Technology is an integral part of how we work and live every day. Teaching students how to use technology to learn, research, collaborate, and solve problems from an early age will better prepare them for their future careers. Listed below are a few of the tools I use in the classroom in order to increase student learning and engagement.
G Suite for Education is a suite of tools that helps me increase opportunities for critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity for my students, all while supporting the learning objectives that I outline for them. Some of the tools include Docs, Sheets, slides, Drawings, Sites, Forms, Hangouts and Expeditions.
Kahoot is a quiz, discussion and survey tool I use to bring interaction into the classroom. It is a game-based tool which students play in real time on their own device or in teams. Essentially, multiple-choice questions are projected on the screen, students answer the questions, and afterwards there is time to reflect on the class results and discuss their responses.
Quizizz is a fun and engaging tool I use to conduct formative assessments in the classroom. I particularly like that each quiz is self-paced and that students can review their answers at the end. The quiz allows me to analyze students responses to determine patters in learning across the whole class, groups of students, and individual students.
Flipgrid is a website that I use to ask students short discussion-style questions which they respond to through recorded videos. This is a great way for students to express their ideas orally and practice their speaking skills.
Nearpod is an interactive presentation tool that allows students to interact with content in meaningful ways. For example, I can engage students by having the respond to a poll question, post to a collaboration board, draw answers, and more.
Quizlet is a website and app that allows students to study vocabulary and grammar via learning tools and games. Students use this to practice and review new language as well as prepare for assessments.
Edpuzzle is a tool I use to make watching a video an interactive and student-centered task. With Edpuzzle, students can rewatch videos, respond to written questions or quizzes, click on hyperlinks inserted by a teacher, review written comments or audio notes left by me and more. Edpuzzle slows down and individualizes the viewing experience for students.
Screencastify is a Chrome browser extension that records screen activity as well as voice and video. Students use this extensions to demonstrate what they've learned and give presentations. It's a unique and creative way for students to develop their presentational speaking abilities in Spanish or present information about different cultural topics.
Canva and Venngage are online tools for students to create infographics in order to display information. These tools are a great way to get students to organize their thinking visually and impactfully, collate learning, and clearly and creatively communicate their ideas.
Storybird is an online platform for storytelling. Students can create their own picture books, stories, and poems, as well as view and give feedback on their classmate's work.
Remind is a safe, classroom-friendly communication tool that I use to send messages and reminders to students and parents.
Biteable is a web-based tool that allows students to quickly and easily create videos to present information or explain concepts.
Google Classroom is an online application for education which allows teachers to create classes, post assignments, organize folders, and view student work in real-time. It is fully integrated with other Google apps like Docs and Slides so students and teachers can share information with one another instantaneously.