Kara Applegate

The year 2023 is over, but those educational movements that shaped it will continue to impact students in 2024—and beyond. Advances across many key areas, like artificial intelligence, stood out among big EdTech trends for 2023, while personalized learning, cybersecurity, and teacher burnout were also big, and drones, 3D printers, and VR came more into focus.

In these last few weeks before winter break, it’s easy to get distracted from learning. And we get it—everyone needs a break! In the meantime, though, we put together this list of festive projects from some of our favorite STEM tools. Kids can make a mold for a chocolate dreidel, have a robot snowball fight, or even craft custom snowflake

Drones are currently used in many key industries, like telecommunications, agriculture, construction, and security, They are even finding a home in the performing arts, and soon enough, delivery drones might even show up at your door. Therefore, it is essential for middle and high-school students to build familiarity with coding and piloting using the top educational drones.

A part of medicine, agriculture, research, and more, drones are increasingly prevalent in a wide range of fields. Therefore, it’s more necessary than ever to integrate them into STEAM education. Using these five options, children can combine drone piloting with coding, engineering, and design. They will build obstacle courses, code choreography, and have fun with STEM!

Although the pandemic caused setbacks in SEL and communication skills, students are often using EdTech to revitalize some of that lost learning. By working as teams to build a circuit or practicing conversations with robots, students foster communication skills that can prepare them for their future. And, they can even communicate in alternative ways through art or music.

The Ozobot Bit Robot was a longtime go-to STEM solution for teaching all about coding, robotics, computational thinking, and problem solving. Now that the Bit has been retired for a few years, however, you may want to try to upgrade. Its successor, the Ozobot Evo, continues to enable educators to teach CS lessons with its significant upgrades, like Bluetooth capability.

Last week, at the Boston Museum of Science, their Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) initiative hosted a panel on Women in AI. The panelists discussed the need for added diversity in AI and the significance of ethical issues surrounding how people use artificial intelligences. They also added their insights on how to use AI tools effectively and safely in

Coding proficiencies are becoming increasingly important as new tech has entered the world. Though some kids (and teachers) may be apprehensive about learning to code, there are lots of ways to make coding experiences more accessible. These five languages, from the fun and colorful blocks to the more advanced text, help kids naturally advance their coding skills.

When it comes to virtual reality in education, the landscape will continue to evolve. Whether with online VR resources like Floreo or the flexible yet very immersive RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 platform, virtual reality can check many of the boxes for 21st century engagement. Plus, it can also positively influence engagement, retention, and SEL skills, like empathy, in students.

Representation in STEAM fields remains invaluable, especially considering that lack of visibility among AAPI individuals. For this AAPI Heritage Month, we’re excited to recognize major accomplishments of these STEM leaders, who have made great strides in areas like computer science, public health, treating illness, or tracking storms all while continuing to improve our lives.