It’s all about innovation. We don’t mean this latest installment of the Eduporium Weekly (although that is, too). Success in everything from education to the real world is so hugely dependent on innovating. It’s probably time everybody took notice.
Hints for Teachers New to Tech
Teaching with technology can be intimidating for some teachers, especially if they are new to it, feel the pressure from society or lack the creative ideas for weaving the products into the curriculum. It’s okay to feel that kind of anxiety though—in fact, it’s perfectly normal! Just remember that there’s no wrong way to explore teaching with technology and some of the best learning breakthroughs actually come from mistakes made in the classroom. To minimize the stress, however, it’s important for teachers to keep an open mind and communicate as much as possible. Here are some ideas for doing just that!
The best way to start is often to just jump right in. It’s not vital that teachers know and understand every detail of their tech before implementing it—you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much you learn along the way! Sharing, also, is key to EdTech implementation. When you find something that works well (or something that doesn’t), tell people about it! Social media is an invaluable tool both for learning about best practices in EdTech and helping other new techies learn. That’s not to say you have to use every tool you hear about; finding one quality resource is generally more effective than trying to get through 50 or 60 good ones. Beyond that, there’s nothing wrong with improvisation, in fact, we definitely embrace creativity in the classroom and remember to trust that students will use the tech for good.
With that trust in hand, students will use the technology to become more independent learners and when they can see themselves in a project, they’re much more likely to take ownership of it. It’s important that the kids be comfortable and that’s something to consider when it comes to both the classroom environment and the EdTech tools. Kids know technology, so teachers can and should make a conscious effort to procure tools that the kids may already be familiar with and will get excited about using. Finally, the opportunity to learn with technology is exciting to students. Don’t underestimate the power it has for enhancing engagement in the classroom. Take advantage of that truth. Surprise students, grab their attention and make learning fun and cool.
What Makes the Best STEM Labs?
Science labs are a fairly common sight in middle and high schools around the world, but the problem is that most students have the opportunity to use them once a week at most. Given the era in which we live, with technology becoming the norm, wouldn’t it make sense to have kids engaging in hands-on learning daily? The answer, of course, is yes—in an ideal world. Labs and makerspaces cost money, however, and so do the tools that go in them, so creating innovative learning spaces for today’s students is not always easy—but, it certainly is possible.
How do schools find that elusive balance of real-world STEM learning and cost effective spending? Well, it’s first important to realize that it’s not about procuring the most expensive, cutting-edge technologies—the simple ones really do make all the difference, especially for beginners. Any space that extends beyond the traditional classroom setting can be used as a STEM lab—even just a patch of grass outside or a temporarily vacant school hallway. With so many of today’s students interested in and pursuing STEM education, it’s becoming increasingly important for them to have access to supplemental activities to support retention in computer science, robotics or engineering classes.
STEM labs should provide space for kids to tinker and experiment, but also give them the chance to become familiar with IT and learn how to use technology to properly conduct research. Specifically, they should engage in short- or long-term projects that help them hone engineering skills through hands-on design. They could collaboratively explore the ideas of computer science and facilitate interactive lessons. Or, they could pool all their findings to analyze real-world problems, find out why something is happening and brainstorm to find a viable modern solution. You don’t need a ton of room or a ton of money—just some common goals and a bit of desire to change the world through learning with technology.
Productive Failure Through the Use of Robotics
If you think it’s too early to start learning about robotics, there’s a good chance you’re wrong. Exposing children to early experiences with coding and programming is highly beneficial, especially since it seems almost certain that they will be entering a world that will demand their proficiency in these areas. Providing students with a base of technical skills will make a real difference in their success and in their lives. Just simple tinkering with uncomplicated microrobots, like the Ozobot Bit, will get kids coding without them even realizing it. Robots give them a tangible learning goal—something they can feel, build, touch and improve.
One of the most important things that robotics units provide, especially in STEM classrooms, is the opportunity and expectation for kids to productively fail. Robotics encourage experimentation as kids put their trial and error skills to use. When programming, kids will often gain the basic idea rather quickly, but take some time to actually get the flawless results they want. Each failed attempt, though, is a learning experience—and an important one. Returning to the “scene” of error, finding just where things went wrong and correcting the mistake is an instantly gratifying feeling for children. Robots are perfect for instilling the notions of persistence in kids while they use their hands to learn.
