50+ Tactics and Resources to Support Integrating Technology into Your Curriculum

Norman Hall G518

In an effort to catalog the various tactics/tools and resources employed in my undergraduate course, Integrating Technology into the Secondary Curriculum, I offer the following list of items we experimented with over the last sixteen weeks. Students reported that while they have not continued to use all of the applications listed below, they do continue to use many for a variety of purposes. There were many additional resources employed that I have not listed. Most of these can be found by visiting my Delicious account and searching under 4406 and/or 4406spring2010.

GMail
I always invite students to create GMail accounts on the first day of a class. GMail is the gateway drug to the entire Google suite of applications that I find myself using multiple times a day.

Google Docs
Google Docs includes spreadsheets, presentations, word processing, forms, that can be shared and posted online.

Google Sites
Google Sites was used to support student portfolios. It’s free, easy to use, and easy to edit.

Google Search
Google Search can be customized for specific specific student activities and include a filter that permits searches for Creative Commons images. We also explored the Invisible Web through the variety of search sites noted on a Makeuseof.com post.

Google Buzz
We talked about Buzz but did not spend much time with it. Like Wave, Buzz seemed like a solution looking for a problem. It did offer a wonderful collaborative potential, but did not replace our other means of working together.

iGoogle & Google Reader
Students experimented with personal start pages like iGoogle and PageFlakes, and were assigned to explore Google Reader as a means of pulling information across the Web to one site.

Blogger & Word Press
Students kept a learning journal throughout the term and were given a choice between Blogger and Word Press. I chose these applications because of their ease of use and customizablity.  I used to use Edublogs, but alas, the embedded advertising made my stomach turn.

Tumblr & Posterous
Students were invited to play with Tumblr and Posterous for projects involving audio, video and pictoral posting and sharing. I also introduced Flavors.me to create websites using personal content from around the Internet.

Twitter
We played with Twitter as a means of informal communication, formative assessments, social networking, personal learning, and sharing.

Flickr
Students were introduced to Flickr for photosharing and digital storytelling.

VoiceThread
We used VoiceThread to support teaching, learning, reflection, and collaborative learning. VoiceThread worked well when I was out of town as well. I could leave instructions and solicit feedback. Students also used VoiceThread as a broadcasting medium for providing instructions and how-to’s in their own lessons.

Social Bookmarking
While I am still experimenting with Diigo, students were introduced to Delicious to support bookmarking and resource searches.

Wikis
Students were given an option to use PBWorks and Wikispaces to support a collaborative Web presence. One of my major major emphases this term was communication with parents. Wikis are easy to create Web sites that require students to think about design as much as content. If a wiki is hard to navigate, it is hard to use. We spent time reflecting and acting on this particular design aspect as well.

Podcasting
Students and I tested Podomatic to support podcasting capabilities. Overall, it worked well and was simple to use effectively. I have used Audacity in the past, however, I wanted to try something different this time through.

Screencasting
Students were asked to develop a how-to video using either video or screencasting applications such as Screenr and Jing.

Chat
While we did not look too closely at chat applications, we talked about Tiny Chat, but only briefly…

Polling
Polleverywhere was a fun application to use for formative assessments and teaching about using personal learning networks to gather information and answers. Google Forms and Survey Monkey where also employed for formative assessments as well.

Animation
For fun, didactic experiences, and demonstration purposes, we played with Go Animate.

Open Educational Resources Commons (OER)
We explored a host of lesson plans available through OER Commons. We focused on the importance of sharing and modifying lesson plans (with an emphasis on re-sharing).

Open Text
For my student microteaching activity, I asked students to sign up for specific chapters in How People Learn. Students were asked to develop a 40 minute lesson on a specific chapter. Chapter presentations were not summaries, but focused on relevant aspects of the chapter content. Students were required to prepare a presentation, group and/or individual activities, and an assessment for the content presented. They were also forbidden to use PowerPoint (hee hee!).

PLE/PLN
In our investigations of personal/professional learning environments and personal/professional learning networks, we enjoyed Graham Attwell‘s Introduction to Personal Learning Environments (and his delicious Welsh accent) and Richard Byrne‘s presentation on How to Build a Personal Learning Network. Students were asked to join a network (e.g., Twitter, Plurk, Classroom 2.0, or FriendFeed) and describe who they followed, what they learned, and the ways they participated on their learning journal.

Browser
I regularly recommend Firefox as the browser to use. It integrates well into our online course management system, Moodle.

Video
Students and I used YouTube regularly to find and share audio visual resources. TeacherTube was also used to support knowledge building.

Finally, all tactics, texts, and presentations described were chosen because they are free and relatively easy to use and integrate into one’s curriculum. I have avoided prescribing proprietary software, applications, and texts in an effort to support the open sharing possibilities that the Web affords.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/csessums/4259696067/sizes/o/