will you join me?

Hack-O-Lantern

Recently, I found LittleBits was offering a Hack-O-Lantern kit. These are small electronic circuit blocks. The best part of them is that they connect magnetically. You can't assemble them in the wrong direction. They are also color coded to help distinguish power from inputs and from outputs. The kit sold as "Hack-O-Lantern" was designed to create a voice activated light for the inside of a Jack-O-Lantern. What a great way to celebrate Halloween at school! Fun and educational.

I bought the kit due to the wonderful nature of LittleBits and the price couldn't be beat. I had them in my purse as they had just recently arrived. This Friday, there was a professional development session provided by another trainer in #OurSTEAMCafe. As it drew to a close, I overheard a teacher say that she needed to leave as her husband was coming to help her carve a pumpkin with her class. I followed upstairs to ask if I could come play. Thankfully the teacher liked the idea. We arranged a time for me to return with the kit.

We started with a quiet classroom (thank you, children!). I explained what all the parts did. Then we assembled our circuit. The children were very excited when the light lit. I then added the sound component. Again we hushed the room. I intentionally and dramatically let, "Now..." and we watched the light begin to glow. We settled the room again. A child clapped. Yep the light lit. We settled the room again. We chorused, "Happy Halloween!" Science, Halloween Magic, imagination and fun combined that Friday afternoon. Thank you class for letting me visit! I look forward to finding other ways to use these electronic circuit blocks in other projects.

The Fun Before the Fun - #ISTE2015 Series

This weekend Philadelphia will be host to the ISTE Conference #ISTE2015. The city of brotherly love is a great place to host such an event. So many amazing places to visit. Delicious and interesting restaurants to test and revisit. I understand due to the development of my PLN and my #DEN-ln I have many wonderful friends in the #Edtech community. But there is nothing like walking along every few feet and being greeted by another familiar DEN or #Edtech face. Of course there are some I know by name only. But then there are those you must meet with a hug because we have so much shared #DENlove.

It is a great feeling that two of my colleagues from my district share this opportunity with me. It's nice to compare notes, share notes, collaborate on notes, and hum a few notes at the Karaokes together.
I woke up in the middle of the night one night, realizing that I had not yet booked our ISTE hotel. I scrambled to my computer to make the arrangements for the three of us. The hotel we had been looking at was now unavailable. So I looked for the next available reasonably priced location. The one we found sounded good in theory. Point 2 miles from the conference center is its location. Not 2 miles but point 2 miles. Click book quickly.

When we arrived you could easily miss it. The entrance is small. In fact, I circled more times than I would like to admit. But what a great location. Beautifully modern hotel inside. While waiting for my colleagues/friends to arrive, I waited outside to direct them to it and parking... I began to run into #DENfriends. The squeels, the cheers, the hugs. You feel like Norm in Cheers with all the "Neene's" as I come off an elevator. Love you guys.

Visited the conference center to get a lay of the land. Spotten an awesome light table that gave me an idea for next year at school. Love that the ideas are percolating for #OurSTEAMCafe even before the conference officially gets under way.

The Mobile Mega Share #ISTEMLN pre-conference was amazing. So many great ideas. So many wonderful contacts made. Virtual field trip ideas, raffles (no I didn't win), Copernicus work caddy (thank you Copernicus, http://www.copernicused.com/), Lego storytelling ideas (thank you Lego Education, http://education.lego.com/en-us/) and makerspace ideas like Foldify. Resources available at https://sites.google.com/site/istemobilelearningnetwork/iste-2015-conference/mobile-megashare-2015. Can't wait to digest it all later. But for now... sleep.

Are you enjoying #ISTE2015? Someone at one of the round table sessions said, "I feel so overwhelmed." I responded, "Then you are doing it right!" There is so much to see, absorb, learn, consider, and more. But the experience is well worth it. Looking forward to experiencing more tomorrow.

