Edutopia-Grants

http://www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources

Edutopia is a great resource for teachers. This site provides a list of available grants and the deadline for each. It also explains what each grant is for and what the teacher would receive. 

More Grants

https://www.grantwatch.com/cat/36/technology-grants.html

This site provides insight as to which grants are available to educators. Teachers can use this site to see which grants apply to their classroom and then follow the appropriate steps to apply. 

Technology Grants

This site breaks down the various ways to receive a grant for technology.

1. Donors Choose

2. Technology Donors Program

3. Computers for Learning

4. Computers Recycling Center

5. Digital Wish Grants

6. Corning Incorporated Foundation

7. Funding Factory

This website also provides a direct link to each site with more information about each specific program

http://positivelearning.com/blog/2016/2/11/7-ways-to-get-funding-and-grants-for-technology-in-your-classroom

In reference to my recent post about political cartoons, this is one that i use every year within my classroom. The students can see how storing nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain is clearly a bad idea. We take a moment to analyze each aspect of this cartoon before the students create their own. 

Social Studies

Visuals can be used in the social studies classroom in a variety of ways. Teachers can use timelines to allow students to further understand when a series of events happened.

Within my classroom, I use political cartoons when we are discussing major events in history. As a class, we take a moment to discuss what we see in the cartoon and the message the artist is trying to convey. To take this a step further, I then allow my students to pick one even within the chapter and create their own cartoons. This is a great way for students to not only learn how to analyze political cartoons, but to also be given the chance to step in to the shoes of a cartoonist by creating their own.

 We also use our globe a lot when we are discussing cultural differences, government, and economics and how these topics relate to the location of the country. By using the globe, the students can see the location of the country in relation to bodies of water and other countries. This visual really helps the students to further understand the information already presented in the textbook.

 Within the social studies classroom, we also use short clips that focus on the main topic of a section within the textbook. I often find that the information presented in the textbook can be hard to understand because there are a lot of dates and information presented in a small amount of space. Therefore, by reading the text and then watching a video, the students can connect what they read to the information presented on the screen. I find that this is a great way for the students to solidify what they already learned.

Examples

Here is a great list of visuals that can be integrated in to any classroom or area of study.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley

This is a great visual to use for a plate tectonics unit with science. When discussing this unit, and how the earth is divided in to a series of plates, the teacher can make a direct connection between the plate movements and the cause of earthquakes and volcanoes. 

Visuals in the Science Classroom

http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~rol/FOV1-000600AB/FOV1-0005B5CD/Teaching%20with%20Visuals%20in%20the%20Science%20Classroom%20(1).pdf?Plugin=Metro

 The above article focuses on the importance of using visuals within the science classroom. When visuals are present, students are able to the learn the content in a different way. Even though there are still going to be instances where students will read and analyze the text in front of them, but now they can use the visuals to connect to what they are reading. This type of connection will allow students to further understand the material, and take their learning to the next level.

 This article also makes a great point about the level of the visuals being used. Not all visuals that teachers show to their students are effective. Teachers really need to make sure that the visuals they are using to add on to an idea within the classroom are not too complex for students to understand, and do not provide new information. The visuals used need to relate directly to what students already know and have studied.

 Important items to remember:

-Keep the visual simple

-Further explain the visual and allow students to develop their own explanations

-Limit the amount of text present

-Should be easy for students to connect what they read to the visual being used  

This video clearly explains why using visuals in the classroom are important. Not only do visuals motivate students, but it help students to learn the information on a deeper level. 

Students within the classroom all learn differently. Therefore, to ensure that each student is being provided an education that is designed to meet their individual needs, teachers need to also incorporate visuals to allow students to see the content they are learning. When students start to step away from their textbooks, and see the information they are learning, they are more inclined to want to learn. Excitement is a crucial part in the classroom. Through videos, clips, and pictures, teachers can show the information and provide the students with a first hand experience of what the content looks like. 

Teaching With Visuals

http://www.edutopia.org/visuals-math-curriculum

This website is a great resource that focuses on the importance of stepping away from the textbook and allowing students to see the information through visuals. This article even shows the importance of changing the way homework is assigned. Instead of assigning readings or questions from a textbook, this article provides an example or showing students a short clip and allowing them to respond. This is a different approach that will allow students to become more  engaged and excited about the content they are learning. 

Integrating Audio

As teachers become more comfortable with fully integrating technology in to their classrooms, there is one component that is extremely important. Video and audio are two very important ways to integrate technology in to any lesson. As students begin to discuss a unit or lesson, they can begin by watching a short clip that highlights what they will be learning. Also, teachers can integrate an audio clip that they students can listen to while in a small group setting. After listening to the audio clip, they can then complete an activitiy that aligns to what the clip was about. 

www.teachertube.com 

This website is a great resource for teachers to find audio clips. There are several different categories that provide a large selection of clips. I have included a clip that I could use when my students are discussing the Roman Empire. I think that this would be a great way for students to follow along with their textbook and complete an activity with their peers. 

http://www.teachertube.com/audio/10144

Podcasts

Podcasts within the classroom have become a great way for students to become more involved in the learning process. This website outlines a few ways for teachers to use podcasts to encourage their students to take learning in to their own hands. Students can create commercials, interview other students, create short stories, etc. The possibilities are truly endless. 

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/08/07/10-podcasting-projects-every-teacher-should-try

Discovery Education

Discovery Education is a great website to use for instructional videos. This site has a video for just about any topic. Also, with a majority of the videos, the site includes additional resources for the teacher to use that closely aligns with the concepts included in the clip. 

Within my own classroom, I use DiscoveryEd a lot as a preview to a lesson. Before my students begin an experiment or new lesson, we usually watch a short film that highlights the main concepts we will be discussing. I find that the videos included on this site are up-to-date and are very interesting. The graphics and images included provide the students with a first hand look at the information as if they were filming the video themselves. Because of the graphics included, I believe that it really excites my students about the topics and encourages them to want to learn more. 

I have included a video that I also use before we begin our plate tectonics unit. This video highlights the main concepts of the unit, and leaves my students with a lot of questions!

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/58b6523e-f735-4644-bf15-d8af58b9729f

This video highlights some fun ways to use Powtoon within the classroom. As a fairly new teacher, I was introduced to Powtoon during my first year of teaching. I observed a class where a teacher was allowing her students to create a commercial using this software. I honestly have never seen a group of students completely engaged throughout the entire class period. I quickly began to think of ways to use this software within my own classroom. I believe that this short video allows teachers to see how Powtoon can be used and how it will ultimately help students achieve more within their academics. One of the ways included in this video that stood out to me was creating video clips for students to watch while completing their homework. I have heard of more teachers within my building starting to post these videos to their websites. Often times, as students will say, when they go home to complete their homework, they forget what they learned in class and had no one to turn to for help. However, by having a short video that reviews the content discussed earlier that day, the students will be able to complete their homework effectively. 

Start Your Films!

As technology is starting to become the norm within classrooms, teachers need to have a tool kit of resources to ensure that their students are encouraged to shift their learning to an electronic route. One important concept within education, is to allow students to be creative. When teachers encourage creativity, students ultimately become more interested and start to see learning in a new light. There are an endless amount of ways for teachers to encourage their students to be creative. In my opinion, by allowing students to work with their peers to creates films that center around the concepts being discussed, they will not only learn more about the topic, but find learning to be fun. 

Using videos within the classroom is a great way to work on collaboration and communication amongst students. This new integration of technology can empower children to be creative with their learning. However, teachers struggle to find new ways to use technology within the classroom. This website has made this transition easier. Not only does it include a list of resources for using videos within the classroom, but it includes a brief explanation of each. The top resources, in my opinion, include:

1. Flickr

2. Blip

3. Teachertube

http://edtechteacher.org/tools/multimedia/video-classroom/