8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren’t Boring Are you tired of delivering the same old lectures on the same subjects year after year? Are you using the same lesson materials over and over and wishing you could make learning in your classroom more interactive? While lectures and lessons can be informative and even “edutaining†when delivered with passion and good materials by knowledgeable experts, sadly many traditional lectures and lessons are boring, and even worse often ineffective. Of course, you do need devices with Internet access to give these tools a try. Here’s a whole bunch of ideas for leveraging technology to kick those lessons up a notch! 1. There are many applications that allow students to provide live feedback. 2. Leveraging gaming mechanics that can make learning more fun is probably easier than you think. Here’s a variety of resources and ideas for using gaming in the classroom: 3. There are so many fun free tools and apps available today that can let students create all kinds of awesome digital content. 4.
5 Activities for Peer Observation | Oxford University Press Martyn Clarke has worked in ELT classrooms as a teacher and trainer for over twenty years and in more than fifteen countries. He has taught English at all levels and in many contexts from one-to-one in financial institutions to rural schools with classes of eighty students. There are many reasons why peer observations with our teaching colleagues can be useful. They often share your background and so understand your students, books, pressures, etc. Here are 5 observation activities that can be used with a colleague. Spot the difference In this observation activity two colleagues focus on the similarities and differences in their teaching. Before:The teacher gives the observer an outline basic plan of their lesson. During:The observer notes down the things that happen in the teaching process which don’t normally happen in their own lessons. After:The teacher and the observer analyse the information using any of the following questions as appropriate: How could you categorise the differences?
Education Technology Tools for Teachers Massive Open Online Courses make it possible for students of all ages to access high-quality coursework at no cost. Colleges and universities across the country publish video lectures, podcasts, reading lists, practice exams and more for anyone who wants to learn about a particular subject and/or experience what it’s like to take a college class. Over the last decade, organizations such as Coursera and Khan Academy have taken MOOCs one step further by creating or aggregating thousands of free courses in areas ranging from early American history and civics to trigonometry and multivariable calculus. Khan Academy is a non-profit educational website created by educator Salman Khan in 2006. Khan, a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School wanted to provide a free world-class education for anyone anywhere. Using Khan Academy in the classroom can strengthen lesson plans. Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller founded Coursera in 2012. Draw 3D!
Free Technology for Teachers Use of Technology in Education for Learning and Teaching On the path to personalizing learning, technology empowers students by giving them ownership of how they learn, making education relevant to their digital lives and preparing them for their futures. With technology and access to resources beyond classroom walls, students are inspired to become problem-solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and creators. Where technology has been successfully integrated into classrooms, students develop a lifelong love of learning. Educators are always striving to personalize learning for students. Technology can help them reach new levels with access to real-time student data, longitudinal information, content, apps, and more. Technology can help educators create blended learning environments and leverage digital tools for formative and summative assessments, bringing new models for learning and teaching to classrooms.
75 Digital Tools and Apps Teachers Can Use to Support Formative Assessment in the Classroom There is no shortage of formative assessment strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. Here is an extensive list of 75 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help you and your students use formative assessment to elicit evidence of learning. We didn’t just add any old tool to this list. Here are the criteria we used for those that made the cut: Supports formative instructional strategies and ways to activate learners to be resources for themselves and peersIs free or awful close to it (under $10 per year, where possible)When possible, both students and teachers can take the activator role (sometimes teachers need to get things started) Before you dig into the tools, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish with your students. The tools Learn more To get the most out of formative instructional strategies, also check out our formative practices workshops.
50 Tips, Tricks and Ideas for Teaching Gifted Students - WeAreTeachers Gifted kids can be a joy to teach when you know how to identify what engages them. These 50 tips and tricks come from my own experience and from around the Web. They’re good to have in your bag of tricks whether you’re a newbie or an old hand at teaching these high-level thinkers. 1. Every year, I start by having my students complete an interest inventory. 2. Share what you are reading with gifted students. 3. Gifted students often need to have the ability to move when learning … pacing, flapping and bouncing are parts of their thinking process. 4. A window seat is my favorite place to read, so I keep that in mind when offering seating. SOURCE: kindergartenisgrrreat.blogspot.com 5. Social situations can be challenging for some gifted students as their ability to understand social cues can be underdeveloped. 6. Current events are important to incorporate into gifted programming. 7. SOURCE: Reddit 8. Not all gifted students are meant to be the project manager. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Educational Technology Resources for Teachers (Grades K-12) Use our educational technology resources to enhance your lessons and engage your students. Introduce topics and ignite conversation with these fifteen minute mini-lesson PowerPoint Slides. To incorporate technology into your classroom, browse these listings for the best videos, digital books, websites, and online games to combine both the subject matter and a lesson on computer skills! Smartboard Mini-Lessons Need an interactive lesson that will keep your students engaged and strengthen their knowledge of subject material? Digital Books Use these digital books to supplement various topics to your students. Best of the Web Need the best of the best? Videos Videos are a terrific way to help students learn more about a topic or concept in a simple and visual way. Internet Safety One of the most important lessons for your students to learn is how to use the internet and safely. PowerPoint Resources PowerPoints are a great visual resource to use with your students. Word Processing Resources
Appropriate Technology in Education | Technology for Learners Appropriate technology is transparent technhology in the classroom. Education and technology have always been strongly related. This is demonstrated by the many technologies, old and new, that are used in classrooms everyday by teachers and students alike. In her book, Teaching as a Design Science, Dana Laurillard makes the interesting observation that education does not drive technological invention. Instead, education tends to be beholden to the inventiveness of other fields such as business and leisure. There are now a wide array of different “educational” technologies available (laptops, iPads, projectors, etc.), yet very few have their origins specifically within the classroom context. Appropriate technology in an educational setting should therefore be assessed for its potential to meet educational aims. Traditionally, the concept of appropriate technology has been discussed with respect to economic development. Appropriate technology can take the form of many different tools. M.