Jan 30, 2024
In a world powered by technology and filled with distractions, capturing learners’ attention is easy, yet, keeping them engaged throughout the session remains the biggest challenge. Learners, more than ever, need a dynamic and engaging form of learning that goes beyond the traditional lecture-based approach and that would make the learning experience more productive and worthy.
Immersive learning is a new and innovative learning technique that has been gaining popularity in the recent years. It refers to a type of learning that is designed to be interactive and engaging, allowing learners to immerse themselves in real-world scenarios and learn specific techniques and skills in a safe artificial environment. It does not only eradicate distractions but also eliminates monotony in the process of learning by providing stimulating visualizations and bringing abstract learning to life. For example, learners might be able to experience a simulated historical event or explore a virtual environment by actively participating in the learning process and gaining a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
At Saint Mary’s Orthodox College, we believe that a classroom goes far beyond its structured walls. Accordingly, we have been using the Virtual Reality (VR) technology, as one of the solutions to integrate immersive learning in the classrooms and to bring sceneries and objects to life making the users feel as if they are immersed in their surroundings.
Consequently, Intermediate and Secondary learners had the chance to virtually explore various places around the world without having to leave their classrooms. Equipped with VR headsets, Grade 10 learners visited the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt in the Social Studies sessions and enjoyed a wonderful trip while discovering the Great Sphinx of Giza. Another VR project was implemented with Grade 7 and Grade 8 learners as they visited NASA and became astronauts on a mission to explore space. Throughout this virtual tour, they discovered how NASA’s program facilitates the capability to transport humans to and from deep space and explored the planets and asteroids within our solar system. The astonishment they expressed when they returned to earth is inexplicable!
Additionally, Intermediate and Secondary learners are constantly using the VR Science Lab to learn chemical and physical concepts through engaging visualizations; one of the lessons was about atoms structure where they dived inside a pencil and a balloon and flew between their molecules and atoms to discover the difference between solids and gaseous substances at a molecular level.
Another solution for integrating the immersive learning technique in our school is using the Augmented Reality (AR) technology that adds digital elements to reality to enhance it. With the help of AR tools, preschoolers’ beautiful colorings, drawings, and handwritings are scanned and animated in 3D, spreading a spirit of excitement and happiness in the classroom. This technique is used to develop young learners’ fine motor skills in a captivating and enjoyable learning experience. Grade 4 learners have also used this technology in Geography where they scanned the AR World Map and traveled across continents in 3D to explore their various landscapes and monuments as well as discover their seasons, plants, and animals. Moreover, Elementary learners have used AR in Math to discover the 3D models of the main 2D geometrical shapes where they got a clearer visualization of their edges, faces, vertexes, etc. Several AR-based tools are also being used in different subjects at school, allowing learners to discover critical and abstract concepts in 3D.
Immersive learning has proved to have a positive impact on our learners’ motivation and engagement, which is critical to their long-term success in school and beyond. Therefore, Saint Mary’s Orthodox College constantly seeks to integrate new approaches to foster an active learning environment and inculcate in our learners the love of learning and the desire to continue exploring new subjects and topics.
Christelle Yaacoub
Head of EdTech Department
Watch here how learners are using the immersive learning at Saint Mary’s Orthodox College.
May 21, 2023
Great news for teachers interested in learning how to set up and use ChatGPT!
We are delighted to share with you this ChatGPT tutorial for teachers that explains what ChatGPT is and provides step-by-step instructions on how to use it. This tutorial is available in both English and French versions.
- English Version:
- French Version:
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Majida Francis for preparing and sharing these materials. Her efforts are greatly appreciated.
REFERENCES
Have a look at our EdTech solutions
Apr 28, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Word Games
Kids love word games that are fun. Roomrecess.com take word games to a whole new level, encouraging children to go on adventures and solve puzzles. Some of the learning skills they cover in their online games are parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes, word forming, ordering, ELA skills, grammar, and spelling.
Horseback Riding Reading Game
Some of the first words that children begin reading are short vowel words. And once you become familiar with a particular word ending, it becomes a lot easier to read rhyming words. Try to find the correct horses, round them up, and begin to build your farm in one of our fun rhyming games!
