There are so many technology-based resources available, especially after a year plus of online learning. It can be very confusing to find and navigate all of them. Teachers are very busy individuals and need a quick summary of the best resources. We don't have time to examine them all, so the hope with this post is that it will help teachers find resources that they can use in their classrooms tomorrow.
Edpuzzle - A video resource in which questions and quizzes can be embedded into videos.
- How to Use: Teachers can create a free account and then create "classes" for their students. To enroll students, teacher are given a link with a class code. Students can "join the class" using the class code.
- Cost: The account is free (up to 20 videos). The paid version is $11.50 a month and offers unlimited storage space and extra features.
- Materials: There is a lot of options for materials. Teachers can take existing Youtube videos and create the embedded questions. There is a wide library of existing, pre-made videos with already-embedded questions. It can also support the Flipped Classroom model.
- Use for Differentiation: Since you can add a variety of questions (multiple-choice, open-ended, short answer) to an Edpuzzle video, it is a great formative assessment tool. You can see which questions students spent more time on, which sections of the video they rewatched (Edpuzzle Staff, 2020).
- Strategies for Use: I have used Edpuzzle videos as a UDL option for when students can choose how they access the material. For example, they can read an article, or watch a video with the embedded questions. Another strategy that I found was to set up stations for differentiation. One station is an online station (Edpuzzle, for example), one is an off-line station, and the third station is a small group station with the teacher (Edpuzzle Staff, 2020).
Quizlet - This program is like virtual flashcards that provides students with resources to help them study concepts. Quizlet promotes learning and student achievement because it provides students with the tools to help them learn study strategies. Students are able to track their progress and measure their knowledge about the topic. This creates independent learners.
- How to Use: Teachers can create a free account and then create "classes" for their students. To enroll students, teacher are given a link with a class code. Students can "join the class" using the class code.
- Cost: The free version is basic, but the paid version is $48 a year. The paid version has a few more options for students (activities), as well as the ability to track student progress.
- Materials: There are thousands of pre-made study sets, but teachers have the ability to create a study set with terms and definitions.
- Use for Differentiation: You can track your students data. You can make small groups with study sets for specific skills that students are struggling. This can also be part of a Stations activity, which allows time for differentiation.
Google Slides - Create interactive slideshows that provide students with the learning material, as well as assessment tools.
- How to Use: Teachers can create a slideshow that includes the lesson material, links to anything extra, as well as space for questions and activities. The slides can be posted in Canvas or Google Classroom. If you switch out the word "edit" for "copy" in the main URL, it will prompt students to make their own copy of the slides.
- Make it interactive: Peardeck is a Google add-on that can be added to any slideshow. Teachers can give students a link to the slides and then students will be able to interact with the lesson materials. Teachers can add in questions and formative assessments that will populate on the teacher's slide. This can be used to quickly assess student's learning of a topic before you move to the next slide. There are also options to add in SEL templates to quickly gauge student's emotional and mental well-being (Boyd, 2020).
- Use for Differentiation: There are Peardeck slides that can be inserted to pre-assess students at the beginning of the lesson. Then, teachers can use that information to create groups for different activities. There are also suggested ways to use Peardeck for station activities (Peardeck, [n.d.]). Websites like Google Slides can account for student differences because it can be modified for specific student needs.Also, it was exceptionally helpful for collaborating in Breakout Rooms during the Pandemic school years, as well as helping to keep track of student work (because the teacher can see what students are doing on a master slideshow).
References:
- Boyd, L. (August 2020). How to use Peardeck in World Language Classes. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-pear-deck-world-language-classes
- Edpuzzle Staff. (2020). 5 easy ways to differentiate your teaching. Edpuzzle. https://blog.edpuzzle.com/teaching-today/5-easy-ways-to-differentiate-your-teaching/
- Peardeck. [n.d.]. 5 steps to differentiate stations. Peardeck. https://www.peardeck.com/pear-deck-blog/5-steps-to-differentiated-activity-stations
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