"Best Practices for Using Technology in the Classroom
Technology in the Classroom
When using technology for teaching, there are four basic principles to be kept in mind:
Alignment: Technology should be used for a purpose-not for the sake of being flashy and not as a distraction from other forms of pedagogy. Carefully consider the ways in which video or other media that you share with your class are aligned with your learning objectives. Consider the technology that is most closely in alignment with your teaching skills and the needs of your students-if you don't like to teach with Power Point, consider giving students a handout outlining the main points of your lecture and listing major concepts to assist them in note-taking.
Accessibility: Be sure that the technology that you intend to use is accessible to your students. While computers are virtually ubiquitous, and students living on campus have ready access to computing labs and other technology on campus, do consider whether or not your students have access to technology that you want them to use. Also, consider your own access to technology: make sure that you are familiar with all of the technology that you use and that media technology in your classroom is functioning correctly before the class. Plan ahead. If you are going to show a film, for example, don't wait until you walk into class to find out if the player in your classroom supports your DVD's regional format, or you will find yourself scrambling to come up with a lesson plan that does not include the film. By checking the regional format in advance, you will be able to have a matching-format DVD player delivered to the classroom by Technology Services.
Assessment: As with lectures, discussions, and labs, provide your students with guidance when dealing with media technologies. If you are showing them a film, provide them with the learning objectives that you have for them in watching the film. Consider giving them a short assignment to be fil
This is the Official Site of a Consortium of Educators who research, write, and educate in the field of UDL. Rose and Meyer are the leaders and they are the authors of several UDL Books published by the Harvard Education Press.
This is an awesome wiki full of ideas, research of effective use, and examples of uses for voicethread in the classroom. I wont have time to go over it in my presentation, so I wanted to make sure it was posted here. If you are at all interested in using voicethread in the future, you should really check it out!
Edmentum is grounded in a tradition of solid research, sound pedagogy, and applied innovation. We provide rigorous and relevant online educational products and services that will challenge your learners with a 21st century approach - engaging them with interactive, media-rich content, proven to be effective by third-party studies.
This link to the Oxford English Dictionary is an invaluable resource for Middle School ELA and Secondary Ed English teachers. I can see it as a frequent "go-to" site for Student Researchers, providing more interesting content than a standard online dictionary. Because the OED is concerned with word origins, I believe it would be helpful in creating bridges with ELL students as well, giving them a chance to see the linguistic contributions their language has made to ours. Check out the link in the lower center column for teachers and students (resources and lesson plans).
The History Engine is a web-based educational tool hosted by University of Richmond. Students use this site to learn history by researching, writing, and publishing specific episodes of American life. The online, searchable database contains works of students from all over the country. Excellent site for teachers, students and anyone interested in history.