SHUTTERSTOCK

A brain that doesn’t set limits

THE LATEST ADVANCES DISMANTLE THE IDEA THAT WE ONLY USE10% OF OUR BRAIN, AND THAT THE TWO HEMISPHERES ARE ISOLATED

ENIACIDEAS AND INNOVATION IN EDUCATION

WEDNESDAY, 28_OCTOBER_2015

ADRIÁN ARCOSadrian@espacioeniac.com

The development ofneuroimaging techno-logy in recent yearshas allowed the neu-roscientists to obtain

information on how the organ res-ponsible for learning functions.The latest advances have demons-trated that the human brain is ex-traordinarily plastic, possessingthe ability to adapt its activity andchange its structure significantlyduring its entire life span, and notexclusively in the early years of de-velopment as was previously be-lieved.

Many old accepted views havebeen dismantled after the latestinvestigations into the functioningof the brain. One of the most fa-mous of these accepted notionswas the idea that we have two se-parate hemispheres in the brainthat work independently of eachother. In fact, many educationaltexts and programs urge the tea-chers to detect which of those he-mispheres are predominantlybeing used by their students witha view to improving their teachingand facilitating learning. In thissense, the more intuitive student issaid to be influenced by rightbrain, while the more analytical bythe left hemisphere.

Anna Forés, Phd in Philosophyand Science of Education at theUniversity of Barcelona (UB) –whowe interview on the next page–,explains that “the famous colour-ful images depicted the most acti-ve regions during cognitive acti-vity, showing us that the right brainwas the creator of special aware-ness and visual senses, while theleft was the analytical, which spe-cialized in language and logic”.But Forés explains that “this doesnot mean that other regions aren’tinvolved during the process, andthat in fact, all regions of the brainare active and receiving a corres-ponding blood-flow.” Therefore,the two hemispheres are not isola-ted but actually operate in paralleland are constantly active.

Jesús Guillén, professor in thePostgraduate of Neuroeducationat UB and coordinator of the blogEscuela con cerebro (brain school),has written, in collaboration withAnna Forés and other authors, abook named Neuromitos en Edu-cación (Neuro-myths in Educa-tion), in which they analyse thesefalse beliefs about the brain thatare rooted in the educational envi-ronment. He insists in the decep-tion that has brought these MRIscans where different parts of thebrain are coloured in while carr-ying out cognitive functions.“What actually happens in realityis that all regions of the brain areactivated to carry out a task, butsome more than others”, Guillénassures us, insisting that “the brainis multi-sensorial, its activity is con-tinuous for 24 hours and it works

AN INTERCONNECTED BRAIN CREATESLIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES FOR KNOWLEDGE

The latest advances in neuroscience show that we in factuse 100% of our brain, and that it possesses a high degreeof plasticity that aids us in learning during our lives.

losopher and pedagogue, “neu-rology is optimistic, as we can alre-ady see that the great plasticity ofthe brain is maintained during itsentire lifespan, and we now knowthat new neurons are being crea-ted all the time, regeneratingthemselves, and thus, its vitality ismuch greater than that which wepreviously believed”. Accordingto Marina, “this optimistic visionshould be held by the teacher, re-placing the mistaken belief that weare born with a genetically-prede-termined intelligence, and the stu-dents should be made aware thatthey are the ones in control of theirbrains, that they can learn to driveit and accordingly modifiy it”.

Jesús Guillén also highlightsthat “because neuroscience dealswith learning disorders, related toemotions and their direct effect onlearning for example, or how it isfundamental to awaken the curio-sity of the student, most of all du-ring the initial phases of the cour-se, the class, or teaching unit”.Guillén also emphasises the disco-

2_For your information_In-depth report 28_OCTOBER_2015

Chief content officer: José María de Moya | Chief editor: Diego Francesch | Editors: Adrián Arcos, Javier Romero | Design and layout: Adrián de la Natividad, Chema Mora | Photography: Shutterstock | Promotion: ElenaCasero | Translation: Kamila Lukasik, Burton Asher, Rodrigo Santodomingo | Published by: Servicios de Información Educativa y de Noticias SIENA, SA | Chief executive: José María de Moya

Staff

Use of logic Use of emotions

Attention to detail Orientated towards seeing a broad view

Characteristics of the cerebral hemispheres

Characteristics of the left hemisphere

Characteristics of the right hemisphere

using an enormous network ofneurons that are all connected”.

