Redefining Instruction With Technology: Five Essential Steps. No More Excuses: Teaching 21st-Century Skills in a Low-Tech Setting. Published Online: September 10, 2013 First Person By Jenna Barclay After a long day of middle school melodrama, I was running late to a district-led teacher-leadership meeting. I found the last seat in the front of the room.
My tattered satchel dropped to the floor with a thud as I took my seat opposite a colleague from another school. She laughed as she reached down to scoop up the 100 or so papers that had escaped my bag and littered the floor beneath our table. “You’ve really gotta get your kids to email you their papers. I scoffed in reply as I noticed a Dorito-stained fingerprint on one of the sheets and another so poorly handwritten I could barely make out the name in the top right corner. “No, really,” she continued. Sure, I wanted to reply, it’s what your kids are doing these days. The Resource Gap Communication Table-Top Blog: Start by having each student write his or her ideas about a topic (like they would on an online blog) on a piece of notebook paper at their desk.
Paper Tools. Try Infuse Learning for Gathering Feedback from Students. Infuse Learning is a free student response system that works with any Internet-connected device including iPads and Android tablets. One of the aspects of Infuse Learning that you may find useful from a classroom management standpoint is the option to take attendance through the service. When you register for Infuse Learning you can create individual class codes to distribute to your students. When students sign into the class using the class code their names appear in your administrative panel. Infuse Learning allows you to distribute questions, prompts, and quizzes out to your students’ devices in private virtual classrooms.
In an Infuse Learning room you can give students a wide variety of formats in which to response to a question or prompt. Students can reply to prompts and questions in standard multiple choice, true/false, and short answer formats. Infuse Learning offers a couple of helpful accessibility options including support for multiple languages. App Smashing. A List of Educational Slideshows and Presentations for Teachers and Students. Presentations and slideshows are great tools in education and learning. They do not only provide information in such a visually appealing way but also help learners remember what they have seen and read. One of the outstanding feature that slidewhows have is their brevity. They provide what is needed in shot sentences and sometimes illustrated with pictures, videos or audio.
Throughout my decent experience in teaching in different countries I come to the conclusion that students and teachers too love to have learning materials presented in slideshows.This is why I devoted a whole section in my blog to just sharing with all of you interesting presentations that you can use in your classroom with your students or share with your colleagues. Below is a list of the slideshows I have been shraring in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. 1- A List of Free Educational Android Apps for Teachers 2- 21 Educational Infographics 4- Free URL Shortner Tools for Teachers e. The Right & Wrong Way To Use Technology For Learning. So much in learning is subjective, which makes sense because so much in life itself is also subjective, and we learn in order to live. So it’s natural. Grey areas abound–the usefulness and quality of the Common Core Standards.
The importance of curiosity in learning. The evaluation of technology in learning. For every educator dead-set on personalizing learning through technology in an outcomes-based K-12 classroom, there is another educator working to develop new learning models that extract the potential of self-directed learning, the role of play in learning, and better understanding the different levels of integration of technology in the learning process itself. And it’s all good work. What exactly technology does in learning is also subjective. The Right & Wrong Way To Use Technology For Learning Ferriter’s image begins simply enough, with a statement so many of your already believe (based on comments we’ve seen across social media and here on TeachThought as well). 13 Must-Have Gadgets and Apps for Educators. - 40 Sites and Apps for Creating Presentations.
Common Core Assessments start in 2014. Prepare now with Learning A-Z! | Learning A-Z. Most states have now adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for the purpose of ensuring that students are college- and career- ready after graduating from high school. But adopting the CCSS is only the beginning and now the hard work begins — preparing students for new assessments scheduled for the 2014-15 school year. Learning A-Z is committed to supporting educators in their implementation efforts by providing resources that will target CCSS points of emphasis and save teachers time. Let Bob Holl, our Co-Founder and President, give you an intro: Starting next year, the Common Core assessments will be here.
To get you started, we have provided information on the major shifts and key topics of the Common Core English language arts Standards.
Six Free Alternatives to PowerPoint and Keynote. Twice in the last week I've been asked for a list of free alternatives to either PowerPoint or Keynote. I've written a couple of these lists over the last five years, but some of the alternatives I've shared in the past have either gone out of business or started charging a fee. Here's my updated list of free alternatives to PowerPoint and Keynote. Empressr is a fully functional, high quality, online slide show presentation creation and sharing service.
