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It’s easy to get confused when you set out to find apps that will best drive student learning. There are, after all, thousands of educational apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores, and the number is growing weekly. Like many educators, we also felt overwhelmed by the choices. But over the years we developed a process that allows us to sharply define what we need and then find the tools that help us meet our needs. Here are the five steps we consider: 1. Start by defining the problem of practice 2. Address the how of learning 3. Narrow down the type of tools 4. Look for sound advice 5. Evaluate the tools For more information on each of the five steps, read more here.  According to the Teaching with Technology survey conducted by Campus Technology (2016), the majority of faculty in higher education are either flipping their classroom or plan to flip their classroom. The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model where traditional lecture and homework are reversed. Many flipped classrooms include short video lectures from the instructor in order to cover content knowledge before students come to class to discuss and practice the content through projects and exercises. The flipped classroom focuses on active, student-centered learning and has shown an increase in student engagement inside and outside the classroom.  Flipping the classroom allows instructors to offer more interactive and applied practice to help students reach higher level learning. At its core, flipped learning really is a form of blended learning because it incorporates both face-to-face and online elements. Flipped learning can be used to modify learning to best support students' needs and learning interests. Flipping the classroom will be a change for both instructors and students. Instructors will move away from the Sage on the Stage model toward a Guide on the Side model (though carefully considering what that means and not leaving students to fend for themselves, but instead use their sage-ness to help guide student learning). Students will have more choice and responsibility for their learning. The collaborative and cooperative nature of flipped learning can be uncomfortable at first for instructors and students alike, but supporting students in their learning by offering more hands-on practice is worth it when we see students go beyond basic understanding and instead show mastery of content. Resources to ExploreThere is a movement in education right now focused on open educational resources (OER). OER are teaching and learning materials that educators can use and reuse at no cost and without needing to ask permission. OER are authored or created by an organization or individuals that retain few (if any) ownership rights. These materials can be downloaded and used with students or shared with colleagues. In many cases, you can also modify the materials for your own uses and re-post for others to use. The idea behind the OER movement is tied to the basic human right to quality education access.  OER Commons is a great resource to discover OER materials, create materials to share with other educators, and connect with educators interested in OER resources. You can use the website to search for ready-made materials or use their module builder to create your own learning modules that you can build with OER materials. Use the links below to start your OER exploration.
 I've been thinking a lot lately about ways we give our students freedom and autonomy in the classroom while also making sure they learn the skills and content we need them to learn to be successful in our classes. Sometimes it takes some classroom Jedi mind tricks to accomplish our goals.
I have a few Jedi mind tricks I use with my students. One of my favorites is assigning mandatory time with me for any incomplete assignments. Not only do I already hold office hours or have planning time set aside (so, in the end, I'm not losing my own time), but this gives students time and space to come get help. It also helps me build relationships with students who may be struggling in my classes. Another example I use is allowing mastery on assignments. I'll allow students to do an assignment as many times as they want until they achieve their desired grade. For some that might be an A, for others a B, and so on. I do give time limits on this process, however, because I do not want students trying to rewrite or redo assignments at the eleventh hour at the end of the semester. That would overwhelm me. But, ultimately, I want my students to master the content, and giving them as many times as they need to show their learning on an assignment benefits them. There are a number of ways for implementing mastery learning, and this is just one example. You can read more about mastery learning and its origins as well as tips for mastery learning. What kind of Jedi mind tricks do you use with your students? I love this Vitae forum thread with a lot of instructors sharing their tips. Feel free to share yours in the comments below! Whether you are a new teacher in the classroom or a veteran teacher with a lot of knowledge and experience, everyone has their own level of expertise when it comes to using educational technology in the classroom. There is a misconception that newer teachers must have better understanding of technology because they have used it most of their lives. They are often referred to as "digital natives." That perception is not always accurate. In fact, my experience working with teachers shows that while new teachers may have used technology most of their lives, they do not necessarily know how to leverage that tech use in the classroom. Using educational technology is a whole different practice when it comes to the classroom and working with students. Here are a few tips for all teachers when using educational technology:
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Designer Information
Julie K. Marsh is a long-time educator, a PhD candidate at The College of William and Mary focusing on curriculum and educational technology, and the Coordinator for Distance Education and Instructional Design at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing in Richmond, Virginia. Her current research interests include Design Thinking, Community of Inquiry, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), creativity in the classroom, open sourced educational resources, and participatory culture.
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