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Unit 2 Technology Integration vs Using Technology. 

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Unit 2 Technology Integration vs Using Technology. 

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Students in today's world are more exposed to technology than what other people were 10 to 20 years ago. We have now come to the realization that technology in the classroom is important, but we must integrate technology into our classroom rather than just using it. Here are some resources that I have found that proves this.

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1. 1. Technology Use vs. Technology Integration Abbey Mitchell W-401 February 1, 2008 1

2. 2. Technology <ul><li>" While nobody will ever dispute the importance of a good education, meeting the needs of today's students has changed dramatically from what it was 10 or 20 years ago. Students today are exposed to a vast amount of information and technology early in their lives. Computers, electronic mail, long-distance learning, and the internet have changed the dynamics of education here in our region and throughout world." </li></ul><ul><li>(Congressman Jerry Moran , 1999) </li></ul>

3. 3. Definition of Technology Use <ul><li>Technology is a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. </li></ul><ul><li>(Wikipedia) </li></ul><ul><li>" Technology&quot; can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques. </li></ul><ul><li>(Wikipedia) </li></ul>

4. 4. Definition of Technology Integration <ul><li>&quot;Technology Integration is defined not by the amount or type of technology used, but by how and why it is used.&quot; (Rodney Earle, 2002) </li></ul><ul><li>Technology Integration is a term used by educators to describe effective uses of technology by teachers and students in K-12 and university classrooms. </li></ul><ul><li>(Wikipedia) </li></ul>

5. 5. Examples: <ul><li>Educational technology includes hardware (computers, handheld devices, printers, digital cameras), software and content applications (programming classes, productivity software), and media (Internet and Videoconferencing). </li></ul>

6. 6. Is there a difference between Technology Use and Technology Integration? VS .

7. 7. YES!!! ... and here's why!

8. 8. Contrasts <ul><li>Technology Use: </li></ul><ul><li>Everyday/Everywhere use </li></ul><ul><li>Everyone uses technology </li></ul><ul><li>Broad/Disconnected from subject matter </li></ul><ul><li>Too procedural & isolated </li></ul><ul><li>Entertainment </li></ul><ul><li>Guided/Forced thinking </li></ul><ul><li>Individual </li></ul><ul><li>Technology Integration: </li></ul><ul><li>Classroom use </li></ul><ul><li>Teacher uses technology in order to teach curriculum in a more entertaining way </li></ul><ul><li>Student use </li></ul><ul><li>Specific/Centered on learning </li></ul><ul><li>Purposeful/Educational </li></ul><ul><li>Instructional </li></ul><ul><li>Connection between subjects </li></ul><ul><li>Critical thinking </li></ul><ul><li>Collaboration </li></ul>

9. 9. MY VOTE... <ul><li>Technology Integration!! </li></ul>

10. 10. WHY?!?! <ul><li>When technology is integrated into the classroom, educators are taking the constructivist approach to learning. </li></ul><ul><li>When teachers integrate technology into their classroom practice, learners are empowered to be actively engaged in their learning. </li></ul><ul><li>Teachers use technology to support instruction in language arts, social studies, science, math, or other content areas. </li></ul><ul><li>Students must learn communication skills, including presentation and motivation skills. They should be able to communicate with technological media </li></ul>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_Integration

11. 11. By the time kids graduate from high school, today's students will have been exposed to more information than their grandparents were in a lifetime. It has been claimed that ninety percent of the technology we will use in the next decade has not been invented or currently there is no access to at the moment. (Wikipedia-"Technology Integration")  Thank you for considering my argument! 

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Technology Integration vs. Technology Use

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Published on 1. Technology Use vs. Technology Integration Abbey Mitchell W-401 February 1, 2008 1 2. Technology " While nobody will ever dispute the importance of a good education, meeting the needs of today's students has changed dramatically from what it was 10 or 20 years ago.

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Drexel University School of Education
Technology provides instant accessibility to information, which is why its presence in the classroom is so vital. Smart phones, computers, and tablets are already an omnipresent element of everyday life for students and teachers alike. It's only natural that the use of technological devices in the classroom are explored to create meaningful learning experiences for students of all ages.

Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom, creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.

What Does Technology Integration Mean in Education?

Integration of technology in education simply refers to the use of technology to enhance the student learning experience. Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom, creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.

How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom

There is a common misconception that the integration of technology in the classroom can be a financial burden for school districts, but students do not necessarily need their own tablets or laptops to succeed with technology. The use of technology during whole-class instruction can foster student engagement for auditory and visual learners. Integrating simple technologies Power Points, games, internet homework assignments, or online grading systems can be difference makers in students' growth in the classroom.

Power Points and Games

Powerpoint presentations can be used to introduce a classroom concept while providing the opportunity for engagement. Along with the use of graphics and bulleted information, links to videos that accompany the ideas presented in the Powerpoint can be embedded within the slides.

Educational apps in the classroom like Kahoot can be used to review information after a lesson or unit. Teachers can create and share Kahoots with one another while students can create anonymous user names to participate in the game. This allows for whole-class participation from students who may usually be reluctant to participate in class. Kahoot is accessible to play on phones or computers and teachers can determine if they want students to work independently or be assigned to teams.

Internet Homework Assignments

Posting homework assignments online (via learning platforms like Blackboard, Brightspace, and Moodle) is one way many teachers can begin to integrate technology in the classroom. Assignments are easily accessible, which can increase student engagement and help students become more organized.

Online grading Systems

Communication is a key element in education that helps teachers, administrators, parents, and students recognize a student's strengths and areas for improvement. Online grading systems such as PowerSchool open and facilitate lines of communication where teachers can post grades, analyze student attendance patterns, and manage transcript data.

Classroom Tablets

For classrooms that are fortunate enough to have tablets for students, technology can allow teachers to implement differentiation throughout instruction. Students can work at their own pace during assignments and teachers have the opportunity for one-on-one instruction.

Listserv

Software such as Listserv allows parents to manage and organize their emails. Parents can receive updates from teachers about important announcements, newsletters, and discussions that keep frequent lines of communication open.

Strategies of Implementation for Age Groups

The benefits of technology can enhance any contemporary classroom. However, the way technology is implemented and used in classrooms of various grade levels and content areas will differ.

Ways to Incorporate Technology in the Elementary Classroom

For younger students, technology can be used to build fundamental skills to prepare them for future independent learning. Students can use interactive games to reinforce math, spelling, phonetic, and reading skills. Sites like Spelling Training permit students or teachers to upload their own word lists to practice word pronunciation and create interactive games. Parents can also use these sites to exercise fundamental skills beyond the walls of the classroom.

Using Technology in the Middle School Classroom

As students begin to take steps to transform into independent thinkers, they can use technology to develop basic life skills. Students at the middle school level will gain independence by having different teachers for each subject. Using technology to acquire skills such as conducting research can be applied to any content area. Websites like Easy Bib guide students to find credible sources through a variety of search engines and teach students to correctly cite those sources to avoid plagiarism.

Technology in High School Classrooms

Once students reach their secondary education, they can discover ways to use technology that can be beneficial for college and career development. Familiarization with Microsoft Office and Google Drive teach students to make spreadsheets, slide show presentations, and share documents where they can receive fluid feedback on their work. Many careers use these elements of Microsoft and Google to organize information and collaborate between colleagues or clients.

Why is it Important to Integrate Technology in the Classroom

Teachers often find success when they present the opportunity to use technology in the classroom. There are various benefits and effects when technology is used for educational instruction and some may argue that not all of the effects are positive. Having an infinite flow of information and entertainment available at any given time could be seen as a distraction, but if technology is integrated into the classroom with routines in place that are monitored or assessed, the pros of using technology in the classroom outweigh the cons.

Keeping students engaged

Active engagement is a key part of any lesson plan. Whether students are working independently or collaboratively, technology engages students because it is interactive.

Helps students with different learning styles

Not all students learn and retain information in the same way or at the same speed. Technology is an opportunity for teachers to differentiate instruction to modify information for the appropriate learning capabilities of their students. The use of technology can also allow students to work at their own paces.

Prepare students with life skills

Technology has become its own form of literacy because of how often it is used in everyday life. Many careers use at least one aspect of Microsoft Office or Google Drive on a daily basis: balancing budgets on spreadsheets, creating decks or slide shows to be presented, or attaching documents to emails to communicate important information. Allowing students to learn and refine these skills prepares them for life beyond the classroom.

For additional information about programs or certifications associated with technology in the classroom, visit Drexel University's School of Education Instructional Technology Specialist Certification program.

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How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom - School of Education

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Check out our list of tips for the best ways on how to use technology in the classroom. Learn the benefits & effects of technology with Drexel University.

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Unit 2 How Technology Integration Improves Student's Learning

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Unit 2 How Technology Integration Improves Student's Learning

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Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?

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Unit 2 Important Legal Things That Teachers Must Know. 

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Unit 2 Important Legal Things That Teachers Must Know. 

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Unit 2 How to Manage a Classroom that use Technology

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Unit 2 How to Manage a Classroom that use Technology

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The last thing you want from your students is using the technology incorrectly that could lead to them getting in trouble or yourself. You want to protect your students from searching something that they should not be looking up. You also don't want the student to damage the integrity of the systems software by getting a virus on the device.

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Today's blog is a guest post from Carol James. Carol is a professional writer and editor and as chief researcher for Essaylab.com is a prolific writer and researcher in the field.

Being an effective teacher is the central tenet that should guide any teacher, in the classroom.

Educators have direct influence over the success or failure of students and as such must use responsible and effective strategies to corral the student's minds into accepting new knowledge. This can be difficult with the plethora of distractions in today's world.

To achieve success in this area, it is then imperative for teachers to implement classroom management strategies or training techniques.

Define Classroom Management Strategies

The definition stipulates that classroom management has to do with the course of action, approaches in addition to instructional techniques utilized by educators to supervise and direct learner performance and learning activities.

Successful classroom management strategies will foster an environment that is favorable to instruction plus learning.

On the other hand, unproductive classroom strategies will frequently produce confusion.

Technology as a Classroom Management Strategy

It is no exception that technology should aid in advancing our Technology is the driving force behind every area of our life today. curriculum.

Computers, laptops, smartphones, palm pilots, tablets, microwaves and many other technological gadgets help to make our lives easier on a day-to-day basis. Young children are capable of using these gadgets as they interact with computer games and utilize software at an early age. These same children develop that are applicable in the classroom.

