Our guest blogger this week is Janalyn Byrne in Hispanic Studies and she shares with us the tools she is using that she was introduced to at the Faculty Technology Institute in June 2013.
The FTI this summer was tremendously helpful and I’ve already implemented a few features into my classroom. None of them are particularly life changing, as the curriculum and syllabus requirements of basic language courses are predetermined, but I’ve implemented the following tools thus far:
Google Moderator as a forum for students to post questions and comments prior to exams. My students enjoy using Google Moderator and were able to receive more personalized help they need before an exam. I used their comments to determine what topics to focus on during review sessions and also to clarify details that they missed. Some of them even took to helping each other in the comments section.
PPT games from www.powerpointgames.com, for in-class practice and review prior to exams.
Remind 101 to contact students with reminders about quizzes, exams, and to cancel class last minute.
Also, while I haven’t required it for an assignment, I’ve mentioned Popplet to students and showed them how to use it as a study tool to organize the things they have learned, such as:
Tenses and conjugations/endings
Pronoun charts (subject, direct object, indirect object, reflexive)
Vocabulary words with uploaded corresponding photos
Thank you to the wonderful TLT team for organizing and hosting the 2013 FTI and for the continued classroom and technology support!
