4 Engaging Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom

Dozens of free web tools and ideas that can pack a technology integration punch and kick those lessons up a notch.

1. Gamify It

Leveraging gaming mechanics can make learning more fun is probably easier than you think. For example, any time you bring competition or levels of achievement to a classroom exercise, you’re gamifying your classroom. For example, in one recent assignment in my classroom, I had students search through an interactive computer history timeline for specific facts. The first student to correctly identify a fact (like “what was the first computer bug?”) that I had them seek out “won” for that question!

Here’s a variety of resources and ideas for using gaming in the classroom:

• 4 Ways To Bring Gamification of Education To Your Classroom
• 10 Specific Ideas To Gamify Your Classroom
• Make your own Jeopardy game
• Check out these posts and resources for using Minecraft and World of Warcraft in the classroom.
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• New Jeopardy Game Setup Information:

  Give this game a name:
  Tell us who made this game:
  Your Email (optional)** :
  Game Edit Password (optional)*** :

  Which game editor do you want to use?
  Original Version	New Version
  The new form lets you upload images or draw your own. The original form lets you type all of the questions and answers quickly on one screen. You can switch while you are editing, so no pressure.

2. Have Students Collaborate

Getting students to work together as partners, in small groups, or maybe even as one large group, teaches them about team work. Collaborative work can be fun. It is even possible to collaborate with students across the world thanks to many of today’s technologies.

Share writing and encourage feedback with NewsActivist: NewsActivist is a free tool that lets teachers set up their students with a private area where they can write about selected subjects.

The Global Network of Collaborating
Student Writers

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3. Get Interactive

Many teachers enjoy using interactive tools with their students. Here’s a few tools and ideas to consider.

Online Interactive White Boards. If you have a computer and a projector, you can make them work a lot like a “smart board”

   

4. Project Based Learning

When students apply what they are learning to projects that they undertake, the topics they are learning about can take on a much deeper meaning.