Season 2 is launching soon!

Welcome to Season2 of Everyday Blakers hosted by HeimTime & Techmonstah. Here's a sneak preview of just one new segment about Medfield's Project Happiness that happens every Wednesday! Listen in and please subscribe to EveryDay Blakers Season 2 so you do NOT miss an episode!

Episode 6: The Tribes at Blake


Blake MS has a welcoming sense of community which is comprised of many different tribes (as in clubs, teams, and opportunities). Listen in to conversations to learn about the work being done by the new Blake is Social Club and the Community Service Club. We also hear from the Cast of Pom Pom Zombies about Blake Theatre's second performance this year. During this time, the Parkland tragedy also sparked a student-activism movement. We'll talk to the student leaders who helped organize Blake's Sit-in.  Other special events occurring were the Special Olympics, Google Expeditions with AR, and Medfield's Big Digital Learning Day Conference (@dldmedfield) as we talk to attendees of our EveryDay Blakers Podcasting session!  Stay tuned for audio interviews that didn't make it into this episode in a, EP6 Bonus Track episode.

Thanks for listening -from your fav podcast hosts, @techmonstah & @heimtime




If you have a comment, question or suggestion for future podcast, please leave a comment below!

Episode 4: Project Happiness



EveryDay Blakers!

We re-released #Hackhappiness episode, please take a listen if you have some time! The message below is what we sent originally when it was first dropped.   Heimtime & Techmonstah at it again, with another episode. This episode is jammed pack with our traditions of the pig race, theater production and we also wanted to spend time on Thanksgiving.... not only giving thanks but, how can you #hackhappiness!

You'll hear from Tracy Allen the director of Elf, cast and crew members, segments from the Thanksgiving assembly, the Project Happiness committee (Kelly Ruminski, Kerrie Krah, Michael Gow), students from Ms. Fratolillo's advisory sharing about happiness and much more! Take some time to listen either in advisory or in your own time!

Episode 3 is Live! Grease is the Word!

Halloween is a big deal at Blake! The staff can hardly wait to reveal their costume theme! This year you just need to hear 2 words to know what it is--
Grease Lightning!
   
Listen to this episode to hear a fun interview of how the Halloween theme came to be with Susan Bycoff,  Math Content Leader.  We also sent out our FlipGrid question to staff and students  to share their best costumes evah!  With Halloween trick or treating in mind, the 8th grade Health & Wellness class gives some helpful tips!  And.. to round out Halloween, Mrs. Ruminski announces the winners of the annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest!



Our On the Road segment takes us to Foxborough and Gillette Stadium the home of the Patriots for the enormous MassCue Conference. This segment includes a brief talk with Kim Keith, MassCue Board member and CueLand organizer. She tells us about the new addition of the CueLand to the conference to include a good listen to Cueland participants and all the interesting ways they teach students coding with Rasberry Pi.  But that's not all.. we also had a team of 8th graders participate in the CueKids Innovative Showcase! They brought their inventions, the Shher and the Light Up Map to share the problem it solves in the school and explain how they applied the design thinking process to develop their idea.
Go to @iamablakermaker instagram for more photos.

Lastly, student leadership is a big part of Blake! So, HeimTime stopped by to talk to the Student Council and get some insights in the work that they do.  

Ok.. let's get to it. Take a listen below!

EveryDay Blakers- Episode 1 & 2



EveryDay Blakers has dropped two, count them... 2 episodes already!  You can listen in a couple of ways.

  1. Get the Anchor FM app and follow us!
  2. Click on this Link for audio segments via web that live for 24 hours.
  3. Episode 1: Diversity (link to iTunes)
  4. Episode 2: Game Changing News (link to iTunes)
  5. OR best yet..
    Don't miss an episode by subscribing to our podcast in iTUNES and Google Music!

Launching the Everyday Blaker Podcast- Listen In!


