Technology Tools
I have added several technology tools below. I also included some discussion forum posts where I discussed these web tools with classmates from TE 808.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a great flash card and study games website. It has a wide range of subjects to select from (foreign languages, sciences, math, etc). This is such a great tool for students to use as they study course material. I was able to drill down to find lots of subjects and topics that I could use in a classroom. I played around with one of the sets of upper body muscles flashcards and quizzed myself. The images used to create the flashcard were from the same textbook that I used in my anatomy class from college. That would've been so great to have used as a study tool. I really like the variety of things you can do on this site. You can find or create flash cards and the games are really cool! If I used this in my classroom I would have the students use key terms or concepts from the topic we're learning about for create flash cards to study. Then I would have them use the cards to study and they could also use each other's cards to quiz themselves through the game features on the site of scattering or space race. I think the students would really be switched on to learning information in this mode. I'm sure they would enjoy seeing how their peers interpreted the information on the cards they made. I already found many flashcards and games that I can use for my student that I'm assigned to this year. He is currently learning fractions and has never been taught anything about them at all. So I searched for a very basic flashcard set with images and found a great set! Because my student is autistic I would like to use Quizlet to create flash cards with images for him to use or to find ones that others have already created. ASD students will understand things so much better if there is a picture as opposed to just words.
Teachers vs. Texting - One school chooses to embrace the use of cell phones in class
One school chooses to use cell phones and texting as a learning tool in class. There is a digital disconnect between how students use technology in the classroom and how they use it out in the real world. These educators are focusing on the positive benefits of technology and integrating it into the curriculum.
What a Challenge!
Watch this short video about the challenge we face as educators to bring technology into our instruction.
Jing
Jing is a web tool that can be used to create images and videos of what is seen on a computer screen. So basically, you can capture screenshots and record up to 5 minutes of screen video. Click here to learn more.
Also, here is a discussion post where I talked about the web tool, Wordle and Jing.
Also, here is a discussion post where I talked about the web tool, Wordle and Jing.
After using
Wordle and Jing I think that I would be more likely to use Jing in the
classroom. Wordle is very easy to use and fun as well. Jing takes a
little more time to learn before you can begin creating. But the
outcome is where the focus should be. I believe that they’re both great
web tools but they are often used for different purposes. If you are
just looking for an easy way to incorporate vocabulary terms or key
terms into a visual format, then Wordle is perfect. But if you’re
looking to deliver information that might be better understood by a
video/audio format, then Jing would work very well.
I
believe that ideas and concepts can be better shared by using Jing.
The creator of the Jing video has the capability of explaining the ideas
or concepts which would leave minimal room for misinterpretation by the
viewer. When Wordle is used, different people may create different
meaning of the Wordle creation. This could lead to misunderstanding of
key objectives and concepts.
Jing
is a great tool for supporting collaboration with colleagues. As you
have discussions with other educators you can incorporate Jing to help
build collaboration. The format allows for easy creating and sharing
with others. If I was teaching an online course I would definitely use
Jing more as it would allow for thorough explanations of information
that needed to be covered. It would also help the viewer to have a
greater understanding of the content by using the visual images to help
create meaning.
I
feel that I was able to truly visualize and better understand the
topics that my classmates discussed while watching their Jing videos.
The explanation along with the visual really helped to clarify
misconceptions and to expand my knowledge about certain subjects and
strategies. I also learned some really great ideas to start
implementing!
ToonDoo
ToonDoo is a creative web tool that you can use to design and share digital cartoons. ToonDoo can be used to visually express messages or announcements and the best part is that it's FREE!!
Dropbox
Dropbox definitely seems like a great tool to use for storing and accessing information of importance to you. I had heard of it before but had never checked it out for myself. Other than Google apps I don’t use an official “one stop” cloud for saving docs, pics, etc. Google apps have been great for keeping up with documents. I also appreciate the versatility of Google apps which allows me to make changes to documents and to share them with others for editing purposes. Dropbox seems easy to use and has so many fantastic features which allow users to access info from any internet ready device.
