The first week of school for the 2015-2016 year is now in the history books. It was an AMAZING, (and to be quite frank, exhausting) week.  Students were excited to see the changes to the lab for this year.  (See that post here.) They came to understand those changes will only work out if we can meet the three goals we have in the computer lab.

We talked about what it means to use technology RESPONSIBLY, which entails treating the equipment like you worked a summer job and saved your money to buy it, then lent it to a friend.  How you want that friend to treat your prized possession is how you should treat the school equipment.  We also discussed the other side of the coin, being a responsible digital citizen.  That ultimately means, “Think BEFORE you post.”  Once you have hit the send button, you have lost control of that post or tweet or message.   We talked about what the word “collaborate” means and what it would look like to work together RESPECTFULLY.    Then we discussed what Behave RELIABLY means.  Students understand I have to be able to trust they are going to leave things the way they found them to be fair to the next group of students coming in the lab.

Students then divided themselves into six groups to work at stations making their own fidgets.

In previous years, I have made fidgets for all my 3rd-5th grade students to keep in their headphone bags.  It gives them something to squeeze (provides movement) while they are sitting on the floor to get instructions for the day’s assignment. My plan this year was to provide the supplies and let them figure out the steps to create their fidget.  Each table had a QR code that linked to a Youtube video showing the process.

I did not tell students they had to watch the video, but it was available if they chose to.  I totally agree that students learn by doing.  I totally agree that students need to develop the important skills of collaborating and problem solving.  The brick wall we hit this week was LACK OF TIME!  Students need TIME to figure things out.  As long as our classrooms are driven by schedules, lack of time will be a major roadblock in giving our students all the necessary tools they need to be self-reliant thinkers.

If you do not believe me, just watch this: