Legos: Making the Creative & Collaborative Connection Bobbi Luster Davidson Day School February 18, 2014

Agenda “Hook” Activity – Lego Libs Goals Jr. FLL Examples for centers, incorporation into lessons, or supporting activities in Lib/Tech Lego Story Starter/Visualizer

Goals Think about technology more broadly 2. Create & collaborate 3. Library/Technology team for support

What is Technology? Any invention, including tools, machines, materials, techniques, and sources of power, that make people’s work easier. Source: Discovery Education

Are these examples of technology? Car Computer Smartphone Wheelchair Sewing Machine Shoes - ?? Pens - ?? Legos - ??

Goals Think about technology more broadly 2. Create & collaborate 3. Library/Technology team for support

Davidson Day School Mission Davidson Day School is a diverse independent school that cultivates academic excellence through collaboration, creativity, and character development.

Goals Think about technology more broadly 2. Create & collaborate 3. Library/Technology team for support

Library/Tinker Lab Mission Davidson Day School’s Library/Tinker Lab supports all aspects of our Lower School curriculum in which we enable students to: use a variety of technology and understand how it works; innovate or create technology through research and hands-on activities; and, realize that technology helps to improve lives or make work easier.

Why Legos? Every students already knows how to use Legos and is familiar with them. Can support a variety of learners, particularly those that may excel with hands-on activities. Not dependent on the student or teacher to learn how to use a piece of hardware or software (with exception of some Lego software). Not a budget-buster.

Jr. First Lego League Inspiration for this presentation Inquiry-based lesson that Lib/Tech currently supports Third grade: Incorporates/builds on research skills introduced in lib/tech earlier in the year and builds on simple machines lessons introduced in science. Creativity Collaboration Character Development Could this be rolled out in truncated or expanded versions for other grades? ABSOLUTELY!

Ideas Abound… Diorama construction Examples: 1st grade – animal projects 2nd grade – weather 3rd grade – animal projects or incorporate into game building/Jumanji 4th grade – U.S. region landscapes

Ideas Abound… Word Families / Spelling / Capital & Lower Case/ Lego Libs Builds on language arts work underway in current classrooms Lib/Tech currently supports this through the use of word ladders and tablet applications (i.e. K and 1st)

Ideas Abound Lego Libs 1. 2.* * Note the inclusion of parts of speech, proofreader marks & punctuation.

Ideas Abound… Music – Blocks could be used to “build” songs.

Ideas Abound… 1x1 bricks could represent quarter notes or quarter rests. 2 – 1x1 or 1 – 1x2 could be a half note, etc. Source: Ashley Queen http://elementarymusicresources.blogspot.com/p/my-smartboard-files.html

Ideas Abound Science/PE Relay: Lego Balloon Car Harder than it looks!!! Includes LOTS of opportunity for problem-solving! Simple machines Stability – horizontal & vertical Measuring

Lego Story Starter Lego Story Starters / Story Visualizer hands-on brick building, story writing, photography and story or comic strip creation Could it be created without the software? YES!

Lego Story Starter Source: Lego Education

Lego Story Starter Source: Lego Education

Lego Story Starter

Lego Story Starter

bluster@davidsonday.org