We use more than 10%Very much related to the two

hemispheres is also the belief thatwe only use 10% of the brain.“100% of the brain is used”, af-firms Guillén, so that “our survivalwouldn’t have been possible if weonly used 10% of our brain”. Ac-cording to professors José RamónGamo and Carme Trinidad, alsoauthors o the book, “knowing thatwe use 100% of our brains shouldopen up the doors of curiosity”. Inthe book they underline that “thebrain is not a driver in a box, inac-cessible to us”, and that this ideashould help us understand that le-arning is not confined by a partialuse of our brain, but that the pos-sibilities actually multiply becausewe put into gear all of these me-chanisms. “All that needs to hap-pen is to activate the appropriatecircuits”.

All of this diversity in the advan-ces in neuroscience is an opendoor for new understandings onthe workings of the brain, and theyshould be taken advantage of, for

the benefit of improving teachingand learning. Assuming that allstudents can improve, the tea-cher’s expectations of his/her stu-

dents should always be positive,and should steer clear of instillingnegative old behaviours or attitu-des. For José Antonio Marina, phi-

The two cerebralhemispheres are notisolated, they work inparallel and theiractivity is permanent.

Turn to the next page

Fact-based Imaginative

Using words and language Relies on symbols or images

Relate to past and present Relates to the present and future

Specialization in mathematics and science

Specialization in philosophy and religion

Can understand Can acquire

Knowing Believes

Recognizing Appreciates

Ordering/perceiving patterns Perceives space

Knowing the name of objects Understands the functioning of objects

Based on reality Based in fantasy

Strategical Presents possibilities

Practical Is spontaneous

Reliable Takes risks

SOURCE: Neuromitos en Educación. Publisher: Plataforma Actual.

“A good Education should use bothhemispheres at once through a morestimulating style of teaching”The author of ‘Neuromitos en Educación’ assures us that both hemispheres ofthe brain are not separate compartments, and urges to boost their inter-relation.

A. A. S.adrian@espacioeniac.com

Dismantling false beliefs abouthow the brain acts during the pro-cess of learning… This is the ob-ject of the book Neuromitos enEducación (Neuro-myths in Edu-cation), written by Anna Forés,amongst other authors. Doctor inPhilosophy and professor of thePostgraduate course in Neuro-education at the University of Bar-celona (UB), Fores gives us moredetails about these neuro-mythsthat have been dismantled by re-cent findings in neurology.Question. How has neuroscien-ce been having an influence ofEducation in recent years?Answer. We are trying to bringthe latest scientific studies of neu-roscience to see if they can havean impact in creating small chan-ges in the classroom. Up until qui-te recently, it was impossible for aliving brain to be examined. Thegreat advance in neurosciencecame about when technologygave us the necessary tools toknow and facilitate what is actuallygoing on in the brain.Q. Can you give us an exampleof something this technologyhas enabled us to discoverabout the brain?A.For example, a belief that is wi-dely accepted around the world isthat we only use 10% of our brain.If we do an MRI scan on an indivi-dual while they carry out a simplemental task, it´s certain that thisbrain will show a relatively smallamount of activity, but if the indi-vidual is required to perform amore complicated task, we willobserve that a greater part of thebrain will be activated in the brain.This can be proved, for example,if we are reading a Harry Potterbook, then surely a large part ofthe brain will be activated, becau-se when imagination, creativity,and fantasy come in it is shownthat a much larger percentage ofthe brain is used.Q. How far can the brain reach? A. The brain can reach the limitswe set for it. What the brain doesis conserve energy, by limitingenergy use for that which we alre-ady know. The brain economizes,but if we ask more sophisticatedtasks it will follow orders.Q. Why is it so widely acceptedthat only 10% of the brain isused?

