By Sean Scarpiello
While STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) continue to be pushed in schools, many districts face difficulty in providing the expensive lab technologies needed to support these types of classes. As a result, many teachers feel as if the lack of proper facilities means that a satisfactory understanding of STEM subjects is too difficult to teach. However, STEM classes do not need to be extremely costly. If teachers can find creative ways to teach the lab components of these classes, students can learn in a fun and interesting way at a low cost. In all of my lab experience as a student, some of the best lab experiments I took part in cost practically nothing.
Just this past week, I had a lab physiology where we looked at the effects of different carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. When my professor was designing lab, he very easily could have designed an experiment involving mice, a special carbohydrate-containing food for the mice, as well as equipment to humanely remove and test small drops of blood. However, this would require a lot of different permits and high expenses which he did not have available to him. Instead, he thought of a novel way of studying the same blood sugar levels at a much lower cost. To do this he utilized many of the resources that we already have available to us. More specifically, my class decided that we would be to subjects for our own experiment. We each ate a different food containing carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, or pasta) and measured our blood sugar over a two-hour period using the same low-cost equipment utilized by diabetics. As a result, our class received the same type of data we would expect to find in mice but at the low-cost of a few household staples and cheap blood sugar monitors.
While experiments like this can only be carried out on a college campus, the same idea can be applied to high school and even elementary level STEM classes. All the different fields of science are always around us, so it would make sense that science can be easily studied by the things around us. For example, a chemistry teacher could discuss density and the miscibility of liquids by showing the class what happens when cooking oil and water are mixed. A biology teacher can teach his or her entire class to extract DNA from a strawberry with some salt, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap. Here, students can become actively involved in a fun and interesting way at a low cost for school districts. In fact, lab experiments like these are practically free because everyone has some of these resources already around the house or classroom. In addition, teachers can use these experiments to help students visualize what exactly is going on scientifically.
Further, these types of experiments do not need to be limited to STEM classes. In fact, many of the social sciences can be taught using similar techniques. By giving students surveys on topics such as political views, social studies teachers can teach the different ideologies behind different political parties through the ideas their students already possess. Also, teachers can also give students simple sociological surveys to talk about topics such as race, gender, and culture in a sociology class. Using these types of surveys, students become deeply involved in the learning process and understand how different topics relate to themselves. Equally as important, teachers can give these surveys at practically no cost instead of buying more expensive textbooks or published papers which support the same ideas.
Students can be a great resource and tool in their own education. By becoming involved in their own low-cost, homemade science experiments, students can learn from the resources already around. In fact, students can even take their knowledge home and show their parents simple experiments such as extracting DNA from a strawberry in their own kitchen. Even the use of simple surveys can be used to teach students about themselves as well as the different social sciences which govern our day to day lives. In all, it is easy for teachers to find novel and low-cost ways to keep their students actively involved in class.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
The Effective Implementation of Technology in Education
By Sean Scarpiello
As more and more schools continue to invest in educational technologies, it is important that these technologies are being used efficiently and effectively. Just because a school buys a new set of iPads for a class does not guarantee they will help students learn. For students to get the most out of their new technologies in class, it is important that educators are ensuring that class time is utilized to include a balance of traditional education and application of these new technologies. If teachers can maintain this balance, students will be able to get the most out of their valuable class time while still reaping the benefits of technology.
There are some education professionals that feel as if technology will completely replace traditional education sometime in the future. In my opinion, schools should always retain some sort of traditional education components in schooling. While it is important for students to learn how to read, write, and understand basic concepts in math and science, education should still be about learning to make friends and communicate with others. Plus, teachers should be available to give individual attention to students in a way that personalizes each student’s education. One way this may easily be carried out is through the limited use of technology. If students are overexposed to technology, they can lose their motivations quickly. One way technology can be implemented effectively would be to implement the use of computers and tablets for homework and projects only. That way, students will get a personalized education during the day where they can interact with teacher and other students. Plus, students will not dread going home to pages of boring math problems or grammar worksheets. The use of technology will have students looking forward to completing interactive games as homework.
By over-stimulating students with technology, students will lose interest quickly. For example, if students play a math game on their tablets all day in school, the same students will probably get bored by the end of the day and any additional work to complete on the iPad at home would not be as beneficial to students. Further, some schools are implementing technology in areas of education that clearly did not need technology. I recently read an article discussing how students are using iPads in gym class. Students were able to videotape exactly how they played volleyball and then had the ability to playback the video and watch themselves later. While this seems cool, it really is a waste of schools funding on expensive technologies. Gym class should be about getting exercise and learning about physical education, not watching videos.
