Two Apps That Will Move You Toward A Paperless Classroom

I was recently in a Social Studies Department meeting.  The topic turned to a discussion about when they’ll get more printing paper for their classes.  Not being familiar with the number of cases of paper teachers received from the school, I asked how much paper they were given.  I was told they received a case of paper per semester. 

They noticed my surprised look and stated that it was still not enough.  And, here’s the kicker, their students have Chromebooks assigned to them! It’s a one to one school!

There are many reasons to go paperless with some classroom assignments, among them is time saved at the copy machine.

Teachers could save a lot of time by going paperless with these apps:

1. If you’re using Chromebooks in your class, you gotta check out Kami.  Kami is a fantastic PDF annotation web app.  Students can open up a document in Kami, annotate to their hearts content with text boxes, highlights, or with their stylus, and then upload it to your LMS.

2. Whether you’ve got iPads in your class or Chromebooks, the Showbie app is an easy way to go paperless in your classroom.  Showbie is available on the web as well as an iOS app.  Upload a PDF to Showbie and students can annotate with a text box or drawing tool.  Showbie also allows students to highlight text.  One of the really cool things about Showbie is the ability for students to leave a voice note on a document.  Showbie can also serve as an LMS of sorts in that you can distribute and collect work. 

How To Lesson Plan With Google Keep

Google Keep is one of those apps that could be used for almost anything.  It’s a note taking app, it’s a to-do list app, it’s a place to store pictures for later use, it’s a drawing app, it’s a reminder app, and the mobile version allows for voice memos.  Needless to say, it’s a very versatile app, and, it’s all part of G Suite for Education!  Keep is right alongside Google’s more popular Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps.  Another reason why Keep is pretty cool is that it’s everywhere!  That’s right, no matter the device it will be with you.  You can sign in from your PC, Macbook, iOS device, or Android device.  

Of course, you can use it for all of the above, but did you know it’s great for creating lesson plans? You can write your plans from scratch into a note or upload an old lesson plan that you plan to use.  If you plan on using a handout for your students, simply upload it via the “add image” button.  Along with creating lesson plans, it helps keep those plans organized using color coding and labels.  Labeling the notes is important so when you click on the label, all of the notes that pertain to that particular label will be displayed.

Have you ever needed or wanted to share a lesson plan with another teacher or administrator?  Of course, you have--we all have!  That’s where another great aspect of Keep comes in.  Instead of printing out a copy or your lesson plan or photocopying your lesson, simply click the share button on your note and type in the email address of the person you wish to share the lesson plan with.  It’s that easy!

Here’s how to keep your lesson plans organized in Google Keep:

1. Create a note with the title of the name of your class.  Choose a color for the note.  Then, create a tag for the note.  For example, if the class is World History, create a tag titled World History.

2. Repeat for each class that you teach.  Make sure to choose a separate color for each class.

3. I think it’s easier if Keep is in Grid view.  If you only have one or two classes, then the list view will be fine.

4. The title of each subsequent note will be the date.

5. Color code the note according to the class.

6. Include the label of the appropriate class.  Again, clicking the label will display all of the notes with that label. 

With each lesson plan that you create, simply drag it under the title of the class.

And that’s it!  Along with using the customary Google apps in the classroom, Google Keep can help you stay organized with your classes.

8 Ways to Have a Digital Teacher Community

Teachers are busy.  Between parent meetings, staff meetings, and lesson planning, it can be tough to find time to meet with your department or colleagues on an individual basis.  One of the best ways to cultivate a professional learning community is through technology.  No longer do you have to carve out time to have a sit down with your department members, you can do it virtually, when you have time.  Unfortunately, Google Plus is going away and not everyone has a Facebook account (or perhaps they've left Facebook recently), so how can you get together with your learning community?  We'll, like they say, there's an app for that!
Slack: Slack is a good way to post documents for your team members to review.  It's also a great way to chat with anyone in your department without having to have their phone number.

Twitter: With Twitter, your department can hold a virtual meeting using a specific hashtag.  Or, you can tweet a question or comment to your staff or an individual.

Pinterest:  Your department can create a Pinterest board where they can share documents and student work.

Google Classroom:  If you're using Google Classroom, it's easy to adapt to using it as a PLC.  Create a new Google Classroom for your department where you can post comments, questions, and documents for your PLC to review.
 