one aspect is the channel by whicha piece of information enters thebrain, and another is the functio-ning for which this information co-mes into play. This is very pertinentinformation for the teacher, in thesense that the more stimulus werequire of the students, the morethey will be using both hemisphe-res, resulting in a more effectiveEducation. For example, we couldbe performing more logical or cre-ative activity, and in this case, thechannel from which the informa-tion enters the brian would be theleft or right respectively. But whatwe now see is that the other side isalso being activated during eachof these activities. Therefore, onehemisphere is not an isolatedcompartment, both hemispheresare very much related to another.A good Education should useboth hemispheres at the sametime through a more vigorous, sti-mulating teaching style that usesvaried resources. Q. Do men and women have dif-ferent brains? Do we have diffe-rent abilities?A.We don’t touch upon gender in

our book, but what our latest stu-dies in neurogenesis show us is thegreat plasticity of the humanbrain. This plasticity makes it sothat those people who lack a pre-disposition for certain abilities canbe worked with to improve theirrespective strengths. As witheverything, one must be carefulwith one’s beliefs and the Pygma-lion effect, as we can see that oftenwe expect something from a child,but in the end achieve the opposi-te effect. Q. I suppose that the develop-ment of this plasticity has some-thing to do with multiple intelli-gences. A. It’s good to work with the stu-dent in those areas where they feelmore confident. If a person showsexpertise in music, one should usethis potential as a launch pad fordeveloping the other areas of thebrain. Neuroscience tells us thatthese eight types of intelligencesare not separate, but very much re-lated to one another. The richerthe interaction between these sec-tors, the better the education willbe. For this reason it’s important totake into account these strengths,but at the same time to developthe different abilities through theinterdisciplinary approach.Q. What should the teacherkeep in mind in respect to neu-roscience in terms of improvingeducation for their students? A.The teacher should understandthat the students are co-responsi-ble for their learning process, andthat their unique interests shouldbe taken into account, if the stu-dents are asking questions, thiswill foster the true spirit of Educa-tion. If the teacher can awakentheir curiosity and their imagina-tion, they will use the larger part oftheir brains and this Education canbe considered far superior.

Anna Fores is theprofessor ofPostgraduatecourse inNeuroEducationat the Universityof Barcelona (UB).

Anna Forés, Phd in Philosophy and Science of Education

28_OCTOBER_2015 The interview_The professional vision_3

“The plasticityof the brainallows us toimprove theabilities thatwe haven’tmastered”

“What thebrain does isconserveenergy for allthat whichwe alreadyknow”

A. Because these were conclu-sions based on discoveries fromseveral years ago. Science hasmade many advancements, it´seven possible that tomorrow astudy will be published that nulli-fies everything we have discove-red up until now. Nowadays weknow that we use the necessarypercentage for the task required.Q. We have also dismantled theidea that each hemisphereworks independently of theother.A. What has been shown is that

veries on attention, the most im-portant of which being executiveattention, that which allows us toauto-regulate the student’s beha-viour, follow the teacher’s thread intheir explanations in the classro-om, and to stay concentrated du-ring class time”.

Executive FunctionsThis executive attention has

been used during the educationalprograms of la Universidad de Pa-dres (University of Parents), an on-line centre directed by José Anto-nio Marina, who assures us that“these executive functions directall other functions in the brain, notonly attention, but also the mana-ging of emotions, of one’s ownmemory, metacognition, the ca-pacity to set goals for ourselvesand keep our efforts up”. Accor-ding to Marina, “it’s what we arenow calling non-cognitive abili-ties”, those abilities which ensurescholastic success, the abilitiesthat serve us during our lives”.

Regarding these executivefunctions, Guillén also highlights“the importance of physical acti-vity on the brain”. Physical activitygenerates a series of very impor-tant neurotransmitters that arevery important and which have adirect effect on these executivefunctions in the brain, the func-tions which allow us to make ap-propriate decisions that are funda-mental in the classroom, like auto-regulation, self control”, he ex-plains.

Go back to the previous page

Anna Forés proposes an ac-tivity to inter-relate both he-mispheres in the student.To drive the left hemisphe-re, we should instil in oursel-ves an open and positiveattitude through which wecan continually foster selfbelief, hope, and confidencein the students. We shouldbe very careful with how weuse our language here, tur-ning over limited phraseslike “I can’t” or “it’s too diffi-cult”.

Along these lines, inte-grating the right hemisphe-re, it’s interesting to proposeactivities that inspire theimagination as a tool wecan use to improve learningand the carrying out of ob-jectives.

Imaginative exercisescan be developed in class, inwhich, for some minutes,the students can imaginethemselves reaching theirobjectives, and feeling sa-tisfaction, assimilating andmemorizing with greatease, with great self-este-em, confidence, and self-assuredness in their perso-nal capacities.

Potentiating the twohemispheres in class

Where Does Teaching Thinking Belongin a School Curriculum?

