Maureen Brown Yoder is a tech geek, and proud of it. She has done her research and found five cool toys (I mean tools!) that will help re-engage student learning, not to mention make teaching a little more fun (Yoder).
Just in case you are doubting the credibility of these learning tools, Maureen made sure each of the tools:
- Have the potential to enhance teaching in a powerful way.
- Are easy to learn and well supported.
- Are innovative/new or a vast improvement on an earlier version.
Tool 1: Lego Education's WeDo Robotics Construction Set
This construction set includes:
- 160 Lego elements
- Motor
- Sensor
- Tilt sensor
- Icon-based software
- Instructions to build 12 models
- Curriculum objectives with teacher notes and discussion questions
- Suggestions on how to extend these activitie
NETS standards for students that may be met by WeDo Robotics Construction Set:
- Standard 1.c
- Standard 2.a
- Standard 6.a,c,d
Watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPAuyZZcNKU):
Tool 2: Smart table
 |
| A conventional table: |
A Smart Table is about one thousand times cooler than the tables you and I grew up with. See image above compared with video below. This tool has the following features (Yoder):
- Multitouch
- Multiuser
- Interactive learning center
- Customizable settings (you can substitute your own images and content)
NETS standards for students that may be met by Smart Table:
- Standard 6.a,b,c,d
Watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FRmYXtneQ):
Tool 3: AVer Pen
Brace yourself. The AVer Pen has arrived. And I have no idea what it does! Aside from reading the article by Yoder, I also searched the Internet and I still can not grasp exactly what this tool is and how it may be best utilized in a classroom. If you, dear blog reader, can help me understand this tool I would appreciate your help.
NETS standards for students that may be met by AVer Pen:
- Standard 6.a,d
Tool 4: New Multiuser Virtual Environments (MUVEs)
There seems to be no limit to what can with done with MUVEs, as these virtual classrooms offer the students a chance to not just participate in the virtual world, filled with learning opportunities around every turn, but students are asked to help create this world (Yoder).
Take a tour with the following video to learn more (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r2sTKx7KvA)
And yes, the virtual characters can fly in the MUVE world!
NETS standards for students that may be met by MUVEs:
- Depending on how this tool is used, all NETS standards can be incorporated
- www.whyville.net (best for younger audiences)
- www.skoolaborate.com (this is a pretty "hip" site!)
Tool 5: Google Apps Education Community
Lastly, there can not be a blog with the tags "education" and "technology" and it not incorporate Google. Google has made a name for itself in education and provides teachers and students with unlimited tools for searching the Internet, collaborating, and performing any classroom activity you can think of (Yoder). And, since it is for teachers, the cost is $0.
Visit the following site to learn more about Google Apps. WARNING: YOU WILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS SITE AND MAY ALSO HAVE TOO MUCH FUN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITIES. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
http://edu.googleapps.com/
References:
techedimg. (2007). Brief Tour of Island on Teen Life. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r2sTKx7KvA
MYNXTMP. (2009). WeDo. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPAuyZZcNKU
SMARTClassrooms. (2008). SMARt Table - Touch. Learn. Togehter. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FRmYXtneQ
Yoder, M. (2009-2010, November). S'Cool Tools: 5 Great Tools to Perk Up Your Classroom and Engage Your Students. Learning and Leading with Teachnology, 37 (3). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/NovemberNo3/L_L_November_2009.htm
2 comments:
Hey Spiridoula,
I really liked this article, as it provided a listing of a lot of different resources that can be useful at a lot of different ages. There were some that I had never heard of, some that I have seen pretty rarely, and even something that I thought I would never see as useful in the classroom (speaking about the Second Life game). I would definately like to see more smart tables and the AVer Pens in the classrooms, since I think that they would positively change how teachers present a lesson plan to their students and especially how those students can respond to the lesson, beyondjust raising their hand and answering a question.
The Lego resource would be great to have for younger students, since it would not only be educational, but what kid do you know that doesn't love playing with Legos? It would definately mean and energetic, active, and excited class that would get to work with such a resource.
While I had some initial reservations about the Second Life program, I can see how it would be beneficial to use in a class that had a lot of interest in that style of learning, and would be very innovative if used in a standard class setting.
Every now and then when you are addressing the various technological applications in the classroom i remember what i though was techno advanced. The was an older movie "The Net" with Sandra Bullok and she ordered a pizza via the web. At the time it seemed surreal, my how times have changed. Now i watch random science fiction and their use of technology and plan on how that could be available to the classroom. Virtual field trips is a shinning example of how this magic tech is actually real.
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