Mechina, Minecraft, & More by Reese

We had an awesome week in technology. On Tuesday, we all taught mechina children about keeping screens clean, head phone storage, not eating around the devices, etc. To do that, we made movies about our topic, then we all made interactive stations to teach them about our topic. It was super fun and the Mechina classes loved it!!!

At the beginning of the trimester, we all had to think of an invention that doesn't exist and then make a business plan and budget for it.Today we are building our prototypes on Minecraft.  Some people have tons of experience with Minecraft, and others don't. So it it very interesting to see how it works out!!!

Helping Others by Isaac

Our class is making a skit and a game for younger kids. One group's motivation is storing devices in secure places. They are making a skit where there are two people and one of them is telling the other person that they are putting the device in a bad place. The game is a scavenger hunt and when the kids find the device, they ask "is this a good place or a bad place?". Once they answer using their knowledge from the video/skit they discuss the scenario with the younger kids. That is what our class is doing to help younger kids with technology.

5th Grade Tech Teachers by Jacob

We are making technology lessons for the Mechina kids! Our topics are: Keyboard Care, Headphone Storage, Keeping Screens Clean, Avoid Food and Drink by Technology, and Secure Device Storage. Some people are making skits, and some are song parodies, and there are many more fabulous ideas. This is extremely fun, and awesome that we get the privilege to do this.

Glimpse of Business By: Dawson S.

Today all of my classmates are finishing their business plans for technology. To come up with them we jotted down ideas with Mrs.Brown. What I am making is a DNA Enhancer to Enable flight. It's pretty self explanatory. Sammy is making flavored envelopes. Isaac is making a water bottle which changes flavors. Avery is making a backpack which has an umbrella come out of the back. We are a very creative group with some great ideas to bring into the world.

Sparking Innovation with Problem-Solving by Lia

As a class, we are thinking about life problems and are trying to think of solutions. The solutions could be anything. Then we are looking to see if our solutions already exist in the world. Tomorrow we are going to have a guest speaker that is going to tell us about what he does as a technology entrepreneur. He works at Atlanta Tech Village. We look forward to asking him questions about how he got started.

First Day of Technology by Ori

Today we started technology, we are very excited for this trimester. Today we are making self portraits of ourselves on the computer. Then, we guess which  self portrait belongs to whom. We are doing this as an icebreaker activity.

The Process of Inventions by Hannah

Of all the weeks of technology, we have been making inventions. So the first thing that we did was we picked what we wanted to invent by brainstorming things that we wanted to solve in the world, then we drew a picture of it using drawisland.com, after that we made a website with Weebly.com, we created a budget with Google numbers, we made an infographic with Piktochart, we built a prototype in Minecraft, and then we made a storyboard for our pitching ideas with storyboardthat.com. After that process, we had to present like we were on Shark Tank. It was really cool! So we acted like we were the "judges" and we listened to everyone that presented. Everyone in the class presented what their product was. On the computer in Google forms, we voted for the one that we like and wanted to "invest" in the most. Kelli and Jonathan won. Kelli's invention was the "Kitty Toilet". It was a toilet that flushes for cats. She was motivated to invent that because kids are tired of having to clean up gross litter. Jonathan's invention was "Shoe Robot". His product was a little robot that ties your shoes when they are untied. I cannot believe that technology is over! It all was so much fun!! :)

Elevator Speeches by Maddie

Today, we talked about elevator speeches. An elevator speech is a thirty second preview about what you do for a company or about your product. For example, you are an entrepreneur in an elevator and you see an investor, you  would want to tell him about what you do in thirty seconds. We are working on these for future investors.

Minecraft Today by Eva

Today is the second day we have been on Minecraft. Our class is attempting to build a prototype of our invention. We have found it very difficult to build our inventions since most of them have round parts. We have been helping each other out to solve for these types of problems. Overall, Minecraft has been fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Working on Weebly's and Infographics. By Hannah

We are making an infographic for our inventions and we are putting them on our Weebly websites to show the statistics. The reason we are making infographics is because we want people to want to buy our products. Some of us are finishing up the Weebly websites and some of us are just getting started on the infographs. For example, my infographic shows how many people have bought my product in a month, how much money was made in a year, and even how many people visit the store in a year.

Trial and Error By:Ava

Today we started to login to Minecraft. We got into groups of three and logged in and failed because the minecraft sever was down. Now for our solution we are making a website from Weebly.com for our product,so we can show our investors.We have been working on a product that we think might be useful and new.

Building Budgets by Kelli

Today we are finishing our budget for our new and completely original product. I'll admit that it was hard at first, but once I got my wheels going I couldn't be stopped. Until the bell rang. Today we read What Do You Do With an Idea?What do you do with an idea? We tried to figure that out. All in all it was a good day of technology!

Bloggers Unite!

