There are so many things that contemporary teachers have to account for and many of them—like personalizing learning, teaching coding and using technology—are still all very new. Luckily for them, below is a bunch of sound advice for helping to get today’s students ready for today’s increasingly complex world!
Flip Reluctant Students and Engage Them
Not every student is going to be enthusiastic about learning, paying attention and sitting still for six straight hours even with the use of innovative technologies in the classroom. However unfortunate, the fact remains that some students will prefer to just sit there emptily and stare idly at the ceiling, out the window or maybe even close their eyes. Some teachers will shake that off, reasoning that if the student has no desire to learn, then that is the student’s problem, not theirs. What they should be doing, however is giving them that desire to learn. When teachers see a student with their head down, one who is constantly creating distractions or one who just can’t go five minutes without sending a text, know that there are ways to save them.
The first thing any good 21st century teacher should do is find things that particular student is interested in and shape the necessary concepts around subject matter they can relate to and get excited about. You’d be surprised about how discovering disengaged students’ interests and consistently involving them in the class or just in casual conversation will help to engage them. Teachers can also try moving these particular students to somewhere they probably would rather not be—the heart of the class. Many times, the most engaged section of the classroom is the dead center. If the center of the classroom is engaged, it tends to spill out into the outer edges and even all the way to the back row. Some kids just aren’t comfortable speaking in class, so they naturally try to look disinterested to avoid being called on—I know, I’ve done that plenty of times. In this case, teachers should make an effort to mix in some group work so the student gets more comfortable talking around classmates, making it more likely they will engage in class discussions.
A lot of the time, reluctant students are dead set on scraping by in a way that allows them to pass by doing just the bare minimum. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are a bad student, but it does probably mean they need to be more engaged. If they don’t want to be a part of the discussion, try making them a part of the lesson. By asking one or two reluctant students to directly help with the class one day, there’s a good chance they’ll feel special and get engaged. And, when students do have a bad showing on a test or assignment, it’s important that they are given the chance to correct their mistakes. Not only does this result in a better overall grade, but it gives students a sometimes necessary reminder that their teacher is not out to get them after all. Sometimes, that second chance, that fresh start is all it takes to turn a lost semester into a promising one and a disengaged student into a success.
Drone Technology Could Improve our Everyday Lives
Drones are becoming quite the hot technology topic in 2016. After getting much of their previous notoriety from their effectiveness in military operations, drones are now being used much more frequently and are starting to carve a path into everyday life. Some giant companies like Amazon and Google are known to be experimenting with having unmanned drones deliver products to customers in a way that is even faster than the current model. Drones could potentially come to a point where they save workers tons of time and companies tons of money—just a few short years after they began buzzing their way into the mainstream light.
We are actually now beginning to see newer and more wide-scale ways for how drones are improving traditional practices and serving humanity. These mobile technologies are on a quest to improve the lives of people as well as animals every day and they do so by cutting out inefficiencies and speeding up the time it takes to complete a task. One particular model, the Matternet One, is capable of taking the most direct route to a drop-off point, adjusting for changing weather conditions and avoiding restricted air space, mountains and buildings without the need for any human intervention. Some drones only need a car battery to run and give human workers more sets of eyes than they have ever had before. Drones allow us to continue doing work on the ground, but provide support through high-definition cameras and microphones so that no detail is ever missed.
Of course, some drones are being developed just for the sole purpose of serving as cameras for private filmers, large companies and even news organizations. These new angles literally offer brand new perspectives and are a truly innovative option for capturing breathtaking video. Another use for drones is reporting on weather and atmospheric conditions and sending the results back to “Earth.” Small on-board sensors are able to help those of us who remain on the ground determine anything from the air pressure to the intensity of a nearby fire. As if that technology was not impressive enough, one future project called Aquila will boast the wingspan of a 737 and is expected to be able to provide Internet access in areas where there is none, bringing connectivity to the furthest corners of the Earth. Undoubtedly, drones will continue to evolve and, hopefully, continue to bring much more good to our lives.
7 Ways EdTech Benefits Everyone
Technology in the classroom isn’t met with the same eager excitement from everybody. In fact, some people who have traditionally used the same methods to teach year after year may even steadfastly refuse to adopt it. EdTech does, however, have plenty of advantages when used properly and include everything from increased engagement to strengthened collaboration. The benefits tend to extend to greater reaches, but here are a few specific advantages of opening the classroom and the mind to the positive effects of educational technology.
