Tech & Learning 10.2020

OCTOBER 2020

TECHLEARNING.COM

& EMERGING TECH
HOW TO TEACH STEM ONLINE AND FACE-TO-FACE
HOW EMERGING TECH, SUCH AS AR AND VR, IS IMPROVING LEARNING



CONTENTSSTEM & EMERGING TECH

4 THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION: REAL CHANGE HAPPENS
THE NEW NORMAL COULD BE ONE STEP AT A TIME
BETTER THAN EVER By Dr. Kecia Ray
“As we are beginning a new school year in the midst of a pandemic,
8 HOW TO TEACH SCIENCE REMOTELY
we are realizing this crisis has challenged districts and ministries of
By Ray Bendici
education worldwide to consider schooling in a very different way.”
10 HOW IT’S DONE: REMOTE These words from Dr. Kecia Ray, found in her article, “The
STEM LEARNING By Sascha Zuger
Evolution of Education” (p.4), could not be more true. Our
14 HOW TO BUILD REMOTE schools remain in crisis, but our community of educators and
STEM ENGAGEMENT administrators continue to rise to meet this challenge with
innovation, tenacity, and perseverance.
16 STEM LESSON PLANS:
LIGHTEN UP! We present snapshots of this innovation in action in this issue. In Managing Editor Ray Bandici’s
article, “How to Teach Science Remotely” (p. 8), he interviews representatives from the National
From How It Works Magazine Science Teaching Association about how educators are still finding creative ways to give their
students hands-on STEM experience in remote learning environments.
18 STEM LESSON PLANS:
BALLOON HOVERCRAFT Education reporter Sascha Zuger talks with a STEM teacher in Orange County, Florida, about
the tools she’s using to engage her students remotely (p. 10). Principal Catherine Jones of Tennessee
From How It Works Magazine shares her school’s two-pronged approach to meet the needs of both in-person and remote students
through interactive STEM activities (p. 14).
20 HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
IS BEING USED IN HIGHER ED We also offer a few fun activities (p. 16) from our Future partner magazine, How It Works, that
teachers can download and share with their students.
By Ellen Ullman
There also examples of how emerging technologies are reshaping pedagogy on pages 18, 20,
22 ONLINE LABS ARE HIGHER ED’S and 22, including edtech reporter Leah Zitter’s article on how AR and VR can be used to support
LATEST EXPERIMENT By Erik Ofgang students with special needs (p. 24).

24 HOW VR AND AR CAN BE USED Another big question that educators have struggled with is: How do we assess students remotely?
TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH Education expert Carl Hooker addresses this question in his article on page 26, in which he offers
SPECIAL NEEDS By Leah Zitter specific tools and strategies to help educators redefine assessment in an era of remote learning.

26 STRATEGIES FOR ASSESSING Finally, read Morris School District’s “Covid Diary” story on page 31. Part of Tech & Learning’s
STUDENTS REMOTELY By Carl Hooker COVID Diary series, Director of Technology Erica Hartman shares her district’s story of teaching
and leading during a pandemic.
29 HOW TO BUILD AN INCLUSIVE
ESPORTS COMMUNITY By Erik Ofgang In the words of Ruth Bader Gnsburg, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a
time.” We will continue to report on these stories of historic change in education in our monthly
31 COVID DIARY: MORRIS magazine and on techlearning.com. If you would like to share your story, please contact me at
SCHOOL DISTRICT [email protected].

33 RESOURCES Thank you, as always, for all you are doing for your school communities.

Group Publisher Christine Weiser Production Manager MANAGEMENT All contents © 2020 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No FUTURE US, INC. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor,
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VEKTORJUNKIE/GETTY IMAGES

THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION:

THE NEW NORMAL COULD
BE BETTER THAN EVER

The evolution of education will require vision, clear and consistent
communication, and a plan with measures of success

By Dr. Kecia Ray as well as state and local health departments.
The one piece that health departments cannot predict is the amount of
Sir Ken Robinson inspired educators around the globe to include creativity
and rethink the way we consider schooling. Uncanny, we lose the loudest social-emotional unrest parents, students, and teachers are feeling. School
voice of re-envisioning school during a period in world history where we districts around the country are focused on the social-emotional well-being
are actually being challenged to re-envision school. of kids, some even telling teachers not to focus on standards the first few
weeks of school but rather to connect with their students and attend to their
As we are beginning a new school year in the midst of a pandemic, we emotional dispositions.
are realizing this crisis has challenged districts and ministries of education
worldwide to consider schooling in a very different way. As we continue to Organizational Culture
re-envision schools this school year, here are some key areas in which we
see potential for the greatest evolution of “school.” No one functions well during a pandemic, let’s be honest. But districts with
a cohesive educator and staff professional learning plan perform better than
Well-being most.

Human beings require structure and a feeling of normalcy. COVID-19 has Providing PD to not only teachers but also administrators, curriculum
disrupted every aspect of normalcy, especially for our children. As schools specialists, educational technologists, counselors, and other positions
reset for the 2020-21 school year, an abundance of caution is being taken to ensures everyone intricately connected to student success has the best
prepare for the unknown as districts follow the recommendations of CDC tools and resources to support students. Being inclusive in the design and
delivery of this learning experience develops a culture of collaboration.

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THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION

Delivering learning to adults in a similar fashion as learning is expected to especially during a period of limited contact with others. Establishing
be delivered to students also aids in modeling effective practices. connectedness and support through collaboration can help districts
overcome the sense of isolation during this time.
Vision of Learning
Innovation in Chaos
Learning has forever changed, thanks to COVID-19. Online learning was
once an alternative program and is now the standard of course delivery. Just as Sir Ken challenged us for years, now is the time to innovate. Budgets
Hybrid indicates a combination of online and face-to-face instruction, a are somewhat full of promise from the federal government and states are
tenet of blended learning now visible in almost every education system in beginning to reopen to decrease the economic impact.
the world.
It is too soon to tell what the world will look like on the other side of
With these increases in online access to learning comes the heightened COVID-19, but one thing we can be sure of with regard to education: It will
concern for equity in access to technology and content. Most agree that never look the same. Parents will be more involved, teachers are enhancing
students must be oriented to online learning and not just thrown into the or developing practices that will forever change the way they consider
experience, but few have the time to actually build this gradual release delivering lessons, and administrators have learned the value of planning
experience for learners. Our students from special populations also need for the future. We have the opportunity to do something very special in
to be considered in a completely different way with regard to inclusion and education. Let’s not let this crisis pass us by without putting it to good use.
accessibility. Let’s commit now to innovate through the chaos and create a new normal
that is better than ever before.
Hybrid and online learning requires a special effort to increase
engagement, especially among young learners. The curriculum and content Dr. Kecia Ray is a strategic thinker and a proven leader in K12
selected for traditional classroom environments must be recalibrated in
order to deliver online or through a hybrid approach, and all the while transformation. She serves as Tech & Learning’s Brand Ambassador and is the
we must ensure students are meeting the measures of accountability. founder of the consulting service, K20Connect
Technology planning is a priority now as is identifying resources, staffing,
and funding for the changing landscape.

The Role of the Caregiver

The school isn’t the only location with a facelift! Gone are the days when
parents were considered “visitors” to classrooms; now we depend on them
to be co-teaching. Households are setting up classroom spaces in bedrooms
and family rooms, and family engagement is more essential now than ever.

Schools are entering into true partnerships with parents, which requires
an increased focus on communication and a new dedication to collaboration.

Collaborating
with Partners

Parent collaborators are just one of many of the collaboratives within a
district. Corporate partnerships are increasingly significant as districts try
to innovate and fund this new way of learning.

Gaining momentum from the community is also important and that
requires a significant amount of effort to develop community partnerships,

It is too soon to tell what the world will look like on the
other side of COVID-19, but one thing we can be sure of

with regard to education: It will never look the same.

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TWINSTERPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

HOW TO TEACH
SCIENCE REMOTELY

Best practices, advice, and resources to teach science remotely

By Ray Bendici says Franco. “If they can teach it, that’s a great assessment tool and way
to prove their understanding of the material. They are also discovering,
With remote learning continuing to be in effect for many schools, teaching investigating and if they can teach it, that’s really going full circle.”
a hands-on subject such as science is a challenge for educators. Not being
able to allow students to experiment, test, and explore firsthand, however, Adapting to the
has encouraged new teaching practices. New Classroom

In Orange County, Florida, science teachers have gone back to basics When teachers are preparing to teach science remotely, they need to be
in a way, according to Veronica Franco, former STEM Gifted Education reflective and understand that they can’t take their traditional classroom
Teacher and STEM Futures Director. Unable to participate in on-site with students sitting in front of them and simply replicate that online,
school experiments, students explore their neighborhoods and backyards says Dr. Christine Royce, a former National Science Teaching Association
in science-based scavenger hunts that involve identifying flora and fauna. (NSTA) president who also is a professor of teacher education and
Teachers also assign project-based tasks, such as coming up with ideas to co-director of MAT in STEM Education at Shippensburg University in
help a local farmer with his excess strawberry harvest. Pennsylvania.

Students are also encouraged to explain science concepts to family. “The
conversation about helping adults learn is our science inquiry component,”

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TEACHING SCIENCE REMOTELY

“Science teachers need to ask themselves: what has changed? And then, for investigations, and synchronous learning sessions can focus on group
‘What do I need to do to adapt to that?’” says Royce.“They need to consider discussions, says Royce. As with in-person learning, it’s critical that
what the big ideas are and what the students need to do rather than just educators continue to guide students to wonder why something happens,
replicate what’s being done in a traditional school day.” and encourage those discussions in groups.

Science educators need to continue pushing exploration and engaging “Asking ‘Why?’ is very powerful because it helps the student put their
students in discussion. Ideally, students would use equipment themselves own pieces together in their mind, and correct things in their own mind,
to perform experiments, says Royce. Depending on the students’ age level, because they have to discuss it with others,” she says.
however, a teacher can provide a video of a hands-on exploration of, say,
chemistry or physics, and encourage students to ask questions, investigate, Embracing Edtech Tools
and use data sets to make sense of what they’re seeing.
For teaching science remotely, Royce recommends a number of tech tools,
As mentioned earlier, teachers can make use of the outdoors, such such as:
as having students watch how leaves blow or how marbles roll down a
sidewalk. “You can have young students go out and engage with simple • Flipgrid - “Sometimes having students verbalize their understanding is
materials that they find around the house,” says Royce. “If we want to more effective than writing it out,” Royce says.
experiment with friction, for example, it can be any kind of ball, and you’re
going to have different outcomes, the observations of which will be very • Idea Sketch - Allows students to record their own ideas.
powerful for students to discuss.” • Jamboard - If students are typically given cards associated with animals

Such activities also tie into phenomena-based learning, which is aligned or organisms in a food chain, for example, those cards can be put into
with Next Generation Science Standards and encourages students to drive a Jamboard and they can still manipulate the cards electronically.
learning through wonder and discussion. “It doesn’t require students to only • Whiteboard.fi - Allows a teacher to create one document and then give
be in a classroom,” says Royce. “They can go collect information on their own each student their own version to manipulate, and then offers sharing
and then come back and share it when they are in a synchronous classroom.” for discussion.

In a remote environment, asynchronous learning time can be used Teachers need to figure which tools are best for them, and then allow
their students to become comfortable using each one, Royce says.

Best Practices for
Teaching Science
Remotely

Some best practices to consider when teaching science remotely, according
to Royce.

• Discussion is important and needs to be facilitated during
synchronous classes. Students being involved will help them connect
their own ideas and ask questions of others.

• Keep what is shared online simplified. Learning online is a heavier
cognitive drive, says Royce, so focusing on the key points will help
facilitate student thinking, reasoning, and discussion.

• Help students become the architects of their own learning. Teachers
still have to develop the content and sequence, but the students should
be in more control of their learning, including executive management
functions such as time management and task completion. “When
students become more involved in the process, it’s going to be a tipping
point at which we see more investigations, more questioning, and
more interest in their learning when we go back to the classroom,” says
Royce.

Additional Resources

• NSTA: Distance Learning Resources
• NSTA: Daily Do
• STEM Teaching Tools
• CSSS Community Projects

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MIXETTO/GETTY IMAGES HOW IT’S DONE:

REMOTE STEM LEARNING

Opportunities for remote STEM learning are all around

By Sascha Zuger example, take a photo of a cumulus cloud, snap a shot of an item classified
as a fruit or vegetable, or build a tower using the same number of household
Who: Veronica Franco, former STEM Gifted Education Teacher and STEM items as there are leaves on a stem of poison ivy.
Futures Director
Where: Orange County, FL You can also create neighborhood scavenger hunts using tech. I like
What: Using edtech for remote STEM learning and to keep students the Discovery Education Studio Boards in which kids can collaborate and
connected build presentations in a safe space. It’s filtered, monitored for language
and content, and it interfaces directly through the phones so a student
No in-person school? No problem for your science curriculum. We can upload a picture right from their phone onto the studio board and
use nature walks and backyard classrooms to keep our kids in the game. collaborate. The studio board becomes a template for them to build their
Whether life science or chemistry or earth science, we can use the outdoors scavenger hunt or project together without a big need for specific tech or
to our advantage. For example, one of the tech tools we use is Leafsnap, hardware they might not have on hand in the home setting.
which is like a tech glossary of plants—students take a picture and it helps
identify the leaf or plant. That’s classification of science through nature. We’re finding a lot of families appreciate this kind of hands-on project.
We try to support scientific inquiry and they can take ownership of their They are trying to work with their kids in the house and here’s a way to
learning using this app. motivate them to get out and soak up the fresh air and sunshine while
keeping learning alive.
For students who are home, they can take a walk and participate in a
science-based scavenger hunt to find items known to be present in your Scientific Inquiry
area’s environment. Even city-based students will find leaves or plants
or birds to include. Photo hunts can be just as effective and with a little During this difficult time, we have been interviewing our community
creativity can stoke imaginations for those unable to leave their homes For members and elders via Skype/Google/FaceTime. Many have experienced
similar things to what we are facing now—there’s a certain congruence,

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REMOTE STEM LEARNING

times of hardship, shortage of resources, elements of confinement, etc., they Pro Tips
may have experienced during wartime and or an economic crisis. They can
be a firsthand subject for a project to answer questions. Tap homeschool forums for ideas. Think out of the typical edtech box. We’ll
use platforms such as NextDoor to tap into education opportunities.
Through student research and questions, they can find some
contributions and solutions to some of the things we are struggling with For example, we have a local farmer who can’t do much with his goods
right now. “I know so-and-so—they are from North Carolina and were with the farmers’ markets closed. He put a challenge to the kids: “What can
around during the tobacco field issues and know a lot about production I do with all my excess strawberries?” He’s donating some to the food banks,
and how that affects supply chain.” Who knows what we might discover? but he wanted suggestions on how to make the most of this excess—is there
Scientific Inquiry! anything creative to do, using sustainability as a motivator. It can be used for
project-based learning, creating a unique theory and experiment. You don’t
Biggest Challenge have to actually use materials, it’s about designing and engineering a plan
and collecting data and analyzing.
Our current reality is an experiment. We have this situation where we need
to socially distance ourselves, so we have to reason out and come up with Finding Funding
strategies on how to keep relationships during social distance. Students get
to design ideas, discover solutions and test whether those are successful. This is a great time to try out tech and see what works well as many
Kids get to be the creators of the projects that solve the problem of being programs are offering free trials or complimentary access during the
forced to separate. With these challenging constraints, they can be the pandemic lockdowns. As mentioned, we’re using Discovery Education,
ones to design the experiment and keep the data of how other kids are which is offering free access to home users. It’s very open and offers
accomplishing the task. common core-aligned options.

