Different Ways of Using Technology

I. Podcasting

You can use Audacity, Jam Studio or Garageband for recording the final product.  You can look at many of the Pocasting Resources out on the web.  Podcasting is a process that starts with the writing process.  The publishing part is an audio recording.  You can enhance the Podcast with pictures and videos also.

  Lesson Ideas:
1). Creation of audio books
2). Research of people
3). “Our City” Podcast (Radio Willow Web)
4). Newscasts or Interviews
5). Public Service Announcements
6). Oral Report without the fear

II. Interactive Powerpoints

This is a great way to create review games from core subjects or present research material in a different way.  There are Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and even Hollywood Squares templates.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Research a Country
2). Flash cards
3). Science and Math Terminology
4). Math problem review

III. Spreadsheets

This is great way to organize and view data.  Students can do graphing and budgeting. Students can also work with easy to use formulas.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Home Budget
2). Lemonade Stand (business)
3). Shopping Spree to practice percentages

IV. Photo booth,  Snap, Cameroid or Seenly

This is a program where students can take pictures of themselves.  They can use different effects to manipulate the shot.  These pictures can be used to enhance any project.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Autobiography or My Life
2). Biographies

V. Comic life or Comiqs

This is a comic strip program.  Students can create storyboards for any project.  Students can import a picture into the program or take pictures within the program.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Public Service Announcements
2). Senses
3). Research of famous people or historical facts
4). Science vocabulary

VI. Movie Making

With iMovie, Movie Maker or Animoto, students can be the director of their own movies.  They can create their own photo montage with audio tracks or mini movies with a purpose.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Public Service Announcements
2). Culmination of Service Learning Projects
3). Video Yearbooks
4). Full Autobiographies
5). Neighborhood and culture projects

VII. Database

This is a program used to catalog things. Students can catalog and manage large amounts of information or create their own sets of information.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Categorizing
2). Wetlands
3). Types of rocks
4). Fine art

VIII. Inspiration/Kidspiration

This is a webbing program.  Students can do outlining to story mapping.  The ideas are endless.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Story mapping
2). Sequential events
3). Timelines
4). “All about me” web
5). Note Taking
6). Cycles (rock, water, butterflies)

IX. Discovery Streaming

Discovery Education has put together a bank of streaming videos and pictures to use in the classroom.  Put that together with a writing prompt builder, quiz builder and assignment builder and the classroom comes alive.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). “This Day in History”
2). Famous Speeches
3). Watch streaming video and answer writing prompt

X. Google Earth

This is a program that uses satellite imagery.  Students can zoom in on anything with an address.  Students can travel anywhere in the world without leaving the classroom.

 Lesson Ideas:
1). Virtual field trips
2). Re-enactment of historical events
3). Family geneology
4). Immigration
5). Neighborhood and regional development

XI. Word

This program isn’t just for word processing anymore.  Students can use the program to insert tables and graph, or to even draw.

 Lesson Ideas:

1). Use the auto shapes and create pictures to re-enforce geometry

2). Insert a table and create bingo cards

3). Insert a table and create a chart to re-enforce latitude and longitude

XII. Wikis and Blogs

These are great tools to share lessons and works.  It’s a great place for collaboration whether it be student-student, teacher-student, teacher-parent, student-parent or school-community.

Lesson Ideas: 

1). Set up a class wiki to post student work and student ideas

2). Use a wiki as a digital portfolio.  Instead of collecting their work, they can post it.

3). Use a blog to have students journal about their reading, do corrective response or even solve a math problem.