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LearnOutLoud.com Kids Mathematics Audio & Video Directory Featuring Audio Books, Podcasts, and Videos for Kids to Learn From.

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Technology Helps Schools Answer the "Why" of STEM Learning

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Technology Helps Schools Answer the "Why" of STEM Learning

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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Supporting Students' Paths to 'New Collar' Careers

IBM President, Chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty coined the term "new collar" to describe emerging career paths in IT that require substantial skill but aren't defined by traditional white- or blue-collar expectations. This speaks to a broader shift in skill sets. Employers say they struggle to find workers with soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and communication.

Makerspaces in K-12 schools can help bridge this gap by equipping students with the tools and technology they need to hone those skills, such as independent problem-solving, while also seeing the real-world impact of their work.

There's not one right way to leverage the benefit of makerspaces. Administrators need to find the combination of teaching and technology that works best for students and staff.
MORE FROM EDTECH: Learn how modern learning environments remove barriers to learning.
Some examples of innovative makerspace implementations include:

Robot Revolutions: Kid-sized robots and coding tools such as Sphero and littleBits are popular options for STEAM classrooms. How popular? Sphero's education division has "grown significantly over the past four years, now serving more than 20,000 teachers and 1.5 million kids worldwide," says Michelle Acaley, senior director of Edu Program Management at Sphero.

The company's line of littleBits electronic building blocks let students create prototypes without the need for screens. Teachers can leverage Sphero Edu software for lesson plans and access to both self-service professional development and Xoom meetings.

The popular Sphero Bolt and SPRK+ robots offer K-12 classroom integration. Younger students can use draw programming to direct their bots, while older kids can design mazes and other challenges. And with built-in Bluetooth connections, all created programs are streamed rather than downloaded, meaning no internet connection is required.

"The goal is computational thinking, solving problems. Developing this 21st-century skill is the best way to prepare students," Acaley says.

Minecraft Mandate: In Pennsylvania, Montour School District is seeing success with their Minecraft Education Lab, one of the district's makerspaces. Justin Aglio, Montour's director of academic achievement and district innovation, says the space began with a simple question: What gets kids excited, and how can we capture that in the school building?

The world-building game Minecraft was a popular answer, so Montour equipped a classroom with desktop computers that had Minecraft installed to " let students create with something familiar." For example, after reading a story, students recreate the setting and characters in Minecraft, enabling them to make hands-on, real-world connections to what they read.

Low-Tech Learning: Montour also has a certified Brick Makerspace in partnership with Lego Education. Legos help students visualize concepts, such as area and perimeter, using only a few plastic blocks, Aglio says, offering a simple transition from theoretical concepts to practical instruction.

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Technology Helps Schools Answer the 'Why' of STEAM Learning

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IBM President, Chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty coined the term "new collar" to describe emerging career paths in IT that require substantial skill but aren't defined by traditional white- or blue-collar expectations. This speaks to a broader shift in skill sets. Employers say they struggle to find workers with soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and communication.

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Educators Use Tech to Create Virtual Escape Rooms for K-12 Students

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Educators Use Tech to Create Virtual Escape Rooms for K-12 Students

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Educators Use Ed Tech to Create Virtual Escape Rooms for K–12 Students

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These online puzzles teach students to persist with critical thinking, careful reading, teamwork and subject matter challenges, all while increasing engagement with class material.

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Bringing STEM to Students with Mobile Technology

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Bringing STEM to Students with Mobile Technology

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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K-12 classrooms are supplemented with lessons on science, technology, engineering and math thanks to mobile STEM labs.

Despite being one of the most in-demand sectors of the job market, STEM education is frequently subpar in districts serving minority students. As of 2018, students did not have access to Algebra II lessons in a quarter of high schools that primarily serve Black and Hispanic students, according to an article in Forbes. The lack of access to higher-level science, technology, engineering and math classes in K-12 education shows. Minority populations are consistently underrepresented in STEM fields, with Hispanic and Black employees making up only 8 and 9 percent of the STEM workforce, respectively. Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are even more scarcely involved in the STEM workforce, making up only 3 percent.

According to a White House fact sheet, access to opportunities outside of the classroom is one of the best ways to get minority students into STEM, yet studies find that more than 327,000 students in the U.S. don't have this type of access.

