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Low tech visual story telling

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Looking for a powerful yet simple, low-tech way to integrate digital storytelling into your classroom? Then I've got an answer for you: Paper Slide Videos. Just like the name implies, this technique actually involves the sliding of papers to create a movie. Yep, without needing much time, effort and/or tech skills, a fabulous video can be produced. Here's how:

Students are placed into a group to illustrate visuals on blank paper, write scripts that explain these "slides", and then videotape the delivery of the script while moving the slides in time with the narration. No expensive programs, no special effects, no fancy editing-just some paper, a few markers, a well-rehearsed script, and an easy to use video recorder (Flip Cameras are my personal favorites!), and you've got a very cool end product! Still confused? Then check out the paper slide video a group of my Language Arts students created to demonstrate their ability to write a short story involving the sequencing of random events. I'm sure you'll get the idea once you viewed this masterpiece!
Classroom Connection:
I love Paper Slide Videos-and so do my students! This fun and easy method to create digital stories can be incorporated into any curricular area at any grade level. And the best part about integrating this type of project? All students-regardless of academic ability-can participate. Paper slide videos can be used as an authentic assessment, enrichment activity, an alternative to a traditional book project, and much more... Your creativity is the limit!

Here are some additional Paper Slide Videos my students (and colleagues) have created:

Math (Used as a Skills Review prior to a Benchmark Exam):

Social Studies (Used as a Lesson Review prior to a quiz):

Multimedia I (Used as a "How-to" Semester Project):

Math (Used to introduce and review a concept):

As you can see, even though Paper Slide Video projects can be simple to do, they can yield some very some very impressive results!

If you're still in need of additional information and examples, then just Google "Paper Slide Videos". You will be amazed at the number of resources you will find!

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Looking for a powerful yet simple, low-tech way to integrate digital storytelling into your classroom? Then I've got an answer for you: Paper Slide Videos. Just like the name implies, this technique actually involves the sliding of papers to create a movie. Yep, without needing much time, effort and/or tech skills, a fabulous video can be produced.

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Makes online videos into interactive learning opportunities

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PlayPosit | Interactive Video Learning Objects

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With over 5 million learners and counting, PlayPosit offers a variety of options for interaction customization, premade templates, playback control, LMS LTI integration, and more. Instructors and instructional designers can build lessons as they envision them while expanding the traditional and onli

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Free iPad App to create animated stories. great for presentations

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Grades 1-8, Curriculum-Aligned Math Games

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Designed for learning foreign languages, can be useful for ELLs

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Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

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App teaches social skills (especially for kids on the autism spectrum) - not free

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Multi-Player classroom activity for review

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Quizizz | Free Online Quizzes, Lessons, Activities and Homework

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Motivate every student to mastery with easy-to-customize content plus tools for inclusive assessment, instruction, and practice. Engage students with Quizizz today!

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Add voice, links, and questions to videos

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Add media links to photos and videos

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ThingLink: Create unique experiences with interactive images, videos & 360° media

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Easily create interactive and immersive visual experiences for online communication and learning. Start a free trial!

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Interactive lessons; assessments on multiple platforms

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Interactive slides

Make any slides-based lessons interactive and gather data on student understanding by adding formative assessments, simulations, and dynamic media.

Or choose from thousands of ready-to-teach, customizable, standards-aligned lessons from teacher favorite brands.

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Nearpod: You'll wonder how you taught without it

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Real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamified learning, formative assessment, and activities -- all in a single platform.

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Quickly Create Digital Lessons for Students

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Tes provides a range of primary and secondary school teaching resources including lesson plans, worksheets and student activities for all curriculum subjects.

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Curate student reading

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Student driven digital portfolios

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School & District -Subscriptions | Seesaw

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Seesaw is the best interactive learning platform for PreK-5. Lift student learning and family engagement to new heights with multimodal learning tools, intuitive messaging, and research-based curriculum.

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Powerful, easy design tool for students to create infographics and blog graphics. Includes lesson plans

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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Students learn coding, from MIT

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Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

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Formative assessment tool requiring NO student technology

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Great formative assessment tool, especially for math. Requires 1:1 iPads

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Formative Assessment Tool

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Review student understanding at the class, individual student, or question-level.

