S.T.E.A.M. for education

                                     Ozobot station at Family S.T.E.A.M. Night, 1-19-2017 

S.T.E.A.M. = science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics

As S.T.E.A.M. coordinator for our district, I am often asked by parents what sort of things they should get for their kids. Here is a short list of items we have bought for our own kids, what I have in my classroom and school science inventory, and will also bring on the boat. While my own kids will be using these in addition to their regular school curriculum, I will also incorporate them into S.T.E.A.M. education abroad (as guest teacher & related programs in other countries):

1.Ozobots are great little robots that you code using color and various color patterns. These are so popular in my classroom and our after school classes. We recently had a family S.T.E.A.M. night and the Ozobot station was packed! The best part about the Ozobots, is that they can be used with both paper and markers or an ipad as well. Coding in these different formats is a great introduction to the world of coding!

2.Osmo Wonder Kit is used with an ipad and has a lot of different apps! Included in this kit are: the Osmo base and reflector tool, Tangrams, Numbers, Words, and Coding. This kit (we have 3 at school) was another packed station at our Family S.T.E.A.M. night and is a popular center in my classroom. I bought a kit for my own kids to take on board, as it provides lots of educational benefits such as math games, spelling, reading, and coding. There are a few apps that don't require a game kit, which provides lot of interactive fun as well. Masterpiece is a cool drawing app and Newton is an engineering/design app.

3.Sphero SPRK+ STEAM Educational Robot is a water-proof spherical robot that allows for a variety of coding and programming opportunities. This was a birthday gift for Matthew last year and we also made a station for it at Family S.T.E.A.M. night. Again, it was a HUGE hit. I love that it is made from a polycarbonate shell (kid-proof) and can go underwater! How cool is that?!

4.3Doodler 3D Printing Pen: Since I cant' bring my desktop 3D Printer on board, I am taking one of these along. The kids can make 3D drawings come to life and enjoy some creative drawing time outside of the usual art materials. There are two versions of the 3Doodler: one for younger kids and one for older kids/adults. The younger child version doesn't clog up as bad as the pen for older kids. Trust me, I have 24 of the original 3Doodler and their latest Create version.
*I wrote a unit on 3D Printing for the classroom. It has lesson plans, step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of projects, vocabulary task cards, and more.

5.Apple iPad Mini and protective case are great for some tech time and educational apps. Each of our kids will have their own to use during boat school time or while on a long passage. We will store them in a safe, so the kids don't have access 24/7. There are many other things they can do with their time, like fishing and just enjoying the outdoors! =)

6. Chibitronics  is a cool way to teach circuits using adhesive copper tape, LED light stickers, and a coin cell battery. Their starter kit comes stocked with a book, supplies, and there are also tutorial videos online. I use this in my classroom each year to teach the basic of circuits. We also create light-up water-color art. I'll create a separate post on this lesson soon (my students are in the middle of it right now).

7. CircuitScribe  another cool way to teach about circuits using DRAWING! The kit comes with a book with lessons, special silver conductive ink pen, battery, and all the accessories. This is also incorporated into my circuits unit in my classroom.

8. View-Master Virtual Reality Glasses allow for field trips to anywhere in the world from your seat! I recently wrote and received a grant for 40 of these AWESOME VR glasses for my school. So far, my class has walked on the moon, explored a space shuttle, traveled through Venice, Italy, and rode roller coasters! We are going to visit colonial plantations next week and then the kids will tie in other social studies and current events locations to create a list of places we should visit virtually.

That's the short list for now. More educational posts to come! =)
If you have any questions or want my lesson plans for the 3D printing, circuits unit, robotics, or other S.T.E.A.M. activities, just let me know.

In no way am I affiliated with any of these companies. These opinions are my own from a classroom teacher and parent point of view. =)

Pet Passport

                                                    Sunny LOVES paddleboarding!