"We also know that students from low-income households begin their education at a disadvantage and are more likely to struggle with engagement, so while schools and teachers are working really hard to meet those most vulnerable learners where they're at and their needs, we're dedicated to helping them with that by bringing these really cool resources and experiences to their schools as well," says Jennifer Colvin, vice president of education for Learning Undefeated, a nonprofit bringing STEM to students through mobile labs, among other means.

Such mobile STEM labs have cropped up around the country. These portable classrooms bring science, technology, engineering and math activities to students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to meaningfully engage in STEM lessons.

Mobile Labs Boost Curiosity and STEM Literacy

Mobile STEM labs are some students' first exposure to advanced technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, flight simulators, augmented reality and more. By getting students excited about these technologies, mobile labs open the door to possible career paths in STEM and continued STEM education.

"We allow them to have 20 minutes' time in the lab, so students are in and out," says Kuldeep Rawat, dean of the School of Science, Aviation, Health and Technology at Elizabeth City State University. "But the students don't want to leave the lab."

Rawat, who is also the site director for the university's NASA K-12 Aerospace Academy Program, says the program's mobile lab was developed after ECSU realized they could provide more access to STEM and aerospace lessons. The university has a brick-and-mortar lab, but it reaches more students with its mobile lab, which uses the National Center for Women and Information Technology's "Roadshow-In-A-Box" outreach concept. This STEM lab on wheels travels throughout the 21 counties of Northeastern North Carolina.

"The goal of the project is to improve STEM literacy and expose the entire K-12 student population to the latest and greatest technology when it comes to STEM," Rawat says.

Whether seeing this technology for the first time or understanding these lessons through a new lens, the mobile STEM labs create curiosity and revigorated interest in STEM careers.

The whole goal really is for us to create a motivating and fun experience for students, so they think about STEM in a new way."

Jennifer Colvin Vice President of Education, Learning Undefeated

"The whole goal really is for us to create a motivating and fun experience for students, so they think about STEM in a new way," Colvin says. "Then there's general career awareness: Helping them realize that there are these jobs available to them. They could work in these really cool fields or do these types of things themselves."

The Mobile Lab Technologies and How They Function

The idea of a mobile unit full of valuable technology may be daunting, especially to those who remember Newton's first law of motion: A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external force. But the tech in ECSU's and Learning Undefeated's mobile labs is secure and, according to Colvin, more cost-efficient than a brick-and-mortar lab.

"It's a shared resource, so the financial or capital investment can be shared among the school systems, and there are some good models out there for that," she says. "Maybe you want to build a computer lab, and you don't have the funds to do it in all of your schools. You could put your computer lab on a mobile platform and share it among the schools in your district."
MORE ON EDTECH: Cloud-based technology expands STEM's reach.
The Learning Undefeated labs include technology such as projection mapping, touch-screen walls, augmented reality and oversized TV screens, among other tech. Students learn about everything from cybersecurity to extraterrestrial exploration. Learning Undefeated's Explorer Lab includes tablets on which students can engineer a Mars rover. The learning process is game-based, and in addition to building a virtual rover students also learn about Morse code and the surface conditions of the Red Planet.

ECSU's mobile lab, meanwhile, brings aerospace and aviation lessons to students in North Carolina. It features flight and drone simulators in addition to 3D scanning, 3D printing, coding and more. Rawat says the university sustains and grows the program through grants. "Every time we see a new technology out there the students need to learn, we add that as well," he says.

While the mobile lab buses can't remain in a school's parking lot forever, they help give students STEM exposure when they would otherwise have none. These early introductions can set the tone for a student's future, and each mobile lab organization works with teachers to help them fan the spark of excitement in learners.

Classroom

Management

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Bringing STEM to Students with Mobile Technology

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K-12 classrooms are supplemented with lessons on science, technology, engineering and math thanks to mobile STEM labs. Despite being one of the most in-demand sectors of the job market, STEM education is frequently subpar in districts serving minority students.

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Watch this video that uses the Judith Viorst book, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, to introduce vocabulary you need to know when using a checkbook. The teacher in the video has a vocabulary list and definitions of the vocabulary words. She shows you how to match up the words with the definitions and explains very carefully what the words mean and gives examples of how the words are used. This site from Loyola University is filled with short videos that cover many math skills.

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Watch this video that uses the Judith Viorst book, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, to introduce vocabulary you need to know when using a checkbook. The teacher in the video has a vocabulary list and definitions of the vocabulary words.

