My Paperless Classroom - a Blog by Dr. Sam Patterson

Learn how Google Slides can Create Awesome Animation Projects!

By Sam Patterson | Mar 8, 2018 |

I am a big fan of Google Slides because it is such a flexible platform. I can set-up sequential lessons, build spaces for reflection as we as process-based work. When I first heard about creating animations in google slides I had to try it out.

Toy Hacking: What exactly is this popular STEM activity and how do I get started?

By Sam Patterson | Mar 6, 2018 |

In the simplest terms, the way to begin teaching with toy hacking is to do some toy acting yourself. Steal some toys from your children or pick them up at the local thrift shop look for ones that have simple electronics in them.

Using @GoNoodle to Create Invisible Classroom Transitions

By Sam Patterson | Mar 2, 2018 |

My philosophy is this: silence is hard work for teachers and students, it also stops participation cold. The classroom is and should be a celebration of voices.

5 Tips for Successful Classroom Green Screen Projects

By Sam Patterson | Mar 2, 2018 |

Greenscreen technology is an inexpensive technology to support, once you already have devices in your classroom.

Resetting Classroom Culture through Mini-Keynote Presentations

By Sam Patterson | Mar 1, 2018 |

Third Grade has different challenges than every other grade, and that fact surprises me more often than I like. Class culture can be a challenge in 3rd grade, the best kids I know can turn on each other quickly. When this happens in the Makerspace I need to fix it, for the preservation of everyone's creativity and safety.

3 Ways to promote Parent Engagement in your Classroom

By Sam Patterson | Feb 26, 2018 |

Do the parents in your class know the great stuff happening every day in class? Most teachers and schools work really hard to share what learning. They create newsletters, annual reports, websites, blogs, twitter feeds, but they often overlook the most important way to really get parents engaged. Schools need to empower students to share…

How can we infuse Coding and Computer Science into our Science Classes?

By Sam Patterson | Feb 25, 2018 |

This lesson is a great application of an open studio app and allows for student creativity while allowing for easy assessment. The goal is content-based and not tool based. This lesson was midway through the year and the students all had some experience programming in Hopscotch.

Why is Guided Access important in Elementary Grades?

By Sam Patterson | Feb 17, 2018 |

Guided Access is a feature found on iPads that allow teachers to hand a device to a student knowing that they will not be able to swipe away into a different app. In this post, we take a look at how Guided Access has helped one teacher in his Makerspace focus his classroom and not the technology.

Why Do Schools Need Educational Technology Specialists?

By Sam Patterson | Feb 16, 2018 |

With more and more teachers entering the classroom as so called “tech experts” one would imagine that the day will come when we no longer need technology specialists… but is this philosophy really appropriate for our schools and classrooms?

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