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Record your computer screen to play back for student or have students record their screens to share with you.

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Our screen capture tools help you easily create, edit and communicate with videos and images. Simple and intuitive tools to share your ideas.

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How can ScreenPal help you?

I need to capture videos and images.

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Overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 4,516 reviews.

What our community is saying

With ScreenPal I've been able to extend my expertise and automate some of my more routine tasks by creating high-quality video content and feedback, which then frees up my time for more personalized mentorship.

Cal Poly University Professor and founder and CEO of Mentorship Academy

ScreenPal's user-friendly interface and seamless integration into our existing teaching methods made it an obvious choice. From day one, it was clear that ScreenPal was not just another tech tool; it was a catalyst for active learning and collaboration.

Technology Integration and Innovation Coordinator, Arlington ISD

We use ScreenPal internally to create and manage all of the videos we share with educators. ScreenPal makes it easy to create videos with a consistent, branded look and feel, and then to share all of those videos from a central repository.

Chief Program Officer, The Modern Classrooms Project

Join millions of people communicating through video.

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At ScreenPal, we don't believe that video recording and editing should be difficult, or cost a fortune. Our simple and intuitive tools help you get the job done easily.

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Create digital learning games for students

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Thousands of short educational videos

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WatchKnowLearn - Free K-12 educational videos

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Free K-12 educational videos ... organized. Tens of thousands of excellent, educational videos in a huge, intuitive directory. Organized, reviewed, rated, and described by teachers. Ideal as a supplement to a curriculum or for independent study. Designed for teachers, students, parents, homeschoolers, educators ... and all life-long learners!

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Great way to teach vocabulary

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Your browser does not support mp4 or webm

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Brainscape: The Best Flashcards App | Make Flashcards Online

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Brainscape’s spaced repetition system is proven to DOUBLE learning results! Find, make, and study flashcards online or in our mobile app. Serious learners only.

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Scholastic article

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Teacher to Teacher Ideas in the Top Teaching Blog | Scholastic

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Exciting lesson ideas, classroom strategies, teaching tips, book lists, videos, and reproducibles in a daily blog by teachers from the classrooms of extraordinary mentor

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Great tutorial on how to create them and good suggestions on how to use them

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900+ QR Codes in the Classroom ideas in 2024 | coding, qr code activities, classroom technology

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Jun 25, 2024 - Love using QR codes in your classroom? Please join this board! Email at ta*****@***** for an invite. See more ideas about coding, qr code activities, classroom technology.

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25 Fun Ways to Use QR Codes for Teaching and Learning

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25 Fun Ways to Use QR Codes for Teaching and Learning

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So Many Fun Ways to use QR Codes in the Classroom!

I've culled a bunch of ideas from different teachers who have shared their approaches to using this simple but powerful construct in the classroom. Once your students are equipped with a device that can read QR codes and they know how to scan them, you're ready to use ideas like these in your classroom!

If you're not already familiar with it, scroll down to the bottom of the article to learn how to easily create QR codes, and find QR Code readers.

Ideas, Ideas, and More Ideas!

The article, Ways to use QR Codes in the Elementary Classroom and Using Google Docs to Create Them, by Jill Thompson, offers these uses:

Library Book Add-On: Put QR codes on classroom library books, linking out to information about the author and or book. "You can also have students create 'book trailers' and turn them into QR codes using iMovie!"

Scavenger Hunts: "Create scavenger hunts and/or webquests for your students that get them moving around the room. Scanning a QR code makes is easier for the younger students so they don't have to type the long urls."

Inform Parents: "Place QR codes around the school informing parents ... about different places around the school."

Access Help: Add QR codes to homework sheets that link out to sources of help. "For example, if the student forgets how to solve a math problem or gets stuck, they can scan the QR code for help. The QR codes can be linked to a 'how to video' such as a Khan Academy video or a ShowMe video you created yourself. "

QR Stations for self-directed learning: "... have the students become self-directed learners by creating QR stations. The students scan the QR code to reveal the task and the students must work together to get the task complete. This builds on the 21st century skills of communication, collaboration and critical thinking."

Cite Sources: Have students use QR to link out to sources they use for research for paper writing, etc.

