Bringing Ideas to Life

The newest addition to the White Oak Middle School Media Center Makerspace is a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer courtesy of the White Oak Education Foundation.  Our students now have the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. Our first test designs have included the White House, the Empire State Building, and the Alamo.

The real challenge will be mastering the design process. This is where the real learning takes place. The Roughneck Tech Club will use design software like TinkerCad and SketchUp to bring our students’ ideas to life.  Whether our students are printing prototypes, artifacts or scale models, the goal is for them to be creators and not merely consumers in the education process. We would like to expressly thank the White Oak Education Foundation for always supporting the students of White Oak ISD.

Stay tuned for more news from the WOMS Media Center…

Creating Video Games with Bloxels

The Roughneck Tech Club used Bloxels to create original video games this week.  The Bloxels app and game board allows students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to create complex video games. Using design logic and computer science, students can demonstrate knowledge in a variety of subject areas including mathematics, history, science and more.

Starting with the game board, Bloxels are then added to create a picture in the app. Students can create their own original characters and avatars.  One hundred and sixty-nine different rooms can be designed to add complexity to the game.

Narrative stories can easily be added to compliment problem-based learning. Every virtual world is unique to each student.

Bloxels provides tutorial support as well as lesson plans and activities on their website. Check out Bloxels Across the Globe to find classrooms around the world that participate in video game design.

Once all the tech club members have finalized their video games, a game day will be held to share the creations!