Home » Posts tagged 'education'
Tag Archives: education
Google Earth Tours
In my mind nothing is more intriguing that the digital world that’s been captured by cameras and put on display. With our fingers and an electronic device we can travel the world in minutes, seeing new areas waiting to be explored. This isn’t a new discussion though, as we previously analyzed Air Pano and their tour of Cape Town, South Africa. Of course in this digital age there are countless formats to view and explore our world, but one format is rising to the top. Digit superpower Google has it’s Google Earth application, of course, but what might not be known is it’s virtual reality (VR) system called Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard is an inexpensive device designed to hold your cell phone and be able to experience virtual reality. Google jumped into the VR market with a strong stance with their Google Earth and Google Maps already accessing street views.
After the development of Google Cardboard, Google started adding VR options to their applications, fittingly calling them Earth VR and YouTube VR.
Earth VR brings the aspect of “street view” a whole new meaning. Pictured above is a view of the New York City skyline via Earth VR. With Google Cardboard you can purchase two remote-like devices that act as controllers within VR. Also within the picture above we can see how the controllers are used to navigate the world; the right controller being the pointer and selector tool and the left being a selection hub for the world.
The use of Earth VR can go beyond just entertainment and fun, but could be effectively integrated into classrooms. Anywhere from discovery activities for History classes or English classes to VR Minecraft: Education edition to add for a more interactive, real-life class experience.
The other Google-backed VR tool is YouTube VR. YouTube VR is a channel on YouTube, aptly named Virtual Reality, that posts “360 videos”, videos best watched through virtual reality. Some are also formatted especially for VR by altering the video structure so that the viewing is the same for both eyes, creating the realistic experience.
Here you can find different games and applications to use with Google Cardboard.
WE Teachers and Mental Heath
This world is in the hands of the generations to come. We have growing issues that must be identified and addressed properly, and that comes with educating and advancing the next generations. Our generation must do the planning, research, and educating to enable the next generation to make big changes.
Sadly, I’ve been hearing this statement since the time I was in elementary school. So what generation is the one to actually be the educators, and which will be the changemakers?
It seems like ours. WE.org is an organization with this plan set in mind. WE is empowering students of all age to make changes and put their best hand forward in attempt to help in any way. Charity events, nonprofits, community outreaches, so on and so on, the goal is to create a generation of students who mind the well-being of others. To mind the well-being of others, they must first mind their own.
The teachers of WE are taught, through a free program, how do address mental health lapses or disorders in their students.
Being able to address these mental conditions is teaching for the future. This impacts the students ability to learn and socially interact in school now, but impacts their mental health for the future. Not every single student will be perfect, and preparing teachers for all different types of situations will increase their class awareness and broaden their ability to teach, reaching and impacting a larger audience during their time. Moreover, if this module from WE.org is made mandatory in teacher education programs, inclusivity and mental health will be no issue for future generations to combat.
Our Future: The Importance of SDGs
Our Earth isn’t a perfect place. There’s poverty, hunger, inequality, and on and on. It seems like every day we hear new news of more global issues that seem to be stacking higher and higher. Our Earth doesn’t have a singular government to act on these issues, but the United Nations is the closest solution. The United Nations is a committee with representation from every single country in the world. The UN has developed and crafted different plans of action to tackle these crises across the globe. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the way to achieving the global peace and prosperity that the UN is striving for. There importance is much larger than helping impoverished countries gain traction or establishing global peace and equality, rather they will help improve global climate conditions and future POAs. The future isn’t guaranteed for our Earth, and we may be shortening the life span of our generation and generations to come if we don’t start achieving these goals.
These are the Sustainable Development Goals. These aren’t new to me as I’ve had previous interaction working with them in classes before this, but to many it’s their first time seeing these. That’s a problem in my eyes. These goals are our future. These goals are for the betterment of our lives.
Of the seventeen SDGs, I would highlight three of them: no poverty, zero hunger, quality education. It’s so difficult to think and decide on which to prioritize because of the importance and connection between all of them. Educating our youth is definitely a priority. Educating them on these issues especially, because without teaching the next generation then these goals will never be met.
No Poverty and Zero Hunger interconnect with Good Health and Well-Being, thus why I prioritize them. Poverty ravages every country, everywhere. We can drive fifteen minutes away and see impoverished living conditions.
I really struggled thinking which issues need to be tackled first. And my final answer is: none. No one SDG needs to be prioritized over all the others. They all are critical and need to be addressed. As I’m going through them, we are not close to achieving any of them. The United Nations suggests that we complete this list of SDGs by 2030. It’s 2021, and I don’t believe we are close. Saving our world needs to be prioritized.
Discovery Education – Virtual Field Trips
This blog post will be about a platform called Discovery Education.
Discovery Education offers virtual field trips to teachers and students in the classroom. This tool is for educators to use so students can learn and gain experiences while sitting at their seats.
I researched this tool more in depth because it provides a companion guide, offers hands on learning activities and it is free!
What I found useful about Discover Education is the relevant content it shares and the teaching tools it offers teachers all while being on one platform.
It is:
When logged in you can search and find over 200,000 resources offered of all grade levels and subjects. It makes your search easy and accessible because you can filter out certain categories.
It comes in handy because you can assign and share content directly with your students.
Example:
In the long run this tool helps educators save time, quiz students, allows you to create activities and present them using the studio feature, offers literacy tools and helps teachers grow professionally.
Virtual Field Trip Video: KNOW MORE DO MORE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP
This platform will be used in my classroom as a hands on activity after watching videos and following the companion guide. This will test students’ knowledge on what they watched and have learned. I also plan on using the projects feature to find scientific and engineering project ideas.
What is the Discovery Education Experience like? Click here to find out!
Check out their YouTube channel for information: Click Here
Thanks for reading! Connect with me on twitter: @smirnah
EMPATICO A PLATFORM FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION
Empatico is a free platform that was created to connect students virtually in a classroom with other students around the globe. The platform is used by teachers for students within the 6-11 age group. It is one of the few virtual exchange programs that matches teachers to other teachers based on similar interests. This platform provides research based activities to get students to engage with other students virtually according to the schedule the teacher sets.
Empatico is a free tool for educators.
What you can do with EMPATICO
Choose to partner with a class-
Get matched with other teachers based on similar:
activities
schedules
student ages
Chat with a partner teacher-
Includes:
instant messaging
built-in video.
Notified when email or text is received.
Share photos or videos of the class–
Upload pictures/ videos to shared folders to introduce students to partner class and share updates throughout the year.
Class schedule exchange meeting times–
Time zones converted for you. Lets you see dates/times the partner teacher can connect.
Students participate in research-based activities–
Universal topics of the world.
Teacher resources
Includes mini-lessons, tips and tricks to prepare students for the partner classroom exchange.
Video chat/ live
Built in live video chat, no download or apps required to access platform.
Teachers describing the Empatico experience, click here.
Thanks for the view! Follow me on Twitter for the latest updates @smirnah1
Recent Comments