INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
CHOOSING TECHNOLOGY
How To Choose Appropriate Technology For The Classroom
This is a community database that presents tools sorted by category of use. The reviews all come from teachers and are not influenced by developers of products. It has a large amount of potential tools and resources so it is easy to find one that fits every classroom.
LearnPlatform offers a unique solution to grading digital tools. They use a research-backed rubric to grade a tool then they provide additional context using algorithms. Information on pricing and budget impacts can also be added to be analyzed.
Common Sense Education combines ratings from its own reviewers with teacher ratings. They use a 15-point, research-based, rubric to assess tools on their pedagogy, engagement, and support. Teacher reviews also include a detailed description of how each tool was used in their classroom.
INTEGRATING INTO YOUR CLASSROOM
How To Move From Research To Integration
DIGITAL FIELD TRIPS
Digital Field Trips are a great way to increase engagement and learning through use of technology. Sometimes, there are places and things we teach that are impossible to reach physically. Using a computer to access a location virtually is a great way to expose students to the real-world locations they are learning about. GoogleMaps is a great way to facilitate this by using street view to get right down to the ground view of landmarks or parks in countries around the world.
CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS
Using tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides allow for a much more engaging presentation process. Students are no longer limited by the size of their poster board and can simply add a slide when they need more space. It also gives students the opportunity to practice giving smoother presentations by encouraging the use of only key words/phrases to expand upon while they talk. The expandability also encourages students to include more information and thus research and learn more about the topic.