Edmodo: Edmodo already has a virtual community where teachers can share resources and ask questions.  Create a new class in Edmodo where your colleagues can communicate.
 
Seesaw: Create a new class titled with your department name.  Seesaw allows for the sharing of documents and individual posts.  A cool feature in Seesaw allows for the creation of a blog.  Share the blog with the rest of the staff or admin so they can see the fabulous things you're discussing and sharing!

Schoology: Like Google Classroom, you can set up a class for the staff or for your department.  In Schoology, you create groups based department or grade level.  Easily share documents and post to share questions and comments.
 

Flipgrid:  Use Flipgrid as the students would, by discussing a topic and having others comment on it. Staff can post questions, comments , or share what they're doing in the classroom. Other staff can ask questions or comment on the Flipgrid. 

Eliminate Classroom Distractions With This Tip

It's all about the "e" word.

Technology in the classroom can be a great tool for learning.  It opens up many possibilities for students to expand their learning opportunities. But having technology in the classroom can bring its own set of challenges.  Along with knowing how to use it as an effective teaching tool, tech in the classroom can present the challenge of student distraction.  Put a Chromebook or iPad in a students hand with little engagement, and, unless you follow certain protocols, the students might find other uses for the tech, such as playing games or visiting unauthorized websites. 

Sure, there are various ways to try and combat student distraction.  The teacher could let students listen to music while they work.  They could provide for phone breaks, where the teacher sets aside a designated amount of time during class where students are allowed to check their phones for notifications.  Another might be to have students sign a contract where they’ll adhere to class rules about tech use in class.  The contract is then displayed in class with all the signatures so the teacher can refer to it as needed.  And lastly, the teacher can have students keep a daily to-do list, helping students to stay focused on the tasks that need to be finished.

Some of these might work in your class, but there is one sure-fire way to keep your students engaged...make engaging lessons!  The answer is that simple.  If you make engaging lessons, classroom distractions will be nullified.  I know it’s easy to say “just make an engaging lesson.” But believe me, once the effort is put into a lesson with student engagement in mind, your distraction problem will melt away.  There’s a two-part formula to making your lesson engaging:
First, students need to know why they're doing what they're doing.  Tell them how this lesson is going to build on the next.  Make the lesson relevant and meaningful.  Use real-life examples of how what their learning applies to them and the real world.

Second, fight fire with fire!  Use the appropriate tech tool to keep students from being distracted Deliver an engaging lesson using engaging apps such as Pear Deck or Nearpod.  Nearpod and Pear Deck are built to provide interactive features that keep students involved in your presentation.  You know the old saying, “Idle hands...”.

You can also keep the students involved with Socrative or Kahoot.  I’ve written before about Kahoot’s question template and how students can contribute their own questions to a Kahoot.  Knowing they’ll have an authentic audience for their questions will keep students on task.  Using these interactive apps can also make the lesson fun as well.  Socrative not only has the ability to check for understanding with multiple choice and short answer questions, but the space race game is a fun way to review content.

Seesaw is another app that can keep your students involved in your class.  Use the blog feature in Seesaw to help create an authentic audience for your students.  Knowing that other students, staff, and parents will be looking at their work will make them less likely to allow themselves to be distracted and stay focused.

The reward comes when a student tells you that they look forward to coming to your class.  It means their mind is open to accept new information, ideas and are ready to learn.  Keep the lessons engaging and you won’t have to worry about classroom management during a lesson again.  

6 Apps That Should Be On A Teachers Phone-Part 2

As I stated in Part 1, a smartphone is an indispensable teacher tool in the classroom.  After all, a smartphone is essentially a small computer in your pocket.  To help you with your day to day teaching duties, I recommend six apps that I believe can help you manage your workflow.

1. Scanner Pro/Turbo Scan:  There are two here because they are both great scanner apps.  It’s important to have a scanner at the ready for a couple of reasons.  First, if you’ve got that old worksheet you’d like to digitally send to your students, quickly scan it and upload it to your LMS.  Second, you can scan a piece of student work and share it in various apps.  

2. Trello:  I’ve written before about how Trello can be a good teaching planning tool.  Trello is an easy way to plan your classes.  Simply create a board for each class, a list for a chapter or unit, and a card for each assignment.  

3. Twitter: Share on the fly what you’re doing in the classroom.  Snap photos of student work and share them with your school or district.

