iClickers

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iClickers are a great way to include the whole class in discussion. Whether it is determining if students want to have a 5 minute break or get out of class 5 minutes early, or answering a question based on last nights homework, students contribute to the discussion and share their opinion or answer through their iclicker.

An iclicker is a hand held remote that answers multiple choice questions determined by the teacher. The teacher can type in the question they want to ask and the multiple choice answers. The students then choose their answer and a graph is computed and shows up on the computer screen or projector.

This is a wonderful tool for the classroom! I have seen it used for pop quizzes or to take a vote in class. It is great because no one's name shows up on the screen. Therefore, students are more willing to give their opinion or answers whether they really know them or not. Teachers can get a more accurate reading on his or her class.

iClickers are generally bought by the school and the teachers rent them out for the classroom. Therefore, they generally are not used all the time. There are also websites that students can log onto and take polls through computers rather than iClickers.

This is a great technology to incorporate into the classroom!

Blogs, Wikis, and Websites, OH MY!

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Differences between blogs, wikis, and webpage sites–

Blogs: blogs are a great, informal way, of stating your opinion and sharing it with the entire web or a select amount of people. Blogs can be used for your own personal use (like a journal), a way of documenting progress of some sort and sharing it (diet and exercise plans), or a great way of updating family and friends of your adventures studying abroad. In the classroom, blogs can be used to discuss readings or topics with the whole class or a small group. Students can then comment on each others posts and reflect on what was discussed.

Wikis: To be honest, I do not see a point of a wiki. Wiki's can be used like a blog where a group of people can comment on a document, but blogs can do the same thing. Wikis are good for a classroom where students can contribute to an assignment of some kind. However, teachers need to monitor the wiki in case students try to change the wiki.

Websites: Websites are a great way to display information to a group. Teachers can make class websites where students can download assignments, parents can see what is going on in the classroom, etc... This is also great because no one else can change the information on the website. It is for their personal use. Websites can also provide external links to resources for parents and students and websites are always easy to locate compared to blogs and wikis.