Tool #9

Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?

·         It is essential to tie in the objectives or TEKS or “learning goal” when using technology in the classroom. Simply put, there are too many “silly” apps or websites out there that if our students don’t have a straightforward goal or purpose could prove to be too big of a distraction for some of our kids. Every time as a teacher I have something that I want my students to learn it is tied to the curriculum. There is just too much information to cover as a teacher to be spending time not teaching to the curriculum.

Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?

·         Accountability is an essential skill to learn not just for the classroom, but for life. We must hold our students accountable for their technology usage, or they will not follow the guidelines set before them. It is imperative however, that  before we expect to hold them accountable for their actions, that we lay out the expectations clearly for them. It would not be fair to punish a student, if I as a teacher did not clearly describe what is expected of them.

Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?

·         Thinkfinity had some pretty good links to websites that could be used in stations. The way to utilize the technology as stations is to have for example 2 IPads/Dells at each station, working with a partner the students would have an objective to discover or review at each station. They would as partners attempt to complete the objective. I would then make sure to include time before switching to have the pairs discuss with the other people at the table about what website they used, what they discovered and come to an agreement as to what the overall discovery was.

·         I think that it is so important to remember that even though we have all of this great technology where the students can do everything on the computer, that academic conversation is ESSENTIAL to student learning. They need to discuss/debate topics to better understand them. I understand that this can be done in an online forum, or by vocalizing their opinion, but either way in my opinion it is something that could become “lost” during all of this technology push.

List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?

·          When we got our IPads I took mine home and looked through the entire app market for the free apps and found some great ones. However, the “best ones” require payment. I hope there is some sort of budget that will allow us as a department to purchase some useful ones. Some of the best free ones I have listed below…

o   Science 360

o   Periodic Table

o   The Water Cycle

o   3D Cell Stain

o   NASA

o   Sun Scale

o   Google earth

o   Brain pop

o   Science VL

Using these as stations would be a great way to hit multiple topics within one unit.

What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station

With the apps or programs that allow you to make virtual stories, or movies, students can create presentations on any topic to then present to the class. We could have them come up with raps about the human body system and record it onto the IPad, or they could take us on a virtual trip through the human heart. The options really are endless and the more I learn about the different apps out there the more possibilities there will be!