Category: School

Things about school or as Bruce sometimes calls it “work”

Beep! Howdy Sports Fans!

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Bruce

For those who know me well, you know that sports have never been my thing. My older brother was athletic so in order to avoid competition, I avoided almost all forms of competition. It didn’t help much, my parents still compared us, but at least I wasn’t trying to directly compete or be like him. I tried my best to learn from my older brother by not doing anything he did.

I joke about my lack of knowledge when it comes to any sports. I know the basic rules of the important “All-American” sports but don’t really follow any. I know who my local sports franchises are and firmly believe that their business model is a little skewed since they make millions of dollars and still ask for handouts from the communities they live in, holding us hostage with threats of leaving if they don’t get tax breaks or bigger stadiums or key players out of jail, or whatever. I find it sad that many of my students nowadays think that their only way to be successful is through sports and pour more effort into (pick a sport) than learning. In my teaching career I have personally taught one child who became a professional athlete. 26 years of teaching, average of 24 kids in each class (actually a lot more since for about 6 years I taught every student in a school of around 700)- only one that I know of went pro.  Last week I had a chance to check out a sport/competition that I think is worthy of not only our support as a community, but also one that might actually make the world a better place… Robotics.

Last week I started off by dropping by a robotics camp being put on by our local high school.  The camp dealt with VEX robotics and  instead of dropping by, I decided to help out where I could for the week.  The campers formed teams and designed and built their own robots to complete a task.  The competition had the robots move balls around the field and put them in a goal.  At the end the robots had to knock a “bonus ball” into the play, score with it and return to their starting place before time ran out.  Rounds were 2 minutes each and the robots were each controlled via a game controller by a “pilot.”

Throughout the week the teams of campers designed and redesigned their robot, trying out different things.  Some teams were very flexible while others stuck with the same idea thinking if they try hard enough it will work.  “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein, one of the team captains reminded me of this quote at the start of camp, yet, his team was one that never varied from their initial design, even when it wasn’t as successful as the others on the field of play.  The hardest part, as an adult, was to try to lead them down the path of discovery subtly without saying- “Look, your design isn’t working. You have time, try something else.”  In the end there was a brief competition, a winning team was determined, and candy bars were given out to the winners.

The Indiana Robotics Invitational 2013
The Indiana Robotics Invitational 2013

So, how is this different than many other “sports”?  Well, first all the competition isn’t cutthroat.  Each team (robot) competed in rounds in an alliance with (by the time all the rounds finished) all the other teams (robots) at the camp.  Your team received points for the alliance winning.  Scoring was 2 points for winning, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss.  The Idea was to help every team to be better because you didn’t want to lose any match, so you would want to play with a strongest teammate you could.  At the ages these kids were at, that was a difficult concept for them to grasp- you wanted everyone to be strong because in the end, the best robot would win- every match, no matter who they were paired with.  In the end the oldest group of students were the winners, experience triumphing over youth.

Friday found the group at the Indiana Robotics Invitational and here, while the overall goal was similar, the robots were more complex since the task put before them was much more complex.  The competition here put three teams (robots) on each side working to get as many points as possible.  The round was divided into basically two sections (automated and piloted).  The round began with the robots running a program for 15 seconds, then the human pilots took over.  The goal- score as many points as possible. How?  Well this year (each year the task is different) the robots were designed and built to throw a frisbee through a target.  That was the first goal, three targets, get as many frisbees as possible through the targets.  The course also had two towers, points could be gained by getting a frisbee to the top of the tower, but wait, there’s more.  Just as the campers could gain points for being back in their parking place, these robots got points for hanging from the tower, the higher the robot was, the more points you received.

I know there was more to it than that, but basically that’s what had to happen. So how does that make it world changing?  Let’s think about the end results from participating in competitive robotics.  You learn practical applications of Science, Math, Engineering and Technology.  You gain skills that could help you get into a good college and when you get out actually produce something for the betterment of mankind, not just throw a ball around until your arm (or knees or back) goes out, then sit around talking about your glory days.  You could take what you learned and still use it even when you’re old and grey filled with aches and pains.