Why not bring these same technologies into the classrooms, to build, to maintain and to advance our children's learning career further.

Why Should Teachers Use These Strategies?

Technological teaching strategies have successfully been implemented in many institutions across the world.

Such implementations have been motivated in part by specific examples of the successful application of technology to education, and in part by the more general observation that, technology has fundamentally transformed global businesses, factories, and retail establishments.

Technology Teaching Strategies that Work

There are varying types of software or educational resources that can be used to assist in the teaching and learning of any subject. Their common goal is to make the learning process easier for the student.

Listed below are some these resources:

1. Use Technology to Search the Internet

Self-lead teaching is effective for learners who are able and interested in exploring on their own. Many of today's learners are very independent. Teachers can assign research tasks for these learners to utilize search engines to investigate and explore various topics.

2. Use Microsoft Suite of Products for Projects and Papers

One of the prominent software of choice is the It is good practice to have students start to create their assignments using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel (of course other platforms such as Apple and Google are also common practice). In so doing, they develop necessary Microsoft software. skills which they will use later in their career.

Also, it keeps learners engaged, interested and they will take pride in a well-developed project. Sometimes school projects call for creativity and this software gives students a more guided approach. Teachers can also use Google Docs to share resources.

3. Use YouTube and Other Video Platforms

For the visual learner, these are great tools. Why recreate the wheel if everything is already done.

These strategies will maximize your efforts and make learning easier for your students. YouTube, with the proper settings in place, can mitigate any unwanted exposure to your learner and only give them access to age-appropriate resources.

4. Use Skype and Similar Platforms to Network with Other Teachers

Facetime, Skype, Facebook and WhatsApp all have video sharing components. These can be used in different ways to link to other institutions, teachers or students.

Sharing resources with other teachers cut down on preparation time and stress. There are many teachers who have blogs, articles or other free resources that you can access for free.

Many of your lessons will be repeated. Why not post those notes and resources where you or your students can access them. They can also be shared with other educators. So, starting a teaching blog is always a good idea. Moreover, in such way you can improve your writing skills. Between that, if you have any difficulties with writing, you can order English papers in EssayLab.

Interactive whiteboards are now common in many classrooms. This device gave teachers alternative methods to teaching. It is one tool that provides classroom management ideas for any kind of learner. While it is an under-utilized tool in most schools it is used well in pockets, however, it is a dying integration tool.

Many countries are exploring the option of giving children individual tablets. In poorer countries, where the likelihood of homes having a computer is less, this approach has helped students to access learning resources.

It also allows for students to maximize their learning time and exposure to the educational material.

8. Update Your Technology Skills

Do whatever is necessary to be one-step ahead of your students. Learn how to change settings or how to limit the access of your students, in the classroom, to inappropriate information. This safeguards all parties involved including the school, teacher, and students.

Let's face it - kids no more than we do - we have to do our best to ensure the technology gap doesn't continue to grow and get away from us.

9. Develop a Habit of Researching New Strategies

Technology advancement occurs at light speed. Every day, there are new solutions and Stay current on these developments and utilize the best technology recommendations that enter the market. classroom management strategies that work for each student.

10. Make Recommendations to Your School

Sometimes the catalyst for change has to be you. Many schools and by extension governments have limited resources. Your initiative and teaching philosophy can be what causes your institution to have greater success and make a difference in your learner's lives.

Advantages of Using Technological Classroom Management Strategies

Countries such as Canada and the United States of America (USA) have widely implemented and utilized these technologies in their country. The USA has positive experiences of a number of schools, and this suggests that technology may indeed have the potential to play a major role in transforming elementary and secondary education.

Such classroom management strategies when adopted cause:

Meaningful learning experiences to occur for both students and school staff.

Students have a high enjoyment of problem-solving in various subjects.

The passes of various school exams show dramatic increases.

Students express greater appreciation for the technology and for the subject.

Students progress in life with an appreciation for the subject and not fear.

Parents observe and experience their children's satisfaction and better grades.

The technology can be utilized by large and small groups or individuals.

The audio component of software can support the learning of students who may have difficulty reading and understand the specialized vocabulary associated with the topic.

The user makes choices from the very start and these choices then determine the content and math skills that will be presented.

With many options, it would take a great deal of time for a student to go through all parts of a particular program.

The learner is provided with appropriate and supportive feedback.

Once students are introduced to the main menu and different sections of the program, they are able to operate the program independently.

Monitoring student progress is easier. Results are captured, stored and monitored at different times.

Conclusion

Classroom management strategies that work is the driving force behind the whole teaching process. This is because, to be an effective teacher, it is essential that you keep abreast of the developments and changes that are taking place not only in the educational (teaching methods and learning styles) arena but also in the wider society and globally.

Being aware of and utilizing these classroom management strategies is vital because it will help to ensure that the knowledge that you are passing on to your students will prove beneficial to them throughout their lives. Technology such as video conferencing, interactive whiteboards, games, software, and computers would make a dramatic impact on our students.

Although it is not yet possible to fully characterize the optimal ways in which computing and networking technologies might be used, we must believe that such technologies have the potential to transform our schools in important ways and find ample justification for the immediate and widespread incorporation of such technologies within all levels of the educational infrastructure.

Craig Kemp

I am a passionate Global EdTech Consultant based in Singapore but working with Schools and EdTech companies all over the world. I am a lifelong learner, dream creator and thought leader. I love to inspire others and find inspiration. Co-founder of #whatisschool, #asiaED edchats and #pubPD.

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Top 10 Technology Classroom Management Strategies That Work

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Today's blog is a guest post from Carol James. Carol is a professional writer and editor and as chief researcher for Essaylab.com is a prolific writer and researcher in the field. Being an effective teacher is the central tenet that should guide any teacher, in the classroom.

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When you have 1:1 devices for your students, and those devices happen to be Ipads. Apple Classroom will be your best friend. You're able to monitor what the students are doing, Lock the students from looking in their Ipads, Lock the students on a specific application, and if you're working with elementary students having a tough time finding the application they're suppose to be on. You can open the application they need to be on for them. It is really easy to set up and easy to operate.

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There are many things that I actually disagree with this blog post. Traditional libraries are not yet obsolete. This is because it is still important to keep books relevant for our students. Even though we have technology to read to us or give us a digital copy of a book. We still need a safe space to read the content. A traditional library is the perfect place because they enforce silence in the library. Banning phones and tablets should still be a thing at schools. We are unable to monitor or supervise students with their uses of the technology when they use their own. Schools should be providing the technology needed for the class that can be monitored to ensure the students are staying on track. Computer class is still an important feature in our schools. Teachers don't have time in their day to teach the content that they're teaching all while educating the students how to properly utilize the technology. The school that I am working at still has a computer class that educates students how to be digital citizens and how to integrate what they learned into the classroom. We need to keep a computer class, especially for younger students. To prepare them for the real world of college and other jobs that utilize what they're learning in class.

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Saying that it has always been this way, doesn't count as a legitimate justification as to why it should stay that way. Teachers and administrators all over the world are doing amazing things, but some of the things we are still doing, despite all the new solutions, research and ideas out there are, to put it mildly, incredible.

I'm not saying we should just make the current system better... we should change it into something else.

I have compiled a list of 14 things that are obsolete in 21st-century schools and it is my hope that this will inspire lively discussions about the future of education.

1. Computer Rooms

The idea of taking a whole class to a computer room with outdated equipment, once a week to practice their typewriting skills and sending them back to the classroom 40 minutes later, is obsolete.

Computers or technology shouldn't just be a specific subject, that's not sufficient anymore but rather it should be an integral part of all the subjects and built into the curriculum.

2. Isolated classrooms

Classrooms can be isolated in two ways. One where parents, teachers or guests are not welcome because the door and drapes are always shut... which has the words "Don't come in here" written all over it. The other way is being isolated to all the knowledge outside the 4 walls. For example from the internet, videos, blogs, websites, and visits from authors or scientists through Skype, to name a few.

Tony Wagner, the author of the Global Achievement Gap says: "Isolation is the enemy of improvement". The classroom should be open, teachers should be able to walk in and learn from each other, parents should visit often, f.x. with so-called Extra Open Schooldays (where all parents are encouraged to visit classrooms anytime during the day). Isolated classrooms are therefore obsolete.

3. Schools that don't have WiFi

Schools that don't have a robust WiFi network for staff and students are not only missing a big change for teaching and learning but robbing the students of access to knowledge and also limiting their chances to learn about the internet and using technology in a safe way.

21st-century schools make it possible for students and staff to learn anywhere, anytime and schools that don't allow that are obsolete.

4. Banning phones and tablets

Taking phones and tablets from students instead of using them to enhance learning is obsolete. We should celebrate the technology students bring and use them as learning tools.

Phones are no longer just devices to text and make phone calls... when they were, then banning them was OK. Today there is more processing power in the average cellular telephone than NASA had access to when they sent a man to the moon in 1969. Yet most students only know how to use these devices for social media and playing games.

Today you can edit a movie, make a radio show, take pictures, make posters, websites, blog, tweet as a character from a book, have class conversations over TodaysMeet and Google most answers on a test with the device in your pocket. We should show our students the learning possibilities & turn these distractions into learning opportunities that will reach far outside the classroom.

5. Tech director with an administrator access

Having one person responsible for the computer system, working from a windowless office in the school basement, surrounded by old computers, updates the programs and tells the staff what tech tools they can and cannot use... is obsolete.

Today we need technology co-ordinators that know what teachers and students need to be successful and solve problems instead of creating barriers. Someone who helps people to help themselves by giving them responsibility and finds better and cheaper ways to do things.

6. Teachers that don't share what they do

Teachers who work silently, don't tweet, blog and discuss ideas with people around the world are obsolete. Teachers are no longer working locally but globally and it's our job to share what we do and see what others are doing. If a teacher is no longer learning then he shouldn't be teaching other people.

We should all be tweeting, blogging and sharing what works and doesn't work, get and give advice to and from co-workers around the world. We should constantly be improving our craft because professional development isn't a 3-hour workshop once a month but a lifelong process.
"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience." -John Dewey
7. Schools that don't have Facebook or Twitter

Schools that think putting a news article on the school website every other week and publish a monthly newsletter is enough to keep parents informed are obsolete.

