CCES Bulldogs Ignite

Call to Adventure       This year has been full of firsts for me: first time having a digital classroom; first time learning the basics of computer science; first time teaching digital citizenship; first time participating in Twitter chats; first time attending an EdTechTeam conference (which was also the first time I have been away from my husband overnight since we got together in 2014). From these firsts, I have grown to love the idea of adventure, taking a risk, and trying something new. I have loved stepping out of my comfort zone. Most of all, I have loved asking myself the question: If others can, why can’t I?      This exact question is what propelled me to implement Flexible Seating in my classroom. I was speaking to an inspiring first grade teacher who has successfully used flexible seating in her classroom. The “dreamer-alert,” as we call it in my house, went off in my brain. If first graders can do it, why can’t my third graders? ...

The Great Cardboard Challenge What is the Cardboard Challenge? Launched from the overwhelming global response to the short film, "Caine's Arcade," the Imagination Foundation was founded to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world to raise a new generation of innovators and problem solvers who have the tools they need to build the world they imagine. The WHY. Creativity is the most important skill of the future, and the Cardboard Challenge is a powerful tool to foster it through playful learning. The Cardboard Challenge brings the world together around the value of creativity. It’s a worldwide celebration of the genius of every child and the simple things adults can do to foster it. Our Challenge Design a solution for any weather related hazard. Create a model of your solution using cardboard and duct tape. Claire is deciding how best to use her cardboard.  Ella creates a "double wal...

Watch the video, "Piper." Pay close attention to the role of the mother in the short film! Imagine: What if the mother continued to feed Piper? What if the mother helped Piper catch food? Problem-Solving is a skill that our students need to learn and practice. Productive struggle is OKAY! Getting stuck is OKAY! Feeling uncomfortable is OKAY! Taking risks and failing is OKAY! Struggle, discomfort, risk-taking, failing--these should be valued norms in our school!

Andres and Kenlee are excited about flexible seating and technology! 

Innovation, in our classroom, happens when the students are solving real-world problems and answering questions using their own ideas and their own designs. Over the past two weeks, we have been discussing weather and its effects on climate.  Yesterday, the students worked in small groups to put together a paper house.  The same materials were given to each group to ensure that the houses were the same.  The groups then attempted to use wind to knock their house over.  Now, I know what you're thinking!  This is not very innovative.  Well, you are correct; it is not.  However, what the students did next was not only innovative but awesome! I set out a variety of materials that the small groups could choose from in order to reinforce their houses and make them stronger.  The students were more than eager to begin making the strongest houses possible, and they were extremely creative in how they chose to strengthen their houses! Innovation, eng...

Watch this youtube video. Pay close attention to the "color" of the characters.  Innovative instruction is a way to teach students the content while keeping their curiosity--their color-- alive. In the book, Empower, by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani, a conflict is posed between compliance vs. empowerment. “If you grew up in an education setting like we did, then you spent much of your time being actively compliant--trying to navigate a system that was designed to produce people who followed the rules and waited to be told what to do. Then you graduated. And you waited for someone to tell you what to do.” This is exactly what we see in the short film. The boy becomes compliant--follows the rules, completes the assignment based on the rigid expectations, even robotically puts his arms up for his backpack to be placed on his back. But what happens to his color, his essence, that spark that encourages him to play, to daydream, to take risks? It is snuffed out in orde...

Welcome Cox's Creek Leaders! The CCES Bulldogs Ignite Blog is a window to innovation in the classroom here in our school community. The CCES Ignite Team will be posting tips and tricks for implementing innovative instruction, as well as celebrations and failures as we travel through this unpredictable journey! Please stop by and visit us through this blog to support us and our students on our #NCnov8 adventure!