385-646-5000
2500 South State Street Salt Lake City UT 84115
F.A.Q.
Translate:

Educational Technology

Granite School District > Educational Technology > Blog > Tom Sparks

Tom Sparks

Upcoming Event: FIRST LEGO League Granite District Qualifier, January 25, 2020

Granite’s FIRST LEGO League event is coming soon! On Saturday, January 25, 2020, thirty-five student teams representing twenty-seven schools will gather at Granger High School to show what they have learned and invented, as well as compete in Robot Games.  Eleven of these teams will qualify for the Utah North Tournament at Weber State University on February 1, 2020.

Volunteers Needed

This will be a full, fun-filled day for student participants, as well as the amazing coaches and volunteers who make the event possible. We could use more event-day volunteers! If you are interested, please contact Cherie Anderson in the Educational Technology Department to learn how to get involved. Please browse our highlight posts from the 2019 and 2018 district events to learn more about Granite’s event and find out what to expect.

Parent Information and Schedule

Parents can visit the event at any time but should be aware that their students will be engaged in rotations of closed judging sessions and robot game heats, with practice and break times staggered throughout the day. Judging begins at 9 A.M.  Robot Games start soon after in the gymnasium and continue until 2 P.M. The event will conclude with a parade and closing ceremony in the gymnasium beginning at 2:45 P.M.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge: City Shaper

This year’s challenge is City Shaper. From the FIRST website description,

 Students will observe how cities and buildings grow, thrive, and change. They’ll create new, innovative solutions to help shape an optimal future, using our environment and modern-day tools and technology to make it last. They can use what they learn to help us plan a strong, sustainable, and inclusive FIRST City.

Questions?

Visit the FIRST LEGO League website to find more general information about the program and this year’s challenge. If you have any additional questions about the FIRST LEGO League program in Granite School District, please contact Cherie Anderson in the Educational Technology Department.

Photos from previous Granite events courtesy of Tom Sparks, school technology specialist and freelance photographer.

 

Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

Earlier this month the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) and the Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA) held their annual conferences. Many teachers, school technology specialists, and library media educational technology specialists from Granite presented at these conferences, and we collected links to their presentations in the table below.  [Read more…] about Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

Highlights from the Granite FIRST LEGO League 2019 Event

Post by Cherie Anderson, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. Photography and video by Tom Sparks, School Technology Specialist at Morningside Elementary and Spring Lane Elementary.

On January 26, 2019, Granite School District held a regional qualifying event for FIRST LEGO League teams. Check out the photos and videos in this post for highlights from the event. Congratulations to all the Granite School District FIRST LEGO League teams who participated in the regional and state tournaments!

Group photo of Granite teams advancing to state competition from district qualifying event.

[Read more…] about Highlights from the Granite FIRST LEGO League 2019 Event

Highlights from Granite’s FIRST LEGO League 2018 Qualifier

On Saturday, February 3, 2018, over 300 students from elementary and junior high schools across Granite School District, 44 coaches, 67 volunteers, and bleacher-filling numbers of supportive family and friends came together at Granger High School for Granite’s FIRST LEGO League 2018 Qualifier. Student teams were judged on their robot design, project presentations (researched, innovative solutions to real-world problems), core values, and performance in the robot games.

These teams advanced to the state competition, held the following week at Weber State University:

Many thanks to the coaches, volunteers, and parents who made this experience possible for our students.   [Read more…] about Highlights from Granite’s FIRST LEGO League 2018 Qualifier

Granite Ed. Tech. Presentations at UCET 2017

Last week the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology held their annual conference at the University of Utah. Sessions were led for and by educators, and many of Granite’s teachers, school technology specialists, and library media educational technology specialists attended and presented at the conference. Below is a roster of the sessions shared by Granite teachers, along with links to resources from the sessions if available.

