STEAM Archives - Entelechy

December 13, 2018

Making Edtech a Key Part of Your School Construction Plan

Technology brings with it exciting innovations and even though products get smarter and smaller; our classrooms are changing very little. The construction of new schools is not meeting the needs of modern students, and future students are bound to suffer too. If we are pushing edtech as the future of education, architects and school boards need to be creating spaces that are conducive to blended learning, technology and the explosion that is happening across the edtech market.

One problem that many schools suffer from is bad Wi-Fi. This is not always due to their own fault but rather due to the construction of older schools. The brick walls are hard for Wi-Fi signals to penetrate and extra routers and boosters mean that more maintenance is required and more complex systems need to be up kept. Students and teacher suffer because of this, and if connectivity is the key to the new education system, better spaces need to be created for Wi-Fi. These and other concerns around old walls, foundation, and old spaces are explored in this great article by Old House.

Closely linked to this are the concerns that schools of the future will have high electricity consumption. The more electronics in use, the more wifi, and electricity needed to keep those technologies running effectively. Schools of the future need to be green, and schools should align themselves with standards set out by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). By doing this, schools will ensure that edtech is having a positive effect on students but also on the school and the environment at large. Schools need to understand that while the push for “paperless schools” is great, there are environmental concerns that come with schools as technology hubs.

Space wise, classrooms need to change too. Edtech may increase screen time, but that does not mean it must happen at the same desk for hours on end. Some edtech such as augmented reality and virtual reality requires space for movement. If we have classrooms that are simply made for desks, we cannot give students space to move, learn and engage with technology as they are meant to. The benefits of standing desks, as well as movement in the classroom, needs to be considered. Construction plans need to be more open and allow for students to engage with the space around them.

Construction needs to move away from the notion of “computer rooms” and realize that every space could be a computer room. Study pods and other quiet spaces need to be integrated into classrooms as students are being encouraged to work together but also to work alone. Edtech allows for this flexibility, but the current classroom set out does not. Blended learning is important, and if students are to feel that they are in control of their learning, they need to feel that classroom offers opportunities to do so. Some other additions to the classroom of the future should cover some of the following points.

Charging ports near every student’s workstations
Windows that allow for light but reduce glare on screens
Air-conditioning to keep devices and students cool

Another aspect that Edtech changes is the way that students psychologically interact with their teachers, peers and their classrooms. A recent study done by Herman Miller on workplace wellbeing concluded that giving people some control over their surroundings adds to their sense of well-being and the same holds true for classrooms. Students need to feel in control of their classrooms in order to have mental well behind, something that is overlooked in present school construction.

So, if we are to move towards a new medium of learning, we need to be building schools that facilitate this new type of learning. Architects and education innovators need to come together to create the best possible spaces for learning. We cannot continue building schools as we have for hundreds of years but rather think towards the future and the needs and concerns of future generations.

August 27, 2018

EdTech Should Change the Way Teachers Teach

For a long time, teaching was teacher-centered: the teacher dispensed information through lecture, handouts, or presentations; the students absorbed the information by listening and taking notes. It was repetitive, could become monotonous, and left little room for student exploration or creativity. It was also detrimental to students who couldn’t keep pace with the teacher’s lessons or students who learned in way different from the teacher’s presentation

The past ten years have seen a surge in student-centered learning, and the integration of technology into the classroom makes it increasingly easy to create engaging lessons that reach a variety of learners in a variety of ways.

There are many ways that technology has changed and improved teaching methods, making education more meaningful and accessible to all students.

Education Doesn’t Have to Happen Only Within the Walls of a Classroom

Now that technology is becoming more ubiquitous, teachers can continue to communicate and teach even when class isn’t in session. Teachers can reach students through email, Twitter, or classroom forums like BlackBoard and Google Classroom. On weekends and snow days, teachers can send messages or blasts to engage students in off-the-cuff or carefully curated activities, reading experiences, community opportunities, or study groups even when class is over and school is closed.Students can take what they’re discussing in the classroom and use it to explore the world around them, all while still staying connected to their teachers.