In the early 1990s a numberof corporations in the USAmade public complaintsthat while schools were sen-ding them workers who

could read and write, most oftheir workforce could not think.What they meant was that, forexample, when a problem arosein their work they had no ideawhat to do to try to solve it –theywere just jumping at the firstidea that came into their headsthat often did not work withoutthinking things through first–.Pretty soon these complaintsbrought about shifts that madeteaching thinking a school prio-rity. It didn’t take long for this tobecome a worldwide concern.

It’s been 25 years since then.Have schools responded to thisplea?

Commercial educational pu-blishers initially jumped in here.The majority produced a num-ber of new self-contained pro-grams on thinking, thinkingskills, and critical thinking, espe-cially for the Primary grades,usually carrying their own sets ofbooks and materials, and requi-ring a special and separate placein the regular school curriculum.In some of these students learnhow to identify patterns by con-necting dots in intricate puzzles,and some, following the lead ofmany universities that introdu-ced new critical thinking cour-ses, focused on logic and argu-ment, though simplified for pre-university students, and someti-mes delivered using cartoonsand games.

Many schools purchased the-se. They now sit collecting duston the back shelves of the libra-ries in these schools.

What schools foundWhat many schools found was that whilesome of these were fun and engaging theyhad no impact on the thinking that stu-dents did when learning the other thingsin the curriculum –mathematics, science,social studies, etc.–. And their lives outsideschool? Problem solving and decision ma-king seemed to get worse. As they got ol-der many students were just jumping atthe first thing that come into their headswhen they had to decide things or solveproblems. “Smoke that cigarette? Yes,give me one!” Parents were pleading:“Please, think about the consequences ofwhat you are doing before you do it”. Thisfell on deaf ears.

This has now also been borne out in sig-nificant educational research. Through the1990s and early 2000s, well, we kept onhearing the same complaints from manybusinesses, though, paradoxically, it wasobvious that one of the great powers ofcommercial advertising produced by the-

se same businesses was to stop peoplefrom thinking! At the same time teacherswere, more and more, beginning to realizethat the methods of teaching they wereemploying across the curriculum weremissing the target: what students were le-arning was divorced from anything in theirlives because they were learning just bymemorizing things, something that leftthem without much sense of the importan-ce of what they were memorizing. It wasjust a vehicle for getting a grade thatwould mean that they passed the test, get-ting them closer to getting out of schooland entering “the real world”.

Well, teaching thinking did not sink be-neath the waves altogether. Researcherslike Edward DeBono introduced us tomany short and brisk, but thought-provo-king, strategies that generated some ri-cher thinking episodes. In his CORT pro-gram he formulated strategies for stu-dents to practice in everyday situations,

and these usually prompted some richthinking in which students brought outresponses based on their past experien-ces and background knowledge, andwhen practiced in a group, led to a varietyof comments often reflecting differentpoints of view.

Where can these richer projects fit in aschool curriculum? Well, maybe from 9:00to 9:50 am on Friday morning. That’s whenstudents learn thinking. The rest of thetime they learn science, math, social stu-dies. Through the 1990s and early 2000s I

despaired as I saw thinking getsqueezed into a smaller and sma-ller compartment. And every-thing else went on as usual.

Contents and thinkingFor me, though, it is in the classro-oms of regular teachers who infu-se thinking into their content tea-chingthat we should look. My firstexperience of a teacher who infu-sed teaching skillful thinking intohis content instruction was when Iobserved a high school teachergive his students two history textbooks that had contradictory ac-counts of the same historicalevent. He asked them to standback from what they were readingand make up their own mindswhich was likely to be giving themthe most accurate account –or ifneither maybe they can do bet-ter–. They had to do this by thin-king carefully together aboutwhat they needed to find out todetermine which is the more relia-ble source. They listed things tofind out about the author, the textbook company, where the authorgot his or her information, any bia-ses, what do others say… Wow, Ithought, what a great approachto judging the reliability of a sour-ce. It could be used to think aboutany piece of writing like this innewspapers, even in encyclope-dias, and today, in Wikipedia. Thisis real critical thinking in the class-room. What I saw in these stu-dents was the stirring of liberationfrom the tyranny of having to ac-cept what someone tells you in atext book to the freedom of deci-ding for themselves what theyshould accept based on goodsound and responsible thinking.

