April 2016 Updates from Mr. Leister
While the students are testing this week and next, perhaps you’ll have some time to explore some new technology resources:
- Quizlet Live is a new feature from Quizlet that allows teachers to play an in-class game using existing online flashcard study sets. The game requires students to collaborate in small groups to find the term that matches the definition.
- Google Classroom has added a new polling feature! A recent blog post from Google for Educationshows some creative ways teachers are using polling in their classrooms.
- Kahoot has added a new ‘Team Mode’ to their online game system to better “nurture collaboration, teamwork, leadership skills and good communication.”
- ThingLink is an online tool for teachers to create interactive images by adding ‘hot spot’ buttons to overlay text, images, videos and more. Here’s one example for learning about the U.S. Presidents.
- Nearpod is a great classroom presentation tool with the formative assessment tools are built right into the presentation allowing students to respond on their computers with open-ended answers, multiple choice questions, or the use of drawing tools. I have 2 Nearpod Teacher accounts that were paid for by the district for any Elementary Teacher who is interested in having the full version of the program through February 2017. First come, first serve!
- April Edition of Storify at #ElancoSD – A collection of educational resources and social media posts from Elanco teachers and organizations. Check out pictures from our guidance department of the Class of 2016 accepting their college admission offers. Include the hashtag #ElancoSD in your tweets to see your posts in future editions.
- The Elanco Leading Edge Flipboard Magazine – Read what’s new in the world of Teaching and Educational Technology. View on the web, or subscribe via the Flipboard iOS or Android App to read on your mobile device.
- Remember that you can claim your own Elanco Digital Badges for your many tech skills.