Speed Geeking

I had a great experience exploring and learning about new technology that is available for the classroom. There were so many different resources ranging from engineering tools to websites. Some of them I have used and some of them were brand new to me. It was really eye opening for me to see all of the technology that students can use for educational purposes. It also made me excited to start my digital classroom!

In category A, we looked at different tools like sphero and the osmo. My favorite tool in this category was the osmo letters. In a primary classroom, this would be an awesome app and tool to use for learning letters and sound recognition. At first, I was a little hesitant about this tool because the pictures could be confusing, but then I found out you can upload your own pictures which would help a lot. My least favorite tool in this category was the Smart Kapp board. Although this is a good concept, I believe the struggles we experienced with it outweigh the pros of it. I believe the same thing could be accomplished if a student took a picture of the board.

The next category I explored was devises such as iPads and computers. My favorite tool in this category was the iPad or the iPad mini. iPads can do so much in the classroom. There are apps, both free and paid, for any subject you can think of. Also, iPads are easy to use at any level. Another great thing about iPads are they are small enough to be transported easily if needed. On the other hand, my least favorite tool in this category was the iPad Pro. Although they can do everything the smaller iPads do, they are way more expensive and also larger so they are not very portable. I do not think they are ideal in a classroom setting.

The third category I explored was tools to be used for coding and engineering. My favorite tool in this category was the Squishy Circuit. I think it is a great concept to use PlayDoh as a conductor. It can get the students involved in exploration as well. My least favorite in this category was the BB8 Bot. Although it looked really neat, I am unsure how I would use it in the classroom.

Category D also had tools for programming. My favorite in this category was the Makey Makey. I think this is an awesome tool! Students can get so creative with it and turn every day items into a piano or other things. Although I did not have long to look at this tool, there is so much that can be done with it. My least favorite in this category was the Snap Circuit, but this could simply be because I did not have a lot of time to look at it and I would need to do more research.

The last category was websites. My favorite website was Padlet. I love this website because it allows students to safely collaborate on a community board. It is easy to use and students can make comments that everyone can see. From the websites I looked at, I did not have a least favorite. I believe they were all good.

The one tool I would love to have in my classroom is the Makey Makey. I think this is an awesome for student to explore and be creative with their learning. This tool is very versatile and can be used in multiple different ways. One tool I do not believe I will be incorporating into my classroom is a Smart Kapp board. I think there are other ways to get information to students that are more reliable and easier to use.