678 Artifact 2

Hello Class, 

 For my article 2 selection I decided to pick the assignment that I utilized the most this semester.  During Module 2, we had to do a "tech tool hunt" and post 3 new tools that we would try utilizing in the classroom.  I was already looking to add more tech into my daily lessons, so this was just a push in that direction.  I am happy to say that I used all three of the tech tools I reviewed, but better yet have cherry picked through all of the other ones that my classmates selected.  Again, that is the most valuable part of this class, the discussions and ideas we learn about from our peers.  
The tool I used the most was tesTeach.com.  With this tool you literally can turn any webpage into a lesson.  It is a Google extension which is perfect because we utilize chromebooks at our school.  You set it up by going to the webpage you want students to view, add questions, almost making it a webquest for that page, and even videos or other content.  I used this tool often to present current SCIENCE in the News.  I really want students to read about actual science happening out there in the real world.  With this tool I can pull up an article, add questions, maybe even a video, and make it a webquest on current news.  I could really see this being an authentic activity for science in action going forward and excited that I came across this tool!

The story bird website also has some real benfits! One of the assignments I do in Ecology is called the Environmental Children’s Book.  My high school students write a children’s book on an environmental issue. It is a great project already, but after discovering Storybird, think it’s safe to say we have an upgrade for next year!  This is an amazing website where students can create comics, graphic novels, picture books, or even longer stories. It also focuses on the art aspect and illustrations. There is a free trial, but unfortunately it looks like I would need to get a grant or use some department money to get a teacher subscription.  I am going to pilot it myself first, then see if it is worth the money. I could see this being huge with many classes, especially classes that have creative writing applications. The user interface seems pretty easy to navigate as well, and the graphics are superb! Looking forward to trying this one out and possible applying it to the Children’s Book assignment in Ecology.

The real strength of this module though were the wealth of other sites that were suggested by my classmates. Here are some of the ones that I visited and utilized in class this semester:
-Kahoot-Quizlet-Peardeck-EdPuzzle-Flipgrid
I plan on strengthening my skills on each of these going forward and see a huge benefit to all of them. Especially EdPuzzle... I know that I am going to incorporate that with some lessons in the future, and definitely when I have a substitute teacher.
Thank you to all of my classmates for these great suggestions and giving me more tools in my toolbox to help my students.
Take care,
Jim Nielsen



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