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A collection of 110 posts

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Coffee and conversation- Café et conversation

Why coffee and conversation? We can get so much out of this popular beverage… there are so many varieties, we can say the same about our teachers, students, tools and pedagogies. At Brilliant Labs, we wanted to have a different perspective of professional development; low pressure-high results. Coffee has a

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Jouer pour apprendre | Play to learn

English to follow Ces derniers mois, aux Labos Créatifs, nous avons de plus en plus parlé de l’importance du jeu. C’est ce qui nous a incités à développer toutes nos activités #FunCréatif de manière ludique, à suivre ensemble des formations professionnelles en ligne et à prendre le temps

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New Scratch Challenge, Community TV, Daily Activities, Author Read Aloud, Minecraft & Twitter LIVE!

(La version françaises suit) Brilliant Labs and our team has been busy! We have been working virtually to create interactive content, online learning, daily project activities, producing Community TV thirty-minute episodes, a Read Aloud of “Be a Maker” and our regular professional learning Twitter LIVE chat on Thursday nights. Virtual

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Author Read Aloud (Katey Howes)

One of the great things about working at Brilliant Labs is that a number of us have the pleasure of travelling to different maker learning environments throughout Atlantic Canada. We have seen everything from maker kits, carts, classrooms and expansive makerspaces where the maker culture permeates across an entire school

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#BrilliantHolidayChallenge

Brilliance Abounds This Holiday Season Snow may be falling and the days may be getting shorter, but with the new Brilliant Holiday Innovation Challenge you and your class can jump start your creativity just in time for the holiday season. There are many ways using wearable technology that will be

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What If You Built a River in a Classroom?

When the classroom shifts to an environment that focuses on Project-Based Learning (PBL) the students become the centre of what drives activities throughout the year. With the teacher at the helm helping direct student projects so that curriculum outcomes are met, the students are able to explore issues and concepts

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The Fall Brilliant Labs Magazine is here!

It’s Halloween time and youth across the region are transforming themselves into superheros, unicorns, zombies, or their favorite Fortnite characters. No matter the costume kids are imagining themselves as something different… We all do this from time to time. Often if we can see ourselves accomplishing certain future goals

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Why Not? Posing Probing Questions to Encourage Students to Think Computationally.

Why not? It seems like a simple statement, but it can be a powerful way to instill independence in your makerspace environment. In our makerspaces and classrooms, we are always working toward encouraging students to think critically and to develop 21st century skills. We, as educators, know that students have

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YouTube LIVE

Welcome to another fun Brilliant Labs building challenge. We’re going LIVE October 11th from 3:30 to 4:00 (ADT) / 4:00 to 4:30 (NDT) to help you and your students tackle this year’s first Innovation Challenge! We will start off with a recap of our adventures

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Jacob Lingley speaks at the Make: Education Forum in NYC

The New York Maker Faire is the largest celebration of invention, creativity, and curiosity on the east coast with an estimated 90,000 attendees…Brilliant Labs’ very own Jacob Lingley, Program Director, will be speaking to hundreds of Maker Faire delegates from around the world about Atlantic Canada’s Makerspaces

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Just Google It!

Does Googling It Impact Inquiry in the Classroom? I stumbled across an article by Terry Heick with Teach Thought (www.teachthought.com @teachthought) earlier this week on Twitter with a post they shared about how so many of us rely on Google for the answers to all of the questions

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YouTube LIVE: Build A Locker Alarm

Welcome to another fun Brilliant Labs building challenge. We’re going LIVE September 13th to help you and your students build their very own locker alarm. Build a Locker Alarm Using the Micro:bit * We will start off with a quick recap of different events that have happened in the

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SocialPreneur 1.0

There is a lot of noise in today’s media about people chasing financial freedom. However, there is a growing minority of people who have their sights on a different “chase” – one that makes an impact by addressing social challenges while improving lives, communities and the environment – social entrepreneurship. Just

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Leveraging Community

Welcome to a sample article of Brilliant Labs Magazine: The Entrepreneurial Spirit where we will explore what it means to be an entrepreneur through over 60 stories like this one of youth, educators and established entrepreneurs alike. At the core of any classroom lies the directive to prepare students for

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Making Reader Identity

This two-day workshop emerged from a months-long dialogue that began as a discussion about coding and literacy and evolved into a conversation about the parallels between making and and writing. We began to wonder how we could invite language arts teachers into the collaborative learning space at Brilliant Labs and

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5th Annual Scratch Competition Winners!

The University of New Brunswick Saint John’s K.C. Irving Hall was buzzing with excitement this past Saturday, June 9 2018, as 12 New Brunswick finalists participated in the 5th Annual Middle School Scratch Competition. We are also happy to announce a strong Nova Scotia contingent that competed virtually.

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Brilliant Labs Summer Tech-Camps Are Coming!

Last summer Brilliant Labs worked with community partners throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to deliver free summer programming to help kids develop digital skills. This summer we are expanding our summer camp program to celebrate all that is fun and awesome about kids, technology & entrepreneurial spirit in Atlantic

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Brilliant Labs Projects in the Classroom

Mr. Baskwill has a classroom that has become a true Makerspace over the past two years. From sewing projects to robotics—his class is always buzzing with hands-on STEAM based projects! Here’s a little bit about his experience with Brilliant Labs Project funding that helped his class explore the

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Code Camp: Registration Now Open

Giddy Up It’s Code Camp Time! CAMP – The word itself brings to mind images of cabins, friends, horseback riding, and stories by the fire. Camp is synonymous with youth, fun, and learning the skills that shape us as adults. This May, middle school students and teachers from New Brunswick

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Level Up Rube Goldberg's Machine

We’re taking the traditional Rube Goldberg machine to the next level with motors, sensors and code! Yes, that’s right – it’s already a complex machine with levers and planes and pulleys – and now it’s going to be even more complex with motors and sensors and code. Are

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Kids today are …. BRILLIANT! So let them make their own toys!

And no I’m not talking about ‘kick the can’ or ‘elastics’ (the games we used to invent with used soda cans and bags of hair elastics)…I’m talking about inventive, educational, imaginative toys! Toys that inspire and toys that engage. That’s right – let’s have the kids

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12 Days of Brilliance - Day 12 - Finale Special!

Join Jacob and Tri on our final Holiday adventure. It all comes together in the final episode of our 12 day series. mBots working in synchronicity to deliver some holiday cheer. You’ll also get to meet our Engineer in Residence, Tri, and get to see the code which powers

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12 Days of Brilliance - Day 11 - Robotic Senses

Many robotic platforms used in Makerspaces throughout Atlantic Canada come equipped with powerful sensors that can add an additional layer of complexity to your code. In this video segment of the 12 Days of Brilliance, we use the mBot from Makeblock.cc as our model to demonstrate the power of

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12 Days of Brilliance -- Day 10

We have no video for you today, so please enjoy this picture of Jacob and our Engineer in Residence, Tri, as they reflect upon their brilliance and style.

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12 Days of Brilliance - Day 9 - 3D Printing

3D Printing continues to be a favourite activity in makerspaces across Atlantic Canada. In this video below, Jacob takes you through a few examples of more culturally driven projects for your 3D printer. As always, watch until the end for your chance to apply to receive Brilliant Labs support in