Empressr has a couple of features differentiating it from its competitors. Slide Rocket is a web based presentation creator similar to Empressr. Prezi is a popular online tool for creating slideshows that don't have to appear in the linear format typically used in slideshows. Until Google Slides came along the slideshow tool in Open Office was the slideshow creation tool that I used instead of PowerPoint. If your students have iPads, you have to try Haiku Deck. The Five Best Tools for Creating Videos Without Installing Software. Over the years I've published some lists and reviews of free tools for creating videos online. Quite a few of those tools have been for creating simple videos that are really just automated, audio slideshows.
See Animoto for an example of this. There's nothing inherently wrong with having your students use those tools, but at some point you will want to take your video projects to the next level. These are the five tools that I recommend for creating and editing videos without installing any special software. Pixorial is the online video creation tool that I hear teachers talking about a lot lately. The thing that I like the most about Pixorial is that the video creation and editing tools are laid out in an intuitive user interface.
WeVideo is a collaborative online video creation tool. PowToon is a nice service for creating explanatory videos through a drag and drop process. Wideo is a service that allows anyone to create animated videos and Common Craft-style videos online. Sweet Search. 50+Ways - home. Most Memorable Blog Posts of the Year. With it being Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it appropriate to share my appreciation for some of the posts I remember most from the past year. About a year ago, I began my own blog. My first post was a simple copy and paste of an email exchange I had with an author. Since then, I have posted 81 times. In all of my efforts, I aspire to write something as thought-provoking, reflective and meaningful as these bloggers have in the following posts.
They aren’t listed in any kind of order. I feel uncomfortable saying one post is better than another, as they all brought a unique perspective to my current thinking. Nor am I saying that these are necessarily the best posts of the year, although you could make a case for any one of them. Eight Things Skilled Teachers Think, Say, and Do by Larry Ferlazzo When I shared this article (not technically a blog post but again, my rules) with my staff via Pinterest, they responded very positively. I like this phrase, “celebrating failure”. Why Blog? Five Free Web 2.0 Tools to Support Lesson Planning.
"Teachers need to integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum instead of viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought or an event. " -- Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Educational Consultant, Curriculum Designers, Inc. Web 2.0 tools are online software programs that allow users to do a number of different things. They can be used to teach curriculum content, store data, create or edit video, edit photos, collaborate and so much more.
These programs are often free and are used by teachers, students and sometimes parents, both in and out of the classroom, on a pretty regular basis. The question then becomes: are educators prepared to use these tools? Are educators, especially new ones, ready to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into their classroom? How can they be sure that the tool will remain a support piece rather than a replacement for their lesson planning and instructional practice? Embracing the use of Web 2.0 tools in lesson planning may still be new to many educators. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: The 22 Digital Skills Every 21st Century Teacher Must Have. One of the most popular articles I have written in this blog was about the 33 Digital Skills Every 21st Teacher should Have.
This post has been used in several digital literacy courses in some universities in the States and also here in Canada, I also got it published in a couple of printed journals . Now that one year has elapsed since its first seeing the light I decided to revisit it again but this time adding more updates and organizing its content in a better and easy navigable way. The skills I have mentioned here are essential to every teacher ( and student ) using technology in class, at home , or for professional development purposes. It also contains the best web tools that you can use to better hone in the targeted skill under which they are featured .These web tools can also empower you with the necessary know-how to effectively leverage the power of technology in education.
Create and Edit Audio Here are some tools for teachers to develop this skill : Scoop.it. Just ASK Publications and Professional Development - Just for the ASKing! January 2013 Volume X Issue I Just for the ASKing! Is a monthly e-newsletter that addresses the needs of all those who strive to be instructional leaders. This month's issue is the second in a periodic series on the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool. It features recommendations from educators who are seeing the impact of technology on student achievement. The use of technology continues to take a front row seat in schools and districts across the country.
A number of technology enthusiasts graciously agreed to provide insights into their work. What technological tools and applicationshave you used or seen used that have made the greatest impacton student learning in rigorous and relevant ways? RM Pellant, Principal of the International School of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, writes that “Without a doubt, web 2.0 apps and cloud storage have had the greatest impact on me as an educator, integrator, and administrator.” Five Reasons I Love Using QR Codes in My Classroom. There are so many tools that educators can use to get students interested and engaged in their work. Like most teachers today, I integrate technology into my instruction everyday. I'm lucky to work in a school with one-to-one technology and use iPads with my students throughout every school day. That makes it easy to use QR codes in my classroom -- and there are many reasons I love using QR codes! What is a QR Code?
