8-Educational Apps

(1) Presentation / Engagement

• Assignment  - Embed examples that illustrate how each presentation of the following resources was used in class. Write a paragraph describing each program, its key features, and its usefulness in education. In your discussion, compare and contrast the program with traditional approaches that serve the same purpose (e.g., lectures, chalkboards, worksheets, overhead transparencies, graphing calculators, or static slide presentations). Explain how the technology enhances, changes, or limits teaching and learning compared with these traditional methods, and provide specific examples to support your analysis.

  • • • NearPod - Video [4:26] - Nearpod is an interactive learning platform that enables teachers to create and share engaging lessons with students in real-time or asynchronously, incorporating quizzes, polls, videos, and collaborative activities.  

      • Desmos - Video [4:38] - Desmos is an advanced graphing calculator integrated into a comprehensive mathematics teaching platform that allows users to visualize and explore complex math concepts interactively.

      • Explain Everything - Video [2:54] Explain Everything is a collaborative online whiteboard platform that allows users to create, present, and share multimedia content, facilitating interactive learning and remote teaching scenarios. Samples of resources made with Explain Everything

(2) Create an Interactive Presentation

• • Assignment: Create an interactive presentation using Nearpod, PearDeck, Desmos, or Explain Everything with a minimum of 5 interactive features.  If you wish, you can modify this slideshow to complete this assignment: Download: History of the English Language as a pptx file, and upload this into Nearpod.  Add five or more interactive elements to the slideshow. 

(3) Educational Games

• Assignment  - Create two games using the following utilities, OR Embed examples illustrating your use of Kahoot, Quizlet Live, Flippity, and GimKit, and write a paragraph for each platform describing its features, educational value, and effectiveness compared with traditional review, practice, and assessment methods such as worksheets, flashcards, paper quizzes, and teacher-led review activities.

  • • Kahoot -  Video [4:31]

    • Quizlet live - Video [2:44] 

    • Flippity  - Video [4:00]   

      • • Science ss  | Sample  Science Jeopardy Game file 

        • General knowledge ss | General Knowledge Jeopardy Game

    • Other options:

      • Wayground– Self-paced and live quizzes with detailed analytics and teacher resources.

      • Gimkit – Student-paced quiz games with strategy, virtual currency, and multiple game modes.

      • Blooket – Quiz content combined with a variety of arcade-style game modes.

      • Wordwall – Interactive learning activities including matching, sorting, word searches, and quizzes.

      • Baamboozle – Team-based classroom review games that require minimal technology.

      • Factile – Jeopardy-style review games for classroom assessment and practice.

      • Educandy – Vocabulary and concept review games generated from teacher-created content.

      • Quizalize – Gamified formative assessment with personalized learning features.

      • Socrative – Interactive quizzes, exit tickets, and team competitions with instant feedback.

      • Deck.Toys – Game-based learning paths and interactive lesson adventures.

      • Legends of Learning – Curriculum-aligned math and science games.

      • Prodigy – Role-playing game environment for math and English learning.

(4) Subject-Specific Software Review

• Assignment -Review five or more educational resources .  

  • 1. Embed screen captures to illustrate the presentation resources used in class. 

    2. Write a paragraph for each resource describing what the resource does. 

    3.  Provide specific examples of how you can use each of these in your teaching. 

    4. Share how you can use your favorite resource in a breakout room.  Focus on how you would use this to enhance instruction in your class..  Record your breakout room and embed the recording here.