The school should have a Facebook page, share news and information with parents, have a Twitter account and their own hashtag, run their own online TV channel where students film, edit and publish things about school events.

If you don't tell your story, someone else will.

8. Unhealthy cafeteria food

School cafeterias that look and operate almost like fast food restaurants where staff and students get a cheap, fast and unhealthy meals are obsolete.

A few schools in Iceland and Sweden have turned almost completely to organic foods and given thought into the long term benefit of healthy food rather than the short term savings of the unhealthy. For example at Stora Hammar school in Sweden, 90% of the food served is organic.

Children should put the food on their own plate, clean up after themselves and even do the dishes. Not because it saves the school money on the workforce but because it is a part of growing up and learning about responsibility. What 21st-century schools should be doing as well is growing their own fruits and vegetables where students water them and learn about nature. Setting up a farm to feed students would be optimal, but if that is not an option (for example in big city schools) then they can at last set up a window farm in some of the school windows.

The goal of providing students a healthy meal is not only to give them enough nutrition to last the school day but to make healthy food a normal part of their daily life and get them to think about nutrition which is something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

9. Starting school at 8 o'clock for teenagers

Research has shown over and over again that teenagers do better and feel better in schools that start later. Often parents or administrators get in the way of that change. Research (f.x. from the The Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics and University of Minnesota - video) show that delaying school start as little as 50 minutes and making it longer by 30 minutes instead has a positive effect both on learning and activities after school. Schools that don't do this are obsolete.

Starting later is easy and teachers could use the extra time in the morning to prepare class... it's a win-win situation.

10. Buying poster-, website- and pamphlet design for the school

When your school needs a poster, pamphlet or a new website they shouldn't buy the service from somewhere else (although that can sometimes be the case) and have students do it instead. In the best schools of the future, they will be the ones doing it as a real project that has meaning and as a collaborative project in language and art....using technology.

11. Traditional libraries

Libraries that only contain books and chess tables are obsolete.

A 21st-century library should be at the heart of the school and a place where both students and staff can come in to relax, read, get advice, access powerful devices, edit videos, music, print in 3D and learn how to code to name a few. This 21st-century learning space should give people an equal chance to use these devices and access information. Otherwise, these libraries will turn into museums where people go to look at all the things we used to use.

12. All students get the same

Putting kids in the same class because they are born in the same year is obsolete. School systems were originally set up to meet the needs of industrialism. Back then we needed people to work in factories, conformity was good and nobody was meant to excel or be different in that environment. That doesn't fit our needs today, let alone the future but many schools are still set up like the factories they were meant to serve 100 years ago.

We should increase choice, give children support to flourish in what interests them and not only give them extra attention to the things they're bad at. In most schools, if you are good at art but bad in german you get german lessons to get to par with the other students instead of excelling at art... All even, all the same!

Education should be individualized, students should work in groups regardless of age and their education should be built around their needs.

13. One-Professional development-workshop-fits-all

A school that just sends the entire staff to a workshop once a month where everyone gets the same is obsolete. Professional development is usually top-down instead of the ground up where everyone gets what they want and need. This is because giving everyone (including students) what they need and want takes time & money.

With things like Twitter, Pinterest, articles online, books, videos, co-operation & conversations employees can personalize their professional development. (Read about my article on Personalized Professional Development here)

14. Standardized tests to measure the quality of education

Looking at standardized tests to evaluate whether or not children are educated or not is the dumbest thing we can do and gives us a shallow view of learning.

The outcomes, although moderately important, measure only a small part of what we want our kids to learn and by focusing on these exams we are narrowing the curriculum. Alfie Kohn even pointed out a statistically significant correlation between high grades on standardized tests and a shallow approach to learning.

The world today and the needs of society are completely different from what they used to be. We are not only training people to work locally but globally. With standardized tests, like PISA, we are narrowing the curriculum, and all the OECD countries are teaching the same thing. Because of that, we all produce the same kind of workers, outdated workers, to work in factories. People who can comply, behave and be like everybody else.

In the global world today it is easy to outsource jobs to someone who is willing to do the same job, just as fast for less money. Therefore we need creative people that can do something else and think differently.

Andreas Schleicher (2010) said:

"Schools have to prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created, technologies that have not yet been invented and problems that we don't know will arise."

Standardized education might have been the answer once but saying that it's obsolete is putting it mildly and is only a way to try to repair the broken system. The results of those tests are, according to Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind, 2005) in direct contradiction to the skills we need today. Those skills are for example design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.

We should be solving real problems, asking questions that matter instead of remembering and repeating facts. Adults' accomplishments are linked far more strongly to their creativity than IQ ( source) and we should be celebrating diverse knowledge and interest instead of trying to standardize knowledge and skills.

I wonder if schools would finally change their direction if we designed a new standardize test that wouldn't measure numeracy, science, and literacy but empathy, creative thinking and communication skills... Maybe that is all we need.

Final thoughts

All the education systems on the planet are being reformed, but I don't think reform is what we need. We need a revolution and change the education system into something else. It isn't an easy task, but as S.E. Phillips once said:

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Doing something new and getting poor results on the old test shouldn't surprise anyone. What is the point of doing something new and different if we get the same results on standardized tests... then we might as well just do factory schooling, conform and comply.

"If I had asked the people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses"

That is exactly what we are doing today. We are asking our students to remember more, write better and repeat faster than before... just like we wanted the faster horse when really we should be asking for the car. Sure the car wasn't better than the horse in the beginning and our education system won't be perfect either. It will never be perfect, it should be constantly evolving and we should strive to make it better every day.

I don't know what a perfect education system looks like, and don't think it even exists. But I believe that if we talk, try something different, fail forward, investigate and share what we do, not only locally but globally, we can get a lot closer.

If you want to see a change in education, you should start in your own classroom.

"Education can be encouraged from the top-down but can only be improved from the ground up" - Sir Ken Robinson
Icelandic Educator. Creator. Designer. Stanford Graduate School of Education Alumn
Ingvi Hrannar Ómarsson

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14 things that are obsolete in 21st century schools

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Saying that it has always been this way, doesn't count as a legitimate justification as to why it should stay that way. Teachers and administrators all over the world are doing amazing things, but some of the things we are still doing, despite all the new solutions, research and ideas out there are, to put [...]

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With technology continually changing. It is important to keep up with current technology trends to implement into our classroom. It can provide us with better chances of keeping student engagement at it's highest. We are able to also bring something different into the classroom that can prevent us from getting burned out from teaching. Check out this link to learn more on how to keep up with technology trends.

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The art of teaching is evolving fast. It seems like there is a new approach, network, or tech tool that will revolutionize instruction almost every day. How can teachers stay on top of it all?

Remember that you do not have to master everything out there overnight. Some trends will not be practical to implement within your classroom. So the question to ask is, how can you find out about what teaching trends will actually support your efforts in the classroom and produce better learner outcomes?

Set aside a few minutes to explore the following options and make it easier for yourself and your colleagues to learn about and implement trends in the classroom.

Collect the Resources You Need

First things first. With so much information now available to educators, it makes sense to gather a few resources on how to use current teaching technologies in the classroom. For example, Future-Focused Learning offers valuable teaching resources to suit all your needs. These guides will help lay the foundation for understanding popular platforms and concepts being applied to the classroom.

There are also a number of educators committed to learning how to use technology trends in practical ways to enhance the classroom learning experience and improve levels of engagement with learners.

Another way to enhance understanding of how to use technology in the classroom is to subscribe to or follow some of the latest tech blogs related to classroom instruction.

Teachers can benefit from receiving emails or enjoy updates to their news feed from:

The Innovative Educator: Lisa Nielson, a fellow educator, shows how teachers can use available resources to make learning more relevant and interesting. She also shares the details on implementing resources.

EdTech RoundUp : Stay abreast of progress and news in the area of education tech.

The Daring Librarian: Get entertained and informed from librarian Gwyneth Jones and learn how to use websites and new apps for instruction.

Free Technology 4 Teachers: Make use of free apps, videos, graphics, and software, in addition to Richard Byrne's suggestions for implementation.

My Paperless Classroom: A K-5 integration specialist, Sam Patterson, shares ideas and challenges on using video games, Minecraft worlds and other trending technologies in the classroom.

Personalised learning has become a common practice with tech being involved in instruction, student research, and desired student products. Even though our learners know much about using various social media platforms and searching online, they may be less aware of how to correctly attribute information they have found and give credit to sources, such as original authors and photographers. Teachers must get familiar with the technology available to students and the best practices for attribution and for avoiding plagiarism.

This will be particularly necessary if students are planning to publish content online on personal or classroom blogs or create Pinterest boards with original and borrowed content. Online publication of content with a student's byline, such as in a digital classroom newsletter, will require consideration of proper attribution to the digital source material.

Assess the Level of School Support

It makes little sense to try to implement every new technology out there if your classroom and school policy do not support its use. Check into what you can accomplish in your classrooms and what tools your learners may use. Take a moment to address a few of these questions in your quest to include technological trends in your classroom.

For teachers new to the school or that have only a basic understanding of the technologies available, this may help them gauge where to focus their energies, how to best set up their lessons using the technology on hand, and how to get first-hand advice from someone who is more knowledgeable about the practical use of the resources and technology at the school.

As we are aware, there are many types of learning styles and some teachers benefit from in-person guidance and working with someone on setting up classroom blogs, a class website or another educational tool. Getting insight and immediate feedback from a real person who may have tried it before can allow a teacher to achieve their objectives faster and learn more about the potential and realistic expectations of any new trend.

It's Easier Than You Think

New technology trends can actually be fun for teachers as well as students. Senior teachers benefit from new approaches that can breathe new life into materials and create welcome excitement from learners. Finding the right tech and human resources can make learning about new technologies easy.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Originally published May 17, 2009, updated September 17, 2021

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How Teachers Can Easily Keep Up with Teaching Trends

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The art of teaching is evolving fast. It seems like there is a new approach, network, or tech tool that will revolutionize instruction almost every day. How can teachers stay on top of it all? Remember that you do not have to master everything out there overnight.

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Blended learning is something newer that I learned about this year. If you're interested in knowing more I recommend reading this article over blended learning.