In Spain now this model hasbeen spread to teachers from Co-legios “Lope de Vega” in Beni-dorm; “Carmelitas” and “NCLIC”

in Vitoria; “Erain” in Irún; “La Asunción” inCáceres; Salzillo in Molina; and the tea-chers of Colegio “Montserrat” in Barcelo-na, just to mention a few. And they havebroadened their emphases to include notjust critical thinking skills like in the historyexample, but skill at creative and innova-tive thinking, at analysis for deep unders-tanding, and at decision making and pro-blem solving. Their classrooms contain theseeds that can blossom into a greatcountry-wide tree of deep learning basedon good thinking.

Will this do what was requested of us 25years ago? We can only find out if we keeptrying like these schools do.

That’s why I move from school to schoolwhen a school wants to try the same thing,and I smile when I pass those libraries andsee those early commercially producedmaterials “designed to make studentsbetter thinkers” collecting dust on theshelves.

4_Educational tendencies_Analysis by the experts 28_OCTOBER_2015

RobertSwartz,director ofthe NationalCenter forTeachingThinking(NCTT) inBoston (USA)

What studentswere learning was divorced from anythingin their lives

6_Educational tendencies_Analysis by the experts 28_OCTOBER_2015

There are no recipes orformulas, Education isalways based on con-text. Undoubtedlythere are patterns in

the transformation of innovativeschools that are common to anycontext and any place. They workin Madrid, Buenos Aires, Bombay,or Nairobi. In schools of 1.300 stu-dents, or those of 40.

From Ashoka we are working torecognize some of these schoolsand shape a team of workers thatcan inspire and shed light on thischange that has already been inmovement for a long time. Thereare more than 200 Changemakerschools across the world,and for now, 4 of them arein Spain (there will be ten bythe next spring).

In the same way, we areidentifying this “DNA”common to all of them, thekeys to success, in order tofacilitate those that wish tomove in this direction andreach these goals. Becausethe change is already takingplace and we want to helpcatalyse it. In continuationwe will share some of thesekeys, perhaps the most re-levant ones at the moment.

Team and leadership su-rrounding a projectHaving a vision of work andthe effort it requires, assu-ring ourselves of goals in common,sharing a culture, an identity, a ‘wayof doing’. These are variables ofsuccess for any project or com-pany; likewise in schools. This lea-dership is shared not only by ateam aligned with teachers, but li-kewise consists of directives, ma-nagerial staff, and the majority ofprofessionals involved in educatio-nal development. A team that isconstantly changing (a great cha-llenge in any place) but capable ofensuring that this project will standthe test of time with out losingsight of the reasons for their achie-vements.

Family participationThey are schools that count oncomplicity and compromise fromthe mothers and fathers surroun-ding the central project. The class-room is not a ‘black box’ – propertyof the teacher–, if not a space whe-re an entire tribe participates. Theresponsibility to educate is so im-portant that it results much betterto share it. And the process oftea-ching and learning is conceived ina more open way, in a context inwhich everyone learns, includingthe adults.

Reaching out to the communityand social engagementThe world is the classroom, becau-se it’s there that we live. The inno-vative schools involve local agentsin their central activities, make themost of opportunities surroundingthem (natural, urban, social, or evencompany-based) in order to extendthe Education and practical expe-riences of the students. The scho-lastic year should be converted intoa process of learning and service, inwhich they develop and practiceabilities that will enable us to makethe world a better place, and whichrequire team-players, and peoplewho can think globally, with a sense

of curiosity, people with empathy,active, and dedicated, with good-will and resources to sole problemsand face social issues.

Active learningIn these schools, the pupils are theprotagonists. They appropriatethe project. We all learn better if welike what we are doing, if it inspiresus and if we find it valuable (even ifwe don’t realize it). They are demo-cratic schools, with cooperatives ofstudents and a project-based edu-cation. There is an enormous reper-toire of active methodologies wefind useful in view of their objecti-ves and contexts, and each schoolworks in its distinct way.

Open attitude and global visionThe most awakened schools rarelysurvive by themselves. They have acuriosity and a desire to learn andfeed themselves. It is this spirit thatthe staff breathes in (leading byexample for the students) It is alsoa desire to communicate, to contri-bute to the common benefit Edu-cation, that others can learn fromtheir lessons, and to build amongsteveryone an Education for the 21stcentury.

