Thank you, Foxview PTO!

Thanks to the Foxview PTO for generously donating funds to buy more littleBits kits for the Foxview LMC Makerspace!

Makey-Makey Music Machine!

Foxview students created their own piano with the Makey-Makey invention kit.

Experimenting with littleBits Infrared LED

A few seventh grade students have been having fun experimenting with some of the new littleBits that DPMS received in our space kits.  Specifically, this group used the infrared LED in combination with the remote trigger module to create a motorcycle that moves when triggered by the infrared light from an old remote control.

Check out the video below to see their final product.

Pipe Cleaners for Creativity!

Today we had our second to last meeting of the FX Studio Makers Voyage club. We've been investigating different technologies and materials during the previous five weeks. Some students are diving into coding and programming challenges. Some are getting their feet wet with robotics. Others yet are playing with physics as they design race tracks.

To begin class today, we decided to do a small design challenge to prime ourselves for the day. Mr. Gauthier dug out some pipe cleaners and rubber bands for the activity. The prompt was simple:  what is something you could use around the house OR create something the represents Spring. The creations were amazing! It was the perfect way to prime the brain for our hour together:

Lego Stop Motion Animation Video in Progress

A group of 7th grade students have been working hard these past few months to create their own Lego stop motion animation film. The first part of the process was creating the scene.

Once the stage was set, students wrote a story that they would carefully film. Snapping pictures after every small motion allowed students to upload images to the video editor Camtasia to create the stop motion effect. The students continue to add new edits as time allows such as titles, music, sound effects, and voiceovers.

Editing video on the iMac using Camtasia

Stay tuned for the finished product which will be revealed once all edits have been completed.

Need a brain break? Try coloring!

The adult coloring craze has moved into DPMS. Students can take a "mini break" from school during SRT by ripping out a page from one of our coloring books.

A-MAZE-ING! Foxview student is first to complete Sphero robot programming challenge

Congratulations to this 6th grade Foxview student for his first-place finish in the Sphero robot programming challenge!

Creating some G-Force in the FX Studio Makerspace

A student in the FX Studio Makerspace shows off his G-Force gadget.

Learning Robotics a littleBit at a Time!

Students in the FX Studio Makerspace test out their littleBit Gizmos & Gadgets vehicle.

Gizmos & Gadgets allow students to follow project blueprints or engineer their own designs.

WPS Grant Provides littleBits Gizmos & Gadgets Kits!

Gizmos & Gadgets student creation in FX Studio Makerspace

Thanks to the generosity of a WPS Innovative Educator Grant, the FX Studio Makerspace was able to purchase seven littleBits Gizmos & Gadgets kits. All 5th and 6th grade classes will have the opportunity to build, engineer, and create with these kits for four days this year! 

600 Students, 1 Makerspace? No Problem!

Students in the FX Studio Makerspace

We're excited to announce that by the end of December 2015, all 600 students at Foxview Intermediate School had received their Makerspace orientation! Beginning in January 2016, students now have the opportunity to drop in to the FX Studio during their workshop times.