Thoughts on Integrating
Technology Into Your Online Classroom
By Nancy Hampson
Teaching with Technology
 Technology is
everywhere and touches
nearly every aspect of
our lives. When properly
utilized, technology in
the online classroom will
enable students to
acquire the skills they
need to thrive in their
chosen career fields.
Why Use Online Learning Tools?
 Instructors that view technology as a means of enhancing online student
learning move from a behaviorist approach to a more constructivist
approach.
 The behaviorist approach views development as a continuous process in
which the individual plays a relatively passive role. It is also a general
approach that is used in a variety of settings including both clinical
and educational. Behaviorists believe it’s what people do, not what
they think, to be the focus of this theory.
 Conversely ,constructivists believe students construct their own
knowledge and understanding based on prior experiences. As
students learn, they engage in the process of revising prior learning
based on the new knowledge they’re acquiring.
 Students that are exposed to online collaboration tools become creators
and critics thus taking a more active part in their own learning.
 The Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET)
learned that technology impacts achievement in learning, promotes
higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepares students
for the workforce; http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integrationguide-importance
Technology Tools
 Technology tools for the online classroom can
be broken down into three broad categories:

1. Those that publish such as Weblogs

2. Those that manage information such as RSS Feeds

3. Those that share content in new collaborative ways
such as Primary Pad.
Our focus today is….
The following online technology tools:
 Weblogs
 Wikis
 RSS Feeds
 Jing
 Alternatives to PowerPoint
 Google tools for education
 Primary Pad
Weblogs
 Weblogs are easy to create and update and allow one
author or multiple authors to instantly publish to the
Internet. They engage readers with ideas, questions and
links. They also encourage responses and interaction.
 For the top 10 sites to build a blog for free, go to:
http://devilsworkshop.org/top-10-websites-to-create-a-blog-for-free
Weblogs –
Uses in the online classroom
 Class Meet-up : To post additional course curriculum that supports the
learning objectives, class rules, links to homework assignments,
rubrics, handouts and presentations.
 E-Portfolios : A student’s personal record of learning and reflection
with links to videos, presentations or podcasts.
 Collaborative Space: Students can interact with each other online or
with experts in their field of study. It’s recommended that the
instructor monitor this blog to ensure accuracy.
 Knowledge Mgmt & Articulation : Groups and committees can share
meeting minutes or relevant links. Schools can share best practices,
lesson plans and discussions on what works and what doesn’t.
 For more information on Weblogs, go to this website:
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AclS3lrlFkCIZGhuMnZjdjVfN
zQ5ZnpiczlxYzM&hl=en_GB
Wikis
 A wiki is a website that allows users to add and update content
on the site using their own web browser. This is made possible
by the wiki software that runs on the web server. Creating a wiki
is a collaborative effort by the site visitors.
 In most cases, every wiki has a link (many times at the top of the
page) that says “edit page.”
 Some wiki sites have logins and passwords which help to provide
security so no one posts malicious items or erases the work of
others.
 To get a feel for how this works, click the link below:
http://www.commoncraft.com/video/wikis
To view a list of top ten sites for creating a wiki, go here:
http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2011/05/top-10-sites-for-creatingwiki.html
RSS Feeds
 RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication
 RSS feeds are something you can subscribe to. They
contain information that’s posted to a particular weblog or
wiki.
 The purpose of the feed is the information is sent to you
rather than you visiting multiple websites.
 RSS feeds use a software called an “aggregator” which
checks the feeds you’re subscribed to, usually on the hour,
and collects all the new content. When you’re ready you
open the aggregator and read the individual stories, save
them for later or delete them if you wish.
 RSS Feeds allow you to read more content from more
sources in less time.
RSS Feeds and Online Learning
 An example of using an RSS Feed for online learning might be
a medical terminology class that’s following a national story
that relates to the class or a fashion merchandising class that’s
following fashion week in New York or even a marketing class
that’s following a trend in tracking clicks on a website.
 The instructor would have the class visit the website and click
on the RSS feed icon.
 Another way to help you organize what RSS Feeds you want
to obtain is through Scoops (www.scoops.com) Scoops is an
RSS Reader that seeks out information based on the criteria
you give it.
 The website will ask for your first and last name, email address
and a password to log into your account.
 Then Scoops asks about your interests and gives you a list of
topics to choose from.
 You select where you want your information to come from.
Things to Remember
About RSS Feeds
 Not every website has an RSS feed
 Be sure and add sites that are worthwhile and are relevant




to the class material
If you create folders in your RSS Reader (Scoops) this will
help you organize your feeds
Don’t subscribe to too many feeds at once as this can be
overwhelming. Just try one or two.
Try to read your RSS feeds once a day as they’ll pile up
Top 10 RSS Readers:
http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/top-10-web-based-rssreaders/
RSS Feeds – More Uses
For The Online Classroom
 For the instructor – checking student weblogs. Instead of
checking each weblog individually, the aggregator can collect
them all in one place saving time and resources.
 For the student – Research! Enter a search term and receive
any newly published data on that topic as soon as it’s
published.
 For the instructor – Create a Web page using RSS Feeds and
group them together based on a single topic. Give this
resource to your students to help them stay current.
 Additional uses for RSS feeds can be found at:
http://sites.wiki.ubc.ca/etec510/Using_RSS_Feeds_to_Enrich_Le
arning
Jing
 Jing is used to share images and short videos of your
computer’s screen.
 The software for Jing is free and can be found here:
http://www.techsmith.com/products.html
 Another more sophisticated screen capture software is
called Snagit and can also be found at the above
website.
 Some excellent online tutorials are located at
http://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-jing.html
The website below offers additional ways to use Jing in
your classroom:
http://www.techsmith.com/jing-uses.html
Alternatives to PowerPoint
 In this section we’ll focus on alternatives to
PowerPoint. They are:

