Tech
I was originally a technology major at University and have an interest in hand and computer-aided drafting, wood shop/carpentry, as well as dabbling in mechanics. In school, I was also able to take some computer tech courses, and am amazed at how much has changed since my time in university. I am glad I have been able to keep up to date with current tech trends and help my students gain 21st-century skills.
For my three years at Saint Maur International School I was the head of Elementary robotics and worked with grades 2-5 on building up their robotics and coding skills.
We had been working on some basics through Scratch and learned how sequencing works and how to problem-solve if a program is not being executed in the same way we had hoped. Scratch was great as results were instant and could easily seen if they made mistakes and were able to look for ways to solve them.
Lego Mindstorms EV3 (and previously NXT) - The school tech/robotics staff were in charge of planning, promoting, and organising all Kanto area Robo Sumo events each spring where up to 40+ teams come for the day to compete. For two years we also took part in a winter event at another school in Tokyo for a Lego Jousting event. These events were a highlight of the year and gave a chance for students to show off their skills as well as learn from the competition. The elementary events always ended in new friendships and opportunities for students from all schools to learn from each other.
Tech in the classroom
I have had the chance to work with Chromebooks and iPads in my classrooms. Here is a rough list of tools I have had the opportunity to use.
Coding & other robotics
Makey Makey, Little Bits, Sphero mini, Lego WeDo, Lego Mindstorms, Code.org, Scratch, Scratch Jr.
iPad, Chromebook, Mac & PC (in no particular order)
Seesaw, Epic! Books, Razkids, Mathletics, Xtra Math, Google Classroom and G Suite, Teach Your Monster To Read, Stop motion apps, Book Creator, Prodigy, Google Search Engine, Kahoot, a variety of drawing apps, iMovie, Starfall