What are the teaching tools?

If you’re a teacher, you’re already doing a lot, but luckily there are many tools available to make
your job a little bit easier. Teaching tools can help with everything from creating quizzes to
promoting good behavior, and many educators find them incredibly useful.

Practically anything can be a teaching tool; a handful of Post-It notes can be a tool if they help you with
tasks like figuring out seating arrangements or keeping track of your calendar. However, for the purposes
of this guide, we define teaching tools as an online resource that helps teachers with any aspect of
their job. Read on to learn what tools for teachers can do and to read descriptions of 17 of the best
teaching aids out there

How Teaching Aids Can Transform a Classroom?

t’s very difficult to teach a classroom without any support, and, fortunately, there are many
resources to help you out. There are numerous benefits to using teaching tools. Here are some of
the most important:

 Reduce stress of teachers, students, and parents

 Encourage collaboration among students
 Improve knowledge retention
 Improve technological skills
 Reduce teacher workload
 Improve communication between teachers, students, and parents
 Allow students to learn at different paces
 Help teachers identify topics to focus more on
 Improve student participation and engagement

What are the modern tools used for teaching?

Thomas Edison, in the year 1925, stated that “books will soon be
obsolete in schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye”.  The
modern-day technology has replaced the old school and primitive version of
the classrooms. It will be very exciting to see what the future of learning
holds for us, and what the classrooms of the future will be like. With the
emergence of the wide range of vivid technologies, the least we can predict
is that the schools will slowly start to adapt themselves accordingly, in the
future days to come.

Effective Educational Tools for An Interactive Class

Books are slowly being replaced by PDF files, and projection screens are
used in the place of chalk and duster. The teachers are now trying their best
to provide the students with the best possible information by seeking aid
from these modern-day technologies. And the students, on the other hand,
are mesmerized by seeing their textbooks come live on the screens. It
doesn’t matter if you are seasoned with the new tech classrooms or new to
the idea, below are mentioned some of the most effective educational tools
which can help you to get accustomed to the modern-day classroom:

1. Google Drive
Google drive is file storage service which is developed by Google and allows
the users to store their respective files and documents in the cloud,
synchronize, and share them across other devices. It comprises of MS-
Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Students can easily note down information’s
and text in their devices and share it with others. This makes the process of
learning hassle-free as the students don’t need to make different copies for
different subjects. They are just a click away from creating their
presentations.

2. 3D Printing
3D printers are nowadays considered to be a must for all classrooms. It
brings the pictures alive and gives it a touch of reality. Students benefit a lot
by using 3D printers as it produces mini models which help to test out the
engineering design principles. It helps the student to perfect their
presentations together with CAD modeling software and allows the student
to experiment regarding the designs in a short span of time with nominal
expenses.

3. Screen Casting(ditto sa atin mas gamit ang power point)

This app is more like taking a screen-shot, only a more advanced version of
it. Screen Casting allows you to take a picture of the computer screen and
lets you add your voice to it. This allows the students to create an
instructional video which helps them to revise a topic over and over again.
The video also lets you create a specific writing style. So, you can keep on
adding notes beside each picture and remember the important points.

What are the purpose of teaching tools?

Teaching aids are an integral component in any classroom. The many benefits

of teaching aids include helping learners improve reading comprehension skills, illustrating or
reinforcing a skill or concept, differentiating instruction and relieving anxiety or boredom by
presenting information in a new and exciting way.

Teaching Aids and Resources are the Most Important.

Teaching aids are an integral component in any classroom. The many benefits of teaching aids
include helping learners improve reading comprehension skills, illustrating or reinforcing a skill
or concept, differentiating instruction and relieving anxiety or boredom by presenting
information in a new and exciting way. Teaching aids also engage students’ other senses since
there are no limits in what aids can be utilized when supplementing a lesson.

As students are reading less and less on their own, teachers are finding reading comprehension
skills very low among today’s students. Teaching aids are helping teachers to close the gap and
hone the reading comprehension skills of their students. Using magazine and newspaper articles,
prints ads and even comic books are viable teaching aids that assist in helping students
comprehend text.

Teaching aids prove to be a formidable supplement for teachers when the reinforcement of a skill
or concept is necessary. Not only do they allow students more time to practice, but they also
present the information in a way which offers students a different way to engage with the
material. Of course, this is important in order to reach the various learning types in the class.

As previously mentioned, it is important for teachers to reach all learners in a classroom.

