Ed Tech Blog
![Adams, Sewell, Turner, Fitzpatrick Introduce Legislation to Support Minority Students in STEM Fields](https://adams.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/adams.house.gov/files/featured_image/AdobeStock_123419079.jpeg)
Living in the 21st Century, the term ‘’STEM/STEAM’’ is no longer unfamiliar. Now, most individuals know STEM involves skills that will take students to the next level of learning and problem-solving. It brings attention to strengthening the basic skills that can groom an individual and prepare them to manage real-life problems (without panic!). While some educators propose the idea of dedicated time slots for STEM activities, I disagree with them. Because the purpose of integrating STEM becomes meaningless if we still treat it as a separate entity; rather, it should be a foundation for everyday lesson planning and class activities! For that, the role of the teacher becomes most significant as a moderator to direct the student’s energies and strengths to achieve a collective goal. So, teachers, are you ready?
To highlight the major focus of STEM integration into the classroom, Dare and colleagues (2021) quoted the idea of the 4 C’s- Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration- as the skills which support student empowerment. Integration of STEM in the classroom stimulates problem-solving, identifying alternatives to a common problem, reaching out, and working in a team to achieve a common goal utilizing the applied skills of the 4 C’s. Making sure that the students absorb these skills can be achieved through effective lesson planning, which can switch between experiential learning to vicarious learning (learning from observing other individuals’ learning experiences) or situated learning.
Tips and Tricks to Dissolve STEM into your Classroom
While you are teaching students, no matter whether it’s science, languages, or mathematics, pause once you are done with the day’s topic and think about how you can present a topic-relevant problem to the students. Students will engage in the process of problem-solving and work to resolve the problem. This involvement will give students an opportunity to use...
Introduction
Learning management systems are a trending topic with the advent of online learning. But you may be wondering how they work and how they can benefit your classroom or enhance your existing curriculum. In this post, we’ll delve deep into what LMSs are and how they could be useful for your learning environment. Let’s get started!
What Are LMSs?
Popularized in higher education, and now making their way to K-12, learning management systems provide institutions a digital space to do everything from documenting and tracking to providing online education and training to teachers. Often abbreviated simply as an LMS, learning management systems for schools utilize software to deliver classes, lessons, or training programs completely online.
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application used to manage, document, track, report, automate, and deliver education courses, training programs, or training and development programs. A Learning Management System (LMS) is a web-based integrated software used to create, deliver, track, and report on education courses and outcomes.
A learning management system (LMS) is a platform that helps instructors to manage and organize educational materials on the web, as well as run online courses. A learning management system is a software program used...
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If there is one effective way of bridging the distance between language learners sitting in a classroom and real-world practice of the language without even traveling a mile–it is technology.
Apps, digital tools, online platforms, and other instructional technologies have forever changed how we learn and teach world languages.
So, if you are reluctant about using online tools in your language classroom or get overwhelmed by them, I invite you to reconsider. We can make technology serve us in simple ways and enrich the learning process for everyone involved. Numerous studies speak to the benefits of technology in language learning both for students and educators.
Joe Dale, a language consultant and technology expert in the UK, emphasizes that we can use technology to enhance language learning. And what’s a better way to do it than have students put their skills into practice in authentic and real-world learning environments?
Here are a few educational technologies to include in your language courses and enhance authentic learning for students.
Live Conversations
Live conversation platforms such as LinguaMeeting and TalkAbroad allow students to practice their speaking skills with language coaches from selected countries. Could it get more authentic? You can opt for one-on-one...
Read more: 6 Online Tools to Enhance Authentic Learning in Language Classrooms
![6 Ways to Incorporate Coding into Your Classroom](https://www.kajeet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Coding-Classroom-Blog-4.png?width=749&name=Coding-Classroom-Blog-4.png)
Traditional doctrine in the educational system is to create good computer programmers by teaching traditional computer science and first making students computer scientists, which is not really needed to learn how to code and make good computer programmers. Usually, a part of that method involves burdening students with difficult advanced math requirements not usually included in standard K-12 curricula.
Most standard math classes will not help prepare students to learn to code. This obligates teachers planning to teach students to code in a traditional computer programming course to teach the math and logical concepts required by computer programmers first. These include binary and bitwise operations, hexadecimal (also known as hex code) and octal, which only uses 0 through 7, for a base 8 system.
Standard math courses also don’t teach students to start counting from 0 up to 9 in our standard system of counting and decimal system. However, they really should if they want more students to understand how to program a computer. To this end, understanding the concepts taught in math is actually far more important than learning to quickly and accurately calculate the correct answers to math problems with your own human brain in the approved way. The ability...
![Classroom Design for an Optimized Learning Space](https://myviewboard.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MP0027-01-scaled.jpg)
A great majority of educational researchers’ time and energy is devoted to pinpointing the most effective methods of teaching and learning, with priority being given to the latter. In turn, it is of no surprise that researchers have devoted, and continue to devote, time and energy to identifying aspects of the physical environment of classrooms that enhance effective teaching and learning. The problem, however, is that those in the field of education (i.e. teachers, administrators, school boards, school building designers) often are not aware of how aspects of a school’s physical environment affect student learning. Following this line of thinking, the purpose of this research post is (1) to identify the factors of the physical environment that have been shown via educational research to influence classroom learning (either negatively or positively) and (2) to identify what findings regarding the physical environment’s effect on learning would be useful to teachers, administrators, school boards and school designers. Once these factors and findings are identified, they can be examined more deeply to determine which should be prioritized for the greatest effect on student learning. Recommendations for such prioritization are provided based on the conclusions of this research.
Factors that Influence Classroom Learning
A...
Read more: Impacts of the Physical Environment on Classroom Learning - Part 1
![Over 95% Of Workers Say That Hybrid Work Is Best For Mental Health](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/64a59628c6ed81a17b8aa488/Over-95--of-workers-think-that-hybrid-work-is-the-answer-for-mental-health-concerns-/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&crop=2621,1474,x0,y197,safe&width=960)
Woodland Park, NJ – February 14, 2024 - The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the way we work, blurring the lines between our personal and professional lives like never before. As organizations adapt to new norms, the mental health of working individuals has emerged as a critical concern. With the rise of remote work and hybrid work models, maintaining well-being in the workplace has become a difficult issue to tackle for many.
The Impact of Working from Home
Working from home has been a double-edged sword for many people. On one hand, the flexibility and autonomy it offers can enhance work-life balance and productivity. On the other hand, the lack of separation between work and home life can lead to burnout and isolation.
The absence of physical interaction with colleagues and the loss of a structured routine have contributed to feelings of loneliness and disconnection for some. Moreover, the constant presence of digital devices and the blurring of work hours can increase stress and anxiety, making it challenging for individuals to switch off and unwind.
Hybrid Work and Finding Balance
As organizations transition to hybrid work models, new challenges and opportunities arise. Hybrid work promises the best of both worlds, combining the flexibility...
Read more: Navigating Mental Health in the New Normal: A Look at Working from Home and Hybrid Work