As more and more emphasis is being placed on preparing workers primed to succeed in the 21st century workforce, it seems logical that more emphasis should be placed on helping students acquire programming skills. In over half of US states, however, computer science-related disciplines don’t count towards graduation requirements.
In 21st century education, 3D printing is an extremely valuable endeavor, offering students in almost any grade a truly unique learning opportunity that combines creative design, innovative technology, and collaborative experiences. Contrary to popular opinion, 3D printing is affordable and effective and here are some of the best educational 3D printers.
Remote-controlled (or RC) toys have been popular since the debut of the first RC car in the late 1960s. The newest RC toy on the market these days? Personal drones: little flying machines, often modeled after helicopters, with a set of propellers to keep them airborne. Light, easy to fly, and tons of fun, every kid (and adult!) these days wants a drone.
So much of 21st century education often involves getting your students to unleash the creativity they did not even know they had. The challenge is getting them to access it on a daily basis. The solution might be to have them collaborate—daily, nightly, or pretty much whenever possible. Two heads are better than one and collaboration is a crucial 21st century skill.
Finding a simple robot arm that is affordable but still complete enough so that more than one could be used in the classroom might seem tough. After a large number of requests rolled in, Bentz sought funding for a fleet of equipment with which to produce his affordable, 3D-printed robotic arms. Thus, the LittleArm was born.
The Holiday Season is a time for selflessness and gift giving to let those in our lives know how much we care about them. As our focus has always been on education, however, we sometimes tend to go a little overboard in recommending that parents get their kids gifts that combine fun and learning—and there’s nothing wrong with that!
The annual Computer Science Education Week put on by Code.org serves as a yearly reminder of the importance of coding and Computer Science education in contemporary K-12 schools. Expected to be the literacy of future generations, coding has become an extremely important skill to have and creative Hour of Code projects are very helpful.
Puzzlets is a unique product designed to introduce the youngest students to problem solving and inspire curiosity through technology. The Puzzlets themselves come in a kit that connects to a Bluetooth-enabled device and create the conditions for an unusual kind of play: an interactive video game controlled by a group of physical toys.
Thames and Kosmos makes and distributes over 100 hands-on science kits designed to engage students in high-quliaty STEM learning with real-life experiemnts. For today’s Eduporium Experiment, I looked at one kit in particular: The Robotics Smart Machines set—a 230-piece toolbox designed to teach the basics of engineering and robotics to kids.
Okay, it isn’t exactly the same as it always has been, but is today’s teacher PD keeping up with the times, especially when it comes to technology? We expect educators today to be willing to use tech tools to reach and engage each of their students, but how can they do that if they don’t know how to use the tools, themselves? So, finding time for PD is often really important.
