Fidget Spinner Follow Up

Fidget Spinners Post = Tons of Great Ideas!

If you haven’t read my most recent #MakeItReal Moment about Fidget Spinners, either look farther down the webpage or check it out here. To make a long story short, I’m against banning what kids love to do and all for finding creative ways to embrace things like fads and crazes in our classrooms.

So I’d like to share with you the AMAZING responses from exciting, innovative teachers and leaders who agree that when a student is passionate about a question or idea, we can use it to help them learn.

John Stevens (@jstevens009), author of The Classroom Chef and Table Talk Math created a lesson involving 3D Printing your own spinner and shared it on his blog here.

I attempted to recreate a fidget spinner on Desmos and after getting into a conversation with Dan Meyer about how to fix it, he reached out to the incredible Desmos designer Chris Lusto (@lustomatical) to finish it with this outstanding design. I’ve since shown it to students and said “Now you try to make one! Have Fun!”

My Attempt                             Their Solution

Amy Radford (@RadfordAmy)  used Flipgrid to create a writing activity for her students, using spinners as focus point for a persuasive writing piece!

Joy Kirr  (@JoyKirr)  is using articles written in high profile newspapers and outlets to discern tone/voice/bias in writing!

Aimee Ferguson (@amieejo80) is using Spinners a few ways!

Charlotte Dolat (@cdolat) realized the potential that the spinners have to form a connection that builds relationships.

Gretchen Greer (@treemaiden) tracks the fad itself and has students graph data from it!

Hayley James (@clerk2governors) Stacey Lindes (@iruntech) Curtis Slater (@SlaterPBISMN) are all making their own with their students or own children!

There are more and more examples of creative teachers making creative experiences for their students every day, showing up in my twitter feed at the #MakeItReal hashtag. This is the power of the social media PLN. I encourage you, again, to embrace the fads/crazes/interests of your students and find ways to engage them deeply with what they care about most. It will build relationships, grow their curiosity, and meet them at their best. 

Looking for more ideas? Check out the latest #MakeItReal Chat topic and Archive here

Please share your activities and ideas and great lessons you’ve seen others do in the comments! Together, we grow much faster!