Dropbox would eliminate the need for me to have a flash drive. The last time I used a flash drive was over Christmas 2011. It was for sharing pictures with family while we were visiting them. Before that, I used flash drives to carry documents for me for presentations, lessons, etc. I love the freedom that Dropbox will offer. Now I won’t be digging for my flash drive at the bottom of my purse.
Dropbox would eliminate the need for me to have a flash drive. The last time I used a flash drive was over Christmas 2011. It was for sharing pictures with family while we were visiting them. Before that, I used flash drives to carry documents for me for presentations, lessons, etc. I love the freedom that Dropbox will offer. Now I won’t be digging for my flash drive at the bottom of my purse.
Delicious
I really like Delicious and Diigo for social bookmarking. I began using Diigo last year with one of my other grad classes because it was the site that my group chose to use for keeping track of our websites used in a group research project. The web tools Delicious and Diigo are really clever. In the past, there were times that I wanted to share a web link with a friend or colleague but I wasn't able to because I didn't have my laptop with all my saved bookmarks. And there was no way to remember all the website's urls! Being able to house all of my favorite bookmarks in one spot has helped so much and has truly saved me time. I like having the ability to add people to my network too. It is nice to have access to other's saved links, especially when I'm researching a particular topic. That saves so much time and adds breadth to web searches when looking for links compared to exclusively using a Google search.
I know that I would use Delicious with my friends and colleagues when I'm trying to share web links with them. I used Diigo many times last year when I needed to share Math websites with the teachers. My role was designing math assessments and often teachers needed additional resources to help with lesson design. Being able to direct them to my Diigo site with bookmarked links was a tremendous time saver! You could also use this web tool to save a list of web links for your students. If there were topics of study the class could contribute some of their favorite links to Delicious for everyone to utilize.
I know that I would use Delicious with my friends and colleagues when I'm trying to share web links with them. I used Diigo many times last year when I needed to share Math websites with the teachers. My role was designing math assessments and often teachers needed additional resources to help with lesson design. Being able to direct them to my Diigo site with bookmarked links was a tremendous time saver! You could also use this web tool to save a list of web links for your students. If there were topics of study the class could contribute some of their favorite links to Delicious for everyone to utilize.
Skype
Skype is a really wonderful web tool that is being used by so many people. I began using it a few years ago as a way to keep up with my family while we were living in th UK for 6 weeks. It was a great way to communicate with our parents and siblings and share our experiences. The best feature was that it was free!
I think that teachers could use Skype to help students make connections with the world around them. They could collaborate with other teachers to provide opportunities for their students to do projects together using Skype as tool to talk. Another way students could use Skype is to interview authors of books that they are reading. They could also interview professionals to get data and information for projects. Skype can also help teachers and students to take virtual field trips to talk to people in places where they could not drive to. Skype gives teachers a tool to use that enriches their lessons and student's learning. Whether the students are chatting or video chatting with others, they are making connections to the world around them.
I think that teachers could use Skype to help students make connections with the world around them. They could collaborate with other teachers to provide opportunities for their students to do projects together using Skype as tool to talk. Another way students could use Skype is to interview authors of books that they are reading. They could also interview professionals to get data and information for projects. Skype can also help teachers and students to take virtual field trips to talk to people in places where they could not drive to. Skype gives teachers a tool to use that enriches their lessons and student's learning. Whether the students are chatting or video chatting with others, they are making connections to the world around them.
Wordle
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I was shown Wordle last year and have really enjoyed playing around with it. I used it last year when I would design math assessments for my teachers. I would type in math vocabulary for that particular set of objectives or chapter terms and then let Wordle arrange them.
Teachers were able to take the Wordle creations and weave them into their multiple means of representation. They could offer a visual representation of the terms with Wordle, they could explain/define key terms thus offering an auditory representation. By doing this they are able to reach students who differ in their learning styles. The students really enjoy seeing the fun Wordle creations. This seems to be effective for engaging the students and helping with their understanding of math vocabulary so I would continue implementing this strategy.
I typically add my Wordle creations to the Wordle gallery but then I also take a screenshot of them using the snipping tool. I have a couple of different options for saving them. I can either save the file in a Wordle folder or the appropriate subject folder.
Another fun idea: One of my boys has a class t-shirt from his 6th grade year that the teacher created using their first names in a Wordle arrangement. It is really neat!
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