3rd Grade - Spring Break 4/2014 - Building the biggest

Have you ever seen a very large boat? How about a big cruise ship? Often, out in New York harbor you can see very large ships carrying containers. They are shipping goods throughout the world.

Have you ever seen one of those giant container ships being built....?

Below is a video of the largest shipping container ship being built. The video is a time-lapse video comprised of 50,000 pictures. You will be able see the entire ship built in 76 seconds...

You can read about the video here and here.

Your assignment:

Watch the video and then comment with answers to these questions:

• Have you ever seen one of those ships in New York harbor (or anywhere else)?
• What are your thoughts about the video?
• What is one thing that stood out to you the most after watching the video?

Please post your comments in full and complete sentences with proper grammar, spelling & punctuation.

Have a great Spring Break!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - Spring Break 2014 - Pinokio

We live in interesting times. Technology is all around us. Some technology is passive, meaning it only does what we make it do. Other technology works on it's own...



Can technology talk to you? Can technology play along? The robots of the movies, are they possible in today's technology filled world?



Watch this video and answer the questions below:

Pinokio from adambd on Vimeo.

Here is information about the Lamp from the creators of the video:

Pinokio is an exploration into the expressive and behavioural potentials of robotic computing. Customized computer code and electronic circuit design imbues Pinokio with the ability to be aware of its environment, especially people, and to expresses a dynamic range of behaviour. As it negotiates its world, we the human audience can see that Lamp shares many traits possessed by animals, generating a range of emotional sympathies. In the end we may ask: Is Pinokio only a lamp? – a useful machine? Perhaps we should put the book aside and meet a new friend.

Your assignment:

Watch the video and read the quote from the creators. Post a comment in paragraph form with your thoughts on what you saw and read. Keep these questions in mind:

• Did you ever think a robotic lamp was possible to make?
• Now that you've seen one are there other objects you think can be made to move and interact with people?
• Does this mean we'll have full robots soon?
• Over all, what are your thoughts & reactions to this video and the description from the creators?
• Can you think of any other every-day objects that have been changed or upgraded with technology?

Please post your comments in full and complete sentences with proper grammar, spelling & punctuation.

Have a great Spring Break!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

5th Grade - Spring Break 4/2014 - We are technology

Technology is everywhere. Often, we think all things are created with things like computers. We also tend to think computers are what make everything better. But that is not always the case. Sometimes the greatest technology is the human mind and it's creative potential...




We've all seen a kaleidoscope  But have you ever seen one made with people? Made without any help from a computer?

Watch this video and look for the assignment below:

TEDxSUMMIT - The Power of X from WE ARE Pi on Vimeo.

A quote from the description of the video:

...they fused architecture, dance, math and magic into a bespoke18-meter high triangular mirrored structure that hovered over a multi-colour moving floor to create the world’s first Human Arabesque (with no computer graphics). 

An Arabesque is a form of art that reminds me of a kaleidoscope.

The "Power of X" as they say, to me, means "the power of our minds & creativity." The power of our potential.

Your assignment:

After watching this video post a comment with your thoughts and reflections about what you saw. Use these questions as a guide:

• Have you ever seen a human kaleidoscope?
• Now that you know they made that video without computer animation, what do you think you can create & accomplish without computers?
• If I asked you to create something amazing, without a computer, what would you define that as? What would you try to make?
• If you could do anything in the world, but couldn't use a computer or any other technology, what would you do?

Please post your comments in full and complete sentences with proper grammar, spelling & punctuation.

Have a great Spring Break!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.