Twenty-sixteen Tech

Well it's been a crazy start to the year! In my last post I said I'd have my next post up within the first two weeks, but it's already Week 6 and this weekend was the first time I've even looked at the site since the beginning of the Term! But don't let my slow start put you off, I think you'll be hearing from me a lot this year because so much is happening in my little teacher techie world and I'm so excited to see what this year has in store - so much to learn and try and share! I think I'm in for a hectic, but awesome year!

So what cool tech am I using in my classroom this year?
​Well, I'm glad you asked!

Where do I start? There are so many cool tools to use this year, but here are my top picks!

​Some of the oldies I'll be continuing to use are:

• ClassDojo - Of course!!! My favourite behaviour management and parent communication tool, ClassDojo is an essential part of my classroom and there are so many new and useful features, it just keeps getting better and better. 
• Remind - After a trial run last year, this invaluable tool is now a staple in my classroom tech kit. I use it with my senior students and also with school clubs and groups I'm involved in to safely, privately, and easily keep in contact with students, parents, and other teachers. I also have a widget embedded in my Virtual Classrooms so students can always see my reminders and announcements. Love it!
• Doceri - Doceri works as a wireless whiteboard by connecting your iPad (or tablet) with a computer connected to a projector. You can also use it to create videos and presentations. I used Doceri a little last year, but I'm looking forward to using it more consistently and effectively this year. It can be a bit tricky to use at times, but I'm interested in learning more about flipped classrooms and this is a great tool for that.

Now here are some of the newbies I'm excited to try these in my classroom this year...

Socrative
This is one I'm probably most excited to use! This year we're busy implementing our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program and, as expected, there have been a few bumps along the way that have inhibited the use of tools like Socrative, but things are starting to smooth out now and I can't wait to try this tool properly. Basically, Socrative is a quiz/polling/survey tool for use in classrooms with 1:1 devices. It's super simple to use, free, doesn't require student accounts, and so far it seems very reliable. It's fantastic for checking for understanding and I'm hoping it'll become a staple classroom tool for me.

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EduCanon
As I mentioned earlier, I'm keen to incorporate some flipped classroom elements into my lessons this year. EduCanon is an awesome site where you can create or find interactive videos for pretty much any classroom topic. You can add questions at specific intervals throughout a video and students must complete the question before the video progresses, then you can access the data in your teacher dashboard. So not only is it a great teaching tool, but it also provides opportunity for checking for understanding. 

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PowToon
PowToon is another great flipped classroom tool and so fun. Students can also use it to create video projects, so it's not just a teacher tool. You can create fun video presentations using cartoon characters and effects, and you can also add audio elements. It's touted as an alternative to PowerPoint and Prezi, and while it may not completely replace these tried and tested tools, it certainly adds an element of interest and fun to the way you present information during lessons. 

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So many fun, useful tools, it's no wonder I'm so excited about this year and all it has to offer.
Don't forget to click on the tech titles to find out more about how I use them (info will be updated soon) or click on the images to visit the individual sites. 

Enjoy Week 6!