When it comes to digital technology, I feel out of the loop. Having access to resources that not only explain what new technology is available but also how to use the technology in the classroom is a game changer. Kathy Schrock created a page of resources that can be a lifesaver for educators, especially new teachers that may feel overwhelmed in their first year or so of teaching. All the resources are organized by category so you can easily find multiple resources for any topic you need. Unfortunately, I ran into several links that were expired, but there were still plenty of other resources and information that is helpful. The following is a sample of the resources available in Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything.
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| Screenshot from Rubistar |
There are many areas of teaching that I still feel uncertain about because I have very little experience in the classroom thus far. One of the main areas I seek to understand better is assessment. Schrock has several assessment resources available which include a link to assessment and rubrics. She has an extensive list of rubrics organized by grade level or topic. She also includes many articles and other resources that are useful for creating rubrics specific to your assignment. One of the resources under rubric builders and generators is a link to
Rubistar. This site has premade rubrics according to grade level and topics, but it also has an option for teachers to use a template to personalize their rubrics. Although almost every assignment in my courses comes with a rubric, I would not know how to create one without helpful resources such as this.
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| Screenshot from Star Walk |
Another form of technology that I am not familiar with, but look forward to learning and experimenting with is augmented reality. Under Schrock's Emerging Technology category, there is a link for augmented reality resources. This link leads to more lists associated with augmented and virtual reality. If you scroll down the page to the category titled Apps for using and creating AR, there is a link called Apps for AR in the classroom. This link leads to the
Edshelf website which has links to many augmented reality apps. One that I downloaded on my iPad is
Star Walk. It is only available on Apple products, but it is a great resource that can enhance science lessons about astronomy and our solar system. You can view the stars and constellations as they look from any location around the world. It also has options to find the planets in the night sky. When you click on the planet, it gives options to view photos, learn general information, and other figures related to the planet.
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| Kathy Shrock's Bloom's Revised Taxonomy Visual, 2012 |
A final online resource I found useful in Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything is the Bloomin Apps located under the pedagogy category. On this page, she has apps for different devices (iPad, Android, etc.) categorized according to the levels of Bloom's revised taxonomy. For example, if you simply need your students to recall information, the recall category has links to apps such as
Quizlet. On this app, the students or teacher can create digital flashcards to use as a study tool. However, if you need your students to use a higher level of thinking, the evaluating and creating levels list apps such as
Adobe Spark or Adobe Express (depending on the device) where students can create videos and presentations that demonstrate their understanding of the content.
Personally, I am thankful to educators such as Kathy Schrock that have taken the time to compile these helpful resources that can help other educators find their way to designing and implementing meaningful lessons in the classroom. It will take time to read and explore all the resources available, but I suggest bookmarking her page to have access to some great resources.
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