These ideas come from the web page QR Codes - What are they and how can I use them in my classroom? by Greg O'Connor.

Assistive Technology: "Provide an alternative access format for students who need additional support in reading and writing." Students can quickly access information while using their own literacy support apps or software.

Classroom Hot Spots! "Provide information 'hot spots' throughout the classroom to access online videos, websites, text that is related to curriculum and instructional material."

Interactive Classroom Calendar: "Attach QR Codes to the classroom calendar / timetable to point to information about upcoming class events, assessment reminders, etc."

Website access from IWB: "Take students to a website you are browsing on an interactive whiteboard. Using the Mobile Barcoder add-on for the Firefox web browser, quickly generate a QR Code and have students scan with their own hand held device."

These idea were published by Diana Rees in QR Codes: Augmenting Augmented Reality.

Link handouts to resources: Turn a handout into a "dynamic, interactive resources by linking them to interactive update-able websites".

Link to the Campus Map

Add information to artwork: "To link artwork ... to information about the artwork, the artist, the historical period, etc."

Nutritional Information: "To link nutritional objects to calorie counters (and other health applications)"

Online Manuals: "link equipment to online how-to-manuals"

I found these sources on this Pinterest page from Elizabeth Mills. These are geared towards younger elementary grade students.

Easy Audiobook Access: This web page discusses 75 Story Time Read Aloud Picture Books with QR Codes Cards, an app that could be purchased and placed on a shared iPad, enabling students to scan a QR code and then listen as popular children's books are read aloud!

Check Work: Create QR codes that students can use to check their work

Award Prizes! Use a QR code to award a prize for good work or good behavior! The code can simply link to web page or image that informs them what their reward is (a new pencil o marker, a cool eraser, etc.).

Next we have a set of ideas from Edutopia, via Andrew Miller.

Provide a Service: "If students helped create awareness around spreading germs, for example, they might put the [QR] codes around the school or in a parent newsletter."

Go Green! Rather than giving students the time-worn paper handout, provide a QR code that accesses instructions, announcements, or assignments. Use one page of QR codes to displace multiple handouts, or use codes on-screen to eliminate paper entirely!

Provide Optional Activities for those "Go-Getters": "A great way to provide optional activities for students who want to excel is to simply put the code on the class assignment and let them follow it to the extension activity or question."

Vote: "QR codes can be a great voting tool allowing students to vote by simply scanning the code as they enter or exit the classroom."

Finally, here's a few other fun ideas that I came across that are worth sharing:

Creating and Reading QR Codes

Creating QR codes is super easy when you have a web tool that works well for it. The hardest part is really having appropriate content to access. The idea of the QR code is that it is a simple a way to access a URL (i.e. a web address). A QR code is an image file (it can be a png, jpg, etc.) that when scanned by a QR Code reader will access the URL it links to, which typically means it will open a web page.

Once you have found content you want to share, or created content and made it available online, you just use a site like " QRstuff " to create a QR code that works for the URL you created. Open QRstuff, paste in a URL (under "2 Content") and the site provides a QR code image (on the right side of the screen, under "QR Code Preview") that you download, save, and use however you want.

As for QR Code Readers, they are typically free. This site offers good ones for popular Operating Systems.

So go for it - create your first code, just to familiarize your self with the process, then scan the dozens of ideas above and come up with some creative approaches to use these in your classroom!

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25 Fun Ways to use QR Codes for Teaching and Learning

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I've culled a bunch of ideas from different teachers who have shared their approaches to using this simple but powerful construct in the classroom. Once your students are equipped with a device that can read QR codes and they know how to scan them, you're ready to use ideas like these in your classroom!

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Utilizing Student-Created Video

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Dr. Lodge McCammon: Dr. Lodge McCammon is a Specialist in Curriculum and Contemporary Media at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (www.fi.ncsu.edu). His work in education began in 2003 at Wakefield High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he taught Civics and AP Economics. He finished a Ph.D.

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Tools and Strategies

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We share evidence and practitioner-based learning strategies that empower you to improve K-12 education.

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Article

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Article

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If your answer is "No," is it because you lack enough access to technology? Is it because you don't feel ready? Or do you feel ready, but need additional support in your classroom? Depending on your answer, your path to tech integration may look different from someone else's. However varied access and readiness may be, tech integration can successfully occur in any classroom.

