Global Collaboration with Google Expeditions
At its heart, Global Collaboration is the act of exploring complex ideas or problems from multiple viewpoints. This is exactly what Google Expeditions, a new virtual reality platform developed by Google, allows students to do. By using a smartphone or computer, as well as Google Cardboard, students can take virtual fieldtrips to a wide range of destinations.
The virtual fieldtrips can take students to explore natural landscapes or on a tour of historical sites such as museums, and ancient buildings. To go even further, teachers can purchase a class kit containing cardboard frames for phones and tablets. These kits allow students to wear a device over their eyes in order to be fully immersed in their exploration. A brief video of how Google Cardboard works and how it can be utilized in class can be viewed below:
As you can see from the video, this technology can be used in incredible ways. For a student like Lance living in the middle of Iowa, the opportunities to visit the big city are very slim. However, with Google Expeditions, along side the use of Google Cardboard, his entire class was able to visit one of the largest cities in the word, Dubai. Being from a small town in Iowa, Lance might have never gotten the opportunity to explore buildings like the Burj Khalifa without this technology. For a student hoping to one day become an architect, this type of experience can be life changing.
In terms of Global Collaboration, I think the opportunities from virtual fieldtrips are extremely obvious. These trips are exceptionally detailed and allow students to explore people and places that they would never have the opportunity to otherwise. Students can now explore anywhere they please. From the architectural masterpieces in Dubai to the depths of the oceans the chances to discover are endless.
Out of Eden Walk
For this weeks blog, I am writing about a surprisingly fun experience I had while exploring the migration of our ancestors. I have always been fascinated by other cultures and this project from National Geographic does an incredible job of giving a bit of insight into how different the world is. Paul Salopek is a award winning journalist who has decided to document his journey across 24,000 miles of human history. The amount of detail Paul Salopek and his team put into this project is astounding, with links to every map and picture so readers can learn more. The journey is laid out in a series of chapters with each one describing a different experience.
The Silk Road
The first stop I made, was the Silk Road, a topic I remember learning a lot about in high school. The first stories in this chapter describes what life is like living in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Paul describes the countries’ winding, snow covered roads and unique cuisine. I found the story about the medical benefits of sea buckthorn to be extremely interesting. This chapter was by far my favorite as it gave incredible insight into how peaceful these countries are when they are mostly attributed to war.
The Middle Kingdom
The second stop I made, was another one I was greatly looking forward to, a journey through China and Myanmar, the Middle Kingdom. Being one of the largest countries in the world, China is extremely rich in culture, with an astounding level of diversity. However, the story I was most interested in, is the places Paul was unable to visit. During his journey across Myanmar, Paul ran into logistical trouble because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was forced to fly directly to China, and as a result, lost over 200 miles of potential stories.
The Holy Lands
The final stop I made was in the Middle East, the Holy Lands. This part of the world is considered to be one of the most unstable, making is quite risky to document. Regardless, Paul and his team were able to capture a wide variety of life from this part of the world. The Middle East is home to three of the worlds great religions as well as a massive source for petroleum, making is a restless location. However, like Pakistan, where there is human struggle, there is also incredible beauty.
I had a great experience reading about Paul Salopek’s Out of Eden Walk and I was only able to scratch the surface. Every page leads to more links where even more information can be found. This makes it a great database for a classroom. Students could spend hours clicking through links without getting bored. For a history teacher, this site is a “must have”. If you would like to learn more, you can check out the Eden Walk on National Geographic’s website, here.
Small Schools Make Big Change
As a future educator, I am always looking for new resources to incorporate in my classroom and after browsing we.org, a charity organization encouraging people to make a difference, I found many useful ideas for my future classroom. One in particular that was very encouraging was the West Side High School recycling initiative.
As a small school in Newark, New Jersey, many would believe that there isn’t much of a chance for these students to make a difference. However, when it comes to helping improve the environment, every person matters. West Side High School is making changes to encourage recycling and reduce waste, a problem Newark has dealt with for years. Contributing to waste reduction will help shift the perspective of the community from one of crime and violence to one of unity and social change.
I want to encourage my students that if they work hard, they can accomplish anything. That is exactly what West Side is showing here. Even though they are a small school, they can still make a significant impact in their community.
You can read more about how West Side High School is making a difference here.
Math and Movies
For this week, I wanted to write about a HyperDoc I found. As a future math teacher, I wanted to find a HyperDoc that I might use in my classroom. This one in particular is about Algebra with a movie theme. I want to keep my class fun and interactive so a theme about candy and popcorn seemed like a great idea.
