The Summer I Became a Maker

August 9, 2016.Reading time 15 minutes.

I’ve heard the word pushed in my meetings and educational conferences in a million different ways. Making. MakerSpace. Maker project. Maker initiative. Make, make, make. It can be frustrating, as an educator, to have new teaching trends and discoveries constantly sent your way. And admittedly, from the outside, the idea of making in education looks like […]

Lights, Science, ACTION!: Thank You

May 31, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

When we last left Lights, Science, ACTION!, the crew was getting their hands dirty (both literally and physically) with allllllll the science. From filmmaking to seed planting, we were knee deep in exciting, real-world science experiences, and loving every minute of it! In case you missed it, Lights, Science, ACTION! is a club offered by […]

Good Morning, Library

May 12, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The best part of waking up… is checking out some books. Ride along on a morning checkout in the Learning Leopard Library in this new time-lapse video. Hold on tight!

Introducing: Lights, Science, ACTION!

April 22, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

Somewhere during the STEAM Team madness, I got an email. Local non-profit Light House Studio had an idea for a workshop that would be perfect for our tech-savvy, ever curious scientists. Would I like a STEAM Team project about movie making and science? Nope. No thanks. I don’t want this to be a part of […]

Second Grade Classes present, Take it From a Second Grader

March 30, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

Over the past few months, Johnson second graders have been working even harder than usual. These students have stepped out of their comfort zone to become role models, mentors, and teachers to a few lucky first graders – and I couldn’t be prouder. The videos embedded below were designed, scripted, shot, and “edited” by second […]

STEAM Team: Thank You

March 16, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

Interested in enrolling your child in STEAM Team? We’ll be hosting another session for rising fourth graders in the fall. Keep your eye on the blog. It’s been awhile since we’ve caught up with the Johnson STEAM Team! Have you been wondering what we’re up to?? We started our session back in February by talking […]

Student Book Review: Chase’s Review of Diary of a Minecraft Zombie, by Herobrine Books

March 11, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie by Herobrine Books This Student Book Review was written by Chase, a Johnson Elementary School student, and shared with the library via Google Docs. Chase drafted and typed the book review independently. Chase is in the fourth grade.

Thank you, Johnson PTO!

March 9, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

The times, they are a changin’. And I was shocked to see just how fast when I introduced a checkout system on a Chromebase computer earlier this year, which needed to be operated by a mouse. Students of all grades struggled with how to hold the mouse, click the button, hold the cursor still, and […]

Student Book Review: Rachel’s Review of Matilda, by Roald Dahl

February 24, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Matilda by Roald Dahl Matilda is a girl who is a geinus who’s parents are compleate and total nitwits.Her school teacher discovers something amazing about Matilda.The story of Matilda is jaw-dropping.My favorite charicter is the school teacher.As Matilda faces her headmisstres she will learn too control her stuning power. This Student Book Review was written […]

Student Book Review: Ananda’s review of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

February 5, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis The lion the witch and the wardrobe is an allegory of the bible.A girl named Lucy discovers a magical world called Narnia her older siblings Peter,Susan and Edmund don’t believe her.But when they all climb into the wardrobe the adventure begins.There’s magic and mythical creatures […]