Not to sound disappointed or anything but I have to admit that I was somewhat sad on our last day of our Technology Exploratory in which our 5th graders became entrepreneurs. I had never modeled a class in this way before so I really was learning along with the students. For lack of better words: it was so much fun! It truly was. What made it so much fun?
First, the students were into it. (If they weren't, they are really good actors and actresses.) I loved that they were so engaged. Second, we all had no idea what we were doing and it showed. This is what made it so exciting! The possibilities proved to be endless as students' creativity knew no boundaries. At the end of the quarter, we had an electronic fish feeder, an automatic dog leash, paper that prints out videos (yep, you read that correctly), and a remote control for the car (why hasn't this been invented yet?!). Third, the students were learning and didn't even realize that they were learning. Ultimately, they became proficient in writing a business plan, launching a social media campaign, advocating for their business on demand, developing a prototype, and creating a budget. Each of which can translate into fairly useful life skills. Oh yes, they learned a thing or two about tech tools along the way.
I will miss this uninhibited creatively fervent class. However, don't feel too sorry for me as I have a new group of rookies starting tomorrow. The only difference is that I might actually know a little bit about what I am doing this time around...for better or worse. Onward!