Despite this example of technology being poorly implemented during class time, tablets and laptops may still be effectively used during class in an effective and helpful manner. For example, new educational applications that mimic student response clickers as well as other technology-based diagnostic tools for teachers may also be implemented effectively. In that way, students can interact with each other and their teachers through technology instead of completely isolating themselves from others. Teachers will also be able to use technology to identify weaknesses and address them in class. This allows for class time to be utilized more effectively and efficiently so each student’s needs may be addressed.
In all, while it is important to implement technology in school, the benefits of technology are not guaranteed unless this technology is properly implemented. Like many things for young students, the novelty of technology can quickly wear off for students if they are overexposed to this technology. Therefore, by limiting the use of technology during class and as homework - when needed and in moderation, students will reap the most benefits from these technologies. Replacing valuable class time with time where students’ heads are buried latest tablet or laptop will not help them with developing interpersonal and communication skills which are vital to learn at an early age in school.
As more and more schools continue to invest in educational technologies, it is important that these technologies are being used efficiently and effectively. Just because a school buys a new set of iPads for a class does not guarantee they will help students learn. For students to get the most out of their new technologies in class, it is important that educators are ensuring that class time is utilized to include a balance of traditional education and application of these new technologies. If teachers can maintain this balance, students will be able to get the most out of their valuable class time while still reaping the benefits of technology.
There are some education professionals that feel as if technology will completely replace traditional education sometime in the future. In my opinion, schools should always retain some sort of traditional education components in schooling. While it is important for students to learn how to read, write, and understand basic concepts in math and science, education should still be about learning to make friends and communicate with others. Plus, teachers should be available to give individual attention to students in a way that personalizes each student’s education. One way this may easily be carried out is through the limited use of technology. If students are overexposed to technology, they can lose their motivations quickly. One way technology can be implemented effectively would be to implement the use of computers and tablets for homework and projects only. That way, students will get a personalized education during the day where they can interact with teacher and other students. Plus, students will not dread going home to pages of boring math problems or grammar worksheets. The use of technology will have students looking forward to completing interactive games as homework.
By over-stimulating students with technology, students will lose interest quickly. For example, if students play a math game on their tablets all day in school, the same students will probably get bored by the end of the day and any additional work to complete on the iPad at home would not be as beneficial to students. Further, some schools are implementing technology in areas of education that clearly did not need technology. I recently read an article discussing how students are using iPads in gym class. Students were able to videotape exactly how they played volleyball and then had the ability to playback the video and watch themselves later. While this seems cool, it really is a waste of schools funding on expensive technologies. Gym class should be about getting exercise and learning about physical education, not watching videos.
Despite this example of technology being poorly implemented during class time, tablets and laptops may still be effectively used during class in an effective and helpful manner. For example, new educational applications that mimic student response clickers as well as other technology-based diagnostic tools for teachers may also be implemented effectively. In that way, students can interact with each other and their teachers through technology instead of completely isolating themselves from others. Teachers will also be able to use technology to identify weaknesses and address them in class. This allows for class time to be utilized more effectively and efficiently so each student’s needs may be addressed.
In all, while it is important to implement technology in school, the benefits of technology are not guaranteed unless this technology is properly implemented. Like many things for young students, the novelty of technology can quickly wear off for students if they are overexposed to this technology. Therefore, by limiting the use of technology during class and as homework - when needed and in moderation, students will reap the most benefits from these technologies. Replacing valuable class time with time where students’ heads are buried latest tablet or laptop will not help them with developing interpersonal and communication skills which are vital to learn at an early age in school.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Using YouTube to Motivate and Teach STEM Students
By: Sean Scarpiello
Back when I was in school, my classmates and I would constantly ask our teacher “when will we ever use this in life?” This was especially true in subjects such as math and science. These days STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education is being pushed on students more than ever and as a result, teachers are having an increasingly difficult time motivating students in these subjects. Math and science are difficult subjects to learn and teach because the fundamentals of these subjects are often dry and boring to students. However, if teachers can show students that these subjects can be fun and interesting to apply, students will want to learn the tedious fundamentals so they can move on to the more fascinating applications of these subjects.
One way that I continue to be motivated to pursue a career in STEM fields is by watching videos on YouTube. While there are many different YouTube channels with math and science videos, a few channels stick out as extremely fascinating. One of these channels, called Vsauce, asks thought-provoking questions and attempts to answer them in a fun and interesting way. Some of these questions include Is Your Red the Same as My Red, What Color is a Mirror, and What is it Like to Travel Inside a Black Hole? While answering these questions, the host goes off on many tangents where he introduces a lot of other related information that is also thought-provoking. In fact, while the title of the videos appears as if they answer one question, there are usually several different questions being answered in multiple fields of science.
