Technology in my classroom


In teaching elementary Spanish, my life is somewhat hectic.  My classes are 25 minutes long, and on my typical day has 13 or 14 classes of kids ranging from Kindergarten to 5th grade.  I am constantly on the move, and my days fly by!  That being said, it is incredibly important that I use my time wisely.  I try to use technology to engage my students, pique their interest, and try to promote as much at-home practice as possible.  

My classrooms are equipped with Apple TV, projectors, desktop computers, and DVD players.  On top of that, each teacher is provided an iPad.  Furthermore, in each school there are two carts of Chromebooks.  I often use the iPad as a tool to project work students are working on via the Apple TV in order to work along with or provide examples for students.  I have used Chromebooks for research projects on Spanish speaking countries, and have had students develop their own vocabulary lists.  Furthermore, via my classroom website, I provide parents and students with at-home videos for practice, as well as a simple communication tool.

I've heard a bit about "my classroom," a Google app. that keeps a constant stream of communication between student and teacher, and can track assignments, attendance, and solid at-home connection.  What I am curious about is how I may be able to apply this app to 1)various grade levels-as I teach K-5, and 2) the vast numbers of students I teach-more than 900 in total.  Would there be a way to alter or adapt Google classroom to meet my unique needs?

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