Technology
Technology is an excellent tool that has a significant place in my classroom. PowerPoint presentations, research databases, and video clips are all useful to fulfill state standards and daily learning objectives. I firmly believe that technology should never be used as a replacement for the teacher; it should be used as a tool to enhance learning objectives within specifically structured lessons.
ibooks and ipads
The 2013 iRaleigh initiative in Raleigh County Schools brought an exciting change to my school, Trap Hill Middle School. Each student in the entire county was given an iPad for school use throughout the year. As such, I found many ways to use the iPad throughout the year to strengthen Language Arts instruction.
One such way I utilized the iPad was by creating my own ebooks for students to download and read on their iPads. Each book was its own separate unit of materials. Students could read at home, have the books read aloud to them ,and use functions such as highlighting, definitions, note-taking all on their own iPad. |
I had the opportunity to teach about this fantastic application in August 2014 in a professional developmental course for other educators. You can view my presentation at the link below. Additionally, you may download and preview any of my books to your own Apple device by following the appropriate link. Enjoy!
iRaleigh Summit - iBooks Professional Development Presentation by Andrea Shaffer
iRaleigh Summit - iBooks Professional Development Presentation by Andrea Shaffer
NIght webquest
As outlined in the Night WebQuest, my students are able to use pre-determined internet resources in order to research present-day genocide cases, create an awareness project, and relate the events in the novel to events that still exist in the world today. My students are able to use online resources applied to current events in order to broaden their understanding of the underlying themes in Elie Wiesel’s novel.
You can view the entire webquest that my students used on this website by following this link! If you would like to view a brief three page preview, download the designated file.
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Visualizing Sounds Writing Workshop
I also enjoy incorporating sound clips into my classroom instruction. During a writing mini-lesson on word choice and descriptive language, I used sound effects to help my students visualize what can occur in any given scenario. Students listened to a sound clip, illustrated what they heard, and then wrote about what they drew. This unique style of pre-writing helped many visual learners get more of their thoughts onto paper once they had visualized and illustrated the images first. Visit the link below on Clyp.it to listen to the sound clips I used in class.
Clyp.it: Visualizing Sounds Workshop
Clyp.it: Visualizing Sounds Workshop
Christmas Carol review game
To prepare my students for their final test on Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol, I created a fun game that encouraged cooperative learning, and reviewed important concepts from the novel that would be on the final test.
subjective versus objective writing
For a unique anticipatory set (designed to instantly engage my students), my cooperating teacher and I staged an argument at the beginning of class throughout the day. After my teacher left the room, I asked all the students to write down exactly what happened so that I could give it to the principal, if needed, since this would probably be my last day of student teaching. After collecting the papers, my teacher came back into the room and we discussed the difference between subjective and objective writing.
Many of the students wrote down their own subjective opinion on what had happened between their teachers. To show them objectively what happened, I also filmed the argument as it occurred and instantly played it again for the students to compare their scenario with the actual event.
By using this video in class, students were able to instantly compare their thoughts with what actually occurred, and the difference between subjective and objective writing became much clearer.
Many of the students wrote down their own subjective opinion on what had happened between their teachers. To show them objectively what happened, I also filmed the argument as it occurred and instantly played it again for the students to compare their scenario with the actual event.
By using this video in class, students were able to instantly compare their thoughts with what actually occurred, and the difference between subjective and objective writing became much clearer.
additional technology
The above examples cannot do justice to my technological expertise. I have incorporated many other technological applications into instruction when it enhances my lesson objectives, such as PowerPoint presentations, numerous applications on the iPad, original YouTube videos, original song creations from Audacity, website creation, LiveJournal (as a forum for classroom discussion), and much more!
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