There is a lot of talk about virtual classrooms and allowing groups of students to log in to a classroom from home moderated by a teacher. The advantages go way beyond servicing students that can't make it to school for medical reasons or have complicated schedules dominated by competitive athletics or the arts. Some traditional schools are using blended learning to expand courseware beyond what is within a traditional school environment. Examples include well-known examples like Khan Academy and MIT's Open Courseware Project.
How about solutions for students that want to actually attend class but can't make it to school. Consider students that attend a middle school but want to augment their education with a class offered across town at the high school? Is there a solution that will just allow the student to attend a class that already exists?
Putting that information online can be costly and many teachers don't know the skill set to produce online courseware that will provide the collaborative environment or replicate the classroom experience. If only you could beam the student into that classroom. How much would you pay for that technology?
There is a solution that does not involve scattering a child's particles through space. Suitable Technologies has come up with a solution called beam. Beam allows a student to control a "comprehensive remote presence solution for instant travel and engagement." This device allows the student to roam the halls, speak with anyone they encounter and carry on conversations in real time. While beam was designed for traveling professionals of large corporations, it has excellent applications in education.
Schools could install a bank of these devices at a school and allow students to log in to them and use them to attend a couple of classes. Students from other schools could use these devices to "attend" classes not offered at the school they are enrolled in. Students that had to stay home because of illness could still attend classes as well.
Another application could include internships and advanced real world experiences. Consider a student wanting to fully immerse herself in the biomedical sciences. A school could develop a partnership with any company or hospital and place a beam unit at the facility and allow the student to interact with the staff at that site without ever having to travel there.
Devices like the beam allow students to attend classes and have experiences that otherwise would be time and space prohibitive. Beam is just another tool schools can use to provide a comprehensive blended solution.
For more information check out http://www.suitabletech.com.
How about solutions for students that want to actually attend class but can't make it to school. Consider students that attend a middle school but want to augment their education with a class offered across town at the high school? Is there a solution that will just allow the student to attend a class that already exists?
Putting that information online can be costly and many teachers don't know the skill set to produce online courseware that will provide the collaborative environment or replicate the classroom experience. If only you could beam the student into that classroom. How much would you pay for that technology?
There is a solution that does not involve scattering a child's particles through space. Suitable Technologies has come up with a solution called beam. Beam allows a student to control a "comprehensive remote presence solution for instant travel and engagement." This device allows the student to roam the halls, speak with anyone they encounter and carry on conversations in real time. While beam was designed for traveling professionals of large corporations, it has excellent applications in education.
Schools could install a bank of these devices at a school and allow students to log in to them and use them to attend a couple of classes. Students from other schools could use these devices to "attend" classes not offered at the school they are enrolled in. Students that had to stay home because of illness could still attend classes as well.
Another application could include internships and advanced real world experiences. Consider a student wanting to fully immerse herself in the biomedical sciences. A school could develop a partnership with any company or hospital and place a beam unit at the facility and allow the student to interact with the staff at that site without ever having to travel there.
Devices like the beam allow students to attend classes and have experiences that otherwise would be time and space prohibitive. Beam is just another tool schools can use to provide a comprehensive blended solution.
For more information check out http://www.suitabletech.com.
