Digital Lessons 2017
Let's ENGAGE and MOTIVATE Students with Digital Lessons!
Why Use Technology Anyway?
Age and curriculum appropriate digital activities...
- Provide students with interesting new ways to experience the subject matter.
- Reach different learning styles
- Diversify your lessons.
- Give students a chance to interact with classmates to encourage collaboration.
Barring a zombie apocalypse... Our students will live in a highly digital world.
Just because we "got by" without any or as much technology
doesn't mean it's right for them! Denying them the use of technology
sets them back in college and the workplace.
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Nearpod
Nearpod is magic! It enables teachers to "send" their PowerPoint or Google Slides presentations to some or ALL student devices. It actually combines presentation, collaboration, and real-time assessment tools into one integrated solution. In other words, present and assess at the same time!
Who Should Use It?
Students View - All Levels/Subjects
- All Teachers will benefit from the ongoing assessment feature.
- All Students will be more involved with interactivity.
- Visually Impaired students will literally have your presentation at their fingertips.
- Students with ongoing attention issues will be more engaged with an interactive presentation a computer or device in front of them.
- Here is a blog on Using Nearpod to Support Students with Autism.
How Do We Get Started?
Teachers can click Explore and filter to discover FREE presentations available or Create your own. My Library contains all of your saved presentations. Upload PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and Google Slides to customize your own presentations! The FREE account allows you to have up to 30 students at one time with multi-device capabilities (lab computers, Chromebooks, Winbooks, iPads, or BYOD), as well as Basic Features like formative assessments, polls, and reports!
Teachers will display a code for students to sync their devices with LIVE in class presentations! The code also allows teachers to share the assignment through a link to upload to teacher webpages or Google Classroom!
Students: App or Browser
There are apps, but a browser works just as fine. Students can download the app on their own devices. Using district devices and/or BYOD, students will go to the device browser (Google Chrome, Safari) and enter nearpod student. They will be asked to Join a Session by entering the class code displayed by the teacher.
What's the Best Way to Use Nearpod?
Homework
Teachers can share presentations directly to the student devices. It's great for visually impaired students, students in the back of the room, or ALL students who need help focusing.
Asking questions, taking quick polls, or having students label drawings throughout the presentation keeps students on task.
BYOD? Yes!
Lab Computers? Yes!
Class sets of iPads, Chromebooks, or Winbooks? Yes!
At Home Use? Yes
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Adobe Spark
Who Should Use It?
Students View - All Levels/Subjects
Students Create - Email Account Needed
Teachers will benefit by having a fresh new look to their presentations.
Students will be more interested in your lesson with the modern appearance.
Students 5-12 will have a new and fun way to present a concept to the teacher/class.
How Do We Get Started?
Click Log In > Google > Allow > Complete the Profile > Done > Terms of Use check > Continue
Posts are great for definitions, memes, quotes, announcements, etc.
Pages are great for a lesson or unit study that will allow teachers to work at their own pace.
Videos are pictures and text put together with a start/stop for a lesson or unit study but can be paused or uploaded to a website.
Click on the small menu bars in the upper left. Check out the Inspiration Gallery and Select a category to being looking at the public Sparks available.
Go back to the menu and choose either a Post, Page, or Video.
Projects sync across the web or the iOS apps.
What's the Best Way to Use Adobe Spark?
Homework
BYOD? No (only iPhones and iPads now)
Lab Computers? Yes
Class Sets of iPads, Chromebooks, or Winbooks? Yes!
At Home Use? Yes
Tutorials
6 Ways to Use Adobe Spark with Google Classroom
Here is an actual Adobe Spark Page that works as a tutorial!