QuiverVision is MAGIC

One of my favorite apps right now is QuiverVision, a 3D augmented reality coloring app (available in IOS, Android, and Amazon).

It combines physical coloring pages with augmented reality technology to make the coloring page "come alive." Download and print the coloring pages (there are free and paid options), COLOR, then scan the QR code on the page and watch what happens.

One of my favorite lessons is to pair a reading of The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds with the corresponding QuiverVision coloring page when we celebrate Dot Day.

But I also love QuiverVision as a station in the library, for early finishers, or as an option at our #FeednRead events. Including our most recent one.

The theme was "Summer Reading Ready" so I downloaded the "Summertime Shells" coloring page. The young gentleman in these photos colored his page and was SO proud of his artwork. Then we told him that something special would happen if he scanned it with the iPad (manned by one of our teen volunteers). In this case, when you tap on one of the colored objects in the app, it plays music.

OMG, the SMILE on his face. He spent the entire evening telling anyone who would listen about the "MAGIC" (his word) he witnessed and how to make it happen. He started handing out coloring sheets to everyone, hurrying them to finish coloring so they too could experience the "magic," and grabbing teens and adults and demonstrating how it happened. His ENTHUSIASM was so contagious and made everyone smile all night long. And the fact that he was communicating with anyone and everyone who would listen despite English being his second language was a delight to watch.

Please don't think that this was "just coloring." It was so much more than that and even if for just a moment in time, it built a community around this shared activity and experience. I feel blessed to have watched it unfold.

Check out QuiverVision and definitely add it to your Dot Day activities. All ages enjoy this!

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#feednread #coloring #makerspace #communityoutreach #volunteering #techtidbit #technology

Team Challenge Tuesday: Digital BREAKOUT

I was scrolling through my camera roll last week and I came across this picture from the first part of April. My middle school classes (and this group in particular) were deep in thought over an April Fools' Day digital breakout from Mr. & Mrs. Rooster.

This was the second digital breakout that we had done this semester, and the 5th "team challenge" activity.

I loved the digital breakout for it's ease of use (both teacher and student), and that it was ready to go. I just had to link to our Google classroom page and print out the answer sheet for teams to fill out.

As a whole, my two middle school classes have STRUGGLED with activities that require them to problem solve, follow directions, and find the answers on their own. They want me to show/tell them exactly what the answer is without putting in any effort. They LOVE doing digital breakouts and team challenges (often STEM focused) but wow, do several of the groups complain while they are doing them. Here are just a few of the comments I hear throughout the class period:

"We can't find the answer." "What's the answer?"

"I don't understand."

Now, please note, that this breakout was NOT too challenging and several groups finished it around the 25 minute mark (I had budgeted 40 minutes for the activity). It is designed for 4th-8th grades and my groups are 6th and 7th graders. If you actually take the time to READ the clues, every puzzle can be solved without difficulty. But, I do have students who STRUGGLE with doing the work themselves. They simply want to give up and have the teacher (or their friends) give them the answer. Hence, why we've started to incorporate these activities into the class.

However, they've requested another digital breakout for the end of the year. Fingers crossed that their mindset has shifted and ALL the groups will be successful.

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#technologytuesday #teamchallenge #digitalbreakout #techtip #middleschool #makerspace #growthmindset

#whyIteach

Sometimes it’s all about witnessing the “aha” moments.

Today in Makerspace class we were working on Code.org. I have several students that have learned the skills quickly and are working at levels far beyond their classmates.

One young woman spent today coding a Star Wars game, but she couldn’t quite get the code correct to get it to add up the score correctly while it was playing. She struggled with how to solve that step. We talked through possible solutions (I try to get the kids to figure it out, with guidance, rather than showing them the solution).

After restarting at least twice with no success, she decided to look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes instead, At this point, the young man sitting next to her (who was well below the level she was at), looked at her screen and said, “it looks like you need to do this...” Together they talked through his solution and within two minutes her game worked perfectly!

The “aha” moment for her? Sometimes you just need another person to help you see the process clearly...or from a different perspective. Teamwork makes the dream work and all that.

I LOVED watching the smiles and high 5s all around, and seeing the pride in their sense of accomplishment.

(FYI, this picture isn’t her game, but of her blowing through the first tutorial that I make all the students start with before they can choose their next level. She’s also made a Frozen game for her little sister to play).

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#whyiteach #makerspace #middleschool #teamwork #coding