Educational TechnologyBest practices in an English classroom

DR. CHRIS GREER JESSICA DUNLAPBRITTNEY MANOWSKI TRICIA LEWISGEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY

WebQuests

Very useful inquiry-oriented activity for K-12 education

Can be done as a group activityor as individuals

WebQuest.org is a great resource

WebQuests

Introduce new activities

Provide information about the activity

Allow readers to understand the thinking process

Accommodate visual learners

Best if used as a supplement with other activities

Students can visually see how their ideas relate to other ideas

WebQuests

Pre-reading or after-reading activities

Instructions

Processes

Evaluations

Theories and ideas

Interactive PowerPointCommon uses of Interactive PowerPoint Presentations

Learning new information

Reviewing learned information

Student assessment

Example

Other uses

Virtual field trip (Example)

Interactive stories

Digital Storytelling

Combines the art of storytelling with modern computer applications

Allows hands-on interaction from students, can be a highly effective learning activity

Promotes creativity as well as collaboration among the students

Needed

Relatively modern computer

Video editing software (Moviemaker or iMovie will be fine, beware of Vista)

Still images (acquired freely on the web, or use digital camera)

Microphone

Photostory can be very useful as well

How is it used?

Promotes digital literacy

Helps with creative writing

Aids communication skills

Allows for a wide range of creativity

Assessment

Promotes creative writing by providing an alternative form of assessment

Teachers can concentrate on different areas:

Grammar

Clarity of writing

Content

Example

QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Podcasting

Have students record poems, short stories, or other works using iPods or computer microphones

Use Garageband or another media program (like Sony ACID) to set them to music or add sound effects (demo)

use iTunes U to set up podcasts

Digital Cameras

Use still photography or video to help visual learners

Add pictures to student-written text

Have students act out scenes and record them

Use them to capture tableau, dialogue, or other exercises

Internet

Website

Blogging

Social network groups

E-mail groups

Video Games

Karaoke Revolution / Singstar for improving fluency

Word-based games for improving vocabulary

Questions?

This presentation is available for download:

http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~cgreer/