Using Technology to Amplify Instruction:

 For this post,  I will have you surf the net to check out specific sites and consider different tools and ideas.   You will have 6 questions to answer in your Tech Exploration Blog Post.

1. Consider the terms in the Wordle below and these questions:  Are you a digital native, visitor, or resident?  How do you live your tech life?  

 

2. Tech Tools to Enhance Student Learning:   Visit each site. Consider some of the tools that I have used with my students. (These are not all of them just a sample.) Think about how you might use each one to reach out to students, parents, or the community.  Choose one and write about it.

•  Screen-Cast-O-Matic: Record Screen Shots
  • http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
• My Screencast Lesson on the Creating A Ning Account
  • http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c666qRQAq
• My Friend’s Screencast Modeling an Essay
  • http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cj6UlvnIR
• VoiceThread: Respond to Images & Documents
  • http://voicethread.com/?#q.b409.i848804
• Check for Understanding
  • Padlet A virtual post-it space www.padlet.com
  • Socrative www.Socrative.com
  • Kahoot http://www.getkahoot.com

3. Authentic Tasks for Students:  Here are a list of a few tools that you can use with students to write virtually.  Why is this important?  What are the benefits? The risks?  Write about your favorite discoveries. 

• Responding to Reading
  • www.goodreads.com
  • www.shelfari.com 

• Infographics
  • Make one www.piktochart.com/
  • Make one http://infogr.am/
  • Find one www.coolinfographics.com  

• Create a Moving Presentation
  • www.prezi.com
  • www.popplet.com
  • www.powtoon.com
  • www.haikudeck.com 

• Word Images
  • WORDLEs http://www.wordle.net/
  • TAGXEDO: Word Clouds with Images www.tagxedo.com
  • Picfont http://picfont.com/
  • Memes https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

• Prewriting
  • Your Life in Lists www.listography.com
  • Virtual Bubble Maps https://bubbl.us/
  • Visual Mapping https://www.text2mindmap.com/

• Writing
  • Create a virtual picture book  Www.storybird.com
  • Write a Book  http://www.nanowrimo.org/
  • Create a short graphic novel http://comicmaster.org.uk/

• Publishing

• Snack Tools  www.flipsnack.com
• WattPad  www.wattpad.com
• Live Binder  www.livebinder.com
  • Check out my livebinder for my students: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?present=true&id=1480651
• Make it Look Like a Newspaper  http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

• More Tools: http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Websites_And_Apps

4. What Lies Ahead?  Check out what is going on in the teacher-tech world.  Review Jane Hart’s Slideshare Top Tech Tools for Educators 2015 and see what teachers are using around the world.  Write about what you notice about the tools that educators are using around the world. Here is the link: http://www.slideshare.net/janehart/top-100-tools-for-learning-2015-52992784

5.  Review this digital tool version of Bloom’s Taxonomy below.  Based on what you have done today and what you understand about Bloom’s Taxonomy, explain what teachers need to consider as they integrate technology?

6.  Based on your exploration what will you try next?