Presently we live in analmost completelydigitalized, chan-ging society, whereinformation circula-

tes rapidly on the internet and theeconomic, political, and socialscene, making the society we livein a constant flux of information.In just a second, we can share in-formation with millions of peopleacross networks, and track or findout information from an almostinfinite supply of different sour-ces. We live connected minute byminute to the majority of otherpeople the world. But eventhough this is true, it is still impos-sible to predict the future whenwhat lies before us is a big pano-rama delineated by speed and ra-pid obsolescence in many affairs.

The children of the 21st cen-tury have grown up with informa-tion technology at their finger-tips. At already three years old,some of them manage with easethe use of their parent’s smart-phones, at ten years old many ofthem have become YouTubebloggers, and in no time at tallthey are programming robots,running their own blog, and mo-ving like a fish in the water of so-cial networks.

Undoubtedly, the world inwhich they live, where image, mo-des of communication, and theInternet are omnipresent, in theschool still lies a gulf. One of thecauses of this missing gap is dueto the fact that Education conti-nues, for the large part, to be ba-sed on logic and writing. That’s tosay, it hangs on language, writing,and books, while relegating otherlanguages, like the digital or au-dio-visual, to another, less impor-tant level.

According the study Perspec-tives. The use of audio visual ma-terial in classrooms, conductedby the Cabinet of Communica-tion and Education of the UABand aulaPlaneta, nowadays it isshown that a mere 43% of audio-visual material is used with fre-quency in the classrooms by theteachers. On the other hand, al-though every day more and moreteachers are using IT, and thoughthere is a noticeable desire forchange and pedagogic innova-tion, in 2012, only 27% of tea-chers were using IT in more than25% of their classes.

Other types of literacyIf we want Education to adapt it-self to the speed of digital society,to speak the same language spo-ken by its natives, and to be able

to prepare them for the future, it’snecessary that it open its doors, inthe curriculum and in practice, toother types of literacy, like the in-formational, audio-visual and di-gital, keys in the students lear-ning, that will enable them to un-fold and face the challenges ofthe 21st century.

All of these aspects connectthem to the world in which theylive. Audio-visual literacy allowsthem to analyse and interpret theinformation they receive through

images and audio-visual media,to express themselves throughaudio-visual language, and to de-velop their aesthetic values andcreativity. Informational literacy isfundamental in enabling them,within the avalanche of informa-tion in which they live, to learnhow to pick, evaluate, and con-trast information critically, andeven to create it, in order to parti-cipate and contribute to a demo-cratic society, and make free andinformed choices. To add to thesechoices should be a digital lite-racy, that will allow the students tolearn how to use these digitaltechnologies in order to investi-gate, obtain, and create digitalcontent in distinct formats andthrough distinct devices and digi-tal means.

How can we implementBut, how can we implement thiswide spectrum of literacy in theclassroom? One simple way isthrough the use of digital educa-tional environments that offer re-sources and tools in different for-mats, connect with the student’sreality and context, foster investi-gation and analysis, and promotethe capacity in the students to le-arn, create, and solve problemsfor themselves.

Their capacity to offer the tea-chers didactic solutions that inte-grate different languages, andtheir flexibility, that facilitates theapplication of different active me-thodologies, converts into themost powerful tool to transportthe students training, competen-cies, and fully literate and capableto face crucial future challenges inwhich they will be required tothink, decide, and create forthemselves.

Multiple literacy: the keyto creating citizens ofthe 21st century

José ManuelPérez Tornero,coordinator ofaulaPlaneta Advi-sory Board

It is shown thata mere 43% ofaudiovisualmaterial is usedwith frequencyin classrooms

DNA of “ChangemakerSchool”

David Martín Díaz, di-rector of Education andPrimary in Ashoka Spain(www.ashoka.es)

8_Showcase_Training and participation 28_OCTOBER_2015

BCN 3D Technologiespresent their new cour-ses based on a 100% prac-tical training that profes-sionalizes one´s careerand has a direct applica-tion in the industry. Thecourses start on the 26thof October and includetwo modalities: Postgra-duate in Advanced Tech-niques for Industrial Pro-totyping, and the Pos-tgraduate in the Deve-lopment of Digital Manu-facturing Projects.

