by Tasha Candela
Expert Educator Columnist, USA
As part of my role as an Instructional Technology Coordinator, I share cool technology tools with staff members. With a short description and video tutorial for each tool, I help others feel empowered by the many free ways to engage our students and learn ourselves. Please consider or continue using them within your own classroom.
Remind / http://vimeo.com/105682045.
If you were to ask me what my favorite app is, I would answer with Remind. Remind is essentially a free text messaging service. It allows teachers to interact with students in a safe, secure way. Once you setup your classes, you can schedule reminders, attach documents, and connect with individuals. As part of their Teacher Advisory Board, I get to test new features and provide feedback on an ongoing basis. According to their website, 1 in 5 teachers in the U.S. use Remind so apparently I am not the only Remind fanatic!
Social Media / https://vimeo.com/106413938.
Promoting events and students through the use of social media has been a blessing. We have painted a positive image for our school. But social media doesn’t have to be utilized for informational purposes only. Instead, teachers can learn from educators across the globe with professional development through Twitter.
Kahoot / https://vimeo.com/107282319.
At 31, I still hold game nights at my house. It is fun to interact with my friends, see how knowledgeable or lucky I am, and have a few laughs. In much of the same way, Kahoot can be used in the classroom. This game-based classroom response system works by allowing students to answer questions, take control over their blended learning experience, and compete with classmates in a highly engaging way.
SurveyMonkey / http://vimeo.com/109471078.
In order to gain valuable feedback from my classes, it is important to ask students for their input. Although there are many other tools, I use SurveyMonkey as my data collection spot. I will never be a perfect teacher, but I can certainly improve my practices by listening to student responses and making changes accordingly. Feel free to use/modify this survey as you wish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6QYGFZQ.
Animoto / https://vimeo.com/110158159.
In a class period (or two) students can create a video that melds still photos, video clips, and transitions into one. Although the 30 second free time allotment is quick, you are forcing students to make their message count. I have created a quick example video for my own portfolio at http://animoto.com/play/FQti2RxXfmGf7bz9NYSaeg?utm_source=amazonaws.com&utm_medium=player&utm_campaign=player.
Be the Tigger,
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