My Paperless Classroom - a Blog by Dr. Sam Patterson

7 steps for Inspiring Creativity in Young Makers

By Sam Patterson | Sep 23, 2018 |

Keeping My Assumptions in Check In my STEAMspace at Echo Horizon school, we support empowered innovative learners by asking students to make many of their own decisions, even with our youngest makers. When I started teaching my youngest students I had to keep my own assumptions in check and make sure I was giving them…

3 Great Ideas for Your Elementary Makerspace that will be a HIT with Young Students!

By Sam Patterson | Sep 16, 2018 |

In my Makerspace, I get to work with grades PreK-6. This means that each week I am prepping for a wide range of abilities and interests, and I work hard to make sure my youngest makers get lessons that are just as amazing as my most mature students. Don’t dumb down ideas for younger kids,…

Creativity is a teachable skill: Where ideas come from

By Sam Patterson | Jul 3, 2018 |

Ideas are for everybody. We all have them. In my workshop train kids to find their best ideas every day, and during summer camp we do it all day long. You might think that creativity is special or magic, or the province of a few “the creatives.” Many people in my life have felt this…

What Makes Summer Camp Amazing For Students of All Ages?

By Sam Patterson | Jun 30, 2018 |

What makes Summer Camp so special for both teachers and students? Learn what goes into creating a memorable experience and why you can do it too!

Maker Space Project Idea: Creating an LED Village in the Classroom Maker Space using Paper Circuits and the Microbit

By Sam Patterson | May 30, 2018 |

Create a world-class hands-on coding tool. Laser-cut LED village captures the best of a trainboard and circuit design. A platform for imagination and circuit theory, build logic gates and a love of learning.

The Secret to a Great Staff Meeting is … CREATIVITY!

By Sam Patterson | May 1, 2018 |

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.…

Can We make a Football? The Magic of Not Saying No

By Jeffrey Bradbury | Apr 13, 2018 |

Do you want to Build a Football? During Recess workshop for grades 1 and 2 one of the boys asked me “Can we make a football?” I have never ever even thought of making a football and I had to think about it for a second before I pointed to the fabric bin and asked…

Field Trip To The Puppet Theater, Teaching Push and Pull

By Sam Patterson | Apr 10, 2018 |

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…

@SamPatue Shares thoughts on Programming Robots in the Primary Grades to Capture Young Imaginations

By Sam Patterson | Mar 30, 2018 |

Coding and Programming for Young Learners

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…

8 Secrets To Providing Amazing EdTech Customer Service that Directly Affects Students and Classrooms

By Sam Patterson | Mar 27, 2018 |

Whether you are a teacher trying to figure out how to invest your limited class resource budget, or an edtech company trying to secure your place in the market, customer service is something to look at closely.

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