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Teaching Strategies

  • TIVO or Digital Recorder (DVR)

    • Preset programs you want to record from utahitv.org
    • Ask a parent volunteer or student who needs extra credit to record the programs for you.
    • Record series from PNS on PBS Utah or programs from UEN–TV. These have generous educational off air rights.
    • Crate a TIVO wish list for a unit you'll be teaching such as "Nutrition", "Civil War" or "Magnets"". TIVO will identify any program with this keyword and you can decide if it's useful for your unit.
    • Record the teacher professional development programs on UEN–TV Saturdays. Watch and discuss these programs with teacher groups or earn credit from online courses.
    • Record reading programs like Between the Lions and Reading Rainbow. Pair the program with its book and an activity sheet from the PBSKids website.
    • Utah Studies Teachers – add the word "Utah" to your TIVO wish list. You'll get great history or geography programs. You can also add the name of a country or town – you may be surprised at what you will record.

  • Remote Control

    • Pause the video to highlight diagrams or still images.
    • Turn on the closed captioning to assist English learners or struggling readers.
    • Turn down the sound and call on students to narrate what they see on the screen instead.
    • Turn off the monitor and play the audio portion while the students sketch their understanding of the concepts or physically demonstrate it themselves.
    • Replay key scenes or concepts several times for review.

  • USB Flash Drive or Portable Hard Drive

    • Create a file with your contact information in case it is lost.
    • Organize folders in a logical pattern you can use from year to year – such as class periods, subjects taught or type of work.
    • Use the drive to store Microsoft PowerPoint presentations – but be sure to include the media elements in the same file so they play when you need the too.
    • Create a folder for multimedia and subfolders for music, images and sound.
    • Label the outside of your drive with your contact information so it can be returned if lost.
    • Create a media folder just for eMedia downloads. Rename the video file to something that will help you remember rather than the provided UEN filename.

  • Flatbed Scanner

    • Scan writing samples of primary grade students at various times throughout the year. Add these to their performance portfolio to demonstrate growth.
    • Scan the bottom of each student's shoe and then use geometry skills to calculate area and perimeter.
    • Scan student artwork, maps or diagrams. Use the files to create an annotated show with Photostory or iMovie – you can even add music.
    • Scan mastheads from a variety of newspapers. Use them for a custom bulletin board to feature current events.
    • Scan student artwork to create custom images in Google Sketch Up and other tools.
    • Scan money from countries then create printouts for each student. Talk about symbolism in the currency and use a world map to locate its origin.
    • Scan coins front and back and print on card stock or cut and paste on cardboard so you have "money" to practice counting change.

  • iPod or Portable Media Device

    • Download, store and watch programs from eMedia.
    • Use a video cable to attach the iPod to your classroom TV – it is much less money than a projector!
    • Organize music and videos in playlists for each class or subject you teach.
    • Prepare for lessons using video by previewing them on your iPod – then play back for students by connecting it to a TV or computer.
    • Download audio tools for struggling readers to listen to as they read along with the text. Most literature books are in public domain and can be downloaded for free.
    • Begin each class session with a short musical cue indicating you're about to start or it's time to turn in assignments. Students will respond to music cues more readily than your voice if used strategically.

  • Global Positioning System (GPS)

    • Identify your school's latitude and longitude. Find other locations on the same latitude around the world.
    • Use the speedometer feature to calculate how fast each student in your class can run. Find the animal with the closest match.
    • Calculate the perimeter of your school &ndash based on that can you determine the area and volume?
    • Release a Geocache travel bug with a registered number. Place a picture of the bug and a world map on your bulletin board to track where it goes.