(StatePoint) With each new school year comes a brand-new set of subjects, books and teachers. It also means new technologies being introduced into the classroom.
As students head back to school, here is a look at the technologies that will support STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning this year.
• Digital Art: Enter some art classes today and you may find a dearth of paints, brushes and charcoal. Today, art students can learn the same painting, drawing and sculpting techniques they previously would have learned using traditional supplies, only with digital tools instead. While the traditional mediums aren’t completely going away any time soon, today’s students can benefit from the versatility that cutting-edge tools supply, from the time a project idea is conceived through when the finished product is shared with the world.
• Visual Science: Whether it’s an anatomical diagram of the human heart or a map of the Milky Way, every science teacher knows that a picture’s worth a thousand words, particularly when it’s a sharp, clear picture. Teachers and students are benefitting from top of the line projection technology in classrooms. The LampFree Projectors from Casio’s Core Series, for example, have the ability to project images and video wirelessly from smart phones, laptop computers and tablets, expanding teachers’ ability to create engaging lesson plans. Additionally, the mercury-free Laser and LED hybrid light source is energy-efficient, reducing power consumption by up to 40 percent, a bonus lesson in environmental stewardship.
• Accessible Computer Science: Certain innovations are helping students go beyond just consuming technology. Apps abound for independent learners, as well as educators, to use in their classrooms to help computer science students of all ages and abilities to hone their coding skills. From straight-forward instructional apps to those that gamify the learning process, young coders-in-training have a wealth of resources at their fingertips.
• Intuitive Music: New technology is rocking the music education boat in an effort to make learning an instrument more intuitive. For example, Casio’s LK-265 is outfitted with such tools as a Key Lighting System, Voice Fingering Guide and Step-up Lesson System, enabling beginners to learn built-in songs at their own pace. Additionally, an LCD display makes mastering music notation and correct hand positioning easy. Students don’t even have to wait for teacher feedback -- the keyboards have a Scoring System that evaluates performance.
• In-Depth Math: Today’s students are getting a closer look at the inner workings of mathematics than their predecessors, thanks to new graphing calculators, such as the fx-CG50 PRIZM and fx-CG500, which offer expanded features, including the ability to easily draw three dimensional graphs such as planes, cylinders and spheres, and view them from various angles to better analyze their shapes. A cross-section option and special zoom function allow students to closely examine graphs for in-depth analysis and an improved catalog function means students can use commands more easily and quickly.
As rapidly emerging technologies innovate education, it’s an exciting time to be a student or teacher.
*****
Photo Credit: (c) Monkey Business/stock.Adobe.com
