The Benefits of Using Technology"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow" -John Dewey
Students are used to getting information at high speed and have shorter attention spans because of this. Including technology in the classroom keeps students motivated and involved more so than teaching solely from a textbook.
While I understand the importance of staying current and integrating the use of technology in the classroom, I strongly believe that it is only beneficial if it is used properly and if students are educated about the technology before using it. The skill of typing, the proper way to research a topic, and the dangers of the Internet are all aspects that I think should be taught in schools if students have access to computers and I plan on integrating as much of this in my lessons each time I use technology. |
Incredible Apps for Any Classroom
This summer, I took a course called “Emerging Technologies for the Classroom” and was astounded by the advancements in technology and how valuable some tools can be in the classroom. Book Creator, Explain Everything, QR Codes, and Aurasma are some of the many apps I explored in the course. I am eagerly looking forward to using these apps within my classroom and plan to include examples of students’ work in the future.
Book Creator
Book Creator is a valuable app that enables students to create digital books allowing them to include text, audio, pictures, and videos. It is extremely user-friendly and can even be used by kindergarten students! The major feature of this app is that projects can be published as ebooks or as PDFs and can also be printed. In the past, I have created several class books with kindergarten students, where each student brings home the book for one day to share with their family. Students really enjoy this activity as they develop a sense of pride and accomplishment when they get to bring the book home. Unfortunately, because it is a collective effort shared amongst the whole class and there is only one copy, students are unable to keep the book. I plan on using Book Creator for my future class books so that students will still have the same benefits from creating a book together, but everyone will have access to the ebook and can keep their own copy. |
Explain Everything
This app acts as an individual interactive whiteboard in each students' hands. It allows students to record their voice while doing their work so that teachers can see and hear the student's thought process and can pinpoint what he/she understands. By using Explain Everything, students can showcase their understanding and can benefit from the process of sharing their work and teaching their peers. My favorite feature is the ability to import text and record a student’s voice as they read the text and follow along with their finger, as the finger tracking is also recorded. This allows a teacher, as well as the student, the opportunity to review and correct common reading difficulties. I plan to use this feature with younger students, as it is a great tool to monitor and document a student’s reading progress. |
QR Codes (using the i-nigma app) A QR code is a type of barcode that links users to an image, document or website and can be scanned using the i-nigma app. It is a quick and convenient way to access information on any smart device (phone or tablet). I plan on using QR codes as a platform for students to share their favorite projects with parents and peers, similar to an online portfolio. I also plan on creating a lesson where students scan QR codes found around the school in order to retrieve the information that leads them to the next code. |
Aurasma
Augmented reality is the idea of digitally enhancing physical objects found in our environment. With the Aurasma app, videos, pictures, audio can be embedded onto real-life objects so that they appear on the iPad once the physical object is scanned. Imagine setting up a classroom like a museum with students’ work displayed on the wall. With Aurasma, students can embed videos of themselves describing their work process and explaining what they have learned directly onto a poem or picture. Augmented reality is revolutionizing the classroom and completely changing the way students learn and take on project presentations, eliminating the over-used posters and PowerPoint presentations. This makes learning more interactive and accessible so that students can share their knowledge with peers outside of their classroom walls. The amazing thing about Aurasma is that there are so many possibilities for its use, regardless of what grade or subject being taught. After playing around with the app and seeing what it can do, I am certain that students of all ages will be amazed by seeing a video or message appear on their screen and will then want everything to become an "aura" to share with family and friends! |