Summary
This professional development session applies research-based practices to support the use of educational technology (EdTech) in the classroom. Through exploring Scratch coding on a Raspberry Pi, 3D printing with TinkerCAD, and Swivl robots, participants will connect EdTech to science and engineering practices and identify potential hurdles to their implementation in the classroom.
Essential Questions
How can a technology-enriched learning environment prepare students for postsecondary opportunities in a tech-driven world?
Learning Goals
Apply research-based practices to support the use of educational technology (EdTech).
Through the lens of science and engineering practices, connect the impact of EdTech to a tech-driven world.
Identify potential hurdles for the student learning experience with EdTech.
Materials List
Presentation Slides - Changing the Outcome by Measuring it: Emerging EdTech in the STEM Classroom
Sticky Notes
Markers
Posters (3 for a group of 12-17, 6 for 18+ participants)
NSTA Science and Engineering Practices Handout
Extended Matrix of NSTA Science and Engineering Practices Handout
First Word, Last Word Handouts (Coding, Communication, Technology, and Robot)
Swivl Scavenger Hunt
Instructional Strategy Note Sheet
TinkerCAD Task Cards
Scratch Task Cards
Engage
10 Minute(s)
To begin, display slide 3.
Using the First Word, Last Word strategy, activate prior knowledge of technology use in the classroom from your participants.
Have participants form 4 groups and pass out to each group a different First Word, Last Word Handout.
One group member will fill in the first word of the acrostic, then pass it to the next group member.
When the word is complete, have groups share out their group's acrostic and briefly discuss and come to an agreement on the chosen words' appropriateness with the whole group.
Once you have finished, inform your audience of the objectives and essential question for the PD on slide 4 and slide 5.
In this PD you will:
Apply research-based practices to support the use of educational technology (EdTech).
Through the lens of science and engineering practices, connect the impact of EdTech to a tech-driven world.
Identify potential hurdles for the student learning experience with EdTech.
And the essential question:
How can a technology-enriched learning environment prepare students for postsecondary opportunities in a tech-driven world?
Explore
60 Minute(s)
Depending on the note above, transition to either slide 6 or 8. On slide 6, show the quote to the participants and then play the video on slide 7. This video is meant to help set the foundation for coding in the upcoming activities by showing how important clear and sequential instructions are to communicating, particularly with a piece of technology.
In the next activity on slide 8, participants will rotate through a series of stations, each exploring a different educational technology. The three stations for today are:
Raspberry Pi and Scratch programming
Swivl Bots
3D Printing with Thingiverse and TinkerCAD
Split the participants into small groups, and assign each a starting station. Participants now have twenty minutes to explore the technology by completing a task card. Participants follow directions on the task cards, working as far as they can in the activity before time. After each station, give 2-3 minutes for them to take notes over what they experienced on the Instructional Strategy Note Sheet.
Explain
10 Minute(s)
Using a modified Four Corners strategy, have participants choose which educational technology they explored that they liked the most or think would be possible for them to implement in the classroom and go stand by the poster for that technology. At the top of the poster, participants, as a group, should divide the page into two with a marker and complete an I Notice...I Wonder... responding to the prompts:
What did you notice about the technology you explored?
What do you wonder about implementing these technologies in your classroom?
Then, below the I Notice...I Wonder..., have participants record:
How can these technologies be implemented to help students prepare for a tech-driven world?
What are some potential hurdles in their implementation and do you have ideas for mitigating their effect?
Participants should respond on their poster and then return to their seats. We will return to these posters after the next activity.
Extend
Once participants have returned to their seats, transition to slide 18 and introduce the NSTA Science and Engineering Practices (a handout is included to print if you prefer). Inform participants that students need to connect what we have done to engineering practices in real life. Give participants a few minutes to go over the practices and think about which practice they think each technology meets.
On slide 19, have participants do a Gallery Walk looking at each poster, and using a sticky note, put what practice they think the technology meets and attach it to the poster for that technology. Does everyone agree with the assessments? Facilitate a brief discussion to see if a consensus can be achieved.
Evaluate
The session will wrap up with a 3-2-1 strategy, on slide 20. The prompts are below:
What are 3 classroom activities that you could enhance with these technologies?
What are 2 different ways that these technologies prepare students for a tech-driven world?
What is 1 hurdle that must be overcome when implementing these technologies into the classroom and how could you do it?
Finally, have participants rate today's session by following the QR code and filling in the evaluation form.
Follow-up Activities
Some questions you may want to share at the end of the session to prepare for a follow-up with participants after they've implemented their created lesson or activity:
What activity did you implement with students?
How did students approach the task?
What challenges did students experience?
How did they problem-solve or “troubleshoot” these challenges?
How did the task promote student’s critical thinking?
How did the learning experience support NSTA practices?
Research Rationale
The use of STEM-integrated technology in the classroom requires teacher preparation and intentional planning for student engagement. Teacher preparation must ensure that the collective total knowledge of all involved teachers is adequate, which can be accomplished through training and professional development that emphasizes “content knowledge, practices, implementation approaches, the connection between and among STEM disciplinary knowledge and skills, and assessment of learning outcomes” (Ntemngwa, 2018). Authenticity is needed, as the relationship between engineering and technology is more easily understood by students if science and math classes are carried out in the context of everyday life (Erdem, 2019). In order for lessons using STEM-integrated technology to be successful, teachers must provide clear lab instructions with embedded resources, such as YouTube videos, and create reasonable activities that are practical, fun, and/or doable under time constraints (Bhounsule et al, 2018). Finally, promoting an atmosphere where failure with problem-solving is acceptable must be cultivated: this can be accomplished using reflective self-assessment wherein students focus on themes such as group dynamics, problem scope, time management, and iteration/testing (Bitetti et al, 2018).
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). First Word Last Word. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f5069e86
K20 Center. (n.d.). Four Corners. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f5064550
K20 Center. (n.d.). Anchor Chart. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/64f2b35101a470dda36d44421900af08
K20 Center. (n.d.). Gallery Walk. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f505a54d
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f5059a7b
K20 Center. (n.d.). I Notice...I Wonder... Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f507d1a7
Bhounsule, P.A. et al (2018). Control systems and robotics outreach to middle-school girls: Approach, results, and suggestions. Presented at 2018 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Section Annual Conference, Austin, 2018. Berlin: Research Gate. DOI: 10.1109/FIE.2018.8659344
Bitetti, S. et al (2018). Examination of student self-assessed learning in a project-based freshman robotics course. Presented at the 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), San Jose, CA, 2018.
Erdem, A. (2019). Robotics training of science and arts center teachers: Suleymanpasa/Tekirdag case. Journal of education and training studies, 7(7), 50-61. DOI: 10.11114/jets.v7i7.3943
Ntemngwa, C. & Oliver, J.S. (2018). The Implementation of Integrated Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Instruction using Robotics in the Middle School Science Classroom. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology (IJEMST), 6(1), 12-40. DOI:10.18404/ijemst.380617