In my humble opinion, physical activity has decreased somewhat in the past 18 months or so. With many students still in remote or hybrid learning environments, they're less likely to be as active as they were when attending school on-site. As most of us know, besides allowing for more physical activity during breaks (run outside for 15 minutes, 5-minute stretches every hour, 60-minute lunch and recreation break sans devices), learning should also incorporate movement. In addition, with the push for increased hands-on STEM integration, students who are learning from home need a viable option for STEM education besides online games and interactive worksheets.

With the plethora of technology options out there (hardware, software, web applications, STEM tools, etc), it can all look exciting and you might even visualize how your students will benefit from the innovative tech available. But more often than not, the “dream” classroom rarely meshes with the “reality” budget. Fortunately, awards, crowdfunding, grants, and programs have made outfitting classrooms with state-of-the-art tech a reality for many educators.

It’s that time of the year again…ISTE! The annual ISTE Conference and Expo is well-known for its informative sessions with expert educators and ed tech specialists, giving everyone a variety of opportunities to make connections and learn about new and innovative tools for teaching and learning. Of course, the hustle and bustle of educators talking, learning, and laughing throughout the conference space will be different this year. Now all the lively conversations, motivating sessions, and exhibitor demonstrations will all be done virtually. ISTE20 Live will be experienced via an online, interactive platform from November 29 through December 5 and Boxlight will be there!

One of the many things that educators are missing this year are annual conferences. Conferences provide educators with a variety of opportunities to learn about the latest innovations in their field. Some popular education conferences include FETC, BETT, TCEA, SXSW EDU, ASCD, CUE Conference, and ISTE (I won’t bother writing out each because they’re that popular). Education conferences can provide teachers the means for earning professional development hours/credits by attending presentations and sessions facilitated by expert speakers and thought leaders. By connecting with other education professionals, educators acquire a broader understanding of the prevalent issues and concerns in education. There is no doubt that these conferences serve many purposes and are incredibly valuable. BUT, this year, conferences have taken a hit of sorts. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, conferences were cancelled, postponed, or customized to be delivered as virtual experiences for attendees.

“STEM allows kids to build and create ideas from scratch and have deep critical thinking. We need to prepare our kids for that future.” – Braydon Moreno, co-founder of Robo 3D

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” – Chinese proverb

Schools that have reopened are fastidiously following local health and safety guidelines, including physical distancing of student desks. This can hamper some common instructional practices that help students understand new concepts such as sharing math manipulatives or working as teams on science activities. Teachers need to adapt to different ways of facilitating lessons and document cameras have proven to be an easy-to-use tool for doing so.

Growing up, my dad spent lots of time in the garage working on things — his 1972 Ford Pinto (understandably), my brother’s bikes, and making small items for our home. The garage was his makerspace and he used it to design, plan, and follow through on his creative ideas. Later, my brother used the garage as his makerspace. These days makerspaces are moving out of the garages of hobbyists to classrooms and schools for our students to engage in interactive experiences that spark imaginations.

At this point of the year, not only are we appreciating the beauty of leaves changing color, the aroma of a pumpkin spice latte, and cozy sweaters and blankets, we are in a teaching “groove.” Many teachers are getting the hang of facilitating live teaching sessions, engaging their students, and planning blocks of time for small group and one-to-one conversations. But there is quite a learning curve for those not altogether comfortable with ed tech and the virtual classroom — both teacher and student. With this in mind, Boxlight-EOS has designed the Platform Essentials (PE) Course for teachers and students to get acquainted with all that Chromebooks and G Suite, or Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 have to offer. Each course includes seven ready-to-use materials and resources that engage the learner, help them apply necessary skills for distance teaching and learning success, and build the confidence needed to use these tech platforms.

Those stepping into the adventure of teaching should expect that professional development requirements come with the journey. The purpose of professional development is to keep certified educators current on new instructional tools, strategies, and research. Teacher PD can cover a variety of topics such as educational technology, classroom management, subject-specific research and strategies, and curriculum tools and applications. PD requirements differ from state-to-state, so it is best to regularly check state teacher credentialing websites for up-to-date information.