November iLab focus:

Osmos (Kindergarten, Third Grade)

Osmo uses iPad apps as well as tangible pieces that users interact with, such as tangram shapes, numbers, letters, drawings, and coding blocks. Using an Osmo means that screen time includes social, physical, and interactive elements that adapts to the learner's level. It works well as a partner or small group activity.

Sound and Light (1st Grade)

Using Defined Stem project challenges, students are exploring concepts of sound and light by buiding their own instruments, experimenting with pitch and vibration, exploring shadows and learning about the concepts of transparent, translucent and opaque.

Balloons Over Broadway (2nd Grade)

Students read the book, Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet. This book examines the life of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer that invented those famous balloon floats for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Students then engineered their own ballon float and programmed Beebots to create their own 2nd grade "Gratitude Parade" in honor of Tony Sarg.

Keva Planks (grades 2-5)

Keva Planks are creation tools that consist of sets of wood planks of an identical size designed to challenge students to create and build using the following skills: innovation, collaboration, engineering, invention, creativity and perseverance. Students were given "20 plank challenges" to build the tallest structure, tools, and objects from history for example.

Bloxels (grades 3-5)

Bloxels takes learning to a whole new level with game creation. All you need is a game board, blocks, an app, and imagination to create your own video game. Imagine students showing what they learned about ecosystems, landforms, and the Revolutionary War in the form of a video game they created! Students are learning how to create and animate their own characters, build backgrounds and pieces of art to create a personalized video game to demonstrate their learning.

October iLab focus:

BeeBots (grades K-2)

Students in grades K-2 continue to explore coding with Beebots. Expanding on their Social Studies units of Community Helpers and Map Skills, students have created Bee Bot town maps. Using a compass rose and their understanding of direction (North, East, South, West), students code Bee Bot to navigate the town and create challenge questions for their classmates.

ZomeTools (grades 1-2)

Students are exploring geometric concepts while building with ZomeTools.

Ozobots (grades 3-5)

Students in grades 3-5 are learning to code with Ozobot Bits. Ozobots are robots that teach coding and creativity, in two ways. First, students learn how to use Color Codes, a screen free way to code robots with markers before advancing to OzoBlockly. OzoBlockly offers five modes from pre-reader with icon-based blocks to Master with advanced programming concepts.

September iLab focus:

Apple Clips Bootcamp (grades 3-5)

Clips allows students to create videos with posters, labels, music, and voiceovers. It's easy to learn but creates sophisticated short films that can be used with any curricular application.

BeeBots (grades K-2)

Students in grades K-2 will be exploring the basics of coding with our new Beebots, which are "Bee" robots for the littlest hands. Students use problem solving skills, estimation skills, and sequencing while programing the "Bee" to move around a mat. Students press directional arrows in the sequence in which they'd like the "Bee" to move and press GO. The "Bee" moves along in the programmed directions.