This means that teachers have to be increasingly more communicative, more plugged into the community in which they teach or live, and be willing to showcase connections between the classroom and the world around the students. It requires more organization and proactivity on the part of the teacher than traditional lecture-style lessons, but it is infinitely more meaningful to students.

Textbooks May Be Obsolete

Thanks to technology, many schools are no longer ordering or relying on traditional textbooks. Instead, it is up to teachers to sift through the content on the internet, or on education websites, to find real world materials that showcase the content being taught in the classroom. Resources like McGraw-Hill’s Study Sync Program provide teachers with a curated materials that teachers can use in whatever order they like at whatever pace suits their students.

Teachers can no longer rely on reading a chapter and then answering the textbook questions. Instead, technology is encouraging educators to become more proactive in find reading materials that are authentic and relevant, and engage students on a deeper level.

Technology Makes it Easy to Flip Classrooms

Instead of teaching the content and then assigning homework, technology enables teachers to provide instructional materials (presentations, recorded lectures, PowerPoints or presentations, YouTube videos, etc) for the students to peruse on their own time and at their own pace. This means that teachers then become guides and resources for the practice work – classwork now that used to be homework – showing the students how to best use the information they took in. The function of the teacher is no longer to impart information, but to guide students in making the best use of the information they read and learn.

Collaboration is Increasing

Teachers no longer need to teach in a vacuum! Thanks to technology, teachers can collaborate across content areas, grade levels, even across vast geographical distances. Teachers can communicate with one another to make cross-curricular experiences that will solidify student learning and find experiences that will help their students in real-world situations. It also means that they can give their students opportunities to learn from others in both similar and different life situations, cultures, and locations. Teachers become facilitators for students’ experiences.

Learning Can Be More Personalized

Technology makes it easy for teachers to tweak lessons and materials to each individual student’s’ needs and interests. No Red Ink, for example, is a resource that teachers can use to disseminate grammar lessons, and it surveys each student to cater the lessons and activities to his or her particular interests. Teachers can discreetly and abundantly address special education students’ IEPs as well using technology, all without making a student feel singled out or different. With technology, a teacher is responsible for differentiating his or her lessons so that every student receives the greatest depth and breadth of understanding.

Teachers Can Give More Constant, Personal, and Meaningful Feedback

In bygone days, teachers would survey the class with “a show of hands” or “fist to five” strategies to gauge student understanding. Sometimes, they used exit slips. Now, however, with technology, teachers can gauge individual student learning through communication and the near-constant feedback of iPads and computers. For example, teachers can watch in real time as student’s type an essay. Instead of waiting until the end, when the writing is turned in, to read and give feedback, teachers can prevent mistakes as they are being made, give on-the-spot feedback, and work collaboratively with students to show them how to correctly complete the process, instead of just evaluating the final result.

Classroom Management Strategies are Shifting

With technology, students always have the opportunity to be engaged, even when a teacher needs to deal with one individual student. In the past, if a teacher needed to stop class to address a student behavior, everyone else had to wait until the teacher had returned to the task at hand to move forward. Now, forward progress continues, regardless of to whom the teacher is speaking or why. But more than that, technology can impact how classrooms are managed. From planning to engaging to monitoring, teachers can use apps and technology to make sure that students are on task and engaged, thus reducing misbehaviors.

Technology is here to stay. And even though it presents its own unique array of challenges, it pushes teachers to stay creative, to meet students on their home field, and to innovate. From the information taught to the method of delivery to managing the students’ behavior and achievement, technology helps teachers make the most of classtime.

May 14, 2018

10 Habits of Tech-Savvy Teachers

The start of each new school year brings a barrage of new apps and skills for educators to master. Keeping up with it can feel very overwhelming!

But it’s not the apps you use or the skills you’ve mastered that make you truly “tech-savvy.” Rather, it’s a whole attitude of mind.

Here are the 10 most essential habits of tech-savvy teachers.

They are flexible. Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Tech-savvy teachers are able to roll with the punches and adapt as needed. They always have a “Plan B” and even a “Plan C” when things don’t go quite the way they’d hoped.

They communicate digitally. Tech-savvy teachers are comfortable in the world of email and social media, and they intuitively understand how to use these tools appropriately and effectively.

