To kick off 2022, we’re hearing from Allison Miller, an assistant principal in the Jackson R2 School District in Jackson, Missouri. Allison has seen students benefit from tech-based learning experiences in a number of ways, including enhanced authenticity, bringing the 4 Cs to life, and many other outcomes. Keep reading to learn more about her efforts!
Back in 2020, the Wonder Workshop team released their virtual Dash Robot environment, which allows students to program an authentic but digital version of the Dash. Typically, students and teachers can access this environment through Class Connect on a computer but there’s also another option for mobile coding—the Blockly iOS app.
Since our mission is to get every student learning and exploring with technology, we know that we first need to make completely certain that every STEM tool on our store is useful to them. That’s why our team vets everything we recommend to educators, so they know it’s worthwhile for both them and their students as they work to prepare for the future.
Since many students missed out on furthering their computer science development during the pandemic, online coding environments began booming as educators looked for alternative options to ensure they didn’t fully lose the skills they’d developed from previous experiences. One of those online coding tools is Robotify and it’s this week’s Rising Resource!
From the Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot robots for early education coding to the incredibly effective and immersive RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 kits, some of the newest STEM products on our store pack a big punch in the classroom. Head inside to learn more about these five new additions and how they can help enhance hands-on instruction.
Like so many educators, Jolie has been challenged to find a creative way to continue providing STEM programming for kids from a distance. Many children and parents aren’t yet fully comfortable with in-person programs, so, with a little ingenuity, Jolie has adapted the museum’s offerings to allow for students to try various STEM activities at home.
Coding experiences are worthwhile for students starting in Pre-K and kindergarten and up through high school and college. If you already have a plan for CS Ed Week, that’s great but, if you need recommendations, we have plenty of those inside, including coding tools from top STEM manufacturers, screen-free options, or those that are completely virtual.
As a media specialist, Mary’s found some creative ways to teach poetry and help make it exciting for students while inspiring each of them to create technology projects based on that inspiration. Through her efforts, she’s seen students respond enthusiastically, get excited about sharing their ideas with classmates, and look for opportunities to collaborate!
Valerie is an author, educator, and huge proponent for STEM education. She’s helped lead hands-on STEM experiences for students and helped expand their minds with some of her favorite STEM-related books. Whether it’s hands-on coding or stimulating creative thoughts, Valerie definitely believes in the power of collaboration and community.
Teaching students about drones, their uses, and how to pilot them is amazing in its own right. When you incorporate the fact that some drones, like the Tello EDU, are programmable, then it takes drone education to a whole new level and the DroneBlocks professional learning content is a great way to get started.
