Podcasts

Another great way for a student to showcase his or her knowledge on a subject is the Podcast. A Podcast is an audio/video file. The student can use pictures and talk about what he or she knows on a subject. One excellent tool for this is Photo Story. It can be found on the Microsoft web page. A student can take photos and arrange them to be moved in a certain way to create an automated slide show. The student can choose how he or she wants to pictures to move and the timing of the movement. A voice over and music can be added for effect.

Using Wikis

Having talked about using an electronic format in the classroom, it is time to mention using technology to host a project. One type of forum is the Wiki. A Wiki is a kind of web page already preformatted for use. The page allows for someone to post information of any subject. It can be set up by the teacher with a set of discovery instructions for the student or it can be set up by the student himself. The Wiki can be set up to allow for others to see whether it be to all or a select few. It can also be set up as one page for all of the students in a class to post. It is a great way to host and disseminate information. One great place for a free Wiki is www.wetpaint.com.

Digital File Management

The future is here. Digital file management is coming to a classroom near you. DFM is an exciting way of integrating technology into the classroom. With computers becoming cheaper and more prolific in public and private education for our children, this new way of disseminating, creating and storing classroom assignments and activities is becoming easier to implement. Some classes, such as those that teach computer skills, will already have computers assigned to individual students. Others will have multiple computers for the class to share. Either way, emerging technologies will be more evident in the classroom. Teachers can create assignments on their computers and post them on a server or class web page or send them simultaneously to all of the students' folders. The students then can use current software technology found on their computers or on the Web to create and finish their assignments. They then can store them in their folders for later editing. Once they are finished with a project they can submit it to the teacher for grading and critique. The teacher can then send back the graded assignment to the student. The student can now design a portfolio of their work to keep and show later if needed. The wonderful thing about this is that the complexity of the assignments can challenge higher order thinking skills and keeps the students current with technology that they will encounter and need to use in an ever increasing digital world. You even save on paper! For a more in depth look into digital file management in the classroom, please visit the National Teacher Training Institute's website on Digital File Management.