First Techie

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information such as sounds, videos, and graphics on top of the real-world environment. AR is often confused with virtual reality (VR), a technology that creates entirely artificial environments. Together, these technologies are collectively known as extended reality (XR), and they are driving change across industries: IDC reports that the  AR/VR market  is expected to grow from $16.8 billion in 2019 to $160 billion by 2023. What is augmented reality? Augmented reality superimposes sounds, videos, and graphics onto an existing environment. It uses four main components to superimpose images on current environments: cameras and sensors, processing, projection, and reflection. Each of these components provides an individual function. For example, cameras and sensors can detect an image’s depth or calculate the distance between two objects before superimposing digital content atop the user’s view. Projection and ref...

Twitter  is a social networking tool that allows users to connect with people and explore topics of interest (#hashtags). There are more than 330 million monthly active users and 145 million daily active users on Twitter. Twitter users can read and write short messages (up to 280 characters) that are organized by hashtags (e.g.,  #education ). While you might think that Twitter is just for celebrities and people who want to share photos of their lunch, it is actually one of the most popular professional learning tools for K-12 teachers. If you are struggling to get students to engage in conversations or to get full class participation, you might consider giving Twitter a try. It is a great tool for backchanneling, synchronous or asynchronous communication, and even conducting research. Let's take a look at this tool: Impact On Student Learning Twitter functions characteristically as a social network linking effective tools including learner-based, assessment-...

  Podcasting blogs are an invaluable resource to connect podcasters with the best tips, strategies, and industry updates from leading podcast experts. There's a blog for virtually every facet of podcasting, whether you want to stay up on monetization methods, find new content, or recommendations for gear and related tech. Here are the top 10 best podcast blogs (in my opinion) for podcasters or just techies interested in keeping up with the digital audio industry. I found them during preparing for this week's discussion and assignment for my doctorate degree. Hope you will find them useful.  1-  Podcast Insights   This podcast blog goes deep into software and gear reviews, monetization, and has plenty of video equipment resources, too. No matter what stage you're at in your podcasting journey, Podcast Insights has content that helps take the confusion out of the process. This blog might be especially beneficial for anyone interested in starting a WordPress blog; ...

Technology in education is the biggest change in teaching we will ever see. For years, policymakers, teachers, parents, and students alike have been weighing the potential benefits of technology in education against its risks and consequences.  Prior to March 2020, some would say that technology allowed us to experiment in pedagogy, democratize the classroom and reach Generation Z students. But after 2020, technology in education has become essential—especially as the COVID-19 pandemic forced higher ed and public schools to swap face-to-face instruction for distance learning. As an educator, I have used countless apps and technologies and I would like to share the best practices for using technology in the classroom—and offer workable solutions that will help you meet the needs of your students.  Technology can offer countless opportunities to support learning ( picture source:  Woman Draw a Light bulb in White Board · Free Stock Photo (pexels.com) How technology can supp...

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can be used to proactively design lessons that address learner variability. Using UDL guidelines, teachers can integrate flexible options and supports that ensure that standards-based lessons are accessible to a range of learners in their classrooms. In this week's post, I will introduce the components of the UDL  framework that teachers use to ensure students' equal access to the curriculum. UDL infographic  UDL infographic design What is Universal Design for Learning? Let's start by watching a short video that describes UDL at a Glance. Here is a short article that explains how teachers can UDL:  A Teacher's Guide.  Within this article, there are two embedded videos. Be sure to watch both. The first shows how a teacher uses UDL in his class, the second emphasizes considering student variability, rather than only students' disability when considering universal design.  Then read an article that explains  Ho...