The Art of Mindful Living

I listened to the audiobook of Thich Nhat Hanh's (@thichnhathanh) The Art of Mindful Living this week.

It made me feel much better about many things. I feel more calm, more aware of my breathing, and more aware of the present moment.

I found this quote particularly poignant, as my cohort is currently preparing for our first practicum placements: "When a cloud is about to rain, it does not panic like us."

Some notes in my Bullet Journal from The Art of Mindful Living
(and a reminder to return library books)

Flowers to remind myself of the Flower Fresh meditation

Twitter & Anxiety

Networking

As an introvert, the word "networking" used to terrify me. It all seemed so disingenuous. Since I began using Twitter, I have become a lot more confident in my networking abilities. I have been able to find common interests with people, and make genuine connections. I love being part of a community that shares what they are learning. Plus, Twitter connections give you something to laugh about during your first face-to-face meeting, so it has made conferences much easier for me.

Intensity

Through Twitter, I have found resources that have shed light on my own experiences. One such example happened last night, when I found a TED talk through this tweet:

For kids with anxiety, it's NOT going to be fine unless WE AT SCHOOL are going to do something different. @HHG http://t.co/Ioqzrt9jsY
— Iram Khan (@teachermrskhan) March 11, 2015

I was able to connect with the speaker via Twitter, and let her know how her talk had impacted me:

@HHG I just watched your #TedxLangleyED talk, and it shed some light on my experiences. Thank you for sharing!
— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen I'm glad it resonated! Helps to know it's not just you, doesn't it?
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@HHG Absolutely! This has given me a lot to reflect on as a student-teacher, too: supporting intense learners, self-care, etc.
— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen Fantastic! Some of our most vulnerable learners are these intense, sensitive kids. Such potential, but need support!
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen Seeing more research confirming similarities/crossover btwn gifted & autism. Sensitivities, behaviour, overwhelm and meltdowns.
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@HHG Glad to hear that this is being researched - hopefully future Ss will benefit from these findings!

— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

Anxiety has been part of my education experience for as long as I can remember. It became particularly challenging when I was in grade 8, and the idea of going to school became too much for me. In grade 9, I began the 4C Challenge Program, and that helped immensely. However, I had very mixed feeling about my designation... @HHG's TED Talk has led me to reflect on why I felt that way, and how to support intense learners. (There are some great ideas in my post about the UDL workshop I attended recently.)

What I have learned through my PLN has been helping me to unpack my own experiences and grow as a person. I look forward to seeing where this connected learning journey takes me!

Mindfulness and Wellness

I have had a few conversations recently that have touched on the topic of mindfulness and wellness.
@h_james18 has been blogging about her learning journey on the topic of meditation. In this post she mentions that it's a difficult thing to learn publicly. She talks about "busy brain," which I definitely have (although stopping coffee has helped). She also refers to this TED Talk:

A friend of mine teaches meditation, and I have long been meaning to go to a session. I suppose this is an example of the glorification of busy, so I need to be cognizant of that.
I look forward to seeing what my colleagues come up with in researching wellness. From what I heard, at least one person is looking into student wellness, and another is looking into teacher wellness. One of my instructors from last semester is doing research about new teacher burnout.
Lifehacks, such as 20 daily habits of highly organized people, typically emphasize simplification to more reductionist/minimalist
ways of being.
I need to get more sleep. The trouble is, I find that when I am in the flow state (which tends to happen in the evening) I have a hard time slowing down and going to bed. I have read a lot of articles like this list of 10 things to do before sleep. (By the way, I love lists about as much as Scaredy Squirrel does.) Maybe these tips from ASAP Science will help me:

Podcasts and Audiobooks

A month ago I started listening to podcasts and an audiobook. Previously, I had mostly been attempting reading during my eternity 4 hours of commuting each day. Because of all the great things I have been hearing about podcasts and audiobooks this term, I decided to download a few, including:

• Radio-Canada podcasts to keep up with current events and immerse myself in some French, 
• Welcome to Night Vale, which has inspired some art,
• Chasing Vermeer for my Reading course, and
• Invisibilia.

I learn well by listening, and I like having my hands free to sketch, write notes, or just hold my tea.

BC Libraries: Library2Go has a ton of audiobooks and ebooks. I downloaded the OverDrive app so that I can access this, and other online libraries, through my phone.

Invisibilia: The Secret History of Thoughts

I started listening to the Invisibilia podcast series recently. It's about "the invisible forces that spur human behaviour." @RileyPaton suggested it to me. She wrote a blog post about it, too: Fear = Thinking + Time.
The first episode, The Secret History of Thoughts, fittingly spurred a lot of thoughts. One of the stories reminded me of the book Out of my Mind, which we heard as a read-aloud in our Literacy class last term. According to the podcast, not all thoughts are to be taken seriously, though. If you're interested in the subject of mindfulness, give it a listen.
Right before listening to this episode, I had a conversation about reflection with a friend/colleague of mine. It was the ultimate in metacognition. It was one of those conversations that was both overwhelming and comforting. Is there such a thing as too much reflection? How do you strike a balance between reflection, mindfulness, and self-care?

Demo: Density Flask Flip

Curriculum Context 

•  Grade 2 Physical Science - Properties of Matter
• Identify the properties of solids, liquids, and gases
• Investigate changes to the properties of matter when it is heated or cooled
• Investigate the interactions of liquids and solids

• Grade 7 Physical Science - Chemistry
• Conduct investigations into the properties of matter

Materials Needed

• 4 x 1L Erlenmeyer flasks (or soda bottles)
• 1L warm water
• 3L cold water
• 2 colours of food colouring
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• Clear bin
• 1 piece of acetate paper

Directions and Questions

Salt vs. Fresh Water

Illustration done using iDraw and Wacom tablet

1. Fill two Erlenmeyer flasks with water. Add salt to one of the flasks. Which of these liquids do you think is more dense?
2. Dye the water different colours using food colouring (e.g. red for salt & blue for fresh).
3. Place a piece of acetate paper onto the flask with the fresh water in it, and flip it over so that its opening is on top of the opening of the flask of cold water with the piece of acetate paper in between.
4. Ask students to make hypotheses: Which do you think is more dense, salt water or fresh water? When I slide the plastic out, what do you think will happen?
5. Slide the acetate paper out.
6. Flip the two flasks over, keeping their openings connected, so that the salt water is now on top. What are you observing? Why do you think that is happening? Does this remind you of anything?

Yellow = fresh water,
blue = salt water

Blue = salt water,
yellow = fresh water

Cold vs. Warm Water

Illustration done using iDraw and Wacom tablet

1. Fill one Erlenmeyer flask with hot water, and another with cold water. Which of these liquids do you think is more dense?
2. Dye the water different colours using food colouring (e.g. red for hot & blue for cold). (Optional: Ask a student to touch each of the flasks and confirm the temperature difference. Alternatively, use thermometers to show the difference.)
3. Place a piece of acetate paper onto the flask with the hot water in it, and flip it over so that its opening is on top of the opening of the flask of cold water with the piece of acetate paper in between.
4. Ask students to make hypotheses: Which do you think is more dense, hot or cold? When I slide the plastic out, what do you think will happen?
5. Slide the acetate paper out.
6. Flip the two flasks over, keeping their openings connected, so that the cold water is now on top. What are you observing? Why do you think that is happening? Does this remind you of anything?

Warm = red, cold = blue

Cold = blue, warm = red

Explanation 

Salt vs. Fresh Water
When the fresh water flask is on top, the fresh water will mostly stay in the top flask, and the salt water will mostly stay in the bottom flask. This is because the fresh water is less dense, so we can think of it as being less heavy. Within the 1L volume, there is more mass, because we added the salt. (The salt dissolves in water, providing an example of a solid-liquid interaction.) After flipping the flasks, the salt water will sink to the bottom because it is denser, and the fresh water will float upward because it is less dense. A similar process takes place in estuaries, where a river connects with the ocean. 

Hot vs. Cold Water 
When the hot water flask is on top, the hot water will mostly stay in the top flask, and the cold water will mostly stay in the bottom flask. This is because the hot water is less dense, so we can think of it as being less heavy. The molecules in the cold water are closer together than the molecules of the hot water. After flipping the flasks, the cold water will sink to the bottom because it is denser, and the hot water will float upward because it is less dense. A similar process, called convection, takes place during the seasonal mixing of lake waters, and in ocean currents.

Safety Considerations

• Water could make the floor slippery. Have students stand back, and use a clear bin to contain the experiment.
• Glass flasks could break if dropped. Have students stand back, and use a clear bin to contain the experiment.  

Next Steps

• Students could engage in a hands-on exploration of density. One idea would be making density columns using pipettes, test tubes, and salt water of various concentrations (coloured with different colours of food colouring).
• Connections to habitats and associated processes, such as lakes an estuaries, could be elaborated on.  

 

References

• Spangler, S. (2013). Colorful Convection Currents. Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/colorful-convection-currents  
• University of Alaska Fairbanks [UAF]. (2008). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.arcticclimatemodeling.org/lessons/acmp/acmp_58_SeaIce_SaltwaterScience.pdf

Popcorn Strategy

Critical Pedagogy

Another book on critical pedagogy: The Element by Ken Robinson

Assessment

Preparing/Planning for Teaching

Getting Useful Feedback from Students

Hot Writing Is Cool

I used this strategy while tutoring with a grade 8 student, and it was great! We chose phrases from books to used as prompts. The student said that he usually hates writing, but this "was cool."

You Matter

Backwards Planning

What can differentiation focus on?

KWL charts & Metacognition

 

1st Class Ideas

In my Think Book for Language Arts last term, I created this mind map with ideas about the first class of the year:

How do you establish a safe, engaging learning environment?

Flashback to Week 1 of PDPP

Why Education?
During my first week in the PDPP, I created this mind map about why I started the Education program:

The Heart of a Teacher

The Heart of a Teacher by Parker J. Palmer is a poignant piece of writing that I plan on re-reading throughout my career. Since I love quotes, I will share a few that stuck with me:

• "Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher."
• "The courage to teach is the courage to keep one's heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able..."
• "When we lose heart we need an understanding of our condition that will liberate us from that condition."

 

Reflection from September 8th, 2014:

During my journey from home to campus this morning, I saw some familiar faces smiling as they waved at passing cars. They were holding placards with slogans and statistics, some written by hand, and others printed onto corrugated plastic. These "Teachers Taking A Stand" were my high school teachers. These were men and women who have done so much for me: endless support, encouragement, inspiration, reference letters, and more. They taught me about Leadership, Biology, Chemistry, Science, Calculus... and those are just the course titles. They don't even come close to the life lessons and wisdom they bestowed onto me. Their humour, patience, dedication, and passion have helped me to become who I am today. They were standing up for the future of public education in this province. 

With all of that going through my head, I delayed my trip to campus and hopped off the bus to say hello and thank you to some of the most influential educators I've had in my life. They are rockstars of the profession, in my mind. Great educators, like these ones, can turn situations that are not ideal into teachable moments. If you don't like what's going on, how can you work to improve it? As always, they had words of encouragement for me:

• "You'll make a great elementary educator, but I hope you end up back at the high school."
• "Those kids are so lucky to have you."
• "I'm glad that we're not losing a bright, young educator over this."

#EdCampVic

Attending EdCampVic on Saturday, February 28th, was a phenomenal experience. I was able to connect with one of my highschool teachers, an instructor of mine, members of my PLN from Twitter, and some of my classmates.

