Tech Integration Advice from Pre-Service Teachers

I am nearing the end of my first semester teaching Technology in the Classroom, a course designed to teach pre-service teachers about technology integration. You can read more about my learning goals for the course, our focus on TPACK (technological pedagogical content knowledge), and how we're using Twitter in my guest post on Richard Byrne's Free Tech for Teachers blog. The most recent assignment my students have completed is a multimedia project, which was designed to give them an opportunity to put some of what they've learned into a format that can be shared with future colleagues. My hope is that once my students become beginning teachers, they will be teacher leaders in their schools and help their colleagues embrace instructional uses of technology. 

Assignment description:

Work in pairs to create a multimedia presentation you could use to teach future colleagues about how to integrate a specific technology tool into their classrooms. Your presentation must give teachers a rationale for why they should use the tool, sample ways to use it, and technical instructions for using it. Include at least four different types of media, such as images, text, screenshots, screencasts, podcasts, or videos. You will be responsible for providing feedback on your partner's work as well as your classmates' presentations. A few possible tools to use to build your presentation: VoiceThread, Animoto, Prezi, Popplet, Glogster EDU, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Photo Story.

As my students' completed projects were submitted to Edmodo this week, I have been blown away by the quality of their presentations, and I've learned about some new tools along the way. (Read more about how I use Edmodo as my learning management system.) I've gotten my students' permission to share their projects so other educators can learn from them. They have allowed me to build an extremely useful database of instructional technology resources for teachers, and I hope you'll find something here that is helpful to you.

Class Dojo by Caitlin Jones & Erin Schudde

Edmodo by Michael Judd & Jordan White

Edmodo by Alex Hughes & Jeremy Smith

Glogster by Caitlan Reese

Glogster by Taylor Oliver & Cara Zell

Google Earth by Brenna Poole

Livebinders by Megan Turnmyre & Lauren Walker

Popplet by Chelsea Hill & Erica Schroeder

Popplet by Sarah Cody and Carlee Carpenter

Prezi by Erin DeBord and Cregg Laws

Using Web Tools in the Classroom (Prezi, Symbaloo, Google Earth, & Glogster) by Ashlee Greer & Katina Peck

Virtual Field Trips by Krystalle Hewitt & Amber Miller