Technology is Fun

Technology is Fun

        Before coming to this class I used to hate technology. Every time I would try to do something on the computer something would break or I would not be able to figure out how to use the tool. Throughout our Science Methods course we had to create several projects and activities with different programs. Having to use different tools for different activities every week made me feel more comfortable and confident with technology. Now, I am not afraid to try new programs because I know I can figure out how to work it just like I did for the others. Some of the programs that I really enjoyed using in class and will definitely use in my future classroom are: WebQuest, Kahoot, google drive, timetoast, lino, vennage, and tagaloo. Each of these websites are used for different purposes and are simple to use.

      The first time I used WebQuest was for my inquiry lesson during fieldwork. This is an interactive websites that allows students to be engaged while exploring. Teachers can create their own website or use one that already exists. It is great for all grade levels as well. WebQuest is great for teaching Inquiry lessons.

        Kahoot is a learning game using multiple choice questions, discussion, surveys etc. I never made a Kahoot yet, but other people in my class have. I really enjoyed being a part of this because I really felt like I was playing a game. The way it works is everyone signs in and makes their own username which is fun because I get to be creative when making up a name. Then, questions and answers are shown on the main board and then you pick the answer you think is correct with the corresponding color. Depending on how fast you answer and if the answer is correct determines if you will win. I really enjoyed this because I am competitive and always want to win. Kahoot is great for quizzes, or checking for understanding after a lesson or topic is taught. 

       Google Drive is a tool on google which allows people to create documents, slides, and quizzes etc. on their computers. I really like using this because everything saves automatically so it decreases the chances of losing work. I also like this tool because you can work on things collaboratively. Multiple people can be working on the same thing at once in different places, which is really convenient for group work and projects. It is also very easy to navigate so it is good for all grade levels. 

      TimeToast is a program used to create timelines. It is very simple to use and very interactive. The way it works is you just type in a date, add a description and facts, and add a picture and then it automatically saves and creates a timeline. I liked this because it was very easy to see when events happened and what events happened first. I also liked the pictures because it was engaging to look at and made it easier to see what the text was talking about. This is great for students in the classroom to use when creating timelines or events that happened.

       Vennage is a tool used to make PosterBoards. Using Vennage makes things seen in an easy way while also being nicely decorated. It was easy to work and there are so many different settings and options that are available to use. I used this for creating my PosterBoard of the layers of Earth's atmosphere. I used different shapes and colors so that students can see the distinction between each atmosphere. Vennage can be used to show any information about any topic. 

        Tagaloo is a tool that puts a bunch of different words in a collage of a shape. The way this works is you enter the words that you wish then you hit submit. The program generates the words into different sizes and dirextions. When it is finished it is a group of words that form a beautiful picture, This tool is great to use for different groups of words such as: vocabulary words, verbs, and words involving specific topics. This tool is also great for children of all ages. 

       These are just some of the programs that I learned about in this classroom and I cannot wait to use them in my future classrooms! I cant wait to learn and explore even more programs everyday so that I can use them in my current classes and when I actually teach. Technology makes learning topics fun because it engages students in different ways.