Digital Tools
Choose a digital tool to use in your classroom or professional situation. You are free to select any app or tool you would like to share with your peers. Write your blog entry as a comment on the course-wide blog (see below for the address). Please include the following in your entry:
1. name of the tool
2. platform(s) on which it works (web-based, iOS, Android, etc.)
3. what it does
4. one way it could be used in your situation (classroom, PD, etc.) Be specific with your ideas!
5. at which level of SAMR your example activity falls
For an example of a tool-specific blog, check out Amanda Fisher's blog about Class Dojo. Please note that this blog is much more extensive than what you need to provide.
posted by Unknown @ 2:48 PM
25 Comments
25 Comments:
Padlet is a tool I will use with sixth graders as they receive their Chromebooks this semester. The web-based tool is designed to encourage collaboration and communication. We will start with brainstorming ideas for a project to create for our school's annual Media Fair. Through online discussion, using guided questions, students can express thoughts about perspectives, modifications, angles to explore within a given topic. This will start them with an easy-to-use app that will substitute for a traditional notepad to record their thoughts.
Padlet is a tool I will use with sixth graders as they receive their Chromebooks this semester. The web-based tool is designed to encourage collaboration and communication. We will start with brainstorming ideas for a project to create for our school's annual Media Fair. Through online discussion, using guided questions, students can express thoughts about perspectives, modifications, angles to explore within a given topic. This will start them with an easy-to-use app that will substitute for a traditional notepad to record their thoughts.
I recently started using Symbaloo. I like this webpage because I can access it on all my devices. It is a website where you can put all your favorite links to access in one place. When I first started using it, I thought of it like placing apps on my iPhone’s home screen. I have a page for 3rd grade, one for personal, and one our administrator shared with us with IDOE information. I really like Symbaloo because I can put a website I want to explore on there and come back at a later time to take a look. I also like it because it reminds me to visit certain sites for updates often (like IDOE). As many of you can agree, time is limited and precious to us right now and I found this saves me a lot of time! All my favorites are in one spot for me to access with just a click. I plan to use Symbaloo in my classroom with my students when they get their own devices. I will require them to have specific links and will give them the opportunity to add links they discover that will assist them in their academic achievements. I’m still up in the air about allowing them to add a personal page as I did. I think this may be something we try out and see how it goes. I worry about them using it as a toy for game links that are not educational related. I think this would be at the A level in SAMR. It can open doors to many useful tools.
I like using BrainPop in my classroom. It is a website full of animated videos present by the two same main characters, Tim and Mobi. This website has videos over almost any topic. I like to use it as an attention-getter to either introduce a new topic or sometimes review. After each video there is a 10 question review quiz. Right now I do this as a whole class activity, but it would be beneficial to have a classroom or school account so students could access it and take the quizzes individually. Each video also has additional resources, games and activities that can further student learning by allowing them to explore and research independently. I am not entirely sure where on the SAMR model this resource would fall, but I'm thinking an 'A'.
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I discovered a free web-based app called Bookopolis that I want to try in my classroom . It has many
options available to both students and teachers. I was intrigued when I saw it had a community for
young readers to find recommended books to read by various categories including genre, grade
level, and common core alignment. Having used Bookkadventure.com in my class for many years , I
am interested in how this will work in my class. Students can practice opinion writing when sharing
book reviews with other kids, as well as practicing comprehension and typing skills with online book
reports. These can all be monitored on a Teacher Dashboard that allows teachers to comment back
to their students. Students can also create a bookshelf, share with friends, and earn points much like
bookadventure. I want to try this next semester to improve my students writing and reading skills with
a social tie-in component. I would give this an “A” SAMR rating.
I love using the Collaborate feature in our ConnectEd program that supplements our Wonders reading series. It is a web based tool that all students and teachers at Throop have access to at home or at school. Collaborate allows me to post topics for students to answer and then allows them to message each other back and forth to collaborate about the topic I've selected for them.