I never played sports (fine full disclosure- I played soccer in 3rd & 4th grade and briefly tried springboard diving and swimming, I was lousy) – like I said, that was my brother’s thing.  So I don’t understand the competitive culture behind sports, but even now at the elementary school I see the cliques forming- the kids who are told by their pee wee league coach to wear their jerseys to school the Friday before a game, to impress everyone.  Fights and trash talking happen between rival teams and this is at elementary school… so sad.  I’m waiting for someone to get the bright idea of taking out a key player during recess, so their team can win.  I did not see signs at the robotics competition reminding parents that it is only a game.  Then again these kids were not the all-star varsity lettering BMOCs and bullies, these were geeks and nerds, people with a passion for engineering and for computers, and yes, there were girls in the mix too.  I would suggest finding out if your local school has a robotics program and go talk to the kids and the mentors.  I’m sure you’d be amazed at what they are doing.  Unlike most high school sports, this is a program I can actually see a benefit, and will support my local team. Try this-  instead of buying a jersey with the number of some guy who will retire or be traded in a few seasons (causing you to have to buy another jersey), take that money and make a donation to your local high school robotics program.  Our robot overlords would approve and might let you live after they take over.

One of the Semifinal Matches at the IRI video of the entire event can be found on their YouTube Channel
If you want more information about Robotics Programs for students check out-

US FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) – One of the governing bodies for Robotics Competitions at the high school level

VEX Robotics – Another governing body that has programs for elementary schools all the way up to high schools

FIRST LEGO League – A competition for elementary school students put on by FIRST using LEGO Mindstorms robots

Jr. FIRST LEGO League – A competition dealing with engineering concepts (pre-robotics) using LEGO bricks for students from 1st to 3rd grade.

EdCamp Indy 2013 – Comics in the Classroom #edcampindy

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Bruce

Today was EdCamp Indy!  I know you’d be amazed to know I talked about  Comics in the Classroom,  here’s the basics of my presentation including things that I had completely forgot since I was presenting off the cuff. reminding me that I really need to get a basic comics in education presentation done and put it on the cloud for just such occasions…

The Basics of Comic Creation-

Have the students consider using non-photo blue pencils.  I recommend Prismacolor Verithin which can be found at most art supply stores or online.  What this allows you to do is draw your artwork then ink over it (I use various sized Micron pens) and when you scan your artwork (in black & white- bitmap) the blue line disappears so it’s like having a magical eraser.  You can introduce the concept of chromakey to older students at this time. Many companies produce “comic book paper” which has the margins in blue line.

Right now I use Photoshop Elements to color and add words to my comic-  it is fairly inexpensive (comes free with most scanners).  “Comic Life” is a great place to start and is available in Mac or PC (Learn something new every day) if you want to discuss balloon placement and layout since you can use photographs.  Manga Studio was also mentioned as a PC program for comic creation.

But I Can’t Draw!-

Just like any skill, drawing is something that comes with time and practice.  The more you do anything, the better you get.  My suggestion to start would be to use Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad in your classroom for some quick drawing lessons.  These are basic and can replace a day or two of penmanship lessons in the lower grades since it will actually help the students gain more fine motor control than just making a page of lower case d’s.  There are 180 lessons in the book so it fits almost perfectly with a school year.  He also has switched to lessons online which shows just how old I am, I used Mark Kistler with my first graders.  For real simple basics try Ed Emberly books.  For specific characters you can always use some the Walt Foster “How to Draw” books.  For classic Superheroes How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way or Ty Templeton’s How to Draw the DC Universe (unfortunately some of these might be out of print and therefore really pricey).

As for putting together a comic look at Comic Book Design by Gary Spencer Millidge

Project Ideas-

You can start with something simple like taking a scene from a story and having the students recreate that in comic book form.  As readers they will need to focus on the details in the descriptions so those are included in the illustration.  What color was Laura’s dress?  her hair?  What happened when she filled her pocket with the smooth rocks from the shore of the lake?  All of these need to be included to help tell the story.

