App, Apps Everywhere!

Last week, several of my colleagues in my Technology for Administrators Class shared their presentations on Educational Technology. I found some of these apps and websites very helpful, and ones in which I was very interested in using in my classroom. We saw presentations about websites/apps which could be used in many disciplines and grade levels by educators. We watched several presentations, and they were all very well done. I have chosen to write about my top 5, and ones that I believe I would be most likely to use.

Emaze is a very interactive and well organized website which provides some spectacular templates for presentations. You can turn your boring PowerPoint into an incredible presentation! Yes, be amazed by Emaze! I know I will be using this great website to create PowerPoints that will “WOW” my kids!

Nearpod is a very creative tool that teachers can use to engage students in real time lessons. Teachers control the speed of transition, based on student learning and understanding. I would definitely use this website and am planning on creating some presentations and quizzes on Nearpod over Fall Break to prepare for our Genetics unit. It could be used for any grade level from 2^nd through 12^th grade. I am very interested in this one!

Apple TV is a tool that can be used by teachers with any IOS device and the interactive Apple product. I can definitely see myself using my IPad in my classroom with Apple TV. I believe that each site in Edmond has at least 2 Apple TV devices, of which teachers need to share. I can imagine how I would use the Apple TV in my room to enhance the learning of my students. I would like to have a week with the device to extend my lesson with my lessons. I can only imagine how Apple TV would be a great tool for enhancement of lessons.

Klikaklu is a free app that allows one to take photos and create scavenger hunts for students. I can also see how this could be used for projects. Students would be moving around the room in an effort to complete a task. I think this could be very useful when creating a project in many different subjects/grade levels. I would use this for my Weather and Space units. I think this would be a really fun way to get students engaged in learning about new concepts.

Swivl is a device that hold a phone or tablet while a teacher is lecturing or being mobile in the classroom. It virtually “follows’ the teacher around the classroom, so that the teacher is free to move around and help students, without always having to be sure the device is tracking them. Swivl does the work of watching the teacher, so the teacher can teach the lesson. This is a great tool for flipping the classroom, and one in which would be very beneficial to teachers who often upload videos for student learning.

I am looking forward to the next two weeks of presentations. I am amazed at how much technology is available to educators at this time. It is even more incredible to realize that more and more technology is being created all the time for teachers and students to use!