This article contains the following sections:

Getting Started

The first step in successful tech integration is recognizing the change that may need to happen inside of yourself and in your approach to teaching. When any teacher brings technology into the classroom, he or she will no longer be the center of attention. The level of refocused attention will, of course, depend on the amount and the type of technology (e.g., mobile device, e-reader, laptop, interactive whiteboard) being brought into the classroom. However, this does not mean that the teacher is no longer essential to the learning process. While students may be surrounded by technology at home, it is dangerous to assume that they know how to use it for learning -- this is commonly referred to as the "myth of the digital native," and you can read more about it in this Edutopia blog post: " Digital Native vs. Digital Citizen? Examining a Dangerous Stereotype." Most students still need a guide to help them use digital tools effectively for learning and collaboration.

Integrating Technology Across the Access Spectrum

As discussed in the What is Successful Technology Integration? section, how we define "technology integration" depends on the kinds of technology available and how much access one has to technology. This definition also depends on who is using the technology. For instance, in a classroom with only an interactive whiteboard and one computer, learning will still remain teacher centered and integration will revolve around teacher needs, which are not necessarily student needs. Still, there are ways to use an interactive whiteboard to make it a tool for your students. Even with one computer in the room, there are ways to integrate that one machine into your classroom and still make sure that you and your students are indeed doing things that you couldn't do before, not just doing the same things you did before in a quicker, more efficient way.

Below you will find a quick overview with suggestions of what kinds of tools and activities are best matched with various levels of technology access. All of the resources linked to are either free or offer free versions.
If your class has an interactive whiteboard and projector: If there is only one computer in your room: If you have a pod of three to five computers in the classroom or access to a library with a pod of computers:

What skills are applied to nearly all tools (e.g., saving a file, naming a file, finding a file, logging in and out of accounts)? Have your students mastered these basic skills?

How many different tools will you introduce this year? How many is too many?

How will technology help your students better understand content -- will it push them to a deeper understanding that could not have been achieved without technology?

What level of integration do you want in your classroom by the end of the school year? What specific steps must you take to achieve that goal? What is a realistic goal based on time and resources?

If you have access to a laptop cart or a computer lab:

All of the above, plus...

Enable students to work through course content at their own pace through the use of screencasts, e-books, and other digital media.

Use Poll Everywhere or Socrative to poll students.

Start live class discussions with TodaysMeet.

Explore enhanced digital note taking with Evernote.

If your students have 1:1 laptops or netbooks:

Hold an introductory session with your students when introducing a new tool.

Use the tool yourself first before putting your students in front of it.

Have a plan for collecting student work.

Communicate with other colleagues that may want to use the resources as well.

Manage time with the resources wisely. Set goals for work completion with your students.

Communicate with your administration about how and when you will be using shared technology.

All of the above, whenever you want, for however long you like (especially if students take their laptops or netbooks home).
If you have access to a handful of mobile devices:

Have students create videos using the Animoto app

Record group discussions using a voice recording app.

Have students record themselves reading aloud for fluency checks.

Assign student-created comics using the Puppet Pals app.

Offer e-books for required readings.

Upload and access course content using the Edmodo or Schoology apps.

Conduct research.

Foster skills practice using apps specific to subject area.

Collaborate using apps like Whiteboard.

If your students have 1:1 mobile devices:

All of the above, plus...

Use them as multifunction devices (e.g., e-book readers, calculators, platforms for taking notes).

Try out a tool like Nearpod to project information onto student devices.

Check out mobile apps for student polling from Poll Everywhere or Socrative.

Getting to "Seamless" Integration

To begin to move your tech integration to the point where it is "seamless," consider these questions:

For more on levels of technology access and what that means for tech integration, read this blog post: " What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?"

You can also check out the outstanding Technology Integration Matrix produced by the Arizona K12 Center. It provides guidance on different levels of tech integration based on readiness and current practice, and offers links to sample lessons.

Have a nontechnology backup plan.

Just as we always tell our students that failure is OK, that we learn from failure, and that failure is part of the learning process, so must we, as adults, follow our own advice.

Model troubleshooting with your students.

Report the problem (and know to whom this reporting should be done).

