Although many technology-based teaching methods and resources
effectively engage students and build their skills, many educators encounter
difficulties when using technology in the classroom.
Maybe a specific platform is too hard to
introduce. Or maybe it won’t run on your devices. Despite the challenges, you
likely want to enjoy the benefits that education technology can deliver.
Delivering Content
1. Run a Virtual Field Trip
If a location is out of reach due to logistical
issues, you can simulate a virtual trip by buying a Google Cardboard
for less than $15.
There are apps you can use to explore famous
buildings, such as the Empire State Building, and natural phenomena, such as
the Great Barrier Reef.
You may ask: “How
will this connect with a learning objective?” You could visit a foreign
landmark, holding a mock conversation in that country’s language. Or, you could
study the area itself from a geographic perspective.
This can add a new, engaging element to your
lessons.
2. Preview Field Trips Virtually
Similarly, you can use Google Earth to explore
locations before actually visiting them.
Let’s say your class is set to go to the Zoo. Find
the location, traveling through it using Street View to see which exhibits
pique the most student interest. You can quickly discuss what they’re looking
forward to, boosting excitement levels
for the trip.
Popular field trip destinations will also have
websites filled with visual media you can use to complement the preview.
All it takes is a device connected to a projector or
large screen.
3. Quiet a Noisy Classroom
To make it easier to give lessons and presentations,
use a tool that tracks and displays classroom noise.
For example, Too Noisy is an accurate noise
meter. You’ll likely find that — without having to tell them — students will
become quiet when the meter spikes.
This means most of them
won’t be as disruptive when you give a lesson or run an independent work
activity. They may even shush each other.
In turn, you’ll have an easier time presenting
content.
4. Use Videos for Mini-Lessons
You can bolster your lesson plans by using videos as
stand-alone overviews for some topics.
Also available as skill reviews and previews, there
are many websites that host teacher-made video content. Teacher Tube
is an example of an education-only version of
YouTube, covering core school
subjects.
You can search for a specific topic or browse by
category, quickly finding relevant videos. For example, searching for “middle
school algebra” will load a results page containing study guides, specific
lessons and exam reviews.
This easy way to use technology in the classroom
adds a multimedia element to your lessons, which can effectively resonate with visual learners.
Research has shown that the use of animated
videos can positively impact a child’s development
in several competence areas including memory, creativity, critical
thinking, and problem solving.
5. Co-ordinate Live Video
You don’t have to limit yourself to pre-recorded
videos, as conferencing technology can allow subject matter experts to deliver
lessons.
Whether it’s a contact from another school or a
seasoned lecturer you reach out to, bringing an expert into your classroom will
expose your students to new ideas and
can lighten your workload.
You can add the person as a contact on Skype or
Google Hangouts, delivering the lesson through the program. Skype even has a list of guest speakers
who will voluntarily speak about their topics of expertise.
Ask your students to prepare questions, helping them
enjoy — and fulling participate in — this modern take on traditional lessons.
6. Play Podcasts
Playing relevant podcasts can not only
supplement your lessons, but engage auditory learners and act as a learning
station.
Made by groups ranging from media giants to ordinary
people passionate about a particular subject, Interviews with the author of a
book your students are reading
Lessons about studying techniques and strategies
Explorations of a curriculum-related topic
Lectures from professors
For a high school course, you may want to design a
project that allows students to create and play their own podcasts.
This is one of the easiest ways to use technology in
your classroom — you just need a device with strong speakers.
7. Add Multimedia Elements to Presentations
Whereas slideshow presentations entirely made up of
text can disengage students, ones with multimedia elements can effectively hold
their attention by varying content delivery.
8. Send Adaptive Content
If each of your students has a smartphone and is
always on it, why not use the situation to your advantage by delivering content
through the phones?
There are adaptive learning programs
that students can access through tablets and smartphones.
For example, ClassK12
offers grammar lessons up to 6th grade Common Core standards. It’s made up of
mobile apps that students can download onto their personal devices. As a
teacher, you can create virtual classrooms, deliver assignments and run
reports.
9. Share an Online Class Calendar
To keep students informed regarding the content
they’ll be tackling, create and share a class calendar that details lessons and
highlights important dates.
You can use a program such as Google Calendar,
emailing your calendar’s hyperlink to your students or their parents.
This not only keeps them informed, but helps you
stay organized — you’ll quickly see if you’ve set too many due dates in a short
period.
And by keeping students in the loop, you’ll help them come prepared for each
class.
Helping Students Process Content
10. Use Virtual Manipulative
When teaching and reinforcing some math concepts,
students can use virtual manipulatives in more ways than physical ones.
For example, a 6th grade geometry activity from the National
Library of Virtual Manipulative involves using garboards
to illustrate area, perimeter and rational concepts.
11. Run Learning Stations
Learning stations is a method of both delivering a range of content and giving students
different ways to process it.
With a device at each station, you can provide
videos, podcasts, slideshows and other digital media. Students can then solve
challenges to build understanding of the material.
12. Provide Online Activities for Students Who Complete Work
Early
Similarly, you can set up stations for students to
use when they complete work early, giving
them engaging ways to further process content.
Set up a few devices that have videos, websites and
educational games open. Take time to ensure that this material is aligned with
your lesson, allowing students to delve into relevant topics.
Exit tickets can take the form of:
Online Journal Entries — Using an online notepad, students can write a journal
entry to summarize what they learned.
Slideshow Comments —
Sharing copies of slideshows from the day’s lesson, students can make comments
through PowerPoint or Google Slides to review and expand on important points.
Tweets
— In 140 characters or less,
students can summarize the most important point they learned in class. You can
easily see what they wrote by asking them to use a class-exclusive hash tag.
13. Use Twitter Hash tags to Take Questions
Just as you can use a class-exclusive hash tag for
exit tickets, you can use it to take questions throughout the day.
By inputting the hash tag in Twitter’s search bar,
you can display the feed on a screen
during class or check it periodically on your device. You can
choose to answer all the questions at once, or as they pop up.
Using a program such as Bounce,
you can create an interactive screenshot of any page just by inputting its URL.
When students open the screenshot, they’ll see commands to create notes,
feedback and other edits.
In classrooms with one-to-one device use, students
can do this individually.
In classrooms without one-to-one device use, you can
make it a group activity. Ask each group to make notes and feedback aimed at
improving the web page’s content. Once each group is done, compare the edits to
see which group improved the page the most.
When it
comes time to start a new project, give students a list of options to choose
from. This way, you can appeal to their distinct learning styles and they can
effectively demonstrate their knowledge.
- Designing web content
- Putting together ebooks
- Creating original artwork
- Composing musical tunes
- Crafting multimedia products
- Students can use widely-accessible software to complete these projects, which you may want to provide on classroom devices.
- This way, you can dedicate in-class time to project work while giving students some autonomy over how they use technology in school.
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