ROBOTS?!

In class on tuesday, Valerie brought in a robot. Yep, that's right - a robot! The growing popularity of robots is so crazy to me, and an idea that will take a while to get used to, but they are so interesting. I Immediately went home and began looking up robots in classrooms. I found this article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2992095/Is-future-school-ROBOT-lets-teachers-lessons-check-work-talk-students-thousands-miles-away.html

This talks about a robot in a real classroom in Ohio, and includes both student and teacher opinions on the topic. In this case, the robot is the same as the one Valerie brought in, and is used for a class that would otherwise be online by correspondance. Students can be in a real classroom at real desks - an environment that often encourages learning more than being at home. They can do this all while having the virtual presence of a teacher! So cool!

For instances where a robot could be used in other ways besides distance ed, this article explains robots being used for special education (rather than computer programs to keep the child occupied) and for autistic children as a theraputic device. It also emphasized how robots can make teaching science and math much more efficient and interesting:

http://www.academia.edu/2811939/Robots_in_the_classroom-tools_for_accessible_education

this video supports the idea about robots improving the learning experience in regards to science and math:

I am excited to get into researching robots, and many other new pieces of technology that I have yet to hear of!