We've debated on taking our pets with us, as we have our golden retriever, (Sunshine) and then our two kitties, Starlight and Shadow. I don't think the cats would do as well being confined to the boat. They are outdoor cats and love to roam around outside. They also get motion sickness--so they would not enjoy sailing at all. It's been decided that the kitties will be going to my parents' house for the time we are away. They will have their siblings at the barn to play with as well, so win-win!

Sunshine (Sunny) LOVES to sail. She even knows the words "go sailing" and is often at the car door  before we even have our shoes on. Since she will be sailing with us, there are quite a few piles of paperwork for me to go through. I have started researching the process for bringing a dog into foreign countries and so far, as long as we have a few things taken care of, she will be welcomed.

When arriving to a new country by sea, you are still required to check into customs. Sometimes they come out to your boat and other times you have to go ashore. With a dog, that gets a little complicated, especially for countries with pet quarantine regulations.

Some of the things on the list required for Sunny are:

1. Microchip: she already has a North American microchip, but now has to get an International Microchip. The info for all of this can be found here. Select the country you are interested in and go from there.
**update: turns out she actually does have the correct 15-digit microchip**

2. Since we are planning on starting out in the Med, we are following the steps for Sunny's EU Pet Passport.

3. USDA Endorsed Health Certificate

4. Rabies Certificate

5. Rabies Titer Test Certificate

So, after completing those steps, she will still be required to meet other regulations, depending upon the country. Thankfully, we've been able to find that information online (see step 1 above). Some countries require an import permit about a month in advance and notification 24 hours before arrival.

We are starting the process with our vet this week, which gives us plenty of time to get everything accomplished.
**update: As of March, we have completed the titer portion and received the paperwork back. She is all set with the exception of getting the health certificate endorsed by an APHIS vet office and one final check up 10 days before we depart.**

Airline Travel:  Updated as of March 2017: We are now in the process of researching the airline requirements. As she is a larger breed, weighing in at about 70 pounds, she will have to ride in the cargo area of the plane. Google around and there are a lot of scary stories out there. Jared called the airline we are flying with (because I was already starting to stress out about this) and we learned that they have pressurized cargo holds, heat cycles down from the cabin, and that the pets are checked on throughout the flight. I looked up reviews online as well, and so far, have not found anything negative. I will still stress out a little though. Wish she could ride in the cabin with us, but unless she was a certified therapy dog, that isn't allowed. Yes, I've already googled how to get this done, but no time with 2 months left until we leave. 

Pet Supplies to bring on board (I'll do a more extensive post on this as we get closer to departure, but here is a general overview for now):

1. Medication: Sunny has skin allergies and is on two different types of meds for this. We will also bring other meds in case she contracts something. Canned pumpkin and white rice are other items to have on board in case she has any gastro issues. I've also learned about how to get your dog to vomit with hydrogen peroxide in case she ingests something she shouldn't. Yep, we will have quite an extensive medical kit for her, just like we will have for the rest of the family.

2. Life harness, tether, collar, leash, etc. All labeled appropriately.

3. Flea, tick, and heartworm medication: she takes one pill every 90 days to prevent fleas/ticks and a separate pill for heartworm.

4. Dog food, treats: she eats a brand called 'Taste of the Wild' right now but we know that we will have to just get what is available in the country we are in at the time.

5. Grooming gear: shampoo, brush/comb, toothbrush, nail clippers, etc.

6. Check-ups: she'll go to a vet for check-ups or to update the Passport/paperwork as needed.


I found a lot of other great info on sailing pups here. Many thanks to LahoWind for the info! =)

Finding our Boat!

We had a whirlwind trip to Florida recently and are happy to report that we found our boat (exact model)!

Kids went to visit their grandparents again, so Jared and I could concentrate on finding our boat (and celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary). We flew out around noon on Thursday (plane was delayed due to crew not showing up) and were expected to land around 8pm that evening. Didn't land until around 11pm, due to our flight being diverted for a medical emergency.

On the runway in Salt Lake City, Utah. Waiting to resume our trip and watching the snow fall.

