This week, I reviewed Nathalie’s post on the use of Lego Mindstorms.
I actually didn’t have a chance to look at this technology in class, and wasn’t really interested because I didn’t understand it. But after reading your post, I can see how it is really fun and could be used in a science, coding or robotics class to help students understand the intricacies of more tangible and physical technologies. I think the fact that it can be used in so many different ways makes it excellent for fostering creativity in the classroom.
Saturday, 7th March, 1:18PM.
This week I reviewed Joshua’s post about Sketchup and 3D printing.
Hi Joshua,
I really liked your post this week. I can see how you’ve tied it to the literature, which makes me want to go back and try Sketchup a little more. I’m so amazed that you made that laptop in sketchup! I really struggled to use the site, but it looks like you know exactly what you’re doing. I would have liked it if you could have spoken a little more about sketchup in relation to design-based thinking. But I love your work!
Saturday, March 14th, 12:03pm.
This week, I reviewed Jack’s post about Augmented reality and gamification in the classroom.
I love the idea of using AR and gamification (especially) in the classroom. I hadn’t actually thought to link it to the ideology of constructivism before, so that is and interesting insight to me. I’m curious as to how you might implement AR and gamification into different KLAs. Next time I would love to see some examples of this!
Monday, March 23rd, 1:05pm
This week, I reviewed Georgina’s post about Design-based thinking.
Hi Georgina,
I loved how you discussed that 3D printing and online tools like Sketchup can be used easily in a classroom setting. I feel that design-based learning is something that could and should be implemented more often in education. I like that you were able to connect design-based thinking to constructionist pedagogy, but I’ve never heard of and am not sure about the ‘Connectionist approach’. I would love it if you could give us more detail on what that entails.
Wednesday, April 1st, 11:16am.
This week, I commented on Hugh’s post about Gamestar Mechanic.
Hi Hugh,
I love the idea of gamification in classrooms because it naturally lends itself to creativity, critical thinking and constructivist pedagogy. Gamestar Mechanic looks like a great tool to use in the classroom because it seems simple to use, while also having students involved in more critical thinking exercises when they make their own game levels.
What other games would you recommend for gamification in the classroom?
Tuesday, April 7th, 3:09pm.
This week, I commented on Shellie’s post about Augmented Reality in education.
Hi Shellie, I really liked your exploration of AR in education and the pedagogical applications of this technology. I think engagement is a really important factor when it comes to digital technologies in education, so I think bringing up the novelty effect was a really good thing to note. The one thing I am curious about though, is how you would involve creativity in a classroom using Zapworks (or another AR technology). Bower has pointed out that many AR technologies come ‘pre-packaged’ and are intended only for consumption. How would you have students become creative producers in this field of technology?
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2:08pm.
This week, I reviewed Ei’s post about robotics in education.
Ei, I love your post about robotics in education. I like how you refer to the inverted pedagogy when using robotics in the classroom. I agree with you though that the simplicity of robots like the Beebot are both it’s greatest strength and greatest weakness. I think it may be useful as an educational tool that is brought out occasionally to help students with computational thinking. I am currently studying to be a high school teacher and never considered using Beebot in my classrooms. Would you have any suggestions for this?
Thursday, May 14th, 7:13pm.
This week, I reviewed Corey’s post about the Makeblock Neuron.
Hi Corey, I also made a post about the Makeblock Neuron and agree with your review. I really like how you mention that the flexibility of the Neuron allows for creative thinking and activities. I agree with you that it is quite pricey and therefore it may be inaccessible for some schools or students. Would you agree that the Makeblock Neuron could be used in both primary and secondary settings?
Monday, May 18th, 3:52pm.
Digital Creativity and Learning 