Skype is a website that allows users to communicate using instant messaging and video and voice calls. Its basic features are free. After downloading and installing Skype, a log-in screen will appear. You can sign in using a Skype, Facebook, or Microsoft account. You can add contacts using someone's name, Skype handle, or email address. After adding contacts, you're ready to start calling. Click on the name of the person you'd like to chat with; if there's a green light next to their name, they're already signed in and ready to receive your call. They'll answer, and you should be able to hear them as well as see them using your webcam. During your video call, you can also share screens or send files, which can be very useful in a classroom setting. This can also be used for collaboration between teachers.
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging platform that allows users to communicate through 140-character messages on a computer or smartphone. It's used by millions of people worldwide to keep up with news, gossip, events, weather -- you name it, it's being talked about on Twitter. You can also use Twitter as a home base for classes, assigning homework or quizzes, or starting conversations with students. When using it as a class, though, make sure you set up ground rules for language and respect, as kids may be used to using Twitter for more casual communication. Teachers should also be aware of the incredible resources available on Twitter for professional development. Across the world, educators are turning to Twitter as a way to build personal learning networks. By following other educators and participating in education-focused chats, teachers can expand their network of colleagues and find resources to further their classroom practice. Geddit is an online student response tool with an extra piece: Students can choose signal bars to reflect their level of confidence with any given question. As with similar tools, teachers set up classes and lessons; students can respond anonymously using a mobile device. Geddit's "Lessons" are intended to last just for one class period. Within a Lesson, teachers can add Topics (used as organizational guides or brief directions), as well as related questions or polls to elicit student responses. When students log in, they'll get a notification when a lesson has commenced. At this point and anytime during a lesson, students can indicate their perceived level of confidence using the "Geddit bars" tool. Students can also send short comments to the teacher (though teachers can't write back), indicating that they'd like help by clicking a hand symbol. Students do get immediate feedback on the multiple choice questions, and -- after a lesson is over -- can view completed lessons as an opportunity to reflect and review. Collaborize Classroom offers a secure online antidote to uninspired, disengaged classroom discussions. Teachers post discussion questions and set specific response options; multiple choice, yes/no, comment-based, or poll-based. At the conclusion of a discussion, teachers and students can access the results for review, reflection, and extension. The site also tracks participation so teachers can quickly assess comprehension as well as engagement. Should teachers want to differentiate or group students within a class period, they need only create, and post within, new categories. Collaborize Classroom also boasts many support features for teachers including a Topic Library, and links for an FAQ section, email contact, as well as webinars. Voki is a site that is used to create speaking Avatars. These can be used to give directions or present information in a fun way. These can be embedded on to your Moodle or class website. Students could also create accounts and use these to demonstrate knowledge that they learned. The site is free to use and create avatars. There is a paid version that allows teachers to create and manage classrooms as well. Actively Learn is a free online e-reader where students can highlight and annotate text as they read. Teachers can assign texts to groups of students to interact with. The site contains thousands of free ELA, history, and science texts. Teachers can add their own documents to the site for students to read. There are also options to purchase or rent copyrighted materials. Most of the titles on the site include "Layers" which are Common Core-Alligned questions for discussions and interactions. These questions do a nice job at engaging students with the text. Kids can also add their own questions. This option is good for students who might be reluctant to raise their hands. You can use the questions or other observations to guide your own discussions or lessons. Teachers can monitor each individual student's progress and see the notes that they are writing. Piazza is an advanced classroom communication tool. This site is free and was created more for college professors. However, there are many uses for this site in a high school classroom. The site provides places to have open discussions. Teachers can choose many customizable options, including the ability for students to post questions anonymously. This can be a great site to have students collaborate and ask questions related to homework. The teacher has the ability to endorse student answers so that other students can tell if advice given from another student really is good. Students can create an account using their school email address. Teachers (and students if teachers allow it) can also create polls to get instant feedback from students. This is a great tool to allow students to ask questions and work together with you and other students. TodaysMeet is a site that can be used in a variety of ways. This digital discussion is a great way to brainstorm ideas, to set up a quick formative assessment, to use as a warm-up with a thought provoking question, or to extend the classroom discussion from home-almost like office hours. Students can log into your "room" without needing to create an account. This can be a great collaboration tool or a way to communicate with each student. Edmodo is a full-featured social network designed for the educational environment. It looks similar to Facebook, but gives teachers the ability to protect student privacy and priviledges. Students have the ability to post text, images, and links and embed videos/other content. Teachers can use this as an online blackboard and inbox. Other features of this site are available including assignment submission, but are recommended to be done through Moodle in our District. This site could mostly be used for communication and collaboration with students. Class Dojo is a free online classroom management tool that helps teachers record and track student behavior while giving students instant feedback. Teachers can display what is being tracked to students or keep everything private. The goal is to help students and classes identify behavioral areas for improvement and set goals. Teachers can choose which behaviors to track. It will take some planning to determine how you want to build this into your classes so that students are sent the right message. Students and parents can create accounts to keep track of behavior. Teachers have the ability to communicate with parents directly through the site as well. Remind is a great tool for communicating with students and parents via text messages or emails. Teachers can create classes and invite students and parents to join. After a couple easy steps, the students and parents will be added to the class. The teacher will then have the opportunity to send messages to specific classes or groups of students/parents that will be sent as text messages (or emails if set up that way). |
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