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5 min reading time

If you're familiar with online learning in any way, there's no doubt you'll have heard about blended learning. It's only more recently that this type of training has come into its own as a key part of every learning leader's L&D strategy. So, just what is it? In this post, you'll discover what blended learning training is and how to implement it to your corporate L&D strategy.

What is blended learning?

"Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods."

But don't worry if 'traditional place-based classrooms' are out of the question for your learners right now. You can easily substitute in-person for online training, using webinars or , ​​making the learning even more accessible and convenient.

Types of blended learning models

There's a few different ways to approach this type of training. Check out our post where we cover some of the most used blended learning models.

How to create a blended learning program

Define objectives

Make it interactive

Assessments

You'll need to monitor and assess your learners progress at the end of the program. This will give you insight into how successful the training was, and if there are any knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. With an LMS, you can easily set exams or assessments to be completed at the end of the training.

Blended learning in corporate training

Blended learning can be applied to a range of situations, like academia. But what works for colleges, might not work for corporate training. So why should you apply a corporate blended learning strategy to your training programs?

Why blended learning is ideal for corporate training

Return on investment (ROI)

Flexibility

When training learners in a corporate setting, you need to strike a balance and have consideration for their non-training workload. Blended learning models rely on a mix of online training and assignments, which enables learners to learn when it suits them, giving them more control over their learning and development.

Engagement

Companies can use varying online learning methods , like webinars to record training sessions for later use. If you have access to an LMS, gamification and certificates can add rewards and some friendly competitiveness to training, resulting in better learner engagement.

Blended learning LMS

Which blended learning LMS to use

Course management

Social learning tools

To make your blended learning training more appealing and engaging, make sure your LMS comes with social learning capabilities. These tools encourage learners to share their learning experiences and knowledge gained from training. It also promotes communication between trainers and learners. By facilitating this communication through an LMS forum , it creates a space where learners can support, and learn from each other. It also acts as a repository for learners to search and find additional training information. It's an excellent tool for fostering your company's learning culture .

Webinar integration

Webinars are key to blended learning training. When delivering courses that feature webinar sessions, you want to ensure it's as seamless as possible , and that you have access to your data all within a single solution.

You can easily reuse your webinar sessions for on-demand videos within courses, or as dedicated video content for training. Make sure you record each session so that you can use these recordings at a later date.

What are the benefits of integrating a webinar tool with your LMS?

If webinar sessions are part of your blended learning strategy, integrating your chosen tool with your LMS makes sense. You'll be able to:

Seamlessly schedule sessions in your LMS that automatically appear in your webinar tool. This means you'll only have to set up a session once, and there'll be no scheduling conflicts.

Easily register your attendees through your LMS, with the data being sent to your webinar tool automatically.

Monitor attendance data that is automatically transferred back to your LMS, meaning you don't have to waste time by manually updating this information.

When using a blended learning model, keep in mind that its aim is to combine the strengths of both traditional and online learning methods in order to give your learners a more engaging learning experience. Through blended learning training, you'll take advantage of the best of both worlds, benefitting both learners and instructors. LearnUpon LMS makes it simple to set up blended courses that contain any combination of face-to-face and online training components.

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If you're familiar with online learning in any way, there's no doubt you'll have heard about blended learning. It's only more recently that this type of

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https://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information/open-solutions/open-educational-resources

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How Does Gamification Change a Learner? 

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How Does Gamification Change a Learner? 

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Take a read at this article to learn more on how Gamification can change the behavior of a student, and make them want to learn more rather than learn what they need to know.

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Effects of Gamification on Behavioral Change in Education: A Meta-Analysis

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Background: Gamified reward systems, such as providing digital badges earned for specific accomplishments, are related to student engagement in educational settings. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analytic review to quantify the effects ...

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Prodigy is a great trending game that follows the gamification technology trend that there is. It keeps students engaged and now that they've released an English subject version of the game. The amount of learning that students can do is limitless. Teachers are able to track how well the students are doing as well as are able to to pick what kind of questions the students will see.

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Free Math Learning Game for Kids | Prodigy Math Game

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Make math learning fun and effective with Prodigy Math Game. All in-game educational content is free. Sign up today!

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If your district doesn't have a Nearpod subscription. I highly recommend them getting one. You can have your students give you real time feedback during the lesson as well as you're able to assess your students on their learning at the end of the lesson. They have thousands of different lessons that can be found based on the standards you're teaching. There is a feature that allows students to learn at their own pace rather than what the teacher is doing. Finally, they're VR field trips. What teacher doesn't love VR field trips. This is not a replacement to what you're teaching, but is a helpful resource on what you're teaching.

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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There are three technology frameworks SAMRS (Substitution Augmentation modification redefinition) model, TIM (Technology integration Matrix), and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). All three have the same goal in mind of educating students but their methods of approach are completely different.

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Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

The biggest obstacle to teaching online probably isn't the technology. Teachers seek out educational technology, in fact, because it "can have considerable positive impacts on student performance," according to a 2016 study -improving test scores and allowing teachers to assess student achievement more efficiently. The big problem is how to integrate it: Beyond the sheer number of tech tools available, the same researchers identified "inadequate professional development and training" as the primary obstacle to using technology productively in classrooms.

Understandably, the emergence of the coronavirus has dramatically accelerated the process of integrating edtech, as educators around the country race to get online as fast as they can. But as many of our teachers have noted, the current state of K-12 online learning is more like triage-a form of crisis management-and not at all like skillfully managed distance education.

What's missing from the conversation right now, which makes sense given the immediacy of the need, is a focus on the bigger question of what the highest quality technology integration actually looks like. That's an important conversation to have, because in a post-coronavirus world there's likely to be a greater emphasis on digital learning, even as we return to physical schools and take advantage of face-to-face opportunities.

A Hierarchy of Tech Uses

A powerful conceptual tool to think about technology integration-and edtech's best uses-is the SAMR model, developed in 2010 by education researcher Ruben Puentedura, who was the 1991 recipient of a Phi Beta Kappa teaching award.

The SAMR model lays out four tiers of online learning, presented roughly in order of their sophistication and transformative power: substitution, augmentation, modification, and r edefinition. When switching to an online format, teachers often focus on the first two levels, which involve replacing traditional materials with digital ones: converting lessons and worksheets into PDFs and posting them online, or recording lectures on video and making them available for asynchronous learning, for example.
Creative Commons
Those are important steps, especially when teaching online for the first time, but in classrooms where tech integration has moved to the mastery level, the last two levels of the SAMR model-modification and redefinition-should also be in the mix. Students in classes where this kind of mastery is embedded find more novel and immersive uses for technology. They are creators and publishers of their own work across multiple forms of media, for example, or they are inviting professionals to provide feedback on their work products, or participating in digital forums with other peers around the world.

It's tempting to think of SAMR as a mountain to be summited. But good technology integration isn't about living at the top of the SAMR model; it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

Here's a closer look at good classroom practices at each level in the model:

Substitution

"Substitution" means replacing traditional activities and materials-like in-class lectures or paper worksheets-with digital versions. There is no substantial change to the content, just the way that it is delivered.

The goal here is to keep things simple: there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Scan your lessons and worksheets, convert them into PDFs, and post them online using Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or a similar file-sharing service. Think about the information you have on your walls, such as the classroom norms, the daily schedule, or vocabulary lists, and convert them into digital formats that students can easily reference.

It may also help to provide synchronous as well as asynchronous versions of your lectures. If you're holding class meetings over a videoconferencing service like Zoom or Skype, provide a recording for students who can't attend. You can also create your own instructional videos for students to view at their own pace.

Augmentation

This level involves incorporating interactive digital enhancements and elements like comments, hyperlinks, or multimedia. The content remains unchanged, but students can now take advantage of digital features to enhance the lesson.

For example, students can create digital portfolios to create multimedia presentations, giving them more options to demonstrate their understanding of a topic. And instead of handing out paper quizzes, you can gamify your quizzes with tools like Socrative and Kahoot.

Teachers can also create virtual bulletin boards-using an app like Padlet -where students can post questions, links, and pictures.

Modification

At this level, teachers can think about using a learning management system like Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, or Canvas to handle the logistical aspects of running a classroom, like tracking grades, messaging students, creating a calendar, and posting assignments.

Teaching online opens up new channels of communication, many of which can help students who have traditionally been marginalized. Research shows that girls may be less likely to speak up in class, for example, so they may benefit from backchannels -alternative conversations that can run alongside instruction-that encourage participation.

Zoom's text chat feature, meanwhile, gives students an opportunity to write their questions out, which can feel less intrusive if there are dozens of students participating in the call. Also, students who prefer to collect their thoughts may benefit from slower-paced, asynchronous discussions in an online forum or email threads.

Redefinition

Learning is fundamentally transformed at the "redefinition" level, enabling activities that were previously impossible in the classroom.

For example, virtual pen pals can connect students to other parts of the world, whether it's with other students or experts in a field. Virtual field trips enable students to visit locations like the Amazon rainforest, the Louvre, or the Egyptian pyramids. After reading a book in class, you can invite the author to chat about their work and answer questions.

Technology also provides an opportunity to bring authentic audiences into your virtual classroom, and can make publishers out of your students. Kids can write their own wikis or blogs for public consumption and feedback-and platforms like Quadblogging can connect distant classrooms together so students both write and respond. Students can tackle local problems-like investigating the water quality of a nearby river-and invite members of the community to assess their digital proposals.

Going Beyond SAMR

Finally, consider how technology can be used not just as a way to deliver content, but also to strengthen relationships with your students. For elementary school teacher John Thomas, Seesaw and Flipgrid allow him to share a daily greeting, which his students then respond to-or to each other-with a typed or voiced comment. It's a good way to provide some stability while they're isolated.

How can my lesson be improved using technology?

How can I engage and empower students through technology?

How can online learning more closely resemble authentic, real-world learning?

Remember, again, that SAMR is sometimes thought of as a mountain to summit, but it's really more like a toolbox. The goal isn't to use the most sophisticated tool, but to find the right one for the job. More importantly, however, it's a way to reflect on your technology integration by thinking about a few key questions:

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A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration

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Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

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Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) and TIM Tools Introduction, 2013 ISTE Presentation

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What does effective technology integration look like? What does it mean? How can it be described in a way that provides guidance to teachers at every experience level? The Technology Integration Matrix provides a framework for defining and evaluating technology integration, sets a clear vision for effective teaching with technology, and gives teachers and administrators a common language for setting goals.

