National Science Foundation-funded Projects Featured at Education Event

Federal officials brought some much-needed attention to the education technology sector this month after attending a recent event that highlighted some of the latest technologies and devices

 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as well as Senators Patty Murray, Jeff Bingaman, Kay Hagan and Ted Kaufman were among the list of government officials that appeared at the Education Technology Showcase on Capitol Hill.

 

The Education Technology Directors Association-sponsored event, which took place on Nov. 4, featured 17 different educational technologies developed with funding from the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.

 

The event featured the use of technology in education at all levels, including grades K-12. It also included technologies for teacher development. Researchers and students presented demonstrations and exhibits that highlighted the latest research and education technologies.

 

For example, as shown below, representatives from the University of Nevada-Reno demonstrated its Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. University officials displayed their version of a shake table to illustrate different magnitudes of earthquakes and how different building materials are impacted by the earthquake levels. 

 

Attendees also had the chance to fire a T-shirt into the air through a launcher in an exhibit by the public television program "Design Squad."Using the PBS TV series as a background, officials showed how engineering could be used to solve real-world problems. Visitors could also interact with soccer robot dogs from Spelman College – part of the school’s goal to expose students to robotics.

 

In addition, visitors could test computer assistive technologies for people with disabilities through a University of Washington project. The project included tactile graphics, MobileASL and Cyber-STEM communities for hearing impaired individuals.

 

The exhibits also featured a number of games that promoted learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, officials said.