Cricut Maker in Education, Aigner, Spring 2021

Note: Course payment of $1,500 by check or purchase order, payable to Castleton University, is due at the time of registration. A purchase order number can be entered into the online registration form and the purchase order can be uploaded to the registration form. If paying by check, please mail the check to Financial & Registration Services, Castleton University, 62 Alumni Drive, Castleton, VT 05753. To help us ensure that your payment is applied to the correct course, PLEASE WRITE “CFS” IN THE CHECK MEMO LINE. Thank you.

Special note: If supply chains are interrupted or technology prices increase, Castleton University reserves the right to cancel the course or increase tuition. Delivery of maker machine and tools set cannot be guaranteed by the start date for course registrations received after January 28, 2021.

Maker machine and tools set must be delivered to your school. Please make sure somebody will be at the school this summer to receive delivery and please input the full school mailing address in the registration form where prompted. Thank you.

Course Description

Hardware and Software

Cricut is the brand-name of a non-industrial die-cutting machine (or cutting plotter) used for a variety of projects. It is the perfect tool for classrooms, art rooms and maker spaces. The newest Cricut Maker works with hundreds of materials from fabrics to balsa wood. It can cut, write and score material and comes equipped with a rotary blade and knife blade. The Cricut Design Space software supports teacher and student creativity. Users can design and upload their own artwork or fonts for free. Or select from the free and paid clip art, fabric patterns and other projects available in the Design Space.

The Big Idea

Teachers can design dynamic classroom environments with the Cricut Maker incorporating cardboard, paper, wall and window vinyl cling, along with hundreds of other materials.  As part of instruction, students can design a variety of products from etextiles to paper circuits using the Cricut. This product ties to highly valued 21^st Century Skill like Design Thinking, Creativity, and Innovation.

What We’ll Do

^{We will discover how to use our Cricut to:}

 ^{Create a design challenge for our students where they create or construct something as part of Project Based Learning}

  ^{Build Word, Poetry, Math Equation, Formula, and Phrase Walls that can adhere to glass and also walls (vinyl).   Your students can generate and design the ideas.}

  ^{Make beautiful paper, cardboard and other visual artifacts for classrooms, hallways and other spaces}

 ^{STEAM up with paper circuits, eTextile patterns, Makey-Makey and other STEAM tools}

^{Participants will develop activities that enhance their areas of study, address 21st Century Skills and the National Education Technology Standards (NETS)}

Course Goals & Objectives

^{Teachers will effectively integrate Cricut and other computer technology in their classroom for enhanced teaching and learning.}

^{Teachers will produce working resources in their subject area to implement into their classrooms during the school year.   These are resources that they can start using immediately.  The power of the course is that it provides participants time to discover new ideas, develop new skills and integrate technology into their existing curriculum.} 

Course Objectives: 

Participants will be able to:

1. Effectively integrate the use of computer technology into the classroom curriculum
2. Sharpen skills working with the design process and project based learning
3. Create student projects and classroom resources
4. Create working classroom tools integrating the Cricut, Chromebook, tablets and phones in their specific areas of study
5. Share these resources with district colleagues

Course Expectations

Grading Structure

Project milestones Cricut activity/lesson met and project competed              40%

Participate in the weekly online activities                                                     25%

Reading assignments and reflections in online journal                                  25%

Professionalism and management of time                                                   10%

Project

Produce a lesson using the Cricut with an example from Project 2 or 3 above.  This can be a paper, slideshow, video, whatever you prefer.  Use your learning opportunities above to determine the best fit.  Explain how this will work in your classroom.

Norms

Participate in the online community and be prepared to learn

Work on assignments in a timely manner

Required Texts

Primary Software Resources:

Cricut Design Space Software

Primary Print Resources:

National Educational Technology Standards for teachers: Preparing Teachers to Use Technology (ISTE)

Select a relevant book you want to own and read.  It could be Sew Electric, invent to Learn, Project Based Learning or something else you have been wanting to read.

For additional course information

Patricia Aigner
(802) 683-5060

For additional registration information

Bethany Sprague
(802) 468-1325

Register Now!