Hands-on learning has shown to increase student engagement and boost problem solving and critical thinking skills, creating a classroom environment buzzing with the sounds of active learning. There are scores of news articles and social media posts of teachers and students using state-of-the-art technology to maximize the learning experience. Would you like to incorporate more STEM-related technology in your lessons?

Happy Computer Science Education Week! Thanks to technology, there are so many wonderful and engaging ways to teach computer science concepts. From sensors and online coding to robots and 3D printers, educators have more tools than ever to help. Sometimes, though, all these tools can be a bit overwhelming. While many educators utilize technology tools independently, they are best used when integrated together. Just like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is not four completely independent subjects without overlap, the use of robotics, 3D printers, and sensors shouldn’t be used in isolation either. So, here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you’re making the most of your technology tools.

There are many different areas of focus for psychologists, but they all have one thing in common — psychologists research cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behaviors and use their findings to improve the lives of their clients.

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.

Recently, Larry Jacobs from Equity and Access (ace-ed.org) had a chat with Mario DiAntonio, Sales Director for Strategic Partnerships for Samsung Electronics America. The discussion centered on how display technology has helped educators boost interactive learning and student engagement, even within a hybrid learning environment. 

“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.