Literacy In & Beyond the Classroom

 What is multimedia?  Should we use it in the classroom?  Multimedia can be extremely beneficial for students. I think that it can be a fun interesting way to keep students involved in what we are learning. We have to remember that the world is changing and students are being used to having access to technology all the time, so why not use it in the classroom? It's important for us to do things to keep the students interested in the lesson. I personally have really liked the use of multimedia for students. I think there are so many different formats and ways to use it in the classroom. I don't think there should be an issue if you choose to use this with the right age group. I think it could be a little tricky at first for some students, but mostly everyone will get the hang of it and love it. It's important to keep things fun and engaging during school and this is the perfect way to do so! Different types: 

Using Apps in Class:  I think we all know more than anyone else that technology is evolving and will continue to evolve. Students of all ages use cell phones, tablets, and computers. It's important that we teach them the right way to use their technology in school by incorporating the right apps into our classroom.  What Apps Should we Use? As future educators it's important for us to know what apps work for us and what apps we think are the best. Some of my personal favorites for the classroom are:  Epic - this is one of my personal favorites! I love all the tools it gives students and different materials there is access to for students  Padlet - this is a wonderful app for communication. It gives students the chance to comment back on forth. It is very good discussion app for students.  NaNoWriMo's Young Writers - an app where students can set goals and are encouraged to write!  It truly would be beneficial for everyone to consider using apps in their classrooms. I think

  Graphic Organizers and what they are:   I think we've all needed to organize our thoughts one way or another and personally, I think a graphic organizer is the easiest for me. It's a good way to connect your thoughts and make connections in front of you.  Creating them online?  Personally, I found it pretty easy to create a graphic organizer online. I had never done it before, but I seemed to catch on and make it make sense. I like to believe that I can be pretty good with technology, however, I'm not sure this is something I loved. Yes, it was easy and it was doable. BUT, no I did not like it or prefer it. I found it a little more difficult to connect the dots and make connections where I wanted to. I just think for me personally it is much easier to write it down on paper.  Digital Graphic Organizers in the Classroom:  I can see a tremendous benefit to using digital GOs in the classroom. I think it is always great to incorporate technology into the classroom because wel