I’m not saying any of the things i’m about to say are good sites to visit, but even I have to admit that once again the web and social networking have many many potential perks for the public, especially students. Let’s face it now that students have discovered these sites, they’ve learned to either not take notes and buy them off the internet or they now have incentive to take notes and make a quick buck as well as get good marks.
Examples Of New Technology & Education
Remember the days of doodling on the side of your spiral notebook while you tried to take copious notes from your boring biology teacher? Would you be more motivated if you knew that your notes would not only give you an edge on the exam, but could also earn you a bit of cash? Flashnotes allows students to upload their lecture notes and sell them to other students who need more help or resources. The rating system allows the best note takers to get more business and the general pool of knowledge expands as students continue to share their work with one another.
The new startup is using a Facebook type platform- riding the wave of what works- and tailoring it for education. This social network allows professors and students to communicate, follow one another, and discuss class work and lectures.In addition to the social aspect, it allows for document uploads, calendar sharing, and a grade book option. So why is this better than Facebook? Simply put, social networks aren’t always the best place to develop academic networks. Students can follow their professors and interact with them without worrying about that compromising photo from a crazy weekend party.
Imagine your smartphone as your primary source for study materials. This company has created an app that allows students to organize their coursework, store notes and flashcards, and share their materials with other students.Study Blue’s main attraction is that it is mobile. Whether standing in line for coffee, riding the train, or waiting at the dentist, a student can easily access their class work and prepare for an exam. The social aspect also helps students find other people studying similar subjects, capitalizing on a different set of notes and study guides.
Teachers are continually fighting against the ever-growing list of distractions that a smart phone offers to bored or shy students in the back of the room. But Celly is a text-messaging network that allows anyone to create a network anywhere- at a rally, event, in the classroom, or on a field trip using smartphones.Teachers that have used this in their classrooms have noted that those who normally never speak up…do. It forces students to write their thoughts clearly and concisely. Rather than fighting the tide against texting, instructors are using it for academic purposes.
While not a technology per say, this teaching model is using technology to change the way instructors teach. Rather than spending the class time lecturing the students, the lectures are delivered to the student’s in video format for them to watch at home (or in study hall).Then, the classroom time is set aside for 1 on 1 help, discussion, and interaction based on the lecture homework. With nearly every student carrying a mobile device or laptop, this model may give students and teachers more time to work on areas of difficulty rather than simple straight lecture. For too long, instructors have seen that precious class time go to waste while a teacher scribbles on a blackboard and has their back to the students.
These screen capture video software programs are making it easy for instructors to give online tutorials. TechSmith offers a host of different products from a free screen capture to professional quality videos.Imagine a tech-ed teacher trying to explain how to download an app. He/she can record narration while capturing the screen shots as he/she demonstrates the action. This feature can also be used for teachers who are correcting a paper or demonstrating a math problem.
Teachers need help and support with their lesson plans just as much as students need help with studying for exams. LessonCast allows teachers to submit a 2-minute lesson plan strategy, idea, or resource using video, documents, Powerpoint, etc. and share it with other instructors.The free-based software is just another way to offer networking opportunities and a general pool of knowledge that globally impacts education in a positive way. Teachers Paying Teachers is a similar network that allows educators to sell their lesson plans to other instructors.
Funding websites are popping up all over the Internet. People who are frustrated with the bureaucracy of grant writing decide to strike out on their own and build a project from the ground up. With Donors Choose, you can pitch your idea for your classroom.Teachers create projects they hope to accomplish with their students. Much like Kickstarter, individuals can fund or back any project they choose. Then they share it across social media and if a teacher has created the project pitch well, it gets the attention and money it needs.
Those handy three ring binders are now digital. Using the same idea as pinning and bookmarking, the binder allows educators to collect and organize resources for lesson plans.The Live Binder can also work for students who are amassing resources for a big project. You can also browse other binders and share your own.
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