{"id":771,"date":"2018-03-31T11:56:02","date_gmt":"2018-03-31T15:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=771"},"modified":"2018-04-01T15:46:21","modified_gmt":"2018-04-01T19:46:21","slug":"engaging-tools-that-wont-break-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2018\/03\/engaging-tools-that-wont-break-the-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging Tools That Won&#8217;t Break the Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a future teacher, I want my classroom to stand out to students. When they come in the room, I want them to be <strong>excited<\/strong> and <strong>engaged<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the world we live in today, <strong>textbooks, pens, and paper just don&#8217;t cut it!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Plenty of schools are moving to technology-based classrooms, but as someone who grew up using pen, paper, and a dry erase board, I&#8217;m still getting used to understanding exactly how technology can be used in the classroom!<\/p>\n<p>I decided to explore the app store a bit, and man, I was NOT disappointed!<\/p>\n<p>I limited my search to free apps, but I saw a number of other apps that were a few dollars that look like they could be used in the classroom, as well!<br \/>\nHere are a few of my favorites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Post-It Plus<\/strong>.<\/em> This app makes me so happy.\n<ul>\n<li>I am an avid post-it note user, but when you&#8217;re using post-it notes in an activity- whether it be a poll or formative assessment- things can get messy and you can run out of room. This app allows you to snap a picture of post it notes, and it converts it to a digital format!<\/li>\n<li>Post-its can be expensive! This app allows you to use digital post-its on your device<\/li>\n<li>You can export the Board you create with post-its as an image, or use the post-it notes you and the class created to make a powerpoint presentation<\/li>\n<li>Great for organizing and activities!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-778 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0100-300x225.jpg?resize=523%2C392\" alt=\"\" width=\"523\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0100.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0100.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0100.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 523px) 100vw, 523px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Popplet lite.<\/em><\/strong> A great graphic organizer.\n<ul>\n<li>This app has a &#8220;lite&#8221; version that is free, but you can also buy the premium app.<\/li>\n<li>Students can make graphic organizers with this app, which can help support them as they make connections in the classroom!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-780 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0102-300x225.jpg?resize=540%2C405\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0102.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0102.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0102.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>EarthNow<\/em>.<\/strong> Developed by NASA\n<ul>\n<li>This app, from NASA&#8217;s Jet Propulsion Labratory, allows students to observe Earth&#8217;s &#8220;vital signs,&#8221; including air temperature, Carbon Dioxide, Ozone, and water vapor.<\/li>\n<li>Students can also view digital models of satellites, read about their launch dates, and what they measure.<\/li>\n<li>Latest events scroll across the main homepage\n<ul>\n<li>red dots highlight the areas where the event occur<\/li>\n<li>by selecting the red dots, students can read details about the event<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Great for any science classroom for keeping up-to-date on Earth events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Word Clouds.<\/strong><\/em> Great for Making Thinking Visible Activities\n<ul>\n<li>Free app.<\/li>\n<li>Students can type in words and generate a word cloud.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-779 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0101-300x225.jpg?resize=455%2C341\" alt=\"\" width=\"455\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0101.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0101.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/IMG_0101.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>These three apps are free and easy to use in the classroom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Hands on Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While technology is amazing, it can also be beneficial to put away the technology and let kids explore nature and materials with their hands, but this often requires teachers to purchase supplies. <em>Where can teachers go for affordable materials?<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The dollar store.<\/strong> Simple, but practical. This is especially beneficial for some &#8220;last minute supplies&#8221; or when you need to pay for something out of pocket.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.discountschoolsupply.com\/\"><strong>http:\/\/www.discountschoolsupply.com\/<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>This website has materials sold in bulk at discounted prices. When there is a lab or activity you plan on integrating in your lesson, check out this site, especially when you&#8217;re looking for materials that can be reused for years to come.<\/li>\n<li>One thing to consider when purchasing classroom supplies and materials for engaging activities is the ability of it to be reused. If you have to spend a few more bucks for nicer materials, in the long run, it might be worth it. Durability does not always mean costly, though. A large bag of beads and some pipe cleaners can be reused for years!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/pin\/110338259606913054\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-777 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/files\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-31-at-11.39.02-AM-275x300.png?resize=275%2C300\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-31-at-11.39.02-AM.png?resize=275%2C300&amp;ssl=1 275w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-31-at-11.39.02-AM.png?resize=768%2C837&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-31-at-11.39.02-AM.png?resize=940%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 940w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/files\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-31-at-11.39.02-AM.png?w=1052&amp;ssl=1 1052w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>As a future teacher, I want my classroom to stand out to students. When they come in the room, I want them to be excited <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2018\/03\/engaging-tools-that-wont-break-the-bank\/\" title=\"Engaging Tools That Won&#8217;t Break the Bank\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2137,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,1,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-engaging-resources-for-the-science-classroom","category-misc","category-teaching-in-the-margins"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":781,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions\/781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}