My Job Title: Educator
This list is based on tools that address the ISTE Standard for Educators 2.6.c:
Teach Computational and Design Thinking
__________________________________________________________________
#1 LEGO Education SPIKE Prime
Grade 6 - 8
All Subjects
Communication, Creation
Some Training Required
How I Might Use It
The LEGO Education SPIKE prime sets can be used to teach pre-service teachers and middle schoolers how to work through the design thinking process to solve a problem. The LEGO Education products come with existing lesson plans aligned to standards that clearly lay out the problem students need to solve through their creation using the LEGO pieces and the related software. It's aligned with ISTE Educator Standard 2.6.a, "Teach Computational and Design Thinking" since students are challenged in each lesson to work through the design thinking process by understanding the challenge, building a prototype, and using basic coding to make their prototype model move. They troubleshoot, revise, and test their prototypes by changing out the LEGO bricks and altering the coding program. The LEGO Education SPIKE Prime sets include a variety of lessons that cover all the STEAM skills. The pre-service teachers followed a design thinking process themselves to learn how to build and code using the sets, and then were able to explain and use the sets with middle schoolers during teaching conferences and school events.
Connected to ISTE Standard for Students 1.4.a Design Process
Connected to Transformational Learning Principle: Empower (Prioritize Authentic Experiences)
Demonstrates Evidence of EdTech Index Quality Indicators:
None
__________________________________________________________________
#2 Google Sites
Higher Ed
All Subjects
Creation, Project-Based Learning
Some Training Required
How I Might Use It
Google Sites, which is part of Google Workspace for Education, is a great tool to use as an end product when using project-based learning in a classroom. Within project-based learning, students follow the design thinking process, and Google Sites provides the space to show their process and thinking throughout the duration of the project. Pre-service teachers use Google Sites to design a new and improved school by creating a website for their school. They empathize by interviewing teachers, define the problems schools currently face that require reform; ideate solutions for improvement of each of the foundation of education topics, prototype a new and improved school, and test their school by sharing it with their classmates and school administrators. Google Sites is a dynamic tool that allows for students to demonstrate their learning by creating pages for each of the foundation of education topics throughout the 14 week semester. Pre-service teachers have the experience of learning and working through each step of the design process as a student but also building their understanding of how to meet this standard with their future students.
Connected to ISTE Standard for Students 1.4.a Design Process
Connected to Transformational Learning Principle: Empower (Prioritize Authentic Experiences)
Demonstrates Evidence of EdTech Index Quality Indicators:
Safe
__________________________________________________________________
This article is part of a program to help showcase the work of ISTE Certified Educators. Educators' views about each tool are their own and not verified or endorsed by ISTE+ASCD.
