Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Share the "Tech" Love

Ah, Valentine's Day. That one day a year when folks celebrate LOVE. The love we have for our significant other, our kids, our friends, even our coworkers. People often ask me which tools I love for digital content creation/student production, work flow, modeling/display, sharing, and coding. In the spirit of Valentine's Day I thought I'd take this opportunity to share the tech tools that I LOVE most, based on educational need. While none of these are brand new, Earth shattering tools, they are tested and trusted in our YCS K-12 classrooms. 



Digital Content Creation/Student Production

Explain Everything- This easy to use iPad app ($7.99) allows users to create digital presentations that include images, audio, video, and special effects. Presentations are created slide by slide, for easy recording and editing. Finished products can be shared via a video file or YouTube upload. While the Explain Everything app is simple to use, primary teachers may find that younger learners prefer the Shadow Puppet EDU app (free), which has similar capabilities but is designed for itty bitties. 

Quick Time/iMovie- These Apple programs allow users to create and edit video for perfect presentations. The QuickTime program can record video, audio, and even screen actions, while edits can be made simply within iMovie. Included effects provide for a professional appearance. Not a Mac user? Screencast-O-Matic (free) is a great screen recording alternative. 

iBooks Author-This Apple product allows teachers to create digital text books. In addition to text and images. Widgets enable users to embed video, quizzes, photo galleries, and more. Admittedly, the complexity of iBooks Author makes it a tool designed for more "techie teachers". The Book Creator app ($4.99) is an alternative book creation tool for teachers and students. (Tip: Tools included with Book Creator all you to make awesome comic books!) The app is simple to use and books can be shared in ePub or PDF form. 

PowToons-This web-based program allows users to create cartoon presentations that feature a variety of settings and characters. The music and voice over features make presentations engaging and customized. PowToon creations are easily shared and are a great alternative to traditional slide show presentations. 

Fractus Learning-The Fractus Learning website allows users to create fake text conversations and social media posts, enabling students and teachers to speak from the point of view of others. These digital impersonation tools make lessons unique and engaging. 


Augmented RealityAurasma-Aurasma is a free program that allows users to create/access augmented reality presentations. Aurasma can be used for instructional purposes by linking teacher created video tutorials to trigger images (awesome for math). In addition, Auras are a great way to bring a presentations to life. 

Work FlowGoogle G Suite-Google's suite of programs allow users to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, visuals, surveys, websites, and blogs. All can be created collaboratively and shared easily with a link for viewing or edits. Because all Google elements are housed in a cloud-based system, all updates are instant and live, and accessible from anywhere. Revision history allows users to track file progress. What's more, because you're working within Google, web-searching is embedded...quick and easy. 

Modeling/DisplayAirserver-This program allows users to enable their iPad to take over their computer so that it can be projected. Shared wi-fi is required for the program to work. Airserver has been critical in our K-8 iPad classrooms, as it allows teachers to model device use project completion for our youngest learners. What's more, students to share iPad creations. Bonus: You can use Airserver with Quick Time to screen record iPad activity. Bam! 

Event/Work SharingTwitter-Twitter is by far the education worlds favorite social media tool for sharing. Not only is Twitter great for school announcements and sharing event/classroom information, but it's critical for educator professional development. Building a PLN is simple, and in a world when education seems to constantly be changing, the takeaways are priceless. Every educator should be utilizing Twitter. I'd love to connect with you! @classTECHnique

SeeSaw-This free program is designed for primary teachers to share/communicate with families in a private, secure environment. SeeSaw's social media-like functionality is a great way for students to share their digital work, keeping home-school communication consistent. Students can "Like"  and comment on each other's posts, making it a social media baby step! 

Coding Code Studio-Common Sense Education's Code Studio courses (free) are the perfect tool for getting students (and teachers) on the road to developing basic coding skills. Code Studio courses are designed for learners of all ages. These courses allow participants  to learn coding processes in a progressive fashion, so that vocabulary and skills can be broken down. With several levels available, the coding fun can go on and on. 

There are thousands of digital tools that teachers and students can utilize to manage work flow and produce. What works best for you and your students depends on your needs and what you have available. Digital tools are just as important to have at the ready as traditional school supplies. The key is selecting tools that will provide teachers and students with choice within the learning process. By doing so, students and teachers will fall in love with learning all over again. 

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