Undoubtedly, the Covid- 19 pandemic has slowed the
pace of the world. It has closed some businesses temporarily or unfortunately
in some cases permanently. However, such
a pandemic has graced us in a time where technology is king. There are very few things, if any, under the
sun that technology has not impacted.
From banking to medicine and of course the classroom. From PowerPoint presentations to Edmodo and
Google classroom to Cam Scanner, I have it all at my disposal. Covid-19 has
also come at a time of App-sensation. An
individual can talk face to face or share a photo or document with anyone, anytime,
anywhere in the world. A time where
students are creating sticker emojis of their principals. So how do these Apps
fit into an everyday science class or any classroom for that matter? From
gaming apps like Kahoot to popular social media apps like Tic Tok and Twitter
can be used for teaching and learning.
Kahoot is an educational gaming platform that allows
a teacher to set up a quiz and even conduct a survey. The teacher creates a
class and invites students to the class by giving them a pin. Through video conferencing outlets such as
skype and zoom the teacher and students log in at the same time and the games
begin. Click and read a question, select your answer, submit your answer and
done. At the end of each game, scores are available in real-time from highest to
lowest and students know who reigns champion. But here is the best part, a
teacher has marked an assignment for all thirty students in a matter or of
minutes! “Talk about a game-changer”.
I have seen nurses and teachers take to the new kid
on the block Tic Tok to create videos showing off their skills and talents. The very same app can be used by students to
do the same. Students can be placed in groups to create a model of the human
respiratory system or give a presentation on cells. Students can compartmentalize the assignment
for each group member to work on. They can then make a video based on what was
designated for them, then put the pieces together to make one video all from
the comfort of their individual homes.
In this one assignment, a number of Bloom’s Taxonomy has been met,
application, synthesizing and designing all with the use of Tic Tok. Not to mention students are given an
opportunity to show their creative sides.
“We can certainly dance to that”.
If anyone wants to know or respond to a specific
topic or global event, just take to social media, like twitter. The same can be done for a teacher wanting to
discuss a topic that is related to a current global issue, such as Covid-19.
Teachers can create a Twitter account post a question and invite students to an
online discussion. In real-time their thoughts are expressed and fellow
students are able to give commentary on each other’s points of view. Not having the experience of limited access
to technology as they do in a classroom, students can now do quick research
on the topic at hand and give well thought out and educated responses. “Now there’s a tweet”.
As a teacher, some of the greatest challenges of
using technology in a classroom are high cost and the negative ways it can be
used. However, the one desktop that was once
in every home is now in every hand in every home in the form of a cell phone,
tablet or laptop. To meet the challenges
of high cost and misuse, the availability of free apps with responsible
guidance can certainly make such challenges a thing of the past.
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