Standard chosen from the Alabama Course of Study - English Language Arts (2021) Grade 4
R3. Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.
Jamboard is a digital whiteboard for collaborating. Students and teachers can see shared presentations in real time and collaborate from anywhere. It is completely free and intended for any age. It can be used on a Jamboard device, in the Google browser, or downloaded as an app on an IOS or Android device, though touch screens are more compatible. It is ideal for schools who use Google Education Suite because files are easily saved to users' Google Drives. I chose Common Sense as the review site because it is a leading trusted organization with professional and peer reviews.
Classkick is similar to Jamboard as it is also a digital whiteboard used for collaborating. Students and teachers can see shared presentations in real time and collaborate from literally anywhere. There are both paid versions and teacher/district paid versions available. It can also be used in a web browser or downloaded as an app on an IOS or Android device, though touch screens are more compatible for this app as well. Again, I chose Common Sense as the review site because it is a leading trusted organization with professional and peer reviews.
Canva is an app meant for creating visuals. Students can create presentations, posters, cards, social media posts, artwork and more. There are paid and free versions of the app. I personally pay $12.95 per month for the pro version because I use it for my school's social media posts, presentations, posters for my classroom, and so much more. The intended age group is 10+ and it can be used in a browser or downloaded as an app on an IOS or Android device. Finally, I chose Common Sense as the review site once more because it is a leading trusted organization with professional and peer reviews.
While I absolutely love all three of these apps, the one I choose as best is Classkick. Classkick has ideas and pre-made lessons for teachers. The activities can be as interactive as the teacher wants them to be, and the assignments can be used for assessments as well as engagement. There are also many accessibility features, specifically an audio tool that students find extremely helpful.
I love and I am Very interested in the visiting the websites of Jamboard and Classclick. I have heard of the Jamboard before but have never used it. I have not heard of Classclick. As a collaborative teacher I don't get a chance to use most technology. However, this assignment has been eye-opening and enlightening. I love that both apps allow the teacher to view what the student is doing in "real time". The teacher is about to provide constructive feedback so that the student can make immediate corrections. I also like that It is also private and between student and teacher.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing some new apps! I have used Jamboard at a professional training but never in my class. I think it would be great especially on digital learning days. I have never used Classkick. I am interested in checking that one out. I have a school social media page as well, so I am very excited to check out Canva. I am the new media specialist at an elementary school. It looks like it will be awesome for the students to use for projects. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love Canva and use it for everything. I do have the paid full version because my husband has a small business, and we both found it worth it to purchase the full version. I use Canva almost daily for everything from advertisements to assignments. It is a huge recommend from me.
ReplyDeleteJamboard is something that I had never heard of until fall of 2021 when Aimee Weathers did a presentation for Faculty Commons on Jamboard with the help of four students from the education program. It was such an informative session, and I was really impressed with everything Jamboard could do. I actually recognized that my son's teacher was using it and had previously wondered what app she had used to make her virtual classroom. I haven't explored it further, but would definitely like to revisit it to see what capabilities it has that could be applied to college classrooms.