Incorporating Engaging Technology in the Classroom Tablets and smartphones in the classroom can be either distractors, or teachers' allies. Through a variety of education applications (most of them, free of cost), students can be actively engaged, and teachers can change the way they approach the learning process. The experience with several Business and Management groups is shared and can be applied at many levels and different subjects.
What is technology? • Infrastructure: physical aspects of classroom (furniture, blackboard, fixed hardware in classroom) • Varying devices: teachers/students • Software • Previous technology
Infrastructure
Students’ personal equipment
Students today • • • • •
Are required to collaborate Shift in role models of success Shorter span of attention Students and asynchronous collaboration Teachers need to include technology as part of educational language
Vocabulary • • • • • • •
Systems learning Engaging Celebrating Collaborating Creating contents Research analysis Connected learning
Apps
Nearpod • Your “old” presentations can include interactive features • Collaborative activities become truly collaborative • An engaging tool that can become an administrative aid • A free version (works for iPad/iPod/iPhone) allows to save up to 10 presentations at a time, but no more than 30 students connected per session • Paid versions allow storing and sharing
Interactive features • • • • • •
Polls Individual questions Quizzes Videos Drawing Paid version: HW/flipping, more storage space, >30 devices, sharing with colleagues
• Monitoring understanding from EVERYONE • Easily set up contests • Walk out of your classroom with graded quizzes
To use Socrative • Open a free account and register • You may share or not your quizzes • You can set your pace or the students’ (Max 50) • Students don’t need to have a mobile device • You can use it without applying quizzes, just to monitor students by launching questions and using the predetermined questions
Class dojo • It can encourage positive classroom environment • If used consistently, becomes a record than can help students improve their own habits
Flipping the classroom • Pre-record brief capsules • Teachers & Students! • Create, store & share resources • Other untapped resources: record your own sessions
Final recommendations • Don’t be afraid to spoil: it’s easier now to learn by doing • Stick to a few things that work naturally for you, and keep exploring! • Plan B: improvisation is possible, if prepared • Creativity when resources are scarce
No technology can substitute a passionate and knowledgeable teacher!
Thanks!