This presentation is designed to share five technologies that are appropriate for middle school students and teachers. The technologies are meant to add a heightened level of engagement in the classroom. The presentation offers implementation ideas, as well as covering some hurdles one might run into.

1. The Heart of Engagement
5
Engaging Technologies
for
Middle School Minds

2. The
Illustrious
Miss
Zee
•Fairfield Falcon
•VCU Alumni
•ODU Student
•MS English Teacher
•Future LibrarianMiss Rebecca Zuckerman
HCPS/ODU
2016

4. Use it! •Create characters
and tell Stories.
•Make history
Speak.
•Promote your
school and
library.
•Bring Figurative
Language to life.

5. • The mouth
takes some time
• Embedding is a
multi-step process
• Video conversion
is free, but only
temporarily

7. Useit!• Organize and plan for larger products.
• Teach new procedures and concepts.
• Practice with Text Structures by creating cartoons (6.5 k) (in
the spirit of this compare and contrast cartoon by Oatmeal).
• Create political cartoons. (8.3 c)
• Reflect on reading. (7.6 i and l)
• Teach Mood and Tone
• Teach or practice foreign language.

8. • Free version is
very limited.
• Creating
comics can be
time-
consuming.

9. #3Wix

10. Useit!
• Have students turn
in a website rather
than a classic
research paper.
• Use Wix as a
portfolio for
student work.
• Use Wix to promote
clubs and do-
gooder’s at your
school!

11. • Not all of the
controls are
intuitive. Play
around a lot
and click on
all the options
to learn what
they do.

12. #4Infographics
(Easel.lyand
Piktochart)

13. Use It!
• Explain Sequential
Concepts
• Summarize to reflect
on learning.
• Teach main idea and
supporting detail.
• Create anchor charts
• Create visual media
messages
• Display data and
research

14. • Creation of
Infographics
can be time
consuming
• Temperamental
controls
• Starting from
scratch is
overwhelming

15. #5 Tinkercad

16. Use it!
• Create, design, print, and promote
inventions.
• Create representational objects to
go along with a book, character,
or research topic
• Repair or upgrade existing
machines
• Create historical artifacts
• Work as team to build something

17. • Not currently
compatible with
Google Chrome
• Will not save
unless you are
working in
Firefox
• Design can be
visually “tricky”

18. Questions?

19. Image Credits
Cover Page (slide 1):
Clker Free Vector Free Images/ 29620 Images (2012). Face black man smile afro hair. Retrieved at: https://pixabay.com/en/face-
black-man-smile-afro-hair-41697/ CC0 Public Domain
Slide 2:
Clker Free Vector Free Images/29620 Images (2014). Falcon-bird of prey-raptor. Retrieved from: https://pixabay.com/en/falcon-bird-
of-prey-bird-raptor-303847/ CC0 Public Domain
Slide 3:
SuperTuffPinkPuff (2010). This horse is whack. Retrieved at: http://supertuffpinkpuff.deviantart.com/art/That-horse-is-whack-
184706818 CC BY 3.0
*This image was modified: the tongue was removed from the original image and the modified picture was used in a “blabber “created
by Miss Zee on “blabberize.com”
Slide 4:
Budi, Rollan (2009). Dog chillin’ with red sunglasses. Retrieved fromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/rollanb/3545177630 CC BY-SA 2.0
*Photo modified by MissZee using blabberize to animate and add audio.
Slides 5, 11, 14, 17:
Roventine, M. (2009). Caution: jazz hands! Retrieved at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/3718340188 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Slide 6:
Pixton by Miss Zee

20. Image Credits
Slide 7:
Inman, M. (2016). Minor differences. Retrieved at: http://theoatmeal.com/pl/minor_differences/capslock The
Oatmeal: USA.
Slide 8:
Pixton by Miss Zee
Slide 9:
Wix Website by Miss Zee
Slide 10:
medithIT (2013). 10363851703. Retrieved at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/medithit/10363851703 CC BY 2.0
Slide 12:
Easel.y by Miss Zee
Slide 13: Piktocharts by Miss Zee
Slide 15:
Deblock, M. ( 2016). Tinkercad chair. Retrieved at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhJt2C65jY8 Standard
Youtube License.
Slide 16:
Mad Hatter Hat made by Miss Zee in Tinkercad