Blogs This week’s blog post writer is Wendy Knapp. Wendy is the Director of Online Learning with Learners Edge. Wendy holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Industrial Technology, is a licensed teacher in technology education and is a PhD candidate in Learning Technology at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the Edge, Wendy taught technology courses for grades 6-12 as well as undergraduate and graduate level courses at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing tennis and spending time with her husband and three children.
Kick-start your school year. Great apps for teachers and your classroom!
Back-to-school season is an exciting time for teachers and students. It’s that special time of the year that offers the promise of a fresh start. As educators we find ourselves reflecting on the tried and true traditions of our classroom while seeking out opportunities to try something new. If you are looking for new classroom technology to implement in your classroom,look no further! Here are four,tried and true, FREE tech tools for teachers -guaranteed to engage your students and kick-start your classroom this fall!
- Kahoot!: Turn your classroom into an interactive game show environment!The tagline for Kahoot! Says it all: Make Learning Awesome! This free, no set-up, easy to use tool allows you to create learning games for your students of all ages. Check it out at getkahoot.com where you’ll find easy to follow instructions for getting started, ideas for classroom inspiration, and even the opportunity to collaborate with other educators through a global classroom. Want to know more? Check out the Kahoot! You Tube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/getkahoot
- Zeading: Turn Reading into Zeading and you’ll find yourself with a classroom full of students who love to read and write!The simplicity of using Zeading is also what makes it so amazing. Zeading CEO Shival Gupta describes Zeading as a “publishing platform created for the sole purpose of making reading and writing enjoyable”. Simply login to the platform- it’s totally free and start writing and reading! Students can publish their work, read the work of others, or engage in a collaborative project.Sign up and learn more by reading the Zeading blog: 9 Reasons Why You Should Write on Zeading
- Prezi: Turn ordinary classroom presentations into engaging, exciting presentations!Using Prezi you’ll find presentations are as fun to watch, as they are to create! Prezi allows users to combine all the elements of a great presentation with movement to create story sure to captivate any audience!
- TedEd: You’ve likely heard about Ted Talks, those short talks given by experts passionate about sharing their knowledge. Now, you can share your knowledge using Ted Ed! Ted Ed is an online tool that allows a user to create a lesson around any Ted Talk or YouTube video. It’s as easy as 1-2-3! First, find a YouTube video or Ted talk. Second, generate questions or discussion points. Third, share your lesson!
Filling up your technology tool belt takes time! Pick one thing, start slow, and experiment. Accept mistakes and learn from them. And if you really want to know how to engage kids with technology- just ask them! Turn the tables and let them teach you something!
Interested in learning more about using tech tools in the classroom to enhance your classroom and instruction with Digital Citizenship and 21st Century Learning? Enroll in Course 5061: Technology. Byte-Size, Big Learning and find ways to stretch both your learning and your students through our stimulating online environment.
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