4. Pinterest: Pinterest is a great resource for finding ideas and getting inspiration for your class.  Look to Pinterest if you’re looking for teaching tips or ideas for new projects.  Looking for teacher blogs to follow.  Look no further than Pinterest to help you find that next blog read. is also a cool place to find teacher blogs.   

5. Dropbox/Dropbox Paper: Dropbox is a fantastic storage receptacle.  Store documents and photos and have them available on the fly through your phone.  Use Dropbox Paper for taking quick notes on your.  Everything is saved in Dropbox.

6. Fantastical 2: Available for iOS only, Fantastical 2 is a great way to write down calendar tasks.  You type your entries in natural language which makes entering calendar events quick and easy.  

Unleash Student Creativity With Adobe Spark

With technology, there are more ways than ever for students to demonstrate and share their learning.  Today, students can create everything from their own websites that show off their learning to videos that might explain a concept.  A simple to use, accessible suite of tools that can help students share their learning is Adobe Spark.

Spark works on most devices and runs great in a browser, making it a great tool to use with Chromebooks.  Adobe Spark also has a suite of iOS apps for iPhones and iPads.  Spark Post is available for Android devices as well.

Adobe Spark is incredibly easy to use which makes it very classroom friendly.  There are three components to the Spark suite, Spark Page, Spark Video, and Spark Post.  And each component is free to use!  Each Spark component provides templates to help the user get started.

Spark Page is a web site creator in which students can insert text, images, videos, and links.  Students can use Spark Page to create a reflection blog or create a digital portfolio.  Teachers can use Spark Page to create a class page where they can upload photos and student work.

Spark Video is a video editing tool where students can edit a video by incorporating text, images, and narration to create their own movie.  They can use video to explain a concept such as a math problem.  Students can also use Spark Video to introduce themselves, create a video journal, document a field trip, or create a video book report. 

And lastly, Spark Post is a poster maker/graphic design tool where students can create everything from a poster, a flyer, or anything else they might want to create a graphic for.  They can use Spark Post to create a poster about a story they've read in English class or a graphic that explains the steps in solving an equation in science or math.

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Tech in Class

Tech in your classroom can be a very useful tool.  When implemented correctly, it can allow for differentiation, inclusion, and allow students to express themselves in ways they were never able to before.  When not implemented correctly, it can lead to a loss of class time, frustrated students (as well as teachers), and a lack of learning.

With that said, there are caveats that teachers should be aware of when wanting to use those iPads or Chromebooks in their class. 
From experience as a technology coach, I've identified three mistakes some teachers make in their classroom with technology.  So, when you go to use that tech, avoid the following:

1. Not testing it out. Just because it works at home, doesn't necessarily mean that shiny new app you've learned to use is going to work in your classroom. For example, there may be network issues at your school site that block a particular part of the app that either won't let you sign in or allow students to use the app. Make sure and test the app out at your site. Does it work with your school wi-fi network? If you have a minute or two at the end of class, ask a student to sign in to the app to make sure it can be used.

2. Taking for granted that students know how to navigate the web and the computer/iPad. Just because today's students are growing up in the digital age, doesn't necessarily mean they know everything about how to use a Chromebook or iPad. Jumping to that conclusion could lead to frustration by both the student and the teacher. Before using an app or piece of hardware, do a short primer about how to navigate the web or access an app.

3. Using tech for the sake of using tech. I get it. You're excited about using tech in your class. You've heard of this new app or a way to use the Chromebook in your class and you want to dive in, head first. But wait! Don't wrap your objective around your tech. Wrap your tech around your objective. You need to know where you want to go before choosing the appropriate tool. Avoid putting the Chromebooks first. Once you know the objective, ask yourself how tech can help you get there.

Three Ways Students Can Annotate PDF's With Their Chromebooks

Paper is out and technology is in! The days of making copies for your classes are over! Why waste time at the copy machine when you can simply upload a PDF to your learning management system such as Google Classroom? Below are three Chrome apps that students can use to annotate the paperwork you would otherwise pass out to them in class. All of the apps below are available in the Chrome Web Store.

XODO: XODO greets you with a straightforward interface prompting you to open a local file (from your Chromebook), a file from your Google Drive, or a file from Dropbox. After annotating the documents, they simply download the file and then upload it to the desired Google Classroom assignment.

