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Not every student in your class needs to be playing the same game at the same time. In fact, games can be used as just another tool to differentiate. As teachers formatively assess their students, they may find that some students didn't quite get either the content knowledge or 21st century skill they were focusing on. Also, educators might find that some students are ready for a greater challenge. Educators can use games as a tool to support either revisiting the material or pushing students farther on new material. Not only do games help differentiate for students, but they also free up the teacher to meet the needs of more students.

Even though many games are played individually, playing games together can be a great way to build classroom culture. When paired with other culture-building activities, games can provide low-stakes, competitive ways to build collaboration skills. In fact, games that involve teams can help support the principles of "helping each other out" and sharing. Some games, like Pandemic, require that all players work together toward the same goal instead of working competitively. Collaboration is key in that game, so consider games like it for building classroom culture, and pair them with reflections and discussion to assess the learning. Remember, depending on the access to technology, teachers can pick both high-tech and low-tech games, or offer both. Educators can try all or some of these steps to use games in the classroom. It's important that we start small with implementation, and that we continually reflect on the learning and push ourselves to try new things for the sake of our students, their engagement, and their achievement.

ke online discussion/conferencing an integral part of the course. (Do not separate what is happening in the conference from what is happening in the face-to-face class meetings.)

reate a comfortable atmosphere for the online conferencing/discussion, for example: be an active participant.

Set clear expectations and standards for assessing student web pages/projects.

bring your own experiences to the discussion.

Identify what features in a course management system you will use and why you will use them.

Allow your teachers to integrate them at their own pace

important for educators to show them how to filter and think critically about the information they are finding

WORD PROCESSING

ISCELLA

ECHNOLOGY TOOL

NEOUS

As we progress in this technologically charged world, we face a very important question. What is to become of the role of teachers? Will they become obsolete?

The hard truth is that the tech-savvy students of today do not want to be lectured to about facts they can instantly find with the click of a button on their smart phones. Siri can often give a more comprehensive answer than many of us on any given topic. Therefore, the honest truth is that HOW we teach must change. Making students memorize rote facts and regurgitate them is no longer sensible, and educators now have the opportunity to have students think much more critically, solve problems, and use their creativity in ways they never have been pushed to do in the past.

make sure teachers and students are trained on the proper use and etiquette of the resources

understand how and why each piece of technology is

Teachers should

monitor student activities

Hold an introductory session with your students when introducing a new tool. Use the tool yourself first before putting your students in front of it. Have a plan for collecting student work. Communicate with other colleagues that may want to use the resources as well. Manage time with the resources wisely. Set goals for work completion with your students. Communicate with

your administration about how and when you will be using shared technology.

This article contains the following sections: Getting Started Integrating Technology Across the Access Spectrum Getting to "Seamless" Integration Tips for Shared Hardware Creating a Professional-Development Plan Hardware and Equipment Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment The Role of Digital Citizenship

If your class has an interactive whiteboard and projector: Try interactive websites such as BrainPOP. Dig in to Scholastic's whiteboard activities page. Show online videos related to the lessons. Explore virtual math manipulatives. Check out the native software that came with the board. Use the videoconferencing tool Skype to connect beyond the classroom.

Getting to "Seamless" Integration To begin to move your tech integration to the point where it is "seamless," consider these questions: What skills are applied to nearly all tools (e.g., saving a file, naming a file, finding a file, logging in and out of accounts)? Have your students mastered these basic skills? How many different tools will you introduce this year? How many is too many? How will technology help your students better understand content -- will it push them to a deeper understanding that could not have been achieved without technology? What level of integration do you want in your classroom by the end of the school year? What specific steps must you take to achieve that goal? What is a realistic goal based on time and resources? For more on levels of technology access and what that means for tech integration, read this blog post: "What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?" You can also check out the outstanding Technology Integration Matrix produced by the Arizona K12 Center. It provides guidance on different levels of tech integration based on readiness and current practice, and offers links to sample lessons.

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment One of the most exciting aspects of bringing technology into your classroom -- and into your students' hands -- is the enhanced opportunity for timely and meaningful feedback. Quick Checks: If you want to know if your students grasp enough of a particular concept before you move on, you can use tools such as Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to get a quick snapshot of the class. By creating a short quiz or open-ended response question using one of these tools and having your students use an internet-enabled device to answer, you can get quick and easy feedback that will help inform your instruction. Personalized Feedback: Through the use of course-management tools such as Edmodo, Schoology, or Moodle, it is now possible for teachers to provide personalized feedback quickly and efficiently to their students. All three tools provide the ability for teachers to leave personalized comments and notes on student work, and they provide a messaging service for students who may want to send emails with questions or concerns about the course.

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment

If you have access to a handful of mobile devices: Have students create videos using the Animoto app Record group discussions using a voice recording app. Have students record themselves reading aloud for fluency checks. Assign student-created comics using the Puppet Pals app. Offer e-books for required readings. Upload and access course content using the Edmodo or Schoology apps. Conduct research. Foster skills practice using apps specific to subject area. Collaborate using apps like Whiteboard.