Students Need STEM

Glassdoor published their list of 25 Best Jobs in America, and it reveals a critical need for STEM careers. According to the list, the best jobs are in tech, professional services, and healthcare, with a large chunk requiring science, technology, engineering, and math backgrounds. The 25 jobs were ranked according to “Glassdoor Job Scores” which uses a scale from 1.0 to 5.0 determined by a position’s earning potential, career opportunities rating and number of open jobs listings.

As I scrolled through the list, I noticed that student success in STEM will be crucial for future job opportunities if we want to prepare our students to become lifelong learners and socially engaged contributors. The most glaring need exists for software engineers as Glassdoor lists 104,828 job openings. This is yet another reason why it is so important that we introduce coding to all of our students from elementary up to the high school level. If you’re interested in taking the first step and introducing Google CS-First CLICK HERE for more information.

Google Classroom Mobile Apps

Google Classroom has slowly started to gain traction in more and more classrooms.  Some of the recent updates may just push those considering using Classroom to give it a shot. Google announced some new improvements along with mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.

The “view assignments” feature now lets teachers keep track of all the work they assign across all of their classrooms. Teachers can quickly access an assignment, tracking which ones they have reviewed as well as getting information on how many students have completed the assignments.

Another feature that has been added for teachers is the ability to archive classes. Teachers no longer have to scroll through old classes to get to the ones they’re teaching now. The archive feature allows teachers to remove a class from the homepage, but still keep any valuable information for future use.

The mobile apps (Android and iOS) include some nice features for students as they can now use photos, share across apps, and take advantage of offline caching via Google:

• Snap a photo: Right from the assignment page in the mobile app, students can snap a photo and attach it to their assignment — whether it’s the experiment they just did for a science class, or a drawing they made of their family tree. And if they’ve forgotten their homework, they can ask someone at home to snap a photo, text it and then turn it in with the app. Of course, if the dog has actually eaten it, Classroom can’t help you.
• Share from other apps: Students can also easily attach images, PDFs and web pages from other apps to their assignments. For example, when you’re in a drawing app, you can create a graphic for an assignment. When you click “share” in that app, Classroom will come up as an option, and you can attach the graphic to an assignment.
• Offline caching: Even when Internet access isn’t available, students and teachers can get information about their assignments in the Classroom mobile app. Class streams and assignment information are automatically cached every time you open the app with an Internet connection, so that you can see them when you don’t have a connection.

Hello, Ciao, Hola, Bonjour, Google Translate gets Amazing

     Google announced a major update that will soon be coming to the Google Translate app. According to The New York Times, the app will soon have the powerful functionality to recognize and convert detected speech input to text in a chosen output language. This means that language is no longer a barrier to collaboration as students and educators can instantaneously converse with others all over the world. Content in collaboration can become the clear focus as teachers and students do not have to worry about properly getting across their thoughts and ideas.
     Google is also looking to release an app that can translate text captured with the camera into a selected language. Google purchased Quest Visual, the company that developed Word Lens so this does not come as a surprise. It will be interesting to see how these new tools get adopted into the suite of productivity tools that Google already provides. Imagine holding a Google Hangout with a teacher from India and having instant translations as the two of you collaborate on a math lesson. Students can possibly take pictures of books in other languages and have the text translated and converted directly into Google Docs. The complete integration of these tools can have a huge impact on the delivery and process of teaching and learning.

Google Tools Get Even Better

     Google tools are already being used for creating, editing, and collaborating in our schools, and recent updates make it even easier to be productive and efficient. Yesterday, Google updated Docs, Sheets, and Slides to support more desktop-class features. The power of Google tools from your laptop or Chromebook can now be found on your mobile device.

• Google Docs will now support real-time spell checking in documents
• Sheets can hide rows and columns
• Group multiple shapes in slides.
• Support for screen-reading services like Talkback

Click on these links to get the newest updates on your devices.

• Download: Google Docs 
• Download: Google Sheets
• Download: Google Slides 

CES 2015

     From drones to robotics, a wide range of future technology was shared with the public as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas wrapped up this week. Most of the technology on display was directed towards simplifying tasks in our daily lives, or providing us with immersive entertainment experiences. As educators, we must consider how some of this emerging technology impacts what we and our students are able to do in the future.

     Popular items were avenues for digital consumption, adapted to create immersive experiences. Large curved monitors, head-mounted displays ranging from the Oculus Rift to Google cardboard can all provide interactive platforms for entertainment with video games and movies, but we must ask how they can be transferred into the classroom. With the emergence of this hyper immersive technology, students will be able to practice the application of their skills with less risk and cost. What are some ways in which these products can be applied:

• Students using a virtual reality set can study microbiology going in depth with cells.
• They can travel across our skies as they study our stars and planets in astronomy.
• Students can hike across ancient ruins and historical sites without so much as leaving their seats.
• A large tablet display can be used for collaboration. Students can work together or have individual panels for greater interactive learning experiences.
• Students progressing towards engineering careers could build 3D prototypes and test them in virtual settings.
• In healthcare pathways students can study the human body in depth without having an actual cadaver.
• Those with an interest in architecture could build full size digital models without the actual cost of physical materials.

     As the technology becomes readily available and affordable, it will be interesting to see how it is adapted by educators. These powerful tools for engagement and learning will require proper training and deployment to go beyond being entertainment devices where the student output is passive and secondary. As the possibilities truly become endless as to what students can learn and produce, educators must be at the forefront willing to adapt and find ingenious opportunities for engagement.

Auto Math Photo Calculator

Students who get stuck working on math problems at home can get a little help from their phones using an app called AutoMath. The app is available HERE and is a simple and easy way students can study and check their work. AutoMath isn't limited to simple arithmetic as it can handle fractions, powers, trigonometry, and algebra. The step by step tutorials can guide students through the math problem, showing them where they made a mistake. The best part about the app? It’s currently free with no in-app purchases and doesn't require an internet connection.