Deep thinking for young minds, Sep 5 & 6

Posted on August 30, 2012 by MVGate

Smart young minds benefit from contact with smart older minds, and part of the fun of living in Mill Valley is having a lot of smart older minds right nearby.  You and your GATE child might want to check out these third-party local events before school starts…

Wed 05 Sep – Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Media in Sebastopol  — the guy who publishes MAKE magazine — will speak on “The Birth of the Global Mind.” Sausalito visionary Stewart Brand, of the Long Now Foundation, will host at the Fort Mason Center. Tickets are $10, on sale through The Long Now Foundation.

Thu 06 Sep – Bio & Nanotech Night at the much-loved Autodesk Gallery, 1 Market in SF.  Instructables and the Autodesk Gallery will present the theme of “Small is the next big thing: Exploring the frontiers of bio- and nano-technology.”  Plus liquid nitrogen ice cream.  Admission is $10 students, $20 general.

If you missed MVGATE’s eye-opening visits to Autodesk and Maker Faire, here’s your chance to make it up. ;-)

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Rockets

Posted on June 15, 2012 by MVGate

Summer is here… and nothing says summer like the whiff of black powder and the roar of a good rocket.

MV GATE has no formal rocketry program (yet), but in the spirit of helping parents self-organize here are three thoughts:

1) The MV Fire Captain has written me to give his blessing on launching Estes-class rockets from Hauke Park. The grassy part is some 250 x 700 ft, and we’ve already had great results flying on C-power to quarter-mile altitude at 250-300 mph.

“A permit is not required to fire off the hobby type model rockets. The only factors that would make it not acceptable would be on “red flag” high fire danger days. Otherwise, no permit and just be safe and aware of the winds, the surroundings, and where the rockets are landing. Have fun.” –MVFD Captain Mark Glenn, 3/15/10

2) If you’d like to fly with other GATE folks, let’s keep in touch. We’ve created an email list, mvgaterockets@googlegroups.com, where you can read other fliers’ announcements and announce your own flight plans. Just click here to subscribe and then you can send your news.

3) For kids (and parents) new to rocketry, we’re preparing a great starter set with everything they’ll need. It’ll probably have an entry-level option, an intermediate-level option, and an option that includes a launch-pad so you fly on your own. Check back here for more details.

MVGATE Picnic Rocket Launch

Fearless Leader celebrates MVGATE’s newfound might.

 

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Middle School Summer Book Club at MV Public Library

Posted on May 14, 2012 by MVGate

Bruce Berrol (EM-5) and Elizabeth Leane (OM-5) have lobbied the Mill Valley Public Library to pilot a Middle School Summer Book Club — a first-ever for our kids!  To join in, just register, read the book selection & give it a little thought, then come join other readers for pizza, dessert, and some book talk with friends new and old!

Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 pm

Pizza & Pages Book Club for kids entering grades 6&7 this fall:

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Read about Ben, a 13-year old boy whose family adopts an adorable baby chimp named Zan. Can he lead a normal life while his psychologist parents use Zan (whom Ben thinks of as his little brother) as a subject in a scientific experiment? Booklist calls Half Brother a “moving, original novel that readers will want to ponder and discuss,” and that’s just what we’ll do – pizza and dessert included!

You can borrow Half Brother from the library (of course) or buy a copy from The Depot or Amazon.

Registration opens June 11.  To register, call MVPL directly at 415-389-4292 x106 and tell them GATE sent you.  Maybe even ask for more…  Let’s make this pilot a grand success.

UPDATE 8/30/2012: Good news: the July 19 pilot drew twelve kids, both GATE and non-GATE, and was judged so successful that the library has told us they will continue the Book Club. The next meeting will be Nov 6. Where else are you gonna hear a ten-year old announce that Borges is his favorite author?

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Post-Mythology Treasure Hunt Survey

Posted on May 7, 2012 by MVGate

To the twelve families whose children attended the Mythology Treasure Hunt at the Legion of Honor, how would you grade the event? (Poll responses are completely anonymous.)

