A Few Of My Favorite Tech Things - C. Borst

A Few Of My Favorite Tech Things

The first tech thing that I love is Twitter.  I love connecting with other educators outside of our District.  This has extended my PLN (Professional Learning Network).  Twitter has challenged me as an educator to do more and try new things.  One example is increasing student voice and choice in my classroom.  Not all of the ideas I have tried have worked, however, they have evolved into great lessons in my classroom.  Some of the ideas were big like a genius hour, other were small like VIP seating in my classroom.  I have also found many different images that I use as posters on my wall.  One such example is below.

                                                        

Twitter has also challenged me with my next favorite thing.  Video Conferencing with professionals in the physics field.  We decided as a PLC that we wanted our students to make more connections with engineers.  We have all taken different approaches.  I am currently using Skype a scientist to connect with engineers in the field.  My students have learned about what the day of an engineer looks like, what it took to get there, and so much more.   

Another favorite thing is Google Keep.  I love using Google Keep to organize what I find on Twitter.  Keep is then integrated into Google Docs and I can easily add what I learn to a doc with ease.  This allows me to keep an article, image, blog, etc in Keep because I may not have enough time to analyze it at that moment.  I can then go to Keep later and catch up on what I found. 

I cannot go any farther without adding PearDeck in as one of my favorite things.  I love using PearDeck for notes but also use it as a review or checkpoint to see where my students are in their current learning.  I am able to give immediate feedback to my students.  I love that it is now integrated with Google Slides.  If you do not know this, you can go to the tab “Add-ons” and then click add-ons.  Once it is added, you can go back into “Add-ons” and open the PearDeck add-on. 
Another favorite thing is using Infographics to bring the real world into my classroom.  Students can make connections beyond the classroom in an easy and not time-consuming way.  There are many apps that are helpful including: Visme, Canva, Piktochart, and Infogram.  Visme is my current favorite because students can also add transitions. 

Lastly, Canvas has definitely changed my classroom.  I love being able to organize my class.  Students have access to the unit schedule with links to everything we do.  I also add videos of how to complete worksheets, reviews, and worksheets.  It has taken years to get to the point I am at and I still have so much more I want to do with Canvas. 

With ICE coming up next week, I am excited to learn more and add to my favorite things.  I am currently also piloting Actively Learn and WeVideo.  Both pilots are going well and I am excited to see the results of the pilot in the near future.