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Have you ever done any geochaching where you follow clues that lead you from one place to clues in the next place? This game is just like that only your clues are the answers to pre-algebra problems. With PreAlgeCaching you don't need to leave the comfort of your own desk. Do the math problems correctly, read the instructions carefully, and you will be rewarded with finding the next hidden box.

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Have you ever done any geochaching where you follow clues that lead you from one place to clues in the next place? This game is just like that only your clues are the answers to pre-algebra problems. With PreAlgeCaching you don't need to leave the comfort of your own desk.

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Normally, playing Flappy Birds or 2048 during class might get you in trouble with the teacher. But educational versions of both games are now available for free on the math games website Hooda Math.

Hooda Math's version of Flappy Birds is called Flappy Factors. Just like in the original game, students maneuver a bird through a maze of pipes. To add a math twist, each pipe is labeled with an integer, and students must fly through the correct factors of a given multiple to avoid running into the pipes with incorrect answers.

The site's version of 2048 is essentially identical to the original. Students slide numbered tiles around the game board, adding matching tiles together in hopes of reaching the elusive 2048 tile.

Both games are optimized for mobile devices and can be accessed from any device. For more information, visit www.hoodamath.com.

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Normally, playing Flappy Birds or 2048 during class might get you in trouble with the teacher. But educational versions of both games are now available for free on the math games website Hooda Math. Hooda Math's version of Flappy Birds is called Flappy Factors.

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Title: Pet Bingo - by Duck Duck Moose
Summary: Effective and fun CCSS-aligned math for K-4

Pros: Help features go beyond hints to show useful math strategies.

Cons: A timed option would be a nice feature to build speed along with fluency.

Bottom Line: Teachers will appreciate the strategies and reports; kids will learn math and have fun with virtual pets.

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Title: Pet Bingo - by Duck Duck Moose Summary: Effective and fun CCSS-aligned math for K-4 Pros: Help features go beyond hints to show useful math strategies. Cons: A timed option would be a nice feature to build speed along with fluency.

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Here's a list of 14 Math Edugames! Whether you use these for enrichment, intervention, in stations, or simply recommend a favorite to families, you're sure to find something to meet the needs of your students.

Have a favorite that's not on this list? Leave a comment or send a message sharing an app that you love!
Check out my earlier post 10 Must-Have Free Math Apps for more favorites! cross posted at classtechtips.com Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.

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Class Tech Tips: 14 Math Edugames for Students

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Here's a list of 14 Math Edugames! Whether you use these for enrichment, intervention, in stations, or simply recommend a favorite to families, you're sure to find something to meet the needs of your students. Have a favorite that's not on this list? Leave a comment or send a message sharing an app that you love!

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Finding the right math app to support struggling students can be a challenge. I've created this list of 15 free mobile apps for math practice to help guide teachers in the right direction as they search for tools to support their students. You might decide to bring these into stations or recommend to families for extra practice at home.

Viewed thousands of times - this presentation includes some of the apps ( and more) listed below:

Geoboard: Use this app to teach shapes, relationships, perimeter, area and more. Great for taking screenshots and annotating in an app like Explain Everything or Seesaw. (also works on a web browser)

ShowMe: Students can explain their thinking as they create mini movies about solving math problems. It's a great way to "get in their head" and listen to student thinking.

Number Pieces: These virtual base ten blocks let students move pieces across the screen. This app is great for supporting students with addition, subtraction, place value and fractions. (also works on a web browser)

cross posted at classtechtips.com Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.

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Class Tech Tips: 15 Free Mobile Apps for Math Practice

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Finding the right math app to support struggling students can be a challenge. I've created this list of 15 free mobile apps for math practice to help guide teachers in the right direction as they search for tools to support their students.

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This site is dedicated to helping students look at math concepts in a different way and, perhaps, attract interest where there might be little. Some of the games can be downloaded on an iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone. The others can be downloaded on the computer via iTunes. Each animated Snack has a learner guide, and teacher guide, and a transcript presented in comic-book form. Focusing on middle school students, the topics covered include problem solving, factors, prime numbers, number systems, ratios, and proportions, among many other concepts. These mini-games and animations are tied to the core concepts students need to know, and their availability on mobile devices makes it easy for your students to take their homework home.

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This site is dedicated to helping students look at math concepts in a different way and, perhaps, attract interest where there might be little. Some of the games can be downloaded on an iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone. The others can be downloaded on the computer via iTunes.

