Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Educators share how tech is pushing engagement in novel ways

Walk into a Cleveland County Schools classroom today, and chances are you won’t find a traditional chalk board or an old-school overhead projector, but instead, laptop computers and touch-screen smartboards.
With technology at the forefront of education, classrooms are ever-evolving, and educators have begun to adapt and change their teaching approach to better suit 21st century classrooms filled with 21st century learners.

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

StoryBots launches interactive resources for teachers

interactive-resources

Books, videos, math games aim to boost student engagement

JibJab Bros. Studios launched an expansion of its StoryBots franchise with StoryBots Classroom, a free resource for educators that includes hundreds of videos, books and activities for use on interactive white boards, tablets and laptops in the classroom.
The product also includes the newly released StoryBots Math Skills, an extensive collection of kindergarten-level, standards-aligned math games and lessons.
Teachers can gain free access to the platform by applying for the StoryBots Educator Network at www.StoryBots.com/educate.
By pairing leading educators and learning experts with JibJab’s world-class team of artists and storytellers, StoryBots has captured the attention of today’s media-savvy students with fun, compelling content designed to support the development, practice and mastery of foundational skills. Today, over 9,000 teachers around the world are part of the StoryBots Educator Network.
“StoryBots is exactly what kindergarteners need! It is fun, engaging, uplifting, auditory, interactive and educational, all in one,” said Kelly Wade, kindergarten teacher at Collins Elementary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We use StoryBots daily in my classroom — from whole class warm-ups, to small group differentiated practice, to one-on-one remediation.”
Launched by JibJab Bros. Studios in 2012, StoryBots leverages JibJab’s Starring You personalization technology to allow kids to see themselves dancing and singing along onscreen next to their favorite StoryBots characters. Since its founding, StoryBots videos have amassed more than 300 million views online, while its eBooks have been read more than 8 million times.
“As new parents, my brother and I saw the opportunity to leverage technology and storytelling to accelerate learning and help kids get ahead,” said Gregg Spiridellis, StoryBots co-creator and CEO. “We’re thrilled to make the entire StoryBots library available to all young learners in classrooms for free.”
StoryBots Classroom offers an expansive new suite of classroom-ready activities and resources, including:
  • Math Skills – Common Core-aligned kindergarten-level math games
  • Learning Videos – a library of 110+ animated musical videos that explore a wide range of topics
  • Starring You® and Learning Books – 90+ eBooks that help kids practice reading
  • Starring You® Videos – offering fun, quick and personalized reward for the classroom and can be used for brain breaks
  • Activity Sheets – 20 printable books and 350+ sheets for teachers to use in their classrooms
  • Teacher Tools – including Class Roster, Lesson Planner, Group Builder — to help educators manage their classroom and create custom plans to best suit their students’ unique needs

2016 math gaming competition kicks off

math-gaming

EdGaming math competitions can be a driver for engaging students

Educational games developer DimensionU has launched the 2016 Spring Tournament Season for its DimensionU Math Video Game Competitions in partnership with a variety of local education agencies and STEM Outreach organizations.
Math-based video game competitions provide a compelling environment to support student learning across a broad range of skill levels, offering the opportunity, regardless of academic background, for students to participate and achieve academic success.
The spring tournament season kicked off this month in Dallas Independent School District at its annual STEM Day event on February 6, 2016.
The tournament season slate continues with math competitions in the following locations:
Honolulu, Hawaii – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Charleston, South Carolina – Champaign, Illinois – Rome, New York – Huntsville, Alabama – Picatinny, New Jersey – Tampa, Florida – Garland, Texas – Washington, D.C. – Austin, Texas – Fort Worth, Texas – New York, New York.
The competitions are typically conducted as live physical events involving elementary, middle, and high school students under a team-based and/or individual-based structure with curriculum differentiated according to a student’s current grade or performance level. This unique feature of the DimensionU Gaming platform, combined with its action-oriented game format, enables and fosters participation among a more inclusive base of students.
“Aside from educational excitement, what is most significant about our competitions is that they can be a key to unlocking the academic potential in students who may otherwise not be engaged in the classroom,” said Steven Hoy, CEO of DimensionU. “ We are creating positive change for many students and lighting a path towards the opportunity for higher education by establishing educational success through non-traditional means,” added Hoy.
DimensionU games are available to individuals, classrooms, schools, after school programs and school divisions via web, mobile and desktop applications and are usable cross-platform. The DimensionU competitions are scalable from classroom to national levels in both virtual and physical environments

Vernier’s LabQuest Stream uses Bluetooth for data collection

vernier-data

LabQuest Stream allows students to stream data from multiple sensors directly to a mobile device, Chromebook, or computer

To expand data-collection possibilities in the science classroom, Vernier Software & Technology, creator of real-time sensor data collection, graphing, and analysis tools for science education, has developed LabQuest Stream.
This wireless and USB sensor interface allows students to collect scientific data from multiple sensors with a mobile device, Chromebook, or computer. LabQuest Stream provides educators the freedom and flexibility to collect data using a wide variety of computing platforms, and it is compatible with more than 50 Vernier sensors.
“LabQuest Stream provides teachers an enormous amount of flexibility, offering wireless compatibility via Bluetooth and wired compatibility via USB,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Technology platforms in the science classroom—from computers, to Chromebooks or tablets—are rapidly evolving. LabQuest Stream provides educators a versatile option, compatible with a wide range of sensors, all supported by Vernier’s unmatched stellar service for education.”
Supported software includes Vernier Graphical Analysis apps, Logger Pro, and Logger Lite software. The interface’s five sensor ports support a wide array of Vernier sensors for conducting multi-variable experiments and data-logging activities. Students can use LabQuest Stream to collect up to 10,000 samples per second using wireless functionality or up to 100,000 samples per second when using USB connectivity.
LabQuest Stream includes a high-capacity, rechargeable battery allowing teachers to conduct multiple lab experiments each day.
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