Tech Play #4

YouTube is a video sharing website. Individuals, organizations and businesses upload content to the website. This tool allows educators to display content in the classroom. YouTube can be used to show a clip of a movie that is being discussed or also used to show students how to solve a math problem showing them to students. I believe that YouTube does open the doors to allowing student to think critically since it can assist in helping student to develop their thoughts. YouTube is extremely beneficial to my work life. I am able to refer a student to a specific school and they are able to watch the school's welcome video right in my classroom. This is extremely helpful since the majority of my students are unable to travel and visit colleges. I think it is an awesome! Here is a link to provide an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mckf0NlTsLU

Another tool that I find helpful is Remind 101. Remind 101 is a safe alternative way for educator to text students and parents. It provides an opportunity for an individual to contact a student without providing personal information, such as a cell phone number. View a demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwqPzBD79U

Creativity Tools

• Discuss the variety of tools you explored, what you liked or disliked about each one and which one you selected one to continue to reflect on.
• Describe how this creativity tool that you selected might fit into the TPACK model. Specifically, describe the content, pedagogical and technological aspects of some student work that uses the creativity tool you selected.
• Identify other ways that students could use the creativity tool you selected.
• Why is it important to know about and use creativity tools? What do they offer that other tools (i.e., drill and practice, tutorials, instructional games, etc.) do not offer? 

             

The first tool that I explored was an app for a tablet/iPad. The name of the app is 10,000 SAT words. The application is pretty straightforward in which it has SAT words that students can study from. My favorite feature of the application is that you can share the words via Facebook or email. I think that is a great way for students to build their vocabulary and study for the SAT.

The next tool that I explored was Instapaper. It is a tool that is used to save and store articles. These articles can later be access offline for reading.  I think this is a great option for teacher to share articles with students, especially the classrooms that are migrating to tablets/Apple products. Not only can students access article later but they do not need internet access. The only qualm about the application is the cost- it is $3.99. I am sure there are ways around having to pay for the application since school will have a contract with Apple.

Both of these tools fit into the TPACK model because it brings together a subject matter and technology.

It is important to know about and use creativity tools in the classroom because they simply keep the student engaged. Students are constantly connected to some sort of technology and creativity tools offer relateability to the learner. Students tend to learn better when the can relate things together and we live in a technology run environment.  Students do not typically have access to the tutorials and games that are played at school but they have their smart phones/tablets and are able to access the creativity tools they learned in school practically 24/7.