I have the privilege of visiting GR Area schools to observe use of technology in the classrooms as part of the Kent Educational Technology Specialists (KETS). Our last visit was at Belmont Elementary (Rockford Public Schools), a Blue Ribbon School. Here's an observation worth sharing (I've provided links so you can explore on your own):
MakerSpace Instead of Computer Labs
This is a common trend I am seeing in schools where they are moving towards 1-to-1 devices and converting their unused computer labs into MakerSpace areas. When I was at Belmont I saw a 3rd grade teacher with her students and they were working at the following activity centers:
- Station 1: Learning how to control/program a bot
- Station 2: Color code Ozobots
- Station 3: Jeep maze - goal is to take the jeep from one point to the other using the walls (made with storage bins) and the reactive force (learning about forces in science)
- Station 4: Osmos - practice spelling list - as students wrote the word on their writing pad, osmos would animate that word in a variety of ways, engaging the students in the learning activity
- Station 5: Jenga with word puzzles - students solved the word puzzles (all content related) to find clues for next steps to create a structure
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