From engaging companion robots to comfy headsets, gadgets at the CES show in Las Vegas reflect the ever-changing technology landscape in K-12 education.
Schools that were once tiptoeing toward adoption started sprinting at the start of the pandemic. Distance learning has declined somewhat, but the debate about technology is thriving.
why i wrote this
How close are we to realizing technology that can reimagine how learning is accomplished? Monitor’s K-12 education reporter visited the recent CES show to find out what gadgets on display and what educators need. I checked if it matches the .
Teachers are not only concerned with when and how to adopt digital learning methods. We also focus on innovations in artificial intelligence. Last week, the New York City Department of Education blocked the district’s network and device access to his ChatGPT, a new AI-enabled program.
And if strolling through CES Jan. 5-8 is any indication, chaos, big and small, is on the way. Roybi Inc. debuted the RoybiVerse. RoybiVerse describes it as an “intelligent edutainment metaverse.” His CEO of Roybi, Elnaz Sarraf, said in his email:
Despite concerns about tools like ChatGPT writing student essays, Lindy Hockenbary, a teacher-turned-educational technology consultant, says there is room for hope. “This is destroying the current state of formal education,” she says. “But another part of what makes education truly transformative is its ability to support individualized learning.”
I can’t help but smile back at my buddy.
He’s sitting on the convention floor at CES, the massive tech conference formerly known as the Consumer Electronic Show, in Las Vegas. His white body spins, his head spins, but it’s his emotional face that melts his heart.The robot smiles, frowns, blinks, tears. I will wash it away. Digitally of course.
His Paris-based creator, Blue Frog Robotics, calls him an “emotional companion” who can solve problems facing the education system.
why i wrote this
How close are we to realizing technology that can reimagine how learning is accomplished? Monitor’s K-12 education reporter visited the recent CES show to find out what gadgets on display and what educators need. I checked if it matches the .
For example, Buddy can sit at a desk and become the avatar of a child who is quarantined or hospitalized, providing a more natural classroom experience. Last year, the French Ministry of Education ordered about 2,000 artificial intelligence-enhanced robots for that purpose, said Maud Verret, the Paris-based company’s chief marketing officer.
“There’s a big need, and it’s the same everywhere,” says Verraes about using robots to give children a virtual presence in the classroom.
Buddy’s inclusion in CES’s futuristic gadget aisle reflects the ever-changing technology landscape in K-12 education. Schools that were once tiptoeing toward technology adoption began sprinting with the onset of the pandemic. Distance learning has declined somewhat, but the debate about technology is thriving.
Teachers are not only concerned with when and how to adopt digital learning methods. They also look at the threat to educational integrity posed by artificial intelligence.Last week, the New York City Department of Education blocked access Local networks and devices to ChatGPT, an AI-enabled program launched publicly at November.
Despite concerns about tools like ChatGPT writing student essays, Lindy Hockenbary, a classroom teacher turned educational technology consultant, says there is room for hope. The same artificial intelligence technology that powers these programs could help identify students’ academic strengths and weaknesses. In theory, students who are having trouble understanding fractions can be flagged and alerted to the teacher that they need more support or practice.
“This is destroying the current state of formal education,” she says. “But another part of what makes education truly transformative is its ability to support individualized learning.”
And if strolling through CES Jan. 5-8 is any indication, chaos, big and small, is on the way. His Roybi Inc., creator of educational robots, has debuted his RoybiVerse, which the company describes as an “intelligent edutainment metaverse.”
Imagine a virtual universe with dazzling animations and characters. Elnaz Sarraf, founder and CEO of Roybi, said the purpose of this immersive learning platform is to engage students and let them learn at their own pace through interactivity. The company plans to launch his RoybiVerse first on virtual reality headsets and then on computers.
“Immersive education is the future of learning,” Sarraf said in an email. “Students can enter virtual worlds to collaborate, interact and learn together, and educators can make their content easily available anywhere, anytime around the world.”
It’s hard to say how much (or most) of the classroom experience translates into the metaverse. Internet connectivity issues are still a problem in some schools, especially in rural areas. Other schools have yet to reach the desired ratio of one laptop or tablet per child. Part of that comes down to cost.
So technology isn’t always top of mind for Las Vegas reading expert Vicki Kreidel. His elementary school is located about eight miles northeast of where tech gurus met for his CES. She’s embraced some technology, like taking her kids on virtual field trips, for example, but schools need more basic resources than fancy gadgets, she says.
“As educators, we stand up and say, ‘You know? That’s really not helpful. We could have used more books,'” she says.
Hockenbary, who helps K-12 educators leverage technology for learning purposes, rationales his approach with the following need-based questions:
“You’re using it as a way to help students move from A to B, right? – helping them reach their learning goals,” she says. “And I think the big picture loses focus in the fuss.”
Unlike Buddy, a previous CES innovation winner You can even teach your kids to code (current price in the business world: $3,000). Some of the other education-focused items on display at the packed show simply adapt or rethink existing products with the goal of making learning easier or more achievable. increase.
Jackie Valley/Christian Science Monitor
Jin Sub Oh, founder of Seoul-based Bengdii, wants to succeed with a pastel headset that’s comfortable on students’ ears. Oh said the product was born out of a pandemic-related foray into distance learning.
“I have two sons,” he says. “They hate wearing headsets.”
They hate pressure, he says. So Bengdii Bee is newly available. about $50has an earpiece that can be covered and splashed from the ear.
Flashy tech isn’t always a prerequisite for student engagement and learning, says Jordana McCudden, an assistant principal at a Las Vegas elementary school. She has seen her students improve their reading and math skills after using digital learning programs on Chromebooks and tablets. Conversely, she recently reminded her college-aged son to take notes by hand.
After hearing about some of the gadgets showcased at CES, McCudden praises the Buddy Robot and headsets that reduce pressure on children’s ears. But she also expressed disappointment that the fight against the pandemic has not sparked greater innovation in how to digitally connect students and teachers in a way that is “fluid, easy, and not just another thing for teachers.” manifesting.
She says she seeks a balance between education and technology, while also acknowledging the role technology plays around us. She can ask her questions in her own home and have her artificial intelligence-powered device respond instantly. But technology shouldn’t replace teachers or stifle conversation and collaboration among students, she says.
“I love it…my kids have access [home technology]and I think it has improved their lives,” she says. We have to maintain the value of what we do.”
