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Showing posts from May, 2020

Kahoot's new feature - Student paced challenge

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Blogpost by Ankita Srivastava While delivering our class we  come across scenarios where we need to assess and review students progress through various formatives like worksheets, forms etc. I am sure you must have heard about  Kahoot!  which is a game-based learning platform  used as educational technology in schools and other educational institutions. Its learning games, "Kahoots", are user-generated multiple-choice quizzes that can be accessed via a web browser or the Kahoot app.   Kahoot has come up with a new  Kahoot! Challenge , which is a new student-paced game model which encourages accuracy over speed and extends learning beyond live games which is now available on computers.  The Kahoot Challenge engages students in a fun and interactive way hence helps teachers in assessing and reviewing student progress.   What is a student-paced game? Student-paced games, or challenges,  can be played from anywhere, anytime on students’ own devices. Questions and answer alternati

Kaizena (the future of feedback)✯✯✯✯

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  "Asking for feedback requires vulnerability; acting on feedback requires humility."  - Anonymous Dear teachers, Greetings. Review up to 75% faster than typing with Voice Comments. Embed explainer videos in three clicks. Track Skills and the tool will auto-complete your rubric. Welcome to the future of feedback!  Teachers typically spend 10-15hrs/week reviewing student work after an assignment is handed in, almost always on evenings and weekends. That's not good for teachers or students. Ideally, the time taken to give feedback should not exceed a period of 3 days, after which the feedback given is not as effective. Kaizena is a Google Docs/Slides add-on for feedback on student writing. Teachers who have gone paperless with Google Classroom and Docs will want to jump on this tool  (which is completely free of cost)  that supports quick and easy feedback right in Google Docs /Slides . Teachers can provide four types of feedback: audio messages, text messages, skills ratin

Powerpoint Trick - Liven up your classroom with Bitmoji!

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Just imagine how cool it would be to create your own virtual classroom with a mini version of yourself making your students feel loved and welcome! Add a fun element to your lessons by creating virtual Bitmoji classrooms with interactive elements that allow students to click through to different resources, instructions, assignments, documents, etc right from your Powerpoint/Google Slides.  Besides creating the virtual avatar on  Bitmoji  site rest all graphics are taken directly from Google image search.  All you need to do is arrange these images in the foreground and background in the PowerPoint. Make sure you select images with a transparent background so that they blend seamlessly with the background graphics. So, here are the many different ways I'm planning to use Bitmoji classrooms in this new distance learning world. 1. Welcome your class with your virtual Avataar. Make your classroom feel nice and cosy just like home! Display cute messages, students' artwork on the wal

Pear Deck - An excellent tool to take formative assessments ★★★★★

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    “Students learn more when they participate in the process of learning, whether it’s through discussion, practice, review, or application.” — STANFORD UNIVERSITY TEACHING COMMONS If you are looking for an interactive tool that fosters inquiry-based learning and can actively engage students in individual and social learning, you ought to try Pear Deck. Pear Deck is a great platform to assess your learners during the learning process. Just as in a class situation we cross-question students to verify their understanding, this tool lets you achieve the same result by  integrating Pear Deck question slides with your Google slides  (while a concept is being taught). The tool comes with its own ready-made question templates for you to drag it directly onto your regular slides. There is a teacher dashboard available which gives you an overview of individual responses to questions with an option to give instant feedback to the child. This feature lets teachers analyze student engagement, com

Realtime collaborative boards - Miro and Google Jamboard

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Over the last months, we’ve seen a growing need for solutions that enable online, collaborative session s.   Miro and Google Jamboard  are  two such powerful online collaborative whiteboards that enable distributed teams to work together as if they are in the same room. They address the need for using a whiteboard and other visual tools in real-time, without the constraint of physical proximity. Here are some of the impressive features which are available on a free  Miro  account.  Even under the Free Plan, you can invite unlimited users to your account to collaborate at no charge. Collaborate in real-time  - Miro’s infinite canvas means that you never run out of space and it’s freeform, so you aren’t constrained to work in any specific way. The multi-user platform means that everyone can contribute directly, without having to crowd around a physical whiteboard. App support  -   Miro app is available for download on Google Play and App store to be installed on any handheld device. You

DIY Touch pen

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I have recorded a video to demonstrate how we can construct a homemade simple touch pen to help you write on your screen. This video will especially help all Math and Science teachers who are struggling with their mouse to write. The site used in the video to mirror the mobile screen is  https://view.ziteboard.com/ You do not need a touch screen laptop or a chargeable pen for this, I have just manipulated the use of static charges to operate a mobile device. Do try this and mail your experiences and ideas to me. Here's the link to the video.   DIY touchpen.mp4