They embrace change. These teachers do more than simply tolerate big change. Usually, they are the ones pursuing it, bringing new innovations to their schools and districts.

They keep their long-range goals in mind. Tech-savvy teachers never do anything simply for technology’s sake. They can articulate exactly how a particular technology advances their goals.

They use technology in their day-to-day lives. These teachers don’t leave their technology at work. They use it for everyday activities like shopping, banking, and making plans with friends.

Their attitude towards technology is balanced. As much as they love technology, they also realize that it isn’t everything! Good technology does not automatically make a good teacher. Besides, everyone needs a break from technology sometimes.

They use the Cloud to make their classrooms paperless. Handing out paper assignments in class? Collecting and grading huge piles of essays? These tasks are a thing of the past, as tech-savvy teachers use Cloud technology to assign, collect and grade student work.

They collaborate. Tech-savvy teachers always want to share their ideas and learn from others. Their excitement and their thirst for knowledge are insatiable. They even collaborate with teachers in other parts of the globe.

They are skilled in digital assessment. There are plenty of assessment apps out there, but tech-savvy teachers know exactly which of these apps best meet their learning objectives.

They use a variety of apps. Why stick to just one or two apps when so many exist that can enhance their teaching? Teachers will use different apps depending on their subject and the age of their students.

Cultivate these 10 habits, and you will be well on your way to seeing student engagement and motivation in your classroom skyrocket as you become a “tech-savvy” teacher.

April 22, 2018

3 Ways That Technology Can Boost Campus Security

The need for increased security on college campuses is a growing concern for parents, family members, and loved ones. In the news and media online, you can hear or read about incidents, accidents, and even violent crimes that are taking place on US college campuses. Technology can offer increased security, regardless of the reason for the apparent increase in crime on university campuses. An increase in security on our college campuses should be one benefit of living in the age of growing technology. So, how can we use technology to keep our students safe?

Security Alerts Delivered by Text Messages and Apps:

As a college student once, myself, I remember receiving text messages directly to my “dumb phone” through my college’s optional text message alert system. Even though I attended college without an Android or iPhone, I was able to receive immediate alerts from my university about threats on campus. Sometimes the alert was regarding an impending snow storm, and sometimes campus alerts via text message enabled me to be aware of a possible threat to campus security. Technology now has far surpassed the ability to protect its student bodies just through text message alerts. Although university’s security departments can quickly notify entire student populations through a simple text message, now as noted by Meghan Bortez many security apps and gadgets are widely available to students to increase their personal protection and security.

Increased Lighting and Advanced Cameras:

Automatic lighting systems and sensors can be placed across entire university campuses to increase security. Some ways we can increase campus security are actually quite simple. we can protect our students by increasing the amount and quality of security lights. Students will feel more secure when walking back and forth to classes when security lights are distributed throughout the campus. No areas should be left completely in the dark. Neal Raisman author or “10 Steps to Create a More Secure Campus,” comments that increased lighting can not only offer increased protection but, may also decrease the student drop-out rate, because students may feel more secure when walking on campus at night. Also, noted by Meghan Bortez on www.edtechmagazine.com, an increase in the quality, quantity, and placement of cameras on university campuses can discourage petty theft and violent crime. When crimes do occur, campus security should be able to view camera footage to help identify the perpetrator.

Place Emergency Blue Light Phones Across Campus:

Some campuses are now placing “emergency blue light phone systems,” across their campus. At the University of Florida, police have installed emergency blue light phones across their campus. These “phones” enable you to alert security immediately of a security breach or concern without even placing a phone call. At the press of a bottom on one of these tall blue, highly visible phone systems, students can instantly contact their campus’ security dispatch center. By pressing the button, the dispatch center will also know the student’s location immediately. The dispatch center can send security personnel to that precise location and speak to the student. These emergency blue light phones are an excellent way to increase security on campus and should be put in use on every campus across America to decrease violent crime.

What Else Can We Do?

With the technology that we have available today, there should be no excuses why the students of America are not feeling safe on their own college campuses in the afternoon or at night. University alert systems increased lighting and cameras, and emergency blue light phones or other security systems can immediately increase the security and safety of student bodies. In addition to taking advantage of today’s technology developments, students, faculty, and staff need to work together to put in place effective security systems on their own campuses. Increase communication, collaboration, and inform your student body from orientation to graduation about how to stay safe.