So far I have used this tool with small groups of students responding to one another as well as the entire class responding back and forth. We all sit at our computers (myself included) and discuss something or share our opinions about something we've read. I have used this to go along with the classroom read aloud book, social studies topics, and new vocabulary word discoveries to name a few. I love that it gives students practice with being grammatically correct when typing and it allows them to branch out and examine the thoughts of others without face to face interaction. Some of my quietest students are able to voice their opinions or beliefs more readily through the use of Collaborate.
I look forward to the continual use of this resource as I work to climb the SAMR ladder by allowing students to pose the topic questions and by creating at-home discussion assignments once students have Chromebooks. I think the way I'm using it right now would fit in the Augmentation category of SAMR because of the instant feedback I am able to give them and the high levels of engagement it creates.
Prezi is a web-based presentation tool that I've just started using in my classroom. I created a free educator account, and students log in with my email to work on their presentations. I wanted an alternative to Power Point presentations which many students have been making since second grade. Instead of a linear slide-to-slide presentation, Prezi allows students to create non-linear presentations on a large canvas. At any point in the presentation students can zoom in on a different spot on the canvas or zoom out to see the big picture. Students can start with a template or begin with their own blank canvas. They can insert videos and pictures to enhance their presentation.
Since Prezi was new to me, I asked Mr. Hannon to introduce it to students and then meet with us a second time after students had some time to work.
The level of involvement and engagement was amazing. Students were logging in at home to work on their presentations and choosing to work during their free time and recess.
I think this would be on the Augmentation level of the SAMR model. I'm wondering if making it a collaborative project might move it up a level on the model.
I am excited about exploring Web 2.0 (web-based) further, but I think it would be a great tool for me to use to find new digital resources. It was a one-stop kind of place to shop for new ideas. Time saving and productive.
I could use this as the teacher and to find resources for my students, so we would all benefit. I specifically thought of using Prezi that was included on Web 2.0. Prezi would be a nice change to PowerPoint.
Students could use all levels of the SAMR model while researching a topic and then presenting the information.
Scootpad is a program that I am currently using with a student in my classroom. It’s a web based program that allows teachers to assign standards that students need to work on. You can determine the number of questions and the number of sets that you would like for students to answer. Each student can be different. Students get immediate feedback on whether they are correct. It is not game based or super distracting. Any time a students answer a question correctly they earn a coin. Teachers can set up a reward center in the program where students can redeem the coins that they earn. This feature encourages my student to take his time and put forth a good effort. Examples of rewards that he can earn are lunch in the classroom, free time and lunch from his favorite local restaurant. The last one costs him 1,000 points. Scootpad works bests on a computer. I tried using it on the iPad, and it did not work very well. This is probably an A on the SAMR model. I'm perfectly okay with that. The technology is meeting the need of the student.
So, I am a little (or a lot) old school when it comes to teaching. I am pretty comfortable with the activities that my students have enjoyed year after year and have benefitted from. I do use technology, but I tend to move within the first two levels of SAMR.
An activity that I use often is actually http://www.arcademics.com/games/. Students can log on and compete against each other using laptops. I have worked in this format, but I often work in small groups to practice math facts and other review skills on the SmartBoard.
During these sessions, I choose a skill (such as multiplication facts) and have students choose a partner. The kids stand at either side of the Smartboard and work as a team to choose correct answers and set a fast time for their team. Other teams compete and it motivates the students to practice facts over and over again to get a better time.
This, of course, falls within the first level of SAMR. Students could use flash cards or worksheets to practice facts.
I was introduced to the collaborative feature on the ConnectEd website that goes along with our reading series by a teammate and I really enjoy it. It is a website that they can access with a pass code. It allows me to post questions or comments to the students and they can respond to me as well as others. It is in a blog format. It also allows the students to have access to review games, additional reading material, and other options that I have not even played with yet. I think this falls into the second level of SAMR
I think Google Slides could be used as a way for my students to create a presentation that summarizes their daily activities and progress toward IEP goals. Students could use this tool on Google Drive to show how their daily schedule is segmented, add photos or video clips of themselves working, and make any other comments about learning goals or achievements. These presentations could then be shared at case conferences with parents and other committee members by the students themselves. This would give them ownership and a voice at their own conferences. I think this would be at the Augmentation or Modification level of the SAMR model because it would be a functionally improved way of presenting the information and the technology would allow for the student to have direct involvement with the task.
