Educational technology has come a long way in the past ten years, as school is no longer the simple pencil and paper affair that it once was. Laptops, iPods, video cameras, and interactive boards have found their way into classrooms across the world. With all this new technology, it can be overwhelming to figure out which gadgets enhance your students’ learning the best.
Using interactive materials is a great way to help students get actively involved. If you’ve never used them before, these files feature hands-on activities that can be operated on an interactive whiteboard using your hands or a special pen. abcteach has recently added an interactive section, with PowerPoints, games, and theme unit files, and will be adding new materials every week.
While not every school can afford these somewhat pricey boards, other options are available (i.e. for the ambitious teachers out there, here is a great post on creating your own interactive whiteboard using a Nintendo Wii remote for under $100). True, using a whiteboard is an effective way to get the entire class involved, but these files work just fine on a computer screen with a good “old-fashioned” mouse. Beyond whiteboard activities, having students create Powerpoint presentations can develop both their computer and presentation skills, while putting creative freedom in students’ hands (check out our PowerPoint templates).
Interactive materials and PowerPoint presentations are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to technology in the classroom. We’d love to hear how you use technology in your classroom, so please leave a comment if you have a story you’d like to share.
A couple notes: You’ll find .notebook and .flipchart files on abcteach at this time. You’ll need a Smart Notebook Interactive Viewer (free download) to view .notebook files on your computer. To view and create .flipchart files, compatible with Promethean white boards, download ActivInspire for free.
Posted by Stephen Kemsley, abcteach team
The links in the text above are for members. Read more about membership. Below are links to our free materials:
SMART Notebook Interactives
Powerpoint Templates
PowerPoint Presentations