What Not to Do When it comes to physical science, we use Khan Academy and Walt
Disney’s Imagineering in a Box. It’s pretty cool and really speaks to our
Don’t give up on physical or group learning because of distance learning playspace learning, so it also is a way to get kids excited about science
restrictions. Science can still be done, instead of relying on traditional concepts.
classroom manipulatives, get creative and use things found around the
house—beans, coins, cans. Resources

Unexpected Perks • Khan Academy/Disney’s Imagineering in a Box
• Discovery Education
An unexpected silver lining that has come of this is that kids are honing • Nearpod
their own STEM skills teaching grandma and grandpa how to use tech. • Prezi
They are showing them how to work FaceTime, how to Google-share on a • NextDoor
doc, or use Google slides. We’re basically doing adult learning with kids as • Symbaloo -- Digital resources for NGSS curriculum
the educators. • TechRocket -- Online code and video game design for kids
• HopScotch -- Make your own game and learn to code
It’s imperative—if you really want to have kids learn, part of that is • NAVY STEM -- Navy STEM for the classroom
teaching what they know. If they can teach it, that’s a great assessment tool • NOAA -- NOAA Education for studying weather in the classroom
and way to prove their understanding of the material. The conversation • National Weather Service -- Learn all about weather
about helping adults learn is our science inquiry component. They are • Project Noah -- Explore and document wildlife everywhere
also discovering, investigating and if they can teach it, that’s really going • Marine Debris Tracker -- Track and report marine debris to prevent
full circle.
pollution
• iNaturalist -- Community of citizen scientist to document

experiences

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HOW TO BUILD REMOTE
STEM ENGAGEMENT

Educators discuss best practices and tools to help boost remote STEM engagement

STEM skills are career skills, says Dr. Catherine Jones,

principal at Prescott South Elementary School in

Cookeville, Tennessee.

“STEM skills, such as problem solving, are

necessary for all jobs,” Jones said during a recent

webinar focused on encouraging STEM engagement.

“We need to teach students that we don’t need to

just be the consumers of technology, but we need to

teach them how to troubleshoot, how to code, and

almost build those as literacy skills,” said Jones.

At Prescott South Elementary, the engineering

design process is a point of emphasis, even in subjects

such as English, to help students learn to solve

problems.

During the webinar, presented by Trox, Jones and

other educators discussed strategies and tools to help

schools adapt existing STEM lesson plans or create Hands-on STEM learning has been a primary focus for students at Hartford Day School, and

new ones to engage learners of any age in a remote educators now have been adapting lessons to work in both remote and face-to-face environments.

learning environment.

online resources such as thingiverse, invent.org

Key Takeaways and imagineeringinabox. For online coding, Dash’s
Neighborhood, Scratch and Scratch Jr. are used.

Two-pronged approach. At Prescott South Elementary, “We’ve shifted to a lot of online resources, but

Jones and her staff have both remote and in-person we’re trying to keep that hands-on feeling for our

students, so traditional STEM instruction is being students as well,” says Schoene.

supplemented with devices that are sent home and Flexibility is key. “Flexibility is the biggest

choice boards to determine what activities students can lesson we’ve learned,” says Schoene. A big emphasis

participate in. “It has definitely refreshed my belief in was on professional development to help teachers

the STEM practices,” Jones said. Face-to-face students be prepared to support students in these new

have been very enthusiastic about STEM projects, and environments. Video tutorials have been created to

teachers have been printing out and displaying the also support teachers, as has been making sure that

work of remote students for all to see. Manufacturing students and teachers not only have the materials

is this year’s schoolwide theme at Prescott Elementary, they need for learning, but that everyone has equal

and the purpose of this theme is to increase students’ access.

understanding of the manufacturing process and STEM In that vein, Wonder Workshop has released

careers within this field. Manufacturing is incorporated Dash’s Neighborhood, a virtual robot program that

into the school’s special “Encore” classes, teaching allows students who are in a remote environment

students how the objects they use are created. For to enjoy a virtual hands-on coding learning

example, they learn how various sports equipment is experience. More curriculum and lessons are

made or how books are produced from start to finish. being added because a number of schools have already gone through

Harford Day School is approaching STEM in a similar manner, says everything already available, says Tim Tomasso, a former high school

Director of Technology Tracy Schoene. Devices and other materials are technology instructor now with Wonder Workshop. “That’s how we pivoted

sent home on Fridays for projects the following week, and the students have everything,” Tomasso says. “Going from having physical robots in front of

been responding very positively. “It’s great to see how excited and engaged the kids to work with them to creating the virtual tools so they can still do

students are,” says Schoene. All classes are live streamed, so educators can the same thing.” Having virtual options also help schools who may have to

see students working in real time at home. The school is using various transition quickly from face-to-face to remote learning.

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REMOTE STEM ENGAGEMENT

Also shifting has been Shifting STEM resources.
Maker Bot, which in lieu of At Prescott South, Jones has
actual 3D printing is sponsoring reallocated STEM funding
3D printing design challenges. from personnel and one-time
“You don’t have to wait until projects that students might
you have a 3D printer to start take home to investing in
designing projects,” said Dottie products such as robots that
Stewart, a former educator and would stay on campus and can
now education consultant with be used to better illustrate to
Maker Bot. The platform is parents how coding works.
also providing cloud-printing The STEM program has also
options that allow students been designated a schoolwide
to send projects to teachers’ program, so general funds can
3D printers for rendering and be used for purchases, and the
distribution. It can also be school has tried to partner
used in conjunction with other with community organizations
resources, such as Tinkercad, to as well.
create unique STEM projects.
Safety first. During
Find new STEM challenges. STEM robot projects,
Encouraging students to find students at Harford Day
solutions for challenges related School have shields up
to the pandemic, such as at desks and are assigned
opening doors, designing PPE or no-touch dispensers, is also a creative way particular roles to help increase safety, said Shoene. Projects that used to
to develop problem-solving skills, said Stewart. “Watching how students can go across multiple grades are now done one grade at a time to allow for
find a problem and then solve that problem is just phenomenal.” sanitizing of robots in between as well.
Starting from nothing. When trying to build a STEM program from
If teachers aren’t sure how to use certain STEM tools, there are plenty of scratch, Jones said she started small with just a few educators who were
video tutorials out there, said Schoene. “And then the kids just run with it, interested in participating. And then as the interest grew among others
and they start to teach one another.” watching the first classes experiment, the demand grew, which encouraged
her to find funding for additional projects. “Start with one robot for three
Equity challenges. Making sure that all students have access to kids, and let them get excited and tell someone else about it, and then it
learning and STEM tools and materials continues to be an issue for many starts growing naturally,” she said. “And then it’s never work, it’s the fun part.
schools. Teachers have had to rethink their lessons to accommodate what ‘Are we going to get to do that?’” Visual examples, either on hallway walls or
students have on hand, and being at home has added an extra layer of social media, can encourage other teachers and students to participate.
problem-solving opportunities for students, said Schoene. “The goal is the Tomasso echoed the need to “find champions” to start STEM learning
application of the learning,” added Jones, citing examples of students using and build excitement. “And then who doesn’t want to teach something that
everything from stuffed animals to furniture in projects. “The pieces are just kids are excited to learn?” he said.
pieces.” It’s important to encourage students to explore the world around
them rather than just look at PowerPoint slides all day.

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FROM YOU WILL NEED > Jar with lid
> Thick insulated electrical
STEM LESSON PLANS
wire, at least 2.5 mm (0.1
MAGAZINE inch) diameter
> Crocodile clips
LIGHTEN UP! > Tea light candle
> Heavy duty 6-volt lantern
Inventors took more than 100 years to perfect the incandescent light bulb, using battery
electrical resistance to make a thin coil of wire, or filament, glow. Getting it to > Glue
work is not as easy as it looks! This is a tricky experiment, but if you manage it it > Wire cutters
will brighten your day. > Wire strippers

5 Mins

Step 1 Step 2

Cut two pieces of thick wire about Get an adult to drill two holes
30 cm (12 in) in length. At one end in the top of the jar’s lid, just
of each attach a crocodile clip. Ask big enough for your wire to fit
an adult to strip off about 2 cm (0.8 through. Push the wires through
in) of the insulation from the other the holes, hooked ends first, and
ends and bend the wire into a hook. glue them in place.

Step 3

Straighten out a paper clip and then
curl it around a nail to make a coil.
This can be quite tricky, so ask an
adult to help you. Rest the coiled
paper clip in the hooks of wire. This
is your filament.

Step 4 Top tip

Light a tealight and drop it into the jar. Put A filament made out of thin iron
the lid on tightly. After a few seconds the wire may be made to glow more
candle will run out of oxygen and go out.
easily, but it might also burn
1 6 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M through completely. However,
if you are using a less powerful
battery than specified here, try

using a thinner filament.

