invite | School Maker Faire - Calgary and Area

School Maker Faire - Calgary and Area

We are proud to announce the first Calgary & Area School Maker Faire: an opportunity for your student makers to display a project they have designed and created. The School Maker Faire will take place on May 10th, 2017 from 5:30 – 8:30 at Telus Spark.  

The School Maker Faire is a gathering of K-12 tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, and students. All of these makers come to School Maker Faire to show what they have made, or are making, and share what they have learned. It’s a chance for students to show others an area they are really interested in. It can be anything from art to robots, from exploding volcanoes to doll dresses. If you can make it with your hands and it’s something original, then it fits in School Maker Faire.

We invite you to come and get more information at the Makerspace at Teachers Convention, located in the atrium just outside the exhibits at the Telus Convention Centre. You can pick up a 'golden ticket’ that you can give to one special student who you think would be perfect for the School Maker Faire. 

More information can also be found at http://school.makerfairecalgary.com. 

ScratchEdYYC Meetup

It is Scratch Meetup Time! 

Our Scratch Meetup groups explore how the programming language Scratch can be used to support learning in our classrooms.  Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) is a free web based programming environment developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT.  Scratch is an easy programming language to learn and everyone experiences success right away, but it also has a very high ceiling and can be used to create complex projects!

Whether you are new to coding in the classroom or are very experienced with Scratch and looking to challenge and extend your understanding, we definitely want you at our meetup!  Let's learn and grow together as we help our students learn computational thinking and coding in our schools using Scratch!  Our group works with anyone who is interested in Scratch, from Kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers exploring Scratch Jr. to people who want to write their own extensions in Java with High School students and important them into Scratch as an extension . . . and everything in between!

Check out the meeting information and sign up link below!  We hope to see you there!

Steve Martin and Loralee Martin - Founders of ScratchEdYYC!

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Here are some possible topics that you may be interested in that we can look at during the meet-up. However, meetups are driven by the participants so if there is something you want to share or something you want to learn about, let us know!

Introduction to Scratch through the HOUR OF CODE  (Beginners)

Thinking of using a programming language in your classroom as part of Hour of Code and Computer Science Week (December 5th - 11th)? Come to our ScratchED YYC Meetup and we will walk you through using Scratch in your classroom and the Hour of Code resources!

WeDo and Machines . . . The CHAIN REACTION (Intermediate)

Our grade 8 Design and Computer Science class has created a WeDo chain reaction!  Bouncy balls will travel from station to station in our Learning Commons, each ball launched into the real world by a Scratch program.  This will be a great demonstration of Scratch with huge opportunities to integrate with Grade 4 and Grade 8 machine science units!

The Unofficial Scratch Extensions (Intermediate)

Looking to take your Scratch skills to the next level?  Learn about Scratch X . . the secret extensions to Scratch that can run Arduinos, track the International Space Station . . . follow Twitter Hashtags . . . create games where Scratch tracks movements through the Microsoft Kinnect and so much more!

See you at Meetup: ScratchEdYYC - Coding in our Classrooms

ScratchED YYC -Meetup Group for Scratch Educators

Invite a friend

Simply forward this invite to a friend and have them join the Meetup.

	Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 4:30 PM
	Captain Nichola Goddard School Learning Commons 405 Panatella Blvd NW Calgary, AB Directions

inform | ScratchEdu Meetup

Please see the following announcement from two of the CBE's innovative educators:

We are very excited to announce Southern Alberta’s first Scratch Educator Meetup!  

A Meetup is an opportunity to:

• network with other educators and community members who use the Scratch programming language with students
• share project ideas and see projects that others have done
• brainstorm with colleagues to extend your project ideas to new heights
• learn about the  support and resources that are available to help you and your students - both in Calgary and in the Global ScratchEd Community

We are looking forward to creating a support and resource group in Calgary and area for those who are using Scratch (or are new to Scratch and want to learn!!) in their classrooms.  Our professional learning model is similar to how EdCamp works.  You ask for the sessions and discussions that you want to be a part of - and the group works to facilitate those activities and learning opportunities!

So please, join us join us on Wednesday, May 11^th, 2016 in the learning commons at Captain Nichola Goddard School from 4:30 to 6:30 for this professional learning opportunity and let's help students be inspired to create amazing programs! There is no cost for the event and afterwards, anyone who is interested can join us for supper to continue the conversation.

Please

 RSVP through Meet-ups at http://tinyurl.com/scratchedyyc and follow us on twitter @ScratchEdYYC.  You can also join up and we will keep you informed of upcoming ScratchEdYYC events.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  We look forward to seeing you!

Loralee Martin (Div 1 and 2)                                  Steve Martin (Div 2 and 3)

                                              

Workshop Opportunity: MakeFashion

MakeFashion is a fashion show that takes place annually here in Calgary, and is on the bleeding edge of innovation in terms of smashing together high fashion with technology. Fashion designers are paired with technologists and engineers, and the collaborative work that results is pretty incredible!

Photography: Rafal Wegiel Photography | Models: Millie Jayne, Natalka Lewis | Makeup: Ivonne Arsenault

As you can see, this gown is a true team effort. The team is:

Virtually Vogue team is:

• Catherine Hazin: Team Lead. Fuelled by her fine arts degree and a passion for bridal fashion, Catherine designed the Virually Vogue layered pencil skirt ensemble, and is acting project manager for the team.

• Dan Damron: Lead Engineer. He is responsible for researching and sourcing most of the electronics, and for programming and writing all of the code required to make the dresses function.

• Kelly Hofer: Designer/Engineer. In addition to co-designing the Victorian inspired hoop dress, he was also responsible for troubleshooting much of the technical design. Kelly learned his making skills on the hutterite colony where he grew up. With a wide range of skills from 3d design, lighting design, some programming, electrical engineering, sewing, metal work and many others.

• Dianne Gibson: Master Sewer/Fashion Designer by trade, specializing in custom corsets. Her level of experience and expert skill are apparent in the garments construction.

Information about this gown from Virtually Vogue.

The CBE is so fortunate to have a great relationship with the minds behind this incredible event. We have all agreed that this would be an incredible opportunity for students to become involved in - it is a true and authentic example of interdisciplinary work in action. 

To that end, we are offering a workshop for teachers and students on Wednesday, February 24th. Our MakeFashion friends will be hosting us at ARCHEloft (formerly Endeavour Arts Gallery), which is located at #200 1209 First Street SW. The workshop will be from 4:30 - 7:30pm. The workshop will be hands-on, and will teach you how to incorporate various technologies into clothing and fashion.

From this workshop, there may be an opportunity for several participants' students to create a design for the MakeFashion runway - an incredible, world-renowned opportunity for students to add to their portfolio.

There is no cost for the workshop, though the technologies we use during the workshop will be available for sale.

Note: Should students wish to attend, please ensure they have their own transportation to and from the event. This is not a CBE-sponsored field trip.

If you have questions, please contact Tracy Dalton or Erin Quinn.