Ask for help. Have someone who knows how to fix the problem show you how for next time.

In schools that are not 1:1, sharing resources can be a huge challenge. Here are some quick tips for sharing resources effectively:

Get more details about these six tips from this blog post: " Six Tips for Teachers: How to Maximize Shared Resources."

Creating a Professional-Development Plan

Once you have discovered what level of access you have and what possibilities this access affords you, it is time to address your own comfort level with the technology that is in your classroom. This can be achieved through self-assessment and/or the use of a fellow teacher or an instructional coach in your school or district. Once you know your comfort level, then you can begin to build a professional-development plan for yourself. This can be done alone, as part of your "grade team," or as part of your school or district's personal-growth plan. You can also begin to seek out professional-development opportunities online and outside of your district or school to begin to connect with other educators exploring the same challenges and seeking solutions. For more resources for taking professional development into your own hands, check out our DIY Professional Development page.

It doesn't matter what your comfort level is with technology in your classroom -- without a continuous professional-development plan, you will never be as effective as you can be. Many schools and districts have made the mistake of placing technology into classrooms without a comprehensive plan for training teachers. Often, this technology sits unused or underused. If you are a teacher in a situation where technology has been "thrown" at you with no professional development, be thankful for the new tool(s) that you have at your fingertips -- and then do your best to learn about how they can transform and improve your teaching and have a positive effect on student learning. You can do this either on your own or by asking for help from your colleagues, mentors, or professional learning community.

Unlike many other aspects of teaching, technology changes constantly. Just as in any industry, it is vital that educators stay current with new trends and developments in both pedagogy and new technologies. If you have a tech-integration specialist at your school, then use this person to your full advantage, as they are the front line for the tools you have or may want to bring into your classroom.
Please note, all of these kinds of tools require that students have access to Internet-enabled devices on a regular basis and that they hand in their work digitally.
Hardware and Equipment

While hardware and software vary across classrooms, schools, and districts, one thing can be guaranteed across the board: technology, no matter what kind it is, will fail.

This inevitable part of tech integration is often the number-one fear of classroom teachers everywhere. Whether you are taking the steps to integrate technology into your classroom on your own or as part of a schoolwide or district initiative, this fear must be the first hurdle to overcome.

Here are some basic tips for when technology goes awry:

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment

One of the most exciting aspects of bringing technology into your classroom -- and into your students' hands -- is the enhanced opportunity for timely and meaningful feedback.

Quick Checks: If you want to know if your students grasp enough of a particular concept before you move on, you can use tools such as Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to get a quick snapshot of the class. By creating a short quiz or open-ended response question using one of these tools and having your students use an internet-enabled device to answer, you can get quick and easy feedback that will help inform your instruction.

Personalized Feedback: Through the use of course-management tools such as Edmodo, Schoology, or Moodle, it is now possible for teachers to provide personalized feedback quickly and efficiently to their students. All three tools provide the ability for teachers to leave personalized comments and notes on student work, and they provide a messaging service for students who may want to send emails with questions or concerns about the course.

Screencasts can also provide personalized feedback on student work. A teacher can record his or her computer screen while viewing student work, pointing out areas for improvement and areas where a student has excelled. Some great tools for this are Screencast-O-Matic and Jing.

In addition, Evernote is a powerful note-taking tool that can be accessed through any Internet-enabled device through a web browser or the mobile app. It allows users to record audio notes, and it can be a great way to provide personalized feedback to students. Teachers can share these recordings, which are embedded in notes created through the app or website, with students through email. This can be a great way to keep students updated on their progress or to provide feedback on a particular assignment asynchronously. Because the feedback is recorded, students can also rewind and relisten for better comprehension or to refer back to if they like.

For more on using technology to provide feedback to students, you can read this blog post: " Using Tech Tools to Provide Timely Feedback."

The Role of Digital Citizenship

Our students are constantly immersed in technology, yet that does not mean that they know how to use it for learning. We also cannot assume that they know how to use it responsibly either. Just as we teach our children how to handle bullies on the playground, or as we admonish a student for copying someone's work and handing it in as his or her own, we must take the time to explicitly teach about cyberbullying, copyright, plagiarism, digital footprint, and proper conduct online.

