Both students and teachers have certain expectations of what 21st century education should be like. Students believe that the experiences they have should leave them ready to take on even the most complex challenges of the future. Teachers believe that every child should be 100 percent engaged 100 percent of the time. Though they do have differing views when it comes to what the most important components of learning should be, we think it’s safe to say that both groups want education to be fun! And, that’s very appropriate because the subject of this week’s Rising Resources blog is Funology—an online database where educators can find inspiration for hands-on STEAM projects that are—you guessed it—nothing but fun!
Funology can be used by either teachers or parents and offers all kinds of activities and challenges that promote engagement by helping kids have fun. Though Funology isn’t something we’d consider to be entirely educational, all of the activities found on the site certainly get kids thinking creatively and excited about trying new things. The various sections of the Funology site include Crafts, Recipes, Science, Magic, Games, Jokes, and Trivia. In the Science section, for example, kids can find all sorts of project ideas that cover topics like biology, chemistry, physics, and weather.
Each project clearly lists out the components that are needed for completing it as well as step-by-step instructions for making. In the Biology section, the projects include Jurassic Park Terrarium, Homemade Greenhouse, Making a Leaf Collection, and more. The materials needed are usually simple things that can be found in the house or even in a classroom. For the Make a Fossil project, all kids need is aluminum foil, plaster of Paris, and a seashell. This particular project doesn’t take too long to complete, but does require kids wait 20-30 minutes for the mold to harden. Once it does, it will look just like a fossil!
The Recipes section is more for use at home as it features a whole bunch of recipe ideas for kids to make, bake, and eat. They have everything from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to sweets, holiday recipes, healthy snacks, and even recipes for pets! Although cooking isn’t really what we’d consider a 21st century STEAM skill, it helps kids think creatively and design in new ways. Plus, knowing how to cook is going to come in handy sooner or later! The Jokes section doesn’t offer much in terms of educational content, but it is fairly funny (if you don’t mind a little bit of attempted humor).
The Trivia section is a bit more useful for education as it provides all sorts of knowledge and facts about some of the coolest topics kids like. Here, kids can discover all sorts of interesting facts that they probably wouldn’t usually think about. Some of the topics include the human body, animals, people, weather, nature, language, world records, and other wacky facts. Within each category, there are a host of cool factoids, tidbits, and educational anecdotes that are enjoyable for kids to read and excellent for teaching them a little something.
Overall, our impressions of Funology are that it’s not completely educational (and that’s okay) and that it’s very simplistic. The activities don’t require a lot materials, space, or time (usually) and they are easy for kids to read and understand on their own. This can help them break away from spending all of their school time in the same kind of environment and help them break up how they learn. To discover all that Funology has to offer, head to their site and don’t forget to check out our store, where you’ll find as much good educational technology as you’ll find good content on Funology!