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Promoting Student Creativity Through Makerspaces

For as long as STEAM has been emphasized nationwide, one of the questions that schools have faced is how to best infuse these disciplines into their curriculum. One way in which some schools have sought to answer this question has been through the use of makerspaces. These spaces allow students to become familiar with the STEAM disciplines and "to apply scientific principles and meet curricular science through the design, creation, and building of products." (Julian & Parrott, 2017, p. 1) Makerspaces can include a number of hands-on tools and devices, from construction toys to 3D printers. A successful makerspace should be inspiring and inviting for students, regardless of the age. One way to accomplish this is to ensure the room is open and full of light. The room should also remain spacious, with furniture that can be easily rearranged, and flexible seating with easy access to electrical outlets. Finally, adequate storage and space to display student work is crucial, pa
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The Effect of Technology on Efficiency and Efficacy

Modern education practically necessitates implementation of technology because that is the direction the rest of the world is headed. Students today are already exposed to and aware of technological trends, so “the main goal is not to provide students with information but to teach them how to work with it.” (Yavich & Gerkerova, 2019, p. 1) This can prove to be difficult, as teachers sometimes struggle to ensure technology is being integrated with instructional strategies. Despite the struggle there are considerable benefits to using technology in the classroom, notably the ability for teachers to provide more immediate feedback to students. Cutumisu et al. (2017) noted that students who received timely and specific feedback “significantly outperformed students who received feedback within 24 hours.” (p. 3) While this obviously helps them, the increased retention of knowledge and higher levels of achievement also allows teachers to streamline the learning process and not get as bogg

Google Arts and Culture - Review

When students are asked to think back on their school year and describe their favorite memory, many of them will think back to field trips or other experiences that they had outside of the classroom. A large reason for this is that it is fun for students to get on a bus and go somewhere exciting, but I think another important reason is because it broadens students' perspectives on the world around them and helps them to find something new that interests them. Traveling to a museum engages students' creativity, even among those students who might not travel to one on their own time. Sometimes, however, students are unable to get to a museum due to budget constraints, distance constraints, or other reasons. As many schools will continue to be teaching virtually in the fall, one resource that could allow students the same exciting opportunities provided by field trips is Google Arts and Culture . Through this resource, Google partnered with numerous museums, parks, and cultural ce

Blog Use in the Classroom

For as long as the internet has existed, one of its primary functions has been to help people share their thoughts and experience the perspective of others around them. One of the earliest methods in which this has been accomplished is through blog posts, and they continue to be used today. One reason why blogs remain just as popular today as they were two decades ago is because they are typically written in natural language, which makes them easier to read and feels more like how people communicate in person. Another significant reason for their continued popularity is because while blogs are ubiquitous, they are also largely customizable and allow the author to put their own flair into the writing (Worthington et al., 2018, p. 2) Blogs can be very beneficial to use in the classroom because they give each student a voice and help to promote community. Worthington et al. (2018) further listed that blog use in the classroom "demonstrated increased reflection, heightened feelings of