Tech EDGE: Mobile Learning in the Classroom
Tech EDGE is a wonderful tool for any teacher to have in their arsenal. The people at the University of Nebraska and the College of Education and Human Sciences have provided both current and prospective teachers the tools to enhance student learning experiences through the many various educational applications that can be found across the web. Each episode varying in length from anywhere to 5-15 minutes, making them quick and efficient as they give the audience a rundown of some great educational tools that we may not know about. There are multiple episodes for just about any subject matter there is and the step by step process in which they give us for each app really allows us to have a true understanding about how to use these applications. For myself personally, I will continue to follow these podcasts in hopes of furthering my knowledge of how to use technology in my classroom.
To In every classroom, no matter the subject or grade level, there always must be a way to present information. As time goes on, more and more students are being given educational technology to use in the classroom. What this does is allows for teachers to present material in new and exciting ways. Teachers may now use apps such as Nearpod or Pear Deck that allow for students to be taught lessons using interactive tools, videos, and other exciting features. Nearpod and Pear Deck allow teachers to break out of the classical let your routine. These apps allow students to give immediate response to each question asked which in turn allows for the teacher to gauge the understanding of his or her students faster than ever before. This allows teachers to speed up or slow down based upon the comprehension level of their students. These apps are free and available for all students and teachers. They can be used in any classroom setting that has technology available. Students of every grade level can benefit from these apps as they are easy to use. Even though each student will have their own personal piece of technology in which they will be viewing the material, the teacher still maintains full control of what the student can and cannot do while using these apps. Nearpod is the more complex of the two as it allows for multiple on-screen interactions and real-time question and answer. Nearpod also offers features such as field trip and draw something for the visual and kinesthetic learners in any classroom. Pear Deck is a slightly simpler version of Nearpod with less features but the same amount of student-teacher feedback. Do not worry about navigating these applications or being lost, as both have automated helpers on hand anytime you visit the website. This is in the specially easy tool to use for teachers who have been in the game a long time, as both apps allow conversion of any former presentation material into the new interactive material. Overall, these apps are at least worth a try. I will definitely make an attempt to integrate these into my classroom and maybe into my daily activities as they allow a subtle change of pace from the normal read it off the PowerPoint lecture. These apps engage students and allow them to take responsibility for their own learning, encouraging them to try things that they normally would not while listening to a lesson. For all of these reasons, I will be attempting to integrate this into my classroom and I encourage other educators to do the same.
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