Instructional+Strategies

Use this space to relate technology to instructional strategies:

Online simulations are a wonderful way to get students excited about a topic. They can be done individually, in groups, or as a class. Search the internet, and I guarantee you will find some very exciting simulations. Software also is a good way to get students in the mindset of the time period you are discussing...think Oregon Trail or Food Force.
 * __Online Simulations__**

PowerPoint presentations are a great way to illustrate topics, especially topics that require students to visualize the difference between two different things. Student response systems are a great piece of technology to integrate at the end of a PowerPoint to assess their understanding of the lesson. Videos from websites like unitedstreaming.org and brainpop.com are also a great method for increasing student engagement
 * __Whole Group Instruction__**

Students can discuss in pairs, and together can post on a class blog. Or, the teacher can open a word document and use a "magic pen" - the kind that write on paper and show up on the screen - to jot down the students' ideas. Students can also use the internet to explore a topic and then pair up to discuss their findings or opinions before sharing with the class. This could also work with some selected elements of webquests, or could be incorporated into the webquest itself. Students could "think" individually by reflecting on their research and then pair up to discuss and put together something that each pair then presents to the class.
 * __Think, Pair, Share__**

Use blogs to write about what you know and want to know. Then, after instruction, write a blog reflection on what you've learned. Have students adopt a classroom from another country in which they can share their experiences about different field trips they go on and projects they complete. They can facilitate communication from one classroom to the next using a webcam (possibly provided by the school) Students should keep daily journals in the classroom that they write in for 5 minutes at the end of every school day. The student can write about topics their confused about and things they would like to learn.
 * __KWL__**

Virtual manipulatives- Makes it easier to work with larger numbers; easily represent them on the screen; help students make connections between abstract mathematical concepts and concrete 'tangible' materials Virtual manipulatives are also less likely to be noisy or disruptive and can save money that would otherwise be spent on manipulatives. When using hands-on manipulatives, make sure that that they are age appropriate and will not cause students confusion. Instead manipulatives should aid students learning and understanding. For instance, in math using the colored chips to practice place value is hard for elementary students to visualize because the colored discs do not change in size with the change in place value representation. Unifix cubes or Diens Blocks would be a better choice.
 * __Manipulatives__**

Informal: Have students solve problems in small groups and collect work. They could complete a webquest together or research a given topic. Long-term projects - students can work collaboratively to create larger and more intensive projects.
 * __Small group__**

Take-home assignments, such as homework or short-term projects Use a classroom-set of laptops to enable students to individually research a topic of interest. Later, this work can be presented to the class in a knowledge-sharing event! Journaling is another great method of self-assesment and can be done in class or at home. This method can be used for any subject, even math!
 * __Self-discovery__**

WebQuests are a great way to focus student learning on a particular topic while allowing them to explore at the same time! Online quizzes that give immediate feedback are a great guided assessment measure.
 * __Guided discovery__**

__**Ongoing assessment (formative**):__ Using the student response system to collect data Quizzes at the end of educational films shown in the classroom (usually embedded within the video) Students can also create their own journal online (either in a word document or as a blog) and write at their discretion as well as in response to certain required entries. Journals are a great ongoing and informal method of assessment.


 * Strategy || Suggestions for Tech Integration ||
 * Whole group instruction || powerpoint, video clips from sources like unitedstreaming ||