Engineer Mini-Project

The 8^th grade students have just started their very first mini-design! Students will be researching a certain engineering career, and designing a presentation for their classmates. The students have been researching a number of different types of engineers like Food Engineers, Sports Engineers,

Mechanical Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Software Engineers, and many more.

Once the students have finished their research, the will plan and create their short presentation in Google Slides. Then, upon finishing next week, the presentations will be shared and evaluated with the rest of class. If I get the student's permission, I am planning on sharing some of the first projects here on the website, so you can get a taste of what is to come from our students this year!

Skills of the Internet

At the beginning of the year, the 6^th grade students are working hard learning different computer skills. Some of the skills they learn are how to use email, Google Drive, and how to create strong passwords. Currently, the students are learning one of the most important skills of all: how to determine if a website is reliable.

The internet is one of the best learning tools we have ever had. However, with this great power of learning, comes some great responsibility. For every website that has excellent, sourced information, there is a website that shows heavy bias, propaganda, or outright falsehoods. The students are learning how to determine if a website is reliable, and some strategies to use when researching to make sure the facts they are reading are, in fact, trustworthy. It’s not always easy work, using the internet. For the 6^th grade students, that journey starts now.

Beginning Design

In fifth grade design, the students are getting their first taste of design this week! Students are being challenged to design a space ship that can launch from Earth, travel safely through space, and land on the moon. While this has already been accomplished by humanity, the students are having a lot of fun with it!

The focus of these beginning designs are the details and labels the students are providing. Adding labels and details is a cornerstone to any professional design, and the students should become used to explaining and organizing their design in an easy to understand way, for anyone who is taking a look.

Keep an eye out on the classroom twitter account (@MrHron) to see updates and media of student work!

Students Getting Challenged

One of the most common questions I get from students is, “What do I do when I’m done?” Of course, I ask students if they’ve checked their work. I try to challenge my students, find mistakes or areas of growth. But often times, students finish with their work, and have extra time in class. So, what do they do when they’re done?

In my class, students have the opportunity to work on challenges. Challenges (as seen on the tab above) are enrichment activities that allow students to explore different avenues of learning. They are not extra credit, and they do not count as a grade. What they offer, is a challenging way to learn something new, with the extra time students have.

Check out this student's animation using Google Slides. This student spent several weeks worth of "finished time" in the classroom (and some time outside of class) working on this animation. It's quite amazing the concentration and focus needed to accomplish something of this caliber. 

Another student was able to complete a challenge at home, that they picked up a week before school even started! This challenge asks students to create and design their own house. Here is the beginning of this student's house, which was worked on and turned in before school even started for the year! 

Challenges allow students to be challenged in an area that traditional school courses might not cover. I am looking forward to see what the students at Fridley Middle School create and learn on their own time, just for the sake of learning.

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!

Ending With A...Flight

Student Designed Logo

The end of the year is upon us, and as of now, the students are away from school for the summer.

There is one message I want to leave with all of you: Don't stop learning!

Having said that, the school year ended in our Flight and Space class with some wonderful student learning. The Fridley Space Program saw the third year of launches, but it was the first year with our wonderful, student-designed logo!

The launches were spectacular, and some students were able to experience failure! It's important to remember, especially on days like Launch Day, that failure is okay, and mistakes should be learned from. Of course, there were also many successes, as students were able to choose a mission for their rockets (such as spiraling their rocket upon launch, landing with a parachute, etc.), and accomplish these missions with varying degrees of success!

In addition to the great launches seen on Launch Day, I had some wonderful student camera-workers, who took some great video of the event. The footage was compiled into a hype video for next year. Feel free to enjoy the video, and enjoy the learning and launches from the 2016 Flight and Space students!    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWZRy_179Mc

2016 Robot Challenge Update

A student-designed elevator in the middle
of a failed test.

Currently in Automation and Robotics, the students are hard at work for the 2016 Robot Challenge. This year, the challenge is for students to create an elevator that can lift a textbook! To accomplish this task, they will have to use everything they have learned, from programming, to mechanisms, to research, and the understanding of gear ratios. This is not an easy task!

The students have certainly been challenged, but many are persevering. Failure in class is a good thing, and the students have been learning a lot through this process.

With about a week left of design and creation time left, can the students complete the 2016 Robot Challenge? Be sure to follow the classroom twitter feed, and check back to find out!