Through this ICT course, I've had a chance to look at a few different applications and understand their functionality. This post will talk about a few of this programs, and whether I'd ever consider using them in my teaching.
Kahoot is a free online program, which creates "fun" quizzes on a subject matter of your choice, which your learners can use to reinforce key points. In this PCET course, I can't ever imagine an appropriate occasion to use Kahoot, as I feel that it's aimed more towards younger students. I think that my students would find it quite patronising to use such a childish quiz with them, which would make me lose credibility in no time.
Nearpod is a piece of software which I really like. It is a program which shares teacher content with students, over technology. A PowerPoint/Video etc is loaded on an iPad, which students can see when they log in via a computer. It allows for streamlined learning, with all students being given the same information at the same pace. It offers real time questioning and feedback, requiring the involvement of all students. I have since used Nearpod in my teaching, and it has gone down very well with all students. All students must concentrate, as they have tasks to complete as the lesson goes on. It is something I definitely plan on using in the future, as it allows for more student interaction in times where students usually just want to sit back and relax.
Hot Potatoes is a program that contains a few different aspects that create crosswords, quizzes and the like. There are certain parts of the software that I might use, but not all. JQuiz creates small multiple choice quizzes, which I could use as an introductory task, or to check the understanding of content taught in a previous lesson. JCloze is a blank-filling task, where students must select the relevant word. This would fit into the lesson in the same way as a JQuiz quiz would, as a brief task to give the students a break from learning. Apart from these, I doubt I would use Hot Potatoes in my teaching. I feel that the level of teaching I deliver would be too high to use a jumbled word task, as my students would not be receptive to it. Hot Potatoes is clearly a very useful piece of software, just not so much for my teaching.
Padlet is seen as an engagement application, an app which I fail to understand the need for. In my teaching, allowing the students to add words to a blank screen in front of the whole class is asking for trouble. I had rude words and phrases initially, followed by bemusement as to how this would help them. I can't imagine a situation in my teaching where I'd ever want to use Padlet, and can't really see the point of teaching it to PCET students. It seems like a childish app, one which would waste time actually recapping/teaching information. It's a piece of software that I feel has been designed forgetting that teachers can do exactly what this app offers.
Prezi is a presentation making software, which allows for fluid and dynamic presentation of information. Similar to PowerPoint, it offers content in a slide form, with each slide usually being specialised to a certain aspect of the topic. I feel that once you've gone through one Prezi, and calmed down after being in awe of the frantic movement between slides, there isn't much between Prezi and PowerPoint. Personally, I would use PowerPoint more, purely because it's what I've grown up using and know that it does what I need it to do. Prezi is fine, but I don't really think the added bells and whistles it offers are substantial enough for me to consider using it in the long term.
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