Tech Can Teach

Are you looking for an upbeat and engaging way to formatively assess students? If so, Kahoot! is the way to go! Kahoot! is a game- based tech tool that allows students to compete by answering timed multiple- choice questions.  How does this platform work? Students will need to sign into their Kahoot! app or access Kahoot! online and type in the game pin provided. Once students are signed in, questions are displayed on the board along with answer choices. All questions are displayed on the board, and you can decide how many seconds students have to answer the question. Once answered, students are privately shown whether their choice was correct or incorrect, and then on the main screen for all to see is the correct answer followed by the leader board. The leader board shows who is in the lead based on their answer streak of correct answers.  How I use Kahoot!: 1. This app is a great way to review before upcoming tests or quizzes. You can either create your own kahoot or sear...

 What is Wakelet ? Wakelet is a free Chrome extension that offers a variety of features that can spark students and teacher innovation. According to Holly from the Infused Classroom , " Wakelet  can help change the collaboration, creation and organization of learning in a classroom."  Wakelet allows students and teachers to easily gather, save, organize and share content and resources on the web. This information can then be transformed into creative visual and engaging collections that can be shared with others. How to video from the Infused Classroom : How can I use this in my classroom? Collections can be made so that all information can be held in one, easily accessible place. Students can also be led on engaging learning adventures to spark curiosity and deeper learning ideas and/ or discussions. Here are a few ideas on how to implement Wakelet within the classroom setting: 1. Create a visually appealing newsletter to share what is going on in your classroom to both ...

What is Plickers ? Plickers is an effortless and efficient way for educators to collect instant multiple-choice responses from students in real- time. It is a free app that is accessible through IOS and Android.  How does it work? Each student is given a Plickers card that has what looks to be a QR code on it. These cards are numbered according to student, and they display A, B, C, and D multiple choice options on each end of the card. The teacher then accesses the card set on their phone, and it then displays on the board for students to see. After the question is read aloud, students hold up their card with their multiple choice option facing up. The teacher then walks with their phone around the room to scan the card. Student data is then gathered immediately. The correct answer will then display on the board. Only educators are able to see who answered what choice, so that students' answers are essentially anonymous to their classmates. How I currently use Plickers : I currentl...

Genially This week I took a look at a platform called Genially . As described in the Infused Classroom's blog , Genially is an engaging platform that has many accessible tools that allow teachers to create engaging lessons that gain students' attention. Educators can use this free platform to create presentations, infographics, and so much more!  Ideal features: - Add interactive elements in slides  - Record sound - Turn a slide into a whiteboard - Customize lessons based on student need Classroom Use: Genially can be used to create an engaging HyperDoc. You can use Genially to share directly to Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams. This is great for me since we are a Google school, and I use Google Classroom for almost everything with my virtual learners. Teachers can design creative experiences using animations.  Helpful hints: Genially has an inspiration tab on the left that provides teachers access to other imaginative teacher's examples. Templates are also p...

What is Flocknote ? Flocknote is a new tool I have been using recently to communicate quickly and easily with parents and other school faculty and staff. You can send notifications, alerts, reminders, and so much more by text message, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. from any device. Flocknote is free for up to 40 members, and if you would like to add more, it is reasonably priced at $8/ month. How does Flocknote work? This app is very easy to use, is accessible to all, and fosters all communication in one place. You can select who to send the information to whether it be an entire class, the entire school, your parish, or select individuals. There is also a feature that allows you to see what communication has been sent, as well as who has responded to the communication, on the Dashboard.  When sending a Flocknote , it is limited to 160 characters. It is meant to be quick and simple. You can also customize your message by adding colors, Emoji's, or other fonts, and there is a feat...

Canva : Could this tool be useful within my classroom? I began this week by discovering new tools, tips, and tricks I could use within my classroom from Holly Clark's blog, Infused Classroom . She recently created a blog discussing Canva for education , and WOW am I glad she did!  Why is Canva great for engagement and learning? Canva  is a tool that allows students to become innovators within the classroom. As Holly described, students are able to create graphics, infographics, and various other projects to display their knowledge and understanding of a concept. What I particularly liked about this tool was that there are multiple templates, videos, graphics, etc. that I can use to create assignments and activities for my students. Who doesn't love being able to add Bitmoji's to their assignments? Think that's the best feature about this tool? Well think again! Since I am teaching both virtually and in- person during this pandemic, I am constantly using my Google accou...