Blog Post #8

For this post, we were ask to find 21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools. At first I was overwhelmed at the thought of there being more to learn than we already have in EDM310. After taking a deep breath and doing some research, I was able to find lots of great tools to use in the classroom that I hadn't used yet. Technology is such an important part of the education system, so I think its good to have multiple tools to use and teach with.

The first tool I have researched and decided to talk about is QR codes. QR Codes are very user friendly and would be great for students at all ages to use. It would also make the classroom more interesting and learning more fun. An example of a QR Code is the barcode that is a square with little squares in it.
It is very simple to make your own personal codes for the classroom. In Derral Eve's video, How to Create QR codes, he shows you exactly how to create them. An example of using these codes in the classroom would be having a scavenger hunt around the room. They must find the first code to get the first question they are to answer. They then must go around the room and find the remaining codes and remaining questions. You could also put a math problem with the QR code and have them solve the problem when they scan the code. The students would scan the qr codes with a tablet provided to them by the teacher. There is an app for CQ codes that is free that every student would have to download. Also, every student in the classroom should have access to a tablet provided by the school board for them. This is a very fun way to have your students involved in the classroom and make them excited to learn!

Another tool I came across was planboard. This tool is very useful to teachers, because it keeps them organized. Planboard helps you easily plan and view your academic year. It's quick and easy to add items for each class. It allows you to ensure your students have the knowledge they need to be successful by integrating and tracking standards. You can choose from a selection of Common Core State Standards, Ontario Curriculums, TEKS or create your own custom standards. It allows you to collaborate between teachers worldwide to create the best lesson plan for a particular subject. You can also easily find public lesson plans by searching for keywords or the exact standard codes that they need to meet. Adopting new technology can be difficult. With Planboard Assistance, whenever you run into a problem or need help figuring out a feature, your own personal support assistant will be available to help you, live or via Email. This is a great tool that all teachers should use and get associated with!