Reflections on Being a Maker - #SummerLS

The summer has flown by once again, and I have not posted anything in almost a month!  I have, however, been deeply involved in learning!  I have learned more and participated more this summer in professional development than I ever have before, and it's all happened online.  I am stoked for the coming year!
I have joined in Todd Nesloney's Summer Learning Series (@techninjatodd, #SummerLS), and I have enjoyed getting involved in each weekly challenge.

This week involved using Google Forms with a fantastic lesson from Chris Kesler (@iamkesler), which I am excited about including this year in my flipped classroom, and a challenge from Jessica Allen (@jessievaz12) on being a maker.  She asked us to reflect on the Maker Movement and how we will incorporate it into the coming year.  I thought on this, and the fact is...

I am a Maker.  I have been since I could hold things, and I always will be.  I am a Maker - both in and out of the classroom.  I can't help it.  It's something deeply ingrained in who I am, and I can't help but bring it to the classroom.  We are Makers.  We call ourselves production teams, design teams, engineering teams, the EXTREME Team...but we are Makers.

I thought on how this has been an integral part of our classroom and on the things that are most difficult for me.  How can I make it better?  That required a hard look at where I fall short.  One of the most difficult challenges I face is keeping focused on making sure my kids can pass the state testing.  I get so wrapped up in changing the lives of my students, creating innovative thinkers, teaching life-lessons, that I have to rein myself in to reality....they must pass.  I teach 5th grade science, social studies, and writing, and we are tested on science in 5th grade - all science they have learned up through 5th grade.  I refuse to revolve our lives and our learning around that test, but it's a cold, hard fact that they have to pass.  I must find ways to better assess the "test" after we complete a production.

Another area where I am working to improve is the timing of projects.  I have a tendency to go BIG, and our schedules simply don't allow us to produce as BIG as I dream.  The kids jump right into the complexities of something with me, and before we no it, we are out of time.

  We end up working lunches, through other class times (whoops), and still, sometimes, fall short on where we were aiming.

Sometimes we are successful...

and sometimes we come up with a whopping fail...

We will, however, still aim BIG, think BIG, and continue to set our sails to uncharted waters.

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