Go to Unshelved.com and look at the entries in their book club while as this became popular they added more reviews many are still done in Comic Book Form like these examples from Gregor the Overlander  or The Lightning Thief .  Have the students do a comic form review of a book.

Have them use a comic to illustrate a science experiment or a scientific principle.

One school I work with has their 6th graders create a superhero based on the powers and abilities from an animal adaptation. The students then create a secret origin and draw the comic version, sharing it with other students at a school “Comic-Con.”

Resources-

Reading With Pictures– Online 501c3 promoting comic books in the classroom.  The group has an online community for sharing lessons.  After the success of their Kickstarter campaign for their Anthology, they have completed another campaign for the “Graphic Textbook”  which should be available in late 2013.  The textbook is an experiment in how to use comics to deliver classroom content.  It includes such stories as “Abraham Lincoln: Action President, and a brief explanation of Newton’s laws of motion.

Diamond Bookshelf– the online (and print newsletter from Diamond Comics which is the company that distributes comics to all those comic shops everywhere.  The newsletter is focused on the benefits of comics in libraries and classrooms.

Classroom Comic Library elementary to middle school (or at least a start)-

Use the A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids Comics as another resource or find your nearest comic shop and chat with them.

Bone by Jeff Smith

Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley

Mouse Guard by David Petersen  Legends of the Guard is a great way to look at how various writers and artists deal with working in the same “universe”

The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young

The Dreamland Chronicles by Christian Scott Salva This is originally a webcomic so you can read the entire thing online.

Little Guardians by Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis Also a web comic Ed & Lee are from Indianapolis and I’m sure would love to chat with kids about the process.

Solution Squad by Jim McClain & Rose McClain Jim is a middle school math teacher who uses his heroes to help his students understand math concepts.  He has done some great presentations on using comics in the classroom.

-I know a lot of this is in the genre of fantasy… sue me, it’s what I like.

Questions?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?-

I have addressed a few of the questions already but one that came up that needs to be addressed was “Do you let your reluctant readers read comics?” While many people would say “No,”  I have a different viewpoint in my classroom.  When the year starts off and I give them tour of the classroom we stop at the graphic novel section of my classroom library and I let the students know the rules of what you can and cannot read in the classroom.  Comics BOOKS are fine reading material, comic STRIPs… not so much.  A comic book follows the rules of any story-  there are characters, setting, plot, and other pieces determined by the specific genre of the piece… a comic STRIP, not so much.  A comic STRIP (Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes, etc.) is kind of like reading a joke book.  Three panels then the punchline… so unless you are working on just phonics, sequencing, or vocabulary skills, a student isn’t going to get anything out of it.  A comic book, or trade paperback,  encompasses a story arc,  and deals with things I can talk to the student about in a conference.  Orson Scott Card once told the story of when he was a graduate assistant (and I paraphrase) Everyone else was using great works of literature in their classes, he looked at what the students needed to know and created a reading list in which he could teach those topics… instead of Hamlet he had the class read The Princess Bride. The students weren’t bogged down by the language and actually could see the concepts he wanted them to know.  If I want my students to understand the “Heroes Journey” I won’t have 4th graders read Beowulf, but I might have them read Gregor the Overlander which is engaging to them and has the same concepts or maybe Binky the Space Cat is an even better choice to start off with.

So What do I do Next?-

Go out to your local comic shop and talk to them about what they think would be good ideas for your classroom or library.  Ignore the concept of “Comic Book Guy” from the Simpson- if he exists his comic shop is soon to go bankrupt.

Remember to celebrate Free Comic Book Day the first weekend in May and the little known Halloween Comicfest–  it happened last year, haven’t heard yet about it going on this year.

Check out your local Comic Book Convention!  Fort Wayne has one, Kokomo has one, Indianapolis is getting one in March.  This is just a sampling of what’s available.

Just remember- to check out every comic you put in your library,  just because it’s a comic doesn’t mean it is safe for your classroom.  Only you know what your community will allow.