Skills
Rhyming Words, Listening, Short Vowels
Instruction
Match the rhyming words by choosing the correct horse.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Apr 20, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Mouse Skills and Typing Games
Students of all ages need computer skills. These educational games for kids provide a variety of ways for children to become more comfortable with the value of computers. Many of these online games encourage accuracy and speed, while other learning games help younger students learn mouse skills. Battle a friend or see where you rank against students from all over the world with these games that are fun.
Typing Boxing Game
Up for a challenge? Get your boxing gloves on and match up with an opponent online or take time to train against the computer. Tping boxing game is a fast and fun way to have a type fight, showing off your typing words skills. How long of a winning streak can you maintain?
Skills
Typing Accuracy & Speed
Instruction
Type letters to throw punches before your opponent knocks you out in this type fight.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Apr 11, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Math Learning Games
Math learning games provide kids with a fun way to practice essential math skills. The free learning games will help reinforce important educational skills such as computation, geometry, fractions, decimals, place value, rounding, integers, problem-solving and much more. Elementary students enjoy learning through playing games that are fun.
Math Super Mario Game
Online coin games are a great way for children to learn how to count money. Coin Collector allows kids to count money in a way that is both fun and meaningful. Play through 10 fun and crazy levels, with all kinds of obstacles. In one of our most popular counting coin games, children have to plan out the correct amount of coins to collect.
Skills
Counting Money
Instruction
Collect coins that total the target amount of money in one of our craziest coin games.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Apr 1, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Math Learning Games
Math learning games provide kids with a fun way to practice essential math skills. The free learning games will help reinforce important educational skills such as computation, geometry, fractions, decimals, place value, rounding, integers, problem-solving and much more. Elementary students enjoy learning through playing games that are fun.
Math Motocross Game
It’s always important for children to practice their math facts. Motocross Math lets them practice in an enjoyable way. Students can pick a vehicle and speed down the track while making sure to steer their vehicle to the ramp with the correct answer or they’ll end up eating dirt.
Skills
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division
Instruction
Drive over the ramp that shows the correct answer.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Mar 6, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Math Learning Games
Math learning games provide kids with a fun way to practice essential math skills. The free learning games will help reinforce important educational skills such as computation, geometry, fractions, decimals, place value, rounding, integers, problem-solving and much more. Elementary students enjoy learning through playing games that are fun.
Math Tic-Tac-Toe Game
Who doesn’t like a good game of tic tac toe? In this version, learners have to use math in order to take their turn on the tic-tac-toe board. They can play against a friend or the computer. They can pick from 7 different grade levels. Each grade level provides a different level of math. Playing online allows them to take as many turns as they want without needing the extra paper. How high is your learners’ Math skill?
Skills
Math Facts, Order of Operations, Integers, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
Instruction
Pick a spot on the tic tac toe grid, answer a math problem correctly and place your X or O on the grid.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Mar 4, 2023
Don’t Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.
From The New York Times. By Kevin Roose.
Recently, I gave a talk to a group of K-12 teachers and public school administrators in New York. The topic was artificial intelligence, and how schools would need to adapt to prepare students for a future filled with all kinds of capable A.I. tools.
But it turned out that my audience cared about only one A.I. tool: ChatGPT, the buzzy chatbot developed by OpenAI that is capable of writing cogent essays, solving science and math problems and producing working computer code.
ChatGPT is new — it was released in late November — but it has already sent many educators into a panic. Students are using it to write their assignments, passing off A.I.-generated essays and problem sets as their own. Teachers and school administrators have been scrambling to catch students using the tool to cheat, and they are fretting about the havoc ChatGPT could wreak on their lesson plans. (Some publications have declared, perhaps a bit prematurely, that ChatGPT has killed homework altogether.)
Cheating is the immediate, practical fear, along with the bot’s propensity to spit out wrong or misleading answers. But there are existential worries, too. One high school teacher told me that he used ChatGPT to evaluate a few of his students’ papers, and that the app had provided more detailed and useful feedback on them than he would have, in a tiny fraction of the time. Read More
References
The New York Times
Don’t Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html
Visit our shop
Feb 12, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Word Games
Kids love word games that are fun. Roomrecess.com take word games to a whole new level, encouraging children to go on adventures and solve puzzles. Some of the learning skills they cover in their online games are parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes, word forming, ordering, ELA skills, grammar, and spelling.
Grammar Police Game
Grammar Police is one of the most beloved compound word and prefix games. Pick from three different vehicles and use your driving skills to uphold the law like any good cop! Stay alert and you’ll find several bonuses while on your patrol. Use caution to avoid hazards on the road.
