Whether you are a teacher who is fully online or just trying to incorporate some new skills and technology into your curriculum, here are some tech tips for teachers to enhance your classroom.
Whether you are a teacher who is fully online or just trying to incorporate some new skills and technology into your curriculum, here are some tech tips for teachers to enhance your classroom.
One way to incorporate technology into your teaching is by utilizing cloud file sharing. This is a way for students and teachers to easily share documents with each other. Examples of this are the use of Google Drive and Canvas, which both allow for students to share and even submit work to the teacher. Montana superintendent John Konan highlights how to use these portfolios. “allows [students] to build specific skills using apps and software while also helping them consider how they want to present themselves online.” Ultimately, this use of technology enhances students skills in addition to condensing the amount of paper you have as a teacher.
As an educator, don’t limit yourself to just one technological outlet. Today, there are many great sites and apps that can be used to enhance your teaching and the students’ learning styles. This can be seen through sites used to connect with the students and those used specifically for learning.
In terms of keeping your students informed outside of the classroom, you can utilize apps such as Remind and Canvas. Remind allows for you to create group chats, whether it be for different class periods or for different students, and message your students. This chat can be set where only you can message the students, or it can be open for everyone to. In addition, you and the students can private message each other for more personal matters. Alternatively, Canvas is an app and website where you can also message with students through a more email-like form. In addition, it allows a place where you can post classroom materials and have students submit assignments.
Alongside your lecture, you can incorporate technology to enhance students’ learning. This can be shown through sites such as Kahoot, Quizizz, and the aforementioned Canvas. Both Kahoot and Quizizz are platforms that allow for students to be quizzes on learned material in a more competitive game-like manner. This helps students to both practice their knowledge and stay engaged. If they are aware that there will be a competition following the lecture, they will be more inclined to pay attention.
In terms of utilizing sites for creating, the usage of these platforms are great for allowing students to also express their creativity. While learning more systematically lessons in the classroom is very important to the students’ curriculum, the ability to create and play is just as important in their education and development. Drexel University highlights how “expanding their creative capacity can make students more adept at forming original ideas, as well as exercising their critical thinking skills,” not to mention that they are also fun. In your classroom, try including more creative projects for your students. They can work with platforms such as Canva, the image editing platform, or Adobe.
When looking specifically if you are in the administration team, there are tech tips here for you too! Sites such as Clever can help with the efficiency and time management of your school. Clever is a digital learning platform that provides all different learning apps in one convenient location through the use of Single Sign On. Single Sign On allows users to access various educational sites and apps with the ease of a one-time verification.
While all of these other technological aids do benefit you as a teacher, it is also important to incorporate factors that are solely for you. Technology can help make your digital work environment smoother and easier.
An example of this is to use an online site to stay organized in your calendar. One great option to use when creating your calendar as a teacher is Google Calendar. This platform allows you to manage your tasks in one organized location along with the ability to share items on your agenda with your colleagues. This is also able to be an app on your phone. Google Drive is also a great way to aid your organization. This platform provides you with access to your written documents, powerpoints, excel files, images, and holds that Google Calendar. Another bonus for both of these platforms is that you can access them at any time, on any device since it is accessed through your Google account. Ultimately, the best tip for digital ease and organization is to utilize cloud-based platforms that can be accessed from anywhere.
There are also sites where you can buy educational materials used by other teachers. An example of this is a site called “Teachers Pay Teachers.” This is a platform geared to teachers from Preschool through 12th grade where teachers sell materials such as worksheets, projects, and even tests to other teachers to be used in their classrooms. You can find items from educational templates, to assignments with full directions for nearly any subject. It is important to note if your school allows this. If they do, this is a great resource to have to enhance your classroom while supporting a fellow educator.
Utilizing technology is a great way to both save time and improve the efficiency of your classroom. As the new school year is about to begin, start with one way to incorporate technology and build on that. Maybe it is switching to an online calendar or creating a classroom group on Canvas. From there, keep adding on to make the school year and your classroom work the best way for you.
