Creative Technologies

1. Rolls-Royce Smart Board 8070i
This smart board series is equipped with four cameras in each corner that designate where the board is being touched. An awesome feature on the smart board is the multi-touch aspect. In the classroom, tow or more students will be able to work on the smart board at a time. Not only will this increase work time, but it will serve as a teamwork activity as students complete achievements together. Grouping, shading, and swapping are possible techniques that students will be able to perform and enjoy with one another.

iPad's are already commonly used in the classroom, but now they can connect to an educator's classroom computer via Bluetooth. This can be used as a resource when working on group activities presented on the smart board.  Teachers will be able to walk around the classroom during instruction and help students individually. This will ensure that one-on-one time they deserve while still maintaining large classroom discussion. No matter where the teacher is in the classroom, students will be able to see and hear what is happening on the smart board at all times. In addition, students who are at home can connect and partake in the lesson just as if they are sitting in the classroom.  

2. Augmented Reality Visualization Tool
Zco.com is a source of custom apps, one of which is called Augment. This app consists of different models of 3-D images that students can see through their device's camera to make it appear on something physical. Students can manipulate these images to make them small or can make them large to see what's inside of them. Augment can be used in fun ways. For example, it can be hung on the wall and students can effectively be put inside of a historical building or object. When teaching history, students can get a close to real life experience about a particular place they are studying. In math, students can learn about volume as they squeeze into a cup. These virtual experiences will create fun and exciting schema for students.

3. Active Table
The Active Table is a multi-layer function compiled with great activities and lessons for students. This technology would be of great use in elementary schools, especially great for students with disabilities as it can serve for ELL activities. The Active Table is about collaboration where students work together to achieve a shared goal. It is a fun way to create settings, plots, and characters for stories. Each student gets their own avatar and has their own set of tools. When working on an activity, students can share their work with other students at the table. When they are finished, there is a copy tool that will make copies for each student partaking in the activity so that they can add individuality. The activity can be exported back to the teacher so that the final product can be examined. A really cool feature is the heat map. It shows all finger strokes and all amounts of touches that was done by each student at the table. This would be very useful for me as a teacher to see which students were participating well and which students were struggling with the activity so that I could supply additional help. Overall, I think that students would thoroughly enjoy working on the Active Table with their peers. 

Blow Up the Grade Book?

In the movies, children come home from school to a nice house, sit down with their parents to work on homework or study at their personal desk in their bedrooms, and end the day with family supper. They have the tools necessary to complete homework and are equipped with a family support system. As Chris Haskell mentions, the existing curricular design is set up for a child like this. However, most children do not have this type of lifestyle. Teachers cannot assume that their students are getting all of the time and assistants they need on homework. Some instances where children cannot complete/hand in homework on time include: parents are unqualified to help with schoolwork,  they don't have the resources required for doing homework, some may not have the time to complete homework due to household chores/responsibilities, and some may even be homeless. It is unfair to the majority of kids to have to go through school with the existing curriculum design.

As a solution to this problem, Haskell believes that homework as well as due dates should be eliminated altogether.  Without homework or due dates, triage and unfairness will be reduced. Haskell claims that curriculum needs to be shifted to quest-based learning, which is grounded on technology. Quest-based learning acts as a game where students earn points, conquer levels, earn badges, and achieve quests. It allows and rewards failure, removes punishment, offers multiple paths and choices, and defines a winning condition. The design and activities are created by the teacher, but individually chosen by the students based on his/her own schema. It has proven to be effective as 93% of thousands of students earned A's during a two-year study. Haskell believes that quest-based learning builds school for students not against them, and that students will succeed because the winning condition is always within reach.

I think it is critical to keep up with the times and incorporate technology into the classroom. Right now, well-funded elementary schools are facilitated with iPad's. This is a positive turn in the right direction, but the majority of students in low-income schools are still not being provided with these services. Switching curriculum to fit quest-based learning is, in my opinion, a good idea and will fulfill the need of technology programming. I love that children get to choose their own destiny, learn from their mistakes, and be rewarded for conquering their achievements/failures. Kids will gain expertise in time management as there are no due dates, and will not be punished for missing an assignment due to personal circumstances. My only concern with quest-based learning is that teachers won't be able to get hands-on, personal experience with their students as everything will be online. I think that it is important for teachers to get to know their students and earn a personal, professional relationship with them. If teachers are able to accomplish this with quest-based learning, then I fully support Haskell's proposal.   

     

3 Great Apps to Use in the Classroom

1. Ansel & Clair's Adventures in Africa by cognitivekid is a Social Studies/Geography app used in K-6. The app incorporates critical thinking and thought analysis, two techniques that will be regularly practiced in my classroom. The game challenges students to think about the "why" and "how" questions in addition to the "what" question. Students will be involved in thrilling interactions, addicting quests, exciting games, challenging puzzles, and amazed by the quality of animation. These aspects of the app will keep students engaged and thoroughly entertained. This app will be used in my classroom when learning about different countries. The app is so good, students may not even realize they are learning about Geography! 

2. My Bird World by 5 Ravens is a Science app focused on the upper elementary grade levels, but can be explored by all grade levels. The object of this game is for students to learn about and love everything about birds. I can use this in my classroom when learning about national state birds. It is a fun and creative game that will ignite the student's mind and get them interested in birds. The app is composed of realistic bird photos, fascinating facts, and exhibits real life bird calls and chirps. Students will learn about North American birds, what they eat, and the habitat they live in order to survive. Students will also learn how to be a valuable team player while working on teams to explore the different bird species or can independently explore for fun. My Bird World is a great app for Science activities and free time.

3. Faces iMake - Right Brain Creativity by iMagine machine is a creative app targeted at younger elementary grades, typically preschool through 2nd grade. It develops right brain creative capabilities as students make all kinds of wonderful creations. The game is a modernized version of the classic Mr. Potato Head, and is similarly played. The objective is for students to ignite their creativity and create as many imaginative faces that they can. Students can share their creations with the class and save them in a gallery. I can use this app in my classroom during project time, as a reward incentive for students who finish their work early, and as a fun and exciting game to play during recess. Faces iMake is the perfect way to let students relax, be creative, and have a lot of fun! 

What is Schema?

What the heck is schema and what role does it play in how we perceive student intelligence?

Piaget established a Theory of Cognitive Development. He proposed that schema is a means of organization and is significant in teaching. Schema is where we store specific things; it's like having mini filing cabinets inside our heads. When we learn something new, we file it away and when we need to remember something, we dig through our files to find the correct response. Our schema adapts or changes as we learn new things or experience things differently. Schema is developed through our personal experiences. So, everyone's schema is different. 

When students don't perform well on certain subjects, they are a lot of times mistaken for being unintelligent. However, the loss of knowledge is simply because they have not had experience in the right context. I believe that all students can be experts on any subject if their teachers produce a meaningful experience for them. So, as teachers, it is critical to give students an experience they will surely remember. It is in our control to teach with powerful meaning tailored to our students. Creating more schema produces more student intelligence.