What worked well? What didn’t? Please leave your comments or suggestions to improve future events.

Posted in arts, history, out-of-school, parent-initiated, survey | Leave a comment

Education Day at Maker Faire 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by MVGate

Thanks to Jon Chorley (TV-5) we have a special GATE opportunity which, to many of us, warrants pre-empting classes for a day.  We have 25 tickets to attend Education Day at Maker Faire 2012 on Thursday May 17 in San Mateo (http://makerfaire.com).  As you may know, Maker’s Faire is extraordinary:  a festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, a family-friendly exposition of innovative thinkers who love creating, learning and sharing what they make and do.  Showcasing whimsical and visionary creations and creators, the Faire highlights innovation and experimentation across the spectrum of science, engineering, art, technology, performance and craft. Whether it’s rockets or robots, crafts or hobbies — you can find it all at the seventh annual Maker Faire.

Education Day at the Faire is on Thursday May 17, and our kids will get a sneak peek at many of the exhibits and workshops. They’ll meet selected Makers, participate in activities, and get a glimpse of the setup process for this huge event. Preview tours are 90 minutes long, and have staggered arrival times. Groups must stay together for the entire visit. You get a free return ticket for Maker Faire either Saturday or Sunday. Bring lunch and we’ll eat before entering the Faire.

Be aware that STAR testing at some schools (e.g. EM, TV, MS) may conflict with this event. We understand in such cases, you can arrange to participate in each school’s make-up test.  Full details here.

UPDATE: Holy cow, that was cool.  A few photos:

Playin’ the Fire Organ

A walking, seeing robot folded out of cardboard

Kids making their own jewelry.  “Look, Daddy, I got my own blowtorch!”

Manufacturing rope from plant fibers using paleolithic technology

Meeting a friendly robot

Checking out a nice rocket.  This one has flown to 20,000 ft.

And no Maker Faire would be complete without artificial lightning!

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Autodesk Gallery Guided Tour

Posted on May 1, 2012 by MVGate

Join GATE for a guided tour of Autodesk Gallery at One Market Street #200 in SF, on Wednesday 5/23 from 3:00-5:00pm.

The Autodesk Gallery at One Market celebrates the design process that takes a great idea and turns it into a reality. With more than 20 different exhibits regularly on display that showcase the innovative work of Autodesk customers, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering.

Our group will have a one hour tour led by an Autodesk docent, then free time to explore. Kids receive a “coffee table” format book.

Founded in Mill Valley thirty years ago, Autodesk is Marin County’s largest tech company and the world leader in design software. The new Bay Bridge, the biggest engineering project in California history — that’s one of theirs.

Complete tour details here. Register here.

UPDATE: Holy cow, that was just amazingly cool and important.  We just glimpsed the world our kids will live and work and compete in.  Our tour was made even better through the much appreciated presence of GATE parent Mark Davis, who is a director at Autodesk Research!  Mark accompanied our group, adding color along the way.  He also kindly provided a list of Autodesk iPad Apps [png], many of them free or cheap in the iTunes Store, and recommended several as especially well-suited for our kids:

  • Tinkerbox – This is a free physics based game that his kids love. Autodesk is updating it all the time and it is really compelling.
  • 123D Catch / Make – These are the 3D capture (catch) and print (make) applications. They are first versions, so still a ways to go in terms of functionality, but still really interesting, even to play with the sample files.
  • The Imagine, Design, Create e-Book. This is a electronic version of the Gallery coffee table book, with really great customer stories and imagery. It is large to download, but is available for iPad and as an e-book for some other devices.

Jeff recommends two more:

  • SketchBook Ink – This is the iPad sketching app that was used to create the dozens of lovely pieces we saw hung on the walls.
  • Homestyler (website) – This free web-based app gives you a lite version of Autodesk’s classic architectural software, allowing even kids to create photo-realistic renderings of homes and landscapes. His kids no longer watch TV, they’re so enthralled with designing architectural spaces in this application.

