This week’s class will meet in the Clark Library Digital Lab. The focus will be on sampling some emerging edtech trends with our guide – José Velazco, the Digital Lab’s Digital Initiatives Coordinator. We’ll sample three exciting new directions in Ed Tech – Virtual Reality, 3D Printing and coding for kids..
Virtual Reality – VR is one of the hottest edtech trends. Not only are students allowed the opportunity to emerge themselves into a subject but can travel the world from their desk chairs. While not readily available in every classroom, programs such as Google Cardboard aim to make VR headsets cheap and accessible. Educationally, these VR apps allow students to visualize concepts that were confined to the pictures in a textbook. More from 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education
3D Printing – 3D printing is a rapid digital-based production method for creating objects. Advances in resources available for teachers and other education professionals are also making 3D printing more widely accessible in schools as part of the “Maker” movement in education. Teachers can now download design software and access it via tablets and mobile phones. Easy tutorials for beginners are available for those without basic knowledge of the technology. Source
More ideas here 7 benefits of using 3D printing technology in education
Coding for Kids – There’s been a lot of buzz about kids learning to code lately. This year, almost 200 million students around the world were exposed to coding through the Hour of Code event. And over 90% of American parents want programming added to their child’s curriculum. We’ll be using Apple’s Swift Playgrounds – a revolutionary app for iPad that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. It requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out.
Assignment: Due Monday March 19 | Completed Work
This week we are taking a break from edtech design and shifting to some reflective writing. Use this week’s showcase to write yourself “a letter from your future self.” Give it a clever title and engaging featured image. Set it 15 years in the future. Start with something like this and have fun with it.
March 7, 2033
It seems like only yesterday I was training to be a teacher in EdTech Methods class. Fifteen years have gone by and my teaching career is going great. You won’t believe how some things in education changed and others stayed the same…..
Note: This is not just about what will change in 15 years. It’s equally about what will stay the same, but now be seen in a new context. For example, your students might still be 5th graders – but how has 5th grade changed?
Image credit: Aprilkind Pixabay / Adobe Spark