DocHub: Simply click “New” from the DocHub dashboard and upload a file from your Chromebook, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Download the document the device, then upload the annotated document to the Google Classroom assignment.

Kami: Clicking on the Kami icon presents the student with a straightforward interface with the options to upload from various options. Kami also provides the ability to create a new blank pdf page on which the student can draw or write. Students can download the document to their Google Drive or to their device. When downloading, Kami provides the option of downloading just the text box annotations, which is good for test taking when the teacher doesn’t need a copy of the questions — just the answers.

Why a School Staff Should Use Slack

Slack is a collaboration platform for communication and sharing and is used primarily in business, but lately, it's been finding it way in the classroom. Slack allows for group and direct messaging, file sharing, and third-party app integrations such as Google Drive. And, one of the best parts of Slack is that it's FREE!

Slack functions like Twitter in that it uses mentions (@) and hashtags (#) to organize conversations that can take place in specific theme based channels.  Slack is essentially an inter-office chat and collaboration service that allows teams of people to digitally communicate and collaborate with each other.  
School staff should take a look at using Slack for the following reasons:

1. Email: Slack can greatly reduce email clutter and negate the need for teachers to sift through their email, finding what’s important while disregarding email that either doesn’t pertain (group email) to them or sift through junk mail.

2. Polls: Slack is an easy way to distribute a poll to large or small groups of a team using an add on called Simple Poll.  Perhaps you only want a single department to respond to a poll instead of the whole staff. Simply create a poll and include it in the proper channel.

3. Communication: Create a channel titled "announcements."  Then, place any announcements you may have in that channel.  Slack is also a time saver.  Instead of walking across campus to tough base with someone, simply send them a message in Slack.

4. Sharing Documents:  Slack is great for sharing documents.  Since it works with Google Docs, uploading from Docs to Slack is a snap.  Sharing docs through Slack is a great alternative, especially if you're always hitting your storage limit in your email.

5. Collaboration: Sometimes it can be difficult for a department to meet and collaborate.  Slack makes it easy.  Teachers can create a channel for their department.  Using their Slack channel, they can ask questions, share lessons, and discuss what their doing.  

6. No Phone Number Necessary: With Slack, a phone number is not necessary.  Instead of asking teachers for cell phone numbers  (which may or may not be awkward or perhaps they prefer not to have their phone number out there) so you can message them, all you need is their school email address and their in your Slack workspace.  

Three Digital Whiteboards that are Classroom Ready

A digital whiteboard is essentially a blank piece of paper. For teachers, it can be a fantastic way to flip a classroom. Teachers can use the digital whiteboard to explain a concept, then, when students return to class, they can ask questions or practice what they’ve learned.
 Students can use the digital whiteboard to demonstrate their learning, explain a concept, or review for a test. And, with a stylus, digital whiteboards are easy and even fun for students to use.
 Below are three digital whiteboards teachers and students alike can use for their class.

1. Explain Everything: Available on all platforms, Explain Everything. Like the other whiteboard apps, Explain Everything allows the student to record their voice while putting together their whiteboard project. Students can share their project via a link that can be copied and pasted on a learning management system such as Google Classroom for review.

2. ShowMe: Like Explain Everything, ShowMe is available for Chromebooks via a ChromeOS app. The project can easily be shared via a link. Along with using their stylus, ShowMe allows for the insertion of a text box, in which the student can type in text. And, like other whiteboard’s, a link to the project can be copied where it can be easily shared with the teachers via a learning management system such as Schoology or Google Classroom.

3. Educreations: Create various classes within Educreations and add lessons to that class. Students can join your class with the class code assigned to that class. Students can use Educreations in much the same manner. They can create classes based on the classes their enrolled in, then, share their project with a link.

Real-Life Digital Tools for the Classroom

There’s nothing wrong with using Google Classroom. As a matter of fact, many of the articles I’ve written tie into using Google Classroom. It’s a great digital tool to distribute and collect class work. But, in addition to using Google Classroom or any other learning management system in your class, it’s important to integrate "real-life" digital tools into your classroom.

Google Classroom and other Google tools such as Docs and Slides are perfectly adequate for the classroom. Google tools are good. But, if we want to prepare students for life after school, whether it’s after K-12 or after college, they need to be familiar with the tools they may encounter in the workplace.  Let’s face it, students are more likely to use Evernote, Trello, or Dropbox in the workplace than they are Google Classroom.