Advocates of growth mindset will tell you how important it is for teachers to create plenty of opportunities for kids to fail, make informed revisions and watch as their mistakes turn into true learning experiences. Creation and correction is a necessary part of programming, but, more importantly, it builds an undeniable confidence in students. Each error is just a reminder that students have the opportunity to rework what they’ve done and refine it in order to be successful. Robotics helps kids realize that they actually can think their way out of any jam—and they have the technology to help them at their disposal.
Apparently, You Can 3D Print Body Parts Now
3D printing was never really just for creating toys and models. It was and still remains a certain kind of project-based learning with a purpose. Now, it seems, that those purposes are expanding—to say the least. Most of what’s created using 3D printers is used to improve some aspect of everyday life, but does that really include functional and safe body parts? Well, apparently it does! Doctors have recently conducted experiments to determine whether or not 3D printing body parts is safe and, so far, it’s safe. We already have 3D printed prosthetics, cars, houses and so many other things. I guess this is just next in line at the innovation station.
The news came about a month ago when researches announced they successfully implanted 3D printed living tissues and organs in animals. They successfully functioned in the animals and, almost immediately, talk began of 3D printing actual parts to use in humans. Apparently, they have the building blocks in place to 3D print human bladders and have even hinted at the possibility of printing more structures that would be both long enough and strong enough for people. The 3D printing of artificial limbs has begun, but researchers think that with the way technology is developing, we may be approaching surgical replacements in the form of customized 3D printing before we know it.
At the heart of this most recent discovery is something called an ITOP, or Integrated Organ and Printing System, which, as you may have guessed, is unlike any 3D printer we’ve seen so far. It uses a material that is described as “plastic-like” as well as biodegradable to form the exact shape of human tissues. And, if you can believe it, the printed organs also utilize water-based ink to hold cells in place and a series of microchannels to allow necessary oxygen and nutrients to flow through as if it was the real thing. Every indication is that this tissue would be strong enough to function in both humans and animals and, with the success that scientists have found through their experiments on animals, it may not be a long time before we see them try it on a person.
Computer Science Courses Could be the Key to Developing Real-World Skills
Many of the available jobs in today’s economy can be found in the technology industry. Many of the people qualified to work them, however, are nowhere to be found. The skill set that the average STEM job demands today is something that many applicants simply cannot live up to because they don’t have a base of knowledge when it comes to programming, coding or scientific applications. Well, why don’t they have this base and, if they don’t have it, why are they applying? As we said, these STEM jobs are the best paying and starting to be the most common, so that’s why people are drawn to them. As for the skills, people generally aren’t qualified because they did not get enough hands-on technology experience throughout the course of their education.
According to TechCrunch, in just a few years, there will be 1.8 million vacant jobs in America because there simply will not be enough sufficiently trained workers to fill them. Currently, only one in 10 US schools offer courses in programming—a number that is way past due for improvement. We understand that it’s tough to squeeze computer science classes into an already-packed school day and it would likely mean replacing a staple subject in a child’s education. Hasn’t computer science become a staple, though? Will today’s students be more likely to have to write code or write a grammatically correct sentence when they enter the tech-heavy job pool? These proposed coding classes could count towards math or science requirements, which would alleviate the created void and also result in more useful knowledge than things like acceleration or the life cycle.
Computer science is something that teaches kids more than what they’re learning on the surface. First and foremost, it teaches them to be innovators and problem solvers, but most students do not have the opportunity to learn it. Computer science classes provide real-life, hands-on and project-based learning opportunities for students of all gender and economic backgrounds, ensuring that every student has the chance to set themselves up for a better future. In the classroom, schools and districts can increase readiness by offering learning experiences that center on digital content and individualize learning for each particular student. Technologies like tablets, digital media and even robotics kits are wonderfully beneficial for enhancing hands-on learning and even offer the chance for younger kids to ease into basic coding. We know what’s important in preparing today’s kids for the future, now everyone has to do their part to get the right tools into the classroom.
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