Neal Raisman presents additional simple suggestions that can be used by everyone. For example, universities can offer defense classes and post the university police department and emergency contact information in public spaces. There should be no reason that today’s generation of young adults should fear their safety on their own college campuses with the options that we have available today, provided through technology and university and student collaboration.

April 20, 2018

Can Coding Improve Your Child’s Writing Skills?

There’s a big push in education right now to teach kids how to code. Coding is undoubtedly an important skill that will help students in the job marketplace. It’s an in-demand skill and a useful one. But can coding help students in other areas? Some are now suggesting that coding can help improve students’ writing skills.

Telling a story through code

In many ways, coding is like writing a story. Programmers must go in a sequential order, just like storytellers. Just like writers, programmers first sit down and plan out the story they will tell. What will happen in the beginning, middle, and end? This is just as important for programmers to know as it is for writers.

Kids can also use coding to create stories. While we may not think of coding as a creative pursuit, it certainly can be. Some of the best video games tell stories. Through coding, students can create their own stories. The best part? These stories are interactive. Just like an old “choose your own adventure” book, the reader (or player) can decide what the character will do next and change the outcome of the story.

Programmers and writers must use words wisely

Good writers use their words wisely. They know how to say something in as few words as possible. This helps keep writing concise, readable, and to the point.

When writing code, good programmers know how to do a lot with just a few lines of code. Excess code can make a program confusing if other programmers need to make changes. Too much unnecessary code can also confuse the computer and lead to unexpected and unwanted outcomes.

When kids practice coding, they get into the habit of eliminating excess. This will make them better communicators and writers. They’ll know how to say a lot in just a few words—an increasingly important skill in a world where attention spans are shrinking.

Coding forces kids to plan ahead

Both writers and programmers have to learn to plan ahead. Most teachers are familiar with the struggle of trying to get students to complete graphic organizers and plan ahead before they start writing. This kind of big-picture organizational thinking is a challenge for kids.

When writing code, students have to know where they’re going. Otherwise, their code will end up a garbled mess that’s hard to make sense of. Programming allows students to practice planning ahead and thinking about the big picture, a skill they’ll definitely need in writing.

In writing and code, there are rules

Another similarity between writing and coding? Both have rules that must be followed. If kids ignore the rules when coding, they’ll end up with a program that doesn’t work. Certain functions must go in a particular order, and programmers have to understand the proper use of each bit of code.

In writing, there are rules, too. While you won’t get an error message if you break the rules of grammar, writers who eschew conventions may find that their work is hard to read. Knowing the parts of speech and understanding sentence structure is a lot like knowing how to write code.

By practicing their coding skills, students can get a sense of how to piece these different parts together. This skill will translate into their writing, making them better writers.

Coding and writing aren’t that different

In many ways, coding and writing and alike. Both require an understanding of the basics as well as the ability to plan ahead and see the big picture. And both coding and writing allow kids to get creative and tell a story in their own unique way.

Have your kids learned to code? If so, what changes have you seen in their writing?

March 25, 2018

The Power and Promise of Game-Based Learning

From young learners to adults, games can be used to increase learning. Games have been used by teachers for centuries, and probably thousands of years as a way to engage students in learning. Who doesn’t like games? Perhaps a few people don’t like games. However, games are an excellent way to capture the attention of your students and encourage learning. Why are games beneficial in the learning process, and why do we love them?

They Help the Brain Understand New Ideas

Whether kids or adults are playing a game, we play because we want to learn and understand a new idea. We use our brains to try to understand a new concept. Jessica Trybus, author of “Game-Based Learning: What it is, Why it Works, and Where It’s Going” comments that when we play games, “our minds are experiencing the pleasure of grappling with (and coming to understand) a new system.” Humans enjoy trying to understand the point of the game, and of course- also trying to win!