I’ve written before about how some of these tools can be used in the classroom. If we want well prepared lifelong digital learners who are ready for life after school, teachers need to expose students to those digital tools they may encounter in the workplace, which I call "real-life" tools. Below are a few of those tools students may encounter in the workplace followed with an idea on how to implement them in class.

Trello: Student can use when working in groups.  They can keep track of team responsibilities.  They can also use Trello as a to-do list.

Skype: Assign students to work in pairs, but with a student from another class!  Ask students to connect with students in other classes and have them work collaboratively via Skype.

Any.do: Have student create and keep to-do lists using Any.do.

Evernote: Ask students to keep their notes in Evernote.  They can share their notes with each other and work collaboratively on an assignment or share their notes with the teacher.

Slack: Students can use Slack when working collaboratively.  They can communicate and share work with each other.  

Explain Everything: Have students explain concepts using this digital whiteboard.  

Dropbox: Students can use Dropbox to store a portfolio of their work, then share their Dropbox with their teacher.

Twitter: Teachers can use Twitter as a means of keeping students informed of classroom activities.

Google Calendar: Have students keep a Google Calendar in which they’ll note upcoming due dates and class events.

8 Apps For Class Warm Ups

Class warm-ups are an important part of the class. The teacher can use them as a review of the previous days material or they can provide an inquisitive foundation for the days learning. Below are five apps that can get the days class off to a good start.

Recap: With Recap, the teacher can initiate a chat-style discussion. In addition to the typed chat response, one of the cool things about Recap is that it gives the teacher the flexibility to let the students respond to a class warm-up with a video response.

Socrative: A great app for multiple choice quizzes. Socrative allows for the creation of a short answer warm-up question as well. If you feel a little competition would be fun, you can create a digital race where students answer questions faster than the competition to reach the finish line.

Seesaw: A fantastic online digital journal. Seesaw provides the flexibility for the teacher to either post a video, a drawing, a link, or something from Google Drive to the students journal for them to write about.

Google Sheets: That's right, you can use Google Sheets for class warm-ups! Simple create different sheets for different opening topics. When students enter the class, they open their shared Google Sheet, choose a square, and address the topic.

Newsela: Not just for English or Social Studies. Newsela is a great way to increase literacy. Choose from a variety of subjects. Ask students to read the content and answer the questions.

Kahoot: Gamify the opening of your class. Have your Kahoot waiting as students enter the room. A great way to get students seated with their device ready to begin the day.

Padlet: Create a Padlet board to open the class. Ask students to address the topic with links, photos, or video to make the discussion more interesting

Tag Journal: Tag Journal is the only app in the list that's for iOS only. What makes Tag Journal cool is that it allows the students to tag topics. For example, if the class is studying World War II, the journal topics may have something to do with the subject matter. Students can add pictures or audio to their journal entries.

10 Great Review Apps for the Classroom

Want your class to review before a test? Facilitate a test review with these apps:

Kahoot: Gamify your review with Kahoot! Students log in and compete against each other in choosing the correct answer to review questions.

Nearpod: Make your review interactive with Nearpod! Nearpod is a fantastic interactive presentation app where the teacher can lead the class through an interactive presentation or let the students go it alone at their own pace.

Socrative: Turn your class review into a space race! The first person or team to answer the review questions correctly is the winner!

Quizlet Live: Review while fostering student collaboration. Students are assigned teams in which they try and answer review questions before the other teams.

Pear Deck: Keep your students engaged with this great interactive presentation app. Students can work at their own pace or can be teacher led. Pear Deck slides feature draggable answers, multiple choice, or drawing.

Flipgrid: Ask students to explain concepts using Flipgrid. Then, ask other students to comment on or add to what other students have said.

Recap: Use Recap to pose review questions and facilitate a chat. Students can respond with either a typed chat response or a video response.

Plickers: Get instant feedback without student devices! Print out the cards and distribute to the students. Students simply hold up the card representing the correct answer, then the teacher uses their phone to read the cards, getting instant feedback.

Poll Everywhere: Use Poll Everywhere to either ask your students open-ended review questions or multiple choice questions review questions. Instantly see where your class stands for the test.

EdPuzzle: Use EdPuzzle to create a teacher review video. Then, insert questions in the video at key points. Students work at their own pace to complete the video review.