Again, our thanks to Autodesk Gallery and to Mark for a particularly thought-provoking event.  We have got to do this again.

Working on a life-size Lego dinosaur

Working on a life-size Lego dinosaur

An organic car chassis

An organic car chassis

The new Bay Bridge was done with their software

The new Bay Bridge was done with their software

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Multi-Media Photography with Frederic Larson

Posted on April 13, 2012 by MVGate

Nine days ago we took your GATE kids to work with the Academy-Award winning movie-makers at Pixar…  Nine days from now your GATE kids will tour the Legion of Honor museum led by a Stanford Classics professor….

But we don’t stop there:

On April 18 & 25 and May 2 & 9, MV GATE and Ian Gibson (PK-5) present a four-session photography workshop led by SF Chronicle star photographer, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Mill Valley resident Frederic Larson.

Over four after-school sessions of 60 minutes each, Larson will show your kids how to “See the World through the Lens,” “Compose Beautiful Photographs,” “Create Expressive, Meaningful Portraits,” and “Capture Peak Action in Your Photographs.”

Families are asked to donate $50 per GATE student for the entire four-week workshop, which will be held at MVMS from 3:10-4:10pm on Wednesday April 18, April 25, May 2, and May 9.

One scholarship to the four-session workshop is available at the reduced donation level of $10.

Tickets are first-come, first-served.  Spots for fifteen kids are first-come, first-served, so register now!

Further details of the four classes here [37kB PDF].

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Post-Pixar Survey

Posted on April 7, 2012 by MVGate

To the six families whose children attended Pixar Tour #1, how would you grade the event?  (Poll responses are completely anonymous.)

This is the rebooted GATE’s first event; what worked well?  What didn’t?  Please leave your comments or suggestions to improve future events.

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Pixar Private Tour

Posted on March 30, 2012 by MVGate

It’s exciting enough sneaking into the movie theater — how about sneaking into the movie studio?

Pixar is the hottest animation studio on Earth — Toy Story, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, on and on. And they don’t give tours.

Well, they’re giving us a tour, thanks to Rob Thomure (MS-6).

Six lucky GATE kids will go on a private, guided tour of Pixar Studios in Emeryville next Wednesday April 4, from 3:30-5:00pm, with a second group of six going May 16. Both tours will be hosted by Rob’s pal, Barney Jones, who is a music editor at Pixar.

See the attached PDF for details. For the fairest outcome, tickets will be allocated by lottery. To enter the lottery, RSVP via Evite no later than noon Monday April 2.

UPDATE 6/10/12: Thanks again to Rob for two terrific tours!  Georgia Westfall (EM-5) spent several hours making a great poster that she presented to her class, and that she’d like to share with you:

Georgia Westfall's poster summarizing the May Pixar tour

Georgia’s poster

Thanks, Georgia!  And thanks to Rob for doing this unique-to-GATE event for several years.

Pixar-4-4-2012

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Walnut Creek’s differentiation standard

Posted on March 29, 2012 by MVGate

Jeff’s ongoing study of comparable school districts found something nice in Walnut Creek: the WCSD publishes an eloquent 2-page position paper (PDF, 6/28/2010) on their GATE program, that proclaims an enviable standard for differentiation:

“…differentiation of instruction is an integral part of each school day, along with challenging opportunities for GATE students to work together to extend their learning. … At the elementary level, teachers create a Differentiated Instruction Plan. This plan is developed by the teacher and shared with parents at a parent-teacher conference. These plans, tailored to meet the interests and abilities of each student, show how the teacher provides opportunities for these students to move beyond the standards or deeper in their current grade level standards using a unique process, topic or project in an area of interest to the student. Student progress on the Differentiated Instruction Plan is evaluated by the classroom teacher each trimester.”

This is very good stuff. First, there’s a standard. Second, the standard is a good one: specific, actionable, measurable, shared, and individualized. This may be something we can hold up as a model.  Carmel schools also sound strong.

Posted in in-class, in-school | 1 Comment