Integrating digital devices into the curriculum is something that should be of importance for educators. Technology is a great tool to integrate into lessons that you already teach in the classroom. I believe that most lessons have the ability to integrate a digital tool, and should be thoughtfully considered while planning. As a teacher of five year olds who do not speak English, and have not had much experience using the school technology yet, many tools take a lot of investigation for me to consider before using with my students. This week, I will be investigating two digital devices that I think will work out great for my group of kiddos and explain my thoughts about them.
Nearpod
One technology that intrigues me is Nearpod. The website says, "Spend less time planning and more time teaching ("Nearpod," 2018)." This is music to the ears of any teacher. Honestly there are many tools that are difficult for me to use as the students do not know much English yet, and this one looks great for my group of students. One positive for me right away is the fact that you can explore lessons and create your own. The lessons are easy to create, as you can upload PDFs, PowerPoints, questions, and more. The lesson acts as a presentation that the teacher can control and the students read and interact on their own devices. The students can then answer questions, create drawings, and participate in polls directly on their own. The tool then gives you an instance response from your students. This makes assessing and grading much easier as well! Every student can have a voice and take ownership of their learning.
This would enhance my lessons a lot, as I teach a lot of letter recognition and phonics at this level. Students could read words with the new sound and participate in short games, draw or write directly on the device, etc. I would use this while integrating new sounds and vocabulary for students to have lots of repetition and constant practice to be able to master the sound or words they are learning. Unlike some other tools I have explored, these can be personalized so I can make the lessons simple enough for my students to understand how to navigate through. Though it may be time consuming to create some of the lessons on my own, it may be worth it in future years. Rogowski gives the tool four out of five stars, and many teachers leave their reviews on her website (2018).
Positives:
- Free for use at the basic level
- Easy to navigate and use
- Interactive and fun for students
- Easy assessment
Negatives:
- Pre-made lessons or membership costs money
- Some students may not want to share their work
- Loading may take some time
- To create your own lesson may be time consuming
Chromebooks
Chrome books can be a simple and cost-effective tool for schools. They are easy to navigate and have lots of apps which can be used for teaching and learning. In a school and public environment, Chromebooks are a great option because they run by using the cloud. Students are able to sign into their Google account from the device, without using computer storage. This is great for schools because the students to not need to use the computer for personal storage, and what they save on the drive they can also access from any device at home. They are also less likely to catch a virus, and have great security. This means those Chromebooks can run an ever-growing library of programs, such as productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Wunderlist, games such as NBA Jam, Fallout Shelter and Super Mario Run and even Instagram, which PCs and Macs can't (Casey, 2018).
Nearpod
Chromebooks
Chrome books can be a simple and cost-effective tool for schools. They are easy to navigate and have lots of apps which can be used for teaching and learning. In a school and public environment, Chromebooks are a great option because they run by using the cloud. Students are able to sign into their Google account from the device, without using computer storage. This is great for schools because the students to not need to use the computer for personal storage, and what they save on the drive they can also access from any device at home. They are also less likely to catch a virus, and have great security. This means those Chromebooks can run an ever-growing library of programs, such as productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Wunderlist, games such as NBA Jam, Fallout Shelter and Super Mario Run and even Instagram, which PCs and Macs can't (Casey, 2018).
I use Chromebooks in a variety of ways at my school, and have yet to explore even more apps that I would like to use in the future. Some popular apps that I love using are Raz Kids, Matific, Storybird, and Blendspace. Students enjoy these programs because they can move at their own pace and play games to learn. I would like to learn more about and experiment using Freckle and CK-12 (Common Sense Education, 2018). The great thing with using apps and extensions is that you can find one that works for you in almost any content area. They enable you to enhance lessons in a countless amount of ways.
I use Chromebooks in a variety of ways at my school, and have yet to explore even more apps that I would like to use in the future. Some popular apps that I love using are Raz Kids, Matific, Storybird, and Blendspace. Students enjoy these programs because they can move at their own pace and play games to learn. I would like to learn more about and experiment using Freckle and CK-12 (Common Sense Education, 2018). The great thing with using apps and extensions is that you can find one that works for you in almost any content area. They enable you to enhance lessons in a countless amount of ways.
In Fall of 2019, all students in my school will have Chromebooks, which I have rarely used myself at this point due to having other devices in my classroom. I appreciate your assessment of Chromebooks and feel like I have a little better grasp on what they can possibly do for my teaching and students' learning experiences. Keeping in mind they are a Google device that would utilize Google Drive and therefore not use up storage space on the device is a fantastic positive! Since you have already used them, how durable are they? I work in a middle school and wonder how long they will last with my students. In other words, will my kids come to me halfway through the year saying the hinge on their device is broken.
ReplyDeleteI am also very interested in using Nearpod with my students. Through other classmates' blog posts and online discussions, it's sounding like this is a tool that my students could greatly benefit from! From the description, however, it sounds a lot like Blendspace. Would you say it is? Or are they different with their own set of benefits for each?