7th Grade Game Designers

Students and Families,

Our 7th grade students have completed their game designs!

This is the first big project of the year for 7th grade students. The students were tasked with indpenedently researching, designing, and creating their own game on the computer! The students did this without following directions and without following a tutorial - true, independent design!

Below are the games the students created. Play, and enjoy!

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/182629263/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/107221729/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185040203/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187695649/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184489173/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/182629736/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185043124/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/182629546/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/183297689/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184490800/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187693935/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187699916/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186041740/#player -

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185040799/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/188197310 -

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/182629367/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187697935 -

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184489782/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185040930/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185040418/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184493516/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187693981/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/182629622/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185042164/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186043037  

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186618419/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/187696159/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/183511165/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184758188/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186924752/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186325166/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184761971

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184024240/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186332639/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184025057/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184758575/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184756837/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184761618

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184763657/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186330193/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185327027/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184020243/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186924707/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184877256/#editor

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/184877256/#player

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/188741885/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/188999297/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185327083/ -

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/183052115/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/185331793/

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/186327715/

https://scratch.mit.edu/users/winky12345/

Student Update - Design and Modeling

So far in class we are mainly learning about design and modeling. I’ve learned the design cycle and how to know if a website is reliable. An important thing i’ve learned is why we do what we do. Example: why we need to know if a website is reliable, why we need to follow the design cycle, and why we need to be specific.   

By Johanna

Welcome Back!

Welcome back Tigers!

I am very excited to begin teaching this year. This year, I am teaching only 3 courses - Design and Modeling, Flight and Space, and 5th Grade Design. Even so, there is a lot of learning to get done in our class!

I have one request, one call to action. I will be looking for student authors for this blog. I will be announcing this in class, but if any students are interested being an author for this blog (and beginning to build their portfolio and resume), let me know! I am excited to give students more opportunities for learning and experience, relevant to their interests and future!

I can't wait to see everyone again! Welcome back!

Back...With New Family!

I (Mr. Hron) am back!

I was gone for three weeks of school due to the birth of my first child! Both Mrs. Hron, and our daughter, Eleanor, are doing great. I wanted to share the reason for my absence over the last few weeks in case you were unaware of this special time in our family.

As I return to school, I will be re-organizing the classroom and my desk, and beginning the students on their final project of the year. This project can be viewed as a final exam of sorts, but instead of a sit-down pencil-and-paper test, the students will be showing off their design skills over the next few weeks as they work on, and complete, their final project.

Please be sure to continue checking this website and the school newsletter to learn details about the final project. Pictures and other updates can be found at my classroom twitter @MrHron! If you have any questions about anything, you can reach me at my email (james.hron@fridley.k12.mn.us).

Intro to Autodesk Inventor

The students have begun learning about our 3d modeling software, Autodesk Inventor! The students
are working their way from beginning fundamentals, to more and more complex skills. Over the next few weeks the students will be building basic shapes online, to more complex shapes. This learning will take place through online Youtube tutorials.

Once students have the basic skills down, the students will begin creating real life objects. These become more difficult because students are no longer following directions on how to build something – they must figure out how to create these objects themselves! These skills will help the students as they move towards our final project of the year in May!

Be sure to check out our twitter (@MrHron) for more updates!

2017 Rube Goldberg Challenge

The 2017 Rube Goldberg challenge is coming to a close. Over the last few weeks, students have been using recycled materials (like toilet paper tubes, old mousetraps, etc.) to put together a chain reaction of simple machines, all for the purpose of rolling a single six-sided die. The amount of research, design, and time the students have put into all aspects of their machine has been incredible this year.

So far, a large number of students have not only been able to get their Rube Goldberg machines to work, but many have been able to get their machines to work on the very first try! This is a challenging thing to do when creating Rube Goldberg Machines, and the research, design, and testing the students have done prove why these results are consistent.

Be sure to stay tuned in with twitter (@MrHron) and our classroom website (mrhron.blogspot.com) for more updates!

Technology Impact on the Environment

The seventh grade students are almost complete with their second design of the year! The students have been researching how an emerging technology impacts the environment (either positively or negatively). The students will then create a presentation of some sort (like a movie, slideshow, or poster) to share the information they have found.

The projects are mostly complete, have been shared with the class, and are turned in. A few students challenged themselves by sending interview questions to the professional engineers building their technology. Several students were even able to receive answers! The presentations look great, and the students have learned a lot since the beginning of the year in September.

Check out twitter (@MrHron) for more updates!

Hot Air Balloons

The sixth grade students have been getting a little bit more skill practice, before beginning to work on their hot air balloons. Similar to the kite projects, the students will be split into groups, where they will begin creating their hot air balloons!

 

Previously, the focus was on collaboration within the group. However, the sixth grade students all have different levels of experience when it comes to group work. For the hot air balloons, the

students will continue working on collaboration, but another focus will be cooperative work. The scope of skills will need to be widened to accommodate the various levels of experience each student has with group work.

So far, the accommodations have been working great. The students are working hard in their groups and the hot air balloons are coming along nicely. One group has already almost completed their hot air balloon, a week ahead of schedule! They will be testing and flying their hot air balloon soon.

Environmental Impact

The seventh grade students are about to begin their second design project of the year! The students will be choosing a current technology. Then, using their research skills, the students will need to determine how this technology will impact the environment in the future. The students will have to predict the future!

Our class 3d printer, one of the technologies chosen for research.