Skills
Prefixes, suffixes, compound words, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions.
Instruction
Arrest the driver that shows the type of word chosen as the law.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Feb 6, 2023
What is RoomRecess.com?
RoomRecess.com is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun. These online games reinforce important skills that are vital to elementary students and their educational process. RoomRecess.com was developed entirely by an elementary school teacher with the goal of reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. Because these learning games are free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account. Children can simply load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!
Math Learning Games
Math learning games provide kids with a fun way to practice essential math skills. The free learning games will help reinforce important educational skills such as computation, geometry, fractions, decimals, place value, rounding, integers, problem-solving and much more. Elementary students enjoy learning through playing games that are fun.
Math Race Game
All kids love to race using math problems. In this cool math game, students can choose to race the computer or find someone online within seconds. They can pick from addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division (or combine any of the 4). On your mark. Get set. Go!!!
Skills
Math Facts: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
Instruction
Solve math problems to make your runner run faster.
Play the Game
Play the math game here.
References
Visit our shop
Aug 17, 2021
What is ClipDrop?
Exactly 6 months after sharing their viral prototype AR Copy Paste prototype, French developers Cyril Diagne and Jonathan Blanchet have just released a public beta of ClipDrop.
Clipdrop uses Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence to copy and paste physical objects into digital documents. It automatically removes the background from copied visuals allowing users to paste the object as it is into programs such as Photoshop, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Canva, Figma, and Pitch.
It’s a wonderful tool that teachers can use for teaching and creating digital content. Also, students can use it to incorporate visuals taken from the real world into their assignments.
The beta version has already gathered 100k active users in less than one week after its release. People across industries have expressed, through thousands of messages and reviews on social media, how this tool was going to help them save hours of work.
How Does ClipDrop Work?
On the desktop, ClipDrop works as a screen capture tool, allowing users to capture whatever that is displayed on their screens.
With the mobile app, users can instantly paste visuals taken with their phone’s camera into their computers. The procedure is easy: They point the camera at an object, press the shutter, and ClipDrop will automatically clip it for them. When the desktop is connected to the mobile app, they can simply bring their phone close to the computer and wait for the wireless transfer to complete.
Features
1. Capture directly from your desktop and just drag & drop to any other app.
2. Incredibly accurate background removal: It uses state of the art vision AI to provide the best analysis & cut-out technology, no matter what you’re capturing.
3. Integrates with your workflow: Drag & drop images directly to any other app or website.
Download
ClipDrop is available on Google Store, App Store, macOS, and Windows.
Fees
The public beta lets you try 10 clips for free (text & photos are unlimited). Unlimited clips and full access to all features on all platforms cost $39.99 for a year.
References
Visit our shop
Aug 9, 2021
Images are considered a crucial component for delivering information, therefore teachers use them in several educational lessons and activities for different educational objectives.
As known, there are lots of websites that teachers use to find copyright-free images for their lessons, however, sometimes the images’ backgrounds aren’t appropriate for their intended projects. Hence, we listed below various user-friendly tools that help them remove background from images.
5 Best Tools to Remove Background from Images
1- Removebg
Removebg is a free website that allows users to remove the background of any photo automatically. They don’t have to manually select the background/foreground layers to separate them, they just upload the photo and instantly download it with the background removed.
2- Lunapic
Lunapic is a free online photo editor tool that provides users with a bunch of editing features such as adding texts, borders, filters, and effects, drawing tools, cropping, changing colors, and many more. Users can also use it to remove background from pictures by simply uploading the picture or pasting its URL then clicking on “Edit”, and choosing “Transparent Background”.
3- Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform used to design various forms of visuals including infographics, posters, presentations, documents, and other visual content. This tool has a powerful feature that allows users to remove background from images by simply uploading an image, clicking on “Effects”, and choosing “Background remover”.
4- Clipdrop
ClipDrop allows users to easily capture any visual from their physical surroundings and paste it right into their digital documents. It will automatically remove the background from copied visuals allowing them to paste the object as it is. Moreover, ClipBoard allows users to upload images and remove their backgrounds.
5- PowerPoint
PowerPoint also has an internal feature to remove background from pictures. Users can upload the picture, click on it and the “Format Pictures” appears on the menu bar. When they click on the “Remove Background” button, the background will disappear.
References
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