TTT - Tiff's Technology Tips

Introduction

What would a teacher do without technology? Not only is it used as a tool for student engagement, technology also makes organization, collaboration, and daily tasks more efficient and easier than ever before. It has streamlined communication between school and home, provided rich opportunities for authentic learning, and exposed students to the world beyond the four walls of a classroom.

Below are my top five digital resources used as a teacher. Each is hyperlinked to its respective website, and I also include links to some of my creations. Enjoy.

Top 5 Tech Favorites

#5 Google Suite

Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Keep, Calendar, Forms, Drawings, Hangouts, and Classroom have each served a major part of my current role as an educator. Google Suite provides the perfect platform for collaboration between colleagues, students, and community members. When we talk about the Four C's (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity), the G-Suite cannot be beat.

#4 Pear Deck

Snapshot of the presenter view in Pear Deck.

Pear Deck is an interactive presentation tool that offers multiple student engagement opportunities within. It links with Google Slides and polls students in real-time. Pear Deck is most useful for one-to-one devices as students log in with their Google accounts and view the presentation with the facilitator. It encourages responses from all students, allows the instructor to give immediate feedback, and facilitates rich conversations and justifications for thinking. Students also receive a summary of the presentation directly in their Google Drive accounts. 

#3 Screencastify

Screencastify is perfect for developing quick how-to tutorials that students can access any time. I have used it for video instructions with a substitute teacher, for compliance with the read-aloud IEP and ILP accommodations so students can complete tests and quizzes at their own pace, and as content reinforcers. Students have also used it to create digital portfolios with their own recordings of the content. The downfall to having students create their own screencasts was the time required to grade each video against the rubric. The feedback was not as immediate, but the learning was authentic. Check out one of my instructional videos for an assignment procedure.

#2 EdPuzzle

I often couple Screencastify videos with EdPuzzle. EdPuzzle has allowed me to create my own video tutorials and embed questions as formative assessments that are quickly graded. I take the feedback and use it to create differentiated student assignments. Because the videos are created in advance, I can assign them as homework or classwork. Both have advantages, but I find that using them as classwork allows me to circulate freely and answer questions that arise as students are completing the activities. I have received positive feedback from students and parents who use the videos as review at home. It syncs well with Google Classroom, which is a beneficial way to keep assignments organized and readily accessible. Check out one of my Screencastify videos uploaded through EdPuzzle here! 

#1 Quizizz

I have yet to hear a student complain about completing a Quizizz. It is fun, self-paced, and provides immediate feedback that is helpful for students and teachers. I have used this as exit slips, bell ringers, homework assignments, and overall review. Students enjoy competing with their classmates for top scores and competing with themselves for improvement. Here is one we used most recently! 

Final Thoughts

The development of skills to use technology effectively is advantageous because it saves a teacher valuable time. Hours grading can be better spent creating curriculum that facilitates authentic and interactive learning opportunities that students remember. 

Technology skills are also transferrable to other careers. As much as I love being a classroom teacher, I recognize that knowledge of technology will be helpful in almost any role.