Kick off your new semester with Technaughtlogy
We’ve created this blog to provide you with tools and resources that you can use to easily incorporate technology in your classroom. The benefits of using technology are diverse, from motivating students to streamlining your assessments and evaluations. Many technologies are overwhelming and can be a pain to figure out just how to use it in your classroom. That’s where we come in. We want you to help you find and use technology that will enhance your lessons and increase your student’s achievement without leaving you wondering scratching your head in frustration. So with no further adieu we’d like to share with you five resources you can start using right away. You don’t need to download or install anything.
1. myPolkApps is a portal to using the Google Apps suite and is a great way to share information with your students. For the beginning user you may want to stay in the shallow end and test out the waters with Google Docs. With this online tool you can create and share documents from any computer with an Internet connection. You can even upload your previously created documents and store them in your myPolkApps account. Not finished working on an upcoming assignment? Upload it to Google Docs, the service will convert it for you, and then finish it at home. No flash drive required!
2. Tired of sifting through YouTube videos for educational content? Here’s an alternative to the videos. Try podcasts. They are readily available, easily accessible, and free! We’ve found that many times the Internet just won’t run as fast as we need it here on campus. This leaves us with frozen videos and frustrated students. However, audio recording don’t take up as much bandwidth and require more attention on the student’s part. Podcasts are a diverse medium with content ranging from sitcoms to science. If you insist there are also video podcasts as well. Enjoy using podcasts in the classroom. Why not take it to the next level and try creating your own podcasts? Check out the support our media center has to offer.
3. In days leading to the FCAT we are all just a little over stressed trying to find resources that will best help our students succeed. The county has been using the Discovery Education website for some time now and it offers not only progress monitoring options, but also the opportunity to create your own assessments using their system. Creating your own assessment probe is easy with previously created content as well as the ability to upload your own material and questions. Once the probe is completed the site stores the information and provides a link that students can use to access your assessment from any computer with an Internet connection.
4. Are you suffering from social network withdrawal while at your school computer? Well, PD360 just might be the answer for you! When you sign into this county approved site with your county credentials, you will be prompted to create a profile and invite your professional colleagues to “friend” you. What’s more PD is countywide, so if you know professionals from other schools around the district you can connect with them as well. Also, PD360 houses a vast collection of professional development opportunities so you can collect PD points as you connect and collaborate with colleagues and coworkers.
5. Current events can be tough to keep up with in the classroom. Many times the textbooks that we use are outdated before they get to our classrooms. It’s important that students understand what is happening in the world. An easily accessible resource that is a fantastic tool for students and teachers is TweenTribune. Check out this website and create your own classroom where students can read articles from around the world. They are carefully screened and updated daily. Students can even post their opinions and thoughts about the article and parents can be kept in the loop via email.
We hope this brief list will inspire you to check out some of the resources the Internet has to offer. It is truly our gateway to the world in this technological age. Students are learning in new ways these days and we need to make sure we are teaching them how to learn with these tools. Technology makes learning fresh.
Have a resource you like to use in your classroom? Share it in a comment below.
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