Kickstarter… Geek Nirvana, Teaching Opportunity?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Bruce

I know I’ve spoken about Kickstarter before, as a geek, it is a really cool way to support other geeks. Kickstarter is a way that “crowdsourcing” is being used to fund various projects that might otherwise not see the light of day. Many projects have educational value or can be used as demonstration pieces, especially in a STEM environment where engineering & design are an important part of the curriculum. Since each funding level has different rewards I have attempted to pick levels of funding that provided resources for my classroom. Since I started funding projects over a year ago I decided I would share a list of the projects I have supported for use in my classroom & school.  Some I’m still waiting on pieces arriving, but you need to give geeks time to create (you know, like this comic strip).  Check out some of these and some local projects.

Graphic Novel Library:

Films/Video:

Video Games:

Engineering & Science:

All work & no play makes Jack a dull boy… so here are some projects I’ve funded just because I thought they were cool:

*not successfully funded, yet. But as of this post there’s still time.

Comics for Kids- a scary proposition

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Bruce

I was asked on Friday (since I happen to be heading to my local comic shop after school) to see if I might be able to get some door prize donations for the school’s “Literacy Night.”  Teachers – you should try to build a good relationship with your local comic shop if you can.  So today I receive an email from Dan at Comic Carnival asking what he can do to help (thanks Dan).  He has some titles he could donate but wanted to check with me about their appropriateness.  Fortunately I happen to have copies of the comics in question and that leads me to this post and this question- “What is appropriate for elementary kids?”  The comics Dan suggested were Avengers #1, New Avengers #1 or Secret Avengers #1.  Marvel has their own rating system and two of the titles are rated “A” which means “Appropriate for ages 9 and up” one is rated “T+” or “Teenagers.”  The first answer was easy- throw out the T+ comic because I sure hope we don’t have any teenagers at our school.  So what about comics rated “A” what is in them and why the cut off of 9?  I looked at both comics and they actually seemed to be completely different.

Avengers #1 (Bendis & Romita Jr.) seemed pretty straight forward although it starts off with a death there really isn’t much to it that I wouldn’t expect from a comic.  Time travel story, lots of talking, and some fighting. No blood or dismemberment, no nudity, no “bad stuff” or things that kids will huddle around giggling over.

New Avengers #1 (Bendis & Immonen) You’ve got magic and demons and inappropriate language for school.  Now I’m not one to have and issue with magic or demons (it is fantasy), but words can cause problems.  I just remember giggling at George Carlin’s “Seven words you can’t say on television.”  That said- I can understand the need for using certain words, but I don’t know if a 9 year old (that’s end of third grade beginning fourth grade) needs to reading them or hearing them.  Can’t we just keep the world a little more candy coated for a few more years?

So how does a parent (or teacher) get appropriate comics for their kids?  The rating system doesn’t work- It doesn’t work in movies, in video games, or in comics.  We have to be the adults (“gasp!”) we have to read what the kids are reading, or see the movie, or play the video game to make sure it meets with our morals.  That we are comfortable letting it impress a young mind.  Everyone has a different belief as to what is “right.”  There are some great comics out there that I wouldn’t even think about letting a kid in my class read until they are much older and have the experiences and maturity to be able to understand the content.

Comic Shops what can you do?  Keep buying all ages stuff & don’t hide it in the back or behind a bunch a toys & lunch boxes.  Make a prominent display of stuff that is good for young kids in the front of your store.  Parents will appreciate it (most are scared to walk into a comic shop).  Work with your local school and see about getting titles into their library, classrooms, cafeteria, playground.  You are the experts in comics, team with an teacher and have them help you put together your “kid friendly- teacher approved” comic list. I would love to have every kid in the school reading good comics- it is still reading folks!

So is picking comics for  kids a scary proposition? Yes, just like picking a movie, or TV show, any form of media is, or at least should be, if you care about your kids and what kind of person they will grow up to become.

ugh!

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Bruce

About once every so many years I actually get sick. Normally I can just sit it out and with a day or two I back to normal. This one is sticking around. The good thing is I do get a chance to draw some comics and get a buffer built. The bad thing is I feel awful and hope that the fever breaks soon, since next week is pioneer week at school and I have a bunch of things I still need to do to get ready. I just don’t see it happening today. Time to push more fluids and hope I get better.