Iman Smidi: EDUC560 Apps

1. Blogger:

Allows to write personal notes and reflections.
One can also write articles and posts.
Teachers can use it to publish students' works or their own works.
To create a blog, go to www.blogger.com. You must have an active email address to synchronize with.
Add your name, blog description.
For decoration, design and appearance, do to design theme, customize and then advance.
Add labels, pages archive and gadgets to make your blog more organized.
To add profile picture or personal information, go to about me and edit.
To add a post, new post.
A blog is similar to a Facebook. Yet more secure and educational.

2. Google Forms:

Used to make online quizzes or activities.
Used for surveys.
It is as useful as Microsoft word. The advantage is that it is connected to Google Drive.
To make a quiz : drive - more - forms - templates - blank - choose a theme - put title - write description start numbering and writing the questions and selecting the type of the answers.Go to the setting - select quiz - make this a quiz - save.
we can add points next to each question: answer key - add answer feedback - add the correct answer - add the relevant points
To add a question, click on the plus button.
If a question is a must to answer like their names and sections, press on required.
To reorder the question, go to settings, presentation, shuffle question order.
If the document is Microsoft Word, we can not edit it on drive, 1st transform it into Google Form: upload Microsoft document to Drive - open with Google Docs - edit.

3. Google Drive:

It is where we can save and share all of our work for a life time.
To save on it: drive - new - folder - name it - change its color.
Teachers can use it for coordination. Exams can be shared with the ability to modify or just to have a view without editing. The history of any writing or edition is saved. If I sent version A, and received version B, while I want to keep my version A: file - version history - see version history - restore version A.
It makes the communication between teachers-teachers, students-students, and teachers-students easier and faster.

4. Microsoft Word:

It is where most of our work is done. We learned how to use most of tool bar options in previous courses.
We did some practices on the heading, how to add references, citation and bibliography.
We created a table of content.
The following is the way to apply what we practiced:

- To choose a heading: home - style - heading 1
- To select a subheading of style 2 let's say: home - style - heading 2
- To add references (APA style): insert citation - add new source
- If more than one author is found: after we add a new source, edit
- Fill in all the required blanks, depending on the type of the source
- If we need to add more information while referencing: show all
- If after referencing we need to edit the reference: edit, source
- To make a table of references (after adding the references): references - table of contents - choose style
- To update the table of references (after adding any reference): select the whole table - double click on the table - update table

Image result for webinar icon

5. Webinar:

It is used like a way of communication. It is a kind of online meeting or conference.
You watch and listen to a live recording done by people who want to shore their thoughts and ideas.
to attend a webinar you must register before.
You must take the time difference into consideration.
It saves money and time. All what you need is a tablet (computer, iPad, or smart phone) plus you need access of internet connection.
Communication through comments is available, conversation is allowed too.
you can meet with people throughout the whole world by attending the webinar.
it is useful for teachers if they want to give online sessions.

6. Padlet:

It is an application where the teacher can ask a question or open a discussion about a topic.
It is an empty wall where the questions appear at the top of the wall.
Students double click on the wall to add answers, opinion or ideas about the teacher's suggestions.
The teacher can control students responses by giving the permission to comment, like or dislike or even rate.
Each student will have a room on the wall with a chosen color to that space to write and express.
In classes, it allows the teacher to have and read all of her students answers and students can see each others answers and have a discussion on it at the same time.
It saves time and minimizes noise during class discussion.

7. Rubrics:

It is an application used to facilitate the teacher's evaluation of a certain work, task or project.
Applications that provides ready rubrics is rubistar and irubric.
It is found ready to serve the different tasks' evaluation the teacher asks students for.
It includes evaluations with different criteria.
It is detailed and precised.
The percentage on each criterion is equally distributed.
After signing in on any rubric application, you click on rubrics, then gallery.
You choose the topic, type of project and grade level.
There is a number of forms the teacher can choose and modify according to her assignment or project.
After modifying, you save the changes.
You can add your rubric using a link or by taking a screenshot. If you need a hard copy you just print it out.

8. Kahoot, Polleverywhere, Quizlet:

These are applications used by the teachers to check students' understanding.
They provide outlines that look attractive and funny for students.
The teacher can evaluate her students in a fast, easy way.
They are interactive, game like and can be done according to the teacher's assessment that is based on the objective she taught.

9. Infograph:

It is an application that allows a teacher to make bridge plans and summarize steps she or he would like to follow in a certain period of time in sequence.
you can make you own design and add different pictures.
you can visit canva or pictochart for more resources.
make sure of the font size, color contrast, heading and subtitles format.

10. Activinspire:

It is the application we can use when we have smart boards in schools
the teacher can design her lesson in an interactive way
there are many tools like the magic ink, spot light, reveler, containers, tracing
it works on the same concept as power point plus micro soft word but with more interactive tools and the advantage is that students can use them by themselves.
students are given chances to work, solve, edit as if they are working on their own sheet or even tabs
everything is saved for future use
it facilitates the teacher's job in class by having the students all participate specially if provided on computers in a lab

11. Google Slides:

it is an application that allows you and people from different places and spots to work on a project without being there physically.
it have same feature like power point but a bit limited
the advantage is that members can have online chat on the drive, work without setting specific dates and without having to be formally dressed :)
working on the slides is observed by other members.
members can modify and add on the slides
everything would be automatically saved in the drive for all the members
it can be used for lesson plans or even presentations.

Iman Smidi

EDUC560 Apps