Technology for the Gifted Classroom
Yes, I know; this is a blog to provide support to parents.
And I try to keep on topic; it is in the interest of parent-teacher relations
and for homeschoolers that I decided to talk about tech tools for the gifted
classroom. One can never have too many tools in the toolbox when it comes to
teaching gifted kids.
There are, in fact, so many resources available to educators
and parents that it would be impossible to cover them all here. The criteria
that I considered when choosing tools were cost, ease of use, and availability.
All of these tools are available online and are free. Some
have additional upgrades, but I don’t consider them necessary. School
administrators are under extreme pressure to cut budgets and home budgets are
already tight for many homeschoolers. So, free is nice!
Ease of use is an important consideration as well as
professional development (PD). PD budgets are often the first thing to go when
districts are looking to cut costs. Technology is great, but not if the teacher
has no idea how to use it. Utilizing technology tools such as podcasts,
webinars, and Skype can be a very cost-effective way to provide PD for
teachers. They can also be utilized for personal development outside of school.
It is important to remember that technology is an enabler;
not a replacement for authentic pedagogy. Instructional technologies empower
educators to facilitate learning, increase student engagement, differentiate
curriculum for each student’s learning style, and connect classrooms around the
world. Students, in turn, can collaborate with gifted peers anywhere and at
anytime while fostering problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and
teamwork. They can communicate with master teachers, create new and innovative
content, and learn at their own pace.
My first stop on the Technology Tool Tour (TTT) would have
to be Google. Recently, Google made access to these tools seamless with their
search engine. Once on the Google Search homepage, roll over the Google logo at
the upper left-hand part of the page to reveal all they have to offer, Google
Docs is a collaborative tool that allows multiple people to access and edit a
document online from anywhere. As a bonus, it auto-saves every few seconds.
Google Calendar can be accessed by anyone you grant permission to use. Teachers
can place upcoming assignments and projects on the calendar and students can
view from school, home or even on the bus ride home. Google Books, Search,
Translate, and Scholar are great resources for research materials. Google Earth
can make geography lessons come alive!
Other programs on the TTT, include:
Classmarker
– design quizzes & tests; administer
them; & grade
Diigo – add to ‘favorites’ as well as search tags you set up
Dropbox – doc sharing site, accessed from multiple platforms
Emodo – share ideas, text alerts to students, conduct polls, &
share files
Evernote – accessed from any device; record student presentations
Pinterest – ‘ideas’ are searched & pinned to the user’s board.
Podcasts – For ‘flipped’ classrooms & to view a wealth of PD podcasts .
Screencast-O-matic- teachers can make tutorials for staff & faculty.
Skype – free, video calls; connect classes, teachers, & students.
Finally, our TTT draws to a close with a look at social
media tools; many of which you are undoubtedly already familiar with and will
need little explanation. Facebook has a neat feature called Groups which can be
open, closed, or secret. Taking privacy into consideration, closed groups would
be the best choice for classroom. Here students can collaborate on projects,
share research, and ask questions of the teacher. Google + has a similar
feature called Google Hangouts. Virtual Reality programs such as Second Life
(older students with adult supervision) and Mission V (Ireland )
provide virtual classrooms where students can engage in global projects,
conferences, and lectures from world-class educators. And last, but not least …
Twitter … perhaps the greatest source of PD, late breaking news and trends, and
a great place to grow a personal learning network (PLN) with other
professionals and educators.
Of course, there are literally thousands of other sites on the Internet that provide tools for teachers and the classroom. Hopefully, I have whetted your appetite to explore the ones I’ve mentioned and then look for other tools on your own!
Of course, there are literally thousands of other sites on the Internet that provide tools for teachers and the classroom. Hopefully, I have whetted your appetite to explore the ones I’ve mentioned and then look for other tools on your own!
Nice blog! I really appreciate for sharing this information. Your website is very cool. I am so impressed by the info that you've on this website. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteClassroom Technology
I am a parent and a teacher of gifted kids. Your site has been SO helpful to me! I use many of these in my gifted classroom. Thank you for sharing. I am going to check out the others now!
ReplyDeleteI would like to offer one more: (I hope that is OK - I am not endorsing, it is just helpful to me.)I use http://www.symbaloo.com/ to keep links to all of them (and the many, many others I use)on one page, for quick access.
Thank you for the wonderful blog. I find that screencastomatic is limited to only 10 or 15 minutes on recording length. My Screen Recorder Pro is an excellent screencasting tool. Records your screen and audio from the speakers or your voice from the microphone - or both simultaneously. The recordings are clear and look great when played back on your PC or uploaded to YouTube. It will record directly to AVI, WMV, MP4, or FLV. Just perfect for creating tutorials, demos, and presentations. Plus, there are no limits on recording length.
ReplyDelete