The individual must be able to articulate words clearly and headphones are needed to avoid background noise otherwise the speech of those in the background also show up on the screen. 

I have had my students work with the Desmos’ four function calculator as that is the exact calculator that is embedded in the State Testing. This way students are very familiar with it once testing begins. I have also utilized some of their different activities. Most of their activities allow the students to interact with each other and are almost like the “Guess Who” game. They must try to figure out which option the other student has by using mathematical terms they have learned within their correspondence with their partner from anywhere in the room without ever being near them. I have just started using Desmo this year but see the potential in it within my classroom and the students love it. 

 

Top Hat offers teachers the ability to engage students and build comprehension before, during and after class. Presently, Top Hat is utilized in over 750 Colleges and Universities due to the fact that it allows the teacher the ability to enter interactive course content. Top Hat offers over 25.000 pieces of high quality content, which include video, course notes, moving timelines, and much more. As well one is able to enter their own content if they should choose to do so. The ability to make a lesson unique and draw the student deeper into the lesson without fear of losing them to strenuous reading is also a plus. As best described by Top Hat themselves, their digital textbook becomes “a living document” that draws the student into it and allows them to fully engage in the lesson plan. Top Hat also allows for changes to be quickly made and inserted into its lesson. It also allows the teacher to interact with the student individually or as a group. Perhaps one of the best features of Top Hat, aside from making teaching more fun and an effective learning/teaching tool is that it is free for both teachers and students.

 

This resource supports the Universal Design for Learning principle of Engagement as it permits teachers to find multiple means of motivating their students to learn through reading books in different manners that still captivate their interest. Not only are teachers able to add different visual tools to the digital textbooks, students can also be given the permissions to add video, audio, or both, themselves allowing them to further participate in the activity. 

 

With Top Hat teachers are able to motivate their students through “interactive, customizable readings and textbooks” (Top Hat.com, 2020, para. 3). Through this tool/device, students that would otherwise face hardships with reading (long) text and deciphering it are now able to find new methods to be drawn into textbook (reading) that can be catered to the needs of the class or an individual. In a classroom setting where I teach, I can visualize incorporating this device to assist my students that are more drawn towards visual stimulation rather than reading so as to have them embrace a lesson, particularly some of the great novels or Math problems where the students could see the work displayed in formats other than just numbers. 

 

Provided is a YouTube video link to better grasp the simplicity of this great assistive technology tool. And for those who may want to try the free device, the Top Hat home link may be found at: https://tophat.com

Reference: Top Hat.com. (2020). Active Learning From Anywhere. Tophat.com. Retrieved from https://tophat.com

Many teachers struggle to support junior and high school students who have difficulty taking notes.  When graphic organizers and Google Slides just aren't enough, a digital or smart pen might be a good option for students who just can't catch the main points during class.  This option is especially helpful for students who have difficulty focusing and paying attention.  Such pens are capable of capturing everything you hear, write, and draw.  Easy audio playback on anything you missed.  Or tap any portion of your written notes to playback audio recorded from class.  Notes can be uploaded and shared online. 

Some cons are that digital pens can be quite a pricey investment ($150-200, sometimes more).  They also have a battery life and need to be recharged (The Livescribe Smart Pen runs for approx. 14 hours of continuous use).  If you've watched students struggling to keep their Chromebooks charged, then you know students with digital pens will have the same issue.  Moreover, it may take some research to find a digital pen that supports your needs.  The Livescribe pen is one credible option, for instance.  However, there are many variations.   

This is an essential device for some students, but a very handy device for most everyone else.