Blended learning initiatives are currently carving their path into mainstream education with as much force as Hurricane Fred. Okay, maybe not quite as much, but it’s still equally powerful. That’s because when it comes down to modern learning in 21st century schools, two minds are often much better than one. Head inside to learn more about the latest trends we’re seeing.
Erin Piazza is the Library Media Specialist at Watertown High School in Watertown, MA. Tasked with expanding the possibilities of her students’ 21st century education, Erin set out to turn her traditional, bookshelf-filled library into an innovative makerspace for her children to explore, craft and learn through hands-on activity!
It’s just about that time again—the exhilaration (for teachers) and the dreading (for students) of going back to school. Or is it time yet? Have you ever wondered if every child in the world starts school on the same day or, if they don’t, how long have they already been in class? Well, the answer is that not everyone starts school at the exact same time.
The theme for MassCUE’s recently held 2015 summer workshop for STEM and tech educators was ‘Better Together—Working with Your Librarian and ITS to Design Great Projects.’ After all, education isn’t any different; plenty of truly innovative and revolutionary results often stem from collaboration among groups of students using technology in the classroom.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to overcome lack of creativity in education and if you’d care to learn how, keep reading! Some of the factors that scientifically compose creativity include originality, self-expression, risk taking and collaboration—none of which I see in traditional lecture-giving and note-taking classrooms.
Researchers from MIT reportedly have created a new robot in their lab and apparently, it does resemble an actual person. Engineers at the prestigious university recently revealed the interface they have constructed, which can allow human programmers to interact with a humanoid robot, allowing that robot to learn and eventually mimic human-like reflexes.
One of the hottest topics in EdTech throughout the recent months has been the subject of digital citizenship (or digital literacy). By designing classrooms that are more conducive to the specific needs of the students it surrounds for 180 days, those inside will become more eager to learn and, with increased engagement, see better academic results.
With all the buzz surrounding STEM education, teaching students skills that will be vital to succeeding post-education is something that the best modern instructors seek to accomplish. What they could be doing, however, is not only teaching students the skills they will need, but also putting them to the test now right in the classroom.
With the obvious shift to jobs centering on STEM-rich areas, schools are gearing up to educate their students on science, technology, engineering and math in earlier grades and in more rigorous ways than in the past. The presence of and necessity for STEM skills in the 21st century is showing to be truer than ever.
As summer keeps heating up, get excited about some new findings in the technology world that could include talking Wi-Fi! According to reports, Wi-Fi-enabled devices will likely soon be able to swap tiny messages when they detect each other, which will make it easier for users to connect with only those that they are interested in.
