Birch School : Maker Rings | Sharing the Story of "Students supporting Students to MAKE their best work"

Pipeline: Teambuilding Physical Challenge…it’s a puzzle!

Pipeline This activity is from Project Adventure INTRODUCTION • A teambuilding activity where each participant gets one short length of half pipe, and the group must work together to deliver a marble down the pipes from start point to finish. Requires a high level of communication and teamwork. EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES A “Pipeline Kit” (available at Project…

What do you love to do?

find myself asking the people around me, a question. I frequently ask our students, my co-teachers, and staff at our summer daycamp, the question “What do you enjoy doing? What do you want to do the most? And usually the response is a puzzled, sometimes blank look, and silence.. Why isn’t that a question that…

Consensus Group Process Talking Stick Circle

Consensus Group Process Talking Stick Circle Consensus Group Circle Process This approach is derived from several sources. The Talking Stick tradition has been appropriated from indigenous culture. Consensus group process has developed over the past 30 years and strives to include everyone in the decisions and actions that the group agree to. This is an…

The Daily Standup at Birch: Supporting each other with encouragement and accountability

Daily Stand Up This approach is derived from the Agile Software Engineering community. It is sometimes referred to as The Daily Scrum. INTRODUCTION This process has many benefits. It is intended as a daily communication tool for participants, as well as a way for students to focus on their work, what they have accomplished and…

Forming Student Maker Rings: Grouping kids with their input

Forming Student Maker Rings This approach is derived from Tribes Learning Community. INTRODUCTION We want students to feel that they are respected and included in the processes they engage in. In order for them to feel a part of this process we ask students to name others they feel they can work well with so…

Group Juggling: Systems Thinking in action

Group Juggling This activity is from the Systems-Thinking Playbook INTRODUCTION Participants must throw a ball or object in a particular order until it has been passed to every person. In this activity, the goal is not to improve the time, but rather to increase the number of objects being tossed at the same time. Debrief…

Mindfulness and Laughter: A game of Smaugs Jewels

Smaugs Jewels This activity is from The New Games Book INTRODUCTION This game requires the whole group to be focused and quiet. It encourages students to slow down, be observant, and to heighten their senses of hearing and sight. It is a way to build team attitudes, as well as build appreciation for each member…

Marble Runs: Teambuilding and Engineering Challenge

Marble Runs / Marble Roller Coaster This activity is from Instructables http://www.instructables.com/id/Marble-Roller-Coaster/ INTRODUCTION Marble Run is a complex construction activity that requires skills in spatial relations, mechanical assembly, teamwork, communication, individual contribution, and creativity. The game offers a fun and effective way to achieve a variety of teaching goals: • Break down barriers • Create…

Nature Museum Memory Game

Nature Museum Memory Game This activity is from Coyote’s Guide to connecting with Nature http://www.coyotesguide.com/ INTRODUCTION Nature Museum is an activity requiring only a bandana and some items found about. It works best outdoors and helps students develop focus and pay attention to detail. It also helps students develop memory and patterning. This activity helps…

Introduction to 3D Printing Basic Lesson Plan

Intro to 3D Printing Watch intro video Discuss/Brainstorm possible uses of 3D printer Put students into Maker Ring Teams Search Thingiverse for possible projects Decide as a team on one project to print for your group’s print Come at your assigned time to have your item printed. Observe and learn the process for controlling printer…

Assessment and sharing student work at The Birch School.

Showcase, student-led conferences, publishing, and more ideas for opening up the community of assessment. The Birch School is a multi-age, self-directed learning community developing around connected learning principles. We are an experimental school founded in 2012, with students from ages 7 – 17. The evolving program is student-centered, and we participate in many different learning…

Why is it so hard to get kids to “Geek Out?”

We can apply the “Ho-ma-go” model of Hanging Out, Messing Around and Geeking Out to our project. We were successful in creating a positive social-emotional environment for students through the use of the circle process and other community building tools and challenges that are outlined in our curriculum. This invited kids to “Hang Out”. We…