We did it!  … You can do IT! … I did IT!!

To the Moon! A chronicle of mankind’s greatest adventure

History still growing …

... to grow the love of a hard day's work!!!

To walk across the Mississippi River … and navigate the sharp bends.
… No matter the rules, give way.
Analyzing disasters for the future.  There is only so much we can do.
… 90 days to make a wish come true! -> changing our classrooms.

Finding a new life …

Bringing back the love of a hard day’s work in the classroom.  The joy of success no matter the job.  That is what we need to inspire in our young children. Give teacher’s the freedom to do this. As those in the classroom who plant the seeds are the only ones who can. And those who make the rules need to walk in this river and be a real live partner in change.

You can plant the seed! and be a Rosie!! …

“It is a season 4 strategy” –  My grandson’s who I signed up for the Game Builder’s class at Code Ninja’s.  Kade asked, “Same people as at the Mindcraft class?”…  “Yes!  Those people were amazing.”  Said while they were playing Fortnite as multi-taking way to get them to talk and listen to their conversation. “Do you want to do dance therapy now?”

… and Join the Dance Revolution!!!

Houston, We have a problem …  But we can solve with Bridgette’s STEAM education: abc13.com/community-events/twin-neil-armstrong-statues-will-link-houston-and-russia

United in Space – United …

Will Sunflowers grow in your space?

Shedding light before it is too late.

#LetIdeasBeHeard

BUILD-A-BRAIN.COM

WeTeachCS Summit Schedule

Building the Computational Mindset in STEM Education
To scale Computer Science For All

To integrate the foundational CS skills of pattern recognition, decomposition, abstraction and algorithms and the computational thinking dispositions/practices in K-12.  Are you finding roadblocks to scale CS for All? How do you promote STEM integrated thinking through CT/CS? Do other teachers help build the mindset to prepare students; try coding and creating apps? You will be given the opportunity to brainstorm solutions to your unique classroom, school or district. Together is better in dealing with the politics of CS Education!

What story do you want to tell?

• Networking – CREATE on post-it pads (10 minutes)

1. What brings you joy?  What brings a smile to your heart?
2. How can you connect that to CT/ CS Education?

• • Introductions – (10 minutes)
    • Joe Kmoch,   joe @ jkmoch.com
    • Karen North,  knorth @ wt.net
    • John Owen,  johnbowen @ utexas.edu
    • Sylvia Wood, sgwood01@gmail.com

• Together is Better Panel – Brainstorming Discussion (30 minutes)

1. What are the barriers, the roadblocks to making that happen?
2. What is the first action item on your pathway?
3. How can we work together to make it happen for you?

• Connect ideas – on post-it pad, twitter @TedE4CS, email (10 minutes)
  • Who did you meet that you can continue the conversation with?
  • Administrators – What do you think teachers need to feel joy?
  • Does testing bring joy?

To be a one-legged purple gorilla

TEA Statewide WBL and STEM Listening Tour

1. Current activities: What WBL and STEM activities does your school currently offer for you and your child?
2. Wish list: What kinds of WBL and STEM activities would you be interested in our school offering?
3. Barriers: What barriers keep your child from participating in these types of STEM and WBL activities?
4. Support: What information and support do you need to help our child be prepared for whatever career field they are interest in?
5. Communication: What is your preferred way of getting information about your child’s educational opportunities?

CS For All

The 2019 CSforALL Summit theme is Systems Change. As the movement matures, we are challenging the community to dig deep and think long term, moving beyond individual efforts to inspire students and prepare educators, to transforming the systems that will ensure that computer science becomes an integral and sustained part of the K-12 experience, both in and out of schools.

What innovative initiatives that leverage existing infrastructure and networks, work with communities to create local ownership, and support community-led, sustainable implementation of computer science education are part of your school system?

It is the Conversations that matter.

• Gianna Lopez Colson @ 100Kin10 Teacher Forum

So, how do we broaden participation?  nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation

My Goal:

To change the system by the time my 3 year old grand-daughter gets to high school.  The high school that I went to where my grandson currently goes.