The HyperDoc starts off with a quick review on different Algebra terms but after that, the fun begins. Students are then encouraged to click on several links to games they can play to test their knowledge. The first one is my favorite because I am a big fan of memory games. After the games, students have a link where they can look for new kids movies they can watch as a reward for studying.
As a quick and interactive tool, this HyperDoc seems like a great idea for a classroom. It seems like a perfect opportunity to take some of the seriousness out of school and allow kids to unwind a bit with some games. I will definitely be looking to include it in my classroom one day.
You can checkout the HyperDoc yourself here
A Field Trip to Space
Field trips are a fundamental part of a student’s education. They provide an opportunity for students to learn outside of the classroom. One place I am sure nobody has had the opportunity to take a field trip to, however, is space. Most people would argue the costs and dangers involved in launching a classroom into orbit probably aren’t worth it. However, with Project-Metis, students have the opportunity to explore the solar system like never before.
Project-Metis is a 3-D simulation of our solar system. The simulation provides an accurate location of all the planets in our solar system with educational descriptions of each of them. Based on the time of day, each planet can be seen as it travels across it’s orbit. Using filters and shaders this simulation provides an incredibly detailed representation of what it might actually look like to be in space. This site is perfect for any space enthusiast like myself, offering a wide variety of tools to explore the solar system and all of its mysteries.
Water Equality for All
It’s 2021 and a quarter of the world still does not have access to safe drinking water. That is over 2 billion people. How can we have a world where we witness the greatest accomplishments known to man, yet still have billions of people without access to a basic human need? Luckily, there are global organizations like the United Nations that seek to eliminate this inequality.
With a deadline set for 2030, the UN has adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are an urgent call for action by all countries. These goals are meant to be the guidelines for creating sustainability and equality for all. Amongst those 17 goals is providing clean drinking water and sanitation services.
Between 2000 and 2020, there has been considerable progress towards providing safely managed drinking water, however, the Covid-19 virus has made continuing that progress difficult. The UN remains committed to their goals and are still hopeful for their 2030 deadline.
For more information check out this link to the United Nation’s Goal 6 Page: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6
Mathkind: Becoming a Better Teacher
As a future high school math educator, I am always looking for new opportunities to become a better teacher. Mathkind, an organization founded in 2014, seems like a great chance for me to do just that. Mathkind’s model is focused on helping educators develop better teaching skills and shows them how to apply them in the classroom. The model goes even a step beyond by showing them how to pass that knowledge on to fellow teachers.
Learn
The first step in Mathkind’s education model is to help teachers discover new opportunities to develop their teaching skills. With the help of each other, teachers form new practices that will be used in the classroom. As I am just beginning my journey to becoming an educator, I am very interested in a program designed to help develop new skills. Having a network of other teachers that I can go to for information will also help me grow.
Apply
With these new skills, teachers apply what they have learned to their classroom and report back on the success. The program encourages teachers to be outgoing and take some risks. Having the opportunity to discuss the effects of my teaching with other professionals sounds like an excellent way for me to refine my teaching strategies.
Lead
The final, and probably most important step in the Mathkind model, is to lead. Teachers are encouraged to take what they have learned and share it in order to create lasting change. As I am just beginning my journey to becoming a future educator, this resource seems like a guarantee for success. It has the tools and community that I need to get my feet off the ground.
To see how Mathkind can help you out as well, check out their teaching model at https://mathkind.org/our-model/
How a Video Game is helping kids become better learners.
Here we are, half way through 2021 and COVID-19 continues to cause conflicts in child education. Teachers continue to struggle to find a bridge between keeping their students social and safe. However, it seems Microsoft might be offering a solution with their new title Minecraft: Education Edition.
Minecraft: Education Edition
With Minecraft: Education Edition, students are able to play and learn together while still following CDC guidelines.
- Classroom Multiplayer keeps students connected with each other, allowing them to collaborate on projects in their own worlds.
- Students can build, plan and strategize together
- The Camera feature allows students to record their work as well as export their in-game creations.
Minecraft for Educators
Minecraft: Education Edition allows teachers an opportunity to see how their students learn differently.
- The game offers lessons in every subject. From STEM to language arts to history.
- Provides customizable toolkits that can help solve real-world challenges
- Allows educators to develop their own connections with their students through a digital environment
- “I was truly learning with and from my students”
With COVID-19 continuing to be a problem in 2021, Microsoft seems committed to providing solutions for educators. Minecraft: Education Edition is one tool that is proving an opportunity for teachers and students to find new ways of learning and communicating while remaining safe. Thanks to Microsoft, he future of digital education seems bright!
Thanks for reading!
You can follow my twitter here: @BenPaine2108
Recent Comments