For example, if your classroom has four desks set up so that each desktop is touching one another, you can use a 2×2 divider which is one divider that will act as a barrier for all four desks. Another example would be a Floor Standing Divider, if you’re planning on separating the desks further you can use one of these which will be a stand holding up a piece of cardboard or polypropylene which will block the students from one another. In addition, if you still want students to be able to interact with either their fellow classmates or if you want a front divider where they’d still be able to see you, you can install desk dividers with window slots and polypropylene in these slots so that students can safely interact in the classroom.

Given the state of the world right now, it may seem beyond your means or budget to purchase dividers for your entire classroom (and sometimes multiple classrooms). Luckily, our incredible ILI team have created step-by-step instructions on how to build a divider that would best fit your classroom. Using these directions, you can build your own desk dividers using cardboard that you can either laser cut or cut yourself. And, if you’re into recycling, you could use discarded packages or cereal boxes for the divider materials depending on the width of the cardboard and the rigidity of the piece you’re attempting to construct. These guides specifically use low-cost materials in order to make it both affordable and possible for you to create a safer environment for your students.

Even with our building instructions, however, you may wonder whether a project like this is really within your means, budget, and time constraints. Luckily, we’ve taken the research element completely out of your hands because our team has created guides breaking down the cost based on the materials and distributors you could use. So say you wanted to use Corrugated Plastic from United States Plastic Corp (1/8″-3/16’) – that should cost you roughly $21.63.

Our team has also provided teachers with direct links on where to buy each of the materials as well as the direct contact information for the companies listed. This is because, in addition to many educational resources making their products available for a free or reduced cost due to COVID-19, many companies are stepping up to help educators during these trying times. If you’re having trouble finding the budget or supplies needed to create these classroom materials, it is well worth your time to reach out to one of the companies listed or even a local hardware store. There may be a local Makerspace that would allow you access to their laser cutter or CNC machine. There may even be parents or volunteers in the community who would be willing to help make these supplies with you. People care about the wellbeing and health of students, it’s not all on you!

In addition to desk dividers, another way to add additional safety precautions to your classroom is to add covers for phones, desks, computers, etc. During this strange time we’re living through, we’ve all become experts at tracing the spread of germs (whether practically or simply due to sheer paranoia).  Someone sneezes on their phone, they hand their friend their phone, their friend uses that same hand to touch their nose or mouth, and suddenly that student is now at risk. It’s hard for kids to both have that foresight and have an enjoyable educational experience, so it’s up to us as educators to create as many precautions and barriers as possible.

In one of our July Hour of Innovation seminars, we highlighted one company in particular, Jokari, who is developing a line of protectant covers using a material called Nano Silver. The material is specifically designed to attach to bacteria walls and suffocate the bacteria cells, making them consistently 99% bacteria-free. The material holds its potency for several weeks and has passed several ‘bacteria tests’ including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia Coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus far, the line has announced plans to release a phone pouch, mask pouch, surface protector, office partition, car window shade, screen protector, and mask. Products like these or comparable models would go a long way to reduce the spread of germs within your classroom.

The post Classroom Safety Tips & DIY Supplies appeared first on Inventionland Education.

Adding one of these to your classroom will allow your students to be ready and equipped to take on a surge of creative Maker projects at a moment’s notice. You’re normally working backward in terms of creating lesson plans where you first choose the lesson plan, then find the supplies. Instead, why not amass a plethora of supplies, and find or create lesson plans to work around them?

The magic of Maker Bins comes from the fact that they start as, what can politely be referred to as a pile of junk. Students will see a box in the classroom filled with things like popsicle sticks and tissue boxes and likely think this is where they should stick their gum before the bell rings. But then, all of a sudden, they’re tasked to build a functioning bridge using only popsicle sticks and tissue boxes. And, what was once a hunk of junk, becomes a new challenge that they can face head-on and conquer.

a) Make a Maker Bin for your classroom

As we stated previously, these boxes initially look like mere piles of junk. If you haven’t guessed yet, this means that amassing one will be very affordable for you. Here is a list of supplies that we’ve been able to craft into multiple fun and educational activities:

• Boxes or containers
• Packing materials
• Bubble wrap
• Plasticware
• Magnets
• Old remotes
• Fabric scraps
• Metal washers
• Nuts, bolts, & screws
• Cardboard tubes
• Twisty ties
• Corks
• Wires
• Magazines (classroom-friendly)
• Old CDs
• Egg crates
• Sticky notes
• Pipe cleaners
• Rulers
• String
• Disposable cups
• Drinking straws
• Paper clips
• Paper bags
• Rubber bands
• Transparent tape
• Painter’s tape
• Masking tape
• Pipe pong balls
• Drawing utensils
• Aluminum foil
• Popsicle sticks
• Safety scissors
• Glue sticks
• Cotton balls
• Weatherstripping
• Index cards
• Tissue boxes
• Cutting mat

This may seem like a lot, but if you take a close look at the list you likely have a lot of these supplies already seeing as most are household items or teacher basics. If this still feels daunting to you, however, we encourage you to reach out to local businesses. Visit (or call, if you want to be safer) your local office supplies store or hardware store and see if they’d be willing to donate any of the listed supplies to your classroom and at what quantity. Every business from a big chain to a local business is looking for ways to give back right now, especially to our children’s education.

In addition, once you’ve amassed the supplies, make sure you find a way to keep everything organized. When you think of the word ‘bin’ you likely picture a mish-mash of items, but the last thing you want is for students to have to waste time combing through to see what supplies they have to work with (especially on projects with a time constraint). Although you want to keep everything in one area so students know where to look, try to keep similar items grouped together and label everything clearly to help limit the amount of time students will spend in the area looking for supplies.

b) Encourage or help parents make some for at home

As we’ve stated previously, school this year will look different for everyone. Some schools are planning for online-learning only and others are doing a combination of online and in-classroom learning in rotation. If your school will be having major at-home learning components, make some maker bins for student’s homes. A lot of questions are probably going through your head right now, primarily- how do I organize and enforce that? Well, for this option we suggest not only looking for donations from local businesses but also getting the parents involved.

Parents are currently overwhelmed with the idea of at-home learning so the promise of having their child occupied with an activity for an extended period of time while they’re home will have them leaping at the chance to help you organize it. Rather than handing them this hefty list of supplies to get for their own home, however, simply assign one supply per parent in bulk. For example, one parent obtains disposable cups for the classroom while another obtains index cards or tissue boxes. You can create a spreadsheet and allow parents to sign up for which item they volunteer to obtain, this way if they have extra tissue boxes or a friend they could get them from their supply run will be even easier.

Next, have all the parents mail or bring in their separate supplies to you. Once you have collected all of the items, make personalized Maker Bins for each student. These will be more like Mini Maker Bins compared to your classroom model, but this way each student has the supplies he or she will personally need for Maker projects. This way when you’re writing lesson plans this year, rather than hope and pray students have the supplies they’ll need at home, you’ll know exactly what they have to work with and can plan your lessons accordingly with a higher degree of ease and fun!

And, if you’re looking for some fun lesson plans for your new Magic Maker Storage Bins, we’ve made several available through our Hour of Innovation teacher resources!

The post Magic Maker Storage Bins appeared first on Inventionland Education.