How does EUREKA MOMENTS
this work?
Switching on the lights
As current-carrying electrons move through a conductor, they collide
with the atoms that the conductor is made of. This slows the electrons US inventor Thomas Edison (1847–1931) was one of many
down and turns some of their electrical energy into heat. This effect scientists who made the first light bulbs. His 1879 bulb had a
is called resistance. Materials that are poor conductors have high carbon filament that glowed brightly. Modern incandescent bulbs
resistance. In your homemade light bulb the paper clip is made out of have a tungsten filament that heats up to about 3,000°C (5,500°F)
steel, which conducts electricity much more poorly than the metal in and are filled with an inert (non-reactive) gas so that the filament
the electrical wire. The resistance it provides is so high and produces does not burn through.
so much heat that the paper clip begins to turn orange. Burning the
candle first lets the paper clip glow for longer. It consumes the oxygen
inside the jar that would otherwise react with the hot filament and
make it burn out more quickly.

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Step 5 Energy-saving light bulbs SCIENCE AROUND US

Turn out the lights and Incandescent bulbs glow by producing a large amount of heat,
attach your metal clips to the making them very inefficient. Increasingly, they are being
terminals of the battery. After replaced with bulbs that work in a different way. Fluorescent
a few seconds the paper clip energy-saving bulbs produce light without producing much heat.
should begin to glow. They use electricity to energize mercury vapour. This produces
invisible ultraviolet rays. A chemical coating inside the bulb
Warning! changes the UV light into visible light.

We used wires 2.5 mm in diameter.
Do not use wires thinner than this
with a battery of this size. They could
heat up or even catch fire. The paper
clip filament will become very hot.
Do not touch it until the battery has

been disconnected and it has
stopped glowing for
some time.

1 7W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | STEM & EMERGING TECH | OCTOBER 2020 |

FROM YOU WILL NEED
SCIENCE IN SECONDS
STEM LESSON PLANS

MAGAZINE > Balloon
> Pop-up top
BALLOON
HOVERCRAFT from a drinks
bottle
> Old CD
> Glue

When two surfaces rub against each other, the force between them is 10 Mins
friction. If you’re on the move, friction can slow you down. To reduce
friction and move faster, a hovercraft glides on a cushion of air. Get stuck
into a book
Step 1
Get stuck into a book Take two books of
Remove the pop-up top equal size and interlace the pages so that
from the bottle and glue they overlap each other by about 2–3
it over the hole in the CD. centimeters (0.4–1 inches). Then push the
Leave it until it has set. books together so the pages overlap about
halfway. Now try to pull the books apart.
Step 2 They stick tight even if you and a friend
grab one side each and pull. All that is
Place the pop-up top in the closed position. holding the books together is the friction
Inflate a balloon and, pinching the neck so between the pages.
that the air can’t escape, stretch it over the
pop-up top.

How does Step 3
this work?
Place your hovercraft on a
Friction is the force that acts between any surfaces that rub together. smooth surface and open
Molecules in their surfaces bond (stick together), making it harder for the the pop-up top. Give the
surfaces to slide past each other. A balloon hovercraft reduces friction by CD a little push and watch
blowing air between the CD and the table to hold them apart. The friction it glide.
caused by the air is much less than with a solid object.

A film of air separates
the CD and the table

1 8 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M

StreamliningSCIENCE AROUND US
SCIENCE AROUND US
Anything that moves through
air or liquid is slowed down by
a force similar to friction, called
drag. Some shapes naturally create
less drag by letting air or liquid
pass over them more easily. These
are called streamlined shapes. A
dolphin has a streamlined shape to
help it glide through water.

Top tip Travelling on air

The rougher the surface, Real hovercraft use a powerful fan to pump air down below the
the more friction there is. Your craft, where it is trapped by a flexible rubber skirt. Hovercraft can
hovercraft will work best on a travel over both water and land because they move along on top of a
layer of air. They are used as passenger ferries, military vehicles, and
flat, smooth surface, such search-and-rescue craft.
as a polished table top. You
could try it on different surfaces 1 9W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | STEM & EMERGING TECH | OCTOBER 2020 |
to see how far it will slide

over each.

ELENABS/GETTY IMAGES

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

IS BEING USED IN HIGHER ED

From answering basic campus questions to providing academic support, artificial
intelligence is helping higher ed to work smarter not harder

By Ellen Ullman rate. To appeal to Gen Y’s demand for instant gratification and 24/7
availability, the college partnered with AdmitHub and launched Reggie the
From chatbots to discussion platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) is popping chatbot in November 2017.
up at campuses all over the globe. In fact, the recent AI in Education Market
Research Report from Research and Markets predicts that the global AI in Reggie started with a knowledge base of 1,200 enrollment-related
education market will reach $25.7 billion in 2030, up from just $1.1 billion questions for prospective students, such as “How do I apply?” and “What is
in 2019. your mascot?” In its first year, Reggie answered 14,000 questions and more
than doubled its knowledge base. In the second year, its engagement rate
The report shows that the largest demand for AI has been for learning increased by 26% and it answered 98 percent of questions without having to
platforms, mainly because of the increasing preference for remote and forward any to a human.
online education courses—even before the pandemic. It predicts that the
next AI area to explode will be intelligent tutoring systems applications. The students love Reggie’s snarky personality. “He has an answer
for everything,” says Sheenah Hartigan, director of enrollment services,
Chatbots to The Rescue including a favorite color, what he’s wearing, or if he wants to date. “Even if
a student asks ‘Where can I get pizza?’ Reggie has an answer.”
A chatbot is a computer program that imitates human conversation and
continually learns from every conversation it has, improving the efficiency Other Uses of AI
of its responses.
Several institutions use AI speech technology for remote learning. At
At Ocean County College in New Jersey, the enrollment services UCLA and California State University (CSU), Chico, students suffering
department was tired of sending emails that only gained a 10% engagement from Zoom call fatigue can use Otter for Education to turn spoken lectures

2 0 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M

AI IN HIGHER ED

into lecture notes. “Learning at CSU is evolving quickly due to the current 90 to 120 students, making it pretty much impossible to grade ongoing
environment,” says Jeremy Olguin, accessible technology manager at CSU. writing assignments. In an effort to help students improve their written
“With Otter’s technology, our faculty can capture and share lecture notes in communication skills, he turned to online discussions but had little success
real time with their students.” until last year, when he discovered Packback, an AI-powered discussion
platform. Its algorithm evaluates responses based on sentence structure
Olguin and other administrators say that this type of AI has been and grammar, and monitors for uncivil discussions or comments. Each
extremely beneficial to students with learning and other disabilities who week, Slice gets an email from the platform that points out the best student
require academic accommodations. responses for him to acknowledge. “I’ll write something like, ‘Good job!’
and the students always thank me for acknowledging what they’ve done,”
Penn State and the University of California, Davis use the AI-powered says Slice.
Examity for online proctoring. Examity works with biometric keystroke
analysis, predictive analytics, and video review to verify students’ identities Alec Cattell, Ph.D., an assistant professor of practice at Texas Tech
and protect the integrity of exam content. University, agrees that Packback helps him to provide feedback. “It helps
me identify excellent and problematic posts,” Cattell says. “I don’t have to
“Ensuring that testing is secure, and learning is validated, is critical to read every one but students feel like they are getting individual attention.”
fulfilling the promise of quality that students have come to expect from our
programs,” says Meggan Levitt, associate vice provost of information and Cattell says his college’s learning management system’s discussion
educational technology at UC Davis. forum is old-fashioned and not very engaging. Packback looks more like
social media and lets students use avatars, which they enjoy.
Beefing Up Online
Discussions “If a student’s post is flagged, the system does
a little coaching to help the student learn how
One of the newest ways AI is being used is to improve discussion platforms. to rephrase the post, which further reduces the
Stephen Slice, an economics lecturer at the Darla Moore School of teacher’s time,” Cattell says. “It really helps with
digital literacy, reminding them to do research and
Business at the University of South Carolina, teaches multiple classes of include sources.”

