MES Innovation Lab
Welcome to the MES Innovation Lab!
The MES Innovation Lab is a flexible-seating learning space located in F-4. Select an item from the toolbar above to schedule time in the lab, get new ideas, or learn more about technology integration at Mechanicsville Elementary School.
You can also scroll down to see what's new this month and what's coming soon!
PD Sessions
Seesaw - PD in Your PJs
Click this link to find an online Seesaw PD session and register!
Personalized PD
Looking for PD on a specific topic? Email Tamara (tletter@hcps.us) to create a personalized PD experience to support your learning needs! From digital tools to use with students to learning more about Google, Tamara is here for you!
Activity Ideas
Lesson Ideas for January/February
Looking for some new ideas? Take a peek below!
Gratitude Padlets - Using laptops, have students create a collaborative Padlet board sharing who and what they are thankful for. Visit Padlet to create an account and customize up to three boards for your class.
So Much Snow! - What are some of the problems we encounter during a snow storm? Brainstorm problems and solutions then create a commercial to pitch your product using our Innovation Lab green screen and the DoInk app on iPads. To share your commercial, upload to Seesaw or Flipgrid.
Innovative Kindness - What could you create to make the world a better place? Visit our Makerspace in the Innovation Lab and create a prototype of an object using our easy-access materials, then explain your creation using iPads and Flipgrid or Seesaw.
Shout-Out Showcase
It's going to be an awesome year for innovation and tech integration at Mechanicsville Elementary! Check out the innovative learning experiences we are having this year!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Coding is My Jam Day for all third graders (January 17)
- Squishy Circuits for all first graders (February 18)
- MES Authors Showcase for all students K-5 (Feb. 19 - 25)
- Famous American Green Screen Videos (March-May)
- Kindness Share Fair (May 7)
PREVIOUS SHOWCASED LESSON/EVENTS
Pirate Day was a hit! K-5 students joined Ms. Ambrose and Mrs. Letter for a fun filled learning experience complete with three center rotations that emphasized the 5 C's with a pirate flair. Due to multiple requests, Pirate Day will be offered again in the spring for classes that were unable to attend. We also had a math/reading pirate themed parent night, too!
Fourth Grade offered a week-long Chesapeake Bay learning experience to their students which included field trips, guest speakers, watercolor and paper art as well as a public service announcement green screen video.
Socktober, a world-wide service learning project promoting the collection of socks for the homeless, provided 291 pairs of socks which were shared with Homeward and Ashland Coffee & Tea for distribution.
Thank a Veteran Flipgrid - Take a peek at the videos students with Ms. Ambrose to show appreciation for those who served in the armed forces
Hour of Code - Students across all grade levels have coded with Ms. Banton, Ms. Ambrose, and Mrs. Letter using the code.org website, BeeBot robots, coding games and unplugged activities. Coding is not a one time event - we can code all year long!
Other Calendar Items
Arts & Science Festival
Do you have a few digital projects created by students that you would like to spotlight at the Arts & Science Festival? Click here to access the information and submission link!
(Note: You need to be logged in to your HCPS Google Account to access this document.)
HCPS Online PD Courses
Visit the HCPS Professional Development Bulletin Board Schoology Group for more information about online courses. Registration closes January 17. Course options include:
PD4me
Seesaw Learn and Launch
Digital Ethics for Educators
Google Educator Levels 1 and 2
Performance Based Assessments
Google Drawing for the Classroom
YouTube for Creation and Curation
View the Spring PD Flyer for more details on each session.
Our Innovation Lab
Our Innovation Lab is open and ready for use! Select the "Lab Schedule" tab to add your name to our flexible reservation sheet. Some ideas for using the Innovation Lab include:
- Create a green screen video using iPads and the Do Ink app
- Have students create something new with Legos and add to our Lego wall or capture using an iPad and the Seesaw or Flipgrid app
- Provide stations for students to engage in multiple activities during your class time
- Create something new in our Makerspace
- Find a spot around the room to Read to Self
Reminders
Click here to complete the MES Photo Permissions form ASAP. If you have multiple students who do not have photo permissions, please complete the survey for each student on your list.
Password Information
Password Information
Click the links below to access information about students and teacher passwords with various programs.
Password Management - Students
Password Management - Teachers
*NOTE* You must be logged in to your HCPS Google Account to access the Password Management sheets above.