Note-Taking

I volunteered a note-taker, which works well with my learning style. I loved being able to share my notes with the world using Google docs and Storify! I'm motivated by being able to share what I'm learning. If you were unable to attend the conference in person, you can go to the sessions page and click on any of the headings. Here's the Storify about EdCampVic, too.

Sessions I Attended

• Elementary Science Education (which I happen to have suggested) [notes] [Storify]
• Indigenous Education and Inquiry [notes] [Storify]
• Student-Teachers and Working On-Call [notes] [Storify]

Sign for my suggested topic - look at all those votes!

 Wish List

@SMooreBC showed me her practicum tote. It looks like a great way to keep organized!

@SMooreBC's Practicum Tote

She also showed me her Erin Condren Teacher Planner. I would really like one of those, too!

What a day!

The conversational nature of the day made it feel very natural, and the general consensus was that the day went quite quickly... and that our brains felt quite full! I am looking forward to my next EdCamp experience!

Tech suggestions from #kinderchat/#tiegrad

During #kinderchat on February 23rd, I asked some of the participants from #tiegrad what their favourite tech tool was. Here were their suggestions:

• Kidblog - From an initial look at the website, it seems like a great way to get kids reflecting online. I love the idea of student blogs!
• FreshGrade - One of my colleagues, @TeachInSunshine, wrote this blog post about it. I love the idea of it!
• Explain Everything - I have heard amazing things about this app, and I will get it as soon as I get an iPad!

#edci336chat: tweetiquette & Twitter in Education

Yesterday I moderated a Twitter chat for the first time. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I used Hootsuite to schedule the questions. It worked quite well, but I think I will try TweetDeck next time, because a few of the experienced participants suggested it. Here is the storify for the #edci336chat about tweetiquette and Twitter in education.

Expectations & Education

"When you lighten someone's load, you don't allow them to expand." This quote is from Invisibilia's "How to Become Batman" podcast. The main idea behind this episode is that our expectations affect others, and their expectations affect us. As a student-teacher, I took this as a reminder that I need to be cognizant of my own expectations. I need to take stock of my expectations, particularly my expectations for myself and my students.

Jacob and Wilder (2010) highlight the importance of expectations in education: "Expectations have become somewhat less predictive of attainment over the past several decades but expectations remain strong predictors of attainment above and beyond other standard determinants of schooling."

If you're interested in further readings, you can check out this article about how teachers' expectations affect student learning. Finally, here is a video about student expectations that raises some important points in an engaging way:

How do you make thinking visible, and avoid being an intellectual black hole?

Making Thinking Visible

I have been seeing a lot about "making thinking visible," and I am trying to do that with my own thinking. In Art Education, the instructor is emphasizing that showing process is both important and beautiful. In Education Technology, the term "selfie your learning" is being used to get at the same thing. Science Education is about the scientific process, particularly through inquiry. In Math Education, reasoning and showing your thinking are being emphasized. This is the growth mindset in action. How do you make thinking visible, and avoid being an intellectual black hole?

 

How do black holes work?

In the name of making thinking visible, I decided to use Storify to document my journey through my Science Education inquiry project: How do black holes work? It seems particularly fitting, since this video poses the question "How do you study something that by nature evades detection?" This Storify will be a work in progress for the next week, so I invite you to follow along, and if you have any resources, please let me know!

P.S. I love how Storify lets me curate across platforms!

#edci336chat

On Monday, March 2nd, at 11:30am (PST) I will be facilitating the first #edci336chat. The topic will be tweetiquette and Twitter in education. I created the image above to advertise the chat. I used this image, which I found throuh CC Search, as my starting point.

Yesterday evening I participated in the #BCEdChat about world events in the classroom. Through participating in Twitter chats, I have seen the following things that I would like to use for #edci336chat:

• Q1/A1 format,
• Tweetiquette tips, and
• Storify to curate the chat.

Today I tweeted to a few individuals who I have seen moderate on the #BCStuTeach and #BCEdChat Twitter chats to ask them for some tips.