Games are Enjoyable and Competitive

We love to win, right? Who doesn’t like to win? For the same reason that many adults play games, children play games. We enjoy the thrill of playing a game, the challenge, and we ultimately also enjoying winning! Learners of all ages are motivated to learn when playing games because they want to get the right answer. Whether your 4^th-grade students are racing to the board to answer the question first, or adults are sitting around the card table, games encourage learning. We compete, we fight to win, and we learn at the same time.

They Help Us Obtain Our Goals

Everyone plays a game to obtain a goal. Not only do we play to win and to understand the game, but we also play because we want to obtain the objective of the game. We feel free to complete the “trial-and-error” system in a game and leave the “real world,” momentarily behind. Also, as noted by Jessica Trybus when we play a game, we are actively learning how to find the solution to the puzzle or game. Our brains are stimulated and involved in the learning process. In other words, games also encourage the use of problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills.

Games Encourage Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills

One of the reasons educators across the globe use games is because games encourage the development of problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills. Games encourage us to use both sides of our brains and help us think creatively and objectively. Often in schools, there are after-school programs and activities that encourage students to take part in learning, such as “Chess Club,” “Scrabble/Poetry Club,” “Monopoly Club,” and other clubs that include both games and learning. Games can be used in the class, after school, and at home to increase our ability to reason, logic, and problem-solve.

Games Include Exploring and Building

Another reason that game-based learning can develop children and even adults’ skills set is because game-based learning encourages us to open our minds through exploration and building. Sharon Boller notes that exploring and building games expand and our minds, and are fun! Justin Eames in his article, “What Game-Based Learning Can Do for Student Achievement” suggests the use of games such as Myst, Oregon Trail, and Sim City. Whether we are exploring an “imaginary land,” in the game Myst, a first-person mystery game, or building and learning about how to build a successful city in Sim City, we are engaging in the learning process.

Why Not Use Game-Based Learning?

Game-based learning is ultimately an effective way for teachers to encourage students to use their whole brain through exploring and building and developing and expanding their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In addition to learning, children and adults alike are motivated to play games, because we like to obtain a goal, we like to win and compete, and we try to understand new ideas. Games allow us to leave our own “real world” temporarily and engage ourselves in the learning process in a non-traditional manner. Although there is also a time and place for PowerPoints, lectures, exams, and group projects, there is also nothing wrong with game-based learning!

December 29, 2017

Are Teachers Ready for Virtual Reality in the Classroom?

Virtual Reality (VR) has become a hot topic in education as of late with the arrival of many options for the technology in the video game world. Whether or not video games can teach children has been a long debate, but the addition of VR has possibly complicated or alleviated the situation further. According to a survey completed by GFK, 85 percent of teachers are ready to include VR in their classrooms. At the same time, 84 percent of teachers believe using VR could enhance the one thing that has seemed to be lost in classrooms in recent years: student motivation. These statistics come as no surprise considering how many students are so familiar with the technology, and two out of three teachers claim to be technology innovators for that very reason.

How Ready are Teachers and Classrooms?

Many teachers claim to be ready, but they might not see the amount of training and preparation it takes to use VR. Also, there is the concern of whether or not school districts can even afford the technology. So far, the cheapest route to go is headsets that work with Smartphones. However, with budget cuts across the board and technology that is already out of date being in classrooms, the concern of how to fund upgrading to this technology remains.

What is Currently Used and What Does Funding Look Like?

At current, most schools only make use of laptops, computer labs, iPads, and SmartBoards. Some of this technology has been provided by teachers themselves due to the lack of funds. Through this method, many applications have come into existence, and several successful start-up companies have been born. However, it is not fair to teachers to expect them to fund everything out of their own pockets much longer, especially as technology becomes more expensive and demanding in the classroom.

How Can VR be Used? What is the Hold Up?

There are many advantages to using VR in classrooms, though. Studies indicate that science and social studies classes would benefit from using VR the most because of the ability VR offers to simulate situations throughout history and in laboratories. For these simulations to occur, though, some technology programs currently available on the market need also to expand to meet the potential demand for these programs shortly. Even though students are ready for such technologies, and teachers crave having them in the classroom, current school curriculum just cannot seem to keep up with either situation. This is a shame considering the effect VR can have on students’ learning experiences and opportunities.

