Post #8

There are countless 21st Century learning and communicating tools. Twitter, Facebook, and Skype are all great ways to communicate. Sites like Quizlet and Flashcard Machine allow you to make virtual flashcards that save paper and are accessible from anywhere. One of my favorite online learning tools is Educreations.

Educreations is a database of instructional videos uploaded from people around the world. You can browse videos by school subject or search a specific topic. Not only can you find tutorials here, you can create them. The free app is available for download on your browser or iPad. Videos explaining basically any lesson can be created, such as this video on literary theme: Theme. This can be used by teachers as an alternative to powerpoint slides or as a tool when flipping the classroom. Ashley Cross used Educreations in her classroom to allow students to create their own video lessons. This is probably my favorite use of the technology because I feel like having students teach the lesson is an extremely effective way of assessing their knowledge. They can only teach if they truly understand. Also, students will engage in the subject while using the technology to create instructional videos. Watch Mrs. Cross's students' Educreation videos here.