Pinterest in the Classroom

Pinterest is a great resource for, well, everything. Pinterest is a good place to start if you're looking for inspiration or fresh ideas. Pinterest is also easily adaptable for classroom use, and, chances are, your students already know how to use it.

1. Student introductions. A great way to have students introduce themselves is through the creation of their own Pinterest board. Ask students to tell the class about themselves through the use of pictures. Have them include in their board their favorite foods, likes, dislikes, favorite places, interests etc.
2. Student collaboration. If students are collaborating on a project, have student groups create a board where they save information on their topic. The board would be a great place to serve as an information repository.
3. Distribute assignments. Create a class or subject board to distribute assignments, such as reading and worksheets.
4. Research. Students create boards as a place to store their research.
5. Share what’s happening in class. The teacher displays pictures of student work and projects. Include photos of assignments and other goings on in the classroom.
6. Post assignments. Create a board and use it as an assignment repository. Include worksheets, classroom and homework assignments, as well as instructions for assignments.
7. Students visual report. Have students create a board in which they create a visual report. Students include pictures on a topic and explain the significance of each picture as it pertains to the topic.
8. Comment board. Students post their work for other students to comment on.
9. Assignment repository. Teachers create a board for each unit/chapter in the class. Include all relevant information pertaining to the unit or chapter.
10. Parent communication. Teachers stay in touch with parents. Create an upcoming tests/assignments/events board
11. Celebrate students.  Celebrate those who do well with an achievement board. Post exemplary student work and test scores.
12. Brainstorm.  Create a brainstorming board. Students upload images where all students can review the board for ideas.
13. Presentation board. Students create a presentation board with images only.
14. Share resources. Create a board that includes class notes and readings that will help students with class work.
15. Samples of student work. Create an example board. Sometimes students need examples of past work and projects. If students need examples, point them to the board.
16. Bellringer prompts. Create a board for bellringer prompts.

Engaging Apps For Summer School

Summer school teachers, the days of lecturing for hours or having your students do book work for most of the day are long gone.  You have one class with the same students and the same subject for the entire day, why not make it fun and engaging?  With technology, students can now be fully engaged in a lesson while spending hours in the same class. 

You say you don't have access to Chromebooks or iPads in the classroom?  Well, there are ways around that, especially at the high school level.  Knowing that most of your students have cell phones will set you free of a day of classroom monotony. 

Here's some ideas to energize your summer school classroom, all of which have phone friendly apps:

Socrative is a great way to spend a summer class session. Split the class up into teams using just a few cell phones and boom! You've got fun learning that can last as long as you need it or want it to.  Students can participate in a race to answer questions correctly or review with a quick quiz or morning warm up.

Kahoot is another great way to keep the troops entertained while there is actual learning going on. Again, split the class into groups based on cell phone availability and review the days topic with your students. You can create a quiz beforehand or quickly use one that has already been created.

Nearpod is a good activity to use when other reviewing content or going through it for the first time. With Nearpod, the teacher can create either a teacher led presentation or a student paced presentation where the students work through the various activities at their own pace.  Nearpod exercises can include drawing activities, quizzes, short/long answer, and collaborative activities.  Nearpod is great for keeping students engaged throughout a lesson.

Edpuzzle is a fantastic way to show your class a video.  Using Edpuzzle, students answer questions throughout the video, keeping them engaged.  Students watch the video at their own pace.  So, if they don’t know they answer to a question you’ve posed, they can simply review the video again until they find the right answer.

5 Ways To Measure Engagement Without Breaking Your Lesson Flow

The book "Bold School" (Keischnick, 2017, p. 95),  states that "Trying to measure engagement and comprehension without breaking the flow or falling behind schedule is a great challenge for direct instruction."

This is where technology can come to the aid of a teacher trying to infuse checking for understanding throughout the lesson without pauses or time-consuming transitions.  Chromebooks and iPads have created numerous opportunities for teachers to measure engagement during instruction.  The trick is how to measure engagement without breaking the flow you've created in your instruction.  How can technology help in keeping the lesson flowing, without interruption or dead spots?

The other consideration is to make sure every student has a voice.  If you simply ask students if they get it, some may genuinely understand, while others, not wanting to risk embarrassment or hold up the class, shake their head in the affirmative.

These apps can help you reach each student while incorporating checking for understanding in the lesson without breaking the flow of your lesson.