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When looking deeper in the Frameworks I have come across a framework called RAT (Replacement, Amplification, Transformation) Model. It is very interesting of a framework. If you'd like to know more please look at this article that also has a video included.

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Teaching effectively is an ambitious task. Teaching effectively with technology may seem even more challenging - but tempting at the same time. There is a fast growing number of teachers who believe that technology in not yet another 'gizmo', another irritating dubious novelty on their well established way to success in education but a genuinely revolutionary invention which opens amazing possibilities in effective (and fascinating) teaching and learning. These teachers, however, keep asking: How do I do it? How to make it work best for me? The question is: How can teachers integrate technology into their teaching successfully? What is truly needed is an ICT implementation model based on the assumption that teaching is an interaction between what teachers know and how they apply what they know in their unique classrooms. This text presents briefly one framework and two models which help introduce technology effectively into classrooms: the framework shows indispensable conditions for effective technology integration in education, and the two models, with serious theoretical background, are more practical, focusing on best ICT implementation.

TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Framework

SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition) Model

RAT (Replacement, Amplification, Transformation) Model

TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Framework

TPACK shows the essential relationships which need to be understood and "linked" well to let technology work properly in education. At the heart of the TPACK framework is the complex interplay of three primary forms of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK). Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is an understanding that emerges from interactions between content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge. TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies - pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content (Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P., 2009). Good understanding of the TPACK framework remains essential for effective technology implementation presented in the next two models.

SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition) Model

SAMR model, popularized by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, supports and enables teachers to design, develop, and infuse digital learning experiences that utilize technology. The goal is to transform learning experiences so they result in higher levels of achievement for students.

Ruben Puentedura: The goal for the teacher is to construct a simple SAMR ladder that is coupled to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy - i.e., as the task moves from lower to upper levels of the taxonomy, it also moves from lower to upper levels of SAMR. The two Enhancement levels of SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation) are associated with the three lower levels of Bloom (Remember, Understand, Apply), while the two Transformation levels of SAMR (Modification, Redefinition) are associated with the upper levels of Bloom (Analyze, Evaluate, Create). . In turn, within each grouping a similar ordering occurs - e.g., Remember-type tasks are primarily associated with S-level uses of the technology, Understand-type tasks are associated with either S- or A-level uses of the technology, and so on. The following diagram illustrates this association:

The Substitution Augmentation Modification R edefinition Model shows how to progress through teaching and learning with technology. Ideally, the last stage (Redefinition) is the ultimate aim of effective teaching and learning with technology: this is the moment where technology is irreplaceable, the moment where brand new possibilities and tasks open for teachers and learners.

RAT (Replacement, Amplification, Transformation) Model

RAT seems to be a simpler and even more practical version of the SAMR model, a less complicated way of looking at how ICT can be integrated into a classroom context. Again, the ultimate aim is the REPLACEMENT stage. Compared to the SAMR model, it avoids the ambiguity connected with the difference between the second and third level; here the two levels are put together into one AMPLIFICATION stage.

There are numerous practical examples of different applications' use at different stages of both SAMR and RAT models. Teachers should remember, however, that knowledge of technology is just one of the three basic elements needed for effective ICT implementation: only the complex interaction of Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK), explained in the TPACK framework will allow successful integration technology into teaching.

Ressources
TPACK SAMR TPACK OR SAMR OR RAT OR...?:

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Teaching effectively with technology: TPACK, SAMR, RAT

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Teaching effectively is an ambitious task. Teaching effectively with technology may seem even more challenging - but tempting at the same time.

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Creating a deeper level thinker for students should be a big goal for students. Doing so can create a larger engagement of students in the classroom. We learned this week how we can accomplish this by integrating technology.

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.

In the 1950s, psychologists Jacob Kounin and Paul Gump discovered a curious side effect of discipline: If a student was being disruptive and the teacher responded with strict disciplinary measures, the student might stop-but other students would start exhibiting the same misbehavior. Kounin and Gump called this the " ripple effect," and it demonstrated that efforts to control a classroom can backfire.

"The teacher who is interested in controlling ripple effects can generally do so best by giving clear instructions to the child rather than by exerting pressure on him," Kounin and Gump wrote.

Decades later, classroom management is still a thorny issue for teachers. Nearly half of new teachers report that they feel "not at all prepared" or "only somewhat prepared" to handle disruptive students, in part because the average teacher training program devotes just eight hours to the topic, according to a 2014 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. This lack of training comes with a cost, as teachers report losing 144 minutes of instructional time on average to behavioral disruptions every week, which comes out to roughly three weeks over the course of a year.

Recent research confirms what Kounin and Gump discovered decades ago. A 2016 study found that while negative attention-reprimands like "Stop chitchatting!"-may temporarily stop misbehavior, students eventually became more likely to engage in disruptive behavior. Students in the study felt disengaged, had difficulty concentrating, and weren't able to effectively regulate their thoughts and emotions-a vicious cycle that "actually amplifies students' inappropriate behavior," the study authors explain.

8 Proactive Classroom Management Strategies

Instead of handling disruptions after they've happened, it can be more effective to set up conditions in which they are less likely to occur. Here are eight classroom strategies that teachers have shared with Edutopia, all backed by research.

1. Greet students at the door: At Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC, Falon Turner starts the day by giving each of her students a high-five, handshake, or hug. "During that time, I'm just trying to connect with them.... It's kind of like a pulse check to see where they are," she says.

In a study published last year, greeting students at the door helped teachers set a positive tone for the rest of the day, boosting academic engagement by 20 percentage points while reducing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points-adding roughly an hour of engagement over the course of the school day.

2. Establish, maintain, and restore relationships: Building relationships with students through strategies like greeting them at the door is a good start. It's also necessary to maintain them over the course of the school year, and to repair them when conflicts arise. "The stronger the relationship and the better we understand our students, the more knowledge and goodwill we have to draw on when the going gets tough," writes Marieke van Woerkom, a restorative practices coach at the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility in New York.

Strategies for establishing, maintaining, and restoring relationships -such as regular check-ins, and focusing on solutions instead of problems-can reduce disruptions by up to 75 percent.

3. Use reminders and cues: "Novelty-such as the sound of a wind chime or rain stick-captures young students' attention" writes Todd Finley, a former English teacher and current professor of English education, who suggests using these techniques to quiet a noisy class.

For older students, give plenty of warning if you need them to follow instructions. Reminders and cues are helpful ways to encourage students to follow instructions without being overtly controlling or forceful. For example, if you can anticipate a disruption-such as students getting out of their seats if they finish an assignment early-give a short reminder of what they should do instead.

Reminders are commonly verbal, but can also be visual (flicking the lights to signal that it's time to be quiet), auditory (ringing a small bell to let students know they should pay attention to the teacher), or physical (using a hand signal to let students know to get back in their seats).

4. Optimize classroom seating: When students choose their own seats, they're three times more likely to be disruptive than when seats are assigned. After all, they'll probably pick seats next to their friends and spend more time chatting.
Courtesy of Emily Polak
But that doesn't mean choice is always bad. Giving students a sense of ownership in the room, paired with clear expectations for behavior, can have surprisingly positive effects. A welcoming space can reduce anxiety and boost academic performance. Emily Polak, a ninth-grade teacher in Madison, Alabama, gave her room a cozier feel by adding a couch, a loveseat, rugs, a coffee table, and posters. Her students decide where to sit-but if they can't get their work done, they get moved back to a desk. "Discipline issues have significantly decreased. My students seem to feel more relaxed and more motivated in a setting that honors their choices," Polak says.

5. Give behavior-specific praise: It may seem counterintuitive, but acknowledging positive behavior and ignoring low-level disruptions can be more effective than punishing or disciplining students. Instead of focusing on specific students, offer praise for the behavior you want to reinforce. For example, tell students, "Excellent work getting to your seats quickly."

It's also helpful to avoid using the word don't, suggests Alyssa Nucaro, a sixth-grade English teacher in Memphis. Students are more likely to listen to instructions that include clear reasons.

6. Set clear expectations: Instead of just displaying rules for behavior, have a discussion with your students about why those rules matter. Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Portland, Maine, works with his students to create a list of norms-words such as inclusive, focused, and considerate -to build a sense of community. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom," Shaddox says. "Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together. These are words that we believe in."

7. Actively supervise: "Presence is crucial to maintaining classroom management and to effective delivery of instruction, and it's a skill we can develop with effort," explains Sol Henik, a high school teacher in Pleasant Hill, California. Although it's tempting to sit at your desk and grade papers, that's also an invitation to your students to get distracted. Be active: Move around the room, check in on student progress, and ask questions. It's not about policing your students, but about interacting with them.

A 2017 study found that a teacher's nonverbal cues-such as smiling and making eye contact-can "reduce physical and/or psychological distance" with their students, boosting students' positive feelings toward the teacher and the course material while improving behavior.

8. Be consistent in applying rules: Early in Kelly Wickham Hurst's career as an administrator in a public high school, she was asked to discipline a black student for violating the school dress code by wearing sagging jeans. As they walked down the hallway, he pointed out other boys-all white-who were also wearing sagging pants. "Are you gonna get him, too, or is it just me?" he asked. School and classroom expectations, rules, and routines should be followed and applied fairly to all students. Don't single out certain students-it's the behavior you should be focused on, not the student. Correct errors when you see them and provide additional instruction or reteaching when misbehavior occurs.

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins. In the 1950s, psychologists Jacob Kounin and Paul Gump discovered a curious side effect of discipline: If a student was being disruptive and the teacher responded with strict disciplinary measures, the student might stop-but other students would start exhibiting the same misbehavior.

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If you want to keep students engaged with technology. You must make it applicable to the real world. If we don't do this they look at using the technology they're using in the classroom more as a quick tool and done. A cool tip that I have is having students solve a real problem by doing research on a topic that can be applied to the real world. An example would be that the students can do a research on how to reduce pollution in their town. They can use Prezi to present their solutions and findings.

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Open Canvas

Create, organize, and move freely on an open canvas. Create seamless presentations without the restrictions of linear slides.

Ready-made asset libraries

Choose from millions of images, stickers, GIFs, and icons from Unsplash and Giphy.

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Presentations and videos with engaging visuals for hybrid teams | Prezi Present

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Welcome to Prezi, the presentation software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to bring your ideas to life and make you a great presenter.

