More.Net Technology Conference
created by Bobbi Chamberlain, Corby Downer, and Sarah Price
Technology Confernece
Our disclaimer is that much of this information may already be a part of your pedagogy, BUT the old ladies were able to learn a few things, build a some confidence in our ability to use technology in the classroom, and have fun!
Bobbi's Tidbits
- We learned very quickly that there are many, many platforms and tools available to integrate technology into the classroom. A few sessions I attended were like a Lunch Bytes on steroids! The presenters provided lists of sites that are easy to use and gave a brief description of their focus and then encouraged us to "get in and play."
A couple of examples that I had not heard of previously are:
Class Flow and Letsgeddit- focuses on class management and assessment
Trello- used for collaborative projects
Thinglink- makes images interactive
- Here is a combined list of most of the technology sites we heard about from the sessions we attended while at the conference.
- I also attended two sessions on Blended Learning and using Blendspace in the classroom. I have created my own lessons since the conference and have used the presentations that I've made in my classroom! One example is linked below.
- One of the most fascinating presentations I sat in on was on Augmented Reality. AR can be used to place digital information over what we see in our physical world.
Aurasma is an APP that can be downloaded. You need a unique image, called a trigger image, and a digital element, called an overlay. Together they create an aura!
AMAZING!
I have the presentation used if anyone is interested.
If I start to question the need for technology integration in the classroom I flip through the following presentation. It is chuck full of humor and resources to get me motivated again!
Corby's Takeaways
StudyBlue is a site that gives you pre-made flash cards for a particular subject. Their Ancient Egyptian flash cards are a great review for the 6th grade Egypt unit. You can use their cards or create your own.
http://world.time.com/timelapse2/
Another great site for Social Studies teachers from Eric's presentation was Smartypins. You are given a clue and you try to drop the pin in the correct location. The game gives you feed back on how close or far away you are. Fun!
Sarah's Two Cents
The presenter that made the biggest impression on me was a college professor that emphasized teaching students media literacy. The more students use technology and media the greater the importance to teach them to be critical thinkers of what they see and hear. Every teacher should be showing students what the media is really trying to say to them. Students need to be able to be smart consumers and can only do that if they can see the message that is being presented.
The site eMints is a great site to get students wondering and thinking deeply. There are videos, pictures, articles and websites to use to challenge students and help them think critically.
Eric's Notes
Eric’s Notes
I presented two sessions at MOREnet this year. My first presentation was “Google Tools to Make Geography Exciting” and highlights some of the tools I use in my classroom to teach geography. You can find my presentation and a collection of video tutorials I created at my presentation here : https://sites.google.com/site/langhorstclassroom/google-geo-tools If you have any questions about using Google Maps in your classroom please let me know and I would love to work with you.
My second presentation was “Make Something – The Maker Revolution in Education”. This presentation was a collection of ways that teachers can bring the maker movement into their classroom. My presentation and links can be found here : https://sites.google.com/site/langhorstclassroom/maker-education
The sessions which I attended that I enjoyed included the keynote by “Teach Like A Pirate” author Dave Burgess. The social studies department is currently reading his book as a book study and it was great to see him present in person. His book is about increasing student engagement and bringing creativity to your classroom. I also attended a session on augmented reality and have shared the “Elements 4D” app with science teachers in the building which creates interactive cubes out of piece of paper. Check it out here : http://daqri.com/elements4D-mobile/
All of my notes from the conference can be accessed on this Google Doc : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MGHLvChZon8c8cwzIwFClv-qxQeOv90MVFIfyr6bCmE/edit?usp=sharing