Google has so many exciting new products and services this year. We’ve seen quite a few developments and new things at last week’s Google I/O and we’re certain that more will be unveiled or added to the long list. Google values learning and education as the company believes in the capabilities of everyone–you and me plus children all over the world. That is why the tech giant has the Google for Education program to help the students and teachers gain access to tools that will help them discover, learn, and now–be a maker.
Google has recently launched Science Journal. It’s a digital science notebook that helps everyone, kids especially, to explore the world. It’s a mobile app that allows the children to observe, record, interpret, and predict and data available. Kids can record data gathered by the phone’s native sensors. It also works with an Arduino so people can learn how to think like a scientist. This is ideal for kids interested in science and who knows this early that knowledge is power.
Google invited the devs to check out the Science Journal and join the community at the Bay Area Maker Faire 2016 over the weekend. It’s just one step the company is making to capture the interest of makers. In the recent years, it has contributed to the learning of about 120,000 kids by sending them to museum, sponsorships, the Google Science Fair, and the many pairs of safety glasses at maker fairs and schools.
Google believes there is more to being a maker. It’s not only limited to electronics or coding for programmers. It can also mean fixing, re-sewing, building, or cooking. Creating meaningful things is what it means–if not making new things, it’s improving some things already available.
Without science, the Internet we know today won’t be around. It’s a long process but remember that thinking starts with a curious mind. Learning is inevitable but it must be nurtured. With the proper tools and resources, the potential of someone or someone can be big. The science journal app is one tool that will help the children and even adults to think, analyze, explore, question, and run experiments. The app enables the smartphone to collect data and launch experiments. Google aims to “cultivate curiosity and spark a lifelong interest in learning” and so it has also partnered with Exploratorium.
Exploratorium is currently one of the best in in science education. The group develops hands-on learning activity kits for the children. They allow creative learning through simple kits that can be assembled. Inside each kit are supplies, sensors, and micro-controllers that must be used to assemble an end product.
As part of Google’s Science Journal efforts, they also teamed up with with Imagination Foundation to bring special activities to different places around the world. One of the goals is start an open ecosystem where people can take advantage of Science Journal to create own activities, use sensors, and build their own kits to share. In line with this, Google has also released on Github, a micro-controller firmware code that other developers, science educators, and vendors can use.
Download Science Journal from the Google Play Store
SOURCE: Google for Education, Science Journal
Its really good start and I think such kind of beginning will helps us a lot to do more something and make a manner able scientist.