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Pages and pages of math games will test skills while giving hours of entertainment. Includes sections on algebra, geometry, money, measurement and more. Or try chess, checkers, "Connect Four," memory games, and hangman using math vocabulary. In some games users practice math facts;others require logic or knowledge of geometry. Includes a Teacher's page with interactive resources and puzzle menu; thousands of printable worksheets with answers provided.

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Pages and pages of math games will test skills while giving hours of entertainment. Includes sections on algebra, geometry, money, measurement and more. Or try chess, checkers, “Connect Four,” memory games, and hangman using math vocabulary. In some games users practice math facts;others require log…

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Fun App Builds Math Comprehension and Fluency

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Fun App Builds Math Comprehension and Fluency

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Title:3rd Grade Math Planet - Fun Math Game Curriculum
Summary: Fun practice tool features games, drills, and progress tracking. Fun slingshot game brings some action to learning U.S. states.

Pros: Fun mini-activities and drills build comprehension and fluency; kids can track their progress with an easy-to-use, comprehensive tracking tool.
Cons: Lacks audio instructions, and the word jumble puzzle gives kids the answers before they've even tried to solve the words.
Bottom Line: Enjoyable game is best suited for kids who know a little bit about U.S. geography already.

Read more here.

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Fun App Builds Math Comprehension and Fluency

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Title:3rd Grade Math Planet - Fun Math Game Curriculum Summary: Fun practice tool features games, drills, and progress tracking. Fun slingshot game brings some action to learning U.S. states. Pros: Fun mini-activities and drills build comprehension and fluency; kids can track their progress with an easy-to-use, comprehensive tracking tool.

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Mobile learning and BYOD (bring your own device) is making it easier for students to learn math.

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Top Sites and Apps for Math During Remote Learning

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Top Sites and Apps for Math During Remote Learning

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(Image credit: GETTY IMAGES/ANKUDI)

One of the biggest challenges facing teachers as they head back to school in the 'new normal' of remote learning environments is trying to make sure that students are getting a complete, well-rounded education.

These websites, apps, and online resources (in alphabetical order) offer various curricula, lessons, games, and fun activities for building math skills.

- A wonderful resource for educational games in a wide range of subjects including math.

- Offers math games, worksheets, and flashcards in addition to a homework helper.

- A new free online math tool that creates a digital scratch pad to solve any math problem, including graphing, statistics, and geometry.

- Lots of educational games for elementary students, with many designed for specific grades and skill levels.

DimensionU - One of my favorite sites/platforms for developing K-12 math skills in all areas, DimensionU uses cutting-edge technology in 3D games and esports in a safe, competitive environment.

Education Galaxy - An innovative online platform for grades K-6 that helps students achieve success in any number of core subjects including math.

- One of the most popular educational gaming sites on the web, with activities divided by grade level.

- An innovative equation editing tool that acts as a "spell check" for math and helps students solve problems.

- Offers math practice for K-5 students, plus teachers can create class rosters, assign lessons, and track student progress.

- One of the most popular sites for math for grades K-8, including algebra and geometry. In addition to tons of lessons, it features an educational portal for student tracking and reporting.

King of Math - An interesting, fast-paced iOS game for middle school math in which students answer questions and puzzles to level up characters.

Learn Math Facts - A free, flashcard-like iOS app for students looking to improve their math skills.

Lure of the Labyrinth - Pre-algebra students can go on an amazing adventure to rescue their lost pet and avoid monsters, solving math puzzles along the way. Aligned to state standards, this app offers a variety of lessons as well.

- Videos, worksheets, and explanations for all sorts of math skills and concepts (geometry, decimals, fractions, etc.).

Math and Sorcery - One of my favorite iOS games for learning basic Math skills by playing an old school 8bit style RPG.

- An excellent two-player mobile (iOS/Google Play) game in which players try to shoot the correct answer before the other.

Math Castle - A super-fun iOS game for basic math skills that has players defend a castle from a dragon by solving equations.

- Just as it sounds: Math games for all ages, divided by age or subject.

Math Game Time - A terrific site for grades K-7 with plenty of free educational games, worksheets, and videos.

- All things math grades K-12, with more than just equations to solve.

Math Playground - Features math resources and activities such as word problems, games, worksheets, flashcards, and more.

Milestone Math - An interesting iOS app that uses self-paced learning to help students build their math skills.

Monsters vs. Fractions - A super fun game to learn fractions through game-based learning, plus an educational portal to track and monitor students.