The tool that I like to use is Weebly. This is a web based tool that I use as a communication tool. Currently, I have transitioned from a paper newsletter to an on-line website using Weebly. It is easy to use and offers lots of opportunities. I have used the tool to create individual pages for each subject I teach, for 5th grade calendar or class upcoming events, for school wide assessment information, and for classroom needs. In addition, I have added photos of class events or of individual students to showcase success. My students and parents both started accessing the site, and I could get information on how often and when they were viewing the site. The students were so excited about seeing their pictures on the site and seeing their names showcased for “A” work. Soon they were asking if they could help with the site and a new class job was created: Class Photographer. As I started to explore other options in Weebly, we were able to upload a Powerpoint presentation of poetry my students created and add audio We were then able to share the presentation with anyone who viewed our site complete with the child reading their own work. While I am a beginner on using this tool, it has many more options for me to explore. I can create a blog on the site, take polls, create forms to be completed, attach audio or video files, documents, and much, much, more. My students are now taking ownership of the site and want to help update it. I think this is a great idea and will require some guidelines (like only I can hit the publish button), but I think most of my students can handle that. So this too may become a class job. I feel that Weebly is at the Modification level of SAMR because it allows me to post details on class activities and allows for feedback . As I explore more, the polling tool will help to allow students or parents to communicate needs or interests to allow for more individualized assignments. This in turn will heighten student interest and help students to feel more power in their own learning process. Currently, I am using the free version. There is a pay version that even allows more features.
I really like using Symbaloo also. I was a little apprehensive about it at first, but it is so easy. All Symbaloo does is it organizes my web links. I have a web mix page that is just for me and my personal use. That page consists of Shutterfly, Food Network, Barnes and Noble, etc Then I have a page that my administrator sent us that I very easily attached to my web mix pages. That is a more professional page and it makes it so much easier to get to the IDOE,etc. I also have a third grade page that I plan on adding to. I am excited to use this in class and have the kids add their own educational web mixes. This I believe is in the "Modification" section of the SAMR model.
I have recently been using Symbaloo. This is a bookmarking tool that allows me to create links to favorite or frequently visited sites all on one page. The layout is pleasing and can be edited by the user. I have found that this saves time in the classroom. By setting my Webmix as my homepage, I have access to numerous sites that I can use to enhance a lesson. I can drift from multiple activities without disrupting the pace of my lessons. Symbaloo will prove to be very valuable when students receive their own devices. Initially, time will have to be devoted to creating these pages. However by making the pages similar, students will be able to assist one another in groups and avoid navigation errors. If the students prove to use this tool well, they can create individual pages. These pages could contain links to educational games. These could be completed during free time or at home. I can see this tool fitting into multiple levels of the SAMR model. Symbaloo certainly leads to functional improvement. Once the students become familiar with it, they will be able to travel on the web without disrupting instruction. It will also promote task redesign, as I link important sites and programs students will need to experience.
I currently use an online art gallery called Artsonia. Artsonia has a website and also an app that one can download for a smartphone or tablet. This online art gallery gives students an opportunity to share their art work to their classmates, family, and community. Actually, the whole world has access to view my students' work. After students share their work, they are asked to explain the process how they created the piece. They explain what the assignment was, where they came up with the idea, what supplies were used, and if they fulfilled the assignment. Also, others (teacher, classmates, family, community) have the opportunity to share their thoughts and critiques about the students' work. I really like this site because the art work never goes away. Students can actually see their progress year after year as they move throughout grade levels. At this point, I believe how I use this tool is at the Augmentation stage of the SAMR model because the critique from the teacher, parents, and students is available online. Traditional methods are still used to present the lesson.
I use an app called Proloquo 2 go in my classroom. The iOS app is a communication device that allows students to communicate using symbols. The app will read the symbols/words the student types as a way to communicate. One of my students uses this app to express any wants or needs he may have. I would say this app falls on the Augmentation or Modification level of the SAMR model. This app is so important to so many people; it’s one of the wonderful ways technology has changed the way people live.
