The best education technology from CES 2017
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The Best Education Technology from CES 2017
What You'll Find on This Page
I started my year off by spending four days at CES 2017, exploring the newest consumer technology, Today I am showcasing my top education technology picks from this convention.
Educational Robots That Teach Kids to Code
The KUBO Robot
The KUBO robot is my favorite coding game I have found for young children. It is a completely screen-free coding game for kids. The design is logical, and I think it will lay a solid foundation for more sophisticated coding as children grow older. One of the games doubles as a great way for children to practice sight words and spelling words! The KUBO robot just launched on Indiegogo. I recommend grabbing one soon if you are interested, since I am quite certain they will easily meet their goal. They are already 41% of the way there, a few hours into launch! Check out KUBO in action here:
Ozobot
Ozobot is an incredibly versatile coding robot for kids from kindergarten through high school. The company website hosts over 780 lessons that start children off with color coding and move them through to advanced programming.
Wonder Workshop
I had heard of the Dash & Dot robots before attending CES, but this was my first time looking at them in person. These robots can showcase a wide variety of skills. I was most intrigued by the emotional intelligence component, since you can program the robots to have different moods. The robot Dash is also very precise; he can rotate a specific number of degrees and move a set number of centimeters. The company also hosts a fun robotics competition for kids.
Robo Wunderkind
Each Robo Wunderkind set comes with 25 different projects for children to build. Once they build their robot, they then code it to behave in different ways. Catch this robot in action here:
LEGO Boost
LEGO Boost is a new LEGO product launching this August. Our family loves all things LEGO, and I was excited to hear about this robotics program for younger children. LEGO Mindstorm has been bringing robotics into homes for years; LEGO Boost is a much cuter (and less powerful) toy.
The LEGO Boost set showcased at CES will include five different models for children to build. Hopefully that will give them the skill set to go on to create all sorts of models on their own.
Plezmo
Plezmo is a coding toy that is meant to interface with toys you already own – from LEGO bricks to a wooden train set to magic wands. I love the way this product allows children to use programming in creative ways that match their interests. Check out the Plezmo Kickstarter page for all the details! I’m also sharing their wand example here, since it was such a hit with my Harry Potter loving daughter.
Literacy Education Technology
Square Panda was my favorite literacy based technology product from CES! If you are looking for an interactive early literacy program that your children will LOVE, this is a great choice. You can see examples of some of their games here:
3D Pens
I was amazed at how far 3D printing has come since I covered 3D printers at Maker Faire last spring! One big difference I saw is that 3D pens have become much more user-friendly. I tried out a Sunlu 3D pen that was easy to use. I didn’t get a chance to try out the Polaroid 3D pen, but their resident artist was creating amazing things. I’m deciding whether to write up a separate post about 3D printers. Are you interested in reading about the newest 3D printing technology?
Haptic Touch Education Technology
Did you know that that, if you touch this image, you can “feel” the fish scales? I had not heard of haptic technology until I visited the Hap2u booth at CES Unveiled. I am curious to see how this technology evolves. So far it feels more like a memory of fish scales than real fish scales, but I know there is still plenty of room for improvement and evolution.
Transform Any Surface Into a Touchscreen Display
My children use smart board education technology at school. They are pretty cool, but also incredibly bulky. Typlet plans to launch a projector later this year that will turn any surface into a smart board!
Master Puzzle Cubes
My nephews learned how to solve puzzle cubes by watching Youtube videos. The Cube-tastic puzzle cube comes with an app. Photograph your puzzle cube, and the app will walk you through the steps to solve your puzzle.
Which educational technology from CES 2017 showcased in this post caught your eye?
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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Some cool tech toys! Sounds like CES was a blast! Thanks for sharing your finds!
I wonder what the pricing will be on the Lego Boost. I’ve been so tempted by the Mindstorms and the robotics stuff they already have, but the price point is pretty high.
My impression was that these will be much more affordable than Mindstorms.
More about 3D printing, please! :) I find it a bit strange, but I’m not that excited about robots. Maybe when they start preparing gourmet meals from scratch…
Okay! I will write something up for you.