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A great piece of technology hardware to use in the classroom or the library is Lego Mindstorms. This technology allows students to see how coding can look in a physical object.  According to Lego, the Lego Mindstorms Education EV3 is, " a hands-on, cross-curricular STEM solution that engages students by providing the resources to design, build and program their creations while helping them develop essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. A Core Set supports two students and comes with a getting-started guide, video tutorials, and standards-aligned lesson plans. An eLearning program is included for educators." This technology would fall into the "redefinition" section of the SAMR model because students are using skills to create a new product. Students design, build, and showcase their abilities using this technology. Students would have previously learned some about coding and now they are to demonstrate how to use th...

This week I developed a newsletter that would be sent out to the Social Studies department at the high school where I work. The newsletter would just be the tip of the iceberg. Upon sending this out I would also mention that there would be an upcoming interest meeting/professional development on how to effectively use Breakout EDU with each class. While researching this resource I discovered a School Library Journal Review on Breakout EDU that made me even more interested in providing my teachers with information on this resource.  The only potential hangup that could come with the integration of Breakout EDU is that it is not free. I know several school districts already offer this program so why not get as much use out of it as possible. Additionally, Goerner at School Library Journal makes note that, " The price of wooden clue boxes from Breakout EDU ($119) might be daunting, but you don’t have to purchase the box from Breakout EDU. To enable cost-effective access to the tools,...