After landing in Fort Lauderdale, we grabbed our bags and proceeded to locate the shuttle to the rental car station. That line was LONG! No way were we going to spend another hour in line, so we decided to walk to the rental car facility instead. It was not that far, probably around a 7 minute walk. Ha! We were the only ones there! Turns out we beat the shuttles and crowds of people. It was a super fast check-out, like 2 minutes tops and we were in our car and on the way to the hotel.

After checking in to the hotel, we realized that we still hadn't had dinner, so feeling a bit like college students, we set out around midnight in search of food. The hotel clerk recommended a pizza place (what else would be open at midnight?), so  back to the car we went. Yep, our anniversary dinner was pizza, but hey, next year we'll celebrate on our boat, so it's ok. =)

Hours later, we were back up, checked out of the hotel, and heading out to meet Andy, the broker we were scheduled to meet (Clive, our broker, had set everything up in advance). We were in an area known as the Isles of Venice, and it was just beautiful! Save for the birds dropping seeds on our heads. You'll see their "artwork" in our video (next post).

 
 Andy is a super cool guy and showed us A LOT of boats! After checking out the ones in 'Venice', we headed over to his main office at the Fort Lauderdale Marine Center and saw even more (after stopping for coffee on the way).

It was awesome to have this opportunity and walk through so many different catamarans. We made notes on the storage and ventilation, layout and overall feel. We thought we would like the Lagoon 420, but for our family, it would be a tight fit. We walked on L440s, L450s, and even a L52 which was huge! Andy took us over to the boat yard and we saw a couple other cats that were on the hard, which was cool because we could check out the bottoms, as well.

Saw a few other different types of cats, but we fell in love with Lagoon and the homey-like feel it gave us. After walking all over and through these boats, it was time for lunch and to review our notes.

We ended up eating along the beach and walked along for awhile. It was super windy, but a few people were out in the water. Fun to see a guy kite surfing! Definitely want to try that someday. We checked in to a different hotel (figured we might as well stay in different areas while we were here) that was along the ICW (intercoastal waterway). Man, let me just say that the mega-yachts were all in town and some were bigger than our house! I am not joking! The Miami Boat Show is in a few weeks, so I guess they were all coming in for that. They are HUGE! We got a room with a pool view and ICW view. This would provide for some interesting entertainment later that evening.

 I had this feeling about one particular L440, so we called Andy and headed back to that boat later that evening. Again, thanks to Andy for taking the time to meet us back there. His phone was constantly going off, but he ignored it in order to answer our questions. After taking more video and photos, we headed back to the hotel and find someplace for dinner.

We ended up eating along the waterfront and then walking for awhile afterwards. Still could not believe the size of these yachts! Some were in excess of 60 feet up from the water! As we got ready for bed, we noticed a lot of noise coming up from the pool area. Turns out the guys we had seen at dinner getting plastered, were still at it and now had decided that jumping into the pool fully clothed would be fun. Grabbing other people and tossing them in, even more so. Then, they proceeded to dance for the dinner guests down there and put on quite a show. They'll probably end up on YouTube and regretting their decisions after recovering from major hangovers.

The next morning, we got a quick breakfast (bagels and coffee because we slept in), and met Mark, another broker Clive had set us up with. He showed us a FP Lipari and a FP Helia 44. We were not impressed with the Lipari. The layout was not conducive to our family at all. It definitely did not have that open feel that he Lagoons have, so we passed on this boat and headed to Lighthouse Point, to check-out the Helia.

The Helia was located on a private dock area next to a very colorful house, rainbow dock, and just rainbow everything, down to the hammock. The artist had gone to town on their property! Beautiful artwork though. Check out this dog and pony show:

The Helia is a gorgeous boat, but there are some qualities missing for us. While it definitely felt open and spacious, the sharp corners and lack of 4 cabins was a 'no' for us. Sharp corners at sea is NOT a good idea, especially for kids. The front was totally open, no lifelines at all (yes, we are going to install the kid-webbing around the entire boat, but still). The large bap between the helm and the winches/lines was a negative. We also needed 4 cabins, and while there is a tiny little berth beyond the shower, that would not work for a kid room at all (the broker was trying to convince us of putting Cadence in that tiny space). Nope.

