Software Support Tools
Tools for Teachers and Grade 6 ELA students
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Graphics Generators: Google Drawings | Information about Google Drawings
Google Drawings are simple to use to create graphics. The can be more sophisticated, allowing students and teachers to provide instructions, links, diagrams, and references. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Google Drawings is easy to use, but also flexible. Students can use them to demonstrate understanding or to create digital badges or bumper stickers to be used in Social Media, providing visual evidence of their learning.. Both teachers and students can create engaging and attractive graphics to make work and publications more appealing. Adobe Post | Information about Adobe Post Adobe Post is an App which is currently available for free to iOS (Apple) users. An Android version is in the works. It is great to create social media images that could be used online as well as on blogs by a media-savvy teacher. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Adobe Post is simple and beautiful. The app is free and there are free design elements embedded into it. Also, it allows for use of your own photos seamlessly. Students can use this to create memes or representations of ideas they are using. The pictures created could be posted in a variety of places, such as a Padlet board. Testing and Assessment Tools:Zaption | Information about Zaption
Zaption offers teachers the ability use existing YouTube videos and integrate questions for students to reply to. Zaption provides teachers a way to flip learning, engage students with questions, and monitor learning. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Data on the assessments is gathered, allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of topics in an engaging way. Teachers can share this data with students, allowing them to be part of the learning and goal-setting process. Students cannot fast-forward through videos, but must watch in order to answer questions posed, requiring them to complete all the material. This is a "Freemium", so that some aspects are free and others are paid. Playpostit | PlayPostIt Blog (formerly Educanon) Simliar to Zaption, PlayPostIt (formenerly Educanon) also provides students with the ability to watch videos and answer questions. This is an engaging way for students to review. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Teachers can reuse and revise existing lessons, which are engaging for students. Also, students can review existing lessons as a way to review information. Students can use the video lessons to review and practice difficult information, seeking to develop mastery. |
Planning and Organizing Tools:Remind | Information about Remind
Remind is a student and parent communication tool for parents using texting as the vehicle for communication. Teachers can send Remind texts for students and parents without giving out their own phone information. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Most middle school and above students have phones that can receive texts. Teachers can easily inform parents and students about upcoming assignment, new information, travel times on field trips, etc. This allows students to maintain up-to-date knowledge about assignments and important details of class responsibilities. Voxer | Information about Voxer Voxer is a digital walkie-talkie that teachers can use as a PLC/PLN to share information. Voxer's benefit is primarily for teacher collaboration, but also could be used with parents. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Voxer is easy to use to leave voice messages for individuals or groups. It requires a sign-in and approval to join a group. It allows for asynchronous participation. Teachers could post links, written comments and also add typed ones and images. It probably would not be usable for students, but students would benefit because of teacher collaboration to make lessons better for all students. Research AND Reference TOOLS:Google Scholar | Information about Google Scholar
Google Scholar is available independently at www.scholar.google.com as well as through the "Tools" tab, "Research" sub-tab on Google Docs and Google Slides. It is an easy way for students, especially at sixth grade level, to get into the habit of seeking high-quality, easily cited research information. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Google Scholar's ease of use, coupled with the high level information available, provides an ideal situation for students to learn appropriate ways to do scholarly research. It allows students to easily cite information, preparing them to be responsible digital citizens. Gale Virtual Reference Library | Information about GRVL (Access this through a public library, such as the Orange County Public Library eLibrary links then look for Gale in the A-Z listing). While GRVL requires a bit more sophistication to use, it is an easily accessible scholarly resource to provide access to students. Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: Students benefit from learning to research from peer reviewed resources. The become more discerning users of information, when they develop an understanding of the difference between blog-posts and peer reviewed research. GRVL provides another avenue for seeing this contrast. |
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