Ed Tech Blog
Introduction
How are you? cómo estás? Habari yako? These are just but some of the ways you can ask someone how they are doing in different languages. Trying to learn a new language or improve on the vocabulary of your language? Then consider using a language learning app. This can be very effective for students, whether they are beginners or are at an intermediate level.
An additional language is a key opportunity to interact with the world from an informed opinion and a different lens. However, learning a new language requires a lot of practice and dedication. That is why online language learning platforms like Duolingo have been gaining popularity over time.
Duolingo is a great platform because it can be seamlessly integrated into a classroom setting to teach native and foreign languages. The platform makes it easier to learn grammar and vocabulary and has an amazing feature that allows one to translate articles from the web.
In particular, Duolingo for schools is a great tool for teachers and students that makes learning fun and interactive with the different visual and audio cues.
As a teacher, here are some creative ways to use Duolingo in the classroom
Progress quizzes
Quizzes are a great way to measure progress in the particular language being taught. They are also efficient in evaluating different levels of understanding while maintaining students’ interest in learning the language. The Duolingo for schools’ platform has different quizzes in various languages that can be purchased by lingots, the Duolingo’s currency.
A teacher can create a quiz, for example, for the German language basics. This quiz could be retaken as many times as possible (or afford to buy with the lingots) depending on the students’ performance.
After taking the quiz, you can assess if and why the students...
Podcasts are now more popular than ever. If you look closely at the raging trend, you’ll find a podcast on every other topic. These podcasts not only engage and entertain the audience but also help in providing an optimum teaching experience. The shift from text-based learning to audio-based learning has proved valuable for students.
Many schools have already adopted this growing trend to offer students a fun learning experience. It is also an ideal way to teach students who don’t have English as their first language. While listening to a podcast, they can follow along by reading the transcript.
There is immense diversity in the podcast industry, which can help provide an ideal learning experience to students. Podcasts can help students learn about unique topics that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
Ways to Prepare Students for Podcast Sessions
Before a teacher adopts this practice, they need to ensure that all students are ready for podcast classes. They need to ensure that they have all the resources to conduct a podcast session with students.
Here are a few ways teachers can prepare students:
- Give Access to the Supplies
One of the things that teachers need to ensure is that the classroom has...
Have you ever dreamt of imagining something into existence? If so, then 3D printing is just the technology for you and your classroom. Students of all ages love the technology of 3D printing because it feeds into a basic instinct of creativity that all of us have. Learning and teaching how a 3D printer works has never been easier, and the prices of good models have been dropping ever since they first started making them for the masses. In this post, we will investigate different ways a printer can be used in the classroom, which are firstly, what we call "concept printing", secondly, printing models for a classroom, and finally, printing your imagination. We will also go through some things to look out for when you buy a printer for the classroom.
The world around us is changing every single day. Why should our classrooms be stuck in the 20th century? That is why we should always investigate ways to bring what makes the outside world interesting, into our classrooms. That may include laptops, phones, the internet, and now you can include a 3D printer in that list. Introducing a 3D printer into the classroom will give the students to...
Introduction
Wi-Fi on school buses might sound like just a fancy idea but in reality, it is a trend that is already shaping up across different school districts.
Some people might argue that school buses are for relaxing or bonding between students, but have you thought about the students who come from marginalized areas characterized by limited broadband connection or no access at all?
In fact, a report by the Federal Communications Commission indicates that almost 19 million Americans don’t have access to fixed broadband service that meets the threshold speeds. The situation is also evident in rural areas, where approximately 14.5 million people don’t have access to this valuable resource.
Wi-Fi on school buses presents a huge opportunity to bridge this gap by helping students from marginalized areas stay connected even after school.
Here are some reasons why schools should embrace the idea of having Wi-Fi-enabled buses.
Equal Learning Opportunity
Lack of access to the internet is a huge stumbling block for some students because it means falling behind on assignments and access to other digital resources beyond the classroom.
While some kids find the school buses to be a perfect place for a nap or chit chat with...
Read more: How Wi-Fi on School Buses is Bridging the Digital Divide and Improving Productivity
Artificial Intelligence is a term that is thrown around a lot. It is one of those buzz words that immediately captures the attention of people and kids alike. Although you might imagine A.I. as humanoid robots that take over the world by developing intelligence, the reality of it is very different. A.I. algorithms are computer programs that assist human beings in whatever they are trying to do. Just like how an Alexa made ordering things online much easier, A.I. algorithms in the classroom can make learning that much easier for students. We will go through all the different ways that an A.I. software in a classroom might be the teaching assistant that every teacher is looking for.
There is an argument to be made that the best way to improve the learning experience of students is to make sure that their teachers are only focused on teaching them. Bogging down teachers with tasks that are not related to teaching is a sure-fire way to decrease the quality of education. A.I. applications have progressed enough that they can check the attendance of the classroom with computer vision, they can also grade multiple-choice tests easily and accurately. A.I. applications can make sure...
Read more: Using Machine Learning to Build the Classroom of the Future
Part 2 – Multifactor Authentication & Mitigation Strategies
Once you enhance your security by integrating ideal password management practices, the next logical step is to integrate Multi-Factor Authentication (Henriquez, 2019). With Multi-Factor Authentication, you confirm your identity with both an account password and a secondary code. There are generally three (3) ways you receive this code. Via email and via text message are the two most common ways the average person receives a secondary code. This makes it so that if someone gained access to your account’s password, that person would not be able to gain access to the account without the secondary code. The idea being that a perpetrator is less likely to have gained access to both the account in question and, for example, the email address where you receive secondary codes. Receiving codes via text message could be considered more secure, because the device is with you and typically only accessible on your phone, rather than an email address which can be accessed anywhere via the internet. The third way to receive your code is, perhaps, the most secure way of making use of Multi-Factor Authentication. In this instance, you use an authenticator app to receive the...
Read more: Responding to Potential and Successful Cyber-Attacks Against US Schools - Part 2