Of course, what we teach and how we teach it depend on grade level. We probably wouldn't teach first graders about the nitty-gritty details of copyright law, but we might teach them what kinds of information are safe or unsafe to share online. Likewise, while we may quickly review safe and unsafe information with high school students, we are more likely to focus on digital footprint and plagiarism.

It is worth your time to spend some time early in the year setting expectations for online conduct, use of information found online, and staying safe when using digital tools. For more on teaching digital citizenship, you can visit BrainPOP, Common Sense Media, or Edutopia's Digital Citizenship Resource Roundup.

Since it's clear that tech integration is here to stay, it is not a question of whether teachers integrate technology into their classrooms, but rather how to do it best. By taking small steps, teachers can begin to reap the benefits that technology can bring to their teaching and to student learning. This process does not have to be painful, and no one will become a tech-integration whiz overnight. However, even with limited access, with careful planning, some risk taking, and an open mind, teachers can successfully use technology to enhance their teaching and bring learning to life for their students.

Continue to the next section of the guide, Workshop Activities.

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If your answer is "No," is it because you lack enough access to technology? Is it because you don't feel ready? Or do you feel ready, but need additional support in your classroom? Depending on your answer, your path to tech integration may look different from someone else's.

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What is Successful Technology Integration?

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What is Successful Technology Integration?

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Article

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Defining Technology Integration

Before we can discuss how to shift our pedagogy or the role of the teacher in a classroom that is integrating technology, it is important to first define what "technology integration" actually means. Seamless integration is when students are not only using technology daily, but have access to a variety of tools that match the task at hand and provide them the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of content. But how we define technology integration can also depend on the kinds of technology available, how much access one has to technology, and who is using the technology. For instance, in a classroom with only an interactive whiteboard and one computer, learning is likely to remain teacher-centric, and integration will revolve around teacher needs, not necessarily student needs. Still, there are ways to implement even an interactive whiteboard to make it a tool for your students.

Willingness to embrace change is also a major requirement for successful technology integration. Technology is continuously, and rapidly, evolving. It is an ongoing process and demands continual learning.

"Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions -- as accessible as all other classroom tools." -- National Educational Technology Standards for Students, International Society for Technology in Education

When effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools can extend learning in powerful ways. These tools can provide students and teachers with:

Access to up-to-date, primary source material

Methods of collecting/recording data

Ways to collaborate with students, teachers, and experts around the world

Opportunities for expressing understanding via multimedia

Learning that is relevant and assessment that is authentic

Training for publishing and presenting their new knowledge

Types of Technology Integration

It is sometimes difficult to describe how technology can impact learning because the term "technology integration" is such a broad umbrella that covers so many varied tools and practices; there are many ways technology can become an integral part of the learning process. Just a few of these ways are listed below -- but new technology tools and ideas emerge daily.

Online Learning and Blended Classrooms

While K-12 online learning gains traction around the world (visit our Schools That Work package about online learning), many teachers are also exploring blended learning -- a combination of both online and face-to-face education. Read a blog by Heather Wolpert-Gawron about blended learning. Blogger Bob Lenz also gives us a snapshot of what blended learning looks like in the classroom.

Project-Based Activities Incorporating Technology

Many of the most rigorous projects are infused with technology from start to finish. Visit our Schools That Work package about project-based learning in Maine to read about a middle school and high school that are getting excellent results from mixing PBL with a one-to-one laptop program. Or read a recent blog by Brian Greenberg about combining PBL with blended learning.

Game-Based Learning and Assessment

There has been a lot of buzz about the benefits of incorporating simulations and game-based learning activities into classroom instruction. Visit our Video Games for Learning Resource Roundup page to learn more. Guest blogger Terrell Heick wrote about the gamification of education, or go straight for the practical resource and read Andrew Miller's "Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher".

Learning with Mobile and Handheld Devices

Once widely dismissed as distractions, devices like cell phones, mp3 players, and tablet computers are now being used as learning tools in forward-thinking schools. Check out our downloadable guide, Mobile Devices in the Classroom. Read a blog by Ben Johnson on using iPads in the classroom or an article about using cell phones for educational purposes. Check out the case study by former Edutopia executive director Milton Chen on using iPods to teach English language learners, or there's a blog by Audrey Watter about texting in the classroom. We also have a blog series that maps k-5 iPad apps to Bloom's taxonomy by Diane Darrow. You will many more links on our Mobile Learning Resource Roundup page.