Tip - Pharmacies, More than Just Bandages

You may have seen my March 25th DEN Blog Post. I shared 5 ways to help bring a makerspace into reality in your school community. In creating a makerspace/shared community learning center, I have found it necessary to think-outside-the-box. I had to ponder ways to make small steps towards reaching my goal. Here is another idea of such a small step.

Tip - Pharmacies, More than Just Bandages

Of course, having a first-aid kit available is an important small proactive step in creating any makerspace. But your local pharmacy may offer even more opportunities for making your dreams a reality.

Many of the larger chain pharmacies these days offer loyalty rewards programs. You can sign up with your email to receive discounts. Check your email periodically. Additional coupon savings become available to electronically send to your loyalty program cards.

The everyday items you need (mouthwash, socks, candy, makeup, etc), earn money back and coupons you can receive. Also don’t overlook the specific manufacturer coupons. Buy 1 specific brand battery package and get the 2nd free or half price can help keep the gadgets in your room running. 

Last week, I had $4 in rewards to spend. Have you ever noticed that even though these pharmacy locations are usually chains, several carry different items? Keep your eye out for when is the perfect time to actually cash in those rewards. Would it be better to save 20% on an inexpensive bag of cotton balls or 20% on markers? With my $4 rewards I purchased clay, chalkboard labels, and clips for adding to #OurSTEAMCafe supplies. 

The next day at another store of the same chain I nocited a sale. Work the weekly sales that are offered. These activity buckets were on sale as buy one get one 50% off. They certainly helped me gather quite a few assorted supplies inexpensively. Wish I had saved my $4 off for this purchase. But we teachers go above and beyond so my students and staff now have access to the supplies shown in both photos. 

I'll have more suggestions to share from my own endeavor soon. But in the meantime, I'd love to hear how you are maximizing your dollars and making your makerspace dreams come true.

Picking up STEAM

So #OurSTEAMCafe has had a little bit of a pause. The space was needed temporarily to provide an accommodation for a much needed building situation. But soon that project will be complete and my S.T.E.A.M. Cafe project will be up in full swing. Looking forward to "picking up STEAM". More and more teachers have been discovering the community space feel that I tried to create. Several have started contributing: sharing ideas, some accessories for coffee and tea, ideas for inexpensive instructional tools, and better supplies. Love this team experience.

Today a district provided math professional development took place in the space. I loved hearing teachers comment about the change in the physical space. And now I so look forward to hopefully creating a change in perception and use. Perception and eye's-view can make all the difference. A little out of the box thinking can perk us up and brew up some great ideas.

During today's math professional development the lead brought in one of those wonderful Dunkin Donut's Box of Joe's. (Love those) Unfortunately, today's box didn't seem to want to pour as is. While I was preoccupied with something else, someone opened the box. Did you know the box is designed with overlapping cardboard flaps?! I didn't. In the past I have just seen it as all one piece - a Box of Joe.

But on closer inspection, the box is rather uniquely designed. Underneath the overlapping pieces of cardboard is a metalic pouch that holds the warm coffee. Since the usual tipping action wasn't working to get coffee from the pouch, the teachers applied a little "out-of-the-box" thinking. A squeezing action applied to the pouch would force the coffee out of the pouch through the spout and into their waiting coffee cups. How creative and awe inspiring for me. I had to snap a picture of the inner workings. The PD lead let me keep the remaining coffee for anyone else that might like some that afternoon. You can believe before I went home this afternoon, I cleaned out that pouch and labelled it "Keep for Engineering" with a sharpie. Do NOT throw that away. Now THAT's STEAM Ed! What a great discussion about insulation, heat, force, airflow and more do I see in our future! How are you thinking "outside-the-box"? What have you discovered lately?

Since a few months now have gone by, it was time to take stock of the items in #OurSTEAMCafe. Time to see what needs to be renewed, dusted, revamped, replaced, or replenished. So as I dusted and reorganized I snapped a few pictures of the centers I go to reorganize this week. More centers to get refreshed (still had to complete my Instructional Technology Facilitator role) soon. But here are a few photos of the S-T-and M areas.

Science Area

Technology Area (Left)

Technology Area (Right)

Math Area