Prepare to be dazzled!  We worked for a week on creating a digital citizenship lesson plan for mechina that focused on best blogging practices. Using Google docs, we worked in small groups to made a movie for us outlining the do’s and don’ts of blogging and how to be safe online.  Click here to view our movie.  As we watched the movie, we paused it after each scene and explained the key points for them to learn.  After the movie was over, mechina students worked in partners with us to write their own blog posts together.  After watching our movie, what do you think is the most important tip that we shared with mechina?  After co-blogging on paper, we shared our posts with the classes. Now, we are publishing our posts below. We hope you enjoy our blog posts:

Today, I have partners. They are teaching me how to blog better. I had fun on the playground today. I learned how to climb the rock wall, and I felt good about learning how to do it. My favorite color is purple and my favorite animal is a panda. My favorite food is mac n' cheese. My favorite subject is PE. Now my 5th grade partners also know more about me.
- Hadley (and Megan)


First, we got to school and did centers. We also had literacy, lunch and recess. I had fun! I learned how to write the letter F and we wrote F in feathers. I was so excited to play basketball and I loved my lunch. I am really excited for PE. I am also so excited for my mom's new car! It is sparkly red. There are air vents and a movie screen in the car. I can't wait for tomorrow!
- Molly (Justin & Ella)

 
I ate breakfast and I ate an oozy egg. It made me feel good to eat eggs. I think eggs are yummy. I am excited to eat them again. Another thing that I did is play a game at school. I like the game because it is fun and awesome. The way to play the game is to connect the chains. 
-Nate (Jake & Adi)
 
Today we had lunch and recess. Lunch made me happy. Nothing funny happened though. I made a couple of new friends named Nava and Sophia. We got to talk about the letter F and words that start with that letter. The next time that we do the letter of the day I will like it. I had a good day! This morning we played a game and had to balance words. It was called Apples on Top.
-Olivia (Maddie)
 
Today I went to the playground. The seesaw made me happy because it was bouncy. It was funny when my tushy bounced up and down. I learned about letters today, especially the letter F. I am most excited about rest because I get to go to sleep.
- Harlow (Jonathon and Seth)


Today I painted a picture of my family. I liked the picture of my family. I liked seeing how it looked when it was finished. I put 8 apple bean bags on my head. I felt very happy. I got paint on my nose. I met my new brother. I learned the letter F. 
-Odel (Ava and Eva)
 
Today I went to recess. I was happy. Lots of things happened. I learned my ABC's. I like running, climbing, and going on the spinning thing. I made a letter F with feathers.
- Dylan (Max)
 
What I did this morning was that I signed my name, we did number of days, and we cleaned up. We also did the Hamotzi, which made me feel happy. At lunch I saw my friend Matthew who is also on my soccer team. My soccer team is Spain. At art center, we painted! Today we learned a new weather song. I liked doing literacy, and we worked on the Smart Board. I'm most excited for everything because we do different things each time in literacy! Today has been super fun!
-Riley (Jamie)
 

Today we learned how to predict the weather. Then Mrs. Shafron came and we played a super fun game with her. Then, I had pizza for lunch. Next, we had recess. At recess, I played outer space with my friends, Noah and Molly. I cannot wait until dismissal because I get to ride in my new car! Today, was the best day ever!
-Jesse (Sarah)
 
This morning my grandma surprised me that she is going to spend the night with me tonight. Then, when I got to school, I wrote my name on the door to sign in. Then, I unpacked my backpack in my locker. It makes me feel so awesome to do all of that! Nothing really happened that was funny. I know almost everyone. I know Molly, Jesse, and Riley! I didn't meet anyone new. I learned how to write the letter "F", and I am also learning right now how to be an awesome blogger. I liked drawing the letter "F". I loved my lunch! In lunch, I loved my cheese sandwich! Today was awesome so far!
- Noah (Hannah)

Creating A Business Plan by Jamie

Sketching our ideas with drawisland.com

We are making a Google doc that has an idea/invention that we would like to create. We are writing about our business plan. In order to get started, we went on drawisland.com and drew what we imagined our invention would look like.  My invention is called Cool Puppy Spray. The way it works is before you go on a walk with your dog, you spray Cool Puppy Spray on his paws and it will keep their paws from getting too hot on the sidewalk. The spray has to be refrigerated when you are not using it, or else it will go bad. The spray lasts for 20 minutes. My invention costs $15.00 per bottle and will be found in stores that sell pet supplies. It's been a fun week in 5th grade technology exploratory!

Working with Mechina by Jamie

This week in 5th Grade technology, we have been writing scripts and filming tips about blogging for the Mechina kids. The class is split up into groups of four, which is the group in which you write your script. Each group has a topic that they need to cover with all of their facts. One group's topic is to say all true things when you're blogging. It is important to write truthfully so people will believe you. We are going to show the Mechina kids our videos, and tips on Tuesday. My class is very excited to be working with Mechina!  

Programming Sprites by Connor

Today we are learning Scratch. We are going to tell a story about an invention. The characters are called Sprites. We can make them move with the motion tab. You can make your own sprite by clicking on the new sprite button and drawing. This might take two days but it will be fun!

