Websites, Extensions, and Apps… Oh My!

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Haley Snyder is teaching 6th grade Wayne@Home at Bridgeport Elementary School. She is bringing her passion for incorporating purposeful digital tools into her virtual classroom. 

E-learning has required teachers and students to adapt to the many changes that come with it. Along with a new schedule, different learning environment, and change in roles and responsibilities, a major change in teaching online is the delivery of instruction.

Technology has certainly become a necessity this school year for Wayne@Home teachers like Haley. With so many different websites, extensions, and apps, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement and newness of these digital tools. However, Haley believes it’s important to be sure that she evaluates each tool before implementing it into her instructional day. “This mindset has allowed me to have a large arsenal of tools to problem solve while planning for student engagement within my online lessons,” Snyder says.

Purposeful Integration

When evaluating digital resources, Haley looks for tools that are of high quality and are user-friendly. She wants to be sure that families could easily assist students if needed. She also looks for tools that can be used in multiple ways so that her sixth grade students are comfortable with the technology and can focus on the academic piece of the assignment. “I have given myself permission to let go of tools that are not adding to the online experience somehow or are more trouble than they're worth”, notes Haley. Haley prioritizes purposeful digital resources to increase student engagement and track student data.

Valuable Tools

Although there are many different digital resources available for teachers to deliver instruction, Haley has utilized a few in very specific ways throughout her day. This list of digital tools include: Kahoot, Google Slides, Padlet, Nearpod, and Jamboard. By incorporating purposeful technology into the classroom, students are more engaged, completing meaningful learning activities, collaborating with each other, and having multiple ways to show success.

Written by Kevin Goodman, BPE iTEC teacher