Category: tech tools

Tech Tool Review, Fresh Grade

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, tech toolsLeave a comment

Fresh Grade:

Fresh Grade is an online portfolio program that allows teachers to upload photos of students assignments for both the student and their parents to view.  This is private viewing between the teacher, student, and parents.  It is a great way for students to show their parents what they have been working on at school, along with the progress they have made in class, without having to bring paper copies home.

How it is used in schools:

The teacher takes a photograph of the students work and uploads it online.  Each student has their own online portfolio.  The teacher can then add their mark to the assignment and comment on the work.   When logged on,  students are able to reflect on that mark. They can say whether they agree or disagree, and why.  It is a great way to start a conversation on improvement or accomplishments.

Pros:

  • When it comes to creating report cards, teachers have a quick reference guide online they can look at for each students work.
  • Parents are able to see the progress their child makes at school.
  • During parent/teacher interviews, the teacher is able to quickly pull up the students work and share how they have been doing in each subject.
  • Promotes parent engagement.

Cons:

  • Can be added work for a teacher if technology doesn’t come naturally to them.
  • Teachers have to stay on top of it, checking reflections and any other comments, as well as choosing the right balance of pieces of work throughout the course of the year.
  • Students must have access to computer and internet (usually made possible in the classroom).
  • Parents must have access to computer and internet to view from home.

Opinion on if I’d use it and when/how:

  • The idea of taking photos of students work and uploading them onto the computer and then into each individual portfolio sounds like a lot of extra work to me.  That said, I have spoken to a few teachers about Fresh Grade, and they say it actually ends up being less work in the end because everything is all organized and in one spot.  I like the idea of being able to quickly access students work for both assessment and parents/teacher interviews.  The conversations that can happen regarding assignments between students, parents, and the teacher are made easily accessible by this program, which is a bonus.

For more information on Fresh Grade, check out the link below:

Twine

On By rosiereynolds30In coding, EDCI 336, edtech, tech toolsLeave a comment

In today’s ed tech class, we learned how to work with twine.

 http://twinery.org/

As written on the twine website:

“Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.”

 

  • You are able to create threads, clicking on an image/link that can lead you to a new page
  • You are able to add sound
  • You can create things like a buyers guide, clicking on links that most apply to you
  • Lives in the web browser, but stored on the cookies on whichever computer it was saved under. Make sure to save and export to have it open on another computer.
  • **Do not use the Safari web browser (chrome and firefox okay)

Image result for twine

See link below to check out my first twine:

https://studentweb.uvic.ca/~rreynolds/rosiesstory.html

Tech in High school, SD36

On By rosiereynolds30In gaming, multimedia, tech inquiry, tech toolsLeave a comment

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.

 

 

 

Tech in High school, SD61, French Immersion

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, multimedia, tech inquiry, tech tools, video editingLeave a comment

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

In their classroom they use:

  • Chromebooks are available for typing and editing work
  • iMovie on ipads to make in class movies for assignments
  • Google Classroom for assignment information and for submitting work
  • Kahoot for class quizzes

 

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!

Tech in Middle School, SD61, Grade 8

On By rosiereynolds30In blogging, EDCI 336, GAFE, tech inquiry, tech toolsLeave a comment

This last week I met with a teacher that works at a middle school in the Greater Victoria School District. They gave me a list of their favourite apps and programs to use in the classroom.

Assistive Technology program GAFE is popular at this middle school. GAFE includes text to speech, which allows students that are having difficulties typing and reading to still progress confidently in their work.  GAFE stands for ‘Google App For Education’ and it is protected by SD61.  The program ‘speech to text’ is purchased for the district. They find this program very helpful for students that are struggling, especially for research projects.  The students will find the information they need, and read it out into a document in their own works.  When students need assistance reading a document, GAFE can do this for them as well outloud, and the students are supplied with headphones so this doesn’t disrupt the class.

Google Classroom has been a helpful reminder for the students.  The classroom teacher is able to attach the students emails to it so they can see the updates on the calendar.  This program allows students to be reminded of upcoming events and assignments due dates.

Popular with co-workers:

Most teachers at the school have classroom blogs which they post homework assignments on etc.

Some of the teachers subscribe to calm.com to start their morning with their class.  It helps the students work on mindfulness and is a great way to have the students start their morning on a positive note.

Freshgrade is a program that many teachers use throughout the school.  It allows the teacher to upload assignments in which the student can reflect upon and say whether or not they agree with the grade given.  It also allows for the parents to see the work their children have done from their own computer.  This program is good for communication between student, parent, and teacher.