Celebrate Mentorship: Shared Teacher Tips and Student Stories

Education Technology

Article | July 15, 2022

Special education instructors, like everyone else, turned to an array of digital tools and technologies to continue teaching in the wake of the pandemic. And while most would agree the shift to online learning came with serious challenges, many also found solutions that worked. “This last year was a struggle — I won’t tell you it was not,” says Wendy Thompson, a special education teacher at New Jersey’s A. Harry Moore School. “That being said, we have seen success, and there are things out there that can help.” Thompson, who is also president of the New Jersey Coalition for the Advancement of Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology, says the key is to ensure the tools educators use can be adapted to fit the needs of individual students. “It’s important to approach students where they are and provide them with options for how they can respond and show what they know and what they are learning.”

Education Technology

Article | July 27, 2022

In today’s learning environment, students need more than academic knowledge to thrive in college, careers and beyond. As a result, educators are dually tasked with increasing core subject comprehension and developing 21st-century skills, especially in STEM. Project-based learning (PBL) is designed to do both. By inviting students to solve real-world challenges in their own community, we can draw the connection between these modern skills and the changing world around us.

Continuing Education

Article | November 15, 2022

Many factors can influence academic success and your strategies won’t differ too much from face-to-face studies to online learning. But who wouldn’t want some tips to ensure that they are successful in their online learning studies? So, with that in mind, here are some factors that impact your online learning success. Internal factors These are the factors that come from your head and your heart, which you can control if you pay attention to them: Active, timely participation in the course. Lecturers were interviewed in a study and asked what was likely to predict a student’s successful completion of an online course. By far the most common answer was that “the most successful online students participate early, participate often, and allow enough time in their schedule to ensure effective completion of all aspects of the course.” (Mandernach, Donnelli and Dailey-hebert, 2006). This means you need to manage your time and get involved by asking lots of questions early on. Personal initiative and motivation. Although motivation is essential in all aspects of studying, online learning requires a lot more independent effort because of the physical distance between educators and peers. This means to study online you should examine your commitment to the course or programme and make sure you remember “why” you started. Digital literacy. The ability and confidence to navigate technology will mean that you have more time to spend on the actual course content, rather than spending all your time learning how to use the new tech. If you are not comfortable in this arena, spend some time doing a digital literacy course. Reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Being able to read and write with comprehension will set you up for success. The necessity to explain what you have learned is essential in all learning spaces, in the online space however, this extends to the discussion forums and emails to your lecturer. Being clear and succinct will mean you get the help you need quickly.

Article | August 25, 2020

You in the community seemed so impressed with this recent Boston Dynamics–inspired build that we decided to feature another. This time, maker Harry was inspired by Boston Dynamics’ research robot Handle, which stands 6.5 ft tall, travels at 9 mph and jumps 4 feet vertically. Here’s how Harry made his miniature version, MABEL (Multi Axis Balancer Electronically Levelled). MABEL has individually articulated legs to enhance off-road stability, prevent it from tipping, and even make it jump (if you use some really fast servos). Harry is certain that anyone with a 3D printer and a “few bits” can build one.