Brief Summary
Carol Morbitzer, the 2013 Ohio Teacher of the Year, shares her top five technology resources for making a difference in the classroom. These include discourse software for real-time student assessment, interactive whiteboards for visual learning, schooly for blended learning, Remind 101 for communication with students and parents, and an airliner for classroom engagement. The use of these technologies helps to improve student understanding, engagement, and overall results.
- Discourse software allows real-time student assessment.
- Interactive whiteboards enhance visual learning.
- Schooly facilitates blended learning with recorded videos.
- Remind 101 improves communication with students and parents.
- Airliner ensures student engagement.
Introduction
Carol Morbitzer introduces herself as the 2013 Ohio Teacher of the Year and states that she will be sharing her top five technology resources that she uses in her classroom to positively impact her students.
Discourse Software
Discourse software is installed on every student's computer, allowing Carol to monitor their work in real time. She emphasises the importance of continuous assessment throughout the class period to gauge student understanding and address issues promptly, rather than waiting for end-of-unit assessments or test failures. Discourse enables students to answer and ask questions without the pressure of speaking aloud in class.
Smartboard
Carol highlights the significance of using a Smartboard, an interactive whiteboard, in her teaching. She explains that it allows her to visually demonstrate concepts, such as manipulating geometric shapes to show that the height of a triangle remains constant regardless of its orientation. The Smartboard also facilitates the display of 3D figures, which enhances students' understanding in ways that traditional whiteboards or chalkboards cannot.
Schooly
Schooly is a web-based platform that Carol uses as an educational version of Facebook. She uses it to teach a blended class by recording videos with her iPad and uploading them to Schooly. Students can then watch these videos in the classroom or at home, allowing them to continue learning even when she is not physically present.
Remind 101
Remind 101 is a texting resource that Carol uses to stay in touch with her students and their parents. She uses it to send out reminders about quizzes and study notes to students via a group message system. Parents can also sign up to receive these messages, improving communication between the teacher, students, and their families.
Airliner
Carol uses an airliner, which allows her to move around the classroom and ensure that her students are engaged and on task. She can easily write on the board and fill in information, and the airliner helps her to maintain student engagement 100% of the time. She notes that it is an easy-to-use and affordable tool.
Conclusion
Carol concludes by emphasising the connection between instruction and results, asserting that the use of technology in the classroom has a positive impact on student outcomes.