Symbaloo is a web based personal startpage that allows you to easily navigate the web and compile your favorite site all in to one visual interface. Save your bookmarks in the cloud and access them from anywhere with any device. I would like to learn how to use this tool to link in to what the grade level teachers are using in our building with their students. I want the students in my class to have access to everything their peers are using. I could create a websight that had symbaloo links for each grade level. I would like to figure out a way to link my kids into activities on ConnectED that I do not currently have access to. I think for my purposes this falls within the Modification level common classroom tasks are being accomplished through the use of computer technology and students who for emotional or behavioral reasons can not function in the general education system can still receive equal instruction despite their handicaps. As a teacher of grades K-6 in one classroom it is physically impossible for me to provide the same quality of instruction for all seven grade levels as a teacher who only has one grade level to think about. By sharing resources in this matter and incorporating them in to my learning centers, at least I know my students are getting the same opportunities as their peers.
Animoto is a tool that I would love to use. It works in the platforms of IOS, Android, and IPad. What is does is to create presentations incorporating images, video clips, music, and text. I t can create videos for the classroom, I saw some awesome examples on their website.
One such presentation was on the Civil Rights Movement. Various pictures and images were combined with text and music to show a moving presentation that you just can't get with PowerPoint. Animoto can also be used to introduce lessons or concepts in an unique way or explain and expand difficult lessons and concepts.
I believe the level of SAMR would be M for modification and possibly even R redefinition.
On the Animoto website it stated that educators can apply for an Animoto Plus account for use in the classroom.
1. Composer time machine
2. Web-based (classicsforkids.com)
The game takes students through the history of music teaching them about composers while playing examples of the composer's work. I like to include "sprinkles" of composer history throughout my curriculum, and this would be a great supplemental activity for students as they complete tasks at different times. I believe it falls into the Augmentation or Modification on the SAMR model because it is an interactive way for students to learn. It gives them so much information through pictures and sound files, something a book simply can't do.
1.I currently do not use technology in my class.
2. A colleague introduced me to Nearpod recently. I can create my own presentations or use presentations that are in the library. It's something students can do inside/outside of class for assignments. All the data feedback comes back to the teacher for instant grading. The options are unlimited on what you can do with your students.
My choice of a "digital tool" in my cache of therapy tools would have to be my IPad with the app Puppet Pals. This app has been a "work in progress" for me but I LOVE the range of things that I am capable of doing with any of my speech and language students. It's basically an app that allows anyone the capability of acting with a choice of several different characters, settings, background music, etc.
When I was first introduced to the app (thank you, Heather Unger!), I used it mainly for story telling within a language group. For example, I created characters in the app that represented each student in the group and then we used it as an interactive way to increase expressive language. The best part is that it gives each student the ability to make each play their own with "voice overs" and a record and playback features. All of the kids just love it which makes therapy so much fun and the app totally worth the investment. Just this year, I have used it with my articulation groups more and more. I first must develop the "word list" or "sentence list" that students must use when creating their "play" with the group. It's been fun to see the students having fun while increasing their accountability. I have them "grade" their speech during the playback mode. I feel that this tool helps students develop more awareness of their speech sounds in error while adding in that element of capturing their attention at the same time.
I would say that this activity would definitely fit into many categories of the SAMR model. The first one that I thought of was the category of Modification.
The tool that I use with my class is called Weebly. It is a website that I run for the students in my classroom and the parents. I have had nothing but good experiences and feedback from using the website. I have even shared it with a couple of colleagues and I believe they may enjoy it more than I do!
Weebly is very easy to run and manage. I have created the website to explain what we are doing in each subject week by week. I also allow the students and parents to see the upcoming tests, quizzes, and important events in the near future. Recently on the website, I have been adding pictures of our class in action. The parents and students love seeing what is going on inside the classroom. All in all, Weebly is a great website that I recommend for all educators.
Articulation Station Pro is an app for the iPad that I use almost daily. It has pictures/words for 22 sounds in the initial, medial, and final position and /l,r,s/ blends. It also has options for a matching game for words, sentences, or stories for each sound and position. Students can record and play back their recordings to self-monitor and correct their target sounds. I can also keep the recordings for data keeping. It is a very useful app for speech therapists. Like Abby's app, I think this would fit into any of the four categories depending on how you use it.
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