Instructional Tools like Interactive Whiteboards and Student Response Systems

In many schools, the days of green chalkboards are over. Read an article about how to put an interactive whiteboard to best use, or one with tips from a teacher about her favorite ways to use her whiteboard. Read an article about using classroom response systems for interactive assessment and watch a video where a student-reponse system is used in a classroom.

Web-Based Projects, Explorations, and Research

One of the first, and most basic, ways that teachers encouraged kids to use technology was with online research, virtual field trips, and webquests. Watch videos about online collaborative projects Journey North and the JASON project. Read an article by Suzie Boss about using web-based resources to help your classroom go global, and here's an article with links to wonderful virtual field trips. Or check out these useful how-to articles about using online photo archives for primary sources, teaching with virtual libraries, and helping students do research on the web.

Student-Created Media like Podcasts, Videos, or Slideshows

One of the central ideas of digital or media literacy is that students should be come creators and critics, not just consumers, of media. Read an article about student-produced podcasts, or find out more about quality digital storytelling in a blog by Suzie Boss. You can also watch a video about students learning how to become creators in Chicago at Digital Youth Network. Or learn about student filmmakers in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Antonio, Texas, or Effingham, Illinois.

Collaborative Online Tools like Wikis or Google Docs

Connecting with others online can be a powerful experience, both for teachers and for students. Teacher Vicki Davis is an evangelist for such connections; watch a video about technology in her classroom or read an article she wrote for Edutopia on creating personal learning networks for students. Read an article about the basics of how wikis work, and blogger Audrey Watters makes the case for why wikis still matter. You can also read more about Google's free offerings for educators.

Using Social Media to Engage Students

Though social media tools are still blocked in many schools, students around the world spend vast amounts of time on social networks outside of school. Read a blog that makes the case for social media in education, and article that goes over how to use social-networking technology for learning, or another blog about how to co-opt students' favorite social media tools for classroom use. You will find lots of tips and hints in our primer, " How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School."

Frameworks for Technology Integration

Two commonly used models for technology integration are known as SAMR and TPACK.

The SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model, created by Dr. Ruben Puentudura, guides the process of reflecting on how we are integrating technology into our classrooms. The ultimate goal of technology integration is to completely redefine how we teach and learn, and to do things that we never could before the technology was in our hands. For more information, you can watch a series of podcasts by Dr. Puentudura, visit his blog, or read Dr. Puentudura's paper on the model (PDF).

The TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework lays out the knowledge that educators need in order to successfully integrate technology into their teaching. The TPACK website provides a large collection of free resources for teachers and other instructional leaders.

Levels of Technology Integration

In her blog, " What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?" Mary Beth Hertz shares four levels of classroom technology integration she has observed in schools:

1. Sparse: Technology is rarely used or available. Students rarely use technology to complete assignments or projects.

2. Basic:Technology is used or available occasionally/often in a lab rather than the classroom. Students are comfortable with one or two tools and sometimes use these tools to create projects that show understanding of content.

3. Comfortable:Technology is used in the classroom on a fairly regular basis. Students are comfortable with a variety of tools and often use these tools to create projects that show understanding of content.

4. Seamless:Students employ technology daily in the classroom using a variety of tools to complete assignments and create projects that show a deep understanding of content.

Despite the dramatic differences in resources and abilities from classroom to classroom, school to school, and district to district, it's possible to integrate technology tools in ways that can impact engagement and learning for all students. And if, like many teachers, you have obstacles in terms of available equipment or support, we've got two great resources: Suzie Boss's article, " Overcoming Technology Barriers: How to Innovate Without Extra Money or Support," and Mary Beth Hertz's blog, " Integrating Technology with Limited Resources."

Continue to the next section of the guide, How to Integrate Technology Tools, where you will find many more tips for successful technology integration.

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What Is Successful Technology Integration? | Edutopia

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Before we can discuss how to shift our pedagogy or the role of the teacher in a classroom that is integrating technology, it is important to first define what "technology integration" actually means.