Superior Tech 4 Teachers Conference ST4T 2016

Before I came to ST4T last year, I thought using technology with my students was allowing them to go on the computer for free time, but after my eye-opening experience at ST4T 2015, I began networking with and learning from the best education-technology specialists in the country. I have since immersed myself in learning and applying these amazing apps in my classroom and it has transformed my entire pedagogy! Since I know there will be many attending ST4T 2016 in that same position I was in one year ago, I thought it would be helpful to give a presentation that can introduce popular apps that can easily be used to transform a middle school classroom, although they could be modified with upper elementary and high school as well. The apps I will be covering are:
-NEARPOD: I would like to USE Nearpod to show teachers how this app/website can be used to:
1. Send interactive presentations to each classroom device - which helps increase student engagement by allowing students to have a visual display right in front of them.
2. Get immediate feedback of understanding from each and every student through interactive questions.
3. Increase test scores by knowing immediately when you need to re-teach a concept that your students are not understanding by addressing misconceptions the moment they happen.
I will demonstrate how to download a powerpoint or pdf into the app, create quizzes and questions, activities and slides, and show reports that can be generated for grades or use in an LMS as well.
-KAHOOT!: I will show teachers how to gamify their classrooms with this exciting app! I will demonstrate how to add questions and pictures to this gaming platform to help make learning fun for students while engaging each and every one of them.
-SOCRATIVE: Teachers can also empower themselves by saving valuable time with Socrative. I will teach them how to create engaging, digital tests, quizzes, and exit tickets. This app/website not only benefits teachers, but the students love it as well! Teachers can immediately see student scores as well as individual item percentages so they can effectively find and correct problem areas. I will also show them how to find and print scores, duplicate tests for multiple periods, as well as print paper copies when needed.
iMOVIE: While this app will only work with Apple products, it is an amazing tool for students to show what they have learned in just about any subject area while also engaging their imaginations. I will show teachers the basics of creating an iMovie or iMovie Trailer which can open up alternative ways for students to create fun presentations or show cumulative knowledge about a particular concept.
DOINK: This is a great app to use in conjunction with iMovie. I will show teachers the basics of layering pictures or video with any background using a green screen. Students LOVE it!
Participants will gain a basic, functional understanding of these five amazing apps and therefore have a fresh, contemporary approach to keeping students engaged in lessons while saving valuable time that could otherwise be spent working with students. It was only one year ago that I was the beginner trying to use technology effectively in my classroom. I want to show others that you can easily learn and apply these 5 apps fairly quickly and totally change your teaching style to one the students will respond to and LOVE. If anyone is looking to energize their classrooms, keep students excited and engaged, increase test scores, AND save time... this is the presentation for them! I remember leaving ST4T 2015 knowing my entire way of teaching was forever changed and I want to share that feeling with as many other teachers as possible.