Therefore, the use of teaching aids facilitates this objective by assisting teachers in
differentiating instruction. Using aids such as graphs, charts, flashcards, videos, provides learners
with visual stimulation and the opportunity to access the content from a different vantage point.
This gives each learner the opportunity to interact with the content in a way which allows them
to comprehend more easily.

Teaching aids help to make the learning environment interesting and engaging. As we move
toward a more digital society, kids are being exposed to technology and digital devices at a
younger age. Video games and iPods are now what’s exciting to students, so when they come to
school they have little patience for lecture style teaching. Students are seeking constant
excitement and simply have no tolerance for boredom. Teaching aids are improving the quality
of education in today’s schools while also providing students with the sense of excitement they
desire.

Teaching aids are becoming the norm in the classroom. As traditional classrooms with
blackboard and chalk become a thing of the past, and smart classrooms become the norm,
teaching aids are growing in popularity and advancement. Blackboards are being replaced with
white and smart boards. TVs are being replaced with LCD projectors and screens. And educators
are becoming more focused on students growing with technology and integrating it into the
curriculum. Students are making podcasts, videos and even creating web quests All of which are
sound teaching aids to incorporate into the classroom.
The most important teaching aids in the classroom: The teacher and the
blackboard-
You know in the classroom, to make educational atmosphere the teacher need to use many
teaching aids. So what is a teaching aid? Teaching aids is a tool that is used by the teacher to
present new language. It can also be used to stimulate students or relieve anxiety, fears or
boredom since many teaching aids are like games. Some of the most common teaching aids
include visual aids like the blackboard, realia or pictures; audio aids like cassette tapes or CDs;
and audio visual aids such as video tapes and so on”, even the teacher are also a source of visual
aids. Thus, today I want to focus on the role of teacher and blackboard in the classroom.

Firstly, I think that the teacher is the richest teaching aids source
because they play a lot of roles in the class. For example:
–        Teacher can be a  ontroller c  : The teacher is in complete charge
of the class, what students do, what they say and how they say it. The teacher assumes this
role when new language is being introduced and accurate reproduction and drilling
techniques are needed.

–           Teacher can be a story teller: Sometimes we can teach our

lesson through stories, especially for kids.

–           Teacher is the resource : The teacher is a kind of walking

resource centre (monitor) ready to offer help if needed or providing students with whatever
language they lack when performing communicative activities. The teacher must make
her/himself available so that students can consult her/him when (and only when) they wish.

–           Teacher is a actor/actress: they can act/play some characters

in a story or the reading

–           Teacher is Organizer : Perhaps the most difficult and important

role the teacher has to play. The success of many activities depends on good organization and
on the students knowing exactly what they are to do. Giving instructions is vital in this role as
well as setting up activities.

–           Teacher is Participant : This role improves the atmosphere in the

class when the teacher takes part in an activity. However, the teacher takes a risk of
dominating the activity when performing it.

–           Teacher is Tutor : the teacher acts as a coach when students are
involved in project work or self-study. The teacher provides advice and guidance and helps
students clarify ideas and limit tasks.

–           Teacher can be a model: They makes example and student

follow
 –           Teacher is a singer: when they teach English through songs, they
can sing well

Teacher is a real object

–           : Teacher can use everything to apply in
classroom such as postures, gestures, body languages, eye contact, facial expressions. For
example, when they teach the new word “ Swimming”, they can use body languages to
describe this action…

Another important teaching aids I want to talk is

blackboard. Traditionally, we know the blackboard is a tool to write the main
points of the lesson. This is limited, so I want to use this aids more useful. For instance:
–          Blackboard is a place where teacher can show main content on it.
–         Blackboard is a stage where teacher can tell stories by using flashcards, students can
role-play drama…
–         Blackboard likes a piece of paper that teacher and students can draw or write on it.
–         Blackboard is a screen that students can see pictures and play games such as guessing
words, slap the board, hang man…
–         Blackboard is a sticky notes that teacher uses to write tasks and homework.
–         Blackboard is used to play games: Playing Games. We can play many different games
just using the board. However, games should only be played as warmers, fillers, or lesson
ending activities. Here are the examples of games that we can play on the
board: Hangman, ,XO game, Bingo, Snake word game, Pictogram…You can also play word
games which are good in vocabulary class.
The teacher and blackboard are the best teaching aids that are available, convenient and
popular. You are teachers in near future, so hope you will improve yourselves to become an
effective teaching aid.

