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3 Free Tech Tools for High School Teachers

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3 Free Tech Tools for High School Teachers

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Useful technological resources to have on hand in any high school classroom!

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10 useful technological resources for teachers and students!

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Websites, apps and devices help teachers teach and kids learn in new ways. Check out these 10 great education tech choices.

Information technology has become so tightly woven into our workday and personal lives that it's hard to imagine life without it. We get directions from GPS, read books on our e-readers, collaborate with colleagues on documents in the cloud, connect with friends on social media and more, and we do it all from our smartphones and tablets.

Technology is also driving the way teachers teach and students learn. The National Education Technology Plan 2010 calls for revolutionary changes in education using tech. "Technology-based learning and assessment systems will be pivotal in improving student learning and generating data that can be used to continuously improve the education system at all levels," the plan says. "Technology will help us execute collaborative teaching strategies combined with professional learning that better prepare and enhance educators' competencies and expertise over the course of their careers. To shorten our learning curve, we should look to other kinds of enterprises, such as business and entertainment, that have used technology to improve outcomes while increasing productivity."

In other words, what works for the business world should work in the classroom.

This is true now more than ever as the Common Core State Standards are adopted across the country. Focusing on college and career readiness and replacing state-specific -- and wildly varying -- existing guidelines, the standards mandate not only what students should learn from kindergarten through high school, but how teaching and learning should happen. Technology promises to drive this new way of teaching and learning.

The Common Core State Standards are vague about what technology should be used, and that is more than likely intentional: Any specific technologies recommended today are sure to be outdated five years or even a year from now, as new and intriguing technologies pop up.

The good news is that there are many options to choose from. Blogging platforms, electronic whiteboards, tablets, smartphones -- the list goes on and on. The bad news is that many schools and school districts aren't equipped to evaluate and implement new technologies. And, while several options today are free, there is still a general skittishness about the use of things like social media in the classroom, especially at the elementary school level. These fears seem to be abating, however, as schools look to and learn from models in the business world, including bring-your-own-device (BYOD).

In this slideshow, take a tour of 10 tools that can help you create an engaging learning environment, as well as accommodate tight education budgets. Some of the tools, such as Twitter and Facebook, will require especially keen oversight by teachers. Look at these sites as an opportunity to teach students not only the curriculum at hand, but also safe and effective use of technology.

We welcome your comments on this topic on our social media channels, or [contact us directly] with questions about the site.

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10 Tech Tools To Engage Students - InformationWeek

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Websites, apps and devices help teachers teach and kids learn in new ways. Check out these 10 great education tech choices. Information technology has become so tightly woven into our workday and personal lives that it's hard to imagine life without it.

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Perfect for student presentations!

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With more long-distance meetings going on due to increasing travel costs and decreasing expense accounts, you need to be able to show your work to clients and co-workers so they can easily see your point. These 12 tools will help you create all of the online presentations you need, set them to music, add links and videos and then embed them or share them as you see fit.

authorSTREAM: authorSTREAM allows you to upload your PowerPoint presentations to unique URLs that can be shared with others. You can also download them as videos that can be placed on YouTube or burned to a DVD, embed your presentations in sites, create channels to showcase your work and more. They offer a free account and two levels of premium accounts that increase the number of presentations you can upload.

BrinkPad: BrinkPad is a Java-based presentation creator that allows you to save your finished work to the Web, save to disk, save as JPGs and more. The interface is a bit simplistic looking, but quite robust in the number of tools it offers.

Empressr: Empressr bills itself as making rich media presentations. You can upload your own content such as video, images and audio to make your presentations, use content from sites such as Photobucket and Flickr and then share the links to your creations or embed them into blogs and social media websites. If you want to use the service for business presentations, they also include tools for charts and tables.

Google Docs Presentation: The Google Docs suite of office products includes a presentation tool that will allow you to collaborate with others just as you do with any of its other products. When completed, you can download the finished projects as PDFs, PowerPoint or text documents.

