It
seems like every day, a new gadget is hitting the market for mass consumption.
And of course, our students young and old are getting their hands on the latest
technology at rapid speed, making us teachers look less “hip” and “cool”
with each passing day. Smartphones and electronics are a huge part of student
life outside of the classroom now. So how can we rise to the occasion and
incorporate technology into lessons and activities? How can we engage our
students in their own “language”?
The
first step is to be willing to accept the shift. Some of us might shy
away from technology because it’s unfamiliar and new. The
old-fashioned method of chalk on a chalkboard and even a bulky overhead projector
are comfortable to many, but for our students in this day and age, those
methods are alien and sometimes funny (being “old” is funny to them, can you
believe it?!). To keep up with the students and to keep them more engaged,
holding their interest for a longer period of time, it’s crucial to speak their
language—technology. There are countless ways to bring technology into the
classroom!
There
are a vast majority of classrooms that are equipped with SMART Boards now. If
you are one of the lucky teachers who has a SMART Board, take advantage! Don’t
just let it sit there! Let the students come up and interact with it. SMART
Board have that touchscreen aspect that make kids want to jump out of their
seats and participate. The more hands-on they can be, the better. Interactive
learning is so important for the upcoming generation!
Some
schools are really digging into technology by using Prezi. For the older kids,
Prezi is a really cool way to create a presentation that’s both interactive and
interesting! If the students are supposed to be doing a bit of research or
learning about a specific topic, throw in some teamwork and have them come
together in groups to create a presentation! Don’t have a tech-savvy group of
kids? Create a presentation together, where the kids find the information and
help you plug it in. That way, they can see the final product and be proud of
their work.
BrainPOP
is another popular, interactive teaching tool for students. The website has all
kinds of subtopics like English, math, social studies, science, art and music,
health, and engineering and tech (STEM, anyone?). Click on any large topic and
find a smaller unit, such as diversity of life under the topic of science.
Students can then pick a specific topic that interests them, watch a fun short
movie about it, and even take a quiz at the end! There are so many topics and
possibilities that the choices are nearly endless! There is also an app
available for iPads, so if you’re a lucky teacher with iPads in the classroom,
the kids can use the BrainPOP app during class!
But
by far and wide, one of the most valuable resources is interactive lessons,
especially interactive PowerPoint presentations.
You may be thinking, What?!? PowerPoint presentations are SO old news! But just stick with me for a moment.
Imagine a social studies
presentation that submerges the students into the lesson with different
pictures, animation, and simple questions. While using the interactive PowerPoints as a guide,
your students can simultaneously work on their interactive notebooks throughout the year, becoming fully immersed in a fun, virtual experience.
Students can choose the path they want to take and guide their own learning while also absorbing the culture of whichever social studies topic you choose.
Students can choose the path they want to take and guide their own learning while also absorbing the culture of whichever social studies topic you choose.
Watch a fast motion screen capture of this interactive PowerPoint series!
These teaching resources are quite the virtual experience for students! They are perfectly aligned with interactive notebooks so students can be fully immersed in their learning. The PowerPoints can be used as powerful classroom presentations or students can click their way through them on individual computers. Want to grab hold of one of these awesome interactive PowerPoints? Check out the links below!
These teaching resources are quite the virtual experience for students! They are perfectly aligned with interactive notebooks so students can be fully immersed in their learning. The PowerPoints can be used as powerful classroom presentations or students can click their way through them on individual computers. Want to grab hold of one of these awesome interactive PowerPoints? Check out the links below!
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