June 24, 2013

North Carolina Rocks 3D


Another Success Story in 3D Education
I don't know what it is about the Tar Heel state, but ya’ll certainly gotchee a mess of educational 3D talent there.  Maybe it comes from the drinking water. Or the fresh country air. Or the amazing waffles. Maybe it’s due to the Old North State’s beautiful, plentiful, and restful foliage.  Perhaps it emanates from the high-tech bowels of the Research Triangle. But they sure do educational 3D well in North Carolina. It's a 3-D success story all around.

Rural Richmond County, NC
For the last few years I have described the work of the so-called 3D Jedi, Director of Technology—Jeff Epps.  His past efforts can be reviewed in these previous blog posts: 3D Jedi * 3D Jedi Conclusion * Return of the 3D Jedi * Return of the 3D Jedi (2) But let's move on...

Holly Ridge, NC

Now move eastward with me, as we take a look at some of the 3D learning taking place at coastal Dixon high school.  For the last two years, Jason Chambers, a respected biology teacher, has used XPAND glasses, DLP technology, and DesignMate software with positive results:  It’s been a dream using the software. It not only helps the kids but the teachers are also enjoying it, especially when they see the test results. In General Biology alone there has been a more than 50 percent improvement in test scores. Our principal is ecstatic,” Mr. Chambers said. In North Carolina, a student has to score a level 3 (mastery of concepts) or 4 (superior understanding and clearly proficient in concept) on a statewide testing exam to be considered proficient. All classes taught by Mr. Chambers [including those with special needs students] earned a remarkable 100% proficiency using the 3D material. In an Honors class taught by Mr. Chambers, he had 12 students score 4 in a class of 21 students. “Those types of scores are unheard of!” Mr. Chambers added. “Normally I’m lucky to get four or five 4’s in a class of 30 students, so the numbers speak for themselves.”
Where students often get restless when a video is being played, Mr. Chambers noticed the opposite effect with the presentation of 3D content. “I can hear a pin drop in the room when we’re watching a 3D video. Kids are attentive and focused and actually entertained by what they are watching. I had never seen that before,” he said.

Students are grasping the material much quicker than with traditional methods,” Mr. Chambers said. Mr. Chambers concluded: “I don’t have to change the way I teach; I’ve had outstanding results with the content.”

Listen to this short overview video of Dixon High School’s 3D project:

Also, listen to this short video with interviews of students and Mr. Chambers. 


Kinston, NC
And, surprisingly we’re still not done. North Carolina is still that good!  Meet Joe Romig, IB biology teacher at Kinston High. His students, too are seeing positive results using 3D in biology lessons. "In the past, before the 3D biology classes, 8 of 26 students showed academic growth. Now that number has increased to 24 of 29 students," he explains. "I've had kids that would probably have been at level two score at level three. Even had a kid score a perfect EOC [end of course] score." 
See this video of Kinston.

Based on some of these success stories coming out of North Carolina, I am certain that other states “might can” (might be able to) see similar results.  North Carolina rocks. Don't  you agree?

June 17, 2013

SIG 3D All Call

Attention all providers and integrators 
of 3D hardware, software, design, peripherals, or training! 

Two special opportunities are available at the upcoming ISTE SIG3D Gathering in San Antonio Tuesday, 6/25, 5-6:15 p.m. (This is the official SIG 3D meeting, which will incorporate a variety of activities: getting acquainted, overview, teacher poster sessions*, and breakout sessions by interests.) Here are the opportunities:
  1. We will have a table that can display any literature you want put in the hands of SIG3D members.  (All literature must be hand delivered to the table before the meeting begins.)
  2. If you are interested in providing any type of door prize to attendees, we will provide you with a very public thank you and great visibility at this event. Just let Len know of your intent asap via email.



June 10, 2013

SIG3D Goes Supernova

In my recent post, Whither eS3D, I made the following prediction:

The new SIG 3D formed by ISTE will double its membership and establish a growing foothold in educational technology.”


At last year’s interest meeting we saw approximately 47+ folks in attendance, mostly educators and a few manufacturers. My prediction was that SIG3D membership would grow to nearly 100 members this year. Then I reported in a very recent post that SIG3D membership has clearly exceeded expectations by exploding to more than 571 members as of April 1st.

Yet the good news is not over. Are you sitting down? As of June 1st, SIG3D membership has gone supernova, and is now boasting more than 1,064 members! 

Deadline Extended
On a second note, the deadline for submitting a presentation for the ISTE Inaugural SIG3D Gathering has been extended to this Wednesday, June 12. The details, provided by SIG3D Chair Nancye Blair, have been reproduced below for your convenience. Please consider throwing your hat in the ring.

Are you an innovator, successfully using stereoscopic 3D technologies in education?  If so, we would love to showcase you in a 3D Learning Station at our SIG3D Gathering! The Inaugural SIG3D Gathering will take place at the ISTE 2013 Conference on Tuesday, June 25 from 5:00 - 6:15 PM at the SACC Social Butterfly & Newbie Lounge, West Reg.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the 3D Learning Stations for a portion of the time during that event.  Learning Station Presenters will need to arrive by 4:30 PM to set up their station.  Possible topics include: 3D learning projects and activities, student-created 3D media, teaching with stereoscopic 3D content, technical suggestions for IT management, lessons enhanced with 3D technologies, or other creative ideas! The Submissions deadline has been extended through midnight, June 12th. You may submit to present with THIS FORM. 

Thank you for your support of SIG3D and your commitment to innovation in education.  We can't wait to see you in San Antonio!

**Attention SIG3D Corporate Members: We would like to feature as many stereoscopic 3D technologies as possible.  If you would like to support this event, please consider encouraging an educator who uses your product to submit as a Learning Station Presenter for our SIG3D Gathering.

June 3, 2013

The 3D Classroom


What happens when a 3D powerhouse takes its first confident step into the world of K-12 and university education? Good things happen. At the SETT conference in Stockholm, Sensavis recently launched “The 3D Classroom”, an interactive teaching program presented in life-like 3D. (See their website.)

This Swedish company created The 3D Classroom in close collaboration with teachers and professors. The first teaching modules publicly launched today include the “Human Body” series covering the heart, lungs, kidney and fertility. These modules have been trialed for two months by schools in Stockholm with extremely positive results. Over the coming months, Sensavis plans to roll out teaching modules for the remainder of the human body, and other school subjects such as mathematics and geography

There are three key reasons why this new product release is quite significant in the broader world of eS3D (educational stereo 3D):

First, this new content delivers what we have always expected and always wanted from 3D: the ability to go beyond superficial visualization. This new tool brings us remarkable capacity to drill down, then go further down; to go inside, and then travel further inside. In short, to truly experience the long-desired “fantastic voyage” that 3D has always promised us.

Second, it is interactive, allowing students to operate the experience, not just teachers. (See the mouse in the above photo.)  Sensavis CEO Magnus Arfors explains“that [learners] can determine the “journey” by steering with their fingertips, [selecting the view] from macro to micro detail.”

Last, the 3D Classroom comes ready to plug and play. Long the holy grail of a difficult-to-implement emerging technology, their entire 3D solution has been designed to be fiercely plug and play: low maintenance, low care and feeding, just go and do it.

The hardware partners for the Sensavis solution are also noteworthy. Sensavis has partnered with LG to provide TV screens, and HP for workstations in this passive 3D implementation. 

For more information, see the 3D Classroom website or contact Maggie Warbrick.