End of the Year

by | Jun 23, 2017 | Uncategorized

At the end of each quarter I ask my students to reflect on their work.  The end of the year has arrived and I think I’ll take a moment and reflect on the year.  Challenge Lab has been a perpetually evolving place that has fostered an environment for students to be creative, critically think, communicate, and collaborate.  At one point during the year we had an intriguing class discussion about the importance and the meaning of the 4 C’s. After the class discussion the 4 C’s table was born and at the end of every class students would write their name next each “C” they demonstrated.  After they wrote their name next to each “C” on the table I would ask them how they demonstrated each “C” they selected.  I found that students discovered a deeper meaning about the 4 C’s and why they are important skills in their lives.  Challenge Lab challenges students to go outside of their comfort zone and take risks to reap great rewards.  This year students programmed robots, built drones, programmed drones, designed apps, explored 3-D models of atoms with zSpace (virtual reality computers), 3-D printed, created multimedia projects, and created contemporary art projects.  Challenge Lab is a living example of the STEAM acronym and more importantly this a place where meaningful relationships are developed.  

 

Have a great summer.

 

-Mr. Mac

 

 

Mr. McIntosh Presenting on Tech Infused Classrooms

by | Jan 11, 2017 | Uncategorized

On January 10th Mr. McIntosh presented at MoodlePalooza located on the campus of the State University of New York at Delhi. SUNY Delhi has been  consistently recognized for having one of the best online baccalaureate programs in the country.  Mr. McIntosh was a former instructional technologist at SUNY Delhi.  He was instrumental in developing the MoodlePalooza Conference which has attracted many educational professionals in the SUNY system and beyond.  Mr. McIntosh’s presentation was titled “Developing and Managing a Technology Infused Classroom.”   This presentation explored the infrastructure and pedagogy needed to serve students in the 21st century.  The questions discussed were:

How do I streamline communication among my colleagues and various departments of my school?  

What is facilitation questioning?

What is partnering pedagogy?  

How does infrastructure impact student learning?

(Above) Mr. McIntosh presenting at MoodlePalooza.

Mr. McIntosh also presented at the Board of Education meeting on December 8th and discussed similar topics from his most recent presentation.  

You can view Mr. McIntosh’s presentation below in the embedded format or click on the direct link:

Click on link below to view the presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r3mI8ZeU3Q4gSk7C-Q212qdKix48uPDFpnB2h5Xjg1E/edit?usp=sharing