Despite this, the videos on Vsauce are not instructional videos that walk students step-by-step through solving math equations, but they do motivate students to want to learn. Therefore, teachers could introduce a new topic in class with a video that details all of the fascinating real world applications using the math and science students are about to learn. For example, a teacher introducing subject matter discussing Newtonian mechanics can begin this dry material with the video Guns in Space. In this 5 ½ minute video, the host looks at what it would be like to fire a gun in space and on the moon. The video also gets into how astronauts experience no gravity, how much water it would take to extinguish the sun, and what it would be like if there was a tunnel straight through the earth. Now, students would see that there is more to Newton’s equations on kinematics than just plugging in variables and solving algebra.
Another YouTube channel that does offer instructional videos is called Crash Course. Like Vsauce, Crash Course is hosted by a scientist who walks students through difficult scientific phenomena in a fun and easy to learn way. Crash Course has over 200 videos in chemistry, physics, biology, ecology, and even United States and world history. These instructional videos are extremely helpful as they clearly explain confusing information and offer many visuals that make learning easy. Many of the science videos start with an introduction that shows students exactly why the material they are about to learn is important in the real world.
Much like the Vsauce, Crash Course’s videos could be used to introduce new material. This way, students get a general understanding of the material they are about to learn. Teachers can use Crash Course as a way to supplement material. For example, when attempting to teach how electrons move around the nucleus of an atom, Crash Course’s dynamic visuals, in their atomic orbital video, display electron movement much better than a stationary image in a chemistry textbook. Beyond this, teachers can assign these videos as study aids or homework. This would not only serve to refresh students’ memories, but also give students clear understanding of some of science's most obscure topics.
These videos are fantastic in that they are completely free for anyone to watch on YouTube at any time for no cost. Further, students can watch them on their own to boost their interests in math and science or watch them to get additional instruction in these difficult subjects. Teachers can also use them as a study aid or homework assignment which can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection. In all, YouTube channels such as the Vsauce and Crash Course are fantastic as they offer more students technology-based education at no cost.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nSFpj9HTCZ5t-N3Rm3-HA
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6b17PVsYBQ0ip5gyeme-Q
Back when I was in school, my classmates and I would constantly ask our teacher “when will we ever use this in life?” This was especially true in subjects such as math and science. These days STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education is being pushed on students more than ever and as a result, teachers are having an increasingly difficult time motivating students in these subjects. Math and science are difficult subjects to learn and teach because the fundamentals of these subjects are often dry and boring to students. However, if teachers can show students that these subjects can be fun and interesting to apply, students will want to learn the tedious fundamentals so they can move on to the more fascinating applications of these subjects.
One way that I continue to be motivated to pursue a career in STEM fields is by watching videos on YouTube. While there are many different YouTube channels with math and science videos, a few channels stick out as extremely fascinating. One of these channels, called Vsauce, asks thought-provoking questions and attempts to answer them in a fun and interesting way. Some of these questions include Is Your Red the Same as My Red, What Color is a Mirror, and What is it Like to Travel Inside a Black Hole? While answering these questions, the host goes off on many tangents where he introduces a lot of other related information that is also thought-provoking. In fact, while the title of the videos appears as if they answer one question, there are usually several different questions being answered in multiple fields of science.
Despite this, the videos on Vsauce are not instructional videos that walk students step-by-step through solving math equations, but they do motivate students to want to learn. Therefore, teachers could introduce a new topic in class with a video that details all of the fascinating real world applications using the math and science students are about to learn. For example, a teacher introducing subject matter discussing Newtonian mechanics can begin this dry material with the video Guns in Space. In this 5 ½ minute video, the host looks at what it would be like to fire a gun in space and on the moon. The video also gets into how astronauts experience no gravity, how much water it would take to extinguish the sun, and what it would be like if there was a tunnel straight through the earth. Now, students would see that there is more to Newton’s equations on kinematics than just plugging in variables and solving algebra.
Another YouTube channel that does offer instructional videos is called Crash Course. Like Vsauce, Crash Course is hosted by a scientist who walks students through difficult scientific phenomena in a fun and easy to learn way. Crash Course has over 200 videos in chemistry, physics, biology, ecology, and even United States and world history. These instructional videos are extremely helpful as they clearly explain confusing information and offer many visuals that make learning easy. Many of the science videos start with an introduction that shows students exactly why the material they are about to learn is important in the real world.
