myHomework & educaplay. . . Great Apps for the Classroom

When looking for interesting web based apps, one that I recently came across that looks like it has great potential is myHomework. This app allows students to keep track of their calendar, classes, teachers, homework, and announcements. I think this app would be ideal for senior years, but also late middle years students. The app would give the students the tools that they need to keep track of their assignments and due dates as well as their schedules, but would also teach them the importance of scheduling and keeping track. I think that if students are given an app that helps them with organization it would be a lot more engaging for them than using a paper organizer. The other great component with this app is that the teacher can use their own version and link it with the students. By doing this, the teacher automatically puts in assignment dates and reminders so the student does not even have to enter the information, but simply follow what the teacher has provided for them. This would be a great app to use in a BYOD classroom. I think making students accountable for their own behaviour is really important and if given a tool that is linked to the teacher, it puts the responsibility in the student's hands to follow through with dates and assignments.

 

 

 

https://myhomeworkapp.com/

 

Another great app that I found was educaplay. This app lets teachers create a variety of different multimedia teaching activities for their students. Some of the tools include: crosswords, word searches, riddles, fill in the texts, dictations, jumbled words, jumbled sentences, quizzes, and maps, matching games, dialogues, and collections. I think this would be a great tool for teachers. I do honestly need to play around with it a little more but from what I have done with it so far it seems to work great. I like that it is free and that there are many different tools and options in one site so I do not have to go to various places for different applications. 



 

http://en.educaplay.com/

Never Enough Information

I really enjoyed today's Internet for Educators class. It was a break from the "norm" as we didn't have a guest speaker and we were just able to spend some time listening and sharing about ideas and techniques. I love that this class gives us the opportunity to experiment. We are presented with so many tools that are available to us, but it is our choice to try the ones we want and keep the ones we love.
Today I was introduced to Google+. I never knew this aspect of google existed but I can see some really neat uses for it, especially if I am teaching in a late middle years class. I love how you can make different circles and as a result target different groups with emails and messages. I think this would be really time saving when sending something out to an entire class. I also like the "Skype" type features of Google+. It would allow kids access to connect from home without having to pay fees that may be present with Skype.
Another part of today's class that I thought was very beneficial was the discussion around videos. I am excited to try both crash course on YouTube as well as edutube.com for ideas to incorporate into lessons.
Googlfight was a great way to start the class. . . something that I am sure any middle years student would love to play with at some point! Definitely a keeper on my list!

Incorporating Videos in the Classroom

I have really started thinking in terms of how to incorporate technology into every lesson that I do and I think that videos in general are a great place to start! Kids of all ages love to watch a little video clip and if it somehow relates to them and the lesson that is being taught it is a great way to peak their interest and activate their learning. When looking for videos, I always gravitated to YouTube as that is all that I was really familiar with. Having listened to others talk in class, as well as seeing what is popping up on my Twitter feed, TEDEd really caught my eye. I really like that I can search by different series or subject matter and the videos are focused on education. I am excited to play around with this site a lot more as it gives me the tools to edit and arrange videos the way that I want so that I can customize them for my own lesson! The site also provides additional resources that I can access to enhance your lesson and take some stress out of planning (who doesn't like that!).
Two selections from TEDEd that I really like and can see myself using in the classroom are:
(Video) A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-glimpse-of-teenage-life-in-ancient-rome-ray-laurence
(Series) Awesome Nature http://ed.ted.com/series#/awesome-nature

Tips & Techniques from Clarence Fisher

Although our Internet for Educators skype call with Clarence Fisher was brief, it was still packed full of valuable information! Clarence is a junior high teacher in Snow Lake, MB and uses technology in his classroom, not only as a learning tool, but also to connect the students in his somewhat remote community with the rest of the world.
A point that Clarence made was that technology is now an ever changing industry and as educators it is our responsibility to prepare the students for a world that is constantly changing. This has been a reoccurring theme from all of the speakers that we have had in our class, but I think a really important point. I know that as an educator, I must educate myself as much as possible  in the area of technology so that I am able to teach my students how to use education properly and effectively for their educational needs.
Another point that Clarence made was that "kids should create, not just consume". I think this is key to using technology effectively in the classroom. The are so many tools for kids to tap into in terms of technology and if those tools are used effectively kids can expand their learning by amazing levels. It is our job as educators to expose the students to these tools and give them guidance in using technology to enhance their education. We need to think about why we are infusing technology, have a purpose for it, and give the students the tools to use it to it's fullest potential.
In a PD with Devon Caldwell she spoke about the importance of connecting her students with others around the world. Clarence Fisher spoke of the same thing. I think this is a very important way of using technology in the classroom, at any age level. Not only does it help the students build a network with others, but it also teaches empathy and appreciation. If students are able to see the lives of their peers in another part of the world they are not only able to appreciate what they have, but also develop a sense of understanding for what challenges others go through on a daily basis.
It was great to hear how Clarence is using technology in his classroom and the successes that he has had! Great information and strategies that I can't wait to implement!

Learning Online Info. . .An Excellent Edublog!

Internet for Educators has developed an interest in me for blogs, not just writing my own, but reading those of others. One of the most informational edubloggers that I have been following is Learning Online Info written by Jorge Goncalves. His blog is full of amazing information about using online technology. Although much of the information on his blog is geared towards university students, it can all be adapted and applied to any level of learning.

There are so many aspects of this blog that I enjoy and appreciate. The ease of use of this blog so great! I like that there is not a lot of “extra” stuff on the blog. It is easy to find the current and past topics and choose exactly what I want to read. I also like that he has categories down the side of the blog so if I am looking for something specific it is easy to find the information that Jorge has previously posted on the topic. The links that Jorge includes to other edublogger sites and resources is also great!

There are a lot of excellent resources listed for teachers on this blog. Some of Jorge’s posts are geared towards students, while others are towards educators. However, I think that even though some posts are focused on students, those posts are also beneficial for me as an educator. I like how he explains how to infuse different aspects of technology into the classroom and gives useful tips and hints on how to be successful. The posts on this blog often start with the very basics which I really appreciate. If I don’t understand what something is at all, there are often initial posts on the topic that describe the concept from the basics and then go into more detail and explanation on how to integrate the concept. For me, this is really important as a lot of the technology I have vaguely heard of, but don’t really understand what it is or how to use it.

I highly recommend checking out this blog! http://learningonlineinfo.org

Unlimited Information From Podcasts

I am starting to see a common thread with my blog posts. . . another piece of technology/information that I have tapped into for the first time because of Internet for Educators. This blog post is devoted to all that I have been learning and exploring in the world of podcasts! Podcasts are not something that I was unaware of. My husband religiously listens to sports podcasts to help him with his fantasy leagues. . .many road trips have involved me learning more than I ever wanted to know about football and baseball! However, I never thought of listening to a podcast for educational purposes for myself. I have found a couple of podcasts that I am finding interesting and informative, but the one that I have come across that I am enjoying the most is Teacher's Aid: The Best Ideas in Education.
This particular podcast deals with strategies, tools and techniques for the classroom. Although it is not marketed as a technology podcast, there have been a lot of technology topics that I have listened to, along with other tips and techniques for the classroom. The podcast that I listened to this morning was based on cellphones in the classroom and the debate that surrounds the issue. It was interesting to hear both points of view on the topic, although I agree so much more with devices being aloud and all the advantages that come with technology.
One thing I really appreciate about this podcast is that there are guests on each episode that are mostly teachers. It is nice to hear their opinions on the topics as they are the ones that have the first hand experience in the situations that are being discussed. Some of the topics that have been discussed that I have taken a lot of information and tips away from are: appropriate dress for teachers, why inquiry based project learning are successful, how to deal with angry teachers, dealing with students that feel they are entitled, and how to adapt to the 21st century student.
Another aspect of the podcast that I really like is that in 10-15 minutes I can gain some expert knowledge in one area. It is not overwhelming as it is a short period of listening and it is engaging because I am listening to a question and answer discussion that a few people are having. I think this aspect of podcasts would be very beneficial in the classroom. Students could easily find a podcast on a specific topic that was being discussed in class. It is a great way to incorporate the use of their own device for learning. There are so many podcasts available, that each student could tap into a different one and as a result tap into a different expert's opinion on one topic. This would provide a great learning tool as the students could then report back to each other and share the information that they got from their podcast and in turn teach and learn from each other.
The information available on podcasts is endless! Now that I understand how podcasts work, how to find what I am looking for (or even things that I didn't know I was looking for) and how easy podcasts are to use, I think I will be much more drawn to using podcasts as a source of information. I know that this will become a great tool for me both in and out of the classroom!

To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

Twitter. . . one thing that I always said I would not join. . . but here I am! Yet again Internet for Educators has pushed my comfort level and expanded my learning experience in the field of technology. I must admit, I was definitely ignorant in the world of Twitter. I always thought Twitter was about following celebrities or keeping up with what was going on in my friend's lives. I never realized the potential of Twitter in terms of connecting with other educators and gaining incredible resources from them! Learning on a daily basis from experts that I would never had the opportunity of connecting with is an amazing aspect of Twitter! By reading what others have to share I am able to build from their resources and tools and adapt their knowledge to what I am needing in my education journey.
So, even though I said I never would, I have been convinced that the world of Twitter is for me! I still am not sure how comfortable I am with doing a lot of tweeting myself, but maybe that is something that will change with time. I am however excited to see what knowledge I can gain and what doors will be opened through the connections that I make!