Beyond the Basics

Alan Shurling

More Software tools are available than your basic suit

We as teacher must utilize these tools

Handheld Devices

Tablets and phones are portable

They can have access to their class materials more often

Can upload notes before class

This allows students to focus on the content and not on note taking

Web Page

Create a web page for your class

Post notes and materials online

Allow for students to have access to your class materials at all times

Post a calendar

Allows parents and students to know when assignments are due

Activboard

Not your traditional whiteboard

Allows for interaction with the students

Students can show their there work and select the correct answer

Worksheet Generators

Produce items for practice

Allows the teacher to save time on creating homework

Produce remediation materials quickly

Puzzle Generators

Automatically format and create crosswords, word search puzzles, and similar game- like activities

Practice for lower level skills such as definition

Use for Cloze exercises

Test Generators

Create and enter questions and the program will create the test

Allows the teacher to have multiple copies of the same test

Answer keys are automatically created

Can create test with various depth of knowledge questions

Rubric Generators

Most projects are graded based on a rubric

Rubric generators allows you to put in your information, and it will create the rubric for you

Also most have various basic rubrics already created that can be used

Online Survey Tools

Poll the students

Use during statistics to get info quickly

Allows teacher to relate material for to the students

Allows students to create surveys

Students can create various charts off the information

Student Response System (Clickers)

Allows students to answer questions with a hand held device and the teacher can read and display the result immediately.

Use during your lecture to check students understanding

Use as a method to quiz students quickly

Computer-Based Testing System

Allows students to take test on the computer or fill in the answer key

Allows for immediate feedback for the students and teachers

Many computer-based testing systems can create the test for the teacher

Lesson Plan Software

Allows teachers to document what they are doing in the classroom

Provide prompts that the teacher fills in

Prints out the information in standard templates

Graphing Calculators

Allows students to have multiple functions on a calculator at once

Allows students to see a exact representation of a graph

Can have multiple activates

Microcomputer-Based System

Packages consist of software accompanied by special hardware sensors designed to measure light, temperature, voltage, and/or speed. (Roblyer, 2016)

Replaces oscilloscopes and voltmeters in the lab

Great for projects

Accelerated Reader

Tracks students’ reading skill

get individual or aggregate data on books read at each readability level

Helps students reading word problems in math and sciences

Concept Mapping Software

Designed to help people think through and explore ideas or topics by developing concept maps. (Roblyer, 2016)

Alternative to verbal representation

Helps students outline their thoughts and notes

References

Roblyer, M. D. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Pearson.