One thing that has been used a lot during 1:1 implementations and in general, is the production and use of videos by teachers for students. You can record yourself working through problems for students to review or see if they were sick, you can record a discussion to have your students analyze and you can…
Using a trend line on a set of plotted data is a very important tool in many subjects. Google Spreadsheets can simulate this but it is not a smooth process yet. Instead we can use LibreOffice to add a trend line to our data. 1. Open up LibreOffice and select the Spreadsheets option.…
As we start integrating the laptops into our classrooms, we need to be aware of their impact on student learning. We can evaluate how we are integrating technology using the SAMR model. This model looks at 4 steps of technology integration and how this can impact learning. The first stage is Substitution, which…
One of the things I disliked the most about teaching, was the constant collections I seemed to acquire throughout the school year. Students would turn in things and many would get handed back, but some would just collect dust. I remember during my first year of teaching buying a box with a handle so I…
Google+ Hangouts is a new tool that can really help us move things beyond our four walls. I have used Hangouts to take part in discussions in my online Masters classes and I have also used it just to connect with friends that live across the country. As a teacher, you can easily use this…
Over the last couple of years, one tool has helped me the most in my professional development as a teacher. This tool may not be viewed as a positive tool by many, but it has shown to have great potential. Twitter is the one professional development tool that I do not want to leave behind…
Too often our classrooms feel restricted, restricted by the space we have, restricted by the supplies we have and restricted by the time we have with our students. Through the use of technology we can easily extend beyond these restrictions. Learning is not something that only happens in a certain period of time each day…
A few years back, at my previous school when we started the 1 to 1 initiative there, I was posed with the problem of outdated texts. Our Earth Science texts were old and had either missing or incorrect information. Not to mention the fact that I am not a big fan of textbooks to begin…
There are a good number of digital tools out there that allow you to do a formative assessment in your class. (Reminder = formative assessments are used to help guide (inform) instruction, not to end a unit or to determine a grade.) I will go over 2 of the big tools out there that you…
A class website can be very useful in the learning environment for students. You can create a place that is the starting point for your class that contains links, resources, class calendar, forum posts, news and updates. The website can also be a great way to make connections with parents. A Google Site…
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