Tech Edge is a program developed by University of Nebraska, Lincoln focusing on the integration of technology into the classroom. Their primary objective, is "To create a partnership between Nebraska school districts and Nebraska teacher education programs to improve student learning by informing teacher preparation students, university methods professors, and practicing teachers on effective use of new literacies and 21st century technologies in the classroom." In addition to providing general training to teachers and university students, Tech Edge creates weekly video podcasts to provide teachers with additional strategies for technology integration, specifically iPad incorporation. This week I took some time to explore Tech Edge's YouTube channel to find some applications that I could incorporate into my future classroom. Overall, I found the Tech Edge podcasts to be thoughtful and well done. The videos incorporated helpful visuals, were clear and concise, and focused on practical applications. In addition, presenters used a very conversational tone, which helps keep the videos engaging. While the content is quality, there are a couple of improvements I would make. For one, some of the applications they reviewed have since been deleted. (For example, the app "Big Fork Little Fork" mentioned in the video above, no longer exists.) In addition, there video description doesn't list out the applications mentioned or provide any links to them. While there is a listing at the end of each video, putting this information in the description box would have been helpful. Overall, I enjoyed my time exploring Tech Edge. Here are some of the apps I discovered in the process: Piktochart is a free iPad application that allows users to create their own infographics. Best suitable for middle school or high school, this app can be a helpful tool for group presentations and personal synthesis of information. One of the nice things about this app is that it’s incredibly easy to personalize. The drag-and-drop, easy-to-edit format makes it appropriate for a variety of ages. The predesigned templates can help students who may not have experience with digital design to easily create a finished product. In addition, the sharing feature makes sharing information as easy as clicking a button. Instead of hassling with flash drives, teachers can have students simply upload a link to Google Classroom to submit an assignment. There are some aspects of Piktochart that could create some trouble in the classroom. While it’s great that the app provides users with a lot of options for their design, the number of choices may slow students down in the process. In addition, only a small number of templates are free, and the others must be purchased. Thankfully, the “Create Your Own” is probably all your students would need for an assignment. Personally, I would highly recommend Piktochart! Teachers could easily use this to create engaging assignments for students. It could be used for a essay outlines, presentations, inspiration boards, and more. Eat & Move-O-Matic is a free iPad application that helps children understand the concept of food being fuel for activity. The app presents a food item and its corresponding caloric content. Users can then pair this amount of energy with an activity, and the app will automatically match it to a length of time. It presents a simple cause-and-effect analysis. For example, “If you eat 1 turkey sandwich (308 calories), you can burn it by jogging at (6.3 calories / minute) for 49 minutes. The app also provides some general nutrition “Protips” at the bottom of the page. This would be a fun app to pair with a scavenger hunt type of activity analyzing how our bodies use the energy we consume through food. It helps students to form the connection between food and our level of activity. In a nutrition & wellness classroom, this app could serve as a segue into a deeper conversation about metabolism and appropriate portion sizes. While the app works well, it is somewhat basic. It only performs this one function, which is somewhat underwhelming. It could be useful in the classroom, but only for lessons focused on this specific topic. The Eat & Move-O-Matic is not a general tool, but it could be helpful one-time lesson supplement. Farm to Plate is a free application developed by the West Central Research and Extension Center at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The application was designed to help children learn about the 5 major food groups and recommended portion sizes in a fun and engaging way. Like the "Eat & Move-O-Matic" in my previous review, this application is fairly basic. Each food group links to a page that lists three main questions:
Each question links to another page with a concise answer and corresponding images / illustrations. These questions provide a helpful foundation for young children who have not yet developed an understanding of what food groups are or why food variety is important. While I can't see this application being very helpful at middle level or secondary schools, it would be a nice lesson supplement for elementary students. However, you could use the content and adapt it for a research project lesson plans. (For example, have older students develop their own MyPlate with what they consume on a normal day and answer guiding questions regarding their choices, followed by a personal analysis of their nutritional intake.) Overall, Farm to Plate is simple and easy to use, but very basic. This would be a great app for young children, and parents could use this as a way to jump-start a conversation about nutrition. It could be useful in the elementary setting for a health unit, but couldn't be adapted for much else.
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