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Scooped by
John Evans
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Instead of struggling to find information, 21st century students are overwhelmed with it — websites, blogs, databases, magazines, books, documentaries, newspapers, television shows, organizations, advertisements, and agencies are all available at their fingertips. Teachers must guide their students through it all to achieve information literacy and become savvy consumers of information.
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John Evans
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Math matters for computer science because it teaches students how to use abstract language, work with algorithms, self-analyze their computational thinking, and accurately modeling real-world solutions.
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John Evans
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In today's classroom STEM is a vital topic covered universally. With that being said, more and more students are being introduce to coding and programming earlier then ever before. Best of all, new technology and apps makes it easier and easier for students to learn these useful skills. Below is a list of some of the best resources for students and educators looking to learn how to program and code.
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John Evans
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From programmable LEGO robots to mobile apps like Hopscotch, there’s no shortage of games and toys designed to get children interested in computer science. But when it comes to adults, the options to learn how to code start to look a lot less like fun and a lot more like classwork.
Over the past nine months, Google has been trying to change that through Grasshopper, a mobile game meant to teach adults the basic principles of coding. Although five thousand people have already graduated from Grasshopper’s JavaScript Fundamentals course while the app has been in testing, the search giant is revealing it and making it publicly available for the first time on Wednesday. The game is launching for iOS and Android out of Area 120, Google’s internal workshop for experimental projects.
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John Evans
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Google Arts & Cutlture is one of the best educational platforms for virtually exploring world museums. It allows you to search for, access and explore beautiful artworks from all around the world. You can create collections of your favourite artworks and share them with others, take ‘guided tours curated by experts’, step ‘inside the most famous museums in the world and visit iconic landmarks’. You can also use the search tool to find local museums and cultural events around your area.
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John Evans
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A long time ago I responded to Ian Sands on twitter asking for digital images of children's art that he could offer to his high school students to play with as they learn to animate. Some of his students selected my students "He Came with the Chair" paintings. The animations turned out SO adorable and inspiring-see example below or check them all out here. It has been one of my goals to figure out an elementary level lesson with a straightforward app that would give my students the experience of animating their own artwork in the same style. I think I might have figured it out. This technique isn't perfect, but, it will work.
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John Evans
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For Earth Day and Earth Week, your students can create their own Google logo that celebrates what they care about in the world.
As the Scratch Project Page states, students can make a Google logo that celebrates what you care about. Show your appreciation for your favorite animal, share ways to protect the environment or encourage others to be mindful of their energy use.
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John Evans
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"In the face of something like automation, the people-facing jobs are the ones that are going to stay. So we urgently need to equip young people with those skills — critical thinking, problem-solving and communica"
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John Evans
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Pexels is another good website where you can access and find free photos to use in your instruction. Photos in Pexels are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) which allows you to re-use them for personal as well as comercial purposes and usually without the need for attribution. You can also edit photos you find on Pexels the way you want. You can crop, annotate, and add filters.
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John Evans
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The most effective way to test student understanding is to do it while the lesson’s still going on. Asking students to fill out a questionnaire and then correcting misunderstandings during the next class period won’t work because students have already moved on. You’ve got to take advantage of the moment. If you hope to spend the majority of your time getting through to students, and not just talking, then understanding must be measured and dealt with as soon as the first frown appears on a face.
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John Evans
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There are research teams around the world dedicated to finding a remedy for the growing plastic pollution crisis, but now it seems that one group of scientists have found a feasible answer -- and they stumbled upon it by accident. Researchers studying a newly-discovered bacterium found that with a few tweaks, the bug can be turned into a mutant enzyme that starts eating plastic in a matter of days, compared to the centuries it takes for plastic to break down in the ocean.
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John Evans
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Several months ago I awoke one morning with an idea for a project. I had gone to bed thinking about a presentation I am going to make to a group of middle and high school technology teachers in a couple of months. I wanted to come up with a simple and inexpensive projects they could use to teach their students some aspect of technology and hopefully inspire their creativity. During the night I dreamed of making machines out of paperclips and this project was born. As for the cost of this project - the wood and paperclips cost me 37 cents.
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John Evans
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“Nothing could be more absurd than an experiment in which computers are placed in a classroom where nothing else is changed.” - Seymour Papert
When it comes to improving outcomes in the digital age, efficacy matters more than ever. Billions of dollars are spent across the world on technology with the hopes that it will lead to better results. Tom Murray and I shared this thought in Learning Transformed:
"Educational technology is not a silver bullet. Yet year after year, districts purchase large quantities of devices, deploy them on a large scale, and are left hoping the technology will have an impact. Quite often, they’re left wondering why there was no change in student engagement or achievement after large financial investments in devices. Today’s devices are powerful tools. At the cost of only a few hundred dollars, it’s almost possible to get more technological capacity than was required to put people on the moon. Nevertheless, the devices in tomorrow’s schools will be even more robust. With that in mind, it’s important to understand that the technology our students are currently using in their classrooms is the worst technology they will ever use moving forward. As the technology continues to evolve, the conversation must remain focused on learning and pedagogy—not on devices."
Unfortunately, technology is not a magic wand that will automatically empower learners to think critically, solve complex problems, or close achievement gaps. These outcomes rely on taking a critical lens to pedagogical techniques to ensure that they evolve so that technology can begin to support and ultimately enhance instruction. If the former (pedagogy) isn’t solid, then all the technology in the world won’t make a difference. As William Horton states, “Unless you get the instructional design right, technology can only increase the speed and certainty of failure.”
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John Evans
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STEM and Computational Thinking go together. Today’s guest is a PhD, Biomedical engineer and STEM Teacher. Stephanie Zeiger helps us see the potential of STEM and computational thinking.
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John Evans
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Learning experiences in education are rapidly evolving as augmented reality and virtual reality are making their way into classrooms. First, it is important to distinguish the difference between these two technologies. Augmented reality (AR) superimposes a computer-image overlay on an existing environment. For instance, Abraham Lincoln's log cabin can pop up in the middle of your classroom using AR Flashcard's Abraham Lincoln app. Virtual reality (VR) is more immersive in that it takes us some place else usually by using VR goggles or glasses. An example of virtual reality would be diving deep into the ocean to swim with sharks and experience the ocean habitat using Google Cardboard's VR Abyss. Both AR and VR provide unique learning opportunities that children would never be able to experience just by reading a textbook or visiting a website. This post focuses on how educators can use augmented reality to help support instruction.
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John Evans
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"Deep machine learning will likely automate the writing of code relatively quickly. Creativity is going to be far more important in a future where software can code better than we can"
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John Evans
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Since the turn of this century, the “4C’s of 21st century” skills—critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication—have seen growing recognition as essential ingredients of school curricula. This shift has prompted an uptake in pedagogies and frameworks such as project-based learning, inquiry learning, and deeper learning across all levels of K-12 that emphasize higher order thinking over rote learning. I argue that we need computational thinking (CT) to be another core skill—or the “5th C” of 21st century skills—that is taught to all students.
There is growing recognition in the education systems around the globe that being able to problem-solve computationally—that is, to think logically and algorithmically, and use computational tools for creating artifacts including models and data visualizations—is rapidly becoming a prerequisite competency for all fields.
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John Evans
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"Elementary-age students struggle with the disconnect between the finished design or model and the long print times. This gets in the way of the iteration process and causes a lot of frustration. Multiply that by many classes and you have a significant backup of days or weeks. This year I decided that I wanted our fourth graders, to walk away with at least one substantial and meaningful print. "
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John Evans
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If you need to mix up your bedtime story routine a little bit, the Global Space Education Foundation has just the thing for you: Story Time in Space. It’s exactly what it sounds like — astronauts on various missions in space read popular children’s books while floating about, and the videos are edited and shared with kids way down on Earth.
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John Evans
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The Finns are pretty bemused by Americans’ preoccupation with whether to put iPads in every classroom. If a tablet would enhance learning, great. If it wouldn’t, skip it. Move on. The whole thing is a little tilting-at-windmills, anyway.
That was the gist of the conversation one recent morning at the Finnish Embassy in Washington, D.C., where diplomats and experts gathered to celebrate the country’s education accomplishments as Finland turns 100. And Americans could stand to take notes. (Yes, from Finland—again.)
Coding and programming are now part of the curriculum in the Scandinavian country, and they’re subjects kids tackle from a young age. But unlike in some parts of the United States where learning to code is an isolated skill, Finnish children are taught to think of coding and programming more as tools to be explored and utilized across multiple subjects.
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John Evans
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Teaching financial literacy in the classroom is one promising way to improve financial capacity for today’s young people.
Today’s young people face an overwhelming number of complex financial decisions. However, many are unprepared to make informed financial choices as they move into adulthood. In fact, three out of four young adults cannot answer basic financial questions.
Teaching financial literacy in the classroom is one promising way to improve financial capacity for today’s young people. Research shows that by the age of 12, students will develop an economic understanding that researchers describe as “essentially adult”. By including lessons on smart money habits early in their cognitive development, we can encourage young people to save money, foster family conversations, a
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John Evans
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I have a few sayings I often use in my teacher education courses and PD workshops for teachers related to active listening. They include:
If the teacher is doing more talking than the students, then this is a problem.
One of the biggest gifts we, as educators, can give to our learners is to be truly present for them; to deeply listen to what they have to say.
What this boils down to, for me, is the teacher being an active listener. I get to practice what I preach on a regular basis as I teach gifted elementary students three days a week. For this academic year, I decided to become even more intentional in practicing active listening with the students. I hope my intention has benefitted them. I know there have been benefits for me. I get to really relish in how they see the world. Their stories, ideas, jokes, and wit are often amazing; and I get great joy in hearing them. I also get to witness the joy and excitement through their faces and body language when I respond in awe with what they shared with me."
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Scooped by
John Evans
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How does it feel to be old, or colour blind, or the victim of bullying?
Virtual reality can now help us to temporarily live others' experiences, and this may have important psychological benefits. Watch the video above to find out more.
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John Evans
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Learning how to put together inexpensive STEM ideas is a wonderful way to encourage learning oppotunities that include science, technology, engineering, and math. All kids should have a chance to try STEM challenges, Science Experiments, and Tinker Trays.
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John Evans
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Educational YouTube channels are built to offer modern educators tons of resources and ideas for spicing up their teaching. So many brilliant minds have given their time and energy to build some superb channels, and now we’re bringing you 8 of our favourites. Which educational YouTube channels do you think our community should know about? Share them below.
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