Educational Technology Best practices in an English classroom DR. CHRIS GREER JESSICA DUNLAP BRITTNEY MANOWSKI TRICIA LEWIS GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY

WebQuests Very useful inquiry-oriented activity for K-12 education Can be done as a group activity or as individuals WebQuest.orgWebQuest.org is a great resource

WebQuests Introduce new activities Provide information about the activity Allow readers to understand the thinking process Accommodate visual learners Best if used as a supplement with other activities Students can visually see how their ideas relate to other ideas

WebQuests Pre-reading or after-reading activities Instructions Processes Evaluations Theories and ideas

Interactive PowerPoint Common uses of Interactive PowerPoint Presentations Learning new information Reviewing learned information Student assessment Example

Other uses Virtual field trip (Example)Example Interactive stories

Digital Storytelling Combines the art of storytelling with modern computer applications Allows hands-on interaction from students, can be a highly effective learning activity Promotes creativity as well as collaboration among the students

Needed Relatively modern computer Video editing software (Moviemaker or iMovie will be fine, beware of Vista) Still images (acquired freely on the web, or use digital camera) Microphone Photostory can be very useful as well

How is it used? Promotes digital literacy Helps with creative writing Aids communication skills Allows for a wide range of creativity

Assessment Promotes creative writing by providing an alternative form of assessment Teachers can concentrate on different areas: Grammar Clarity of writing Content

Example

Podcasting Have students record poems, short stories, or other works using iPods or computer microphones Use Garageband or another media program (like Sony ACID) to set them to music or add sound effects (demo) use iTunes U to set up podcasts

Digital Cameras Use still photography or video to help visual learners Add pictures to student-written text Have students act out scenes and record them Use them to capture tableau, dialogue, or other exercises

Internet Website Blogging Social network groups groups

Video Games Karaoke Revolution / Singstar for improving fluency Word-based games for improving vocabulary

Questions? This presentation is available for download: