CLT & DLT

Educational Technology

Standard 6: Uses educational technology to promote student thinking/reflection to clarify students’ conceptual understanding.

Standard 7: Uses educational technology to make abstract content more accessible to students.

When researching for an educational tool for an elementary classroom I wanted to ensure that it would be safe from viruses and was more than just a new program or application.  What I found was Osmo: https://www.playosmo.com/en/.  Osmo turns any iPad or iPhone into a tangible learning tool.  I like that Osmo works with iPad and iPhone as they are not as susceptible to being hacked or viruses taking over the program as other hardware.  Some programs in Osmo are available in Spanish as well as English making it accessible to more students and can help bridge the gap with some ELL students.    

 “Osmo enables the iPad and iPhone to merge the power of physical play with the digital advantages of real-time feedback. Playing beyond the screen invites students to collaborate on tables or floors while manipulating tangible game pieces such as number tiles, letter tiles, and coding blocks.” Osmo Official Website

 Osmo is also continuously growing and is currently in 30,000 schools.  It is beneficial for grades K-6 so an investment into this technology would not be limited to only one classroom but could easily float between grade levels or classrooms.  The most important aspect of Osmo is that it helps clarify students’ conceptual understanding by using physical blocks or tangible game pieces such as number tiles, letter tiles, and coding blocks.  When using the blocks, the camera on the Osmo reacts to the placement and creates a fun learning environment that changes students’ concepts to concrete thoughts and ideas.  This feedback is instant and provides visual and auditory feedback.  This acts as a scaffolding effect when students are close to the right answer but need a little help or a hint to bring them along to the correct answer.  Beginning with concrete representations prior to the use of abstractions is more likely to result in accurate understanding of abstract concepts (Olson, 2008).  Osmo would be used to enhance the current curriculum and not replace entirely.   Research indicates that people more easily understand abstractions when they are preceded by concrete representations (Olson, 2008).  The Osmo system is built on the four C’s of the 21st century: collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking.  Collaboration is important for students to develop social and emotional skills in addition to the subject being learned.  The communication involved develops leadership skills and helps the team work in cooperation with each other.  The app is designed to bring concrete objects to life and students are not limited by the apps programming.  The apps programs are designed to move students through their learning and always produce new scenarios that require critical thinking to solve.   

 Osmo uses tangram pieces, number and word tiles to help abstract ideas in mathematics and geometry come to life in front of the student.  Osmo uses concrete objects and turns them into adaptable drawings that each student can change and manipulate.  This technology will help develop a positive experience when working with subjects like art, handwriting, STEM, spelling and geography.  Students accumulate points and can be competitive in learning and progressing through the programs.  As a father of two kids in elementary school I can tell you that it is a sense of pride for them to know what level reading they are at or what their latest score on their computer math game is currently.  The abstract content appears to come alive as soon as the tiles are placed in front of the camera.  This will be enough to engage every student and the point system will help motivate those already eager to learn to move further along with the subject matter into more difficult scenarios.  In “Have technology and multitasking rewired how students learn” Willingham suggests that even though technology can’t be a guarantee to make students learn it is sometimes the little energy boost that is needed to engage students (Willingham 2010)  The Osmo system would allow the teacher to incorporate another approach to learning and wouldn’t require much set up time and could be used as a reward until all content was verified.    



“Kids Learn Best Through Play | Osmo Hands On Learning System‎”

Osmo – Award-Winning Educational Games System for IPad, http://www.playosmo.com/en/schools/.


Willingham, D. (2010). Have technology and multitasking rewired how students learn? American Educator, 23-42. Retrieved from https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/willingham-summer-10.pdf