multimedia – Rosie Reynolds

This week I interviewed a teacher from the Surrey School District.

In their classroom they use:

Kurzweil is an assistive technology that is used to engage students. It also includes text to speech with Voice Recognition
Dragon Box is an app that has been uploaded onto their iPads and teaches mathematical concepts through games
IXL, which provides math and language arts concepts
iPads are used for the apps they provide
Computers are used for Kurzweil and IXL, along with word processing and searching the internet for project information

Kurzweil:

This is an assistive technology. A child with learning disabilities or challenges may find this program extremely useful. It provides voice recognition for text to speech, which is helpful when students have difficulty with their fine motor skills, proving writing and typing to be a challenge. The students simply speak what they would like to have typed out and the program acts as a scribe for them. This keeps students engaged in completing their tasks when they don’t have something blocking their way.

Dragon Box:

In this school, they have Dragon Box uploaded on the school iPads as an app. It teaches students algebra, and keeps them engaged in learning it. It ‘secretly’ teaches them the skills they need to understand algebra through game. Dragon box can be used by anyone, home or at school, with a small fee. The great news for teachers, it’s free!

IXL:

IXL creates educational practice for students from kindergarten to grade 12. As the teacher I interviewed is working at a high school, they see a broad range of learners and find this program extremely helpful. IXLs main focus is mathematics and language arts and is taught through informational games and activities.

iPads/Computers:

In the classroom of this particular teacher, iPads and computers are available for use when signed out. Every student has access to these devices and they come ready with educational apps and programs preloaded and ready for use.

This week I interviewed a teacher who teaches high school french immersion for Greater Victoria School District.

In their classroom they use:

Chromebooks:

With chromebooks, SD61 is able to install apps on all of them for educational purposes. They have google apps already built in to them. They are able to be closed and opened up without having to turn off, which makes them ready for use for students. Each student has their own individual sign in, which can be used on any of the chromebooks in the district.

iPads:

Most of the iPad use in the classroom is for taking pictures and videos and then editing them on ‘iMovie’. This has been a very valuable way for the students to present their work in a different form, something other than written or on a poster board. With this teacher having french immersion students, it’s been a valuable piece of technology, being that the class is in French and it allows the teacher insight into students pronunciation.

Google Classroom:

This teacher uses google classroom as a way to distribute assignment information and to send out reminders. It is also used in collecting assignments online, a classroom calendar, and gmail. Each student in the class has a gmail account and the teacher puts them into their google classroom to make sure that everyone is included.

Kahoot:

The classroom teacher loads Kahoot onto their computer, which is hooked up to the projector. They have quizzes preloaded onto Kahoot and the students can answer the questions on either a web browser or with a mobile device. This is a very forward thinking, paperless way to do quizzes… and I think a little bit more enticing for students when they get to use technology to answer a question!

Rosie Reynolds