1. Nearpod: Use Nearpod for all phases of your lesson, from the introduction all the way to your formative assessment.  All the while checking for understanding in between.

2. Pear Deck: Pear Deck will not only help you present your lesson and incorporate checking for understanding with an anonymous thumbs up or thumbs down option, but you can also ask a question on the fly for students to answer in the lesson, without having to exit your Pear Deck lesson.

3. Google Slides Q & A: If you're presenting a Google Slides presentation, make it a Google Slides Q & A presentation.  Students can have their phones at the ready to ask a question without interrupting the class.  Q & A is great for those students who oftentimes are too shy to ask a question.

4. Kahoot: At the beginning of class, prior to the lesson, ask students to prepare for a Kahoot by having them go to Kahoot.it.  Then, you can insert Kahoots at various points of your lesson.  Prepare a few checking for understanding questions throughout your lesson.  Then, when the time is right, throw in a Kahoot.

5. Socrative: Use the Quick Question feature in Socrative to ask a multiple choice, T/F, or short answer question.  Like Kahoot, ask your students to prepare to use Socrative.  You can either have questions prepared (in which case, you can make a rocketship race out of it) or ask them on the fly.

Technology Alone Won’t Help Your Students

A teacher recently told me that he has both a class set of iPads and a class set of Chromebooks in his classroom.  He went on to say that he has trouble deciding which to use on a daily basis.  This got me thinking.  It should never come down to trying to decide what technology to use, but it should come down to the learning objective or target.  

So I told them that although it’s great to be surrounded by technology, it doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have a learning objective. If you don't have a learning objective, technology won't help you.  You don't determine the technology, the learning objective does the choosing for you.

The iPad or Chromebook is not the end all be all of education.  Technology is just a tool after all. If you don't use your tech with a purpose, those iPads might as well just be sitting in the corner of your room.  Your objective determines the tool that you will use. 

Those Chromebooks and iPads the teacher referenced are just tools. They are a means to an end. You don’t use technology for the sake of using technology, you have to know where you’re going first. Your objective must be clear and concise, then determine which tool you will use. 

If you know me or read any of my other pieces, you’ll know I love technology!  Walking into a classroom that’s equipped with iPads, Chromebooks, or even Windows laptops makes me think about the possibilities of the extent of learning that can happen in the classroom. But at the same time, I know those iPads are just a means to an end. Making the technology effective begins with the days' target. 

If you want the students to write a short essay, perhaps using a Chromebook with its keyboard might be a better choice.  If you want to shoot and edit video, the iPad might be the tech of choice.  Now I know that not all teachers are lucky enough to have both iPads and Chromebooks, but the point is, you shouldn't use whatever tech you have just for the sake of using it.

A coherent and clear objective begins with SWBAT.  Objectives should begin with the words “Students will be able to...”.   At the end of your lesson, what will your students be able to do?  Then, once you've determined that, ask yourself which tech tool is a better choice.  Or, in most cases, it's not which hardware will work best, but which app suits the assignment.

Again, if you don't have a clear objective, technology won't help your students.

5 Apps To See If Your Students “Get It”

I'm not talkin' about an app to use for formal assessments, although you can use some of the apps for a formal test.  I'm talkin' about those apps where you can quickly insert an assessment in order to see if your students "get it."  Or, perhaps you want to do a quick review of the previous days material.  These apps will most certainly help you out:

1. Socrative: A fantastic app that can be used with Chromebooks or iPads.  Socrative is great to use for an exit or entrance ticket.  Socrative also has a "quick question" option where you can ask a question of your class on the fly.

2. Nearpod: A great interactive presentation app, available both online and as an iOS app.  You can make a quiz as part of your lesson.  Or, if you prefer, insert quiz questions throughout the Nearpod lesson and monitor your students learning as the students work through the Nearpod.

3. Pear Deck: Another good interactive presentation app that works great with Google Classroom in that you can post your "Takeaways" to your Google Classroom and send to your students Google Drive.  Pear Deck allows the teacher to verbally ask a quick question, giving your students a space in the Pear Deck in which to answer.

4. Seesaw: A super app to use for student portfolios.  While students are working in the app, it's easy for the teacher to insert a quick question for the students to address to check for understanding.

5. Kahoot: A staple in most tech based classrooms.  Kahoot makes it easy to put together a couple of questions and take the temperature of your class.  Gamify your check for understanding with Kahoot!