One Teacher’s Story

One teacher, in particular, Erin J. Merrill, has found a way to bring VR into her social studies classroom at the middle school where she teaches, though. She was able to find VR headsets on Amazon for as cheap as $10.00 each, which was helpful to find in a school that allows teachers to bring their own devices into the classroom. She also stated that each student does not have to have their VR headset as a group can share throughout a lesson. She requested students to use their on Smartphones to find 360-degree videos on YouTube and to download other applications found through Orbulus, Trench Experience VR, and Google Cardboard. Merrill foresees writing a grant in the future for a 360-degree camera of her own to have in the classroom for the sake of making her videos and experiences since students found the lesson plans revolving around VR to be so enlightening and eye-opening.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, due to the funding situations of most school districts that have previously been mentioned, most teachers who are ready to include VR in their classrooms will not have any other choice but to look into grant funding for such technology. Students are ready for it. Most teachers are ready for it. Therefore, the curriculum and budgeting in school districts should find a way to be ready for it, too.

December 7, 2017

Stretching Your School’s EdTech Budget

Every school wants to offer its students the best, most current, most meaningful opportunities. In the modern era, this means providing its learners with appropriate and useful technology. Unfortunately, technology can also be very expensive. With school budgets ever tightening, being fiscally responsible and taking advantage of cost saving measures is paramount in making sure that students are best taken care of and given the best opportunities.

Here are nine tips for making your dollars count in integrating technology in educational settings.

Take advantage of group rates

There is power in numbers. A single iPad is expensive, for sure, and a thousand iPads are, theoretically, a thousand times more expensive – or are they? Most tech providers offer a discount for buying technology in bulk. Sometimes, too, schools can earn discounted rates if they are part of a consortium of schools investing in technology together. Additionally, try to get quotes from two – or more – tech suppliers. When companies compete, you can save big.

Practice sustainable technology

Be careful not to over-purchase just because you think you’re getting a good deal. It’s more fiscally responsible to buy just what you need. Wasted technology can end up being a drain on resources. As technology ages, make sure you are investing in maintenance only for machines that are salvageable. For instance, computers that are more than five years old are often more expensive to continually repair than to replace with newer, more efficient and effective machines. Sustainable technology also means rotating the technology. Technology classes should receive the most advanced technology, as their class necessitates, but there are many teachers and classes that would be glad for the hand-me-downs. This will save money and put existing tech to good use.

Purchase the right tools for the job

Make sure you are purchasing machines and technology that are appropriate for your school’s needs. Stocking a computer lab with iPads, for example, might not be practical if students will be using the lab mainly for typing papers. Likewise, you may not need a high-powered machine for every class. Those same English classes, though, do not need gaming laptops with endless RAM and enviable graphics cards. It’s a good rule of thumb to purchase the least expensive technology that meets your needs and is reliable and reputable.

Purchase tools that can multi-task

In a similar vein, don’t box yourself into technology that can only be used for one class or circumstance. In one-to-one initiatives, netbooks can be used for a variety of classes and tasks. Make sure that you research what tools can be used in all – or at least most – classes and provide students with the opportunities they need.

Search out opportunities for freebies, especially software and apps

Web-based software apps are becoming increasingly popular, and many apps for tablets are, if not free, available in a “lite” version that often is free. This is a great way to try out programs without committing to spending large portions of your technology budget. You can pilot apps with groups of students, study their comparative efficacy and, if the students, teachers, and admin agree that something is worthwhile, you can invest your budget in the full paid version. This saves money that could be otherwise wasted buying apps that might end up being useless/

Standardize (reduce cost for training and support/repairs)

Even though education is a largely personal, often artistic endeavor, there is something to be said about standardizing the technology. Standardizing the type (Windows or Apple? Tablet or netbook?) of technology you use can increase cost savings through bulk purchasing options, streamlining repair, and making training simple and uniform.

Stop spending money on old/obsolete tech

There may always be teachers who prefer overhead projectors, VHS players, film reels, or cassette tapes. But maintaining and repairing these items is costly. Overhead projector bulbs alone can be a substantial cost to school tech budgets. Phasing these technologies out or – even better – selling these outdated machines can pad your tech budget, making more room for the things that will benefit the students most.

