Page 38 - School Planning & Management, May 2017

TECHNOLOGY MAKING SCHOOL NEW AGAIN
Improved method of learning. Digital technology has taken the world by storm. It has touched every aspect of American society, so it only makes sense that this trend would have an impact on K-12 learning. Students, like the ones pictured above at Hoover High School, in Des Moines, Iowa, now work together on basic assignments and larger projects without having to meet at the library after school. Email and cloud applications make it simple for students to collaborate with each other remotely. The information the students find is instantly saved to a shared location and then accessed later on without waiting on each other to move forward.
away with most, if not all, lecturing. Using course plans supplied by teachers, students research and study material on their own, developing and completing projects that illustrate what they have learned.
Again, teachers do not lecture in an ac- tive learning classroom. Instead, they move about the room questioning students one- on-one, seeking out where they are weak and providing them with research cues that will put them back on the right track.
Without technology that enables online searching, active learning classes would have to operate out of an excellent library. Even then, the process would take too much time, with students inching through the card catalog, slogging through stacks, scanning indexes and finally landing on a single piece of useful research.
Such a system wouldn’t work. Hence the alternative: Traditional classroom teaching. In a traditional system, of course, teachers lecture, provide photocopies of source articles, and take whole classes through the materials step by step. Some, if not many, students grow bored or get lost. Technology makes it possible to discard this traditional classroom approach and most, if not all, of its shortcomings.
USING 3D PRINTERS IN THE CLASSROOM
One of the biggest trends we are seeing in K-12 schools is libraries emerging as adopters of 3D printing technology for “makerspaces,” a new trend that incorporates DIY spaces where students can gather to create, invent and learn on their own time,” says Mark McPherson, executive vice president at Advanced Education.
These new spaces, which are comparable to computer labs of the past, use 3D printers in their libraries to allow students to turn their ideas into a real product. Makerspaces provide students with accessibility to tools that enable them to create on their own terms.
Within these makerspaces, 3D printers are used in conjunction with other cutting-edge educational technologies, such as interactive smart boards. “For example,” McPherson explains, “students can design a tool directly on a library smart board program, import it to the 3D printer’s software, and print it. The concept is increasingly integrating cutting-edge K-12 technology to aid in the end-product’s design, and it’s a trend that will continue to grow as 3D printers become more prevalent in schools.”
He says that the majority of educators he works with believe that 3D
printers can revolutionize the classroom in ways never thought pos-
sible. “They feel that the technology fosters hands-on creativity, builds enthusiasm, and offers students a new and interactive approach to any given subject matter. And, although educational 3D printing has already generated a significant amount of buzz in the industry, principals, district administrators and teachers are just beginning to explore the technology’s countless use-cases.”
McPherson adds that all of the feedback has not been positive. “While many early adopters are already well underway with 3D printing, there have been challenges. On occasion, schools have invested in 3D printers without ensuring the proper integration of them into their curriculum, which could result in neglect or lack of use.
“It is extremely important for any interested K-12 decision maker to include a curriculum package with their 3D printer investment. By using these pre-configured curriculum packages, schools can seamlessly inte- grate their 3D printer into their daily lessons. This approach helps ensure that educators realize the value of their investment.”
38 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / MAY 2017
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