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Rigor and It's Roles in Technology Integration

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Rigor and It's Roles in Technology Integration

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This website explains the roles that Rigor has in technology integration in the classroom, and how an educator can use it to the best of their abilities for their students.

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In shifting instructional techniques to utilize new technology and support Common Core instruction, it is easy for teachers to access an abundance of exciting applications, web tools, and lesson plan ideas that allow students to practice skills in a new way. Scrolling through Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, or other such sites, one could spend hours looking at examples of neat digital tools and captivating lessons that teachers are using in their classrooms. And although these tools provide catchy, exciting, and even memorable classroom experiences for our students, I would offer up a word of caution: Don't get too caught up in the fun and flashy, and forget about rigor.

Admittedly, this is a mistake I have made myself over the past couple of years. In creating and implementing lessons for an elementary STEM lab, I have gotten excited about the overwhelming student engagement, but neglected the learning outcomes. Don't get me wrong- student engagement is an essential part of good teaching. But I fear, at times, I have sacrificed rigor for relevance. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the art of strong pedagogy is finding the sweet spot where students are so engaged that they embrace challenges that push them to apply their understanding at a deeper level.

So as we begin developing lessons for next year, how do we make sure that we do not get so caught up in catchy content that we neglect high expectations for learning? I would argue that just about any app can be included in a rigorous lesson when used as part of an engaging learning process, as opposed to standing alone as the entire learning experience. For example, a few months ago, I was planning a lesson on landforms and how the earth changes. Immediately, the old baking soda and vinegar volcano came to mind since it always proves to be a memorable crowd pleaser. However, as I thought about it, I realized that the demonstration, although fun, presents students with very little challenge or even interaction with the content. Therefore, I continued my search. I then found an app called "Volcano 360" which allows students to take a 360 degree helicopter tour of an erupting volcano. Again, this was a very fun-sounding prospect but it lacked the potential for deep learning. Finally, it occurred to me to use both of these experiences as part of a language arts lesson on compare and contrast. After spending a few minutes experiencing each of these short activities, and an introduction to compare and contrast, the students created a Popplet web comparing and contrasting the real volcano with our model. In doing this, they were able to discover how a volcano changes land and many even argued why that particular way of modeling a volcano is somewhat inaccurate. From this example, you can see how an app or activity that lacks rigor can be used as part of a lesson that is both engaging and produces higher order learning outcomes.

One of the most important considerations when developing rigorous lessons is setting strong objectives from the very beginning of the learning process. Recently, I was helping a teacher plan a science lesson on physical and chemical changes. Although we had identified an engaging science experiment for the students to learn about the two, we felt that the students needed more explicit instruction about facts related to these topics. Therefore, we decided to create a Padlet wall with links to websites and videos that would provide the necessary information. However, although all of the information would be disseminated to students, the links themselves did not provide an opportunity for productive struggle. Therefore, we decided to create a task for students to complete for each link that were more challenging for them. When creating these tasks, we wanted to make sure that students were considering answers to higher-order questions. Therefore, we used a Bloom's taxonomy diagram to help us create a rubric to set student learning goals for each task. (Google "Bloom's Taxonomy verbs" and take your pick from hundreds of images.) In grading their responses, we were able to screenshot evidence from their responses to justify our evaluation of each task. Again, this activity began with a simple science experiment and research tool, but was transformed into a much more rigorous learning experience by focusing on higher-order outcomes and the integration of content areas based on cross-cutting concepts.

Moving forward in our instructional shift and digital conversion, perhaps no one is more excited than I am about providing engaging, memorable, and meaningful learning opportunities for our students. There is no question that neat apps and interactive projects make content more relevant and enjoyable for students. However, in doing so, we cannot forget the pitfalls we learned from the whole learner movement. Exciting classroom experiences that lack opportunities for students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesis information will yield basic-level understanding at best and educational gaps at worst. There are so many amazing digital resources out there. But it is up to us as teachers to apply those resources in a way that will produce optimal learning outcomes and motivate students to embrace these challenges.
This article was originally posted on the Sam Houston Elementary School blog. You can view the original post .

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author: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp

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author: Courtney Koestler, Jennifer Ward, Maria del Rosario Zavala, Tonya Bartell

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author: James B. Short and Stephanie Hirsh

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The Role of Rigor in Digital Learning - Corwin Connect

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In shifting instructional techniques to utilize new technology and support Common Core instruction, it is easy for teachers to access an abundance of exciting applications, web tools, and lesson plan ideas that allow students to practice skills in a new way.

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The learning pit is something that I have learned from one of my previous classes. It involves a student who is willing to learn or take on a challenge that involves learning. Soon they find themselves not being able to understand it, or are capable of understanding it and climbing out of the pit. Later the student who understands the lesson can help another student out of the learning pit.

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Everyone learns differently and it is important for us teachers to know our students, how they learn, and what makes them tick. Once we can know these things about our students we will know exactly what to do in order to ensure student success.

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There's no one size fits all when it comes to how you comprehend information. Everyone is different-but for many years, students have been asking questions about their learning style.

The concept of learning styles has had a huge impact on education in general. According to the Association for Psychological Science (APS), educators and students alike have been hearing for over 30 years that most people are either visual or auditory learners. ¹ But this concept, while fascinating to many people, tends to lead to conclusions that aren't always backed by research.

"We're more similar in learning than we are different in styles," says author and learning specialist Dr. Barbara Hong. "For example, if you want to teach someone the location of Singapore, the best way to show them is a map. Not because they are visual learners but because that's the best way to teach it."

Hong explains that no matter what kind of student you are, you are more likely to understand the taste of salt by actually tasting it than by going through lectures, visual presentations or anything else. In this way, learning different subjects can call for a wide variety of methods.

When it comes to navigating your way through education, you might find that you prefer certain ways of understanding information. You may already know, for example, that you retain more information when you study alone. Or that you understand a scientific process faster when you walk through the steps with a friend.

When you start to ask yourself how you learn best-little insights like this can help you thrive in your education. Read ahead to learn how you can utilize different learning styles to maximize your academic experience.

What are learning styles?

"We should start by addressing something important: Learning styles, as we often think about them, don't necessarily exist," says William Haynes, educator and recruiting regional manager for the Princeton Review. Haynes explains that many studies have tested and researched the concept that students learn differently than others, without finding grounds for the belief. ²

"We are generally taught to believe that our learning styles are either visual, audible, or kinesthetic," Haynes says. "But studies have found that students who thought they were visual learners, for example, didn't necessarily do better when presented with more visual material."

Even when it comes to study habits, Haynes has found that students don't necessarily improve when they tailor their study sessions to match the learning style they believe they have. "That being said, the idea of learning styles is prominent in our culture. Maybe we could call them learning preferences or learning familiarity ..."

"Even if learning styles as we know them don't exist, it is still very important to consider what we prefer, what we think works, etc. ..." Haynes says. "I think there might be plenty of anecdotal evidence that supports learning styles." As a teacher, Haynes saw that offering material in a variety of formats engaged more students and yielded better results. "Engaging more senses and even the mere repetition certainly makes a difference."

Hong suggests that common devices used to teach certain subjects, such as visuals in geography and geometry or rhythm and music in memorization are indications of how most people will learn those specific subjects best.

In this way, learning styles can still have a real impact on your experience as a student. Consider learning songs in school to memorize material-going all the way back to the ABCs. If staring at a list of important historical dates is getting you nowhere, you might attempt making them into a song. Teachers won't always offer melodies for material you need to memorize, but if you've given thought to what works for you, you can study that way.

What are the different types of learners?

As mentioned above, for a long time people have been sorted into certain categories of learning.

The main categories our experts mentioned were:

1. Visual learners

2. Auditory (or aural) learners

3. Kinesthetic (or hands-on) learners

4. Reading and writing learners

Visual learners

Visual learners absorb information best when they can visualize relationships and ideas. Maps, charts, diagrams and even essays work well for visual learners. When instructors illustrate or diagram their lectures on a whiteboard, visual learners may find they remember the information much better.

Haynes finds that visuals are pretty essential for all students when it comes to subjects like geometry. "I suggest that it's a more visual approach, but it's really more of a way to avoid making mistakes. I instruct students to always draw the shapes if they aren't presented, fill in the pieces, etc."

Auditory learners

Auditory learners are all ears. They tend to prefer listening to information rather than reading it or seeing it visually displayed. Auditory learners may speak and read slowly. They tend to be linear thinkers and may repeat things they hear out loud. When it comes to studying, an auditory learner might remember material best if they talk about it with someone else, since it will be easier to recall a conversation than a visual image of words on a page.

Kinesthetic learners

Kinesthetic learners are the most hands-on learning type. They learn best by doing and may get fidgety if forced to sit for long periods of time. Kinesthetic learners do best when they can participate in activities or solve problems in a hands-on manner. Sometimes even being physically engaged (tossing a ball, knitting) will help them retain information better. They tend to remember what they do best.

Reading & writing learners

Reading and writing learners are extremely comfortable with the written word. They prefer to consume information by reading texts and can further absorb information by condensing and rephrasing it. The traditional college textbook and annotation process works well for the reading/writing learning style.

Getting the most out of different types of learning

You won't always be able to influence how material is taught to you in college. But if you look back over how you have learned best in the past, you can make informed choices about the kind of program you choose to enroll in.

"If you learn through reading, you may benefit from online classes with study guides and textbooks," says Elizabeth Malson, president of the Amslee Institute. "Visual learners prefer live lectures and demonstrations or on-demand videos." Knowing how you like to learn can help you pick the right post-secondary program.

But our experts caution against trying to make your whole education fit into one learning style.

For example, Haynes says a subject like grammar can be dangerous if students rely on auditory learning. Grammar in common usage is not always correct. If students use their ears to detect grammatical errors, they will likely make mistakes on a test. "In this case, they need to 'turn off' that style and stick to knowing the rules as they are tested."

So instead of boxing yourself into one learning style, think of all the different tactics you could try in your education. Recommended study habits for people who prefer visual, auditory, kinesthetic and reading/writing methods can all be super useful for the right subject.

Study for tests with flashcards.

Make lists or flowcharts.

Join a study group to discuss ideas with other students.

Record lectures to listen to later.

Make a song to memorize something.

Print out presentation slides to review.