The principles of designing teaching materials to

support teaching and learning in a variety of contexts
including:
•  The use of overhead projectors
•Using PowerPoint
•Using video in teaching and learning
•Resources for small group teaching
The Use of Overhead Projectors
Most lecture theatres and seminar rooms have an overhead projector

(OHP) and you will certainly have seen them in use. There are

however some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when preparing overhead

transparencies (OHTs).

•Do use permanent (waterproof) pens if you intend to re-use the OHT (water soluble inks
smudge very easily and detract from your presentation).

•Do leave space to add to the transparency as the lecture develops; do this on an overlay or with
water-soluble inks.

•Do use large fonts; it will depend on the size of the lecture theatre but don’t use anything
smaller than 24 point.

•Do use colour for emphasis – for instance for a heading or key words, but..

•Don’t use colours that are difficult to read when projected –red, yellow and orange are
particularly unsuitable.

•Don’t fill the area available with text. Restrict yourself to key words.

•Don’t photocopy text or diagrams from a book straight on to an OHT. The font size will be too
small. Enlarge the original first.

•Don’t put complex diagrams on OHTs that the audience has to copy – supplement the OHT by
giving out printed copies. For some further tips see Hayes and Campbell (1998). There are also
some basic points to remember when you come to use the OHP in a lecture.

These are presentational matters, but can make all the difference to how the audience responds to
your talk. These ideas are explored in more detail by Race (1999) some also relate to using
PowerPoint (see below).

•Make sure you know how to turn the OHP on/off. Most projectors have a switch that activates a
spare bulb in event of failure. Find it.

•Before you start, check that the OHP is correctly aligned and positioned for the screen and that
the image is in focus.

•Face the audience – use a pointer or pen on the OHP to draw attention to a particular point
(rather than turn away and point to the projected image)
•Try to keep the text relating to the point under discussion at the top of the screen – it is the part
most visible to the audience

•Be careful not to remove the OHT before members of the audience have had time to make notes
.

•Cover part of the OHT if you want to deliver a key point with maximum impact, but....

•Don’t make a habit out of revealing text line-by-line (it can bevery irritating) Using PowerPoint.

There have been two well-established methods of illustrating the traditional lecture or talk – the
35mm slide projector and the overhead projector (OHP). Each has had its role – for instance
35mm slides allow you to show photographs to illustrate the symptoms characteristic of a
particular condition. The OHP enables you to prepare visual material in advance and to build on
this as the lecture proceeds.

However computer-based technology has brought a new and powerful tool for clinical teaching –
Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint is part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs. Essentially
it enables users to create a series of slides on a computer which may then be projected in the
lecture theatre using a data projector. It has advantages over both the slide projector and
overhead projector.

These include:

•PowerPoint comes with pre-formed templates to help you prepare professional looking and
visually stimulating slides.

•Judicial use of colour can help you stimulate interest and emphasize key points. Be aware,
however, that what appears attractive on your computer screen can be unreadable when
projected.

•Text or diagrams are prepared in advance. A PowerPoint feature called ‘animation’ allows you
to build up an image little by little with ease.

•Photographic images can be incorporated into the presentation as another slide – especially
simple if the images are captured on a digital camera. However any image can be scanned into
PowerPoint.

 Video clips – for instance to illustrate gait – are also readily included in
the presentation. ---You can include hyperlinks to webpages
•Slides you want to appear twice can be duplicated at the click of a mouse button and it is simple
to re-order the slides.

•PowerPoint contains a variety of methods of changing from one slide to the next – called
‘transitions’. These add to your presentation provided they are used sparingly.
Like all technologies PowerPoint needs a little practice to develop your skills in using it.
However the basics are not difficult especially if you are familiar with other programs in
Microsoft Office such as Word. Try answering the questions below, which should help you avoid
some of the more common errors for the beginner.

Mini quiz

1. Which font is better for PowerPoint slides – Times New Roman or Arial?

2. What minimum font sizes are suitable for a) Titles on slides and b) Text on slides?

3. How many lines of text should appear on a slide?

4. Should the background be pale (with black or dark coloured text) or dark (with white or pale
coloured text)?

5. How do you avoid disaster – for instance when the data projector blows its bulb or the data
projector won’t read your files/memory stick?

Answers

1. In general it is better to use a sans serif font such as Arial to prevent blurring of the text when
it is projected.

2. a) Titles should be in a minimum of 32 point. b) Text should be in a minimum of 28 point You

may require bigger fonts in a large lecture theatre. If possible check the slides at the venue in
advance to ensure legibility from the back. You may be able to use smaller font if you are
presenting to a small group in a seminar room rather than a lecture theatre.

