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Random shout out - anyone from Jaipur, India?
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This will help tons!
Best apps during Distance Learning so far?
For anyone using Khan Academy and Canvas I made a free application built on a Google Spreadsheet that reads in Khan Academy CSV files and sends the scores to the Canvas gradebook. Demo video below and link to site. Hope it helps someone! The setup takes a bit but it has made grading Khan exercises so much easier and quicker.
Demo: https://youtu.be/oQoVrhpp7R0
Website: https://apps.joshbunzel.com/docs/khan2canvas/
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Honestly, I think it's a combination of both. In my district we have many older more seasoned educators and they tend not to be as technology saave due to the era they were trained in. This, they tend to shy away from it because it is uncomfortable for them and it may mean they need to take some classes/professional development to catch and keep up with the new trends. However, some of the newer educators are not aware of how to integrate technology into their classrooms to make learning more interactive and fun for their students. Some of them view technology as another chore or add-on that they do not have time for or want to take the time to master.
Also send out a Google survey asking the teachers what they need.
On that same note, I have found that many veteran teachers like having 1:1 training more than large groups.
There are so many teachers resistant to technology bc they don't know how to use it. Not only that, but they do not want to learn how to use any of it. Another problem is cell phones; not for the students, but for those that resist them. Instead of trying to keep cell phones hidden, let's teach teachers and students how to use them effectively in the classroom. Have your students download apps they can use--Infinite Campus (to check their own grades), Google Classroom, Remind, Google Drive, etc. Have them look stuff up, like words they don't know. Embrace it is my philosophy.
Invest in Prometheum Boards where they can be placed anywhere in the room and teachers won't lose whiteboard space. Second, please invest in the district on GoGuardian and provide the right training to use it. Older teachers may be a bit more open to it if they can block students from going on other websites and not being on task with the lesson. My students were tech savvy that I had to be one step ahead and block sites all the time. I felt I was being more of a web portal police report than an educator. As a teacher that can be frustrating and some may just then give up. Train teachers in grade level bands as some programs used by grade levels will be more open to q & a and participating, rather than being talked at.
I think technology is rarely individualized. It’s just mass distributed and in that regard, a waste of money. An example of this is the roll out of interactive whiteboards—every single classroom had to have one when there were many more pressing things I needed in my classroom. I could have held off on an interactive whiteboard. Furthermore, they just moved me to a new classroom and the interactive whiteboard already in the classroom is bolted on top of my only whiteboard (what sense does that make) and its all the way to the far left of the classroom—making viewing very awkward. Another example is when they installed the internet services in my school (before my time as a teacher) they installed the wiring, router, modem hardware DEAD CENTER ON MY CLASSROOM WALL. That’s taking up valuable wall space that could be used for educational purposes.
I believe technology should have much more flexibility in design to allow any future teacher or user to be able to use it however they need it to be used. That will increase the value of technological investments. The two situations I listed show how a lack of thoughtful design negatively impacts users years later...
I think taking a technology needs assessment that is truly comprehensive of everyone’s needs is a start.
I have worked in many schools. There will be teachers who are totally into integrating and sharing new technology and teachers who are totally disinterested. There’s a third category of teachers who are willing to learn ONLY when they see their colleagues having epic amounts of success. For instance, I recruited a lot of teachers in my office to GradeCam this year and to having class IG accounts only because they saw the success I was having, but I know they would not have been on board if it was presented in a staff meeting or training
I did technology at my previous campus & tbh most teachers were very hesitant. One thing I would constantly hear was..."great, more technology"
Technology scared them but (1) it seemed like a major reason was "the unknown "
(2) Sadly for as much as they felt like it was a waste because they never had enough 1 on 1 training... they also complained when training was offered because it was wasting their classroom time🤦♀️🤷♀️
In the end I felt like finding things they could easily implement with minimal training but high end results was the best way I could help.
I think that they enjoyed having someone there the could easily call on but as a Tech instructor I think it's important to also help guide them in being a little responsible for themselves.
I think it’s a combo of both, to be honest.