Summer Learning Tools – Week 36

CN Area Elementary Teaching Team:

Week 36 (May 18 – May 22)

Weekly Giggles:        What time is it when the clock strikes 13?

                                       Time to get a new clock.

 

Some of your parents are asking what tools in Clever will be open during the summer.  This is a great question.  Here’s my answer.

Clever is typically open all summer long. CUSD may opt to close it for a few days for re-rostering or maintenance, but for the most part it is typically available for most of the summer. Now, not every tool will work seamlessly all summer long.

Your Clever Teacher Page may disappear from their view in June or July. Those are re-roster dates for summer school and the new school year. If any child/family really likes any of those links, have them bookmark those links in Chrome for future reference.

Each software company sets up their own protocol for closing out sessions/classes. Freckle, Khan Academy, Epic!, and Prodigy may choose to archive classes for the year as they see fit. The district may remove tools as they see fit if they choose not to pay for those services anymore. So, a few tools may disappear.

With that being said, there will still be select tools that should work for most of the summer just fine. Fresno County Library should be fine. Google should be fine. Code.org should be fine. Adobe Spark might be there all summer long. Nitro Type and Typing.com will hopefully be there all summer long. So, the children have a number of tools to grow their skills and build complex learning structures.

Here are more learning tools that children can use over the summer:
Minecraft EDU. Additionally, children in CUSD have access to Minecraft EDU for free. This is accessible via an iPad, a home PC, or laptop. WEBLINK HERE. In order for the children to log into the software, they need to use this email template: mickeymouse001@my.cusd.com. Obviously, children insert their own username into that first spot. An error message may pop up. Just ignore that bit [or click OK].

Image credits HERE.

Is that really a learning tool? Yes. Here are just a few ways where children can showcase learning in this tool:
    1) Children are constructing architectural forms using blocks. Angles. Size. Proportion. Ratio. Distance. Shape. Purpose.
    2) Children are navigating characters in a virtual world. They can later turn this virtual world into a written narrative.
    3) Electricity and circuits. Children can place levers and doors into spot that respond to the motion of the character.
    4) Computer Science. Children can use block coding to build or move.
    5) Children can create a science model: the surface of the earth, volcanic environments, aquatic environments, mountainous regions, etc.
    6) Math models: fractions, ratios, multiplication, addition and subtraction, volume, area, and perimeter.
    7) Re-create themes/ideas from historical periods: Great Wall of China, Egyptian pyramids, Spanish missions, westward expansion, trade routes, market places, pioneer environments, or historical events.

MakeCode.org. Head HERE to access that website. If you wish to save your work, sign in. To sign in, use this template: mickeymouse001@my.cusd.com. Obviously, children insert their own username into that first spot. Where to start? Head to Chase the Pizza to see what the Arcade offers.

Image credits HERE.

TinkerCad. Are you interested in 3D modeling? Architecture? Circuits? Design modeling? On my YouTube channel I have a few teaching videos that will get you started with TinkerCad. Then, let your imagination take over.

Image credits HERE.

Image credits HERE.

And, the video for the Fresno County library is on my YouTube channel if families have not signed up to check out books via this community-based resource. Feel free to check out eBooks all summer long.

Keep on learning,
Melissa Culver