Eduporium Blog

We’ve awarded our $500 EdTech grant for the month of May to Marylin Prysi! Marylin is a teacher at the Villas Elementary School in Fort Meyers, FL and currently designing a STEM lab. She works with a large amount of minority students and helps create beneficial STEAM experiences for them to learn and grow together!

With three different levels, students can try block coding, hybrid coding, and text coding while controlling a variety of the Root’s features. There have also been updates to the Root, including new Android and computer or laptop compatibility. We’ll introduce you to the iRobot coding simulator as well and explore its amazing features!

For educators, there are a lot of different tech tools they can use. Some are geared towards math education, others towards teaching tech skills, and there are plenty of others for different areas of the curriculum. One of those areas is reading assessment. And, one of those tools for gauging an accurate picture of student reading skills is Literably.

Led by Nate Ubowski and Greg Rousos, learn how teachers can use the Sphero BOLT, RVR, and Mini for robotics lessons in remote learning. Going beyond the 4 C’s to spark curiosity and create a greater sense of community improvement, the presenters also covered how Sphero’s robots allow for efficient STEAM instruction.

The line of RoboKind robots are unlike any others in the education world. Comprised of three facially-expressive humanoids, the RoboKind robots have helped provide support for countless students who learn differently. Each robot offers unique advantages and includes accompanying curriculum designed to open up communication and expression.

The Sphero BOLT is built on the same premise as its predecessor, the SPRK+, including a similar appearance. With the BOLT and its impressive features, however, students can accomplish much more! The BOLT is equipped with an on-board 8×8 LED matrix, a magnetometer for auto-aiming, a light sensor for measuring lux values, and IR sensors!

Jorge Valenzuela has become an influential figure in STEM education with experience in both classroom and online teaching as well as higher education instruction. He worked in the Richmond Public Schools system for 10 years and helped build their Tech Ed program. In recent years, he’s shared his experiences, including in his book!

Many students love STEM experiences in their education and many teachers love creating those opportunities. They don’t typically just fall into place, however, and, like all lesson plans, require careful design. In STEM education, lesson plan options are almost endless, which often makes it easier for teachers to find or create something that’s relevant.

This month, we hear from Michelle Robinson, who’s a library media specialist at the Tackan Elementary School. Michelle has used a bunch of different types of technologies with elementary students in the library. Whether it’s tangible STEM tools or digital creation platforms, Michelle has done a lot to provide students with real-world opportunities.

We have awarded our educational technology grant for the month of April to Creighton Helms of the Gervais School District. Creighton serves as the principal of the Gervais Elementary School in Gervais, OR and has really worked to create relevant STEAM learning opportunities for the students he supports.