Tips and Ideas / Jul 27, 2017

Your EdTech PD Plan: Top Trends & Innovations to Learn About This Summer

 

Summer is the time of rest and relaxation, but for most teachers, it’s also the perfect time to brush up on the latest trends and tools and get inspired before the first school bell.  Here’s the truth: you love your work and care about student success, all year round! Teaching is your real passion and you want to take your skills to the next level.

This summer, we’ve asked you: what EdTech trends and tools would you most want to learn about? Here are the results:

Each of these trends and tools can enhance learning and captivate your students’ imagination, but where to get started? We selected the best resources for each topic to help you make the most of education technology innovations without overwhelm.

1. Parent-Teacher Communication

Reach 100% of Parents with ClassTag [Recorded Webinar]

Do you want to learn how to reach 100% of parents, even those who have no smartphone or are entirely offline? Watch the training and learn insider tips from a ClassTag power user Danielle, who achieved 100% engagement in her classroom last years. If you have an hour to spare, you can watch the webinar anytime and set the foundations for successful communication with parents in 17/18.

“Partnering with Parents to Ask the Right Questions: A Powerful Strategy for Strengthening School-Family Partnerships” by Luz Santana, Dan Rothstein, and Agnes Bain [Book]

 ClassTag Educators’ Lounge [Facebook Group]

The Lounge is our fast-growing online community, exclusively for ClassTag users. Sign up for ClassTag and join the group!

2. Virtual Reality in the Classroom

Bringing Lessons to Life with AR & VR [Recorded Webinar]

Want to bring your lessons to “life” and have students “live” the content you are teaching? This highly interactive session will assist you in getting started with augmented and virtual reality in your classroom.

VR in Education [Facebook Group]

Connect with innovators, share experiences and get support you need to bring VR to your classroom in 17/18.

3. One-to-one Computing

Successful One-to-One Programs: Do This, Avoid Doing That [Podcast]

Listen to practicing educators discussing their tips for having a successful 1:1 program in your classroom.

4. Video

Video Killed the Radio Star: Effectively Using Video in your Classroom [Recorded Webinar]

The session explores the many innovative features and uses of YouTube in the classroom, Chrome extensions that empower students to create videos, web tools that are available for video creation, and compare how both teachers and students can harness the power of videos for instruction and differentiating for all learners.

Thinking Critically About Video by Commonsense Media [Multimedia Guide]

Learn about essential best practices for using video in the classroom and get practical cheat sheets, app tutorials and more, all in one convenient destination.

5. Gamification

Classroom Gamification Tips for the Non-Gamer [Recorded lecture]

Learn how seventh grade English teacher Megan Ellis, a Google Certified Teacher, is using game dynamics in your classroom to increase student engagement, motivation, and achievement–in a talk meant for everyone from gaming pros to those who have never played a video game before in their life.

6. 3D Printing

3D Printers in the Classroom: design, creativity and tech skills for today’s students. [Recorded lecture]

BONUS: PD Bingo!

Need more ideas for quick and easy summer PD activities? Try this PD Bingo by Amber Teamann  – many of these activities take less than 2 minutes to complete! 

 

Professional development and learning are important, but it’s the implementation of this new knowledge that really matters. Our survey unveiled the teachers’ number one challenge when implementing new tech tools and trends, and the results might surprise you. It’s not the lack of tools or funding that’s the biggest obstacle – it’s time.  40% of teachers admitted that the major obstacle is the lack of time to experiment and try different solutions. If you often find yourself short on time to innovate during the school year, ClassTag can help. Teachers who use ClassTag save hours every week thanks to automated newsletters and reminders – get started today and you’ll find more time to introduce fun innovations in your classroom in 17/18!

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