Imageloop: Upload PPT, ODP, PPS and PDF files to create your online presentations and then share them on sites such as Facebook, Orkut, Blogger, Hi5 and more.

myPlick: With myPlick you can create presentations from uploading PowerPoint, PDF, OpenOffice Documents, Word, Excel, JPEG, GIF, plain text documents, MP3, WAV, WMA and AU formats. Presentations are currently limited to 150 slides, and file uploads are restricted to 50 MB.

PreZentit: You can create as many presentations as you like with PreZentit; your only limitation is 250 MB of image storage. You can download your completed presentations to show any time you want even without an Internet connection. The presentations are created as Web pages, so you can also edit them by hand if the need should ever arise.

SlideRocket: SlideRocket is one of the best known solutions for online presentations, but that isn't the limit of its capabilities. You can upload your PowerPoint work, download finished presentations so you can show them anywhere, collaborate with team members, measure effectiveness, integrate dynamic data and a lot more.

SlideShare: Directed more at the business market, SlideShare allows for all of the usual file format uploads and then allows you to share the completed work on social networks, blogs and other sites. You can also download the completed files to do with as you please.

Spresent: Spresent allows you to create Flash-based presentations with the ability to import content from Flickr and YouTube, publish to the Web, provide links to the presentation, embed into blogs and more. They also offer a desktop application for $29.95 so you can work on your presentations at any time.

VCASMO: VCASMO will let you upload all of the usual variety of file formats that you need to create your presentations and allows you to add such things as subtitles, links to web sites within the presentation itself, skip to parts of a video even before it is done loading and many more user-friendly features.

Zoho Show: Zoho Show allows you to import PPT, PPS, ODP, SXI files, create new presentations that can be set to public or private, guide viewers through a presentation with chat capability, export newly created works to PowerPoint and more.
What are some of your favorite presentation tools?

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12 Top Notch Online Presentation Tools - SitePoint

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With more long-distance meetings going on due to increasing travel costs and decreasing expense accounts, you need to be able to show your work to clients and co-workers so they can easily see your point.

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Resources for Using iPads in 9-12 grade classrooms

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Resources for Using iPads in 9-12 grade classrooms

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This article shows current and upcoming teachers how to integrate iPads into their high school classrooms.

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If you're a high school teacher looking for iPad resources targeting your needs, you've come to the right place. Students in grades 9-12 will engage with technology in different ways than younger children. They can create content, interact with their peers, and explore a range of topics using an iPad. Whether you're in a BYOD setting, in a one-to-one program, or simply looking to use one iPad effectively, this list has apps, activities, and ideas for your high school classroom.

Favorite Apps

Create Engaging Presentations With Free iPad Apps (Edutopia, 2015)
Students can become content creators on iPads with engaging presentation tools. These iPad apps are perfect for high school students looking to share what they've learned and create a product connected to the real world.

20 Awesome BYOD and Mobile Learning Apps (Edutopia, 2014)
If you're teaching in a BYOD setting or using a class set of iPads with your high school students, check out this comprehensive list of apps. Vicki Davis describes how each app can be used in your learning environment and offers tips for BYOD classrooms.

Test Prep With Virtual Tools: 10 Flashcard Apps for Mobile Devices (Edutopia, 2014)
There are lots of different study tools for iPads and this post covers a wide range. You'll find a handful of apps that can help students learn and review a wide range of subjects. Many include multimedia support and interactive games for students.

5 Apps for Making Movies on Mobile Devices (Edutopia, 2014)
This article highlights five different apps that can be used to make movies with tablets. Students can create high-quality videos that show off their creativity as well as their understanding of a topic. Their final product can be used as an assessment or shared with the entire school community.

6 iPad Apps for Creative Writing (Edutopia, 2014)
High school English teachers can choose from this list of low-cost iPad apps when using technology with their students. There are strategies for gathering ideas for new stories and ideas for how to publish your students' creative writing. This list includes a mix of resources for students of all ages.

The Epic BYOD Toolchest (51 Tools You Can Use Now) (Edutopia, 2014)
Vicki Davis shares a wealth of apps and platforms that can facilitate teaching and maximize learning within a BYOD classroom and school environment. Her favorites include Explain Everything, ThingLink, and a few you've probably never heard of!

