Vicki's Tech Hub

Today was one of those magical days where creativity and technology collided in 1st grade—and the result was nothing short of a monster masterpiece! Hands-On Meets Digital We kicked off the activity with a fun, tactile activity: 3D paper sculpting . The challenge? Create your very own "adjective monster"! With colorful paper, scissors, glue, and plenty of imagination, our students sculpted monsters with wild shapes and textures. Each little creature was unique, bursting with personality and creativity. Photo Credits: Vicki's Tech Hub Bringing Monsters to Life with Words After our paper sculpting session, it was time to dive into the digital world. I introduced the students to Canva's image generator —a simple and exciting tool that uses AI to bring ideas to life. Each student thought of adjectives that described their paper monster. Was it "fuzzy," "spiky," "gigantic," or maybe "mysterious?" They typed these adjectives into Canv...

 In today’s digital age, introducing young learners to coding is more than just a trendy initiative–it’s a powerful way to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. One of the best tools for making this happen is Scratch , a block-based coding program designed by MIT to help children learn programming through interactive storytelling, games, and animations.  Photo Credits: scratch.mit.com If you’re an elementary teacher looking to bring coding into your classroom, Scratch is an engaging and accessible place to start. Video Credits: Vicki's Tech Hub Why Scratch? The Positive Effects on Learning Scratch is more than just a coding platform; it’s a gateway to computational thinking and a creative playground for young minds. Here’s why it’s so effective in the primary classroom: Encourages Logical Thinking – Students learn to sequence instructions, recognize patterns, and troubleshoot issues. Promotes Creativity— Scratch allows students to design characters, anim...