Session TitlePresenter(s)
BreakoutEDUBrenda Duford (STS, Silver Hills El.), Stephanie Evans (STS, Monroe El.), and Dave Taylor (STS, Moss El. and Pioneer El.)
BreakoutEDUMichelle Reed (LMETS, Jefferson Jr. High) and Mary Anne Wiebe-Strong (LMETS, Churchill Jr. High)
BreakoutEDUTricia Fenton (STS, Vista El. and Western Hills El.) and Sarah Robinson (STS, Oakwood El. and Calvin Smith El.)
Bringing the World into Your Classroom with Virtual FieldtripsAdam Brough (STS, Diamond Ridge El. and Gourley El.), Samantha Mitchell (STS, Academy Park El.), and Will Walden (STS, Bacchus El. and Rosecrest El.)
Code UnpluggedJames Baliff (STS, Bridger El. and Jackling El.) and Aaron Kammerman (STS, Hartvigsen School)
Creating Stories, Illustrations, and Collages with iPads
Michelle Hanson (STS, Hillsdale El.)
Creating VR for the ClassroomBecky Schaap (STS, Copper Hills El. and Twin Peaks El.) and Tom Sparks (STS, Penn El. and Spring Lane El.)
Digital Breakout EduTiffany Pontius (STS, Cottonwood El. and Truman El.) and Keith Reidford (STS, Hillside El. and South Kearns El.)
Engaging Students with Toys, Games, and ComicsQuinn Rollins (District Social Studies Curriculum Specialist)
Get Hyped About HyperDocsStephanie Mondragon (LMETS, Valley Jr. High), Jenny Peirce (LMETS, Kearns High School), and Stephanie Seely (LMETS, Granite Connection High School)
Go Unplugged: Coding Without Computers (For Kids!)Cherie Anderson (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist), Celia Powell (Granite District Secondary Educational Technology Specialist)
Googlizing The Amazing RaceKris Fox (STS, Elk Run El.), Joell Wilkins (STS, Farnsworth El. and Woodstock El.), and Jaime Woolley (STS, Taylorsville El.)
Incorporating Music and Movement in the Classroom with Go Noodle!
Krystal Plott (STS, Driggs El. and Wright El.)
K-3 Meets G SuiteTeresa Bruin (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist) and Heidi Meenen (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist)
La La Land Yourself into Digital StorytellingKristen Johnson (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist)
LEGO League Robot GamesMichelle Reed (LMETS, Jefferson Jr. High)
Maker Space: Mechanical HandsSarah Eyring (STS, Granite Technical Instute), Samantha Spangler Mitchell (STS, Academy Park El.), and Davina Sauthoff (LMETS, Wasatch Jr. High)
Motivating Upper Elementary Through Popular Culture: Providing the "Why"Keith Reidford (STS, Hillside El. and South Kearns El.)
Orange Slice Rubric CreatorJeremy Smith (Spanish Teacher, Taylorsville High) and Lorraine Wyness (LMETS, Taylorsville High)
Show What You Know - Creative Assessments in the Elementary ClassroomMaggie Tanner (STS, Redwood El.) and Kareena Steed Vance (STS, Mill Creek El. and Sandburg El.)
Sphero OlliempicsAlisha Kerby (STS, Roosevelt El.), Ashley Moore (STS, Lincoln El.), Karen Tinsley (STS, Stansbury El.)
Technology and Educational EquityChris Larsen (Director, Educational Technology)
The $10,000 mistake: Essential Steps Every Teacher Should KnowDale Roberts (Director, Information Systems)
They want formative..Now What?
Misty Butterfield (STS, Beehive El. and Oquirrh Hills El.) and Melissa White (STS, Oakridge El. and Valley Crest El.)
Zubi Flyer - The World's First Interactive, Programmable Flying Toy!
Thomas Phipps (STS, Upland Terrace El. and West Kearns El.)

Thank you to all who shared their ideas and expertise at the conference this year. We would also like to congratulate Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology, for being elected to a position on the UCET Board during the conference.

Photo from a BreakoutEDU session at UCET 2017 facilitated by Tricia Fenton and Sarah Robinson.
Photo from a BreakoutEDU session at UCET 2017 facilitated by Tricia Fenton and Sarah Robinson.

Highlights from Granite’s FIRST LEGO League 2017 Qualifying Tournament

Granite School District welcomed 28 FIRST LEGO League teams to the 3rd GSD sponsored qualifying tournament on Saturday January 28th at Granger High School. Students participated in robot games, showed off their ability to work collaboratively on a problem, explained to engineers how they designed and built their robot, and presented a solution in the form of a product or service to enhance the relationship between animals and humans.

Winning trophies were: [Read more…] about Highlights from Granite’s FIRST LEGO League 2017 Qualifying Tournament