Digital Learning


After researching the different digital devices this week, I chose 2 iPad devices that would not only work in my classroom but be an enhancement to my classroom. Ipads are the main voice of technology in my second-grade classroom, so I have to consider the device, the apps and the age of the users. 
My district is going away with SmartBoard and Airliners, so I have been trying to find substitutes for said technology. I know a little about Nearpod going into this weeks learning. My district provides us with a paid version of Nearpod, which, if you think about it is amazing. Every single lesson, thousands of lessons from expert educators or educational partners, are free for teachers to use. I love how Nearpod is defined as "an app that introduces students to authentic practices and applications and has them learning together how they can apply these skills in the real world." I feel like with what I have researched, there are not too many dilemmas with the app when it comes to the needs of students. There are time allotments, a variety of assessment options, amazing virtual visuals, and the option to embed other videos and documents. The biggest dilemma I can find is the cost, which doesn't apply to my district. 
From Kathy Schrock's site, iPads in the Classroom, an article caught my attention called Technology in the Classroom: Amazing iPad Apps for Educators. What caught my eye was the explanation of Explain Everything, which has been an app on my radar. It is being referred to in my district as a white board supplement for the airliner. It also happens to be a paid app, only provided to teachers in the Olathe District.
This app admittedly does help you explain pretty much everything. At the core, it is an app that utilizes inking capabilities, the iPad's microphone, presentations or other media assets and allows you to annotate, animate and narrate over them. According to the book, Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom use: A Standards-based Approach, this technology can provide for creative learning opportunities for students as they are able to actively engage in the content and apply what they know to realistic situations (Cennamo, et. al, 2014).
Both apps are the epitome of a clicker free classroom, which is what 21st-century learners and educators are looking for. I think of my class and my learners that crave technology but don't quite understand it. Both provide interactive and engaging lessons. Teachers are able to use annotation on text, websites, and worksheets. With each, you can model wirelessly. Hello! Instant Feedback! The simplicity of access to pre-created lessons, which means little to NO prep work time. Lastly, I see differentiated instruction made easy.
Explain Everything and Nearpod, are two apps that offer many engaging incentives for students, which gets my attention. I want the students to have the "can't get enough" mentality when it comes to learning and technology, and the introduction of these two options will do that for them.

References:
Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J. D., & Ertmer, P. A.  (2014).  Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (2nd ed.).  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 
Shrock, K. (2018, January 1). IPads in the Classroom. Retrieved June 8, 2018, from http://www.ipads4teaching.net/ipads-in-the-classroom.html
Technology in the Classroom: Amazing iPad Apps for Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2018, from http://www.teachhub.com/20-amazing-ipad-apps-educators
Using technology in the classroom with Nearpod. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2018, from https://nearpod.com/how-it-works 
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Comments

  1. MeJune 9, 2018 at 12:15 AM

    Jaime,
    Nice work on researching tools that you might be able to use in your classroom since the current technology seems to be changing. I have Nearpod and Explain Everything on my radar, too! I just have never taken the leap to try them out. You make some great points about how so much is available to teachers that there is so little prep work and I love how students are provided with instant feedback! I hope that you are able to try these two technology pieces out in your classroom! They are on my list as new resources to use with my students during the next school year.

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  2. UnknownJune 10, 2018 at 12:51 PM

    Nearpod sounds like a tool I need to explore. I thrive off others teacher's good ideas. I was like Robin Hood in my earlier years, grabbing any lesson plan from the web that I could get my hands on. I would feel guilty about this on occasion until I read something from Mike Schmoker about teachers needing to bust down their doors, share best practices, and streamline them. I love that there are programs like Nearpod that foster this idea.

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