Much like the Vsauce, Crash Course’s videos could be used to introduce new material. This way, students get a general understanding of the material they are about to learn. Teachers can use Crash Course as a way to supplement material. For example, when attempting to teach how electrons move around the nucleus of an atom, Crash Course’s dynamic visuals, in their atomic orbital video, display electron movement much better than a stationary image in a chemistry textbook. Beyond this, teachers can assign these videos as study aids or homework. This would not only serve to refresh students’ memories, but also give students clear understanding of some of science's most obscure topics.
These videos are fantastic in that they are completely free for anyone to watch on YouTube at any time for no cost. Further, students can watch them on their own to boost their interests in math and science or watch them to get additional instruction in these difficult subjects. Teachers can also use them as a study aid or homework assignment which can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection. In all, YouTube channels such as the Vsauce and Crash Course are fantastic as they offer more students technology-based education at no cost.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nSFpj9HTCZ5t-N3Rm3-HA
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6b17PVsYBQ0ip5gyeme-Q
Monday, December 30, 2013
ExitTicket: A New Technology to Keep Students Engaged in Class
By: Sean Scarpiello
In high school and college classes, many teachers utilize student response clickers to keep their students actively engaged in class. While these clickers work well at asking students interactive questions in class, a new technology called ExitTicket looks to be a revolutionary approach towards keeping students involved in their learning process. As keeping students thinking and answering questions in class is vital to their success, ExitTicket appears promising as a no or low-cost technology that can be easily integrated into any class. Further, ExitTicket may even be more beneficial than the student response clickers used frequently in classes today.
The biggest benefit of ExitTicket is that it works completely through the Internet. As a result, schools do not need to buy expensive sets of clickers. Instead, any student with a laptop, tablet, or even a smart phone with a Wi-Fi connection can participate in interactive quizzes during class. While not all students in high school will have a device with Internet access, all college students will likely have a tablet or laptop open to them for ExitTicket. This technology is also easy to use for students. At the beginning of class, teachers can give a single class code to enable all students to gain access to ExitTicket quizzes created by the teacher. Another benefit of ExitTicket’s web based design is that it enables students to visualize, on a projector screen, who has answered the teacher’s questions in class as well as how well the class is answering the questions as a whole.
For teachers, this technology is also extremely beneficial. Tests can be made very easily and designed to have their multiple-choice, true or false, or even free response questions. Plus, ExitTicket allows teachers to review how each individual student has fared on the quizzes. Therefore, teachers can create the quizzes as credit towards class participation, or even better use the entire class’s results as a teaching aid. For example, if a decent percentage of students answer a question incorrectly, the teacher can focus on the teaching this material to the class to ensure all students understand the material. Some teachers may even find novel uses for ExitTicket. For example, teachers can take class polls using a multiple-choice type question. Also, teachers can ask students individual questions they may have using a free response to question. Here, teachers can get a quick and clear view of how students feel about class or material.
When looking at the cost of ExitTicket, there are two main options teachers can choose. First, there is a version that is completely free to teachers. This plan allows teachers to create class quizzes with a maximum of 10 questions for up to eight classes of 60 students. The second plan varies in cost depending on each teacher’s needs. However, this plan includes a lot more features including an unlimited amount of classes with an unlimited number of students. Further, there are features which allow for collaboration and synchronization with other educational technologies. Both the no-cost and customizable plans include a Common Core Standards Library to help teachers stick to their curriculum. Last, teachers can individually manage their ExitTicket account so there is no need for the schools IT department to get involved, thereby keeping this technology simple for everyone
In all, ExitTicket looks to be an extremely beneficial technology to both students and teachers. While it is simple for everyone to use, it also allows students to utilize technologies that they had, instead of requiring an expensive set clickers. Most of all, ExitTicket keeps students actively engaged in the class material while also giving teachers a clear understanding of their student’s grasp of the material. ExitTicket is sure to be a successful as it brings a high quality education to students through the utilization of technology.
Source: http://exitticket.org/
In high school and college classes, many teachers utilize student response clickers to keep their students actively engaged in class. While these clickers work well at asking students interactive questions in class, a new technology called ExitTicket looks to be a revolutionary approach towards keeping students involved in their learning process. As keeping students thinking and answering questions in class is vital to their success, ExitTicket appears promising as a no or low-cost technology that can be easily integrated into any class. Further, ExitTicket may even be more beneficial than the student response clickers used frequently in classes today.
