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Edtech done right

Four schools use technology to drive curiosity, explore ideas and maximize learning resources.

3 min read

Education

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This post has been sponsored by zSpace.

Technology for technology’s sake is a waste of time. Throwing technology into a classroom – without a plan and a purpose – is the best way to ensure it fails.

But edtech done right is effective. It drives outcomes. It maximizes resources. It inspires curiosity and develops practical skills. Best of all, it elevates instruction and creates a space where all students can engage in meaningful learning experiences.

Here’s how four schools are putting tech tools to good use in their classrooms.

Lewis Frasier Middle School. “We don’t have a lot of money to buy dissection tools and animals,” explains science teacher Misty Eastlake. The school has a 3D lab supplied by zSpace. Students can practice dissection and run experiments without the need for costly lab equipment and supplies.”With [virtual reality], we don’t have to purchase everything. I can say, pull up the digestive system [and] let’s look at the liver.”

Mathson Institute of Technology. “The digital divide is huge in our community,” says principal Oscar Leon. Many of the school’s students have limited access to the internet and devices. But with the school’s STEM lab, outfitted with zSpace displays, students get “all the skills they need to succeed in Silicon Valley … and [to be] ready for the next generation of skills.”

Another plus are the Microsoft solutions used across all school curriculum. Students develop skills with the apps and tools they will eventually use and college and the workforce. “I love that we are able to give them [a] work-related environment because that’s what they’re going to see when they’re older,” says teacher Gema Day.

Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District. “What I love about it is the collaborative approach,” says Jill Gierasch, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at the school. “I can have two students being a part of that lesson, and they need to work together to problem-solve.” This kind of instruction also supports inquiry skills. 

Sacred Heart Schools. “You’re not just playing with something on a flat plane, so you have the ability to look at it from multiple angles, you have the ability to go inside it,” explains Joy Lopez, director of technology at Sacred Heart. Students get to explore new ideas and concepts, she says. “It’s a game changer. It doesn’t have you doing science the same way.”

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