Posts by Sam Patterson
The Secret to a Great Staff Meeting is … CREATIVITY!
The Call of Creativity- I look over at the laughter and my Head of School is using a tiny light and a giant comb on the business director’s head, illustrating the proper use of the flashlight their group designed. I couldn’t believe how great their design was! In fact, EVERY group had a great design.…
Read Full PostField Trip To The Puppet Theater, Teaching Push and Pull
Years ago our school had regular field trips to the local puppet theatre and this year we revived that tradition. We took our kindergarten class to visit the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre. If you are in the LA area and don’t know this gem, you have to go check it out. They have been restoring…
Read Full PostCreating Authentic Learning Experiences through #Programming and @Arduino
@SamPatue Shares thoughts on Programming Robots in the Primary Grades to Capture Young Imaginations
The more I collaborate with great teachers the more I am convinced that teaching is a team sport. I am lucky this year because I get to work with Megan, the STEM coordinator for the lower grades as well as 8 other problem solving roles. Megan and I share many students and we work to…
Read Full PostTeaching Programming to our PreReaders: How can Coding Teach Students to Read?
Ever since I discovered that my pre-reading students could code using leveled apps like Kodable and The Foos, as well as open studio apps like Scratch Jr, I have worked to figure out how this fun and engaging challenge could be linked to literacy instruction.