The biggest benefit of ExitTicket is that it works completely through the Internet. As a result, schools do not need to buy expensive sets of clickers. Instead, any student with a laptop, tablet, or even a smart phone with a Wi-Fi connection can participate in interactive quizzes during class. While not all students in high school will have a device with Internet access, all college students will likely have a tablet or laptop open to them for ExitTicket. This technology is also easy to use for students. At the beginning of class, teachers can give a single class code to enable all students to gain access to ExitTicket quizzes created by the teacher. Another benefit of ExitTicket’s web based design is that it enables students to visualize, on a projector screen, who has answered the teacher’s questions in class as well as how well the class is answering the questions as a whole.
For teachers, this technology is also extremely beneficial. Tests can be made very easily and designed to have their multiple-choice, true or false, or even free response questions. Plus, ExitTicket allows teachers to review how each individual student has fared on the quizzes. Therefore, teachers can create the quizzes as credit towards class participation, or even better use the entire class’s results as a teaching aid. For example, if a decent percentage of students answer a question incorrectly, the teacher can focus on the teaching this material to the class to ensure all students understand the material. Some teachers may even find novel uses for ExitTicket. For example, teachers can take class polls using a multiple-choice type question. Also, teachers can ask students individual questions they may have using a free response to question. Here, teachers can get a quick and clear view of how students feel about class or material.
When looking at the cost of ExitTicket, there are two main options teachers can choose. First, there is a version that is completely free to teachers. This plan allows teachers to create class quizzes with a maximum of 10 questions for up to eight classes of 60 students. The second plan varies in cost depending on each teacher’s needs. However, this plan includes a lot more features including an unlimited amount of classes with an unlimited number of students. Further, there are features which allow for collaboration and synchronization with other educational technologies. Both the no-cost and customizable plans include a Common Core Standards Library to help teachers stick to their curriculum. Last, teachers can individually manage their ExitTicket account so there is no need for the schools IT department to get involved, thereby keeping this technology simple for everyone
In all, ExitTicket looks to be an extremely beneficial technology to both students and teachers. While it is simple for everyone to use, it also allows students to utilize technologies that they had, instead of requiring an expensive set clickers. Most of all, ExitTicket keeps students actively engaged in the class material while also giving teachers a clear understanding of their student’s grasp of the material. ExitTicket is sure to be a successful as it brings a high quality education to students through the utilization of technology.
Source: http://exitticket.org/
Friday, December 20, 2013
Educating Teachers in the Latest Technologies
By Sean Scarpiello
With all of the new technology being released into the market for education, it is easy to think that simply bringing these latest technologies into the classroom will make a difference. As a result, school districts often find that the technology that they spend thousands of dollars on do not return such a great bang for their buck. Therefore, some schools have become hesitant towards buying new technologies because they have fallen short of their high expectations in the classroom. While technology is extremely important in the classroom, it is vital that teachers are adequately trained to use the technologies being implemented in class.
In my experience, I have seen a lot of cutting edge technology which has consistently been proven to benefit students in different studies become a letdown in some of my own classrooms. During high school, my school district bought a handful of the newly released Promethean Smart Boards and I was fortunate enough to have one of these Smart Boards to use in class. Unfortunately, my teacher was not up to date with the new technology. As he had taught classes the same way for many years, he was more familiar with traditional forms of learning and had really avoided a lot of technology that was more advanced than Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. During class, my classmates and I tried guiding him through the instructions of how to use the Smart Board which was also an unfamiliar technology to us. Overall, we discovered that the Smart Board took too much of our valuable class time to figure out, so we resorted to returning to the technologies that we knew how to use effectively and efficiently.
In retrospect, it is obvious that had our teacher been trained in all of the uses of the Smart Board, the class would extract many more benefits from the Smart Board. In light of this, such technology placed our teacher in a difficult position because he had to address all of the needs of his students, grade homework and tests, follow the curriculum, and try to integrate this confusing technology into a short amount of class time. As there was little time in class already and the figuring out how to work the Smart Boards wasted this time, it was simply too difficult for the teacher. Therefore, the Smart Boards lost out to the other issues the teacher had to address.
However, if teachers were instructed through seminars or workshops that instruct teachers on how to use these new technologies efficiently and effectively in class, we would definitely see greater benefits in class from these technologies. Furthermore, while it may be expensive to send teachers to classes to be trained in these technologies, it is well worth it. If school districts allow for a decent percentage of their budget for new technologies to be directed towards the instruction of teachers to use these technologies, school districts can avoid experiences like the one I described above. These workshops can be scheduled to train teachers over summer breaks or additional days off during the school year and would count towards a teacher's professional development hours. Simply giving a teacher the latest cutting edge technology and asking them to implement it in class instantly is just too difficult because teachers have so many other things to address during the regular school week.