Mystery Math Town - This is one of my favorite unique iOS apps for building math skills. Ideally this highly addictive adventure is for kids 6-12 and focuses on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students enter a town and try to unlock levels and characters by solving equations and finding variables.

Operation Math - A fun iPad app in which students K-8 focus on basic math skills (and some geography!) while trying to stop an evil villain from stealing numbers by solving equations and locking his escape route.

- A free site that uses game-based learning to help students grades 3-12 with math and computational skills.

- An innovative math game for grades K-8 with real-time reporting.

RoomRecess - Elementary students can learn basic math concepts through a wide variety of free educational games.

- Differentiate instruction and create a specific program with digital lessons to meet individual student needs.

Zapzapmath - A quality site for math grades K-6, with an educational portal for tracking students and generating detailed reports.
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.

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Top Sites and Apps for Math During Remote Learning

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(Image credit: GETTY IMAGES/ANKUDI) One of the biggest challenges facing teachers as they head back to school in the 'new normal' of remote learning environments is trying to make sure that students are getting a complete, well-rounded education. These websites, apps, and online resources (in alphabetical order) offer various curricula, lessons, games, and fun activities for building math skills.

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Class Tech Tips: Printables and PDFs the web for Reading, Math, and more. 

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Class Tech Tips: Printables and PDFs the web for Reading, Math, and more. 

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I know how challenging it can be to find the perfect resource to support students as they build English Language Arts and math skills. You might be looking for a practice activity for your whole class, a small group, or just a select number of students who need extra help or enrichment. The folks at SuperTeacherWorksheets have over 10,000 printables on the site.

It's more than just worksheets on Super Teacher. You'll find printable board games, mini-books, spelling units, and math card games. There are also classroom scavenger hunts, chapter book resources, holiday crafts for kids, and much more. Most of the resources are designed for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. A quick search of the site will show you which printables are available in both English and Spanish. You can also quickly view which ones connect to Common Core Standards. Super Teacher Worksheets includes a classroom newsletter generator, calendar generator, flashcard generator, and more. Teachers can sign up for a one year subscription for $19.95 and school site licenses are available for $300.

Visit Super Teacher Worksheet's website to learn more!
cross posted at classtechtips.com Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.

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Class Tech Tips: Printables and PDFs on the Web for Reading, Math & More

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I know how challenging it can be to find the perfect resource to support students as they build English Language Arts and math skills. You might be looking for a practice activity for your whole class, a small group, or just a select number of students who need extra help or enrichment.

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Class Tech Tips: 8 Pinterest Pages for Math Teachers

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Class Tech Tips: 8 Pinterest Pages for Math Teachers

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Pinterest is a fantastic resource for teachers. With tons of searchable activities and lesson plans it's the perfect place to go to gather ideas for your classroom. Here's a list of Pinterest pages for math teachers:

Math Games On this collaborative math games board you'll find hundreds of pins for a variety of math games. There are holiday themed choices as well as printable activities.

Geometry Activities This board from Mr. Elementary Math has lots of activities for geometry classrooms. There are hands on activities for students that cover a wide range of learners.

Math Food The Center of Math's Math Food board is full of ideas and inspiration that show how math is present in our everyday lives. There are pictures of an edible Periodic Table and articles on how math connects to favorite foods.

Colorful Math Lessons This board from the folks at Crayola includes over one hundred pins to different math activities. Many use crayons for math lessons to teach a wide range of topics.

Addition Activities On this board from United Teaching there are plenty of activities for math centers. From using manipulatives to new ways to use pocket charts and playing cards, there are tons of ideas.

Math Outdoors This page from The Learning Lady includes lots of activities for bringing math outdoors. It's a great spot to gather inspiration for new activities for your math classroom.

Chromebooks in the Math Classroom This board includes ideas for using Chromebooks during math instruction. With links to blog posts and infographics it's a good resource for Chromebook teachers.

Math Apps and Computer Games The Math Maniac's board on math apps and computer games has resources for elementary and middle school teachers. There are free and paid apps on this board for K-8 classrooms.
cross posted at classtechtips.com Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.

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Class Tech Tips: 8 Pinterest Pages for Math Teachers

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Pinterest is a fantastic resource for teachers. With tons of searchable activities and lesson plans it's the perfect place to go to gather ideas for your classroom. Here's a list of Pinterest pages for math teachers: Math Games On this collaborative math games board you'll find hundreds of pins for a variety of math games.