Prezi

SlideRocket

Google Docs Presentations

Zoho Show
Prezi – www.prezi.com
 Prezi is like a giant virtual whiteboard that facilitates an entire
presentation.
 Unlike PowerPoint where the viewer flips through slides, in Prezi the
viewer is zoomed in and out of appropriate portions of the presentations,
based on how the creator sets it up, creating a much more dynamic and
visually-appealing experience for the viewer.
 Prezi offers three different licensing agreements:
 Free ! You receive the basic features and 100 MB of storage space which
is about the size of 5-6 small photos.
 $59 a year, 500 MB of storage, prezi’s can be made private, and 24/7
technical support.
 $159 a year, 2 GB of storage, all of the above plus the use of Prezi
Desktop for offline editing.
 The free membership works well. However should you need something
more, contact Weston and we’ll do a cost analysis of the product .
 Prezi:





Can Pan and Zoom
Can Import Media
Offers Templates
Can Present On or Offline
Offers Real-time Collaboration
Sliderocket – www.sliderocket.com
 Sliderocket is a collaborative, web-based application that
is available for use online, offline or via a mobile app.
 Sliderocket offers themes and layouts, shapes, charts,
tables, pictures, audio, HD video and Flash to tell your
story or enhance a lesson.
 Ranges in price from $0 to $24 a month to an undisclosed
amount for organizational use.
Google Docs Presentations
Google Docs allows you to share and
collaborate in real time, control who
can see your presentation, and safely
stores and organizes your work.
For a visual presentation of Google
Docs, click the link below to watch a
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upY
Wo84wNxM
** In order to use Google docs, you
must open a Gmail account or have
an email already registered with
Google. Gmail accounts are offered
free of charge**
To start using Google Docs
immediately, click the link below:
https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLo
gin?service=writely&passive=1209600&
continue=https://docs.google.com/%23
&followup=https://docs.google.com/&lt
mpl=homepage
Zoho Show
 Presentation software that’s web based and can be
accessed from anywhere.
 Presentations can be viewed and edited from a
standard web browser and can be embedded in blog or
website.
 FREE for personal use
 For a tour of Zoho Show click on the link below:
https://show.zoho.com/help/tour/tour.html
Google Tools for the Educator
Go to http://www.google.com/educators/tools.html for a complete list of free
tools for the educator both online and in class.
Primary Pad
 Primary Pad was conceived by a teacher and is built for
education in the online world and face to face.
 Primary Pad has:









Sticky Notes
Drawing Integration
Very Stable Learning Platform
Copy Pad and Create Template Feature
Speech to Text (with Google Chrome)
Wordle Word Visualizer Integration
Import/Export Features
Image Upload and Insert
For more information go to http://www.primarypad.com
Summary
 The online technology tools available today are multiplying at a
rapid rate. What has been presented here is only a fraction of what’s
available to enhance the online learning experience for Weston
students. Learning these new techniques takes time and practice.
Yet the time that educators spend incorporating technology into
their online classrooms will reap great rewards because many of our
students are already using tools like these everyday. Why not
capitalize on what’s already familiar to them? I would encourage
every educator to critically evaluate the tools presented here and try
to gradually implement as appropriate into their online curriculum.
 In addition, please feel free to contact me with any questions or
concerns regarding how to integrate technology into your online
class to improve student engagement. My contact info. is as follows:
NancyH@westondistancelearning.com or 970-282-4501.
Weblogs: http://devilsworkshop.org/top-10-websites-to-create-a-blog-for-free
Weblogs uses in the classroom:
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AclS3lrlFkCIZGhuMnZjdjVfNzQ5ZnpiczlxYzM&hl=en_GB
Wiki’s , how they work: http://www.commoncraft.com/video/wikis
Wiki’s build your own: http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2011/05/top-10-sites-for-creating-wiki.html
RSS Feeds, Scoops: www.scoops.com
RSS Feeds ,Reader: http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/top-10-web-based-rss-readers/
RSS Feeds, additional links: http://sites.wiki.ubc.ca/etec510/Using_RSS_Feeds_to_Enrich_Learning
Jing, software : http://www.techsmith.com/products.html
Jing, online tutorials: http://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-jing.html
Jing, additional classroom uses: http://www.techsmith.com/jing-uses.html
Prezi: www.prezi.com
Sliderocket: www.sliderocket.com
Google docs, video presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upYWo84wNxM
Google docs, to begin using:
https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600&continue=https://docs.google.c
om/%23&followup=https://docs.google.com/&ltmpl=homepage
Zoho Show: https://show.zoho.com/help/tour/tour.html
Google Tools for the educator: http://www.google.com/educators/tools.html
Primary Pad: http://www.primarypad.com