Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. – Theodore Roosevelt

We have connections that touch our lives.  We have rivets that change our lives. 

FIND AND CONNECT YOUR DOTSUltimate Guide to Mastering Your Craft – Connect and Collect the DotsConnected but alone? Ways to have a better conversation?PEOPLE:
-.-> Code.org Workshop Family
.-.> Texas Alliance for Computer Science Education
-.> Connect with Art Partners – I will present with an Artist.
-.> CSTA #csk8 Twitter Chat Math/Code ResourcesIDEAS:

IDEAS:

• Binary Bracelet Letter
• Networking Lego Scavenger Hunt (“Speed Dating”)
• Action Plan Circle
• Computational Thinking is Connecting the Dots – Circle Video
• 35 Activity
• Run in a Circle – Better Space … Better School

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BINARY BRACELET LETTER

• Introduce yourself to a neighbor.
• Share something about yourself that starts with the letter on your bracelet you made.
• Share an idea about how you can integrate “binary” concepts in your math lessons.
• Warmup Handout: binary-bead-bracelet-warmup

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NETWORKING LEGO SCAVENGER HUNT “Speed Dating”

Individual Goal: Create a Networking Lego Rectangle
1. Find someone that has something “in common” with you. *
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.
4. If time take a selfie with your rectangle.

* NOTE: Depending on the size, age, and background of your group figure out a Lego networking goal based on their questions. Hard to do not knowing your audience, but easier with a group of students you know.

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?

BUILD YOUR MATH CREATIONS WITH OTHERS

Action Plan Circle:

1. Get in two circles holding hands facing each other.
2. Rotate in opposite directions and when stopped share something that starts with the letter on your binary bracelet that you plan to do as a result of the ideas and connections you formulated today.

CT is Connecting the DOTS

• Break up the problem into smaller parts – this is called Decomposition
• Using insight discover a Pattern
• Analyze the pattern and create specific steps to solve this problem – this is an Algorithm
• Look at similar problems and come up with a formula – an Abstraction

Extension: Create a 2D Picture of your rectangle
-> Math -> Make up a word problem about the Lego design.
-> Unplugged -> Draw your rectangle and your friend’s on paper.
-> Plugged -> Code the Artist in Code Studio to draw your rectangle(s).
-> Build individual rectangles on a Geoboard and code the artist to draw the team design.

Observer Ideas:

• Can you see how many people participated at each event? How many followed the rules? Events: (1) TAHHOC Microsoft Store Galleria Houston May 2015 (2) SBISD Workshop June 2015 (3) TCEA Workshop Galveston June 2015 (4) TCEA Tech4Tots Math TEKS Session June 2015 (5) Code.org Summit Chicago July 2015 (6+7) CS Summit Austin June 2016.
  
• Can you see any mistakes, shapes that are not rectangles? Note: One teacher said she could not make a rectangle that she could only make a square; assessed she did not know that a square is a rectangle. Another build the rectangle directly on the grid; assessed she did not follow directions.
• Can you connect this networking activity to math standards that you have taught in your classroom? How can you use this activity with your students to access their ability to follow directions and see patterns?
• Do any of the rectangles remind you of passions or dreams of others in the room? Did you find anyone that you can continue to build a connection with? How do you plan to connect to that person in the future?

Feedback:

• My first idea was to save the art and make a panel. But, leaving the grid in view of my grandson changed that idea. Also learned hard to transport, as the bricks easily come off. Not sure teachers have experience on connecting Legos, a spatial reasoning skill assessment. So decided this would be like sand art. Enjoy the process. Have students list the steps that created the rectangles and the attributes in the shapes.
• Using 5 colors makes it too difficult to trade bricks. How would you determine the number of colors needed based on the size of the group to facilitate time in finding a trading partner?
• Added the extension to connect to creating rectangles on a Geo Board and using the Artist in Code Studio. Can you code a similar Lego Design?
• Change directions to fit networking goals. Previous event said, “Connect with those around you and share a passion, your dream, or what you love doing in your free time.”