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First in Math Keeps Kids Thinking and Engaged with Math Gameplay

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First in Math Keeps Kids Thinking and Engaged with Math Gameplay

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First in Math

(Image credit: Common Sense Education)

Pros: Games lack the "drill-and-kill" feeling; with so many games and levels, players can't get bored.

Cons: Some games require a bit more instruction, especially for younger kids.

Bottom Line: Nothing frilly: First in Math is 100% solid math practice through and through.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

(Image credit: Common Sense Media)

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First in Math Keeps Kids Thinking and Engaged With Math Gameplay

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Pros: Games lack the "drill-and-kill" feeling; with so many games and levels, players can't get bored. Cons: Some games require a bit more instruction, especially for younger kids. Bottom Line: Nothing frilly: First in Math is 100% solid math practice through and through.

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How to Help Students Develop Lifelong Math Skills

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How to Help Students Develop Lifelong Math Skills

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How to Help Students Develop Lifelong Math Skills

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To build lifelong math skills, providing equitable access to rigorous, grade-level math content is essential

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Helping students master essential math skills while building their confidence is critical to learning success

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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Create a Virtual World with Raspberry Pi

There's another popular "Pi" in the STEAM world: Raspberry Pi. This single-board computer opens up a world of low-cost possibilities for students to learn foundational tech skills, such as physical computing, coding and programming.

Working on a Raspberry Pi classroom project also encourages collaborative learning and inspires creativity. Plus, Raspberry Pi operates in an open-source ecosystem, meaning that many of the applications and projects for it are well-documented and can be modified to match students' grade levels and skills.

One project educators can start working on with their students is building a virtual world on Minecraft. Raspbian, Raspberry Pi's official operating system, comes with a dedicated version of Minecraft. This edition teaches students how to create a new world using blocks and use Python programming to manipulate that world. All they'll need is a computer, a working Raspberry Pi board and a fast LAN cable.

Teachers can find more Raspberry Pi projects on the official Pi Day website and Raspberry Pi's online project database.
MORE ON EDTECH: Discover how computer science playgrounds are making STEM learning more tangible and applicable for students.
Build a Circle Making Machine with LittleBits

Instead of having students draw circles and calculate Pi, try a more engaging activity: building a circle-making machine with Legos and littleBits, which are electronic building blocks. LittleBits are well-known for helping K-12 educators find creative ways to teach STEAM skills such as coding, engineering design and problem-solving. These blocks are easy to assemble and can be used in a variety of grades and spaces.

For the circle-making machine project, students can use Legos from the Crazy Action Contraptions set, which has directions for making a "Beaker Blender 3000." They can then add a power bit and a DC motor bit, which will power the machine and make the marker or drawing tip spin, using electrical tape and snap-on additional Legos for support.

Students also have the option of building a circle-making machine by just using littleBits, transforming a math lesson into a STEAM design challenge. They can first design their machines and document problems they encounter and solutions they use as they design with littleBits. Once they've built their machines, they can measure the diameter and circumference of the circles they made with their inventions and calculate the value of Pi.

Calculate Pi with a Robotic Ball

Another fun and collaborative way to calculate Pi is by using Sphero, a baseball-sized, programmable robot many K-12 schools use for classroom science and math experiments and coding activities.

In an exercise created by Brad Lowell, a Hamilton Southeastern School District teacher in Fishers, Ind., students can prove Sphero's connection to Pi by measuring the circumference of Sphero in centimeters with a measuring tape or string. Then, they can brainstorm ways to measure the diameter, such as making DIY cardboard calipers. They can also build calipers with a 3D printer; the exercise instructions come with a 3D file Lowell created.

After they've finished with the measurements, students can divide the circumference by the diameter and find that it equals Pi. They can follow the same steps with other sphere-shaped items, such as golf or foam balls, and make comparisons. The second part of the exercise is a coding challenge in which students write a code that rolls, stops, and pauses the Sphero. In this activity, students have to make sure the "duration" variable of the "roll" command is set to represent Pi, meaning that the robot must stop rolling at 3.14 seconds.

Through these exercises, educators can find creative ways for students to use tech in the classroom and build up their STEAM skills.

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Level Up Your Pi Day Lessons with These Digital Tools

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There's another popular "Pi" in the STEAM world: Raspberry Pi. This single-board computer opens up a world of low-cost possibilities for students to learn foundational tech skills, such as physical computing, coding and programming. Working on a Raspberry Pi classroom project also encourages collaborative learning and inspires creativity.