Using Apps in Educational Settings

As the Digital Age of today progresses, traditional lessons in the classroom are evolving into student-personalized digital lessons. There are multiple ways in which technology can enhance whole group instruction, independent practice, and reflection.

Whole Group Instruction

In whole group instruction, teachers traditionally stand in front of the class and lecture to the whole class at the same time. However, an app for Android and iPad/iPhone users called Nearpod, allows teachers to teach students in a personalized way. Nearpod allows teachers to deliver their lessons through phones, tablets, or computers. The teachers can include quizzes, polls, and short answer questions within their lessons. This app allows teachers to get immediate feedback from students while they view their lessons.

Independent Practice

Independent practice can be helpful using screencasts, which are short video lessons that teachers have created. Students have a greater control over their learning because they can rewind, forward, or replay lessons. Educreations, a free iPad app, allows teachers to put their screencasts on the app for the students to view.

Reflection

Many teachers assign students with assignments that require them to reflect what they learned in class. A way to present a reflection can be through videos. See-saw, an app on iTunes and Google Play, lets students create videos and upload it onto the app. The students can create a digital portfolio, which the teacher and other students can view. The class can also comment or like each other’s work.

Source:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/apps-transform-teaching-personalize-learning-ann-feldmann