Technology has revolutionized the traditional way of teaching and learning, offering many tools and platforms to enhance education. Digital tools are becoming inseparable in everyday life, so it is almost impossible to see life nowadays with them. I had difficulty figuring out which tool or platform was the most important for me because I consider them all very important.
As a teacher and parent, I believe EDSBY has crucially changed the way teachers communicate with parents and how parents access school-related news and information. Getting and submitting information in real-time, checking the grades and assessments that are due, and delivering messages are some features that make EDSBY an essential platform for me.
Going back to the time of COVID-19, Microsoft Teams was a new way of communication between colleagues and students. Being able to access all my students through the screen and share ideas was something that I never thought about. Yet, that reality continues nowadays, making communication much more accessible and manageable. Being able to meet without having to leave our class or home and share information and links has never been easier and faster. Microsoft Teams’s features have made this platform very important and helpful for me.
YouTube is another tool that I use frequently and which both students and I enjoy it. There is nothing that I can’t find on YouTube for my teaching purposes, from songs about letters, numbers and stories for different purposes and so much more. I find YouTube videos make teaching more entertaining and engaging for the students. Who wouldn’t prefer to learn the sounds through Jolly phonics? Not only do students get pumped every time they hear the songs, but most of the time, I enjoy it more than they do. Singing, dancing, and doing the action for each sound is an appealing way to teach the student.
The article below explains the advantages of using YouTube in the classroom, and I couldn’t agree more with all of them.
Other tools I use frequently are OneNote, PowerPoint, Microsoft 365, Word, PechaKucha, Seesaw, Planboard, Canva, and various tools for Assistive Technology. At least, these are the ones that I was able to recall. I felt good about my knowledge as I thought I was not a beginner, but when I read one of the articles posted in week 6, Best Tools for Virtual and Distance Learning, I realized the vast range of available tools. No matter your knowledge, it is almost impossible to know all the platforms and tools that technology offers. However, staying curious and willing to be a lifelong learner will be vital in helping me to navigate the world of educational technology.
I want to close with the video below by Gino Camp. Gino says that the challenge is to design the right combination of online and offline elements depending on our learning goals and the tools that we have available. That means we need to evolve as teachers and learners and reflect upon what we do and why we do it.
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