Assignment #2

As a student, how many times did you get home from school only to realize that you forgot the homework assignment for the day? How many times did you leave from class, confidently knowing the material, only to open your book a few hours later and not have a single clue how to find the interior angles of a transversal, or even what a transversal is in the first place? For some students those worries are a thing of the past. Why? Because their teachers use blogs as part of their teaching, actively posting homework assignments, helpful reminders on the day’s lesson, and even responding to student questions before class the next day.

Not only do blogs help teachers access students in today’s ever increasingly technology centered world, they can also provide a place where students post their work, reflect on the day’s class, or connect with their peers or teachers. Imagine being able to get feedback on the day’s lesson from every student in the class, easily compiled and sorted using Google docs, or have an open chat session where students can post their (class related) comments and concerns.

Some other technology resources to consider:

·         www.goanimate.com   - Courtesy of Rebecca Garland, a guest poster on theEmergingEdTech website. Allows students (or teachers) to create animated sequences to convey information. Could be used for students to show comprehension or for a teacher who wants to use a new creative way to give the syllabus.

·         www.youtube.com - (blocked in some school districts) Hundreds of educationally valid videos showing everything from a proof of Pythagorean Theorem using tape, to 3d images of the most giant stars in the universe.

·         www.twitter.com -Students can use twitter in the classroom to see what experts in the subject are saying about the latest finding in real time.