The FSU Tech Sandbox offers an abundance of technologies that can be used in the classroom. These items included software programs on an Ipad, a touch screen computer, a virtual reality system, a 3D printer as well as 3D printing pens, and a promethean/smart board. Within the classroom, I think having access to a promethean board or a smart board is very crucial in students learning. These boards are able for teachers to use tools to help teach their lessons and help students understand and visualize the material. Using these boards allows students to directly interact with technology in the classroom. For example, when teaching math, it is very easy for teachers to quickly create and edit shapes in their lessons. These shapes can help students visualize what a "cylinder" looks like.
Web 2.0 tools are very helpful within classrooms. A web 2.0 tool that can be used for educational purposes is Skype. Skype is a tool where students are able to video chat through a computer, Ipad, or smart phone. Although Skype is normally seen as something used between people during their free time, it is also a tool for students to connect and discover things/people around the world. For example, back in elementary school I had a pen pal in a foreign country. With Skype, instead of having to write and wait for a response, students can Skype with their buddies and get to know the other cultural differences and similarities.
https://www.skype.com/en/
Something seen at the Tech Sandbox was a 3D printer and 3D printing pens. I believe as these inventions are further researched and developed they can become key aspects to classrooms. For visual learners the 3D pen is a great way for students to be able to draw and bring to life their math problems. Currently, it takes hours if not days for the 3D printer to print things. If this process were faster, I believe it would be very helpful for teachers to print things and show the class. For example, instead of showing pictures of a heart during an anatomy class, a teacher could 3D print a heart so the students can easily identify the valves and arteries. Technology is advancing everyday and I'm very excited to see what the future holds for technology inside classrooms.
Skype is such an amazing Web 2.0 tool. I think the pen pal program you talked about is really cool and definitely a cool program to implement in a classroom. I also agree that the 3D printer and pens can be very useful. They allow students to manipulate and actually hold the object to really help them understand the learning.
ReplyDeleteSkype would be such a cool way to engage kids! I love the idea of having a skype pal instead of a pen pal. It would really bring the assignment to life.
ReplyDelete