Leverage buy-back and rental programs

Mac to School is an Apple program that supplies technology and one-to-one opportunities for school districts. As the tech ages, Mac to School will buy back the items, helping to offset the cost of replacement technology. Some technology suppliers also offer rental programs. Schools can rent devices for a number of years before sending them back to the manufacturer in exchange for new devices. In either case, the data is wiped from the devices so that student and school information isn’t inappropriately disseminated.

Explore creative funding options

The best way to stretch a budget is to make a budget bigger! Explore state and federal funding options, available grants, or appeal to the community. As Bring Your Own Devices become more acceptable, it offers the opportunity for districts to invest their tech budgets in other pursuits as well.

Technology is becoming a necessity in education. Preparing students to use technology is an essential real-world skill. Following these tips will help your district make the most of the money they have to provide the students with the technology they need.

December 4, 2017

3D Printing Activities to Try in Your Classroom

Making shoebox dioramas for history or egg drop containers for physics is quickly becoming a thing of the past. There is a new fad making its way through schools: using 3D printers in the classrooms.

This is a new technology that makes solid 3D objects out of light plastic, layer by layer, from a single digital file. The process is started by designing an object with a 3D modeling program, downloading a template from a website, or using a 3D scanner to measure and recreate a tangible object. 3D printers are an average of $300, making them affordable to public schools. You can even watch the object be printed, as many of the printers are transparent. Sam Patterson, a Makerspace coordinator at Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA, said, “To students, it seems like magic. There is nothing and then there is something. It’s incredibly engaging to watch a 3D object being printed—a new version of watching digital paint dry.”

However, many teachers and schools are hesitant to buy 3D printers, believing them to only be useful for engineering or 3D art classes. But, according to Tim Jump, a science teacher at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in Minneapolis, says, “3D printing is a strong draw to encourage students to develop their science, technology, engineering and math skills — right alongside communication, collaboration and problem-solving. Programs that allow students to develop, design and produce solutions give them experience with the activities that will serve them well in college and career.” So, we have listed for you different 3D printing activities you can try with your students in your own classroom, regardless of what subject you teach.

History

No longer do students need to use random craft supplies to create visuals for their projects. Instead, students can use the 3D printer in their classroom to create historical artifacts. For example, when studying the Medieval ages, students can design and print their own war weapons, such as a catapult or siege tower. Then, they can test the weapons against other students’ creations. Or, if they are studying Roman and Greek history, they can design and print their own coinage with a Roman emperor on it. Instead of spending hours creating a model castle, students can just print their.

Art

Rather than wasting sculpting clay, students can create sculptural masterpieces with 3D printing. Not only will this improve their 3D art skills, but it will also improve their computer animation and graphic design skills. For younger children, during the winter holidays, instead of wasting paper to make snowflakes, students can design and then print 3D snowflakes to hang around the classroom.

But, the biggest advantage of having a 3D printer is encouraging students to find fun in the STEM program. Make sure you are comfortable and familiar with the technology yourself so that you can teach your students to use it on their own. As part of STEM, teach that failure in a prototype and design or malfunction of the machine is just part of the learning process.

Science

Have students create 3D Earths to learn about the different layers of Earth. Expand it to have the student create their own solar systems without having to rely on Styrofoam balls. Students can even create the age-old egg drop basket with a 3D printer. Teach students about aerodynamics by having them create airplanes. Focus on the physics behind the airplanes: the balance between strength for launching and weight for gaining flight time, as well as the speed needed to maintain flight. Make sure to teach beyond the printing. Include in your lesson plan the physics, the biology, the geology, the science behind the project. Make sure the emphasize the concept rather than the model.

Technology

Students will ineptly become more interested in technology as you use 3D printing. Have mini-lessons on how to properly run the programs 3D printing uses. In technology classes, have students create replacement parts to robots or computers as they learn how different technology works. Incorporate their outside hobbies into technology projects. For instance, have students design and print their video game controller.

Engineering

Anything is possible with 3D printing for Engineering purposes. Don’t buy pounds of marshmallows and bulk boxes of toothpicks anymore. Have students work together in groups to design and print their own bridges. Then, test those bridges with the weight of toy cars. Students can design and print a building that can withstand an earthquake simulator.