Do you have any tips on tweetiquette or moderating Twitter chats?

UDL: Universal Design for Learning

Yesterday morning I attended a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) workshop arranged by @UVicEdSA. I created this infographic about the workshop, and further details can be found within this post.

The workshop started with this video that explains UDL:

 

UDL is about facilitating multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression for learners.

The speaker shared these 3 things that specialists from her district would like student-teachers to consider:

1. Visuals,
2. Sensory needs (sensory tools, movement, environment), and
3. Clear, positive communication.

 

Visuals

These are some of the reasons visuals are important:

• Provide consistent cues about students' daily activities and routines,
• Reduce anxiety,
• Help students with language processing difficulties,
• Provide a permanent reminder, and
• Build independence.

Many of us visuals every day. As I mentioned in a previous post, I use Google Keep and my Bullet Journal to keep myself organized. These are some classroom visuals that were suggested:

• Visual schedule,
• Checklists,
• Volume meter,
• Word wall, and
• Time timer.

 Some benefits of the time timer include:

• Promotes ability to judge how much time is left,
• Makes transitions smoother, and
• Builds independence.

As with most strategies, it is best used as often as possible, and not just when a student 'needs' it. 

Some resources to consult include:

• Special Education Technology British Columbia (SET BC) website, and
• Boardmaker for symbol-based learning materials.

Sensory Needs

We each have a unique "sensory diet" that dictates what we need to make sure we're calm, alert, and ready to learn. I have seen some educators tweeting this quote that expresses this:

"In teaching, you can't do the Bloom stuff until you take care of the Maslow stuff." -Alan E. Beck

The importance of movement breaks was emphasized, and we got to share and try out a bunch of strategies. Having movement breaks built in really helped me to keep focused and learning throughout the three-hour workshop! Here are some reasons why movement breaks are important:

• They increase alertness and decrease anxiety,
• Kids get stressed when they don't move enough,
• Movement and sensory experience is necessary to strengthen connections between neurons,
• Promote self-regulation, and
• Help students stay on task.

Sensory tools:

• Keep fingers and feet busy, minds focused, and bodies relaxed,
• Work for some students some students and not for others,
• Work on some days and not others,
• Should be demonstrated and practiced.
• Should be discussed as being tools, not toys.

 Some examples of sensory tools include:

• Fidget tools,
• Stress ball,
• Velcro strips,
• Thinking putty,
• Yarn sections,
• Tension elastics on chairs,
• Juggling balls,
• Pencil grips,
• Resistance bands, and
• Foot rests.

 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness has become a very trendy topic in education lately. It is about paying attention to the present moment without judgement. The speaker said that it means "paying kind and curious attention to how you're feeling, and then making a kind choice."

These books on mindfulness were suggested:

• Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda,
• MindUP,
• 10 Mindful Minutes,
• Focus,
• Whole Brain Child,
• Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids,
• Still Quiet Place, and
• My Gratitude Jar.

Since the speaker wrote My Gratitude Jar, she read it to us, and I was able to buy a copy right after. It is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it! I look forward to learning more about mindfulness, through the other books on this list. Check out the video below for an in-depth look at My Gratitude Jar:

Here are some gentle brain breaks that were suggested:

• Take 5,
• Hoberman sphere breathing,
• Tone bar, and
• Mindful eating (have students try paying special attention to their first bite of snack/lunch - how does it feel/taste?).

When doing breathing exercises, instead of saying "deep breaths" try "long, slow breaths". For those interested in learning more about this, Royal Roads University offers an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate program.

 

Clear, Positive Communication

We were advised to reduce language and increase wait time. On average, we give children 1-2 seconds to respond to instructions. For all learners, it is important to chunk information (break it into smaller pieces) appropriately.
 
