5 Technology Resources A History Teacher Should Try

This will be my last blog post so I thought I would end with a handful of technology resources that I have found engaging for my curriculum along with one I am eager to try.

 

1. Word Clouds*- To get students familiar with vocabulary or to begin a class discussion word clouds are a great tool to utilize. There are several online word cloud generators. The two I use most are Wordle and ABCya . For my Industrial Revolution unit I had my students create words clouds listing 10 positives and 10 negatives of the Gilded Age. Click the link to see the handout that accompanied this assignment. For other ideas on how to incorporate Word Clouds in your classroom click this link. 

2. DocsTeach*- DocTeach is a website that branched off from archives.gov. DocsTeach is a History teachers dream! The great thing about DocsTeach is that there are interactive multimedia games and activities for students to play based off primary source documents. Teachers can even personalize activities and make their own for students to complete. Click here to see one of the activities I made for Civil Rights Activists.

3. Prezi*- Instead of having students make a PowerPoint presentation encourage them to make a Prezi instead. Even though most of my students had never even heard of aPrezi before they were able to quickly figure out how to create one. I was very pleased with their presentations and problem solving abilities. Click the link to see a sample Prezi that a group of my students made for the Civil War.

4. Quia*- Quia is a website that allows the teacher to make an assortment of interactive games for their students. Games and activities include matching, jeopardy, hangman, battleship, etc… The downside of this site is there is a fee to create the games. To get around the fee you can usually find other teachers who already created activities. Students can access them for free. I have taken my students to the computer lab a few times to review for their tests using Quia activities. One of the review games I like best is Jeopardy. A teacher named Mr. Kotcher created an entire jeopardy review of US History. Students can play individually or with a partner.

5. Xtimeline- Students can create their own multimedia timelines that can incorporate videos, pictures, and text. I am thinking of using this for an end of the semester assignment.

*= Resources that I have used in with my students.

One last thing… Click on the Google Doc which contains an variety of US History links which I collected over the years. Many of the links are articles, pictures, and videos that you can embed into your PowerPoints.

Make sure you check these two out:

Richest Americans That Ever Lived & The 20s Charleston to the Music of Daft Punk

Online Quizzes/Tests

As most people are aware testing is a major focus in education. Students and Teachers are pressured to score well on standardized testing. I wish this was not the case but it is the reality. As a teacher forced to focus on testing I have attempted to make sure my students are comfortable taking tests.  My favorite technology resource for testing is called QuizStar.

What Does QuizStar Do?

QuizStar is a free and easy to use online program. After creating a FREE online account a teacher can upload student rosters for each period and create customized tests. See website description below

• Create a Class

Our quiz creator allows you to design multimedia quizzes in different formats, including multiple choice, true/false, and short answer. You can also input different language characters.

• Create a Quiz

Our quiz creator allows you to design multimedia quizzes in different formats including multiple choice, true/false, and short answer and in different languages.

• Administer the Quiz

Registered students can complete the quiz online, during a time span you set.

• View Results

Quizzes are graded automatically, and results can be analyzed in multiple formats, including by class, student, and question. Reports can be saved, printed or downloaded in an Excel file.

Why I Like QuizStar

I like QuizStar over other online test generator programs because the test/quizzes a teacher creates can be:

• customizable
• randomized
• timed
• monitored with individualized reports on each student
• set to have a certain number of attempts
• made available for a particular window of time
• can include pictures in the questions
• multiple choice/ true false/ short answer

What Is The Downside

The only issue I have with QuizStar is that you cannot upload tests that you already have. So if you have a 50 question test you have to copy and paste each question and distracter into the boxes. But I usually have my TA do this for me J.

Effectiveness

When I have my students take online quizzes before their actual unit test, students do significantly better. The biggest improvement I see are with my English Language Learner students. These students are allowed to take the practice test up to ten times. Overall I highly recommend using QuizStar.

Let me know in the comment section how you would use QuizStar in your classroom

Create your own Graphic Organizers using PowerPoint

About two years ago I was pulled into the Vice Principal’s office and asked to teach a class of all English Language Learners for US History. Since then I have had one of my five classes dedicated to English Language Learner students. I am required to teach students the CA State Standards for US History while at the same time, help them learn English. My ELLs are very ethnically diverse and there English levels range from 1 to 5. At one point I had eight different native languages represented in one class. To provide extra support for these students I began to utilize graphic organizers significantly more, almost every day. I now use these graphic organizers for all my classes not just for my ELLs. I have found that students grasp concepts much more with the assistance of the graphic organizers. Below are a few examples of graphic organizers I have made.

So how can you make your own graphic organizers? You can make them in Microsoft Word but then you have to deal with formatting pictures and shapes which can become a hassle. I create graphic organizers using Microsoft PowerPoint. Most teachers are familiar with PowerPoint but naturally only think about using it for presentations. Creating personalized graphic organizers with PowerPoint is so easy. Pick a few shapes, add a few lines, and texts and poof instant graphic organizer. With Microsoft Office 2007 and up it offers a Smart Art feature which has graphic organizers to pick from, making it even easier for you. Once you have it the way you like it print it out and make copies for your class. Also since you made it using PowerPoint you can project the graphic organizer on the white board and call on students to fill it in using a dry erase marker. This is defiantly one of my must have tech resources.

Inspiration for your own graphic organizers

In Love With Google Forms

In March of 2011 I attended the C.U.E. (Computer Using Educators) Conference in Palm Springs. The last seminar that I sat in on ended up being the most useful. I forget the presenters name but he was a Chemistry teacher who showed the audience how to create and use Google Forms for the classroom. I had never heard of Google Forms before. If you haven’t either they are located under Google Docs. Google Forms allow you to create online questionnaires or surveys. What is so amazing about Google Forms is that all your students data from the questionnaire is automatically input into an excel spreadsheet to easily reference. I use Google Forms all the time. I am in love with how easy, useful, and efficient it is.

Watch the video below to better understand how Google Forms work

Once you have created a Google Form all you have to do is copy and paste the link to an email, your Facebook, Twitter, or class website. If you don’t have a place to harbor the link you can create a pen.io account. Pen.io is a free and super fast way to make a website with no sign up (literally takes less than 30 seconds). After creating a pen.io account you can embed the Google Form into the pen.io website. This is the way I prefer to do it.

If you need further directions about creating a Google Form click here.

Ways I have used Google Form for the class room include:

·         Class surveys in the beginning of the year

·         Class surveys at the end of the year

·         Online Quizzes

·         Watch a youtube videos and answer the questions

·         Online Handouts

·         Sign up for Projects

More ways to use Google Forms for the classroom

You can also create a Google Form for students to fill out then post another link where they can see their classmate’s responses and you can comment on their responses. I use this often for Projects and Group activities.

Here is a Google Form for you to fill out 

(I embedded the form in a pen.io account)

Click here to see your response and others responses

Using Facebook and Twitter to Connect with Students

After attending conferences on technology integration, conducting research on my own, and working toward a Multimedia Education Masters, I have become convinced as to the power of technology in the classroom. My favorite tech resource that I utilize almost daily is social networking. I have found social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to be useful tools to connect with students as well as provide for personal professional development.

I use Facebook and Twitter to supply students with reminders about assignments, post links and handouts, pose questions, and for motivation. Below are a few examples of how I use these social networking sites to communicate with my students after school hours.

 

A colleague of mine put together these step by step instructions for teachers to create a twitter and a teacher fan page. Note: A teacher FAN PAGE is different than a regular Facebook page. With a FAN PAGE the teacher cannot see student’s personal information or wall. Students will only be allowed to see the teacher's posts and be able to comment on their wall.

Create a Twitter
Twitter is a way to communicate with your students in small, 140 character blurbs.  I like it because students can be your "friend" but you don't have to be theirs.

Step 1: Go to twitter.com.  Click Sign Up.

Step 2: Pick a simple user name that the kids will remember.  Update your bio and picture.

Step 3: Tell your students your username and start "tweeting."  There is a bit of a learning curve here, but understanding the basics is pretty easy.

Create a Class Page on Facebook
Creating a class page on Facebook is similar to twitter, except there are more options (and, in my experience, your students are more likely to have a Facebook account).  By creating a class pages instead of using your Facebook account, you limit their access to just what you want them to see.

Step 1: You'll need a Facebook account.  Like the majority of America, you probably already have one.  Go to Facebook.com and sign up.

Step 2: Suggestion - change your privacy settings on your personal Facebook account so that students can't see your private life.

Step 3: Create a class page (aka fan page).  Choose "public figure" in the lower left hand corner and fill in the information.  Remember that everything you put on this page will be public.  By setting up this class page, students can "like" your page but you don't have to be their friend.

Step 4: Edit your privacy settings on this page.  Do you want this to be a two way communication tool between you and your students?  Or would you prefer it as just a loudspeaker for you?

Step 5: Link your class page and your twitter account so you only have to update the Facebook page.