New Postgraduatein 3D printing

nn CongressSIMO Education 2015From today until Friday, Ifemawelcomes the new edition ofSIMO Education, with morethan 120 presentations, expe-riences, and practical works-hops.Information:www.ifema.es/simoeducacion_01/

nn EventFuturistic technology fairThe OEB promises to surprisethe futurists in this conferenceon technology, which will takeplace in Berlin on the 2nd and4th of December.Info: www.online-educa.com

We recommend

The creators of CreApp-cuentos launch to mar-ket a new app called Cre-atales, geared towardsthe teachers. The app isa new version, thatstrengthens learning inschools in the Infantileand Primary courses. Ithas been adapted andimproved for the tea-chers in the educationalenvironment. Among its´ new possibili-ties is a feature thatallows the students toadd their own stories,and voice and text notes.Its´ public presentationwill be between the 28thand 30th of October inthe SIMO Education 2015.

New app for In-fantile Education

From today untilFriday, Ifemagreets the newTechnology hall forteaching: SIMOEducation, withmore than 120presentations,workshops, andexperiences.

nn Tú y AlíciaHealthy habitsTú y Alícia por la Salud (Youand Alícia for Health) is an appthat fosters the practice of he-althy habits in schools. The in-itiative of the TAS program canbe applied during school hoursso that the students carry outtheir activities.Info: www.programatas.com

AGENDA

Meetings

Apps

ServicesResources

nn OdiloManager of the eBiblioThis Spanish company wonthe contest of the Ministry ofEducation for managing theservice in public libraries. Allacross the country, eBiblebrings digital reading to all ofits´ users including those alre-ady registered.Information:www.odilo.es

nn KaidaraSocial integrationIt´s based on a portal thatuses books in PDF, resources,and educational experiencesrelated to the global citizens-hip and the inclusion of theclassrooms, organized by the-mes and the student´s ages.Information:www.kaidara.org

nn KivitiFor the extracurricular Kiviti is a website that helpsyou to find the best extracurri-cular activities for your childrenat the best price, closest toyour home. Furthermore, thepage works as a channel forcommunication between theactivity centres and the pa-rents.Information:www.kiviti.com

nn UniMOOCTraining for the entrepreneurUniMOOC is a web page brim-ming with courses for trainingthose people disposed tobegin their entrepreneurialprojects. It´s free, on line, andwhat´s more, it´s in Spanish, inorder to facilitate it´s use withthe young entrepreneurs.Information:www.unimooc.com

nn Sharing AcademyPrivate classesThe best way to pass a subject iswith the help of a friend who hasalready passed. This platform foruniversity students is intendedto lessen the number of failures.

The teachers are the very samestudents from the universitywho have already passed theirsubjects, as they already knowthe syllabus, the teachers, andwhat is expected during theexams. The platform SharingAcademy doesn´t have any ins-cription fees, making it very eco-nomical for all university stu-dents. Information:www.sharingacademy.com

nn Extra classesProfesoring.comThis is a new service thatmakes it possible for the tea-chers to set up private classes,enabling the students to en-gage in an additional service.The offers include informationon moving, prices, and charac-teristics in the workings of theclass.Information:www.profesoring.com

nn Always OnAnti-bullying serviceIt´s a service that compiles in-formation on web-bullying andconverts it into evidence withjuridical validity.Information:www.alwayson.es

nn MotivationPaconica EducationA new tool that gives an in-centive for teaching throughgames and rewards. The plat-form encourages the studentto improve their initiativewhen it´s time to study a sub-ject.Information:www.paconica.com/education

28_OCTOBER_2015 Showroom_Multimedia_9

DEVELOPMENTS IN DIGITAL WORLDINSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMThe latest advancements in technology that willchange our concept of teaching and learning in theclassroom and in the greater world.

Epson´s new Stand 5C08, will spark up the possibilities of interacti-vity in the classroom. It´s all about a new projector with an ultra-short beam distance that allows the possibility for the students tointeract with the tactile functions, making it the best “all in one” de-vice for the classroom. It foregoes with the digital whiteboard andcan generate records and include content from other devices likesmartphones or tablets. In the schools where it has already beenemployed, collaborative learning has increased, as well as the stu-dent´s motivation, their attention in class and the use of multime-dia formats.

