Get Your Students Hired
I incorporate a web-based testing program called proprofs.com. I teach mainly basic clinical sciences for the proprietary school I teach for and the university where I adjunct. The students feedback has been overall positive. I use the online software, to generate pre-tests and post-tests of lecture topics such as the cardiovascular system. For the pre-tests, I set the test to tutor mode so that the student can see what they got wrong after they submit the answer to that particular question. The time consuming part, is actually writing my own questions and the feedback as explanations.
The downside to this is reserving a computer lab big enough to accomodate the class size and the occassional glitches the online service encounters once in a while (i.e; the test hangs after the student submits, marking answers incorrectly). Overall, the experience, has been positive and I'm surprised at the retention the students have after completing the course.
Another technology tool, is my Ipad. There are many Anatomy and Physiology applications out there which I break out to show students a more concrete depiction of the theory which I present in lecture.
Using Power Point and it many different displays, background and text help keep the subject at hand interesting. I find that also using NPR and Frontline videos help with showing the relevance of what we are teaching and using. It shows that the class, materials, lesson and school is up to date with the industry standards. I want to start using the Skype for Educators to connect with industry professionals and other university and colleges to compare and share information.
Rick,
Thank you very much for sharing, we have had several music instructors complete this course and I am sure they will find this information very useful!
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
musictheory.net has been a great resource for helping students with music theory. It has many great features such as lessons and practice areas where students can put it in loop mode and go through questions all day long if they wanted (highly unlikely, but possible). The website has continually upgraded their user experience as well as adding apps for smart phones. I had one student one term buy it and practiced while waiting for the bus. He was more self motivated than others and had a desire to figure out this music theory stuff.
I think my favorites of all of the technology I use in the classroom, Voicethread and Poll Everywhere are two of my favorites. Using voicethread I can record lectures, powerpoints, experiments, demonstrations etc and my students can review them when they want to. This is helpful in many ways. If they miss class in person, they don't miss what went on during class and Voicethread allows them to ask questions and respond to questions through text, audio and video for classmates and instructors to respond to so the experience when not in the classroom is not that much different than in the classroom. Students can also create their own voicethreads with video, audio, photos, powerpoints etc to collaborate on or submint individual projects to the class. There is a free version however the pay version is well worth the expense. http:/
Another is Poll Everwhere. I use it in class to ask questions and the students repond using SMS messageing through their cell phone or other devices. Free polls are limited to 40 responses. As the students answer the poll question their answers are posted graphically on the screen. These polls can be embedded into your powerpoint and the responses shown in real time to the students. The thing the students like is that they can answer and not have to worry about someone seeing that they answered incorrectly because it just gives the response not who responded. No worries about peer pressure to give the right answer infront of the class. The site is http:/
There are many other sites and tools found in sites like Merlot. Visionquest is another favorite as well.
These all keep the students engaged and interested in the class. I only wish these tools had been available back in the 50's and 60's when I was in school.
My courses are intensely visual, teaching students tactile techniques that they don't always understand at first. Utilizing a YouTube channel that demonstrates the techniquest that I teach in the classroom offers students a continuous point of reference when they need it.
I have found that using online simulation have help my students grasp difficult concepts and procedures more quickly.
Incorporating Social Media into the classroom - creation of a Fashion Blog or a Professional Presence via Linkedin
Incorporating Social Media into the classroom - creation of a Fashion Blog or a Professional Presence via Linkedin
Many students have loved working on papers through Google Docs, which is free to use and easy to access from many devices. It has replaced the need for multiple printed drafts of papers in my classroom, and clears up the clutter on my desk! It is also beneficial for students who do not have programs like Microsoft Word on their home computers.
I have also had a lot of success with Remind101, a free, private texting service. As an instructor you can sign up for a free account, and then students subscribe to your list. You can then text out reminders. It is a one way system; they cannot reply. You also never see their phone numbers, so all parties are protected. Additionally, you can schedule texts in advance, so you do not need to monitor it all the time!
I use ppt, as well as a document camera for lecture purposes and I use u-tube to further my lecture and explanations and MyItLab for online testing.
I have encouraged the use of iPads and other forms of mobile technology in the classroom to not only help document (visually) their work in the room but as an ability to compare before and after photographs while searching for both advances and inconsistencies in their work. I feel that it is critical for student to be comfortable with the use in technology (even with applications as simple as iPhoto or other resources) to manage their portfolio and keep documentation of their work.
I agree, especially for a morning class who seems to be fatigue when they enter the classroom. They engage in videos at home which makes for awesome learning, why not do it in class. It gets the brain active and their motors skills are put to work as well.
3-D visualization. as I teach anatomy (human and veterinary) the flat "2-D" images don't work well as the relationship between structures is more than being next to one another. particularly, in terms of kinesiology (movement of the body), seeing the real relationship between structures allows for understanding the "cause-and-effect" of motion and the associated pathologies.
with teaching difficult concepts in chemistry and biology that are in the "invisible to the naked eye" range, computer simulations allow the students (especially the visual learners) to get what's going on. I can also stop the show and ask if they can predict the next step. use of phase-contrast microscopy or "3-D" clips give a visual that seems to give a more permanent learning/understanding than artist renderings or my "artwork" on the board.
I have not personally used it, but an instructor i know would post the class's homework on Facebook so they would have to go on and get it or if they were not in class they would know where to find it. I think that is acceptable based on the people in the class. I have used www.mymathlab.com to have my students do their math homework and i have used www.itlab.com to have my applications do some of their work. I really like these applications because it gives instant feedback and allows the student to do the work anywhere they have internet access.
Scott,
You have this technology in the classroom thing down! Thank you very much for sharing and inspiring others to incorporate some of these tools into their curriculum.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Jennifer,
I do the same- videos seem to connect the dots for many students. Thank you for sharing.
Yours in learning,
Theresa Schmitt
I have found that using Youtube and blogging to be helpful when discussing topics in class. This creates interest with the students and causes the topic to be more engaging.
I use technology on a daily basis. Students interact with the classroom website I created using doodlekit. I also incorporate my SmartBoard, and the Smart Software suite into my lessons. In addition, I love showing clips from youtube, teachertube, vimeo, and TED.com (especially my TedEd video on geometry proofs!). Other sites such as wolframalpha, are great for high school math. I use poll everywhere to get instant formative assessment data from students using their cellphones as clickers. I foster constructivism in my classroom using java applets, and geogebra. At the end of the year I have students make prezis of their favorite topic and present to the class.