The day started with a tour of the SD5 resource center, it is located next to the design lab at Kootenay Orchard. The tour was great, I had no idea of how much was available at the resource center. Having this tour was very valuable because once we have a practicum placement we will have access to the resources through our mentor teacher.
Resources Consisted of:
- Outdoor learning supplies
- Boom whackers
- Drums
- Snow Shoes
- Cross Country Skis
- Rock Polishing Kits
- Binoculars
- Outdoor desks
- Variety of Science Kits
- Multiple class novel sets, for all grades and levels
- The list is endless!
The design lab is operated by Ryan Mackenzie. He provides instruction for the technology resources. When teachers schedule time in the design lab he often asks what they want to learn, they may give him a topic and he will provide ideas for technology education.
Ryan provided examples of high tech and low tech resources available at the design lab. He also stated that many of the programing that he runs works for students who have difficulty in typical classroom settings.
A hug shout out to my classmates, thank you for creating a zoom so I could virtually participate.
Reflection of Past Experiences
What is a sphero ball?
It is a robotic ball, students learn to code the balls through ipads. Students input code through the ipad, commands used often direct the ball to move through out the space provided. The balls light up, it can be pretty crazy to see a class of 20 light up balls zooming around the classroom.
At the design lab there are class sets of robotic lego kits. I was lucky to join (a few years ago) a grade two class where we created a bee that moved in a circular motion. The cross curricular connection was technology and science. We were provided a step by step manual and had to follow the procedure otherwise the mechanics would fail. It was such a great experience for myself and the students.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.