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Sharing Tips and Tricks of Using Technology in the Classroom Part 2

In your courses you have been asked to share your tips and tricks of using technology in the classroom.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sandra Joan Toth on February 14, 2012 at 10:44pm

Hi Everyone,

I am an online high school English teacher and a technology tool that I use in my classroom almost every day is web conferencing. The web conferencing tool allows me to interact with my students one on one or in a group. I can load PowerPoint presentations (lessons) and teach anything from grammar to Shakespeare. My students and I can chat via text chat and we can even see each other using a web cam. I can send files, URLs, and play media files. My students and I can also use the whiteboard to draw or illustrate concepts. Web conferencing enables teachers to take their students on virtual field trips and to host live classroom events. For the past couple of years I have held a poetry slam, attended art shows, and music recitals. It is truly an amazing tool and it can be used in any content area.

Note: The web conferencing tool I use in my classroom is Elluminate Live.

Permalink Reply by Lonna Hill on February 15, 2012 at 2:58am

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share, popplet, a teaching tool that can have many creative uses. You can check out the website at http://www.popplet.com/ but basically, it is a collaborative tool with which you can create graphic organizers, timelines, and a lot of other things. When you start a presentation you have a canvas in which you can create and connect popplets (bubbles/textboxes). Inside the text boxes you can write text or embed videos, pictures, etc. There is also a comment feature so that others can comment on what is in the popplets. It's a lot of fun to use. Hope you check it out.

Permalink Reply by Scott Davis on February 15, 2012 at 1:55pm

I wanted to use Tumblr for my CEP 812 Wicked Problem Project. If you are familiar with the photo blog Tumblr, here are a few tips I found handy.

I found this great website titled "15 Apps to Enhance the Tumblr Experience" (http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/self-publishing/15-apps-to-enhance...)
The great thing is that this link includes a lot of screen shots, so you dont have to mess around with 15 different programs to find what you are looking for.

Definitely worth checking out.

Two of my favorites are 1) Tumblr Stats: http://tumblrstats.com/ and 2) Tumblr Helper (https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/okedoojhfbgmhdkfgojckbb...).

Permalink Reply by Jenny Hancock on February 15, 2012 at 4:48pm

I know that using wikis in the classroom is not a new idea; however, I am new to using them. There is a great place to sign up at WikiSpaces. There is even a place for educators to get more of a premium plan for free use in the K-12 class or High Education. Using a wiki in the classroom is a great resource because students could add/edit as part of their learning process. An additional wiki page could be added as home connection for parents. The teacher could add review resources, homework links, creative software, learning games, and many more options. Wikis are a wonderful learning tool!

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Peraino on February 18, 2012 at 12:05pm

I would like to post about a website that I learned about from one of my classes at MSU. The website is called GoAnimate.com. On this site students can create cartoons using TTS technology or by recording their own voices. It is very easy to create an account and then make an animated movies. The best part is that it is Free! There are options to upgrade and it is reasonable, but not necessary to create an account.

The other website I want to post about is BookAdventure.com. BookAdventure is also a free site that anyone can use. Once you are registered, teachers can create a class site and then add students. Students then can sign on to create a profile and find books that they like at their reading level. The best part about this site is that it has reading comprehension quizes for all the books that it provides the students. Another cool feture is that parents can sign up too, so anyone can join.

Permalink Reply by Amy P. on February 18, 2012 at 4:09pm

I am really enjoying the different ways that technology can be integrated into the classroom. We are working on math facts in my first grade classroom right now, and I am eager to find a way for my students to practice these facts anytime and anywhere. The site XtraMath is a great tool that tests students and supports a variety of abilities from any computer. Teachers can make a FREE account for all students and receive weekly progress reports. My students are loving this so far! Check it out...

https://www.xtramath.org/

Permalink Reply by Carlie F. on February 18, 2012 at 10:34pm

Quizlet is a vocabulary website that allows you to create your own interactive flash cards to help you learn terms and definitions of any unit. Students can use pre-made cards or create their own cards using words from their classes. Students can use the cards independently or as a whole class activity to review vocabulary. There are also tests and spelling activities available for your vocabulary terms. Lastly, there is a game called 'Scatter' where students can drag the definition to the corresponding term and they will disappear when correct. Multiple children can even race to see who knows the definitions better. What a fun twist on paper flash cards! You can visit the link here: http://quizlet.com/

Permalink Reply by Mary Ewald on February 19, 2012 at 10:28am

I just discovered a great Cloud program for editing photos and videos and adding very cool special effects. Just upload an image or video, choose an effect (s), and you can even download the new image to your computer, or load it online to Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler. Here's a picture turned into a kaleidoscope.

And all for FREE. http://www.lunapic.com/editor/

Click on the picture above to see the effect. Well, the one below is now a 3D cube.

Permalink Reply by Christine Novak on February 19, 2012 at 2:10pm

I'd like to share a great resource I've found. It's called visual fractions and its a webpage that has several fraction java applications. These java applications are great for helping students to really see and understand fractions. Along with the java applications they have some lessons and a bunch of worksheets. I've recently used the worksheets with my Middle School ESL students as a follow-up to the java applications and it's worked really well. Students have now had several different ways of seeing the fractions represented and have had the change to practice this on their own.

http://www.visualfractions.com/index.htm

Permalink Reply by Angela Tashjian on February 19, 2012 at 6:23pm

Hello! I would like to share a quick tip for using technology in the classroom. There is a website called SlideRocket.com and it is an online presentation software. It allows you to create and share presentations online and you can collaborate on a presentation with your peers. It is also similar to Google Presentations, except it has a lot of neat features for editing your presentation to make it look nice! You can add animations, media, and all sorts of other neat elements. If you have a project that students work on in groups and create presentations, check out SlideRocket!

Permalink Reply by Tracy Marshall on April 2, 2012 at 4:06pm

I have used this software in my class for student projects. Students were creating digital stories and this was a good, free, way to make their mini documentaries. Some came out very nice!

Permalink Reply by Lauren Wasiloff on February 19, 2012 at 8:16pm

There are so many great resources listed on this forum! I am taking the course CEP 811, and wanted to share a great presentation website called prezi. It is an online version of power point, but creates presentations that are visually inviting. Some cool features include zooming in on each individual slide. There are many different layouts to choose from, as well as making your own. This would be a great way for students to present information in all content areas. The presentations can be saved and downloaded to present offline as well. I have only recently experimented with prezi, but am hoping to incorporate it for student use soon!