Math

Have students design and print their own math manipulatives. Create rulers, shapes, compasses, protractors, even counting units with your classroom’s 3D printer.

No matter what subject or grade level you are teaching, there are many ways to incorporate 3D printing into student learning. Don’t underestimate the ability of your students—their creativity and learning experience are the key to a successful lesson with 3D printing. Don’t grade results—remember, focus on teaching the concept and allow the 3D printing to be the activity.

Brian Briggs, director of innovation and technology instruction at Plumas Lake Elementary School District in Plumas Lake, CA said, “3D printing these days is redefining education. If there is something a student wants to try or wants to see, it’s just based on their own imagination—now they can build it.”

December 1, 2017

Five Ways to Leverage Wearable Technology in the Classroom

There is no doubt that technology both improves and complicates education. Technology can turn education into a more interactive, global experience, though it also raises new issues regarding classroom management and student misuse of class time. However, with guidance and dedication, teachers can implement wearable technology to help students engage with lessons on a deeper, more intrinsic level. Here are 5 ways educators can leverage wearable technology to enhance student engagement.

1. Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers, like FitBit or the Adidas Zone, can help students take ownership of their physical education and health classes. Instead of running a mile only once a week, students can monitor their daily fitness growth and progress over the term of the class. Physical education teachers can assign fitness homework and have access to monitoring, track the students as they make and reach health and fitness goals, and adjust their classes to accommodate the students’ changing fitness levels. This can make fitness goals and tests less competitive since physical competition can be intimidating for some students. On the other hand, students who are motivated by competition can enter into small-group competitions through their fitness trackers.

2. Virtual Reality

History, civics, and language teachers can make instruction true-to-life through the use of virtual reality headsets in their classrooms. Virtual reality allows users to feel immersed in another place or experience, an invaluable asset for students learning about foreign cultures, cities, or ancient empires. Teachers can lead virtual tours through the cities and events they’re teaching about, instead of relying on pictures, posters, and slideshows. Students can move from reading about a country to viewing its geography on a map, to walking the streets of its cities using virtual reality headgear.

3. Smart Watches

Smartwatches are a great way to enhance student-teacher communication and help students hold themselves accountable. Smartwatches increase students’ ability to self-monitor and self-regulate their learning experiences. Smartwatches can be synced to a user’s phone or tablet and can increase communication between teachers and students. Students can send questions to a teacher remotely (if they’re too shy to ask aloud), schedule and receive reminders about school work, or be used as an alarm or remote.

4. GoPro and Video Recorders

GoPro is just one of several portable, wearable video recorders on the market. They can be used by teachers to record lessons and in-class experiences to be used by students who are absent or unable to attend traditional school, or they can be used to enhance the learning environment. GoPro allows the student to take the driver’s seat in exploring the world around them as it relates to the curriculum of a class, especially in journalism, communication, and television production classes.

5. Google Glass

Google Glasses are perhaps the pinnacle of wearable technology. They take all the capabilities of a phone or tablet and wrap them around a student’s head in a pair of glasses. They are equipped with 4G and wireless internet technology, meaning that students can use them for both classroom input as well as output. Teachers can communicate with students, watch a student’s process (and not just the final result) in doing work through the Google Glass’ camera, and communicate with them in real-time, even when the students are at home. Google Glass is also hands-free, meaning it won’t interfere with the students’ other in-class tasks.

While these wearable technologies have creative uses in the regular education classroom, there are also a lot of exciting implications for special education students as well. Students with autism, for example, who may have difficulty communicating may find comfort in constant access to technology – like the Google Glass or smart watches – that allow them to view and communicate from behind a comfortable distance. These technologies also allow students to demonstrate their learning and understanding in deeper, more practical ways than traditional standardized tests or pen-and-paper responses.

Technology may offer certain temptations to students – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are easy to use for personal, non-academic reasons – and may at times make it harder for teachers to monitor their students, but the potential benefits of wearable technology far outweigh these hypothetical challenges. Wearable technology can make education more accessible, meaningful, and engaging for students of all abilities and interests.