Pretty boat, though.

We called Andy again, because we wanted to see a L440 one last time. After seeing so many boats, we had to go back and solidify our decision. Jared was already sold, but I really wanted to sit and picture where everything would go. We measured, lifted up all floor boards (counting the storage spaces we could use), inspected the engine rooms, and discussed plans for modifications. After another hour or so it was final: the Lagoon 440 is our next home!

We emailed Clive with the news and will be talking to him in a couple of days. Now, we just have to find the EXACT Lagoon 440 we are buying. We would love to start our adventure over in Europe, but inspecting boats over there would incur more cost. We've also heard the boats are not in the greatest condition, so we'd have to really hunt around. It can be done though, so we are hopeful (boats are less expensive there). Buying in the U.S. or Caribbean would be easier, but also change our route plans. However, no matter where we end up buying our boat, it will be awesome! We will finally be starting our dream of sailing around the world with our family!

Cat Lady

An old friend of mine and I had a joke that if she didn't end up married, she would probably live as a cat lady, with lots of cats. I called her the other day and we laughed that I actually will be a cat lady, of a different kind, of course. =)

Case in point: dragging my family out of our warm and cozy home into a huge crazy storm to go look at a catamaran that had just tied up at the marina. No joke, the news called this storm an "atmospheric river", with two weeks of just rain!

It all started from a friend's post on Facebook this afternoon. She was out for a walk and snapped a photo of the impending storm with the marina in the background. Normally, one scrolls leisurely past all those posts on the news-feed, however, I stopped for one reason, which was naturally to see if I could spot our boat, The Soggy Dollar, in the pic. It was then, I noticed the distinguishable hulls of a catamaran. "Jared", I called out, "Let's go down to the boat. There's a cat tied up the next dock over".

"Sure, we need to get out of the house anyway", was his reply.  Note: he'd been home all day with the kids while I had a meeting at the aquarium, so he was very happy to go for a drive, even if it meant braving the storm.

We dragged the kids from the house, and yes, they complained all the way from the couch where they were comfy watching a movie, to the car. Sunny, our pup, heard the word "boat" and ran to the door. She loves sailing and knows that "boat" means fun out on the water.

Off we went and bundled up against the wind and light sprinkles. We checked on our boat as well, just to make sure things were all ship-shape. She was just dandy as ever, chillin' in her slip. Sunny made for the steps to board the boat, and did not seem happy with me when I called her back. This dog seriously loves to sail. In all good time, sweet pup!

We walked to the end of our dock and there was the behemoth catamaran. Seriously, this thing was about 20 feet tall! It turned out to be a commercial power-cat and not the sailing cat I was hoping for. Oh well. Now one might question my initial excitement. Why care so much about going to see a catamaran? The plain and simple fact that there are hardly ANY cats on the West coast. There are a couple up in the bay area and then a couple more down south, that's it. Not many opportunities for boat shopping or even taking one out for a sail.

Since we are in the market for a catamaran, any opportunity to check one out is golden. We are counting down the days until we go to Florida for a few full days of boat shopping, where there are plenty of catamarans around. A few more days and we are off!

At the time I finished up this post, the storm is hitting us full force! Raindrops pounding, wind howling... grateful for the rain, as our poor state needs it desperately! And the kids are back on the couch resuming their movie. ;)

Boat Traffic

I was discussing ocean passages with my dad when he expressed concern about how we will be all alone at sea. I know for a fact that there are thousands of boats out there, not necessarily will they be on our exact route, however, they are indeed out there. This screenshot from a marine traffic website proves this (keep in mind that this is zoomed way out, so a lot of the icons disappear):

That's A LOT of vessel traffic! Of course, I know that this is not exact timing, however, it just goes to show that there will be more than just our vessel out there while on a passage. So dad, and all of our family and friends, we will not be alone! =)