beyond the basics eric sharp edms 6474. types of software support tools materials generators data...
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Beyond the BasicsEric Sharp
EDMS 6474
Types of Software Support Tools
Materials generators
Data collection and analysis tools
Testing and grading tools
Graphics tools
Planning and organizing tools
Research and reference tools
Content-area tools
Recent Developments in Software Support
Mobile devices
Web and cloud availability
Software suites
15 Beyond the Basics tools that will be used in my classroom
Web Page Design Software
Can be used to create Web pages for both instructional and productivity purposes.
Uses include
classroom news, activities, and resources
web-based lessons (WebQuests)
Student-produced work
Whiteboard Activity Software
Used to display information for lessons by connecting through the computer and digital projector
Allows information on the screen to be manipulated with special pens or someone’s hands. Some systems allow notes to be saved for later use.
ActivBoard and SMART Board
Worksheet and Puzzle generators
Used to produce worksheets for students to use as practice excercises instead of test exercises.
Allows teachers to enter questions of various kinds, but does not allow options for completing the exercises on-screen or for grading them.
Puzzle generators automatically format and create crosswords, word search puzzles, and similar game-like activity. The teacher enters the content, and the software formats the puzzle.
Common uses: Practice for lower level skills
Cloze exercises (comprehension)
Exercises to review words and definitions
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Generators
Federal legislation requires them for each special needs students.
Serve as blueprints for each special needs student’s instructional activities, and teachers must provide documentation that such a plan is on file and that it governs classroom activities.
IEP generator software assists teachers in preparing IEPs
Online Survey Tools
Allows teachers to design and implement online surveys to collect data for instructional purposes.
Features: Variety of item formats
Instant tracking and visual summaries of results
Data downloads
Integration strategies: Student polling
Generating data for graphic illustrations
Teaching survey design
Teaching data analysis
Student Information Systems
Software tools that help educators keep track of student, class, and school data to maintain records and support decision making.
Systems may do any of the following:
Track and report on attendance
Maintain records on student demographics
Track and report on test scores and achievement by objective
Allows parents to have online access to student grades and attendance
Notifies parents about problems with grades or attendance
Students Response Systems (Clickers)
Allows teacher to display and question or problem and for all students to answer it at the same time, and the systems summarizes the responses immediately.
Can be used to engaged students and check comprehension.
Electronic Gradebooks
Allows teachers to keep track of and calculate students grades by entering their names, test/assignment names, data from tests, and weighting information for specific test scores.
Test Generators and Rubric Generators
Test generators allow teachers to create tests and test item banks, administer tests online.
Features:
Test creation and revision procedures
Random generation of questions
Selection of questions based on criteria
Answer keys
Test item banks
Rubric generators allows teachers to create or adopt rubrics for grading complex products or performances.
Computer-Based Testing Systems
Allows students to take tests on-screen or to put test answers on optically-scanned “bubble sheets”
Provides reports on performance data after the test
Tests can be shorter through computer-based testing
Charting/graphing software
Allows students to create charts and graphs to illustrate and study data summaries.
Used when it may be difficult for students to create charts on their own by hand.
Word Cloud Generators
Allows for creation of a unique graphic display called a “word cloud,” which shows most frequent words from a text passage as larger.
In science, they allow one to create a word cloud to show occurrences of weather or geographic events like magnitudes of earthquakes or locations.
Lesson Planners
Help prepare and document lesson plans
Show documentation to show what teachers are teaching and how they are teaching it
Often called lesson makers
Scheduling, Calendar, and Time Management Tools
Help organize time and plan activities
Schedule makers help formulate plans for daily, weekly, or monthly sequences of appointments or events
Calendar makers print graphic calendars of chosen months or years with planned events in each day
Time management tools help remind us of events and responsibilities
Online Encyclopedias
Help students research any topic
Digital encyclopedias allow users to locate either one specific item or all references on a specific topic
Microcomputer-based labs (MBL)
Allows students to collect and analyze data from experiments
Accompanied by special hardware sensors that can measure light, temperature, voltage, and/or speed
Can replace several types of labs equipment
References
Roblyer, M. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.