While it is often easy to spend money on the latest technology to bring it into the classroom, it is apparent that the implementation of this technology is only as good as the knowledge that the teacher has regarding such technology. Therefore, it would be wise for schools to spend more on training teachers and less on the actual technology. And while this may mean fewer classrooms are equipped with the latest and greatest technology, the classrooms that have these technologies are getting a lot of bang for their buck. This means students can receive a much higher quality of education through the efficient and effective implantation of technology in education.
Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Education/2013/12/01/Of-teachers-and-technology.aspx
With all of the new technology being released into the market for education, it is easy to think that simply bringing these latest technologies into the classroom will make a difference. As a result, school districts often find that the technology that they spend thousands of dollars on do not return such a great bang for their buck. Therefore, some schools have become hesitant towards buying new technologies because they have fallen short of their high expectations in the classroom. While technology is extremely important in the classroom, it is vital that teachers are adequately trained to use the technologies being implemented in class.
In my experience, I have seen a lot of cutting edge technology which has consistently been proven to benefit students in different studies become a letdown in some of my own classrooms. During high school, my school district bought a handful of the newly released Promethean Smart Boards and I was fortunate enough to have one of these Smart Boards to use in class. Unfortunately, my teacher was not up to date with the new technology. As he had taught classes the same way for many years, he was more familiar with traditional forms of learning and had really avoided a lot of technology that was more advanced than Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. During class, my classmates and I tried guiding him through the instructions of how to use the Smart Board which was also an unfamiliar technology to us. Overall, we discovered that the Smart Board took too much of our valuable class time to figure out, so we resorted to returning to the technologies that we knew how to use effectively and efficiently.
In retrospect, it is obvious that had our teacher been trained in all of the uses of the Smart Board, the class would extract many more benefits from the Smart Board. In light of this, such technology placed our teacher in a difficult position because he had to address all of the needs of his students, grade homework and tests, follow the curriculum, and try to integrate this confusing technology into a short amount of class time. As there was little time in class already and the figuring out how to work the Smart Boards wasted this time, it was simply too difficult for the teacher. Therefore, the Smart Boards lost out to the other issues the teacher had to address.
However, if teachers were instructed through seminars or workshops that instruct teachers on how to use these new technologies efficiently and effectively in class, we would definitely see greater benefits in class from these technologies. Furthermore, while it may be expensive to send teachers to classes to be trained in these technologies, it is well worth it. If school districts allow for a decent percentage of their budget for new technologies to be directed towards the instruction of teachers to use these technologies, school districts can avoid experiences like the one I described above. These workshops can be scheduled to train teachers over summer breaks or additional days off during the school year and would count towards a teacher's professional development hours. Simply giving a teacher the latest cutting edge technology and asking them to implement it in class instantly is just too difficult because teachers have so many other things to address during the regular school week.
While it is often easy to spend money on the latest technology to bring it into the classroom, it is apparent that the implementation of this technology is only as good as the knowledge that the teacher has regarding such technology. Therefore, it would be wise for schools to spend more on training teachers and less on the actual technology. And while this may mean fewer classrooms are equipped with the latest and greatest technology, the classrooms that have these technologies are getting a lot of bang for their buck. This means students can receive a much higher quality of education through the efficient and effective implantation of technology in education.
Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Education/2013/12/01/Of-teachers-and-technology.aspx
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Amplify's New Curriculum-Based Learning Technology
By Sean Scarpiello
As traditional textbooks are quickly becoming obsolete in the classroom, tablets are quickly becoming popular as a replacement to heavy and out of date textbooks. One company looking to greatly improve education through the utilization of tablets is Amplify. In an effort to bring a higher quality of education to more students, Amplify has developed curriculum-based programs for students which revolutionizes the way technology is implemented in education. As a result, teachers are better equipped to apply new technologies in class while students benefit from the use of more interactive and individualized forms of education.
When purchasing an Amplify package, schools receive their own set of Amplify tablets to give to each student in the classroom. These Android-based tablets are equipped with a number of educational applications. For example, the tablets include graphing calculators, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Movie Studio, YouTube, and many different Google applications such as Gmail and Google Earth. All of these applications allow for students to explore many different educational subjects on their tablets. But further, these tablets can also store full text books in the form of eBooks, as well as other interactive educational games and learning technologies. As a result, students can pack all of their textbooks, assignments, and other learning materials into just a single tablet that they can always carry around with them.