Stand 5C08

The interactive project

With theMecannoidG15, you can combine the clas-sic parts of Mecanno with ne-wer ones to design and cons-truct your own robot. Bizak´snew Mecannoid G15 is a robotthat uses six engines and in-cludes software that allows itto carry out the children´scommands. What´smore, this new model co-mes with two LED eyesthat can vary between more than500 different colours. Mecannoid can reproducesounds, record and repeat movements, uses voice re-cognition and can also connect itself to other devicesthrough Bluetooth. Additionally, it allows you to connectto the ragdoll avatar net so that you can share your uni-que recorded movements with other users. The esti-mated price is 220 euros.

Mecannoid G15

Build yourown robot

Leica DM500

The new Leica DM500 is designed for speedy,effortless handling during class time. It´smade for the novice students studying Na-tural Sciences, as it already provides thecapacity for Plug & Play to facilitate itsuse. The student simply plugs it in, putsthe slide in the stand, focuses the vie-wer and enjoys his or her observation.The pre-focused, pre-centered con-denser prevents incorrect adjus-tments, and it even comes with an in-corporated LED light.

The microscope for the new studentsof Natural Sciences

The Lenovo’s ThinkPad Yoga 15 is the fifth ge-neration of processors and is remarkable forthe possibilities that it offers thanks to its fourawesome modes. From a tablet, laptop totent and stand modes, the computer’s dis-play can be rotated to equal other touch dis-

plays devices in esthetic aspects. The lap-top is noted for its HD camera with move-

ment sensor which allows the user to giveorders like to move elements.

Laptop that can do it all

Vtech Storio 2

The youngest ones in the family can alre-ady own their own tablet, the Vtech Storio2 is a tablet recommended for childrenbetween 0-4 years old. It works using se-parate cartridges that contain differentinteractive games especially designed forthis age level, with the possibility of inter-net connection to facilitate downloads.The tablet incorporates a touch screenpencil and a rotating camera of 1.3 mega-pixels, allowing the kids to play while mo-ving the tablet, making it extraordinarilyfun.

The tablet for the 4-year oldshas arrived!

XYZPrinting da Vinci 1.0

The XYZPrinting in 3D has changed theworldwide market with its 3D printing. Frommobile phone cases to beads and cutlery, itcan all be printed in high quality with preci-sión. The printer can use two types of mate-rials: ABS, a more resistant plastic, or PLA, a re-newable material made from corn starch tomake it more bio-degradable. XYZ printersare sold starting at 456 euros.

The ability to print any typeof object from your own home

ThinkPad Yoga 15

Se merece una segunda oportunidad

Centro oficial autorizado por la Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad Valenciana(DOGV 6/09/2013. Resolución de 6 de septiembre de 2013, de la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte)

Título oficial ESO online

Y cursos preparatorios de acceso a FP

Estudias desde casa cuando quieras y te examinas con nosotros

Título oficial Tutor personal

Examen final onlineFacilidades de pago

Abierto plazo de matrícula

Estamos en C/José Abascal, 55 | 28003 Madrid

Llámanos al

902 002 934Más información en inav.es

segunda oportunidadsegunda oportunidadSe merece una

segunda oportunidadSe merece una

segunda oportunidadSe merece una

segunda oportunidadSe merece una

segunda oportunidad

Título oficial SO onlineETítulo oficial SO online

Y cursos preparatorios Fde acceso a

Y cursos preparatorios P

Y cursos preparatorios

xy te eEstudi

t aminas ias desdex i con noso

e casa cuotros

uando qut

Estudias desde casa cuando quieras

Facilidades de pagoamen final onlinex E

utorTTuTítulo oficial

Facilidades de pagoamen final online

utor personalTítulo oficial

Más información en 902 002 934

Llámanos al

inav.esMás información en 902 002 934

Llámanos al

de matrAbierto ppd rícula

plazo pí l

(DOGV 6/09/2013. Resolución de 6 de septiembre de 2013, de la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte)Centro oficial autorizado por la Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad Valenciana

Jos//Jamos en CtEs

(DOGV 6/09/2013. Resolución de 6 de septiembre de 2013, de la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte)Centro oficial autorizado por la Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad Valenciana

José Abascal, 55 | 28003 Madrid

(DOGV 6/09/2013. Resolución de 6 de septiembre de 2013, de la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte)Centro oficial autorizado por la Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad Valenciana

José Abascal, 55 | 28003 Madrid

(DOGV 6/09/2013. Resolución de 6 de septiembre de 2013, de la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte)