3d – iLearn Technology

Tinkerine U: Learn and teach 3D printing

April 25, 2018April 21, 2018Kelly Tenkely1 Comment222946 views

What it is: So you have a 3D printer…now what?! Introducing Tinkerine U the place where you can learn (and teach) 3D printing. Tinkerine U is a great starting point (no matter what brand of 3D printer you have!). Not only can you take online courses to learn more about 3D printing, you can also get real-life application stories about how a variety of professions are using 3D printing. Additionally, you can watch Tinkerine U test out myths and facts about 3D printing and access a variety of challenges for your students.

How to integrate Tinkerine U into your classroom: So often I see schools who have a strong advocate for new technologies, but don’t know exactly what to do with the technologies they’ve championed when they show up. Tinkerine U is a great place for you and your students to learn the logistics of how to 3D print, while also giving you ideas for practical real-life applications that will launch your student’s creativity. The starter challenges are a fantastic way to get started with using your 3Dprinter. Challenges are fun and vary in difficulty. Allow students to choose their own challenges, or choose challenges for your students to take on as a class.

Of course, you can go through all of the Tinkerine U content (and I encourage you to start there), but ultimately, it would be great to have your students go through all of the Tinkerine U content. Empower THEM to be the experts!

If you have a maker space and want to help your students envision possibility, Tinkerine U could be a great launching point for them. Just enough instruction and videos to spark curiosity and creativity without being too prescriptive.

Tips: You don’t have to have a Tinkerine 3D printer to take advantage of these resources! They are 3D printer-agnostic and can help spark learning and creativity for your students.

Planet Quest: Alien Safari

May 10, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3760 views

What it is: Planet Quest Alien Safari is an interactive exploration adventure that encourages students to click on “life zones” around the world to find bizarre and extreme organisms that live on Earth. Students will also learn about what the extreme organisms reveal about finding life in space. As students explore they will learn about organisms that can live without sunlight, those with the highest radiation dose, those that are the most acidic, those that live the furthest underground, those with the strangest habitat and those that are the hottest. Students click on a life zone on the 3D Earth to begin a video introduction to the organism.

How to integrate Planet Quest: Alien Safari into the classroom: Planet Quest Alien Safari is going to be a popular one with your boys. My students got a kick out of “discovering” new organisms. Use Alien Safari when discussing different life forms, classifying organisms or studying space. My students wanted to do more than just explore the organisms, they wanted to write stories about them. Students wrote creative stories imagining what kind of super hero the organism would be, or making them into super villains (As I said, the boys have fun with this one!).

Ask students to make predictions about the organisms based on where they are found, what does their geographic location tell us about the organism?

Tips: The music on this site gets a little OLD (at least for me, the kids may disagree) I had the kids use headphones when they were accessing this site independently. If you are using it with the whole class and an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer, you can turn the music off in the bottom right corner.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Planet Quest: Alien Safari in your classroom!

The Secret Annex

May 9, 2011Kelly Tenkely6 Comments3109 views

What it is: The Secret Annex lets students travel back in time to Anne Frank’s hiding place. Students can explore Anne’s house in a super cool 3D interactive environment. The Secret Annex gives students an authentic feel for the place where Anne wrote her diary while listening to stories of everyone who lived in the hiding place. In addition to the 3D hiding place, students can review historical archive material about the war and view unique TV broadcasts where memories are shared.

How to integrate The Secret Annex into the classroom: The Secret Annex is about the closest students can come to traveling through time and experiencing the hiding place. The site is incredible in its attention to detail. Each room can be explored with narration describing the room. The Secret Annex is an excellent addition to any classroom studying World War II, reading the Diary of Anne Frank or studying Nazi Germany.

Explore the Secret Annex as a class using an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer for a virtual field trip. After exploring as a class, allow students to dig deeper into the site learning about all of the guests of the hiding place on classroom computers or in a computer lab setting.

If you are reading the Diary of Anne Frank as a class, use the Secret Annex as a support tool and visual aid so students can picture where Anne composed her diary. The site does a fantastic job of capturing the feelings of fear, hope, anxiety and relief.

Ask students to imagine that they were hiding in the hideaway. Use The Secret Annex as a writing prompt for students to explore the feelings, attitudes and observations in diary or journal form.

Tips: Be sure to visit the “This Site” page where you will find more historical information about Anne Frank, a timeline of Anne’s life, student guides to help students who are learning about World War II and teaching materials from the Anne Frank House.

Thank you to Ryan for sending me to this site, I truly have the best readers!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using The Secret Annex in your classroom!

Eyes on the Earth 3D

May 6, 2011Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment3347 views

What it is: I’m still on my NASA/space kick, this time with Eyes on the Earth 3D from NASA. This is a neat website that lets students track missions as they are happening with the satellites that are collecting information about the Earth from space. Students can learn about the earth by choosing a mission to follow, zoom in and out of the globe, view satellite paths, view city and location labels on the map, replace the sun with an “artificial light” and see the view from Earth’s surface. As students click on the satellite, they will be able to view and discover more information about the mission. Students can choose to view the 3D Earth in real-time or speed up/slow down the Earth with a time control. Students can choose to learn more at any time by viewing the official mission home page linked at the bottom of each page.

How to integrate Eyes on the Earth 3D into the classroom: This is a way for students to assume the role of NASA scientist to learn more about the Earth and collect data. Students can view real data about sea levels, the Arctic sea ice minimum, carbon dioxide readings, global temperature and the ozone hole. Students can study each mission to gain a better understanding of what NASA scientists do and study. If you teach younger students, the 3D globe is a great way to help students understand continents, oceans and earth rotation.

One of the features that I enjoy about Eyes on the Earth 3D is the ability to view the Earth from the satellite view or the satellite from the Earth view. This will help young students better visualize and understand how satellites work and orbit the Earth.

If your students are studying satellites or NASA missions, assign each student a different mission to study in-depth. Students can present what they have learned to the class as an oral presentation using the Eyes on the Earth 3D site as a visual.

Tips: Missions can be viewed by what their focus is: atmosphere, oceans or land. If you are studying any of these, the missions would be a nice tie in. Students can read or hear about all of this data but I think it is just as important to understand where it all came from and how it was collected.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Eyes on the Earth 3D in your classroom!

NASA @ Home and City space is everywhere you look

April 27, 2011Kelly Tenkely3 Comments3830 views

What it is: NASA has such cool exploratory websites for kids. NASA @ Home and City is no exception. On this site, students get to explore 3D environments where they discover common household and city items that have roots in space exploration. Students can click on various objects in the house or city to learn more about how space travel impacted the items creation or use. Each item has a brief description and a short video included. If students are particularly interested in an item, they can click to learn more about it on NASA’s Spinoff database site. Students can take part in a Spinoff challenge where they explore technologies and answer questions; when all have been answered, students will unlock special downloads.

How to integrate NASA @ Home and City into the classroom: NASA @ Home and City is a great place for students to learn more about space as well as how the science and discoveries made in space impact their daily lives. I love the way this site encourages students to discover and uncover learning. NASA @ Home and City would be a great website for students to visit in partners or small groups on classroom computers. Each student can take a turn exploring for the group and acting as guide.

If you don’t have access to classroom computers, explore the site as a class using an interactive whiteboard or projector connected computer. There is enough content for each student to have a turn directing the exploration. The 3D feel of the house and city would be fun on the big screen!

I like that this site is appropriate for a wide range of age and developmental levels. Young students will enjoy exploring and viewing the videos for information, while older students can really dig deeper with the Spinoff challenge and additional information links.

Tips: Make sure to rotate around the home and city, there is more to explore!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using NASA @ Home and City in your classroom!

Video Search in 3D and Create Playlists in 1 Click!

April 25, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2762 views

What it is: Video Search in 3D is a neat way to search for, and find, videos. Search videos by keyword and instantly get a 3D “globe” of video results. With the click of a button you can create a playlist of videos to be watched.

How to integrate Video Search in 3D into the classroom: Video Search in 3D would be a great way to search for and create playlists of videos for students and teachers. Create playlists for students to access on classroom computers as a digital-media learning center. These can be videos centered around a science concept, phonics rules, a period of history, math, foreign language or anything else that students are studying. For example, for language arts you might search “School House Rock”. During your writing block, students can visit the media learning center (your classroom computers) to learn more about grammar and parts of speech.

You can also use Video Search in 3D to create play lists for professional development opportunities. There are SO many outstanding educational videos available. Search videos by keyword or speaker and create an instant playlist. I started a Webspiration Wednesday lunch group at my school where I played inspirational videos in the library during lunch. I invited all the staff to bring their lunches to the library where we would watch and discuss inspirational educational videos. Mid-week video inspiration is just what the doctor ordered to put some pep back into your step!

Tips: Because this is a search engine, I wouldn’t let young students loose to search whatever they want until a teacher has previewed it.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Video Search in 3D in your classroom!

Solar System Scope: See the solar system in 3D

April 20, 2011April 20, 2011Kelly Tenkely3 Comments4546 views

What it is: Well, yesterday set me off on a space kick. Today I spent time with the Solar System Scope site, talk about a COOL way to view the solar system! Solar System Scope (SSS) is a 3D real-time look at celestial positions with planets and constellations in the night sky. Students can adjust planet and moon settings, star and constellation settings, earth observatory settings and time settings. View the solar system from a heliocentric, geocentric or panoramic view.

How to integrate Solar System Scope into the classroom: Who would have guessed the day would come when we could take our students on a realistic field trip through space? That is exactly what the Solar System Scope makes possible. For young students, it would be fun to plan a class space mission. Prepare your students as astronauts, load into your classroom spaceship (which may just be chairs and desks specially configured for the day) and prepare for launch. “Fly” through the universe and solar system using an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer. This is almost like having a planetarium right in your classroom. Pretty cool!

Of course after traveling through space as a class, students will want to explore more on their own. They can do this at a classroom computer center or individually in a computer lab setting.

Older students can get more in-depth using the built-in distance meter to measure the distance between planets. Each star reveals information about how many light years away it is from earth. Students can adjust the settings to learn more about constellations. Time and date can be adjusted to view the solar system on a given day. When students click the play button, they will see a 3D animation of the solar system based on the view they chose. Very neat!

In addition to using Solar System Scope for science, use it as a launching point for a creative writing activity. Students can write a fictional story about their travels through space, or even pretend to colonize a planet using factual information about the struggles they would have to overcome.

This site is a great one to use in connection with the NASA 50th Anniversary site I shared yesterday!

Tips: Solar System Scope isn’t finished yet, they are still working on some cool features. Be sure to watch for a planetary journey for kids complete with an animated talking guide named Zyx, desktop clocks that show all planet positions at the moment, a space-flight simulator screen saver (perfect for the interactive whiteboard!) and a space forum.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Solar System Scope in your classroom!

Heifer International: Game for Change

March 22, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2826 views

What it is: Heifer International works with communities to end hunger, poverty, and care for the earth. Heifer International does not give hand-outs, they offer hand ups. Transforming lives of hunger and poverty, into sustained lives of hope. Using gifts of livestock and training, Heifer International helps families improve nutrition and generate sustainable income. I have written about a program that Heifer International has before, called Read to Feed. I highly recommend that you take a look at the Read to Feed program if you haven’t seen it before. Heifer International has partnered with BeaconFire and ForgeFX to create an interactive 3D game that teaches students about hunger and poverty in a virtual world. Through Heifer International: Game for Change, students will learn about real world conditions of poverty and how communities can create sustainable solutions. Through game play, students will learn about sustainable options for help. In the game, students take on the role of a 12 year old Nepalese girl in a village that struggles with poverty and hunger. There are four tasks/missions that students must complete in the current (beta) version of the game. Each task offers an activity that teaches a core principle. One example is a task where students learn about deforestation that makes it more difficult to collect firewood used to cook dinner. The lessons in the game mirror real-life happenings in Nepal with Heifer International’s partners. The game is currently in Beta version and the creators are asking for suggestions here.

How to integrate Heifer International: Game for Change into the classroom: Heifer International: Game for Change is an excellent way to offer your students global education, awareness, and encourage them to action. Students will learn important lessons about issues like poverty and environmental degradation in a real, hands on, manner. Start out with a geography lesson, encouraging students to find Nepal on a map or globe. Use Google Earth or Scribble Maps to put a place marker on Nepal and a place marker where they live. Talk with students about issues of poverty and hunger, exploring the Heifer International site for students where they can watch videos, do experiments, and play games. Next, allow your students to step into the story by taking the role of a Nepalese girl living in an impoverished village. Students should work to complete all 4 tasks in the game and keep a journal (online or off) of their thoughts as they complete the game. Was it hard to find food, wood, water? There are a lot of lessons packed in here, from geography and social studies, to reading and following directions and character education.

As an extension activity, students could create VoiceThreads or Animoto videos about Heifer International. Tie in the Read to Feed program so that your students can get hands on with Heifer International. Use their completed VoiceThreads or Animoto videos as “advertisements” for the Read to Feed program.

If your students are anything like mine, they will have definite opinions about the game. Why not take advantage of that, and have them offer suggestions and praise that can be used by the creators? Have students craft their ideas and send them here.

Tips: If you haven’t signed up for the Read to Feed program, it is an outstanding program. It includes free DVD, leaders guide, poster, storybook (Beatrice’s Goat), brochures, bookmarks, student rewards, and standard based curriculum. Get your students excited about reading and involved in their global community, it is never too early to get your students thinking about others!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Heifer International: Game for Change in your classroom.

The Eco Zoo

January 27, 2010Kelly Tenkely2 Comments2565 views

What it is: The Eco Zoo is an impressive 3d environment where students can meet different “animals” that will give them some ideas about taking care of the environment. Each of the critters has a virtual pop-up book that tells a little about the character. Each character has an environmental quirk, like one who is always turning off the lights to save energy, and has a little story that will get your students thinking about the environment. The site is available to view in both Japanese and English.

How to integrate The Eco Zoo into the classroom: The Eco Zoo is a great site to travel through as a class when you are studying the environment, ecology, or eco-friendly solutions. This site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector connected computer. As a class, travel up the tree, visiting each animal along the way. Ask students to guess what environmental issue the animal is passionate about. Have students brainstorm ideas of ways that they could be friendlier to the environment as it relates to each animal. This would be a great site to guide classroom discussion and spark some new ideas.

The look of the site is very unique, students will love the virtual popup books! Students can also explore this site on their own on classroom computers or in a computer lab setting. As they view the different animals, students can create character cards about the animal, listing the environmental passion, and ideas of how they can be more environmentally friendly.

Tips: This site was created in Japan so some of the English is a little awkward, or the humor missed.

Leave a comment and share how you are using The Eco Zoo in your classroom.