Using the TechScaffold Platform for Supporting Decision-Making in Selecting Apps and Sharing Projects
Richard Beach
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Greg Klotz
Keywords: apps, technology integration, planning instruction, project design
Abstract
In this presentation, we will describe use of the Techscaffold.com tool designed to help in-service and preservice teachers make decisions for selecting relevant apps to foster students' learning. This tool is designed to address the challenge of making decisions about selecting relevant apps for use in the classroom based on certain learning objectives and pupils’ expertise/needs, as well as the affordances associated with completing certain activities.This tool scaffolds teachers’ decision-making based on three content sections: 1) Apps: teachers select apps from database of 900 apps based on formulating purposes for using apps based on objectives, subject, grade level, expertise required, platform, and costs; 2) Community: teachers share user ratings of and recommendations for certain apps based on different criteria; and 3) Projects: users upload projects illustrating use of apps in the classroom to share with other users. Attendees will be asked to participate on the site to openly shared their comments and feedback related to their potential use of the site as well as making further revisions of the site.
Author Biographies
Richard Beach, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Richard Beach is Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He is co-author of 27 books related to teaching English language arts, including books on teaching literature, digital writing, use of apps for literacy instruction, and teaching about climate change. His research focuses on secondary students’ literary response, digital literacies, and composition, with a current interest in how students’ use of “languaging” shapes their literacy learning, as described in a Dialogic Pedagogy (2017) report. He served as President of the Literacy Research Association in 2013.
Greg Klotz
Greg Klotz holds a B.A. and M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition from Iowa State University and an M.Ed. in English Education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He has worked in web design and is currently employed in work on development of websites relevant to use in schools.
