I’m just now beginning to feel comfortable enough to start using technology more in my classroom. There is so much to learn about teaching, that I sometimes feel like a new teacher all over again. The learning curve is steep and I’ve been immersed in just learning the curriculum and some teaching strategies the last few months. I still haven’t figured out how to use technology on a regular basis in the classroom, but I’m sure it will come easier as the year progresses. Being out of the classroom for so many years and then returning is a humbling experience. Right now, my only solution was to establish an after school technology club. Students in the club teach others in the classroom what they learn after school. It seems to be working.
Last week, we took our first adventure into screencasting. I used the Explain Everything App for the iPad. I prefer all the possibilities this app has to offer. In this screencast, a student explains how to find prime factors using the Factorization Tree strategy.
I think this is one of the best formative assessments I’ve used so far. Not only does it inform me that I have to be more explicit with my math vocabulary, but it allows the students to meta-cognitively think about their own learning, teach others, and reflect on their sharing. They can compare their explanations to what they watch on Khan Academy (example: Prime Factorization).
Additionally, my students will learn from each other. That’s the best part!
The only thing I regret right now is that I don’t have time to do this in class, and have to wait until after school to do this. Hopefully, we will get to the place where this can happen in the classroom. I can’t wait until next week, when we get to do some more!
