Technology in the Classroom

My technology course has been one of the most valuable courses that I have taken at OISE. With the shift towards modern learning and instilling students about 21st century competencies, it is important for me to further educate myself on the resources and materials that I could use with students. I have been introduced to many new resources in this course that I hope to use in my future. 

Green Screen

In class we were asked to reflect on local businesses - coffee shops in particular and create sleeves for our own coffee shop.  We then used the green screen app, Do Ink as a way to market our sleeves. Our instructor introduced this activity as a media literacy unit on advertisements, however green screens can be used with any subject or topic. I have seen green screen used in my practicums before, as one of my associate teacher's used it on Halloween, and connected it to a writing piece. The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to try this out myself! 

VR Codes 

Our class went on a scavenger hunt in OISE using VR codes. In small groups, students chose an inanimate object in OISE, and recorded themselves using Vocaroo, talking from that objects point of view. My partner and myself chose a bulletin board - you can listen to our recording using the QR code at the bottom. This activity was a fun way to incorporate technology in the classroom! 

Virtual Reality (VR) 

Using virtual reality in the classroom brings a whole new learning experience for students. Educators can use the headsets with a variety of apps or websites to give their students a VR experience. One app that we used was the New York Times Virtual Reality app, which allows users to watch videos while using the headset. Another great resource is CoSpaces , where students can create anything virtually. It's goal is to empower students, while still connecting to their learning in a completely different way.