One of my solution ideas to start the change:

Every child is required to study math PK-12. To decompose the time problem, I would like schools to require 20/20 time in 2020. That is 20 minutes a week for 20 weeks for computer science integration. UPS can track a package across the world.  Multiple choice testing is taking too much time. 21st century accountability could be tracking the apps a student creates K-12.  Posting products of learning student’s create …  “building something just for the joy of building it is something to be proud of ” – Make.

What brings me JOY is starting from nothing, helping it grow, and seeing it bloom 🙂

Creative Thinking and FINDING WOWS brings me joy!

Discovering new happenings and helping them grow brings me joy. Such as a bulb in my backyard that surprises me with a beautiful flower. The Rosie the Riveter Roses that produced beautiful blooms one month after planting. Connecting with others that value my ideas such as Warren Hegg founder of the Digital Clubhouse Network and now Spirit of 45 director. Teachers who have a passion to change the world one student at a time. While doing my breathing exercises discovering TedTalks such as Jay Silver’s when I was searching “Digital Clubhouse.” Helping grow the work of Michael Temple of the Logo Foundation who teaches what Jay Silver talks about. Discovering more connections such as Michael’s and my 3 year old grand-daughters who bring smiles to our heart as they grow.

And finally blogging, as you can post your moments of joy and over time you will build a happy life. I started on this journey in 1985 when I coded and FTPed my first website. What brings joy is when someone uses my idea to bring joy to others.

How do you know what brings you joy? Look to your decisions on where you spend your free time. Look to what motivates you to give more time. Look to what you do in your moments of time.

Fixing something – bringing a brighter future and beyond.… Joy is finding inspiring stories like this on CBS Sunday Morning – A solution to education is starting every week with these stories in every classroom.  And how I start my week every Sunday!!!   Together is better so I enjoy this joy with my family from Austin to London, and Houston.

“Sing the story in your heart!” – Scott Pelly  Truth Worth Telling

Who knows, maybe journalism is my next story.  This book sure inspired me.

What did you do to celebrate D-Day?

Scaling the Spirit of 45 is happening!!

Where Conversations lead to change! NCWIT 2019

Scott Pelley in his book “Truth Worth Telling” said we need a Rival of Spirit.  What better day to start than D-Day.  Wear your Rosie ribbon to spread the history. Tell your story. Welcome to the Digital Clubhouse.

My grandson at his Code Ninja Mindcraft summer camp!  What a way to celebrate!  Thanks Ninjas!!!

How can we “create an eternal peace in this world …?”  Words of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Adding #GASS to Classrooms … Grandparents Adding Soft Skills

Stop and Smell the Roses!

A friend asked me for help on teaching her 2nd grade granddaughter math.  She came home crying because she failed a 2nd grade accountability test.  My 9th grade grandson did not like Geometry and was worried he might get a “C” if he did not pass his final exam.  He loved algebra but had problems in his online AP math class.  I am MADD! Ask me F2F what #GASS means.

I saw Linda Darlene-Hammond at a SXSWEdu conference in 2013 to find solutions to this challenge.  Yet here it is almost a decade latter and the senate wants to add multiple-choice accountability testing to SB3 which gives teachers and librarians a needed salary boost.  Yes, I called and talked to my legislator’s (Beddencourt and Murphy) office interns. I hope they listened and will share my message and that of many experts on testing.  Thanks to Raise Your Hand Texas for their Act Now Flyer.

Together is Better – Part of testing needs to be collaborative building on strengths.

Scott Pelley on the American flag, and Americans’ common purpose – The “60 Minutes” correspondent says “We the people” can only sustain a democracy when divisions do not recklessly tug at the threads holding us together.

“Where the Dots are Not”

Assuring our kids are future ready …  What is new TEA? Was your voice heard?

Are they part of the City of Houston Complete Communities?

