PowerTeacher Mobile

Application Review: PowerTeacher Mobile
Reference: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/powerteacher-mobile/id390563073?mt=8

Review/Summary:  This is an application for use with the online PowerTeacher Gradebook.  At first, I didn’t think this would be that useful.  After working with it, I found it very useful for sharing grades with both parents and students.

Reflection:  The usefulness of this tool is the immediate feedback.  The tool allows you to show a student or parent the immediate effect an assignment has on their grade.  This is also quite useful for use with immediate grading or spot checks for homework.

TestWise Online Testing

Web-Tool Review: TestWise Online Testing
Reference: http://www.testingforschools.com/

Review/Summary:  This is an online tool used for pre- and post-assessments of students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.  The tool allows for the district or classroom teacher to load a test and have the students take the test online.  The feedback provided is immediate and drives student placement from year to year.  In addition to testing, the web tool also can be used as a tutoring instructor.  This was used with several of our after school tutoring students this year.

Reflection:  The usefulness of this tool is the immediate feedback.  The tool allows you to test a student and then determine their strengths and weaknesses.  The online problem I have with the tool is it only allows for multiple-choice questions.  It does have all of the features expected of a district level software and the data aggregation reports are amazing.

Infinite Pre-Algebra

Program Review: Infinite Pre-Algebra
Reference: http://www.kutasoftware.com/

Review/Summary:  This is a PC based application for use in a Pre-Algebra classroom.  The software is a collection of instructional and assessment questions.  In addition to creating tests and worksheets for use in the classroom, the questions are directly exportable to a student response system like eInstruction’s CPS. The software is a little on the more expensive side but there is a free trial and a variety of free worksheets and export files available as well.

Reflection:  This is an excellent resource for middle school math teachers as it gives a compilation of questions for use in the classroom.  The questions range from extremely easy to very difficult.  This program is perfect for two types of instruction.  The first type is skill practice.  The second is interaction through a system like the CPS. The amount of time saved by using this program is phenomenal.

Application Review: Geogebra

Application Review: Geogebra
Reference: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

Review/Summary:  This open source software is a wonderful tool for use in any middle or high school math class.  The software is designed to be a replica of a paid software called Geometer’s Sketchpad. The application allows for the manipulation and development of two major area of mathematics: Geometry and Algebra.  For geometry, this tool is useful for creating all sorts of shapes and develops theorems and basic understanding of a concept.  For algebra, this tool is useful in displaying all sorts of functions and other equations.  In addition, the program can be used to create data charts for the equations as well.

Reflection:  Having used this software in class, I can attest to the power it has.  The software is an excellent tool for developing the students understanding of more abstract concepts like similarity of triangles and their theorems.  In addition to its power with geometry, the software very easily lends itself to graphing equations and making function tables.  This helps to drive home the meaning behind terms like directly proportional and linear as well as nonlinear.

Web-Tool Review: WolframAlpha

Web-tool Review: WolframAlpha
Reference: http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Review/Summary:  This amazing website is a computation engine.  From determining the day you were born to telling the number of calories in 10 jellybeans, it allows you to enter data and get an answer.  What makes this more useful than a cursory search is the fact that it allows you to make variables and modify an answer to your needs.  This is great for use in any classroom as it allows for research, application, and interpretation of the task at hand.

Reflection:  This is a wonderful tool for all teachers but especially math teachers.  This can be used to model so many problems.  From equations to geometric figures, I am able to show my students a visual or verbal representation and solution to the problem that we are working.  The down side to this site is it is universally accessible, including cell phones.  I have caught several students cheating by using this tool.  As such, I would recommend using it as a teaching tool and talk with the students about the importance of owning their knowledge.

Google Drive

Application/Storage Review: Google Drive

Reference: https://drive.google.com/start#home

Review/Summary:  This storage resource is an amazing tool developed by Google.  Integrated with Gmail and the host of Web Apps that Google has created, this tool can be used to upload, download, and store files across the world.  The use of this tool in the classroom is amazing as each student can share to a class email account the documents and materials they create.  With a free 5GB of storage, this has to be one of the best solutions Google has every created.

Reflection:  With this being a brand new technology, I have only tested this with my students once so far.  The amazing thing about this is its integration with sync folders on my computer.  I am able to link what the kids create in Google Docs to my home computer and grade their work without having to move anything.  In addition, it is linked to all of the other parts of my Google life.  I am able to access it whenever, where ever.  Within the next 2 months, this will probably replace my Dropbox account.

