Tool # 9 Incorporating Classroom-Based Devices as Tools for Learning

1. Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?
2. Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?
3. Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
4. List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station.

1. It is important to tie the technology to the objective of the lesson so students see that they can take advantage of these tools to enhance their learning in an exciting way rather than just use them for play time. Also, tying technology to the objectives can engage students who are very hyper and won't listen to the teacher "boring" lectures according to them.

2. Students should be held accountable for the stations/centers otherwise they will use them as play time without coming up with a product that shows their expertise on the subject taught. Accountability keeps students focus and allows them to monitor their learning.

3. Tutpup is a great site to be used in centers because it will keep students pumped up to learn their math skills to compete in this educational game with other student from all over the world. Another site is LearningGames for Kids which can be used as a Social Studies center to learn the US states.

Creating rubrics, a form or a document  using Google Apps for the students to individually report their work can keep them accountable. 

4. I would like to experiment Edmodo (Facebook for Education) as part of a station to engage students in posting their comments, questions, ideas on  lessons, or a thought about a book they just read. . I see Edmodo as a powerful tool since it is like having a Facebook which most kids already have or know about, and they would see it as a fun and popular tool motivating them to learn in order to post their thoughts. 

Another tool that I could use will be envisionMath: Understanding Fractions since this is a hard concept to grasp for our students.. It has step-by-step videos that can help the students to understand dividing areas into equal parts, and using fractions to name parts. Each video has a conclusion quiz to check the mastery of the student and can keep them accountable for their work. 

There are so many ways my students can use the Ipod touch/Pad. A couple of them could be to review a brainpop or united streaming video about a subject that they are not strong enough.