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ONLINE LABS ARE HIGHER
ED’S LATEST EXPERIMENT

Like true scientists, college instructors are trying new approaches to online labs
to provide hands-on learning opportunities

By Erik Ofgang SDI_PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES skills that are generally only
taught to graduate students. He
Heather R. Taft has been plans to duplicate that with the
teaching online classes with remote portions of his class this
remote labs since 2014. The semester. For instance, while
lead faculty member for the teaching students how to analyze
natural and physical science scientific papers, he gave them
at Colorado State University one of his published papers.
Global, Taft says despite the
challenges of conducting “I say, ‘Read it, come back,
online labs, there are many and criticize it. Tell me what I
upsides. did wrong.’ So I have to defend
it,” Loike says.
“Before the pandemic, I was
really concerned about the lack Loike also had students
of online offerings for science look up preventive measures
courses in general because for COVID-19 and study why
so many courses were going antibody tests can be as high as
online, and I felt like people who needed to be doing remote education were 30 to 40 percent inaccurate, and
going to be picking those courses as opposed to biology,” Taft says. then asked them to analyze and draw conclusions from raw laboratory data.
“[This kind of exercise] gives students a hands-on type of experience that they
With numerous higher ed institutions offering only remote classes this rarely get in undergraduate sciences,” he says.
semester, online labs are becoming significantly more common. Despite
the increasing prevalence, however, questions remain about how graduate Resources for online labs
programs will accept these offerings.
For those teaching remote lab courses, there are a number of tools available,
“We are not one hundred percent certain of what admission policies will says Taft, who conducts online science consulting for instructors. Several
be,” says Dr. Elizabeth Johnson Provost of Post University, in Waterbury, companies provide lab kits that can be mailed to students. These include
Connecticut, where labs are being offered exclusively online this semester. Hands-On Labs and eScience Labs, which both host predesigned labs on
“We’re identifying students who are interested in going on to graduate school their online platforms. Another company Taft recommends, Carolina,
or medical school and asking them to hold off on their lab courses. We don’t allows professors to assemble a kit for a lab they’ve designed and then for
want any of our students put at a disadvantage.” students to purchase that kit.

It is hard to translate some aspects of the laboratory online, says Dr. John Lab simulations are another option. Free simulation tools, such as
D. Loike, professor of biology at Touro College and author of a monthly PhET simulations and those found on the Howard Hughes Medical
column for The Scientist Magazine. In his advanced lab classes, he teaches Institute’s BioInteractive, are among Taft’s preferred ones. Labster, another
skills such as culturing cells, how to grow brain cells in culture, and how to do online resource, walks students through experiments as if they were in the
polymerase chain reaction (PCR). laboratory or doing fieldwork. Visible Body can be used in conjunction with
or instead of in-home dissections, says Taft.
“All of these things are very hands-on,” he says. “You can watch it on
YouTube, it’s okay, but it’s not the same thing.” In her own classes, Taft is using a combination of these resources.
“[Traditional labs are often] kind of like cookbook exercises to help walk
That’s why Loike has opted for a hybrid model in his lab this semester. He’ll you through content that you’re learning in the course,” Taft says.
have small groups of students in the lab at different times for the vital hands-on
lessons, and then conduct the rest of the class remotely. Teaching science online can also provide opportunities for more new
approaches that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Loike sees the remote portion of the class as an opportunity to add more “I’d like to see students designing their own experiments more and actually
real-world applications to his undergraduate labs. “A lot of labs, they’re fun,” he using the scientific process more,” says Taft. “That’s something I do more
says. “But are they really transformational? Many of them are not.” with graduate classes.”

After Loike moved his classes online mid-semester in March, he found
great success teaching students the kind of real-world critical thinking science

2 2 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M



HOW VR AND AR CANBE
USED TO SUPPORT STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

VR and AR offer capabilities that resonate for students with special needs

By Leah Zitter autism spectrum recognize facial

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) emotions and improve their social
and augmented reality (AR) have
helped teachers educate, motivate, skills.
and increase classroom interaction
for students of all ages and abilities For learning disabled
by making learning more accessible,
memorable, practical, and engaging. individuals, AR can improve

VR immerses the user in a 3D vocabulary through gamefication.
environment in which they hear,
touch, smell, and taste stimuli. In India, educators have created an
Students interact either through a
traditional desktop and VR software or wear a head-mounted display (HMD) interactive textbook that uses 3D
and data glove. AR enhances physical content with 3D effects so that users
remain external observers and observe the augmented effects through apps images, audio clips, and videos to
such as Google Lens.
explain text. Other studies show
The challenges implementing VR and AR are mostly logistical and
technical. Qualified staff and plenty of space is required for VR, plus users can how VR has been effectively used
become easily distracted and need to be trained in digital competencies. Apps
entail data security and privacy issues. Equipment can also be expensive. JANIECBROS/GETTY IMAGES to improve social anxiety, language

Still, schools can employ even limited AR and VR solutions, especially to deficiencies, attention deficit
support students with special learning needs.
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), physical or motor disability, cognitive
Supporting Students with
Special Needs deficits, dyslexia, and Down syndrome, among other disabilities.

Both AR and VR have been shown to increase motivation, facilitate At the 53rd St. School in Milwaukee, Megan Rierdon, a special needs
interaction, develop cognitive skills, improve short-term memory, and
make lessons more enjoyable. The greatest effect lies in improving educator, uses Google Earth VR for field trips. “The kids sat down in a
communication skills, especially in students with hearing problems. For
autistic students, VR seems to facilitate social interaction. chair, put on a virtual reality headpiece and saw a tour walking around an

Examples of VR and AR being used to help students with disabilities entire greenhouse,” Rierdon told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “[They]
abound. Teacher Veronica Lewis uses Google Chromecast to enlarge images
for visually impaired individuals, and employs VR screen readers, such as were reaching down to touch the dirt and waving to the people they saw.”
VoiceOver and TalkBack, that describe the environment with information
from alt text in the images and videos. Morehead State University researcher AI-based Training with Molly Porter helps prepare students to discuss
Sue Parton has shown how deaf students benefit from Google Glass and
from video and 2D barcode camera phone scanning. In The Deaf and Dumb their disabilities with interviewers.
School in Gujarat, India, where some students don’t recognize their own
names, staff uses VR images processed through a program called Foton to Too much sensory overload? At the Perkins School of the Blind relaxing
teach them. Multiple studies have shown that VR and AR help users on the
360-degree videos of animate or inanimate objects or locations is used to

calm students.

More Promising VR and
AR Options on the Horizon

With developments in VR and AR on the rise, applications are immense.
For example, a team of researchers at the University of Michigan are
developing iGYM, an augmented reality system designed to teach
wheelchair-bound children community-level sports.

Developers are also beginning to prioritize accessibility during design,
leading to lighter headsets and more user-friendly controllers, among other
gear, for users with physical disability; appropriate color choice, audio
descriptions, and text and image magnification for children who are blind;
and clear transcripts and closed captioning for users who are deaf or hard
of hearing.

Ultimately, teachers will be able to use virtual and augmented reality to
make a classroom environment that fits the needs of any student.

Leah Zitter, Ph.D., is a High-Tech Writer and Research Scientist.

2 4 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M



XXXXXXXXX

STRATEGIES FOR ASSESSING

STUDENTS REMOTELY

Assessing students remotely is a challenge, although there is a multitude
of best practices and tools to help
TRILOKS/GETTY IMAGES
Credit: Carl Hooker
By Carl Hooker
What is the purpose of
Assessments can be particularly challenging in a remote learning environment. the assessment?
How can you verify that the students just aren’t Google searching everything?
What if their parents are completing the projects for them? Assessments can also hold several different purposes based on student goals
and outcomes. The graphic below defines three types.
These and many other questions plagued educators in the spring (pardon
the pun). While there is no easy answer for assessing students in a monitored The biggest differentiator is whether or not the assessment is formative
setting, there are strategies that educators can use to make sure students are in nature (a continuous feedback loop) or summative (final outcome).
demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of their learning. Knowing these types and the corresponding definitions will help as we get
into tools and strategies.
Defining terms

Before we get into strategies let’s define a few terms that will affect the
timing and type of assessments given remotely. Many of these strategies and
terms apply with in-person assessments as well.

Formative vs. Summative: Are you trying to check for understanding
or just knowledge of material?

Googleable vs. Non-Googleable: Multiple choice, fact-based
assessments can be easily searched online. Assessments that focus more on
opinion, process, and student voice are harder to search with Google.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Are you giving the assessment to
the whole class at the same time or is it a long-term project? Synchronous
assessments lend themselves to multiple-choice type tests whereas
asynchronous are generally graded with a rubric in mind.

