Total Immersion
Laura Boyd is a middle school Spanish teacher in Franklin, Tennessee who is dedicated to providing her students an immersive language experience through integrating a multitude of EdTech tools in inventive and exciting ways. One of Laura’s favorite things about using EdTech in the classroom is that it dramatically increases student collaboration and engagement! Boosting peer interaction and conversation is incredibly important when teaching a world language, and Laura believes EdTech does just that! “When they have tools they are more engaged than when I just lecture. Their attention spans are visibly shorter! By integrating tech tools into my class, I have seen so much improvement in the students’ passion and enthusiasm for learning Spanish.”
Versatility and Functionality
One of Laura’s favorite EdTech tools is of course the OKIOCAM! While Laura discovered the OKIOCAM during the pandemic, she has continued to use it almost daily for both in-person classes and supplemental resources. Laura’s favorite feature of the OKIOCAM is its ability to function as both a webcam and document camera. It is especially useful when she is creating supplemental videos for her Spanish classes. “I am able to use the front-facing position to record a greeting and briefly introduce the topic for the day. After, I can simply turn the camera down to get into whatever content I have prepared!” The versatility of the OKIOCAM is unrivaled and assists you in delivering your content in ways that make learning lively and stimulating!
Laura also loves the portability and ease of set-up that the OKIOCAM possesses. She is able to take it all over the school to different classrooms, as well as take it home whenever there are mandatory closings or quarantines! “When I forget my computer or use someone else’s device, I don’t have to worry about setting up the OKIOCAM. I can plug it into any device and it’s seamless!” Laura finds that the OKIOCAM supports her in becoming the best teacher that she can be for her students. “I need to be excited about what I am presenting because the students will feel the vibe. When I am excited they feel that energy and the OKIOCAM helps me keep that energy!”
Laura Boyd is a middle school Spanish teacher for Franklin Special School District in Franklin, Tennessee! Laura received her Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on World Language and Spanish from the University of Tennesee. Check out her profile on Edutopia and Twitter where she shares some insights into her own experiences as a Spanish teacher and consistently posts her favorite EdTech tools and tricks to help you through your day!
