New School Year, New Classroom!

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Over the last several years, ACES Ed has changed and grown in Basalt Elementary School (BES.) This year ACES classroom moved and excitingly, is now located within the school building (before, we were in a building nearby called, the Red Brick Building). 

Additionally, through a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation, all of the ACES Ed classrooms have received exciting and new educational tools to enhance science learning for all our students. In each classroom this includes high powered projection microscopes, video projectors and sound systems, science lab materials, and (one of our favorites) a bike-powered generator to allow students to “pedal-power” our classroom computers.

One of the most engaging additions to our classrooms is a new Dino-lite projection microscope. The Dino-lite is a high powered microscope that is able to show in depth analysis of various objects. We look forward to analyzing objects underneath the scope up close with our classes and have been using this new tool for many of our lessons, from exploring macro-invertebrates to studying soil samples, to viewing snake skins, stones, and other “natural treasures” students are bringing into the classroom on their own.

Students at BES have noticed the new changes in our classroom and have toured to the new nooks and crannies and they have found some new items. In addition to updated educational technology in the classroom, students are also enjoying a comfortable reading nook, a variety of indoor plants and herbs, and a new colorful carpet! 

As we move into our new school year in our new classroom at Basalt Elementary, ACES Education looks forward to exploring the world around us in many ways and the new tools, toys, books, and educational spaces of our classroom are helping in this learning adventure. Although we know screens, microscopes and science labs are no substitute for exploring the natural world, we also know as educators that these tools will enhance our students’ learning in many critical ways.

~ Andrea Klaphake, ACES Educator