Module 3: Educational and Instructional Technology

In this module, we talked about all the fun software and hardware that can help us enhance the learning process in our future classrooms. Here are a few I like or have discovered through the reading of this chapter.

Materials Generators

The Google Add-On that is a materials generator is Google Docs. With Google Docs you can type up documents such as newsletters, tests, etc.. and you have the ability to share them through other Google programs like Google Classroom or Google Drive. The possibilities for this materials generator are endless.

Another materials generator that I really enjoy is Adobe Indesign. Indesign is a software that allows you to create documents. I used it a lot while pursuing my undergraduate degree, making newspaper layouts and magazine spreads. This can be applied to education when creating resources for the classroom.The thing I like about Indesign is how easy it is to format. You can easily lay out what you need and get a great finished product Roblyer talks about the criteria for effective desktop publishing in chapter 5 and a program like Indesign can help you with those formatting criteria such as using a limited number of fonts, appropriate sizing, and effectively using white space (Roblyer, 2016, p.145).

Data Collection and Analysis Tools

Google Forms is a free add-on through google that allows you to collect data and analyze it. I've seen teachers use this as a way to survey students, a way to get parent contact information at open house, and even using google forms as a quiz. You answer through the form and then Google takes that information and sorts it for you in an organized way.

SurveyMonkey is another free website that teachers can use to create surveys and polls for their classroom. Roblyer talks about SurveyMonkey being an effective site to use in the classroom because it is free, and it allows people to answer the survey quickly through the internet (Roblyer, 2016, p. 151). Sites like these can be used for polling, graphic illustration data, and a strategy for teaching survey design.

Testing and Grading Tools

Creating a digital gradebook can be made easy with Google Sheets. Google sheets is like a spreadsheet software and you can create several spreadsheets for whatever subject or class you may be teaching. You can enter your grades and Google Sheets will average the totals for you. This is also great because its saved through your Google Drive so no worries about it crashing or losing your gradebook.  

Rubistar is totally free and a great site for creating rubrics. There are already created rubrics to choose from and an option to create your own rubrics.

Graphics Tools

I recently discovered Google Drawings with our Module 1 project. Such an easy way to create posters and other graphics for the classroom. I love that you can search Google Images through Google Drawings and easily add in the photos.

Word Cloud generators are great because you can use them in any subject area. Roblyer talks about the many different ways you can use them in science, social studies, and language arts. There are many different sites to make word clouds but one of my favorites is Wordle.

Planning and Organizing Tools

Google Calendar is a tool to help keep you organized. Much like all the other Google Add-Ons, it is saved through Google Drive so you can keep everything in one area and not have to worry about losing it. If your school uses Gmail as their email system, administrators can send out reminders for meetings and other important school events.

A teacher friend of mine uses Planbook for all her lesson plans. You can type all of your lessons through the site and it allows you to send them straight to your administrator. Roblyer talks about other sites similar to Planbook that could also be useful for lesson planning

Research and Reference Tools

Google Maps is a great resource that students love to use. From showing students how far away a country is from where we live to the satellite view that shows us exactly where our schools or homes are, the options with Google Maps are pretty wide ranging. Students love the interactivity of Google Maps.

Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is a free research site available to people across the state of Alabama. All you have to have is a public library card and you have access to lots of free research sites such as Brittanica Kids, Explora and InfoBits. Schools also have free access to this site. Roblyer talks about how digital encyclopedias offer a wide range of sources (articles, videos, soundbites) that help students learn (Roblyer, 2016, p.162).

Content Area Tools

If you have ELLs in your classroom, Google Translate may be a good resource to use. In my 5th grade class at Pelham Ridge, we have a student who speaks french and during math, I saw her using her Chromebook to translate the math instructions through Google Translate. It was easy access and once she understood the instructions, she flew through the work.

Epic is a subscription based interactive storybook site. Their library is filled with over 15,000 titles that students can read, watch, and listen to. Many schools have subscriptions to this site and it allows students to have access to these titles at school and at home through their usernames.

There are so many great resources on the web that we can use in our classrooms.  I can't wait to read about what everyone else found!

 Resources:
Roblyer, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching.  

Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.