Once the students have come to an understanding of how this technology will impact the future, they will need to create some sort of presentation to share their knowledge. This can be a Google Slides presentation, it can be a website, a poster, a flyer, an essay, or something else the student may want to do. However, the students will need to communicate their information in a clear, yet immersive way.

Be sure to stay tuned in with twitter (@MrHron) and our classroom website (mrhron.blogspot.com) for more updates!

Finished Design

The seventh grade Design and Modeling students are finishing up with their old technology research project. The students have shared their project with the class, and reviewed and learned from the presentations created by their peers.

After the students reflect on their process, I will be assessing the presentations. This first assessment will show where the students are in terms of their understanding of design. It will show us all what the students need to be supported in, and where the students need to be challenged. The work the students are accomplishing now is setting the stage for larger, more complex projects in the future!

 Be sure to stay tuned in with twitter (@MrHron) for more updates and student content!

"Old" Technology Research

The seventh grade Design and Modeling students are beginning to start their very first design project! The students are researching an "old" technology, and determining how it has changed, and how it still affects society today. They will be designing a presentation from the research and knowledge they gain.

"Old" is a relative term. For this project, old means over 50 years ago. So any technology or
invention that was created for the first time before 1966, is fair game for students to choose from. Many students have chosen technologies that were invented in the 1950s and 60s, but a few students are going back, way back. Some students are challenging themselves by researching the very first mechanical watches, or even the very first pool! It will be interesting to see what the students come up with in their research.

Stay tuned for updates on twitter (@MrHron), and this website!

Welcome Back

Welcome back! There is a lot of learning to be done, so let's get to it! Here is a quick overview for each class that I (Mr. Hron) teach!

5th Grade Design
This is the first year that fifth grade design has moved to the technology side of the school. This class is going to start out by introducing and practicing computer skills, moving from basic to complex. Then, by the end of October, the students will begin designing. They will design all sorts of things, from a tree house, to presentations, to a boat! The year is going to be very hands on, with lots of practice at becoming a responsible citizen of the digital world.

Flight and Space (6th Grade)
Flight and space begins by introducing the concepts and forces of flight. Then, the students get to build. The build kites and hot air balloons. Then they get to design, and build some more. Eventually, the students will be building a rocket to accomplish a specific mission, and launching that rocket in the spring. The year is going to be very hands on, with lots of failure, because failure translates into learning.

Design and Modeling (7th Grade)
Design and modeling begins by examining technologies of our past, and how they've influenced our lives and the environment. Then, our examination turns towards the future, and the students predict how our future will be shaped by an up-and-coming technology. Following that, students begin constructing a Rube Goldberg competition, and the students end the year with 3d model design, and 3d printing of their design. The year is going to be very hands on, with lots of reflection on how technology influences society.

Automation and Robotics (8th Grade)
Automation and robotics begins with the students researching an engineer's role in our world of technology. Shortly after that, the students begin to research and build a website about a new robot that is currently being developed. Following the website construction, the students will begin to learn and create different mechanisms. This will eventually lead into complex machines built to achieve a purpose, and finally robotics. The year is going to be very hands on, with a significant focus on how to find facts and truth among the avalanche of information online.

Overall, I am very excited for another year of school. I teach because it is something I believe is very important, and because it is something that I love doing. I am looking forward to getting to know all of the students in this school, and reaching out to as many families as possible. Enjoy the year!

The First Design

Fridley Middle School's first student-design vehicle in 2016.

In Design and Modeling, students have been working hard to learn and improve their skills using the 3d modeling program Autodesk Inventor.

The final project in Design and Modeling, is to create a car based on their own design. Just yesterday, the first design was printed and the first student in our 7th grade at Fridley Middle School received her plastic, 3d printed car to take home.

Over the next month, the rest of the 7th grade students will be working very hard to research, design, and create their own model cars. The student's hard work will, of course, cause me to begin a printing flurry, in an attempt to print off every 7th grade student's car design by the end of May!

Stay tuned both to here and twitter, for many updates on car designs, and much more from our design classroom at Fridley Middle School!

Design and Modeling 2/18

Currently, in Design and Modeling the students have finished their Rube Goldberg projects! The projects have been filmed, and I am currently sorting through the film in an attempt to create a Youtube video. I will be sure to alert everyone when that is finished.

The students are now moving forward from the Rube Goldberg projects, and are now beginning to learn about 3d modeling on the computer. 

 We use professional-grade software called Autodesk Inventor. It is challenging and complex, but within the next few weeks the students will be learning how to use this software. As the students learn more, they will be able to create more complex 3d models. Eventually, the students will be using our school 3d printer to print off a model of their design. Stay tuned to twitter for updates and pictures!

Design and Modeling 1/19

Currently, in Design and Modeling the students have just started their Rube Goldberg projects! This year’s theme for the Rube Goldberg project is music. The outcome of the machine should have something to do with music, whether that is strumming a guitar, hitting “play” to start music, or any other creative idea the students can come up with!

Right now in class, the students are designing their Rube Goldberg ideas. This will continue for a few more classes, and after that, students will begin to build their machines! We do ask that if you have any recyclable materials (extra cardboard, toilet paper rolls, old toys, dominoes, etc.), that the students bring them in for supplies. This will help expand the variety of supplies their group can work with. Students should NOT be buying supplies for this project—it is all about creativity, and finding solutions to unique problems!