I use ppt, as well as a document camera for lecture purposes and I use u-tube to further my lecture and explanations and MyItLab for online testing.
Many students have loved working on papers through Google Docs, which is free to use and easy to access from many devices. It has replaced the need for multiple printed drafts of papers in my classroom, and clears up the clutter on my desk! It is also beneficial for students who do not have programs like Microsoft Word on their home computers.
I have also had a lot of success with Remind101, a free, private texting service. As an instructor you can sign up for a free account, and then students subscribe to your list. You can then text out reminders. It is a one way system; they cannot reply. You also never see their phone numbers, so all parties are protected. Additionally, you can schedule texts in advance, so you do not need to monitor it all the time!
Incorporating Social Media into the classroom - creation of a Fashion Blog or a Professional Presence via Linkedin
Incorporating Social Media into the classroom - creation of a Fashion Blog or a Professional Presence via Linkedin
I have found that using online simulation have help my students grasp difficult concepts and procedures more quickly.
My courses are intensely visual, teaching students tactile techniques that they don't always understand at first. Utilizing a YouTube channel that demonstrates the techniquest that I teach in the classroom offers students a continuous point of reference when they need it.
I think my favorites of all of the technology I use in the classroom, Voicethread and Poll Everywhere are two of my favorites. Using voicethread I can record lectures, powerpoints, experiments, demonstrations etc and my students can review them when they want to. This is helpful in many ways. If they miss class in person, they don't miss what went on during class and Voicethread allows them to ask questions and respond to questions through text, audio and video for classmates and instructors to respond to so the experience when not in the classroom is not that much different than in the classroom. Students can also create their own voicethreads with video, audio, photos, powerpoints etc to collaborate on or submint individual projects to the class. There is a free version however the pay version is well worth the expense. http://voicethread.com will take you to the site. You can also find a lot of you-tube videos on using voicethread
Another is Poll Everwhere. I use it in class to ask questions and the students repond using SMS messageing through their cell phone or other devices. Free polls are limited to 40 responses. As the students answer the poll question their answers are posted graphically on the screen. These polls can be embedded into your powerpoint and the responses shown in real time to the students. The thing the students like is that they can answer and not have to worry about someone seeing that they answered incorrectly because it just gives the response not who responded. No worries about peer pressure to give the right answer infront of the class. The site is http://polleverywhere.com
There are many other sites and tools found in sites like Merlot. Visionquest is another favorite as well.
These all keep the students engaged and interested in the class. I only wish these tools had been available back in the 50's and 60's when I was in school.
musictheory.net has been a great resource for helping students with music theory. It has many great features such as lessons and practice areas where students can put it in loop mode and go through questions all day long if they wanted (highly unlikely, but possible). The website has continually upgraded their user experience as well as adding apps for smart phones. I had one student one term buy it and practiced while waiting for the bus. He was more self motivated than others and had a desire to figure out this music theory stuff.
Rick,
Thank you very much for sharing, we have had several music instructors complete this course and I am sure they will find this information very useful!
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Using Power Point and it many different displays, background and text help keep the subject at hand interesting. I find that also using NPR and Frontline videos help with showing the relevance of what we are teaching and using. It shows that the class, materials, lesson and school is up to date with the industry standards. I want to start using the Skype for Educators to connect with industry professionals and other university and colleges to compare and share information.
I incorporate a web-based testing program called proprofs.com. I teach mainly basic clinical sciences for the proprietary school I teach for and the university where I adjunct. The students feedback has been overall positive. I use the online software, to generate pre-tests and post-tests of lecture topics such as the cardiovascular system. For the pre-tests, I set the test to tutor mode so that the student can see what they got wrong after they submit the answer to that particular question. The time consuming part, is actually writing my own questions and the feedback as explanations.
The downside to this is reserving a computer lab big enough to accomodate the class size and the occassional glitches the online service encounters once in a while (i.e; the test hangs after the student submits, marking answers incorrectly). Overall, the experience, has been positive and I'm surprised at the retention the students have after completing the course.
Another technology tool, is my Ipad. There are many Anatomy and Physiology applications out there which I break out to show students a more concrete depiction of the theory which I present in lecture.
Currently, I teach at a technical college and the majority of the students are non-traditional, first-generation students. They do not all have access to computers and technology. Unfortunately, that is not a valid excuse. Therefore,assigning them projects that requires them to use Power Point or Prezi is often a challenge. However, they are required to do the presentation based on current topics as they relate to the course. Students are required to give credit to sources and cite information verbally and written.
Although many students enter the course with fear and frustration of the unknown, once they leave the class they are aware of the use of the internet, Power Point, Prezi, and the appropriate means for APA format.
We include an interactive multi media in most modules for our fully online courses using Storyline. There are many built in features for adding checks on learning and you add your own video, which we oftentimes cull from Youtube.
Tony,
Thank you for sharing, Tony. NPR is a fantastic resource, many times I have printed transcripts to share with class after listening to an interesting story on the radio on my way in to work.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Kassy,
I am also a huge fan of Articulate Storyline- thank you for sharing! I find the software very intuitive and easy to master. Creating digital content and publishing for various devices has never been easier!
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
I enjoy video games and so do most of my students. I often use examples of video games as we talk about programming concepts or design. My projects also involve creating small, simple games to help keep students interested. They love the final result and can walk away with a project they can use and modify down the road.
I do as well, Jason. It's a great tool. I advise the students to utilize social media by "friending" local bloggers and magazines to see what's trending now.
I have had students work in small groups or with
a "study buddy" which does help them engage in
learning. I do want to try some of the new technologies I just learned about (other than
power point) to "rev up" my grammar lessons.
The only real thing that I've found to be useful for students are:
- Online video tutorials that supplement what's been learned in class.
- Wiki sites, especially one set up specifically for the class.
- Discussion Forums. This allows for further dialog on class content during and after class.
- Industry Blogs. Usually sites from professionals in the industry giving some kind of insight into current trends or technology.
I found it's helpful to use a combination of all these to really get students going.
Although not new, I believe the classroom response systems can be quite effective for student engagement. My current job plans to purchase clickers for one of our classrooms, but I have already designed and built an electronic buzzer system for end-of-semester review games. The feedback I always get with the buzzers is that they really enjoyed the review sessions and learned a great deal.