Best Practices

Empowering Teachers With Tech-Friendly Formative Assessment Tools
Formative assessment -- gathering information about student understanding before the big test -- can be easier and more efficient with technology tools. This article provides apps and ideas for teachers who want to check in on comprehension and mastery during a lesson.

iTunes U (iPad in Education/Apple)
If you're working with high school students who have access to an iPad, then iTunes U is just what you're looking for. This fantastic course platform gives teachers the power to organize class work and assignments for their students. If you aren't ready to build a course yourself, check out the resources available in another teacher's iTunes U course and share that content with your students.

1:1 iPads in Minnetonka Classrooms (Minnetonka Public Schools)
Schools interested in rolling out an iPad program with teens should check out this section on Minnetonka Public School's website. It provides video examples of iPads in action as well as resources that one-to-one programs can use as a model. They have handpicked apps to use with students, prepared a helpful guide for parents, and much more.

The 4Ss of Note-Taking With Technology, by Beth Holland (Edutopia, 2014)
Any system of note taking (digital or otherwise) helps students master cognitively demanding tasks if it provides support and helps them save, search, and share.

Engaging Activities

One Best Thing (iTunes)
This brand-new collection of iBooks, written by Apple Distinguished Educators, includes iBooks that outline engaging activities using technology and several that focus specifically on working with high school students. You can read them straight from your iPad to gather ideas on how to reach students using technology. Browse the whole collection; or check out these selections, which are perfect for high school teachers:

What are your favorite apps or lessons for using iPads with high school students? Share a must-read blog post or resource in the comments below!

Using Tablets to Teach Sensitive Subjects (Teaching Channel, 2013)
In this video from Teaching Channel, a teacher uses tablets in the classroom to help students talk about tough subject matter. Instead of jumping into class discussion (where they might be hesitant to share), students use a screencasting app to record their thoughts. A teacher's guide and supporting materials accompany the video.

Travel the World From Your Classroom: Free iPad Apps for Virtual Field Trips (Edutopia, 2013)
This list provides an overview of nine, free apps for virtual field trips that can be used in your high school classroom. Instead of asking students to research a destination by looking in an encyclopedia, these apps can give teens a new appreciation of Gettysburg, wildlife, and outer space. Apps for virtual field trips are a great choice for all subject areas.

Accessing Multimedia Using QR Codes (Edutopia, 2014)
QR codes, an exciting medium for kids learning how to use mobile devices, are a natural tool for linking students to resources you want them to find.

Real Classroom Stories: Brandi McWilliams (Real Stories/Apple Education)
This site tells the story of Brandi McWilliams, a high school teacher in Kansas who uses iPads with her students. Watch a great video overview, and find examples of assignments that are perfect for high school English language arts classrooms.

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Resources for Using iPads in Grades 9-12 | Edutopia

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If you're a high school teacher looking for iPad resources targeting your needs, you've come to the right place. Students in grades 9-12 will engage with technology in different ways than younger children. They can create content, interact with their peers, and explore a range of topics using an iPad.

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This site gives tips on integrating technology and computers into the high school classroom.

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High school teachers face enormous pressure to prepare students for state standardized tests, college admissions tests, and AP exams. Do computers "get in the way" of teaching in such an environment or can technology improve achievement without taking time away from the curriculum? Education World's Tech Team offers opinions on the reality and possibilities of "teching" in high school. Included: Nine easy ways to integrate technology in high school.

AP exams...college admissions tests....the dreaded state standardized tests...no matter where you are in America, if you teach high school, you're probably teaching to a test. Almost everything you do in the high school classroom seems to revolve around test success, and much of that means cramming students with equations, dates, concepts, vocabulary, and more.

Is there room for computers in this quest for test success? Are the benefits of technology-infused lessons worth the risks of time away from a traditionally taught curriculum? Education World asked members of its Tech Team, many of whom are high school teachers themselves, what's really happening in high school technology -- and what could be happening with a little knowledge and planning.

CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT

Want further proof that you can "tech" in high school?

Check out High Tech High, a network of public charter schools that uses rigorous, tech-infused projects to revolutionize student learning.

John Tiffany, a high school science teacher at Wauseon (Ohio) High School confesses, "So much is demanded of us, with the curriculum being test driven, that there is too much real information to cover." In some ways, Tiffany argues, teaching technology in elective classes is easier, since the curriculum can allow for greater flexibility.

At college preparatory schools, the pressure might be even greater, according to Judy Rutledge, coordinator of educational technology at Tennessee's Memphis University School. She says, "Whether they like to admit it or not, college prep schools often are greatly affected by AP exam scores, SAT test scores, and the number of students they can place in prestigious universities."

That very real pressure is echoed by Fred Bartels, director of information technology at Rye Country Day School in New York. Bartels argues that, in many ways, laptop programs in particular -- in which students and teachers have 24/7 access to technology -- are easier to implement in middle school than in high school. Middle school classes, he argues, have more curricular flexibility than classes in grades 9-12, where the push to prepare for AP and other tests is paramount. "Effective integration is possible in the upper grades but it is harder and takes longer," he notes.

It might be, however, that some high school teachers view technology differently than others. Brenda Dyck, technology integration coach at Master's Academy and College in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, says, "Many high school teachers view technology as a tack-on for an already packed full program and they don't think they have time for it. That's because they can't envision technology being a conduit to delivering and enhancing the curriculum they teach."

LIMITED RESOURCES EQUALS LIMITED INTEGRATION?

In addition to the curricular pressures in high school, Tech Team members report a shortage of computer access. In schools where laptops are present, but not required, for all students, Fred Bartels worries that "changes in upper-school pedagogical practices might be delayed a long time--some teachers use that as an excuse for not making better use of computers."

As at any level of K-12 education, teachers' technology skills and interest also play a major role in how much computers are used in the high school classroom. Fred Holmes, high school LanManager/Webmaster at Osceola (Nebraska) High School has found that new teachers integrate technology more, perhaps due to more experience with integration during their preservice training.

TECH-ING AT A BEGINNING LEVEL

When technology is used in high school classrooms, Tech Team members report that many teachers give the same lectures and assign the same reports as they have in the past, only using technology when it's obvious and convenient. Holmes, for example, sees teachers who use projectors to share notes and maps. PowerPoint presentations or using whiteboards to highlight relevant Web sites are ways Judy Rutledge has seen technology used by high school teachers.

When students get access to computers, it's usually for research and word processing, according to Brenda Dyck, Judy Rutledge, and Jane Maness, technology integration coordinator for Harding Academy in Memphis, Tennessee.

There's no time, little training, and few computers. So, why bother using technology for more than note-taking and researching in high school classrooms? First, many high school students demand it. The skill and interest level in technology, as well as access to handhelds, laptops, and tablet computers, means students can -- and want to -- use technology. Melanie Northcutt, Latin teacher at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, finds that many students "want to use their laptops for everything."

Another rationale for using technology in high school is that it can, in fact, improve the skills needed for success on standardized tests. As Brenda Dyck notes, "Technology is especially effective for facilitating the development of critical thinking skills in students. Technology helps move students from restating information to creating new information; facilitating innovative thinking in students. That is why the use of technology is especially useful in AP classes, in which teachers should be taking students beyond the regular curriculum."

Finally, technology's strength is its ability to break down classroom walls, figuratively speaking. Real time learning, in which students can remotely control microscopes at laboratories thousands of miles away or speak to experts in almost any field, for example, means that students are more engaged to learn. Technology, according to Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain, Literacy 8 teacher at Freeport (Maine) Middle School, "is, at the very least, a tool that facilitates learning in a now time and an any place."

SO...HOW DO WE DO MORE?

If and when a high school teacher is interested in moving technology integration beyond PowerPoint lectures and Internet research, what's next? Our Tech Team shared the following practical and innovative approaches to using technology in grades 9-12.

