PowToon, free business presentation software animated video maker and PowerPoint alternative instaGrok.com TodaysMeet - Give everyone a voice 50+ Tools for Differentiating Instruction Through Social Media Imagine a world where resources were limited to what was found in the classroom or the school closet known as the "Curriculum Materials Room." Picture a world where students wrote letters with pen and paper to communicate with other students and adults outside of the building. Due to postage costs, the teacher either sent the letters in bulk or paid for stamps out of his or her own pocket. Can you recall a time when student interests like skateboarding or video were never used as part of learning curriculum because the tools needed were either too expensive or not yet conceptualized? If you experienced none of these scenarios, then you live in a world of possibility because you grew up with the many social media tools available to support all learners. Selecting the Right Tool For educators differentiating instruction, social media tools embrace collaboration and global access to people and other resources. The list of social media tools to differentiate for learning is increasing.
Chrome Web Store 22 Powerful Closure Activities Too many university supervisors and administrators criticize the absence of lesson closure, a dubious assessment practice likely caused by the improper use of Madeline Hunter’s lesson plan model (PDF) as a de facto checklist of eight mandatory teaching practices -- anticipatory set, objective and purpose, input, modeling, checking for understanding, guided practice, independent practice, and closure -- a custom that Hunter decried in 1985 (PDF). Although it offers multiple benefits, please don't view closure as a professional must-do. What Is Closure? Closure is the activity that ends a lesson and creates a lasting impression, a phenomenon that Colorado State University professor Rod Lucero calls the recency effect. Teachers use closure to: Check for understanding and inform subsequent instructionEmphasize key informationTie up loose endsCorrect misunderstandings Students find closure helpful for: Creative Closure Activities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Have kids sketch a book cover. 11.
untitled Create Engaging Presentations With Free iPad Apps Engaging an audience is an important part of getting your message across. If you're tired of your normal routine, try sharing information with your class or sparking a discussion with one of the free iPad apps in this post. Introducing a topic with embedded video clips and sharing graphics or images to convey information are some of the ways to keep students interested in content and engaged in your presentation. There are so many fantastic free iPad apps that are great for the classroom. Whether you have access to a single iPad for creating presentations or your students are creating their own presentations in a 1:1 or shared-device classroom, you'll want to add these to your must-have list! Keynote The iPad app for Keynote has come a long way since it was first introduced. Haiku Deck Haiku Deck is perfect for the classroom and extremely student friendly. Canva If you create slide-based presentations, you can easily change up your slide design with Canva. ShowMe Nearpod SnapGuide Prezi