A Quick Response Code is a digital image that can be scanned without the beam of light needed to scan barcodes at the supermarket. It's used in advertising and marketing for smartphone users. You may have seen QR codes on flyers, subway posters, brochures and even cereal boxes. What does this marketing tool have to do with education? How QR Codes Can Make a Difference in the Classroom 1. Instead of asking students to type in a long web address where they could easily make mistakes, a QR code will take them straight to a website. 2. 3. 4. 5. QR Code Treasure Hunt Generator from classtools.net.
QR codes in education SmartBlogs. Senior education editor Melissa Greenwood is blogging this week from ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2012 conference in Atlanta, Ga. Here is a blog inspired by a recent conference session on student engagement. Does school have to be fun? No, but it should be engaging, according to Tim Dwyer of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. Dwyer recently presented the session “Sharing Creative Ways to Engage Students” at CareerTech Vision 2012 where he offered innovative ideas for increasing student engagement and success.
While Dwyer shared a range of strategies, including team-based learning and tests that give students partial credit for partial knowledge, it was his discussion of the role that quick response codes, or QR codes, play in his automotive class that struck me — and other attendees — as particularly interesting. Here’s a quick breakdown of his process: Dwyer assigns students a specific car part and asks them to explain in a video how the part operates. How to set up a QR Code Treasure Hunt. 1. The Background For several lessons, the students had been slowly piecing together the Mystery of the Franklin Expedition in History lessons. Through pictures, snippets of evidence, and a roleplay exercise, the students formulated their own questions for investigation, framed provisional answers, and then reframed their assumptions as more evidence was progressively provided to them. This 'History Mystery' format is explained in more detail here and is designed to encourage students to help students find problems as well as to solve them.
At the end of the research phase, students were required to produce an essay introducing the mystery and answering the five key questions they settled upon as being the most important to solve. 2. With students just about to start their essay assignment, a series of 20 codes were hidden in random locations around the school. Each code, when 'read' by the mobile device, turned into a quiz question relating to the study topic. 3. It's an Interactive Whiteboard! It's a Doc Cam! It's... Apple TV! Over the holidays I asked Santa for an AppleTV and boy did that jolly old elf deliver. I had some networking issues to work out (see the end of this post for the issues and solution), but once that was taken care of, the magic began.
This $99 device has become the all-in-one accessory for my iPad classroom. It has replaced my TV, my doc cam, and even my interactive whiteboard! How, you ask? Read on, friend. AppleTV starring as... a TV! On the simplest level, the AppleTV can stream media. AppleTV starring as... a Doc Cam! Using the AppleTV's AirPlay Mirroring function, I can have any iPad in my classroom instantaneously mirrored - sound and all - to the screen.
AppleTV starring as... an Interactive Whiteboard! When I first got my Promethean board, I was quite concerned about being anchored to it constantly. AppleTV and our Network In our district, many schools have two wireless systems: an enterprise system and a secondary system. Unfortunately neither will run the AppleTV. Interactive Video Conferencing Services - Education Content - Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration - Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration. Infuse Learning - A Great Student Response Tool. Creating Blogs and Websites. Jing, Record and share videos on your computer, by TechSmith.
Downloading videos from websites like YouTube to play offline on MrBartonMaths.com. Free Sound Clips | SoundBible.com. Free Music Archive. CC Search. Four Smart Ways to Use Cell Phones in Class. Learn It In 5 - Home. In This Flipped Class, Teachers Learn From Students' Video. Learnist: A Helpful Tool on the Road to Inquiry. Nets Standards. How to connect the dots SmartBlogs. What Does Student Blogging Exactly Do? Out-of-School Settings Create Climate for New Skills. Five-Minute Film Festival: Pinterest for Teaching and Learning. Connected Educator Month. Resetting Education: Social networks for the classroom. Educational Videos | Teacher Videos for Students | SnagLearning.
For 'Connected Educator Month,' Tips From 33 Educators We Admire. A Day in the Life of a Connected Educator – Using social media in 21st century classrooms.