Everyday EdTech

Your Name:

Rayan Rizvi

Grade Level:

Eighth

School or Organization Name:

Corte Madera School

Co-Presenter Name(s):

Jake Davison

Area of the World from Which You Will Present:

California, United States

Language in Which You Will Present:

English

Target Audience(s):

Global Student Community

Short Session Description (one line):

We will discuss technology in the classroom and its effectiveness relative to traditional methods that employ technology as a tool rather than relying on it as the centerpiece of instruction. We will talk about technology in the classroom and how it increases the efficiency and effectiveness of both teaching and learning. We will also describe how technology makes it easier for students to learn and retain content and develop 21st-century skills. The specific application we will discuss is a literacy development/social studies platform called Newsela.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

We will be discussing technology used in our classroom making the class much more effective and engaging. These platforms of technology are now very effective, a significant amount more than just the normal pen and paper. Now, in the 21st century, all companies, homes, and many other organizations use technology to its fullest capability. But, we cannot say the same for schools. Most schools use technology as a resource, but it can be used for much more than just that. What we plan on doing in our presentation is very simple. We will state why and how a specific technology is effective in the classroom; why that technology is the most efficient; and how this technology can be integrated into otherwise traditional schools and classes. Our presentation will be based on real-world experience that we have gained in a classroom, where pencils and paper are nowhere to be found.

We will mainly be focusing on one platform, which is an application called Newsela. This efficient and engaging application delivers news and current events to readers in grades ranging from elementary to high school. It is different than many other news applications in a few ways. To begin with, Newsela’s purpose is to let the student stay up to date on current events, while focusing on literacy and different concepts of reading. Newsela has many articles with different versions available for different student reading levels, or what are called lexiles. Newsela also lets the student interact directly with their teacher in real time, unlike almost all other news sources. After reading an article, the student can take a short quiz about the article where the results will be recorded and seen by the teacher, allowing the teacher to understand a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, the teacher can embed questions in the middle of the text, and also add a short answer question to be written after reading the article. These questions draw exclusively on the new National Common Core State Standards and are designed to develop skills that will make students college and career ready. All of the questions require responses that draw on skill sets included in the Common Core standards, such as understanding the central idea and author’s purpose of an article.

Newsela is very engaging because its articles are exciting, fun, and informative at the same time. The articles range from very light and fun topics, such as robotics in schools, to very serious topics such as global terrorism. In a traditional current events class, many students tend to zone out and get bored because the topics and discussion are often bland.. But, with Newsela, which provides a personalized experience, the students are more engaged. Newsela tends to be very effective, because it conveys a lot of relevant information in an interesting way that promotes discussion and analysis.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:

Newsela

Tags: 2015EdTechTools