Blog Review: TED-Ed - Lessons Worth Sharing

Blog Review: TED-Ed - Lessons Worth Sharing
Reference: http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/

Review/Summary:  This article focused on the creation and use of TED talks resources in the classroom.  TED-Ed is an outreach from the people who create the TED talks used in a variety of areas to inform people about issues and technology in our world.  TED-Ed is an attempt to take this information and make it student friendly especially for elementary and middle grades.

Reflection:  I have never used this resource in my class but it does seem interesting.  In addition to providing content in an interesting way, it also is very useful for brushing up on content before teaching.  The videos are somewhat similar to a subscription that we use in our county called Brain Pop but this has two advantages.  First, it is free to use.  Second, the videos can be saved indefinitely on your computer.  The only disadvantage is that the videos are hosted through YouTube.  For our district this is not a problem as teachers can access and display the page; however, in other counties this cannot be done.

Application Review: National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM)

Application Review: National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM)

Reference: http://nlvm.usu.edu/

Review/Summary:  This application is a java-based application used to further mathematical concepts and understandings.  The application comes in two different flavors.  The first type is the free online version.  These can be used by anyone anywhere java is already installed.  The second flavor is a paid version, which allows the user to install the manipulatives on their individual computer.  The advantage to the second flavor is load time is much faster and much more responsive when interacting.

Reflection:  Both my students and I have used this tool very successfully throughout this school year.  It is a powerful tool to demonstrate more abstract concepts to them and they love the way that they work.  As for the version to use, I prefer the paid version but have the students use the online version.  The amount of content covered in the manipulatives is very extensive and offers a greater access to these tools than the traditional classroom set.  I would really recommend any math teacher to invest in this tool.

Application Review: Splashtop Whiteboard

Application Review: Splashtop Whiteboard
Reference: http://www.splashtop.com/whiteboard
Review/Summary:  This application is used for a variety of opportunities for students and the teacher to interact with content in a classroom.  The application itself is a streaming application used to view the screen of a laptop or desktop that is connected to a projector.  It can be used to annotate and exhibit PowerPoint and other documents.  This allows for both the teacher and students to interact with the content on the screen/board without them actually having to write on the board or be tied to the front of the room.   Its cost is $19.99 and is an excellent tool to use in the classroom.

Reflection:  Having personally used this tool, I find it truly amazing.  Throughout the year, I have been able to take my iPad and have the students write on it to display their work and thinking.  In a math class, this is absolutely critical for them to be able to do.   In addition to this, I am not tied to the front of my room.  As such, classroom management is much easier; it is also easier to ensure each child is on task.  Finally, this replaces the need for a Smart board.  This is positive in two ways.  First, it is much cheaper and easier to maintain.  Secondly, there is very little learning curve to using this application.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Educational Technology: What Are We Attempting to Measure?

Reference: Jenkinson, J. (2009). Measuring the Effectiveness of Educational Technology: What Are We Attempting to Measure? Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 273-280. http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ872411.pdf.

Review/Summary:  This article addressed the problems currently seen with the evaluation and use of technology in the classroom.  This applies to much of what we read in the articles posted for this week and talks specifically about how technology can be made to look both wonderful and useless.  In terms of the wonderful nature of technology, the article references that students are able to achieve success with concepts and ideas they might not normally be successful with.  On the other hand, the article references the idea that technology could lead to time wasting and being off task.  In the end it asks the question, what are we trying to measure with the effectiveness of technology?  Is it technological skills or content skills?


Reflection:  I feel as though this article made some great points about the research being done on the effectiveness of technology.  Many people measure technology and its impact through the success one would see in a content standard.  This is probably an incorrect way to look at it.  Technology's impact cannot be separated from the effects it has on the student's ability to be a productive digital citizen.  Although some of these skills can be picked up later in life, much of what would make a student able to use more advanced technology needs to be taught as a foundation and not an afterthought.  Through the use of technology, students can learn more and unlock more ideas and make more practical connections to what they have learned.  The impact of this research truly solidifies the idea that an ounce of digital learning is worth a pound of future educational knowledge.  I believe students that use technology and learn the skills earlier will have access and the ability to use technology to foster their understanding and learning in the future.