Peter Johnson has written two books on empowering language: Choice Words and Opening Minds. Those books contain these phrases that could be used by teachers:

• Yet,
• We readers like too...,
• I bet you're proud of yourself,
• Thanks for coming today,
• What if...?, and
• That's not like you...

I started using "I bet you're proud of yourself" yesterday with my grade 1/2 Science Club students when they were coding on studio.code.org. One student answered: "I am! I didn't know how to code before, and now I am doing it!"

Sam Horn wrote Tongue Fu!, a book about verbal conflict. One take-away from this book is that replacing "but" with "and" allows for constructive feedback to be given without taking away the compliment.

Dianne Gossen's Restitution suggests these phrases:

• What's your job now?,
• What can I do to help you so you can...?, and
• When will you be ready to start?

Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset implores educations to ask "I wonder how he or she will learn this..." rather than "I wonder if he or she will learn this..."

Tech-ing In

PDPPPosseRC

Today I published these posts on the PDPPPosseRC blog:

• Mmm, Cookies! by Robert Munsch,
• Science Verse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, and
• Books by Mo Willems.

 

STEM Puns

Visual Journal comparing my STEM Puns cartoons to mentor artist Natalie Dee

I have been having fun with my STEM Puns passion project. I created a visual journal entry comparing my cartoons to online cartoonist Natalie Dee. Through that process, I realized that I would like to try adding texture to my work. 

Twitter Chats 

On February 10th I took part in a #TwitterChatMarathon. I took part in an #EdChat about eliminating "us vs. them" dynamics in education, a #BCStuTeach chat about brain breaks, and a #TeacherFriends chat about diversity. As an added bonus, I won a resource prize from one of the #TeacherFriends moderators, @fuzzlady77.

Last night I participated in a #BCEdChat about social media in schools.

By participating in Twitter chats, I have grown my PLN significantly. I am now connected with experienced and pre-service teachers from a number of countries, including the United States and France.   

Today I found out about Nurph, a Twitter chat platform, which might make this process easier. Currently I used Hootsuite.

My Organization Team: Bullet Journal & Google Keep

My Bullet Journal

Last week I started the Bullet Journal system. I was finding myself avoiding my day-planner, because it had become an incoherent mess of post-its. Needless to say, that's not an ideal relationship to have with one's day planner. While I was en route to the Actua Conference, I saw an Instagram picture of someone's Bullet Journal. It piqued my interest, so I decided to look into it a little more. I looked at #bulletjournal on Instagram to see the work of some enthusiasts, watched this video which explains the process, and read some blog posts about it, both positive and negative. The latter (negative) blog post says that analog note-taking doesn't work. That may be true for some people, but I think it's a deeply personal decision. Here are some reasons that I am drawn to the Bullet Journal system:

• I am a list-maker and a post-it note fiend. 
• Since elementary school, I have relished trips to school and office supply stores. 
• Also, I love the aesthetic and feel of writing in a book.
• The physical act of writing helps me to remember and feel calm. 
• My bullet journal will not lose charge, no matter how long my day is.
• It helps me to capture the beauty of a work-in-progress.
• I can quickly doodle or sketch ideas.
• With a little bit of washi tape, I have an easy way to keep track of little bits of paper, like the odd receipt.
• This system helps me to leave some ideas behind prioritize.

By no means am I opposed to digital reminders or task management, but right now I am at a place in my life where I need a hard copy of some things. Everyone needs to determine their own ideal process. In addition to my Bullet Journal, I use Google Keep for quickly jotting down notes and reminders on my phone, because:

• It's nice to be able to access these notes whenever I'm signed in to my Google account, 
• The virtual post-its are easier to keep track of than a myriad of paper post-its, and
• I can set an alarm for a reminder based on either time or location.

 What does your personal organization system look like?

Esse quam videri

Alma mater

I visited my alma mater, Esquimalt High School, today. It was wonderful to see some of my teachers (while some others are away on amazing adventures). I am proud of my roots in EHS's community of learners/leaders, and our culture of service and passion. Visiting as a student-teacher was a really amazing experience.

As I was leaving today, the word "nourish" was in my mind. I felt nourished - and not just because I ate lunch in the staff room. It was a more complete form of nourishment. Since alma means nourishing or kind in Latin, I am not the first to think this way about the nature of education!

Speaking of Latin, EHS's motto is Esse quam videri, which means "to be, rather than to seem." My teachers' authenticity has shaped who I am and how I live. They treated me as an equal, and encouraged me to go beyond what I thought I could do. They care so deeply for their students, for each other, and for the education profession. (Buzzwords and jargon aside: education relies on connection, like Rita Pierson says in her TEDTalk.) My goal is to honour them by striving to be the best teacher I can be.

 

Inquiry-based? Tech yeah!

Tech should not just be used for its own sake.
This morning I visited @trev_mackenzie's English 12 class. It was awesome to witness an inquiry-based classroom culture being created. Technology was being integrated from the very start. Students had access to iPads to enhance classroom activities, and they are assigned blog posts as a way to keep track of their learning. Students in this class are also given the opportunity to use Explain Everything to create presentations. The classroom was equipped with an Apple TV, which was hooked up to an LCD projector. This arrangement is great showcasing student work and facilitating discussions.

Great writing comes from passion and strong, informed opinions.   
What does really good teaching look like? The students discussed this question to get them ready for their first blog posts. This is an important question to think about, so I created this infographic with their answers. I have long admired infographics, but this is my first time making one. I used infogr.am. I will definitely be making more infographics. I am going to look into other ways to create them. I love quick, accessible representations of information that are easily shared on social media!

RBCM Learning Portal

At EHS, I heard about the Royal BC Museum's new Learning Portal today. I took a brief look at it, but I think it will be the source of hours of a-museum-ent. Seriously though, there is some amazing content, and it looks like it's only going to get better!

#Actua2015

During the final week of January, I attended Actua's national conference in Ottawa. I tweeted about it on the #Actua2015 hashtag. 

Learning with Communities

I helped facilitate a session called "Learning with Communities." During this session, I had the chance to share teachings that I have received from some of the amazing people who have shaped my ways of knowing and being. I am so grateful to the communities that I have had the opportunity to learn with during my time delivering STEM Outreach within this incredible network. Before our session, we got some exciting news: Science Venture won the 2014 National Aboriginal Outreach Award!

Steven Woods, Google

Steven Woods (@sgwoods), Senior Engineering Director at Google Canada, delivered an inspiring keynote on computer science (CS) education and the Codemakers initiative. Here are some of the key messages:

• CS offers new ways to think and make things come to life.
• Educators need to change the way they thing about computer science: "You have the best mission ever. How can you beat conveying magic to children?"
• Diverse teams produce better.
• CS is empowering. Learners can take action, and something is going to happen. 
• We need to change our view of failure: "There is a critical role of failure in innovation."
• "Give learners a goal, but don't tell them how to get there." 
• "Computer science is a theme, rather than a thing." 
• CS is incredibly social and collaborative.

UOttawa Makerspace 

At the UOttawa Makerspace we were encouraged to engage in hands-on, play-based learning. "Find your 7-year old self. Failure and mistakes are awesome." It was absolutely wonderful!

We played with littleBits and Snap Circuits, which is are fun tools for exploring ideas around electricity and circuits. Makey Makey is another great tool for inventing games, instruments, and more! I have used all three of these with kids during various STEM outreach activities, and kids love using them for inquiry-based activities. This exploratory process helped me regain my own sense of wonder.

Something new to me was seeing a Kinect camera hooked up to a MakerBot. This setup allowed people to print 3D images of themselves!

Bottawa: 3-D printing at the UOttawa Makerspace

UOttawa Makerspace

 

Pat Yongpradit, Code.org

Pat Yongpradit (@MrYongpradit), Director of Education at code.org (@codeorg) delivered a stellar keynote about his organization and the resources they have created. Their vision is that every school and every student will have access to high quality computer science education. Here are some of the main points from Mr. Yongpradit's presentation:

• CS education is about equipping kids with the ability to help society. It's not just about creating cool stuff.
• Typically, women can connect with CS more when it is put taught within the greater social context.
• It's not just about using technology, it's about creating technology.
• This is a basic literacy, not just a course.
• Code.org has resources for ages 4 and up. There is CS curriculum for elementary, middle years (science and math), and high school educators to use. K-8 courses 1-4 have a blend of online puzzle tutorials and "unplugged" activities (which do not require computer access). Each course is ~20 hours. They range from early readers to 5th grade reading level.
• There are motivational/educational videos about CS that can be used as a hook/introduction.
• Looking to learn about CS yourself? studio.code.org has all-ages 20-hour courses for beginners.

Here are some corrections to misconceptions that were covered during this presentation:

1. CS > coding
2. CS is foundational
3. CS is changing the world
4. CS is for everyone
5. Don't reinvent the wheel, adapt it!

I used text2mindmap.com to make this mindmap of the principles of CS discussed by
code.org's Pat Yongpradit in his presentation "Beyond an Hour of Code"

I first heard about studio.code.org through @abnorr on Twitter, when I asked him what his favourite #edtech resource was. Since then, I have been recommending it to everyone who asks about coding resources. After learning more about it, I will continue to sing its praises. It's absolutely terrific, and so much fun!

Mr. Yongpradit also mentioned these other free resources for teaching CS:

• Google CS First
• Scratch Creative Computing Guide
• Scratch Jr. (for ages 4-7)

Veritasium: An Element of Truth

Derek Muller (@Veritasium) makes Veritasium videos on YouTube. "Can You Solve This?" is in an interesting one with ideas around the nature of science, particularly falsifiability, and confirmation bias.

He spoke about his thesis on teaching physics through film, and these were some of the main points: 

• When doing a science demo, the prediction step is key to long-term learning. The emotional attachment to a hypothesis helps learners to remember the results and explanations. 
• The best way to engage people is to pose a challenge. Don't give away the answer. Not giving the answer is a powerful thing. 
• Exposing cognitive bias is key to learning. The process of learning is often a process of unlearning.

Here are some other YouTube science educators: 

• Minute Physics,
• Smarter Every Day, and
• AsapSCIENCE.

I am interested in learning more about using YouTube for education, and building in interactivity.

Nicole Belanger, Professional Soul-Barer

Nicole Belanger (@nskbelanger) spoke about the importance of slowing down and reflecting:

We trap ourselves in grinds and fill our lives to the brim. This leaves no room to maneuver and think. You never stop to think if you're moving fast in the right direction.

She shared this quote from Irv Grousbeck that really resonated with me: "It's our vulnerability, not our wisdom, that makes us authentic as teachers and leaders."

EverFi Digital Literacy  

EverFi (@EverFi) has an online course on Digital Literacy and Responsibility. I tried it out, and it's a really engaging, game-based program that would be great for middle years students. EverFi is also launching Future Goals, an online program to engage youth in STEM through hockey. I have connected with @FelishaEverFi about how getting a workshop to come to UVic.

Other Resources

• Natural Curiosity environmental inquiry handbook
• I'm an Engineer series by Aboriginal Access to Engineering
• TouchCounts app by Prof. Nathalie Sinclair of SFU Education
• Math Catcher: Mathematics Through Aboriginal Storytelling
• TeachEngineering.org
• Engineering, Go For It!
• Programme for International Student Assessment 

@STEM_puns

At the conference, I was inspired and encouraged to start a new online project about STEM puns. I love making puns, and I have been dabbling in cartooning with my Bamboo tablet (by Wacom). I am combining these passions in a way that I hope will make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) terminology more engaging and accessible to a wider audience. I have created pages on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. Let's see what stems from this!