10 Uses for Blogs in the Classroom

1. Easy sharing of class information/assignments especially if a student misses class.
2. It allows students and teachers to communicate with each other about each specific post.
3. Teachers can be creative in the design of the blog and keep it unique to each class.
4. Teachers can post interesting articles, videos, or other things to keep students interested in the topic especially if there is not enough time in class to share them.
5. Students can create their own personal blogs to reflect upon what they're learning.
6. Students development can be traced over the semester or year on the blog reflections so that students and teachers can see how they have learned and grown over that time.
7. Students become familiar with the internet and how to maintain a blog.
8. Students can upload their own files and assignments for the teacher to have easy access to.
9. Students can become involved in their classroom through the internet which is most students enjoy having access to.
10. Students who may not be invested in a class may be at the very least pulled in by an interactive and fun blog site.  It gives them control over their interests in the subject and allows them to post their own thoughts and ideas.

10 Uses for Video in the Classroom.

1.  Keeping students interested in the subject material, especially through using videos that recall personal stories or have issues pertinent to student interests.
2.  Allowing students to be creative through making their own videos for whatever classroom material is being discussed.
3.  Have students actually learning content because in order to make an effective video on a subject, they should know the material pretty well and be able to synthesize it critically.
4.  Students can become familiar with video technology and the editing process including what makes an effective video and how they can use this technology in their daily life.
5.  Students can apply what they learn about videos to critically thinking about and evaluating the  videos that are shown by the instructor during class.
6.  It is a fun way for students to incorporate drama, humor, or their own artistic interests in a class assignment.
7.  Students can investigate what kind of videos appeal to them and why, especially in a subject that most people find boring which is history.
8.  Critical thinking can be encouraged especially when looking at documentaries or other educational films which can create discussion opportunities for the classroom.
9.  A teacher can base a number of assignments off watching a video such as a quiz, essay questions, class discussions/debates, and individual videos.
10.  It breaks up the monotony of a class lecture and provides a more relaxed environment for students while still creating multiple learning experiences.

10 Tips for Using Apps in the Classroom

1.  Providing new technology for students to use.
2.  Keeping students engaged by having them interact on technologies like iPads, computers, etc.
3.  Having the ability to show material on the Smart-board (like class dojo) and have students follow along with what's going on.
4.   Allowing students to keep up with rapidly developing apps and seeing how technology evolves over time.
5.  Exposing students to educational apps and also apps that will continue to be relevant after my class and possible in future careers.
6.  Students can compare and contrast popular apps and discuss how to find the best app at the right price, and familiarize themselves with purchasing materials for their education.
7.  For classrooms equipped with smart boards, iPads, or other interactive technologies it allows all member of the class to participate in the activities rather than just the teacher at the front of the room.  If all students have access to the app they can all participate.
8.  Allows students to find apps that will be most beneficial to them and their personal taste, especially in a classroom where a broad subject is studied and students can pick their own apps to work with.
9.  Provides a fun activity for students to work with and learn from that is more interactive than sitting through a lecture.
10.  Keeps class material relevant to students by showing them how technology can apply to the content of the class for example the History Here app for a high school history class.

10 Uses for Webquest

1. It allows students to familiarize themselves with internet sites that are informative and educational.
2. It provides an easy assignment for a substitute teacher to give to students and keep them occuppied for a full class period.
3. It allows students to explore websites which they do in their free time anyways but with a purpose that relates back to the class.
4. It's a more fun assignment that has students learn while being entertained.
5.Teachers can use a variety of question formats so that many learning styles can be incoporated.
6. Students stay within a certain time frame but can designate as much time to the individual tasks as they need to.
7. It allows teachers to be creative in making and laying out the assignment.
8. It can be used for group projects as well as individual tasks.
9. It allows for different mediums of learning such as videos, songs, interactive sites, maps, etc.
10. It provides material to open up large class discussions and have students collaborate with each other.

Webquest

A Helpful History Class App

     The App that I found that would be helpful to my future classroom is called History Here.  I am planning on being a high school or middle school history teacher so I was looking for apps that would help in my content area and would be appropriate for those age groups.  There were many apps available but I found this one to be the most interesting and the one that could be used by the most members of a class.  The app is helpful because it is basically allows you to input a location or use your current location and then it maps out the locations of historical relevance around you and has a brief description of them.  For example when I used my current location in Salt Lake, it brought up many of the historical downtown buildings and also some areas by the University of Utah including Fort Douglas.  I really liked the app because as a history teacher I think it would be important for my students to be aware of the history that has happened in their area, and this app could be used no matter where they are.  I could assign projects based on local history allowing students to use the app to find an event or place and some background information and then conduct their own research to get more information and do an analysis of the topic.  I also thought it was pretty cool to be able to pinpoint a number of historical places around you no matter where you are.  I think it would definitely help my students understand the relevance of history, especially if they are able to apply it to things that are within their city or neighborhood.  The app could use some additional information including having more historical places and events mapped out, but overall I think it is a great start.  It is helpful to me currently, and I think with a couple improvements in the information it provides and the addition of more historical events/places it could be a great app for anyone interested in history and for students in the classroom.

Historical Icons Powerpoint

Technology historypowerpointshow from brittanymachian