The Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox creeps along

Finding time in her busy teaching schedule isn't easy, but LS Science teacher Ms. Derrien continues to construct the AR Sandtable.

To accommodate the range of students (Beginners - 6th) who will be using the table, she had to customize the height of the cart and drill new holes in the leg supports.  Chaulk up the drill press as another tool that Ms. Derrien now knows how to use!


The projector and Kinect camera need to be positioned 42" above the surface of the sand.  Below, Ms. Derrien attaches the projector mount and supports for the camera

Too Nice to Stay Inside!

The 4th graders took the laptops outside as they continued to explore what is possible with their new design tool - SketchUp.

 They are preparing to map the electric usage of the BBN Lower School Campus.  Stay tuned!

Does it get better than this?

The Ultimaker Arrives

Fresh out of the cardboard box

The LS Maker-space received a new addition today with the arrival of its sencond 3D printer, joining our Form1+ is an Ultimaker-2.  We have high hopes - and a lot of work for this printer.  We equipped it with PLA filament and had it up and working in under 45 minutes.

Getting right to work.

The first prints were stock objects - the Ultimaker robot and a stacking cup

Upper School AP Physics Students Descend on the LS MakerSpace

Watching Clifford at work

Cardboard prototypes

US AP Physics students used Clifford, the big red laser cutter, to cut pieces need to secure their solenoid engine.  Initial prototypes were completed in cardboard to finalize sizing and placement.   

The final cuts were made out of 1/2" plywood - a bit of a struggle for old Clifford, but he was able to make it through.

The Laser Cutter Helps Bring Mapping Alive in Spanish Class

The 5th grade Spanish teacher Omar Machado enlisted Clifford - our big red laser cutter to engrave a 3'  of a map of South and Central America in plywood.

Students then used Playdough to color code the map, carefully following the detailed contours of each country.

Organizing your Desktop

A clean, organized desktop can make our day go smoothly.
Here is a link to a handy, step-by-step guide to organizing your desktop.

http://www.wikihow.com/Organize-Your-Desktop

Take a deep breath. Play. Learn.

Image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEMFvWY8ma4

Being in the moment requires a quality of attention that engages all our senses. Last night we witnessed this quality of deep attention and focus as the Patriots and the Falcons faced off for the Super Bowl. Players have to attend with all their senses indeed their whole bodies as they play. Indeed they most likely enter a state of "flow" (see mihaly csikszentmihalyi's work) during play. And some athletes choose to take a few minutes to attend to themselves in-between play as well as we see LeBron James above.

This quality of deep engagement and attending to the world outside oneself or within oneself is related to mindfulness. But of course the image of football players is far from the image of mindfulness that most of us have come to accept. Mindfulness conjures up an image of a person meditating in a beautiful setting unlike LeBron above who is taking time to breathe amidst the high level intensity and noise of an arena.

Mindful attention is being present in the moment with all our senses. Mindful attention is slowing down enough to breathe deeply and engage with the world in which we find ourselves be it a sports arena, a sports field, an indoor classroom or a beautiful setting like an empty beach.

Research shows this kind of engagement with all our senses can in fact facilitate learning.
"According to the researchers, it is easier to learn vocabulary if the brain can link a given word with different sensory perceptions." Read more

Slo-Mo Feature of Phone Camera

This "telephone" I carry around in my pocket has amazing features. The slow-motion capture is pretty cool! Have you tried it?