ILP #1(Participation) - COE Tech Showcase

On September 18th, I attended the College of Education's Technology Showcase. We arrived near the end of the showcase, so things were winding down, but there was still a lot of interesting stuff to see! What I focused on most, however, was the 3Doodler 3D pen. It works kind of like a hot glue gun - you insert a stick of colored plastic into one end of the pen, and it melts it down so you can draw or write in three dimensions (I'll link to a YouTube tutorial here). It took some getting used to but once I got the hang of it, it was really fun to use. It's very different from any other creative thing I've done, and that makes it a really great new medium of expression. They aren't expensive - the pen and a starter kit of plastic filaments starts at about $75 USD. I've gone back to the Tech Sandbox many times sense then to use the 3D pens they have there - it's a really great resource that's available for free! These two small hearts are a couple of the things I made at the COE Tech Showcase:

I really enjoyed getting to use the 3D pens, and I'm glad I have the opportunity to continue using them for free!  

There was also a SmartBoard on display at the COE showcase - I'd seen them before in my elementary school classrooms, but they were never put to very good use because the teachers were not taught how to use them. I think they would have benefited from some technology training like what we're getting in this class! SmartBoards can be used for all different subjects, but I think it would be the most valuable when learning math and when learning a new language, particularly if it uses a different script to your native language. It would be so helpful to be able to practice writing in a new script without having to worry about erasing or crossing things out if you get something wrong! I know I would have liked that when I was studying Arabic. 

All of these different technologies are interesting, but sometimes I struggle to see how they can be applied to a real life classroom. I love using the 3D pens, but it's hard to imagine them being used for learning. That's why events like the COE showcase are so interesting - they show how new technology can be used to facilitate learning! It makes me wish we'd had them when I was in school. I'm glad to know more about these technologies and where I can practice using them for free!