Website Exploration by Seth

We learned about ways to see if websites are fake like looking for things that aren't true.We also looked at resources like Searchasaurus, which gave us true information. Personally, I learned that I have to look at the website carefully to know if it is a website with factual information.

Today is the Day! by Mrs. Brown

I am SO excited to welcome back my 5th graders to Technology Exploratory this year! We have a rewarding trimester ahead of us as we focus on the role of technology in entrepreneurship. Although we will be using technology in a controlled environment, it is my duty and responsibility to teach the students how to be digital citizens that we can all be proud of here at The Davis Academy. Therefore, it was serendipitous when I came across this fantastic blog post by Andy Plemmons in my PLN. I was inspired and found myself adjusting my lesson plans at the 11th hour. I am thrilled to incorporate some of his genius into my first get together with the 5th graders today. So, if you are a parent of a child in 5A, ask them the following questions on the ride home today: What does it mean to be a digital leader? How can we take care of ourselves and of our technology this year? After all, it is the era of the entrepreneur...how can we leverage technology in a responsible way to help our ideas have a greater impact on the world?

Entrepreneurship Here We Come by Ellie

Today in technology, we are finishing up our websites and picktocharts.  We are working so hard to make this experience come true.  Everyone is having so much fun with this fun, exciting, memorable moment.  Us 5th graders are doing so well to accomplish this project and we hope it will turn out to be an amazing experience!  Now we are making a proto-type of our products to see our inventions come alive.  We are all having so much fun with this project and when this project is done, we will become true inventers, enterpreneurs, and artists.

Innovation Tips by Zoe

Today in technology we acquired some very beneficial innovation tips that are sure to make our business successful! Many businesses make mantras to advertise their companies and get little songs and words stuck in your head. The more you remember the mantra, the more likely you are to buy the product. Also, we are currently still in the midst of working on our Weebly websites. Our entire class is on the cusp of becoming true entrepreneurs!

Product Making Superstars by Daniel

Today in entrepreneurship explorotory, we are making and finishing up our websites for our "inventions" that we created ourselves. The website that we are using to create our website is Weebly which helps us create the format and say what we want to say on the format. Our class is having a great time building our websites!

Our Business Budgets!

Over the past few days we have been working on budgets for our business plans.  Every person has invented something and has started creating a business plan for their invention.  This week we were working on our budgets. We all figured out how much money we would spend through out the whole year.  Some of us spent millions and some only a few thousand dollars.  One of the inventions is called "Iflip" it is an invention to help people do gymnastics stunts and cheering stunts they thought they could never do!  Have a great and technological day!

Business Planning by Sammy

We are inventing our own products using a computer app called Google Docs. We are also writing a Business Plan about our own product.  In our business plan, we are explaining our product, sharing the price and describing what our product does. It is very, very fun. All of us really enjoy making our product!

Creating Inventions by Eric

Today in 5th grade technology exploratory, we are watching videos on cool inventions and ideas that other kids have thought of! This trimester, we will be making our own inventions, designing a prototype, and then building a business for it! We can already tell that this is going to be a fun trimester of tech!

Website Mania by Eli

Today at the Davis Academy we are working on our websites and infographic with Piktochart. We are all working nicely and quietly. We are building websites because we're learning about entrepreneurship in class.

Online Citizenship by Alon

     
 At the Davis Academy we are learning about how to be safe with our identity. Today we finished up our skits about keeping our identity secure. Learning about staying safe in school is a good thing. If you learn proper online safety too late you could have already gotten your identity stolen.

Financial Planning for Entrepreneurship by Harrison

We're  planing a business and working out financial details. We are doing this on Google spreadsheets. This allows us to see what the future for us may turn out to be. Also, seeing how much money you need to start a business helps you  prepare for the future. It is so much fun!

#Entrepreneurship In Our Generation by Alex

             
In 5th grade technology we have recently been studying entrepreneurship. We have been making a Google doc about our product to describe our business plan. We have been asked to create a product based on a problem. All of us are having a fantastic time, and can't wait to show the world what our generation has to offer!

1st Week of Technology by Sydney

In this first week of technology, we have just learned that our whole quarter is going to be about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business and owning it. We are going to be entrepreneurs, and are going to be able to invent our own inventions. That is what we are doing in our first week of technology.

Our Completed Apps by Lily

This week in technology we made apps based on our inventions. We had to use a website called www.ibuildapp.com. We selected a format and then made buttons such as About Us, Order, News, Gallery, and Contact Information. It was a 2-3 day process. After we created the buttons we put information under them. It has been really fun in technology!  Click on each icon below to sample some of our product apps:

Designing Apps by Noah

Today in our Entrepreneurship Technology Exploratory, we are making our apps for our inventions that we made up ourselves. The website we are using today is called ibuildapp.com. It is suggested that we provide the following icons within the app: gallery, home page, ordering the product, contact information, about us, and news. Together, we brainstormed each of these button ideas.   As a result, we came up withis guide: