EdSurge Article: What a Decade of Education Research Tells Us About Technology in the Hands of Underserved Students by Molly B. Zielezinski

Table of Contents

Actionable tip #1: Stop using technology for remediation!

Actionable tip #2: Let students create original digital content.

Actionable tip #3: Pick digital tools that promote interactivity and discovery.

Actionable tip #4: Honor students as experts, and let them share their expertise with an authentic audience.

Actionable tip #5: Find the right blend of teacher and technology.

Actionable tip #1: Stop using technology for remediation!

1. Have students create a presentation using pictures, words, and/or voiceover to explain a certain topic.

        Example: Students create short presentation of Egyptians using various slides

1. Educreations (An ipad app that turns your device into a recordable whiteboard.  It can record handwriting and voice, and allows you to insert pictures to create your own lesson) Students could use this app to synthesize what they learn about a topic and put it together in a concise presentation for their peers to watch.  Teaching their information to their classmates can really show what they know and how they make sense of the concepts presented.  Creating requires much more thinking than simply recalling facts.
2. Powerpoint (Microsoft presentation software)  Students could create a presentation much like the one discussed above.
3. Easel.ly

2. Creating a timeline to show the order of events or a graphic to show the steps of a process/cycle

        Example: Cell division flowchart or the rock cycle

4. Hstry
5. ReadWriteThink Timeline
6. Piktochart- This website allows for users to create an infograph, poster, report, or presentation about topics.  It give them the option to customize the format to meet the needs of their information.

7. Creately-

What is it? Online flowchart maker

Why is it useful? This website allows users to create flowcharts from various templates and manipulate the chart.  There are also examples of flowcharts to search. It is free for up to 5 diagrams/flowcharts.

What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom?   Students could use a flowchart to show the sequence of steps in an experiment, visually represent a food chain, or organize their thoughts for a written essay.

3. Dissection--used as a more accurate representation of dissection compared to face-to-face

Virtual Dissection of Frogs 

8. What is it?  Online website that allows you to virtually dissect a frog.
9. Why is it useful?  This website provides some general information about frogs as well as dissections that could be used as an introduction to a live dissection  
10. What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom? If resources or time is limited to actually perform a live dissection in class, it allows you to do a virtual dissection. This tool explains even more about what the different organs and systems students would be observing during the dissection as well as offers a more accurate representation of a dissection compared to face-to-face.

11. Salmon Dissection This website allows students to perform a virtual dissection of a salmon. It gives short step by step instructions of what to do in order to dissect the salmon. It could be used as an introduction tool to practice the dissection steps before doing an in-class dissection. It could also take the place of a real-life dissection if there isn’t enough time or resources.

4. Using virtual manipulatives to investigate/explore math concepts and theorems

1. Congruent Triangles - Using this virtual manipulative from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, students can explore the criteria (Side Side Side, Side Angle Side, etc.) that create one unique triangle or two triangles. They get to manipulate the given sides or angles to try to create two different triangles. If they can only create the same triangle twice, then they can conclude that given that criteria can only create on specific triangle. This tool helps students develop problem solving and critical thinking skills and gets students to think creatively about how the given pieces can be used to make one or more triangles.

http://www.creativebloq.com/infographic/tools-2131971 

5. Creating a story about a topic or explaining how something works, series of steps or process

1. StoryJumper
2. Story Bird

Actionable tip #2: Let students create original digital content.

1.  Book Creator (app for iPad and other devices)

1. What is it?  Book Creator is an app that students can use to create digital books with photos, videos, sound, and narration.
2. Why is it useful?  Book Creator is useful because it allows students to have a digital platform to share their synthesis of various topics.
3. What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom?  Book creator could be used to publish a piece of writing that students have spent time putting together.  This app could be used with various genres of writing.  Students would be able to insert pictures to enhance their writing and allow them more ownership over their work as they now have an audience to write for.  Another way book creator could be used is to create informational reports in a science class.  Students could research different animals and then put together a book about their animal and share it with their classmates.  Through both of these examples students are creating original, digital content.

2.  PowToon

1. What is it? Powtoon is a video creation website.  
2. Why is it useful?  Powtoon is a website that allows the users to create videos or presentations from scratch or templates.The templates can be altered to fit the content. Users can import their own videos into Powtoon, voice overs, and later export to YouTube or download as a mp4.
3. What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom?  Powtoon can be used in the classroom by having students create a video to explain the plot of a story, or show the steps to a science experiment, or describe a sequence of events that happened in history.

3. Piktochart

1. Piktochart is a website that can be used to create infographics, posters, and other graphic displays
2. It provides templates to create various graphic displays. These displays could involve pulling multiple data points into one place or simply provide a way to present interesting information to others. This website is easy to operate
3. Once students have collected a survey about their classmates they could create an infographic to present the interests/knowledge of their classmates.

4. Scratch

1. Scratch is an online coding program that uses block coding produced by MIT. It is free of charge.
2. Through the building of code students learn to think creatively, solve problems, work collaboratively, and reason systematically.  Students can build off other people’s coded projects or design their own coded project. Projects can range from iterative stories to games to animated videos. There are introductory modules that teach students the the basics of coding with blocks. All the projects are saved in Scratch and can be accessed for later use and editing.
3. Here are some ways to use Scratch in the classroom.

1. Create  animated videos that show the main idea/conflict from a story

2. Create an interactive ending to a story

Actionable tip #3: Pick digital tools that promote interactivity and discovery.

1. Geogebra

1. Geogebra is a dynamic mathematics software that is designed to help students discover and learn mathematical principles through live manipulation.
2. Geogebra contains several interactive apps including spreadsheets, a graphing calculator, a computer algebra system, geometry, 3D graphics, and probability. Students can create their own materials, use materials created by the teacher, or use other people’s previously created material to explore and manipulate mathematical concepts to find patterns and draw conclusions.
3. Here are some ways to use Geogebra in the classroom.

1. Students can manipulate a transversal that is cutting across parallel lines to discover which angles will always be congruent and which angles will always be supplementary.

2. Students can change pieces of a quadratic function and see how they affect the parabolic graph. They can discover how to translate a quadratic function.

2.  Energy Skate Park

Energy Skate Park is an interactive javascript where students learn about conservation of energy with a skater dude.  Students build tracks, ramps and jumps for the skater and view the kinetic energy, potential energy and friction as he moves. Students can also take the skater to different planets or even space.  There is also a list of teacher submitted activities available on the website.  On this same website, there are interactives ranging in various topics from electricity to light to power.  You can even search by grade level.

This can be used to explore the law of conservation of energy as well as what factors impact more/less potential or kinetic energy.  

3.  DragonBox (Teacher’s Manual)

1.  What is it?  DragonBox is a series of games that supplement the teaching of the basics of algebra to kids in a natural, fun, and effective way.
2. Why is it useful?  DragonBox is useful because it gives students an introduction to algebra in a game like format and allows teachers to see an overview of the progress and knowledge each of their students are making.  DragonBox lets the students learn algebra by using colorful and fun objects that are gradually replaced by numbers and mathematical expressions similar to equations on paper.  It builds the conceptual knowledge in the early stages and leads students to the more abstract concepts as they achieve each level.  DragonBox allows them to discover the idea of isolating the variable and solving for that variable.  
3. What are some examples of how it can be used in the classroom?  This iPad app could be used with students to introduce the skill of isolating the variable or it could be used to reinforce these algebra concepts after being taught.

4. Atmosphere Design Lab

1. This website is an interactive way for students to learn about the different types of gases that make up the atmosphere.
2. This website is useful because it allows students to learn more about the gas and it’s importance in the atmosphere. You can read about what would happen if the percentage f each gas was increased or decreased.
3. You could have students go through and explore this tool after learning about the different gases to understand more about how the levels affect our environment as well as why we need the composition we need to survive. The visual images also help to solidify some understanding of what the alternate worlds would look.

Actionable tip #4: Honor students as experts, and let them share their expertise with an authentic audience.

1. Kidblog 

1. What is it?  Kidblog is a safe, simple, authentic, and transformative way for students to publish their work on a blog and truly feel like they have an audience they are writing for.  
2. Why is it useful? Kidblog is useful because it provides the tools to help students publish writing safely online and teachers can monitor all activity within their blogging community.  Publishing is made very kid-friendly and the teacher can monitor all comments.  It increases students’ motivation to write because they have a meaningful purpose and it allows for engagement in the entire writing process.  Nothing goes live until the teacher says so.
3. What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom?  Kidblog could be used in the classroom for creative writing purposes, interactive science notebooks, or a digital portfolio to share work.  

2. Youtube 

1. Youtube is a video hosting website where users can enjoy the videos and music, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world.  Users can create their own channels to house their videos and create playlists. However, be careful on the age restrictions--users should be 13 years old.  Youtube links with google accounts. It would be useful have students post the video as either private or can only be accessed with link if you have privacy concerns.
2. Why is it useful? Youtube gives the students the possibility of anyone in the world viewing it, therefore there is the authentic audience.  Viewers have the option to leave feedback, rate the videos and even share the videos allowing for feedback for the student.  The playlist and channel features allow for students to be “experts” and have their own channels.  
3. This can be used in the classroom to have students create videos about various topics including their findings from an experiment or describe a concept.  

Actionable tip #5: Find the right blend of teacher and technology.

1. Google Docs

1. What is it? Google docs are an online, collaborative tool where an individual can create word documents.

2. Why is it useful? Google docs are useful because they are word documents that can be accessed from anywhere since they are online. Google docs are collaborative as multiple people are able to view, edit, and comment on a document at the same time. There is also the option to chat within a document if people have it enabled. Google docs also automatically save and record previous revisions of the document so you can track the changes that have been made as well as revert back to an older version.

3. What are some examples of ways to use it in the classroom? Google docs can be used  in the classroom for student’s papers or projects. When students are working in a Google doc they are able to share it with their teacher and classmates to receive feedback about it. You can also live chat on a document if the feature is enabled.

2. Padlet

1. Padlet is a virtual pin board that allows people to express their opinions on a common topic.
2. Using Padlet, students write comments, post videos, and/or post images on a wall to communicate their understanding of a certain topic or reaction to a picture, movie, or event . Then they can respond to each other’s comments and build a conversation or discussion about the topic.
3. Brainstorming - Students can use Padlet to brainstorm ways to attack a story problem. They can comment on which pieces of information they feel are essential. They can connect the problem to other problems they have done that are similar or related by posting pictures of examples. Students can post videos of mathematical concepts that would be needed to solve the problem. Using all the ideas posted on the Padlet, students should have more than enough information to be able to make an honest attempt at solving the problem.