Curriculum

Creating Tech-Rich Curriculum

Creating engaging curriculum can be challenging enough, but then to add technology and the process can be downright overwhelming. Since I teach middle school English, some of my tools are specific to my curriculum, but many can be used in any upper-grade curriculum. Before looking at my list of tech-rich curriculum tools I wanted to share some tips for trying new technology. Here are a few recommendations:  

1. Test it out, then use it in the classroom.

        One time I found what I thought was a great online tool.  So I shared with my PLC. We all jumped on board and planned it into our curriculum for the beginning of the next year for school.  It was a huge flop. The program had bugs, it was not user-friendly, and both the students and teachers were frustrated. Whoops! So now I always try to use it myself, then with my own students before recommending it. 

2. Avoid feeling as though you need to master it first.  

       I remember once I needed help figuring out a program, and our amazing tech support at school came down to my classroom to help.  When he didn't know how to solve it off the top of his head, he Googled my question. The instructions came up and we figured it out together. I thought well if this is how the experts do it, then I can do it too. Now I always try to look up my questions first. By the way, this works with older students too. Instead of just showing them how, ask them to look it up.  It saves you time and encourages problem solving and independence. 

3. Remember the learning goal and find the right tool to fit the goal.
     There maybe a website or program that has a lot of bells and whistles, but that does not necessarily make it better.  

      

Technology that Supports My Curriculum

Reading

• Newsela -Newsela is an excellent resource for informational text. The Lexile level can be adjusted to reading level of the students. We use this to find relevant articles for close reading. In addition, the student chos
• Diigo-Diigo is excellent for content curation. Students can read, highlight, annotate, and share their research effectively. 
• Google Docs -We use Google Docs for most of our assignments including reading questions, charts, and analysis tools.
• Google Presentation-We use Google Presentation for guided Close Reads.  

Writing

• Google Docs -We use Google Docs for prompts, rubrics, prewriting, and drafts.
• Mahara-Writing Portfolio- Mahara Portfolio allows students to organize and display their writing. In addition, students can create multimedia projects with video, audio, images, and 
• Moodle Forums- Moodle forums allow students to discuss topics and thoughts. 
• Turn it In- Turn it in helps students and teachers check for plagiarism, as well as, grading online with preloaded 
• Easy Bib- MLA citations are a breeze with EasyBib. We use it for all of our research projects. 

Speaking & Listening

• YouTube, TedEd- Videos embedded with the Moodle quizzes allow for a blended learning experiences and helps support the style of listening quizzes on CCSS assessments. 
• Moodle Quizzes-We use short answer and multiple choice questions that help students to analyze the audio or video.  
• Student Record Audio- Mic Note (Chrome Ext.) Audacity- Students use Mic Note or Audacity to record and post their original poetry on their poetry page in their portfolio.  They also use audio for a multimedia book report.  

Vocabulary 

• Quizlet-Study tool for the students. They can create cards, play games, and study for upcoming tests. 
• Kahoot-An engaging game for vocabulary review.  
• Moodle Quizzes- Our assessment tool. 

Grammar

• BrainPOP-Videos are fun and engaging.
• No Red Ink -This is a new resource to me, but I am hoping to use it for grammar differentiation in the classroom 
• Grammarly -Grammarly chrome extension is useful way for students check for grammar and punctuation.

Classroom Management

• Moodle-I am a huge fan of our district's choice to use Moodle as our LMS. 
• Google Classroom -This year I will be trying Google Classroom, to help effectively assign and have students turn in assignments. 
• Hapara-Teacher Dashboard- Teacher Dashboard allows me to send individual copies of a Google Doc directly into a folder for my class.  Also, it allows my computer to interact with student computers for monitoring and showing students work.