2 6 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M

ASSESSING STUDENTS

Credit: Carl Hooker • Adjust instruction based on student responses - Teachers can quickly
adjust instruction based on how well students understand the
Focus on feedback content.

Feedback is a major part of assessment as it allows students to make • Just-in-time support and intervention - Students who are struggling
corrections and learn from their mistakes. Formative assessments generally with a concept can be provided support in real-time.
involve feedback as part of the process for learning, either from the teacher or
the student’s own self-reflection. It can also be done in either a synchronous • Help demonstrate student knowledge more than understanding
or asynchronous environment, depending on purpose.
While there are many tools out there that can help with this, some of
Some things to focus on when providing feedback: the more popular choices include apps such as Kahoot!, Formative, Quizziz,
Socrative, and Quizlet.
• Make sure it’s timely - Providing feedback weeks later doesn’t help
the student learn and adjust at the moment of the assessment. Gamified assessment

• Keep it appropriate and reflective - Encourage students to reflect on Some formative assessment tools such as Kahoot! and Quizlet Live add a
their process and what they could do differently to improve. competitive and time-based element that keeps students engaged and makes
it harder for them to use Google for their answers.
• Provide support - Allow opportunities for students to ask questions
and grow. Besides these ‘trivia game’-like tools, there are now lots of different ways
to do end-of-unit reviews in the form of a game show or even live bingo. A tool
• Be honest - Students need to understand their mistakes to improve. such as flippity.net gives teachers in GSuite districts the ability to edit a variety
• Medium matters - Giving critical feedback should be done with your of interactive games with just a Google sheet. Using gamification as a tool for
assessment gives teachers another strategy for assessing student understanding
own voice in an audio or video format if at all possible. Written and keeps students engaged during synchronous remote learning.
feedback that is highly critical doesn’t allow for inflection and can
be damaging to the trust and relationship with the student. Interactive presentations
with embedded
Keeping in mind how you will provide feedback will help as you design assessments
your assessments for remote learning.
One of the downsides of using formative assessment tools is that requiring
Polling for feedback students to log into various platforms can be time consuming and add a layer of
technical challenges. Posting a link to the assessments in the LMS or video chat
Before we dive into formative assessments, using polls can be a great way to can help with this transition time, but embedding it in an interactive presentation
provide feedback in whole group settings. Polls can be done asynchronously, can help keep students on the same page while teaching synchronously.
but generally are posted when you have a whole group on a video call.
Some video conferencing platforms such as Zoom provide built-in polling Interactive presentation tools such as Nearpod and Pear Deck can keep
features, or you can always supplement with tools such as Poll Everywhere, your students on topic and allow you to send various polls and formative
Mentimeter, Slido, or Answer Garden. assessments to check for understanding. Both of these tools also allow for a
student-paced asynchronous component so that if a student misses the video
Synchronous formative call or has connectivity issues, they can catch up on their own and still give
assessment the teacher what they need.

If the goal is immediate feedback and checking for understanding, giving an Asynchronous remote
assessment synchronously over a video call is the route to go. assessment

Here are some of the advantages of using a synchronous assessment: Many teachers only have a limited amount of time with their students in
• Provide instant feedback - Students can adjust immediately based on a synchronous video call. Using that time for teaching, discussions, and
feedback means that you may not have enough data to truly assess student
feedback. understanding. Providing asynchronous assessments can mean a little more
work, but it can provide a wider range of data points that a multiple choice
quiz doesn’t provide.

Some advantages to designing and providing asynchronous assessment:
• Flexible time to process - Rather than having to think and respond

on the fly, students have more time to research and process to build
their understanding.

2 7W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | STEM & EMERGING TECH | OCTOBER 2020 |

ASSESSING STUDENTS

• Not as internet dependent - One of the challenges of giving • B ulb Digital Portfolios - An eportfolio tool that gives students space
synchronous assessment is that not every student has the same to set goals, reflect, and document their own learning processes.
level of at-home access and may miss parts of a quiz or video call
due to connectivity issues. Asynchronous assessments can be done Final checklist for remote
on the student’s pace and are less bandwidth dependent. assessment

• Built-in reflection time - Research shows that learning is more As teachers analyze the learning to assess this year, in either a remote or
internalized when students have an opportunity to reflect on what in-person setting, there are a multitude of tools and strategies to help with
they have done. this process.

• More focused on the process - Learning is a process more than a Some final things to consider prior to delivering a remote assessment:
product. Having high-quality asynchronous assessments provide
teachers insight on what a student is thinking. • Will the assessment be synchronous or asynchronous?
• Are you checking for understanding or knowledge?
• Help demonstrate understanding more than knowledge • Can students reflect on the learning process?
• Do students have an opportunity to explain their thinking?
When choosing the tools for asynchronous assessment, teachers need to
focus on those that give students an opportunity to explain their thinking The answers to these questions will help guide educators as they design
and provide their voice and reflection. assessments in the most flexible way heading into what promises to be a
very different school year.
Asynchronous feedback
via Learning Management
System

Most LMS platforms provide ways for students to submit drafts and
gather feedback from teachers and/or their peers. In an asynchronous
environment, teachers can utilize built-in tools to give directions, set
expectations in a rubric, and provide direct feedback as students check in
throughout the process.

Some LMS platforms offer portfolio options that can provide for both the
student and teacher a long-term view of progress and growth. Using these
features can be cumbersome or limited depending on the LMS, so teachers
may need additional tools to provide and catalog asynchronous assessments.

Tools that provide voice,
process, and reflection

While an LMS can give a space for voice, process, and reflection, it can
also quickly be overloaded with announcements, discussion boards,
and assignment postings. Having a tool or tools to use specifically for
asynchronous assessment can help streamline the process.

Here are a few platforms that teachers gravitate toward for this purpose:

• F lipgrid - A teacher favorite as either an exit-ticket or for just
having students share their voice to a question or issue. Flipgrid
now also comes with built-in white boarding so that students can
record an annotation of their thinking when they respond.

• Book Creator - Now available on any device, Book Creator
gives students a chance to have a running interactive journal to
document their learning by recording their voice or capturing a
hand-drawn picture. Teachers can see their students on a virtual
bookshelf to check progress.

• S eeSaw - An LMS-type system that is geared toward younger
students. It offers a powerful set of tools for teachers to record
verbal feedback for students to hear.

2 8 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M

HOW TO BUILD

AN INCLUSIVE
ESPORTS COMMUNITY

BX Start is focused on building an inclusive esports community from the ground up

By Erik Ofgang Another former Blanco student, Kimari Rennis has gone the coding
route, although she says it’s not necessary, and likens the diversity of jobs
Community first, within gaming to that of making movies. “When you’re making games you
competition second. need an economic teams, you need people from marketing, you need HR
and PR, you need artists, you need people who are skilled in audio,” says
That’s the philosophy driving the inclusive esports and gaming initiatives Rennis, 18, who writes for New York Videogame Critics Circle and will
at DreamYard, a Bronx, New York, organization that partners with local begin a degree in video game design at New York University this fall. “You
schools to help students achieve success through the arts. In November need people who are good at writing narrative. There are a lot more things
the organization launched “BX Start,” a 4,000-square-foot gaming center that go into making games beyond programming.”
in Foxhurst designed to be an inclusive gaming space that fosters students
from diverse backgrounds interested in developing gaming careers. Weeding Out the Toxicity

“We’re collaborating with schools and other nonprofits to begin hosting To help ensure physical or online gaming spaces associated with schools
tournaments to provide best practices and informal training to educators are free of toxicity and bullying, Blanco recommends resources provided by
and gamers on how to grow healthy esports communities,” says Rudy raisinggoodgamers.com, an organization dedicated to changing the culture
Blanco, director of entrepreneurship and gaming at DreamYard. Ultimately, of online gaming.
Blanco hopes the center will host its own esports tournament next spring.
“No matter where you go, we know that toxicity is going to be there,”
Esports has exploded in popularity recently. More than 170 universities Blanco says. “The bullying will happen. And we, as adults, can’t assume
have esports programs some of which award substantial scholarships.
But despite increasing minority participation and audiences, gaming as a VISUAL_GENERATION/GETTY IMAGES
whole remains primarily white and male. About three out of four working
in the gaming industry are men, and a similar proportion are white, while
79% identify as heterosexual, according to a survey conducted by the
International Game Developers Association.