Assessing the Threat – 60 minutes April 2019

A honeypot is a computer or computer system intended to mimic likely targets of cyberattacks. It can be used to detect attacks or deflect them from a legitimate target. It can also be used to gain information about how cybercriminals operate.

Evidence Room – Where is the evidence that schools are preparing our children for this Cyber Technology World?  Are children must learn to write code so they can understand why computer science is so very important in the world day. I have been teaching CS since 1985 and am an advocate today to take down the roadblocks.  I start with HTML as I have found when one learns how easy it is to code a website, they learn how easy it is to post false information.  That leads to questioning fact vs. fiction which is so important in this cyber world.

We need Rosies and Rebels.  Our local news station asked why there was only one Houston ISD school at the FIRST World championship.  I can tell you why.  Time and Funding goes to accountability testing. Assessment is static, transition is dynamic.  As Tom Peters In Search of Excellence says, support ideas as people come and go and stop talking and do something.  The idea of CS For ALL needs to happen now.

Game over Zeus

Freedom is earned through education.
You are a slave to your own ignorance.  – Karen North 1985

Computer Science is a way out of poverty. – Karen North 2015

If you could make anything, what would you make? – Ashley Galvin from her 2015 Ted Talk

This video was made in 2015 and CS opportunity is still a problem.  Why?

After 30 years of championing change in classrooms,
I know we must require 20/20 time in 2020.
That is 20 minutes for 20 weeks to build the computer science mindset.

CSForAll.org: High-quality computer science an integral part of the educational experience of all K-12 students and teachers and to support student pathways to college and career success.

Bridgette is continuing to Expand Horizons of all learners through Space …

• And Expanding Horizons through Alice and Creative Thinking.
• As I make connections with Dancing and Coding Art.
• And Aldine ISD is doing with their TechFest.
• And Herman Park is doing in their Rosie the Riveter History garden.

Ophra shared in “The Path Made Clear” to say what do you really want.  What I want is to be “invited to the party” created from an idea I planted.  And seeing that idea Expand Horizons through Computer Science Education, as that is the gateway out of poverty.  After decades of advocacy for this decision makers still don’t get IT.  And too many children are being left behind. I want CS For All.  As Coding is an easy tool to learn failure is OK, and is in fact essential for mastery, something Ophra shared is so important. “Meet me in the bathroom” if you want to talk about what path to take, as I am going through that now, and I know “Together is Better” as I just can’t do it it alone. Lets build a foundation together.

What is the “How” in these 15 top videos.  How to build Grit??

Find and Connect your Heart

Individual Goal: Create a Networking Lego Rectangle

1. Introduce yourself and share your aspiration.
2. If that person has a brick with a different color or size, trade bricks.
3. Once you collect 4 bricks that have 4 different attributes, build a rectangle.

Team Goal: Create a 3D Lego Art Piece
5. Add your rectangle to the base plate.
6. Look to see if there is a shape of the same size or a rectangle with the same colors.
7. Did you find others you could team with?

Zhou Wenting in her article “Helping children learn better through Lego” discovered:

• Playing with Lego helps people to understand how and why they think the way they do.
• Open play is key.  There is no right or wrong, no rules, and no winning or losing.
• Key point is that children can decide for themselves. Creativity happens when they are allowed to develop their own rules and approach to building.
• And she created Playable Design

Does our Lego Networking Art Inspire Thinking?

I am thinkful for our aspirations team.

If you would like to inspire young girls, we would love for you to be part of our team.

What sets your soul on fire?

… That is the question … To be or not to be?

It is important to me Daddy … I want to be a one-legged purple gorilla.  Mom said you can be anything you want to be.  You have to encourage; not everyone gets it. I got NO more than yes.  If anyone has told you not to passionately pursue what sets your soul on fire they are wrong.  Don’t you dare give up.  Somewhere for us all.  Writing a form of therapy.  – Ashley McBryde named ACM new female artist

Do or do Not.  There is no try. – Yoda