First, EdTech offers everybody involved with a cheap, simple and, honestly, ideal way of flipping the classroom. Once content is incorporated into a flipped lesson, children can access it at any time, creating a huge amount of time saved for teachers as well as students. It also maximizes class time for learners and goes a long way in eliminating wasted minutes each week. Teachers are able to reach every student on a level that is the most beneficial for them rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Next, technology tends to make things easier and, in this case, it often eliminates tedious paperwork. Technology, while building technical skills in kids, can be used to complete assignments, eliminating the use of paper for both assignments themselves as well as for grading.
What’s benefit No. 4 you ask? EdTech can engage students in a new way if they fail to retain enough of the key concepts the first time around. Technology tools are valuable for those teachers who recognize the importance of letting students redo work that was not satisfactory the first time. On top of that, most of today’s technologies are mobile, which extends the school day and collaboration opportunities while kids are at home. Further, tech offers an instant plan to move forward in the event that learning goals are not met. If students struggled, there is no time for them to forget the important concepts as technology can help fill the learning gaps and get them ready to succeed. Last but certainly not least, EdTech helps provide teachers with a bigger picture of student learning and overall effort. They can see what kids are doing from home and this gives them a much clearer picture of what they need to focus more on the next day or less on in the coming weeks. And that’s seven! Yes, technology definitely is powerful. Depending on how the products are used and the amounts of creativity the teacher has, the adoption of EdTech in the classroom can shoot engagement and success through the roof!
Is Coding Literacy Necessary?
There was a time not too long ago when simply becoming literate was an accomplishment. Now, we need so many literacies just to carry out our day-to-day responsibilities and this will remain true (if not be multiplied for the children who are currently in school). Today, workers are expected to be fluent in areas such as communication, collaboration and technology. In the very near future (say, 10-20 years), it is estimated that workers will need to know how to code. It will no longer be a bonus, but a requirement for so many who want to pursue a high-paying career in the STEM fields.
Let’s stop and think if this shift in required skills is really necessary. Well, remember that President Obama just unveiled his $4 billion “Computer Science for All” Initiative at the end of last month, so that might be a pretty good indicator. A portion of this money will go directly to school districts in a concentrated effort to improve (or establish) the computer science education that will prepare kids for the tech-filled world in which we live. Other prestigious organizations like the National Science foundation and Corporation for National and Community Service among others have also invested in the future of STEM education. It’s definitely time to make computer science as everyday as Math and English and our school systems need the teachers and resources to help bring coding skills to every kid.
Right now, in America there are approximately 600,000 vacant tech jobs simply because there are not enough skilled workers to fill them. Since they require a high level of tech expertise, you can be safe in assuming that they pay pretty well, too. Of those 600,000 unfulfilled jobs, 10,000 of them are within the government alone. If you still don’t think that coding and computer science should be a year-long and year-to-year endeavor for students starting in elementary school, then perhaps it’s time to revisit the statistics. The future of success is STEM careers. And, the future of STEM careers lies—you guessed it—in coding.
Using 3D Printers for More than Just Making Things
3D printers are starting to become regulars in makerspaces, schools, libraries and even in the homes of regular, ordinary people. What started as an ingenious way for geniuses to create their own tools and gadgets has ballooned into a phenomenon that is almost becoming practical and necessary in the 21st century. Now, as their presence continues to grow, we can only expect that the significance of possessing 3D printing skills will grow as well. That’s why it’s about time for teachers to move past the meaningless printing of knick-knacks and wall decorations. Students can and should be using 3D printing to create universal solutions to real problems—or at least pressing classroom conundrums. The point is: making should have meaning.
If nothing else, 3D printers and the filament they need to produce tangible designs are expensive, so nobody should be wasting their money to print pointless doodads. It’s even more of a waste if this is happening on the school’s time—when parents have trusted that their child’s time is being put to the best possible use. The ideal finished product is one that is both student created and real-world practical so that kids can use it to foster meaningful skills, solve a real problem and boost their creative process. A lot of the time, kids are able to create things that are bigger than themselves—both literally and metaphorically. Fortunately, 3D printers are a helpful tool that allow students to accomplish things they otherwise would not be capable of doing.
Students can collaborate using 3D printing to literally bring life to their STEM lessons and create any number of useful projects. Many of the best 3D printing projects have a service aspect embedded in them and the objective is for kids to devise a way of improving some aspect of somebody’s everyday life. A common example is that of the class who made it their mission to 3D print a custom prosthetic arm for a classmate who had lost his. This combines the technical skills, project-based and community-oriented components of 3D printing to form a 100 percent meaningful and masterful use of the device. Honestly, anything along these lines that shares some of these traits is a gold mine for 3D printing success!
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