Online quizzes: Tom Haynes, master instructor in Math at Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, and Melanie Northcutt have students test online. Melanie says that students enjoy seeing what they got right and wrong just as soon as they finish the test, and they like having copies of quizzes to study later on.

Online databases: Judy Rutledge sees students opting for more scholarly resources at some of the online databases subscribed to by her school, rather than the often questionable quality of some Internet sources.

Microsoft OneNote software: Melanie Northcutt uses this note-taking software as a fast way to go over translations, combine many students' work into one file, and compare answers quickly.

Online classes: Fred Holmes says that Osceola High School is just beginning to move toward "e-learning," a vital component of the National Educational Technology Plan.

Primary sources: Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain notes that both online primary sources and public domain texts are valuable resources not available to students until just recently.

Student-created portfolios: Tom Haynes publishes his students' portfolios on the Web.

Probeware: Judy Rutledge says that at her school, students in both AP Biology and AP Chemistry use probes to collect real world data. Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain agrees, adding that students also can use portable image collecting field microscopes.

Technology-infused electives: Convinced technology can't fit in the main subject areas? Paul Aldridge, upper school teacher at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, created a freshman elective -- based on an old speech class -- in which students create substantive, cross-curricular projects. The class is entirely paperless, with laptops, e-mail, and Blackboard (a course management program) providing the tools needed to develop and present the projects.

Blogging: Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain sees journaling online as a powerful tool in current events lessons in particular. She adds that blogs or online peer editing can be invaluable when teaching students how to write AP level essays.

So, the pressure is real and the resources might be scant. Still, whether a teacher wishes to start with small steps or make huge leaps into the technology-infused classroom, options are available.

Who Are They?

The Education World Tech Team includes more than 50 dedicated and knowledgeable educational-technology professionals who have volunteered to contribute to occasional articles that draw on their varied expertise and experience. The following Tech Team members contributed to this article:

Paul Aldridge, upper school teacher English/Social Studies/Humanities, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fred Bartels, director of information technology, Rye Country Day School, Rye, New York

Brenda Dyck, technology integration coach, Master's Academy and College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Tom Haynes, master instructor (Math), Culver Academies, Culver, Indiana

Fred Holmes, high school LanManager/Webmaster, Osceola High School, Osceola, Nebraska

Jane Maness, technology integration coordinator, Harding Academy, Memphis, Tennessee

Melanie Northcutt, Latin teacher, Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Jane Rutledge, coordinator of educational technology, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee

Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain, Literacy 8 teacher, Freeport Middle School, Freeport, Maine

John Tiffany, science teacher, Wauseon High School, Wauseon, Ohio

Article by Lorrie Jackson
Education World®
Copyright © Education World

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Integrating Tech in High School | Education World

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High school teachers face enormous pressure to prepare students for state standardized tests, college admissions tests, and AP exams. Do computers "get in the way" of teaching in such an environment or can technology improve achievement without taking time away from the curriculum?

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Technology In the High School English Classroom by Rose Mullaney--Youtube

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Technology In the High School English Classroom by Rose Mullaney--Youtube

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This video shows how to integrate technology into high school English classrooms

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Technologies That Will Change Classroom Education

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High School Students See Technology Devices as Tools

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Technology In the High School English Classroom by Rose Mullaney

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This brief video not only explains why technology is important in the classroom, but gives specific examples of how to integrate technology in a High School English Classroom

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Edmodo at Wiregrass Ranch High School--Youtube

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Edmodo at Wiregrass Ranch High School--Youtube

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The benefits of using Edmodo in a high school classroom setting.

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Wiregrass Ranch Academy of Medical Professions

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Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls Cheerleading Competition

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Teachers and students at Wiregrass Ranch High School are using Edmodo to collaborate both in and out of the classroom.

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This is an awesome resource for any high school English teacher!

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Web English Teacher - Free English Teaching And Learning Resources

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Use these free English teaching and learning resources for English, Literature, and ESL classes.Teaching Evidence-Based Argument - Free English learning and tea

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Google Docs is a fantastic tool for both teachers and students alike to have in a classroom!

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The safest and easiest way for educators to connect and collaborate with students, parents, and each other.