Just like our other studios, furniture is completely mobile. Many times, the tables are folded up and pushed out of the way to provide an empty floor for robot racing or Lego building.
It is the only room with wall to wall carpeting to help control sound levels. The windows have black out shades to help keep light levels even behind the portable green screen. Wire racks house the library of robots and electronics, including BlueBots, Dash and Dot pairs, Lego Mindstorm EV3s, and Makey Makey Inventor's kits.
The green screen has been used by a variety of grades to film class movies, make commercials, and provide a digital option for open-ended projects. Most recently, Pre-KB completed their Road Trip Video in front of the green screen with their homemade wearable cars. So much fun!
Every teacher knows the value- and rarity- of a quiet space when trying to record student's voices or music. The Media & Computing Studio even has a small soundproof Recording Room tucked in the corner.
Fifth graders used this space early this year to record their Kindergarten buddies' rainforest fun facts to use in their Scratch programs. Second graders took turns recording voice-over for their cell animations in iMovie.
Perhaps next year we will use this space for instruments and music composition.
The Media & Computing Studio wouldn't be complete without a class set of devices for programming and design. The laptop cart lives in this room, but devices can be pulled at any time for use through the Light Lab.
Our LS students are one-to-one with iPads in their classrooms so those frequently travel with kids over to the Light Lab. It's great to have choices so we can use the technology that best suits our needs for any project.
Our First Lego League team holds their Robotics Club in fall and winter in this space so the competition table is another addition to the room. Each year, the board will get updated to reflect the new challenges. Students use their iPads to program using the drag and drop LEGO Mindstorm platform.
Currently, third graders are getting their first exposure to EV3 robots during Science with Ms. B. They are learning the basics of movement commands: how to control power, speed, direction, and duration. Through a series of challenges, they use trial and error to move their bot around a course to avoid obstacles.
Coding Club has been using the space since the opening with Ms. Kirk exploring all our new bots and a variety of coding apps. These kids have learned more than just the basics of coding for Dash and Dot as well as Scratch.
Even the hallway outside the Media & Computing Studio is getting some use with our bots!
Ms. Kirk, Ms. B and I are really excited about the possibilities next year brings in expanding the programming and robotics curriculum for all our Lower School kids. We will continue creating more opportunities at FCS for all age groups to explore the new literacy of coding.