Rewrite ideas in your own words.

Translate visual information into statements.

Read printed information out loud to yourself.

Walk around while reviewing your notes.

Trace words with your fingers as you study.

Verbally review material with someone while bouncing a basketball.

Experiment with any of the above techniques that appeal to you, and you just might revolutionize your study habits. "We often have bad or semi-bad habits that have worked well enough in the past," Haynes says. "Even if they aren't the best. Look for how you can improve, and use techniques from all of the styles as appropriate depending on the class, topic, subject, etc. ..."

Malson points out that understanding how you study best can also influence your program choice at the onset. Students who prefer to work in concentrated chunks will like moving faster in online programs where they may be able to complete requirements ahead of schedule. Students who learn from others will want to look for in-person classroom environments where they can join a study group.

What kind of learner are you?

Most students will have to find ways to adapt in the course of their education. Some subjects will present more of a challenge, and some teachers will employ learning aides that don't do much for you. But if you are the kind of learner who takes initiative, you will be poised to thrive in your education.

Now you have a better idea of some of the learning and study tactics that can help you personalize your education. But that's not the end of the choices available-you have more control of your learning environment than you might think!

Check out our article " Ways of Learning in College: Identify Your Ideal Educational Environment " to see what we mean.

¹Association for Psychological Science, Learning Styles Debunked: There is No Evidence Supporting Auditory and Visual Learning, Psychologists Say [accessed March 2019] https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/learning-styles-debunked-there-is-no-evidence-supporting-auditory-and-visual-learning-psychologists-say.html
²Husmann, Polly R. and O'Laughlin, Valerie, Indiana University School of Medicine, Another Nail in the Coffin for Learning Styles? Disparities among Undergraduate Anatomy Students' Study Strategies, Class Performance, and Reported VARK Learning Styles [accessed March 2019] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ase.1777
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in 2016. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2019.

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Different Types of Learners: What College Students Should Know

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There's no one size fits all when it comes to how you comprehend information. Everyone is different-but for many years, students have been asking questions about their learning style. The concept of learning styles has had a huge impact on education in general.

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Personalized Learning Plans: Harwood Union High School

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After doing some digging about the ASSURE Model. I have discovered that there is another model that is similar to this called the ADDIE Model. Here is an article covering boths strengths and weakness of the two. As well as telling you which one is better in the classroom.

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Unit 7 Is this a useful tool or not for your classroom? 

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Unit 7 Is this a useful tool or not for your classroom? 

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It is important to know if the tool or website you're using is going to be useful in your classroom, or if you should be using it at all. It is important to have a checklist when doing these things.

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By Christine Elgersma | November 4, 2021

Some apps and websites claim they can teach your child to read or do math. But media that's actually good for learning may not produce results that are quick or easy to see. The best ones help your child learn how to learn -- and make them want to come back for more.

Apps and websites that nurture lifelong learning encourage questions, curiosity, and critical thinking. They teach by engaging kids, building concepts, and deepening their understanding. Plus, they offer feedback and teach them how to adjust accordingly. Kids will even find opportunities to strengthen learning beyond playtime.

Use these pointers to find apps and websites that are really good for learning:

Consider what you'd like your child to learn.

Do they need help with school subjects like math and reading? Would you like to build skills for creativity, logical thinking, or emotional awareness? Our "Best for Learning" lists offer hand-curated picks that support learning in any of these areas.

Let your kid's interests be your guide.

Find apps that tap into your kid's passions or stretch them a bit. For example, if your child isn't excited about reading, find books related to what they like in apps like Epic! and Skybrary. There are also plenty of free educational apps for a wide variety of interests.

Choose age-appropriate apps and websites.

Not everything for kids in the app store is as educational as it says it is. Based on research, here are some important things to consider:

Age 0-2: Babies and toddlers are likely to be attracted to screens. But there isn't much evidence that apps or websites will benefit their learning.

Age 3-8: Young kids benefit from content that supports problem-solving and school-readiness skills like reading, writing, and math. The best apps will be easy to navigate, with simple and interactive features.

Age 9-12: Preteens have strong digital skills, which can help when it comes to schoolwork. But they may want to play things designed for teens or adults, so always check that it's age-appropriate. Look for content that helps with academic subjects and other skills they can practice outside the classroom.

Age 13+: Teens usually know a lot about tech, so you'll need to decide how much you want to be involved. Valuable lessons can come from anywhere. Encourage diverse media experiences, and emphasize responsible behavior online.

Do some research.

Read more than just the description in the app store. Read unbiased reviews ( such as ours), and make sure the apps come from a trusted developer. Keep in mind that free apps sometimes show inappropriate ads, offer in-app purchases, or collect your data.

Try it out for yourself.

Once you've found something interesting, download and test out the game if possible. If you can't test it out, watch a demo of it on YouTube before suggesting it to your child.

Look for learning in what your kid already loves.

Even if a game or app doesn't relate directly to school subjects, it still might have learning opportunities. Look for strategy, critical thinking, creativity, and more in what your kid already loves to do.

To learn more about what content is appropriate for your child, check out How We Rate and Review on our website.
Ashley Canales contributed to this article.

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How to Tell If an App or a Website Is Good for Learning

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Get tips for finding apps and websites that will help your child with lifelong learning. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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Use this guide to create a checklist of tools to use in your classroom.

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Education technology is a key part of the modern classroom. One report found that K-12 students used 74 different digital learning tools during the first half of the 2021 school year, while educators used 86 different edtech apps and software systems. With so many websites, games, and services available, how can you sort the various systems to find the most valuable options for your class? More importantly: how can you preserve your precious classroom budget so you don't waste your money on tools you will never use?

You need an evaluation process. You need a rubric that can help you look objectively at different apps to understand their value before you implement them in your classroom. Use this guide to review the various technology tools for teachers on the market to find the best ones for your classroom.

Create a Checklist for Any App or System You Evaluate

The first step when evaluating any new edtech system is to have a set of guidelines to determine whether the app or tool is right for you. You can develop a checklist at the start of the year for any app you want to use or you can brainstorm a list of questions for each tool you look at. Your checklist should cover a variety of different criteria, including:

Usability

Core curriculum concepts

Training options

Accessibility

Price

Interest to students

Long-term benefits

For example, many teachers use Kahoot to create fun quizzes in the classroom. The app is free or affordable, it has high usability levels for students, and it can be used throughout the year and in almost any subject. Both kindergarten and college classrooms use the app. If a teacher were to evaluate it objectively against these criteria, it would come out favorably.

Check The Tools Against Your Curriculum

There are plenty of apps and games that seem incredibly fun - but are they actually useful? Are they built with your specific curriculum needs in mind? A good edtech system should state what standards it aligns with so you can know where to place the games in your lesson plans. Clear curriculum guidelines can also help you advocate for resources to pay for these systems if you want to expand their use.

At eSpark, we work carefully with school districts and governing education bodies to align our quests with curriculum expectations . This is why our activities are grade-appropriate and fit for the lessons you develop.

Source: Anna Maria College

Explore the Student Side

Many edtech tools have a teacher-facing side and a student-facing side. The teacher side has reports on student performance, descriptions of lessons, and alerts when students need help. However, you might spend more time on the student side of the software you choose than you realize.

When kids use new technology, they expect you to be an expert on it. You are their first line of support if they get stuck or don't know how to use the program. As an educator, you will have to be versed on the student side in order to explain to your class how to use various apps and games.

Simply put, if you can't figure out how a game works, your students won't be able to. They will get frustrated. They will get bored. And you will have empty lesson plans to fill when students don't want to use those apps. Take your time getting to know the student side and make sure it's fun, usable, and educational.

Evaluate Free vs. Paid vs. Trial Options

There is very little difference between the technology tools for teachers and any other software service on the market. Software and technology providers (from TikTok to the Smithsonian's educator resources) look for ways to monetize their services through free options and demos. With each software solution you find, identify what is actually free and what comes with strings attached. Here are a few different types of systems you may encounter:

Free. Teachers can access all of the tools created by the company for as long as they want.

Freemium. There are some completely free resources but you need to pay extra to access other tools and apps.

Free Trials. You can gain complete access to the system for a short period and then you will be charged for using the service.

Flat rate fees. You pay one fee (or a monthly fee) to access the tool and you can use it as much as you want.

Per-student fees. The system gives you licenses for a certain number of students and charges you access for each student you add.

Usage-based fees. The company monitors how much you use the system and charges you based on the time or resources used.

Many tech tools for teachers use a combination of these business models. They might offer some tools for free and then charge a flat rate to access freemium options. Know exactly what you are expected to pay before you start using a tool, game, or app.

Look for Groups and Online Communities that Use the Tool

Teachers are incredibly active online. There are Facebook groups, Twitter chats, and endless blogs and Pinterest accounts with tips, debates, and discussions. If you have a question, it's highly likely that another teacher someone across the country also has the same issue.

As you look at different technology tools for teachers, identify whether there are places online you can turn to for help. Google is a strong example of this. Teachers can complete certifications on Google tools , participate in communities dedicated to using Google products for education, and even attend conferences on maximizing the value of these services.

Not every app or game will have its own dedicated communities. Check the social presence of each app you look at to make sure there is an active place for discussions and questions.

Ask About Accessibility

Your classroom is incredibly diverse - can your edtech tools meet the needs of all your students? Accessibility should be a standard focus on the apps and games you find, not an add-on to accommodate district guidelines. There are a few ways to determine whether a system is accessible :

Ask the software vendor for their accessible features and any testing they do on their tools. (Alternatively, look for accessibility information online.)

Evaluate accessibility options yourself. Would you be able to adjust the games for students who are deaf or blind? Can you make adjustments to games that are overwhelming for neurodiverse students?

Look for multiple accessibility options. Disability isn't a monolith. Some people who are blind read braille while others use different methods of reading and communication. Avoid software tools that only provide one accessibility solution.

See if multiple languages are offered. A student might understand math concepts better if they are presented in their primary language.

You might not have any students with accessibility needs this fall, but you may in the future. You want your edtech choices to support your students this year and beyond.

See What Training Resources Are Available

Many systems claim to be intuitive, but few actually are. While you might be able to navigate through different systems and learn how they work, it helps to have a guide. Training videos, assistance pages, and online chat tools can empower you to ask questions and use each part of an app or system to its fullest.

