Author: Lauren Alvarez

Upon starting this course, I knew very little about the use of technology in the classroom. I originally had some reservations about its effectiveness. I assumed that it would be difficult to ensure all students are on task. However, we discovered many online resources and websites that are engaging to students and easy for the teacher to monitor. A lot of the online lessons we created were easy to make and could easily be implemented in the classroom. Allowing access to visuals and study tools ensures that students actually learn and understand the material, as most people are visual learners. With the increase access to technology in the classroom, we should take advantage of this resource to diversify our curriculum. From this course, I feel like I have become a tech savvy teacher. Before, I didn’t even know how to embed videos into Google slides. I hadn’t realized just how easy most of the Google resources are to use. Now I have many lessons I can incorporate in my future classroom.

            I thought that it was important that this class was project based instead of essay driven. It was more effective to learn how to use these websites through trial and error. We got 15 different lessons and ideas we can implement in our own classrooms. This is a lot more helpful than solely essays. It made the class much more engaging and I personally felt more likely to do my best work. I felt that all the projects we completed had a purpose, it wasn’t just busy work. This is something that I will take into account in my own classroom. I want students to enjoy and be actively engaged in what we are doing. I will make sure to assign lessons that are meaningful so that their motivation does not diminish.

By Lauren Alvarez and Audrey Muller

Our final project aims to help students practice their debate skills in the form of a meme. This lesson is designed for fourth grade students including a variety of research materials. Students will be able to form an opinion on the morality of zoos, create a visual defending this, and share it with the class. Before class, students will read, watch videos, and take notes about the pros and cons of zoos. They will take a stance on either side and find a partner in class. Pairs will create the meme together, using Adobe Spark, sharing it onto Padlet when finished. Adobe Spark allows for students to practice these skills in a non-conventional way. Debates do not have to be verbal, these memes can be just as moving as words. This website would be a great resource for accommodations so all students can demonstrate their learning. Padlet allows for the class to see everyone’s opinions on the zoo debate and see if more students are pro or against zoos. All the memes will be in one place and easily accessible. This lesson could be built upon resulting in a persuasive essay or research project.

TEDEd is a great resource to ensure that students are comprehending and getting the most out of educational videos. I liked that adding the question, discussion, and dig deeper options is applicable to any YouTube video. This could include Screencasts and one take videos created by the teacher. TEDEd has many pre-made lessons that can be used by students if the teacher does not wish to make their own. The creator of the lesson has access to student answers to multiple choice and discussion questions. This resource could be a fun and engaging summative assessment. The teacher can take students’ answers to build the next lesson, clarifying information that may have been confusing from the video.

We chose to use QuickTime to create a video about how to use Adobe Spark, specifically how to make a meme. We recorded the entire screen and explained the step by step process while we worked. We enjoyed using this medium of recording the screen because it was simple, quick, and effective. In addition to using QuickTime, we also used iMovie to add background music. We found that this minimized awkward pauses and keeps the viewers engaged while systems loaded.

Hope you enjoy!! 🙂

Audrey and Lauren

I really enjoyed learning how to use this resource! I thought it was easier to use than ThingLink and enjoyed the 360 views. I could see this being used in a geography or history lesson. It is much more engaging to be able to explore the places rather than just read about them and see a 2-D photo. It certainly captures people’s attention!

After trying both Sway and Adobe Spark Page, my preference is for Adobe Spark Page. I liked the graphics a lot more than the ones from Sway. Aesthetically, it looks much more professional. There were also a lot more options when it came to photos. I think students would find this one to be easier to use. They can easily add photos and graphics, making their presentations a lot more engaging. I think as a teacher I would use this one more because it was easier to use and faster to learn. Sway required a lot more editing of photos as they were always too large for the presentation. The text also is not a huge part of the presentation. This would be a great resource for comparing photos rather than receiving information.

I found this website very easy to use. Students will be able to share with the teacher and the class a little bit about themselves. This source can make reports instantly more engaging and fun as there are many graphics and photos accessible from this site.

I used Adobe Spark Video to create a summary of the popular children’s book Little Red Riding Hood. Students could easily replicate this with any story! They can use their own creativity to search for images that represent the text. This activity would be a perfect way to measure comprehension. The main benefits to using this app are its versatility on a computer or phone and simplicity.

By Lauren Alvarez

I think that in my future career as a teacher, I will probably end up using Padlet the most. It is very easy to use compared to the rest. It comes with ready templates that make creating activities simple. Teachers can ban profanity and add comments to everyone’s posts. These types of KWL charts are a great way to ensure all students have a chance to participate. My lesson can be used as a preview activity for a field trip to the zoo with the K and W portions of the chart. Then, students can share what they learned under L!

Here is a collection of mini lessons we have created. They range from discovering glaciers around the world to English lessons about pigs and pancakes. Included is an instructional video comparing different baking styles and their results- helping you find your perfect recipe!

Created by Audrey Muller and Lauren Alvarez.

Glaciers are disappearing fast! Learn about them while you can! This neat interactive tool makes learning fun. 🙂

Students can use this map to view the largest glaciers left on Earth. Many glaciers are receding over the years due to global warming. Students can interact with each glacier through pictures and videos.

This is a co-post by Lauren Alvarez and Audrey Muller.

This activity is aimed towards kindergarten or first grade classes. It focuses on basic parts of speech including nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Students will have three multiple choice questions followed by a fun final one about parts of speech relating to the book If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff.

The benefit of doing an online activity is that it engages students in a different way. They have access to the images and texts, targeting to students of all learning styles. In addition to the powerpoint, students will record their answers on a designated worksheet. This will allow the teacher to record student comprehension.