Blanco is hoping the gaming community “BX Start” fosters will increase
diversity in the industry and create opportunity for Bronx students. Since
March the facility has been closed due to the pandemic, but the mission
continues to be accomplished through online interactions and gaming
events.

Break the Code

Blanco says there’s a misconception that to have a career in gaming one
needs to be a coder and even when most people “Talk about gaming it’s
through a coding lens.” In reality, he says, “You can be a creative of any type
and find an entry point into gaming.”

“Not everyone has to be tech-savvy or a code talker to be a part of the
gaming industry,” says Ronald Gordan, 19, one of Blanco’s former students
who now writes for the New York Videogames Critics Circle community
and is a student at City Tech College. “Me personally, I’m not pursuing
anything in game design or anything like that, but I’m still part of the
gaming industry because I review games.”

2 9W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | STEM & EMERGING TECH | OCTOBER 2020 |

we’re going to be there when it does happen, so the only recourse we have is and enter gaming competitions,” she says. Through her work in the
to train leaders, which we do at DreamYard.” program, Rennis won a game design award, which helped get her into
the industry. Other gaming resources she recommends include Mouse,
To develop gaming spaces that are also safe for LGTBQIA and minority Harvard’s free game development course, and New York University’s
students, DreamYard tasked a group of young people to design a server that Future Game Designers.
focused on best practices. “They interviewed users, researched inclusive
digital spaces, and are currently building a server with some inclusive Changing the Narrative
practices baked in,” said Blanco. “The key is to build youth moderators that
can grow into the role of guarding and holding safe spaces.” Gamers are sometimes taunted and called “no lifers” by other kids, Rennis
says, and there are a lot of misconceptions, even from adults, about how
Rennis says that in a school setting the games you choose matter for much opportunity there is in the gaming industry. “This is a valid career
inclusivity. path and more non-gamers need to understand that,” she says.

“In all my years of going to video game clubs, they seem to attract 99 “This is a career and just as with pursuing a doctorate, it takes a lot of
percent boys and I’m the only girl, and that’s because a lot of the games time.”
are really geared toward a male audience and that really pushes away a
lot of the girl gamers,” Rennis says. School gaming clubs tend to focus on The vast amount of opportunities is why Blanco is passionate about
highly competitive fighting games, which she says may not be as appealing encouraging underrepresented students to pursue gaming journalism and
to women. Games such as Mario Kart and some of the motion Nintendo game writing paths that emphasize narrative skills. “My perspective here is
Wii-style games, are examples that are more casual and that everybody can if we train writers to tell stories, we can change the story,” Blanco says.
fit into, she says.

Embrace Online
Community and
Resources

Before the pandemic DreamYard’s programs were exclusively in the high
school, Blanco says. Now that they are hosting online gatherings and
gaming events, they are being beamed into student’s homes, which has its
advantages. He says they are frequently connecting with their students’
younger siblings and getting the whole family excited about gaming.

Gaming also provides online educational opportunities. As a high
school student, Rennis worked with the School of Interactive Arts, a
free program that partners with schools. “You can learn coding

3 0 | OCTOBER 2020 | STEM & EMERGING TECH | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M

COVID DIARY:

MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Tech & Learning COVID Diary series follows educators and administrators
throughout the year as they share stories about how their districts are handling
teaching and learning during the pandemic

Erica Hartman is the Director of Technology Integration for Morris School Educators at Morris School District have CREDIT: MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
District in Morristown, New Jersey, home to 5,200 students, 34% of whom improved their technology skills to adapt
receive free or reduced lunch. The district is currently operating in hybrid learning to accommodate both in-person
mode, with a combination of face-to-face and remote learning. Here, she and remote classes.
shares their district story.
Do teachers like instructing
Tools being used in this environment?

Clever, Canvas, Google Meet, Google Classroom, iReady, Flipgrid, Raz I think our teachers would prefer every student was in school with them
Kids, Ready Classroom Math, Reflex, GoGuardian, Kami, and Screencastify. everyday. They have adapted to teaching virtually, but it takes a toll on
T -Mobile for home wifi access. teachers and families alike. A huge amount of preparation is needed to create
online content and to learn new digital tools. Our teachers should be very
Biggest challenge proud of themselves and they are all working as hard as they can to provide
students with the best instruction possible under very difficult circumstances.
The biggest challenge is the emotional toll and the unknowns ranging from
“Will one of our classrooms or schools need to shut down tomorrow?” to
“Will my webcam work? to “Will our online platforms be able to handle
the traffic?” Taking all of the things that schools normally do in a non-
pandemic environment, such as providing a safe and healthy place to learn,
food, Wifi, technology, and counseling, and providing all of these things
remotely, has been quite a challenge.

Pre-pandemic, there were signs outside of classrooms asking students
how they would like to be greeted, with a handshake, a fist bump, a hug, a
smile, or a dance--none of these are acceptable options anymore and I think
that realization, for our teachers and our students, has been the hardest. This
summer when I was preparing devices for a pickup, I passed the signs in the
hallway and began to tear up knowing that it will be a long time before we
can see the smiles of a student without a mask or high five a student in the
hallway. None of the things translate well in the virtual environment.

What are the advantages
of teaching in this
environment?

The advantages are that our already amazing and tech-savvy teachers
have upped their skills even more and have become experts at creating
screencasts, instructional videos, curating content, and not only teaching
via videoconference, but also taking full advantage of professional learning
opportunities. The silver lining in all of this is how successful our virtual
learning professional development series has been--we should have been
providing virtual PD before the pandemic.

3 1W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | STEM & EMERGING TECH | OCTOBER 2020 |

How are teachers being Did anything unexpected
supported? happen (good or bad)
during remote learning
We realize how hard our teachers have been working and have supported that can now be used as
them by creating a virtual hub, purchasing new laptops and document a teachable moment for
cameras for them, and continuing to provide virtual PD opportunities on others?
topics ranging from classroom management in the virtual world to creating
engaging and interactive presentations. One thing unexpected is that our parents have become very tech savvy!
They are open to learning about the technology we use and how they can
Do your students support their students online. They also see that technology is not always
like learning in this perfect and there are many variables we cannot control, and that everyone
environment? has to be flexible and have patience.

Our K-5 students have the option to come in for a half day, 5 days per Anything else you’d like to add about your successes and challenges
week, but our students in grades 6-12 are split into cohorts and come in being an educator during the pandemic?
for two days and then stay home for two days. Some students have come
to love the flexibility of virtual learning and some wish they could be in As the director of technology, I have learned that it is very important
the physical buildings more. It’s hard to make a blanket statement that to have a team of educational technology specialists and technicians who
students like either environment when there are so many other factors are fully invested in the plan and will work very hard to provide every staff
going on at the moment. member and students with access to a device and wifi. I am lucky to have
such a team where I work. Since March 1, my team has not taken any breaks
How are you supporting and withstood all elements to get devices into the hands of our students,
your students? including setting up tents outside to hand delivering mifis to students in
need. They treat each technology issue with care and compassion, knowing
We provide each student with a device and we have a community Wifi the technology issue may be the smallest issue that a staff member or child
program for students in need via our partnership with T-Mobile. We also is dealing with that day.
provide lunches and breakfasts, even for students who are remote. Our
counseling departments are touching base with virtual students and we I also think most people wouldn’t understand the amount of work that
created a hub for them as well. any person involved in education has done in the past 6 months. From our
custodians to our principals, to our nurses and business office staff, they
Are parents and families have all worked tirelessly while dealing with their own personal pandemic
satisfied with this teaching issues to offer our students the opportunity to attend school in person for as
environment? long as we possibly can. I hope after this people realize that schools provide
much more than an education.
I think our parents are grateful we offer an in-person option as well as a
completely virtual one. Our parents can see the work that has been put into If you would like to participate in the COVID Diary series, please complete
both of these plans and realize that neither solution has been perfect. this form. Email [email protected] with any questions.

How are you supporting
your parents and families?

We created a virtual hub for parents and have hosted webinars for parents
on technology such as Google Classroom and Google Meet.

Dr. Weber has created a series for virtual learning at home: For example
- creating routines: https://youtu.be/_TdYrawlaoU

For our Spanish-speaking families, we have created a Facebook page,
and outreach staff use apps such as Remind to distribute information about
virtual learning.

