Giving Compass' Take:

• Data scientist surveys different teachers trying to understand how they are utilizing specific, random tools to help with classroom instruction. Of the three teachers, she found they needed a Roomba, mini-fridge, and CD player for their classes. 

• How can these unexpected tools turn into unexpected teaching moments? 

• Read more about how low tech digital tools can enhance teaching. 

Andy Yung has been teaching Pre-K in New York City for the past six years, and he works thoughtfully to incorporate technology into his instruction in a developmentally appropriate way.

“When you think of tech in the classroom, everyone thinks of iPads and SMART boards,” he says. “But with younger ages, they’re often too exposed to screens, so I had to figure out how tech would look different in a Pre-K classroom.”

The verdict: a Roomba.

During a recent conversation with Yung, I asked him how he came up with the idea of bringing a Roomba to his classroom in the first place. It all started with his students’ obsession with robots. He wanted to teach them what real robots look like, how artificial intelligence is deployed to help people and how it’s all around us today and not just in some distant sci-fi future.

So one day, with all of his students sitting around in a circle on the plush green carpet in his classroom, Yung let the Roomba loose. His students acted like scientists, observing the robot in action in its natural habitat. Their hands shot up with thoughts and questions.

Teachers are also using everyday technology tools that many of us take for granted to help students change the course of their future.

My work as a data scientist is rooted in evidence, numbers, patterns and trends—but the numbers on their own paint an incomplete picture. One thing I’ve learned is that as a data scientist, the most valuable thing I can do is listen to teachers, so I carve out ample time to do that.

Talking to teachers, I’ve come to realize that Roombas, CD players and refrigerators are just three types of unexpected tech tools that teachers are using to innovate in the classroom, but there are many others. It turns out that when it comes to technology in the classroom, some of the most powerful tools are those you might least expect.

Read the full article about tech tools for teachers by Barbara Cvenić  at EdSurge