Make it Safer Internet Day everyday

February 6 is the worldwide celebration of Safer Internet Day and Discovery Education's Europe branch has published an 11 page free activities packet that include lesson plans, activity templates, and  a great poster to hang up year around in your classroom. (Link to Resources)

The lessons seemed to be geared more for the elementary crowd but a number of ideas could easily be adapted for older students. Easy to lead discussion starters are a highlight that pose scenarios and ask learners what they would do.

Topics include online bullying and taking personal responsibility for appropriate use of a technology. A fun culminating activity is the blank template for students to create their own Safer Internet Day poster. There are also additional classroom posters and resources you can print and keep up all year.

Don't worry if you can't cram any of this stuff in today, the official Safer Internet Day. With these resources you can make everyday Safer Internet Day. Isn't that how it should be anyway?

Update: A ton more great resources from Better Internet for Kids, the parent organization behind Safer Internet Day. 

STEM Challenge: Dyson Foundation 60 Second Marble Run

I am a huge fan of the challenges that the James Dyson Foundation hosts for budding engineers around the world. These can make great in-class projects or be issued as at-home learning. In addition to fun learning, Dyson also provides great videos that feature real engineers sharing a handful of hints while tackling the challenges themselves.

One we are tackling in Hamilton STEM is the Sixty Second Marble Run Challenge. Kids have to build a marble run with just cardboard, tape, and of course a marble. The marble must travel for exactly sixty seconds, no more and no less. The whole experience is a great manipulation in potential and kinetic, energy, and friction.

Each challenge comes with an easy-to-use directions card. Materials are clearly outlined and directions are kept as simple as possible.

Dyson encourages those who complete the challenge to share the results on social media through designated hashtags. Check out other challenges and some the results at #JDFChallenge.

Autodesk offering free software to educators

Autodesk has built itself into a huge force on the industrial design and 3D animation fronts in gaming and entertainment.

Now they are making a big push for education and inviting educators to use all of their software for free.

There are some amazing design apps for as young as 4th grade and some serious high-end tools for computer-aided drafting and video editing projects as well.

For a good place to start, go to the app store and find anything "123d" for your iPad. Let your kids figure out how quickly they can begin molding and modeling. Be warned that you will probably want to get a 3D printer though so you can make their creations a reality .

My favorite so far is the Catch app that lets you shoot panoramic shots of an object and then the apps builds it into a 3D digital model. I showed our art teacher how I created a digital version of one of the 3rd grade sculptures a girl at Blue Star Elementary made. This gives us the ability to save physical creativity in digital portfolios or share it far beyond school walls.

Autodesk is involved in so much. I was surprised to learn they also make the Pixlr online creativity suite, Tinkerbox app (iOS), and the Instructables app (iOS and Android).

Look for what I hear will be an impressive presence at ISTE this summer.

I would bet serious money that this company will become a major, well-known force in education in the next 5 years...if not a lot sooner.

Google launches Connected Classrooms Virtual Field Trips

[caption id="attachment_324" align="alignleft" width="300"] Take your kids around the world on Google+.[/caption]

Virtual field trips have been around for a long time, but the ease of conferencing via Google Hangouts has finally made them accessible to just about any classroom with a decent Internet connection.

Google kicked off its "Connected Classrooms" in August. Today's schedule offered virtual field trips from the Seattle Aquarium, the Minnesota Zoo, and an airplane hangar in Switzerland that is home to the Solar Impulse experimental airplane.

The search giant has partnered with over twenty labs, museums, Nasa, and historical societies to create a varied set of experiences. A handy calendar lets educators search for upcoming events but also easily go back and watch previously recorded events. All events are free.