                                                         EveryDay Blakers on Biteable.
We are the teachers and students of Blake Middle School
 launching 
our first podcast to tell our everyday stories. 

Follow our station for weekly episodes hosted by 
Mrs. Heim, 6Gr Science &Ms. Horvath, Technology Integration Specialist.

Intro Episode: Blake's Theme is Diversity

Participate in next week's episode by:
Taking the Student Google Survey 
Click Here

 FlipGrid of the Podcast: 
HOMEWORK! How do you keep track?
Click Here


Digital Notes Apr 6

 

Hi Blakers,
 
I wanted to share some edtech and makerspace info for you to think about as the last months of school are here! 
 
#BLAKERMAKERs- The Makerspace 
 Use your Explorations, Advisories or Recess times to schedule your Ss to learn something new, take on a group long-term project or craft something for a good cause! 

Take a look at some Current offerings:
  • 3D printing- Intro Workshop of learning Tinkercad to design a community word block. We're hoping to connect all of the names together for a display in the LMC/Makerspace. The goal is for every Blaker (including staff) to have been introduced to designing a 3D Print and adding their name to the growing collection!
  • Yarn Graffiti!  Learn how to do some simple crochet stitches and make pom poms to decorate spaces inside and outside of the school OR choose to participate in the Lyme's Disease Awareness Project.
  • Explore the Makerspace-  try out some mini challenges using the Makey Makey Kits, Dash and Dot robots, and Take Apart Stations.
  • Learn to Code Activities.. maybe there's an app idea or a game  that Ss would like to develop? A great way to get it started in understanding how to code is with  Hopscotch, Tickle or SWIFT apps, or Dash & Dot Robots.
  • Extraordinaire's Design Thinking Intro- as a school, we are trying to scale an introduction to Design Thinking to all students. Once teachers know that Ss are familiar with the process, you can then begin integrating it into the curriculum without needing to spend the extra days in introducing it yourself. I am happy to help facilitate this type of workshop or in planning.
APP UPDATES
  • Nearpod- Collaborative Spaces and VR@  Nearpod will be visiting Blake for mini workshops geared for beginning users to the power Nearpodder.  Stay Tuned for more info once it is scheduled.
  • Apple Classroom is now available non-managed iPads! Many of the features allow Teachers to lock screens, view apps and work, and open an app on students' devices through your own iPad.  If anyone is interested in experimenting with it, please let me know!
  • FlipGrid is trending! Try their free 3 month offer of the upgraded features using the promo code: flipspring17 ! 
 
GRANTS
Looking for GRANTS. BookMark this page as it posts updates on a weekly basis:
 
GOOGLE HIGHLIGHTS
Introducing Team Drive- (see the #edcampblake Flipgrid for an overview posted by Jason, Jillian, Mike, Kristen, Greg and others.)

If you log on to Google Drive on the computer,  you might notice a new addition called TEAM Drive. Think of it as a collaborative space for TEAMs with the purpose to help alleviate some of the issues in sharing and management of files.
 
This means-No one person owns the files. It belongs to the TEAM. The benefits are primarily when we reshuffle people to different grade levels, positions or when people leave the district those files do not disappear with that person.
 
Quick OverView: Video
Burlington EdTech Team Blog: Post
 
*Note, the DRIVE app does not seem to be reflected the TEAM drive. Hoping that will be an next update! 
 
SHARING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
While Twitter is our main go-to social media tool, many teachers are also using Instagram and may be exploring how Snapping/ Snapchat could work for your class too. For IG, you don't need an account to view some of our own:
 
Check out a few:
 
Please let me know if you have other IG or SnapChat accounts for school purposes that you would like to share with others.
 
Any Interests? I was contacted by Matchware.com- online mindmapping software.  They are offering a webinar to introduce the product.   Would anyone be interested in having me setup a time to participate together in the webinar?
 
Coming Soon... Blake is organizing our very first #iamablakermaker STEAM faire on May 31st. Stay Tuned for more details!