As you get to know the different technology tools for teachers on the market, see which companies invest in training and onboarding educators so you will have the support you need. If you get stuck, there should be someone who can help you.

Listen to What Your Students Say

Anyone who has spent time around kids knows how picky they can be. Even if you have worked through this checklist and think you have a winning app, your students might get bored if they don't like the tool.

At eSpark, we take this into consideration. Whenever a student completes a challenge, they can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. We take this rating into consideration when creating and adjusting our curriculum.

Whenever you introduce a new app or game, collect student feedback on it. The opinions of your students can be a ticket out the door (TOTD) and can determine whether you use the system again in the classroom.

Learn How eSpark Meets These Criteria

Our developers at eSpark know how packed the edtech space is. They also know that most of the tools available don't fully meet the needs of teachers. This is why we strive to develop exciting games that also align with curriculum needs. Our engaging, standards-based games allow for adaptive and differentiated learning, so each student is challenged on a suitable level for their abilities.

Explore all that eSpark has to offer you and your students for free today!

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Guide to Evaluating Technology Tools for Teachers: Discover What is Right for Your Classroom

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Education technology is a key part of the modern classroom. One report found that K-12 students used 74 different digital learning tools during the first half of the 2021 school year, while educators used 86 different edtech apps and software systems. With so many websites, games, and services available, how can you sort the various systems to find the most valuable options for your class?

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This website link will lead to a video and a podcast of tools that teachers should try in 2022. With trends always changing as well as technology. It is important to keep your mind open for trying something new.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
Sponsored by Fearless Schools and Google's Applied Digital Skills

In 2015, I published my very first Teacher's Guide to Tech. I did it because teachers kept telling me that they wanted to use technology more effectively, but they were overwhelmed by the number of tools out there and the lack of time they had to research them and try them out. So they just kept using the same small handful of software applications, feeling more out of touch every year, watching their more tech-savvy peers lap them over and over.

I decided to try and make it easy on them. At first I thought I would just write a long blog post that put all the major educational tech tools into categories, explained what each one was, and linked to their sites. That quickly turned into a PDF that I called the Teacher's Guide to Tech.

Now I'm releasing the 8th edition of that guide, the 2022 version, and what started as a catalog of just over a hundred tools has grown into an encyclopedia of over 500, with more than 50 different categories covering all subjects including art, physical education, and special ed, along with tools for classroom management, assessment, and feedback. There's an extensive collection of resources for social justice and anti-racism, a huge section on makerspaces that includes coding, electronics, and robotics, tools for video editing, podcasting, media and news literacy, and social and emotional learning, and for every entry, just like in the first edition, there's a picture of the tool in use and a link to a video that shows you how it works.

If this is the first time you're hearing about the guide, here's a quick video I made a few years ago to give you an idea of what it is and how it works:

Every year it takes a massive amount of time to update the guide-about three full months-because not only do I add new tools, but I also update all the stuff that changes: tools and websites change their names, they get absorbed by other companies, they shift their focus to something different, and sometimes they completely disappear. I look for the most updated videos, check that the photos are still accurate, and generally make sure everything is as up-to-date as possible, even though things will continue to change the day after the new guide is published!

This year, for the very first time, I hired a team of ed tech experts to help me with the update. The task was becoming overwhelming and I knew if I was going to keep it up, I had to have some help. Here they are below: Marnie Diem, Brandie Wright, Lucia Hassell, and Kim Darche.

Brandie Wright

Kim Darche

Marnie Diem

Lucia Hassell

In keeping with our yearly tradition, we'll be sharing six tools we think are worth trying this year. Most are not brand-new, and some are not even new to the guide, but each one has something special about it that deserves a little extra attention. This year I have only chosen two of the six; the other four were chosen by my new team members. Here we go!

The Tools

1. Frame
framevr.io
The past two years have given us all more experience with video conferencing than we could have anticipated. While platforms like Zoom and Google Meet do a good enough job of letting us talk to each other, and even give us options for breaking larger meetings into smaller, more intimate groups, the experience is still kind of "flat."

An emerging group of tools is trying to bridge that gap, using VR technology to create online spaces that feel more three-dimensional, allowing participants to move through virtual spaces as if they are physically in a room together. We feature five of these platforms in this year's guide, and one of them is Frame. In the world of Frame, a host can create an environment like an office, a lounge, or even an island, and populate that environment with artwork, documents, videos, or any other kind of materials needed for a lesson or other experience. Participants move around the space as avatars and can use voice or text chat to interact.

There is definitely a learning curve with a platform like this, but it seems worth a try. The video below is more of an overview, but two videos from Greg Kulowiec-first this one, then this follow-up -provide a more in-depth look at how the platform works.

2. Google Arts & Culture Experiments
experiments.withgoogle.com/collection/arts-culture
This collection is a subset of Google's larger Experiments platform, which is the result of Google allowing any coder with a creative idea to submit projects that use artificial intelligence, augmented reality, or any kind of code to stretch the limits of what technology can do. The Arts & Culture collection works with Google's huge database of information about works of art, photography, and music.

This is a site worth visiting just for pure entertainment and curiosity, but it might end up lending itself to one of your lessons or inspiring students to try creating experiments of their own. If nothing else, it would be an excellent place to send students when they finish work early.

To experience them for yourself, try Puzzle Party, which takes fine art and breaks it into an interactive jigsaw puzzle you can do with friends, and Art Coloring Book, where you "color" famous works of art.

3. #1000BlackGirlBooks
marleydias.com/1000blackgirlbooks
This project started in November 2015, when elementary student Marley Dias decided to solve a problem. After noticing that very few of the books available to her and her peers featured Black female protagonists, she launched a campaign to change that. Since its inception, her goal to collect 1,000 books with Black girls as the main characters has surpassed itself. The collection now contains over 13,000 books.

To help users find books more easily, GrassROOTS Community Foundation has put the collection into a database where you can search by author and title or filter results by reading level.

This resource offers incredible value to all educators. English language arts teachers, school librarians, or anyone who maintains a classroom library can use the list to improve representation in their own materials. And any teacher or school leader committed to anti-racism can access the collection to find more books to read, books that celebrate and broaden readers' understanding of the lives of Black girls and women.

4. Osmo
playosmo.com
This device is so unique and flexible, we gave it its own full-page spread in the Games section of the guide.

Unlike traditional tablet apps and games, the Osmo Learning System is a unique combination of computer vision and manipulatives that bridge the digital and physical worlds. Once the tablet is placed in the Osmo base and the reflector is placed on the camera, the entire work surface becomes interactive. With multiple starter kits for kids from ages 3-12, students physically manipulate a variety of tools while engaging with practice in reading, math, coding, and more.

Having a system like this in your classroom would allow students to be more active and collaborative with their learning, rather than only interacting with a screen. The video below gives you an idea of how it works. To see it in action in other ways, watch more options like Math Wizard, Pizza Co, and Osmo's coding games.

5. EVERFI
everfi.com/k-12
Originally a site that offered free financial literacy courses to students, EVERFI has expanded its course offerings to include career exploration (including one specific to STEM careers), social and emotional learning, diversity and inclusion, and health and wellness. Their newest additions are courses in healthcare literacy, data science and banking fraud, and compassion and empathy.

The lessons are gamified, putting students into simulated situations where they need to make decisions based on the concepts they are learning, and this keeps students engaged. Teachers are given analytics on student engagement and performance, so this is an ideal tool for use in remote and hybrid learning.

What's great about the courses at EVERFI is that they hit on topics we often say should be taught in schools, but don't often actually find in our curriculum. These lessons could be used in advisory periods, life skills classes, or as enrichment or independent study. Keep an eye on this site-they seem to be adding new materials all the time!

6. Skew the Script
skewthescript.org
The creators of this site are a group of math teachers who were tired of seeing their students drag themselves through contrived, irrelevant math problems. They wanted to write math problems that students actually cared about. With that in mind, Skew the Script was born, a site offering completely free, socially relevant math lessons for Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and AP Statistics.

There are lessons on lighter topics like sports, fast food, and pop culture, along with others on more serious issues like climate change, equity issues, gun control, and vaccinations. Lessons include videos, teacher slide decks, student handouts, and other resources to support teachers in face-to-face or online teaching.

Although they don't currently have an explainer video to showcase their platform, the video below is one example of a statistics lesson. You can browse more videos on their YouTube channel.

The Teacher's Guide to Tech

The 8th iteration of the Teacher's Guide to Tech is loaded with tools that can enrich your teaching. With over 550 tools in over 50 different categories, this is the resource you need to quickly make smart decisions about the technology you choose for your classroom.

This year's guide has over 115 new tools and three brand-new categories: Digital Literacy, Social & Emotional Learning, and Video Conferencing. Along with that, we've made sure that every single tool listed has up-to-date information, videos, and links to their sites, so you can find what you need and get back to teaching.

Where to Get Your Copy

Single-User Licenses: If you just want a copy for yourself, you can get it at Teachers Pay Teachers or on Teachable.

Multi-User Licenses: To get the guide for your team, school, or even district, you can save a lot by getting multi-user licenses. I offer the deepest discounts for these on Teachable.

Purchase on Teachable
Purchase on TpT

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Listen to this post as a podcast: Sponsored by Fearless Schools and Google's Applied Digital Skills In 2015, I published my very first Teacher's Guide to Tech. I did it because teachers kept telling me that they wanted to use technology more effectively, but they were overwhelmed by the number of tools out there and the lack of time they had to research them and try them out.

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Google has taken over the world in a sense. Now a days if you don't know something, you google it. Even when I was in the military, when someone didn't know something we'd refer to Gunny Google (Gunny is short for the rank Gunnery Sergeant). Now we have learned to collaborate, teach, and learn through google. Without google, would there be as many opportunities to learn today?

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Here is a tool that can check everything off your checklist when it comes to finding a new tool to help you plan for your next lesson. I have been using this application since I found it my first year teaching, and feel that I cannot live without it. Plan book helps me plan properly for a week of teaching as well as allows me to attach the resources I will be using when teaching the lesson on that day.

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"I've used planbook for years! I love that I can plan things out... when, something changes, I can easily move it, bump it or delete it. One year my schedule changed 5 times, no icky eraser marks! ..."

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Planbook - The Leader in Lesson Planning

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With over one million teachers and one billion lessons, Planbook is the established leader in online lesson planning!