While all these educational resources packed into a single tablet are extremely beneficial to students, Amplify has just released on of its most revolutionary programs yet. In a new division called Amplify Learning, Amplify now offers programs for schools where it is possible to purchase tablets that have the entire course curriculum pre-downloaded. This means students can now learn by playing engaging games that meet the requirements of the challenging Common Core Standards that schools must meet. Consequently, teachers can now spend more time investigating and addressing the individual needs of students and less time trying to ensure the entire class meets these requirements. Software downloaded onto these tablets allows teachers to track the progress of each student, thereby enabling them to discover trends in the issues their students are facing and focus on problem areas in class.
One of the objectives of Amplify is to further individualize the education of students in the demanding fields of math and science. Therefore, by eliminating the use of broad and unclear textbooks in class and replacing them with more engaging technologies, students are less likely to give up on difficult material in these areas. Further, with the email capabilities of the Amplify tablets, students have an easy link for communicating directly with their teachers. Therefore, students can email their teachers with problems they are having which can be received and addressed immediately.
In all, as textbooks are inevitably becoming obsolete in classrooms, the Amplify Learning tablet with its many capabilities is a revolution in education for both teachers and students. With the implementation of Amplify’s curriculum based learning capabilities, it is easier than ever for teachers to focus on bringing a more individualized education to each student. This especially holds true in the subjects of math and science where a personalized approach may make or break a student’s success in challenging and sometimes confusing classes. Overall, Amplify tablets are a prudent investment to make into education as its technological basis brings a high quality of education to many students at a reasonable cost.
Sources:
http://www.amplify.com/
http://www.businessinsider.com/amplify-ceo-joel-klein-talks-digital-learning-and-education-technology-2013-11
As traditional textbooks are quickly becoming obsolete in the classroom, tablets are quickly becoming popular as a replacement to heavy and out of date textbooks. One company looking to greatly improve education through the utilization of tablets is Amplify. In an effort to bring a higher quality of education to more students, Amplify has developed curriculum-based programs for students which revolutionizes the way technology is implemented in education. As a result, teachers are better equipped to apply new technologies in class while students benefit from the use of more interactive and individualized forms of education.
When purchasing an Amplify package, schools receive their own set of Amplify tablets to give to each student in the classroom. These Android-based tablets are equipped with a number of educational applications. For example, the tablets include graphing calculators, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Movie Studio, YouTube, and many different Google applications such as Gmail and Google Earth. All of these applications allow for students to explore many different educational subjects on their tablets. But further, these tablets can also store full text books in the form of eBooks, as well as other interactive educational games and learning technologies. As a result, students can pack all of their textbooks, assignments, and other learning materials into just a single tablet that they can always carry around with them.
While all these educational resources packed into a single tablet are extremely beneficial to students, Amplify has just released on of its most revolutionary programs yet. In a new division called Amplify Learning, Amplify now offers programs for schools where it is possible to purchase tablets that have the entire course curriculum pre-downloaded. This means students can now learn by playing engaging games that meet the requirements of the challenging Common Core Standards that schools must meet. Consequently, teachers can now spend more time investigating and addressing the individual needs of students and less time trying to ensure the entire class meets these requirements. Software downloaded onto these tablets allows teachers to track the progress of each student, thereby enabling them to discover trends in the issues their students are facing and focus on problem areas in class.
One of the objectives of Amplify is to further individualize the education of students in the demanding fields of math and science. Therefore, by eliminating the use of broad and unclear textbooks in class and replacing them with more engaging technologies, students are less likely to give up on difficult material in these areas. Further, with the email capabilities of the Amplify tablets, students have an easy link for communicating directly with their teachers. Therefore, students can email their teachers with problems they are having which can be received and addressed immediately.
In all, as textbooks are inevitably becoming obsolete in classrooms, the Amplify Learning tablet with its many capabilities is a revolution in education for both teachers and students. With the implementation of Amplify’s curriculum based learning capabilities, it is easier than ever for teachers to focus on bringing a more individualized education to each student. This especially holds true in the subjects of math and science where a personalized approach may make or break a student’s success in challenging and sometimes confusing classes. Overall, Amplify tablets are a prudent investment to make into education as its technological basis brings a high quality of education to many students at a reasonable cost.
