Curriki Library

Classroom Technology for New Teachers

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

I had an interesting chat with Educator Ilna Colemere, who helps familiarize student teachers with technology applications they can use in the classroom. Her students love the Curriki site, because they say it “provides a wealth of resources indexed by several searchable tags.”

Ilna Colemere

Ilna Colemere

As Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Office of Teacher Education Services with the University of Texas at San Antonio, Ilna works with about 500 students each year.

How important do you feel technology is in aiding student learning?

Technology adds another dimension that isn’t available with a book or other tangible object. It can be used by one person or shared across a group – and the group doesn’t even need to be in the same room. Multimedia technologies can be very rich, community-driven resources that provide real-time learning.

However, it’s important to remember that the strength of student success with new technology does not lie in the device, software or app. The strength lies in the instructional facilitator and his/her ability to guide and encourage thinking outside the box. The teacher is the key and the technology is another tool.

What do you feel is the single, most impactful technology employed in classrooms today?

There really isn’t one single technology, especially with new technologies coming out every day. Handheld devices and robotics are popular in classrooms today. And there’s a huge push for students to learn coding, which is a valuable skill that involves a lot of logic.

Multimedia is everywhere. It attacks all the senses, and it’s instantaneous. Speaking of multimedia, MIT has developed software that captures the vibration of an object to determine the impact of noise levels on living and nonliving objects – an activity that involves math, science, social studies and technology. If we’re able to apply this to seismic activity, perhaps one day it could be used to predict earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. True example of thinking outside the box!

Technology can be both good and bad. We must make sure the resources are credible and support ISTE standards. Be a good digital citizen.

How has Curriki helped new teachers better engage their students?

The assumption is that all young people are tech savvy, but that’s not always true. We’re seeing all levels of proficiency and exposure – some are technology experts, others struggle. Because our student teachers are new to the teaching profession, it’s difficult for them to look at teaching materials with a critical eye.

That’s why Curriki is so useful. Curriki is a multimedia treasure. All the materials have been vetted by teachers, each with a different voice and perspective. Curriki gives student teachers a good idea of standards and answers their questions: “Is this resource valued?” and “Will this meet my teaching objectives?”

What are your favorite Curriki resources?

I like the technology workshops. And I like the ability to save curated resources in “My Curriki” so that I can easily find them again.

I also use the resources that relate to [state of] Texas, even if we are not Common Core, because they focus on a central core of knowledge and skills.

And finally, I recommend Curriki Groups to my student teachers as a place where they can collaborate on specific topics, get new ideas and share best practices. For example, one group I recommend they join is the STEM Group.

How do you accommodate different learning styles?

Not everyone learns the same way and our new teachers don’t want to have to visit dozens of sites to find the different resources they need. Curriki has everything in one place using all forms of media, from lesson plans and units to curated resources. And because all these resources have been vetted by “real” teachers, Curriki gives these new teachers the confidence in the material to meet instructional needs.

Why do you do what you do?

I’ve been an educator for 40+ years, having taught from pre-K to adjunct at the university. I believe the role of a teacher is to empower students to learn for themselves.

If you could tell teachers one thing about Curriki, what would it be?

Sign up for Curriki! It’s only takes a minute and it’s free. Curriki provides a rich collection of cross-curricular materials easily integrated with the adopted state curriculum. Plus, you’ll be able to collaborate with other teachers and use, share and customize the thousands of resources available on Curriki.

How are Schools Using 3D Printers?

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

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Are you experimenting with 3D printers in your classroom? While 3D printing technology has been around since the 1980s, it’s only become commercially viable (read: affordable) in the last few years. For those unfamiliar with 3D printers, they are a form of manufacturing that takes three-dimensional image files and “prints” them into physical objects using a variety of materials, typically plastic.

 

Christine Mytko

Christine Mytko

A handy resource for teachers and students is Teacher Christine Mytko’s blog Tales of a 3D Printer, which takes a look at the “fascinating potential of 3D printing and the process of getting there.” She has many useful resources listed on her site including:

 

Teen Crime Solvers Use 3D Scanning and Printing 

There are so many ways to use 3D printers in the classroom! For example, a middle school in Richmond County Schools, North Carolina, is giving students hands-on experience in forensic science with their 3D Academy, which is equipped with an HDI Advance R1X 3D scanner from LMI, Geomagics software, 3D Max, and Cube X and Cube 3D printers from 3D Systems.
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Students scanned evidence found at the “crime scene,” including a body, as well as finger, hand and shoe prints. The fingerprint was transformed into a virtual block in Cubify Sculpt and 3D printed using their Cube 3D printer. Read the whole story here.

According to this list from EduTECH, 3D printing can be used to demonstrate principles in subjects such as:

  1. Math – 3D print those equations.
  2. Art – 3D print necklaces and sculptures.
  3. Business and Economics – sell the 3D prints!
  4. History – compare 3D Printing to the production line and other manufacturing techniques.
  5. Biology – 3D print cells structures and viruses.
  6. Chemistry – 3D print molecules and proteins.
  7. Show how proteins and catalysts work by physically piecing the models together.
  8. Technology Studies – sit the printer next to the lathes and the welders – another way to make items.
  9. Computing Studies – how 3D Software works.
  10. Drama – Quick, we need some 3D Printed Masks!
  11. Home Economics – 3D Printing food is a form of Molecular Gastronomy.

How are you using 3D printer technology? We’d love to hear your ideas – please share below!

Has Technology Changed the Way You Teach?

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

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Have you noticed that your teaching methods have changed over the last five years? Many teachers find themselves transitioning to a different role in the classroom as the use of technology grows. Instead of a traditional teaching approach (e.g., lecture, note taking), more and more educators are having students play a more active role by engaging them in the learning process though the use of technologies like interactive polling or online media. And a big benefit to including technology in the classroom is that it allows teachers to personalize learning to each student individually.

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A 2013 Pew Internet survey  of U.S. middle and secondary school teachers found that while technology has become central to how they teach, it also presents new challenges in the classroom given the widespread student use of cell phones, social media and the internet.

Unfortunately, the digital divide is real. The survey also found big differences between low income and middle income students.  For example, teachers of low income students are much less likely than teachers of the highest income students to use tablet computers (37% v. 56%) or e-readers (41% v. 55%) in their classrooms and assignments. In many cases, the lack of access to the internet or mobile devices is a key inhibitor to broader use of digital technologies.

In another survey, last month SIIA released the full report from the 2013 Vision K-20 Survey today,   its sixth annual national survey to measure U.S. educational institutions’ self-reported progress toward building a framework that embraces technology and e-learning. This year’s survey included questions on BYOD, and the results aren’t surprising. While more institutions expect to incorporate BYOD into the classroom within the next five years, technology integration still faces issues of support and access. You can read the executive summary here.

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Are you a connected or unconnected educator? Tell us how you’re incorporating technology into the classroom and the difference it’s making.

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