What new techologies have you been using in your classroom?
I provide a lot of options for student to use Web 2.0 tools like Voicethread, Animoto, Voki, Flickr to do their assignments. What have you used?
Thanks Justice!
I find that most Prezi slide show templates only have about 8 slides. How do you get around that feature?
I also like to use google drive.
I have all of my class labs and presentations on google drive.
You can access them from any computer and share them with students via email.
Denise I have had students use Prezi for presentations in class and they work out pretty well. I also use it for orientation and open house on my campus. I really like it because I don't have to carry a drive with me and as long as the classroom I go to has connectivity I can get to my presentations.
I have begun using whiteboard in my classroom for live lecturing. The whiteboard allows me to poll students. I really love this feature because it is interactive and students are not just listening to me talk. They really do get involved. There are facial icons student can use i.e. smiley face/confused face and students love to use them.
I am an OLD professor.. Old school.... linear learning etc..
and here I am seeing a new way to teach that is indeed more engaging.......... and I want myself and my students to participate.........so in order for them and myself to use it I must "teach it" ( my luck they can teach me:))
Anyway, the question is, What are some "user friendly" technologies that I can find confidence in using ?
Thank you Everyone!
Valerie,
Thank you for sharing! Great ideas...please share in the instructional forum in the Teachers Lounge as well.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Another fun option - for those that have iPads - is Educreations. This allows students to annotate and record their presentations and then submit them. Instructors can also create annotated videos that are more 'high-touch' then the screen sharing tools like Jing.
I think it could be compared to the interactive white board we read about in the materials for this course.
Valerie
https://www.educreations.com/browse/math/
Joseph,
Great! Please share these ideas in the Instructional Forum in the Faculty Lounge.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I teach a portfolio class on a regular basis and several of the assignments revolve around the students delivering presentations, showing their portfolio work and speaking about the process they took to create. For this, I have them use a free software application called Jing (http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html).
This has proven to be a great tool for the students to deliver screensharing and voiceover presentations and it has been easy to train them on the use of the software each class.
mica,
Thank you for sharing the technology and your ideas for using it. I agree that a video goes a long way to substitute a F2F contact as well as keep students engaged and feeling that you are really there whenever they need you.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
A colleague has recently turned me on to an online utility called Eyejot. (http://corp.eyejot.com/) They bill themselves as “an easy way to send and receive video e-mail from your computer or mobile device.†And that’s pretty much what it does. (You don’t need to download an app to “see†the videos as well—a plus.)
His experience has been that a student is far more willing to click on a link that will direct them to a brief video of you explaining an assignment or offering a clarification than they would to actually read the same content in a brief e-mail.
I know that perhaps this comes down along generational lines, but if the “wow†of linking to a tiny video makes the traditional-aged student more likely to take in the content, then it’s probably certainly worth exploring.
Has anyone used this in the past (or a similar utility), and if so what has been your experience?
Best,
Mica
Stacie,
I have used these sites as well and it does immediately raise the interaction in the class and engage students who might otherwise be drifting. I have seen it done also in traditional university classes of over 200 students. It is an efficient way in such huge classes to get an idea of which concepts are being grasped and which aren't
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I recently implemented a live polling feature in my classroom. It's done via PollEverywhere.com. Students can text or Tweet their responses. They can also go to the PollEverywhere.com website to respond to the poll question. I try to ask questions via poll about once a week. I ask questions that recap the information that we covered in the class. Or I ask questions about their needs. For example, I recently asked who was in need of MS Word software for their assignments (the school provides it to the students). So it's been extremely helpful in gauging the pulse of the class.
Walt,
Great information! I like the customization that is possible as well as the individualized learning plan - great methodology for instruction.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I'm not familiar with Pearson's MyCompLab, but I use their MyITLab for most of my IT courses. Online tools like this allow the students to work on projects at their own pace and gives them real-time feedback and guidence. It also allow them to practice new skills outside of the course work. Best part is it tracks what each student is doing whether its project work or if they watched the assigned tutorial videos.
Other publishers are offering similar websites with student resources and instructor control. I like this because I'm an IT guy and it lets me program (customize) the courses. Use of these companion websites and online tools not only works for online courses, but on ground courses held in a campus computer lab where all students can access them during the class.
I have used a variety of tools including Skype, screencast (short videos showing students how to do something or how to find something - also great for grading); chat, videos from youtube and other sites, collaborate, and more. Some students really thrive when they are introduced to new technologies, others are scared. Providing a variety of technologies provides options for all learning styles.
denise,
My students se Prezi and seem to prefer its animation and creative potential over PPT.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I share these programs with my students, but I have not had an opportunity to use them in the classroom.
I love Animoto. What about Prezi and Corona?
Hi Jaclyn, thanks for introducing me to VoiceThread. It looks like a great app. Our school is not approving any purchases though. Do you use any other tools that might be freely accessible off the web?
CORY,
Very true and great that you are incorporating that into your class with guidance. It brings a wonderful "immediacy" to the group time.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