Sources:
http://www.amplify.com/
http://www.businessinsider.com/amplify-ceo-joel-klein-talks-digital-learning-and-education-technology-2013-11
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Innovative Ways to Grade Students in Massive Open Online Classrooms (MOOCs)
By Sean Scarpiello
As more online educational programs such as Coursera, Udacity, and others become available online, there are a lot more students enrolling in these Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs). And while education can easily be provided at much lower prices in MOOCs, some aspects of education still remain difficult, if complicated by moving education to online media. One aspect of education where this is seen is in the grading and evaluation of students. As the number of students in a class increases, it becomes more and more difficult for teachers to grade the tests, projects, and assignments of the class. And while the class size of many of these online classes offered by Coursera and Udacity reach well into the thousands, it becomes extremely difficult for professors to evaluate each student individually.
As a result, there have been many new and innovative ways teachers have designed work to be graded on a mass scale. For one, I have seen many tests designed in such a ways that goes beyond the typical multiple choice problems. In some of my online past assignments for classes, I have seen problems asking to organize statements into a sequence of events, analyze graphs, and even fill in the blank. Through these types of online questions, teachers enable multiple correct answers to account for different interpretations of data and wording used by students. Further, I have even seen some programs that allow students to build models or solve huge math equations all by breaking up the problem into individual steps that are graded individually. As a result, students can have instant results on their grade in a test or assignment.
But while these types of online grading techniques are easy to use for professors, the evaluation of student’s knowledge using these techniques is limited. While some students could simply fill out questions as they look up the answers online, other students may not be challenged enough with a test of matching, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice questions. Further, there are some subjects, such as in political science, English, and business courses where grades cannot be based off of tests but rather papers or projects. In these areas, MOOCs often struggle to find ways for professors to grade a class of 1,000 papers or projects. However, some MOOCs have come up with some innovative ways of assigning and grading these sorts of assignments.
Coursera has come up with the idea of allowing peers to grade each other’s work. After turning in an assignment, Coursera sends it out to a handful of other students who have also turned in the assignment for grading. Then, based on certain criteria, it is graded by other students in the class, and then their results are averaged to give students their grade on a project. So far, this technique has worked successfully because professors can still challenge their students with projects, but continue to grade their student efficiently. This serves as just one example how the grading and evaluation of students enrolled in MOOCs can be innovative and successful.
As MOOCs and other types of similar programs are developed, this sort of innovation needs to be implemented into other programs. Therefore, students are not forfeiting quality of education at the expense of difficulties in grading. In this case, MOOCs can continue to provide high quality education to more students at reduced cost through the utilization of technology.
As more online educational programs such as Coursera, Udacity, and others become available online, there are a lot more students enrolling in these Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs). And while education can easily be provided at much lower prices in MOOCs, some aspects of education still remain difficult, if complicated by moving education to online media. One aspect of education where this is seen is in the grading and evaluation of students. As the number of students in a class increases, it becomes more and more difficult for teachers to grade the tests, projects, and assignments of the class. And while the class size of many of these online classes offered by Coursera and Udacity reach well into the thousands, it becomes extremely difficult for professors to evaluate each student individually.
As a result, there have been many new and innovative ways teachers have designed work to be graded on a mass scale. For one, I have seen many tests designed in such a ways that goes beyond the typical multiple choice problems. In some of my online past assignments for classes, I have seen problems asking to organize statements into a sequence of events, analyze graphs, and even fill in the blank. Through these types of online questions, teachers enable multiple correct answers to account for different interpretations of data and wording used by students. Further, I have even seen some programs that allow students to build models or solve huge math equations all by breaking up the problem into individual steps that are graded individually. As a result, students can have instant results on their grade in a test or assignment.
But while these types of online grading techniques are easy to use for professors, the evaluation of student’s knowledge using these techniques is limited. While some students could simply fill out questions as they look up the answers online, other students may not be challenged enough with a test of matching, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice questions. Further, there are some subjects, such as in political science, English, and business courses where grades cannot be based off of tests but rather papers or projects. In these areas, MOOCs often struggle to find ways for professors to grade a class of 1,000 papers or projects. However, some MOOCs have come up with some innovative ways of assigning and grading these sorts of assignments.
Coursera has come up with the idea of allowing peers to grade each other’s work. After turning in an assignment, Coursera sends it out to a handful of other students who have also turned in the assignment for grading. Then, based on certain criteria, it is graded by other students in the class, and then their results are averaged to give students their grade on a project. So far, this technique has worked successfully because professors can still challenge their students with projects, but continue to grade their student efficiently. This serves as just one example how the grading and evaluation of students enrolled in MOOCs can be innovative and successful.
As MOOCs and other types of similar programs are developed, this sort of innovation needs to be implemented into other programs. Therefore, students are not forfeiting quality of education at the expense of difficulties in grading. In this case, MOOCs can continue to provide high quality education to more students at reduced cost through the utilization of technology.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