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RESOURCES

TOP SITES AND APPS FOR MATH

By David Kapuler

One of the biggest challenges facing teachers as they IXL MATH IS FUN
head back to school in the ‘new normal’ of remote
learning environments is making sure that students One of the most popular sites for math for grades All things math grades K-12, with more than just
wware getting a complete, well-rounded education. K-8, including algebra and geometry. In addition to equations to solve.
tons of lessons, it features an educational portal for
These websites, apps, and online resources (in student tracking and reporting. MATH PLAYGROUND
alphabetical order) offer various curricula, lessons,
games, and fun activities for building math skills. KING OF MATH Features math resources and activities such as word
problems, games, worksheets, flashcards, and more.
ABCYA An interesting, fast-paced iOS game for middle
school math in which students answer questions and MILESTONE MATH
A wonderful resource for educational games in a puzzles to level up characters.
wide range of subjects including math. An interesting iOS app that uses self-paced learning
LEARN MATH FACTS to help students build their math skills.
APLUSMATH
A free, flashcard-like iOS app for students looking to MONSTERS VS. FRACTIONS
Offers math games, worksheets, and flashcards in improve their math skills.
addition to a homework helper. A super fun game to learn fractions through game-
LURE OF THE LABYRINTH based learning, plus an educational portal to track
CLASSPAD and monitor students.
Pre-algebra students can go on an amazing
A new free online math tool that creates a digital adventure to rescue their lost pet and avoid MYSTERY MATH TOWN
scratch pad to solve any math problem, including monsters, solving math puzzles along the way.
graphing, statistics, and geometry. Aligned to state standards, this app offers a variety Ideally this highly addictive adventure is for
of lessons as well. kids 6-12 and focuses on addition, subtraction,
COOKIE multiplication, and division. Students enter a town
MATH A TUBE and try to unlock levels and characters by solving
Lots of educational games for elementary students, equations and finding variables.
with many designed for specific grades and skill Videos, worksheets, and explanations for all sorts
levels. of math skills and concepts (geometry, decimals, OPERATION MATH
fractions, etc.).
DIMENSIONU A fun iPad app in which students K-8 focus on basic
MATH AND SORCERY math skills (and some geography!) while trying to
One of my favorite sites/platforms for developing stop an evil villain from stealing numbers by solving
K-12 math skills in all areas, DimensionU uses One of my favorite iOS games for learning basic equations and locking his escape route.
cutting-edge technology in 3D games and esports in Math skills by playing an old school 8bit style RPG.
a safe, competitive environment. POLYUP
MATH ATTAX
EDUCATION GALAXY A free site that uses game-based learning to help students
An excellent two-player mobile (iOS/Google Play) grades 3-12 with math and computational skills.
An innovative online platform for grades K-6 that game in which players try to shoot the correct
helps students achieve success in any number of core answer before the other. PRODIGY
subjects including math.
MATH CASTLE An innovative math game for grades K-8 with real-
FUNBRAIN time reporting.
A super-fun iOS game for basic math skills that has
One of the most popular educational gaming sites players defend a castle from a dragon by solving ROOMRECESS
on the web, with activities divided by grade level. equations.
Elementary students can learn basic math concepts
HYPATIA MATH GAMES through a wide variety of free educational games.

An innovative equation editing tool that acts as Just as it sounds: Math games for all ages, divided by TAILOR-ED
a “spell check” for math and helps students solve age or subject.
problems. Differentiate instruction and create a specific
MATH GAME TIME program with digital lessons to meet individual
IKNOWIT student needs.
A terrific site for grades K-7 with plenty of free
Offers math practice for K-5 students, plus teachers educational games, worksheets, and videos. ZAPZAPMATH
can create class rosters, assign lessons, and track
student progress. A quality site for math grades K-6, with an
educational portal for tracking students and
generating detailed reports.

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RESOURCES

TOP SITES AND APPS FOR STEM

BIOINTERACTIVE – Real data, HOPSCOTCH – Allows students to NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHING PHET SIMULATIONS – Free
examples, and data for science make games and learn to code. ASSOCIATION – News, resources, online physics, chemistry, biology,
teaching. HOW IT WORKS – Magazine that and more related to teaching and earth science interactive
CAROLINA – Provides science showcases science and technology science. simulations.
supplies and curricula. for students. PREZI – Online presentation
DASH’S NEIGHBORHOOD – IDEA SKETCH – A concept- NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE software.
Coding and robotics resources and mapping app that allows students – Learn all about weather from the PROJECT NOAH – Explore and
lessons. to capture ideas and organize them U.S. National Weather Service. document wildlife with this citizen
DISCOVERY EDUCATION – STEM into diagrams such as mind maps, platform.
content, tools, and professional concept maps or flow charts. NAVY STEM – U.S. Navy STEM SCRATCH AND SCRATCH JR. –
development for educators. INATURALIST – Community resources for the classroom. Coding resources, activities, and
ESCIENCE LABS – Hands-on network for naturalists and those resources for students.
online labs for remote learning. interested in studying nature. NEARPOD – Interactive STEM SYMBALOO – Digital resources for
FLIPGRID – A simple, free, and INVENT.ORG – The National lessons, videos, formative NGSS curriculum.
accessible video discussion platform Inventors Hall of Fame. assessments, and more. TECHROCKET – Online code and
for educators, students, and families. video game design for students.
GOOGLE EARTH VR – Virtual KHAN ACADEMY/DISNEY’S NEXTDOOR – A digital THINGIVERSE – Files to create
exploration of locations around the IMAGINEERING IN A BOX – A free neighborhood hub for sharing projects for 3D printers, laser
world. online series of interactive lessons in information. cutters, or CNC machines.
GOOGLE JAMBOARD – A theme park design and engineering TINKERCAD – An easy-to-use 3D
cloud-based digital whiteboard that created in partnership by Khan NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE CAD tool.
allows for collaboration without Academy and Pixar. STANDARDS – The new standards VISIBLE BODY – 3D medical apps
boundaries and for users to share LABSTER – Virtual 3D science labs. for science, plus tools and resources for virtual dissections.
ideas in real time. LEAFSNAP – A free app for for state-by-state implementation. WHITEBOARD.FI – A free
GOOGLE LENS – Simple identifying plants by simply taking a online whiteboard for teachers
augmented reality platform. picture of a leaf. NOAA – National Oceanic and and classrooms that can be used
HANDS-ON LABS ­– Tools to MAKERBOT – 3D printers for Atmospheric Administration together in real time.
build science lessons, labs, and schools. Education for studying weather in WONDER WORKSHOP – Offers
curriculum. MARINE DEBRIS TRACKER – the classroom. robotics and coding resources.
Track and report marine debris to
prevent pollution. OTTER FOR EDUCATION – An
artificial intelligence platform that
transcribes lectures for students.

PACKBACK – An AI-backed
discussion board.

Featured STEM Resources

ACCELERATED LEARNING in response to changing instructional needs, including variable class
environments and types of lesson facilitation. Our hardware, software,
STEMscopes, created by STEM and training programs are designed to keep students focused
Accelerate Learning Inc., is a and strengthen 21st century learning skills such as collaboration,
research-based national leader communication, creativity, and critical thinking. In our mission to support
in PreK-12 STEM curriculum educators, each solution includes professional development and premium
that offers comprehensive customer service.
digital resources, exploratory hands-on kits, and supplemental print
materials that together drive engagement and academic growth. Curriculum ROBOKIND
offers include science, math, video streaming, coding, engineering,
environmental stewardship, and more built for your state standards. Robots4STEM: Avatar is a remote learning, virtual,
Accelerate Learning also provides educators with professional development, ISTE standards-aligned program that helps students
certifications, and higher education opportunities through several divisions. master the fundamentals of coding & computer science.
During the program, students explore the vast universe
BOXLIGHT of visual block coding on a space station, with their
own customizable robot avatar. Each activity provides
Boxlight solutions are ideal for immediate feedback, ensuring students are retaining the
in-class, remote or hybrid teaching. skills they are learning. Packed with mini-games and multi-option learning
Boxlight has created solutions paths, robots4STEM: Avatar keeps students engaged, better preparing them
that preserve the flow of learning for 21st century readiness!

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