3. Try to avoid more than six or seven lines. Use key words and do not fill the entire slide with
text. Don’t reduce the font size to fit in more lines – use an extra slide instead.

4. If your lecture is in a dark room use a dark blue or green background with pale text (e.g.pale
grey or straw yellow). In a partially dimmed room using a dark coloured font on a pale (and
possibly textured) background – but not white - may be helpful if you expect your audience to be
taking notes.

5. Never put your complete trust in technology. Use PowerPoint to provide a back up set of your
slides. PowerPoint also includes a number of print options. Particularly useful are those that print
either three or six slides to a single A4 page with or without notes. These make ideal handouts if
you wish to give your audience the key points of your presentation to take home with them and
have space to write notes as you talk.

PowerPoint is not difficult to use and it does bring benefits for clinical teaching. The links and
books suggested below should help you if you wish to acquire the skills to enable you to prepare
your own PowerPoint presentations.
Using Video in Teaching and Learning

Videotape recorders can be used in a number of different ways to enhance teaching in both large
groups (lectures) and small groups. The advent of digital versatile discs (DVD) makes video
images easier to use in the classroom, since individual clips can be immediately accessed without
searching through a length of tape. Video images can also be made available via a website for
students to view in their private study time. Below are some suggestions for how you could
incorporate video into your teaching.

To illustrate clinical conditions.

It is important that students become familiar with the principle signs and symptoms of common
clinical conditions. However these can be made much more memorable if they are illustrated
(with consent) by video clips of patients. Movement disorders (e.g. Parkinsonian tremor) are
more easily seen that described. Video tape is always available, can be used in lectures on non-
clinical sites without inconvenience to patients and (once compiled) will save you time.

To show complex sequences of events. Animated diagrammatic representations of complex

events can be slowed and deconstructed. For instance in the cardiac cycle the relationship
between the electrocardiogram, atrial and ventricular contraction and pressure changes, valve
opening/closing and heart sounds is made relatively easy for students to assimilate if illustrated
by animation. Such material is commercially available at a reasonable cost.

To show clinical skills.

Teaching in the clinical skills laboratory is discussed elsewhere in this paper, however the
correct procedure for basic clinical skills (e.g.venesection, suturing) can be shown on video
before the students attempt these procedures for themselves.

To stimulate student discussion.

A carefully structured video can be a good starting point for initiating student discussion of
important issues in medical practice. For instance a cross-cultural consultation between a GP and
a patient can trigger discussion about cultural sensitivity in the conduct of interviews and
examinations of patients with particular religious beliefs. As an aid to consideration of affective
skills. The three main areas of content in the undergraduate medical curriculum are knowledge,
skills and attitudes. Of these, attitudes are generally held to be the most problematic – they are
difficult to innumerate and explain to students. However, video recordings enable the student to
put technical skills into the context of appropriate professional behaviour with respect to attitude.
A good example might be a recording of a doctor explaining to a patient what will happen during
an unpleasant procedure such as bronchoscopy. Students may be asked to identify aspects of the
doctor’s behaviour that were helpful for relieving the patient’s anxiety.

Resources for Small Group Teaching

Furniture, space and teaching style Small group teaching requires different skills and resources
from those suitable for the lecture theatre. A good starting point is to consider what sort of small
group teaching you are undertaking, and how this relates to the layout of the room. Many
seminar rooms are set out with the students in rows, facing the teacher who stands in front of a
whiteboard or OHP.

Flipcharts and Whiteboards

Flipcharts are a teaching resource well suited to small group teaching (but which are far too
small for use in the lecture theatre. In some ways they can be used as a substitute whiteboard (or
chalkboard). For instance the group could be asked to brainstorm (“What are the possible causes
of chest pain?”), and the tutor records them on the flip chart for later expansion. However they
can be used in other ways to advantage.

The group might be divided into two or three smaller groups and asked to consider either the
same question or problem, or two or three related ones. Each group is equipped with a page from
the flip chart and a pen. After a suitable period for discussion has been allowed the groups are
asked to summarise their deliberations and, using the flip chart as a guide, present their findings
to the whole group. The various pages might then be attached to the wall with ‘Blu-tack’ for
future reference.

A newer relation of the whiteboard is the interactive white board. This is attached to a computer
and data projector. What is written on the board (with an electronic stylus) may be stored as a
computer file, printed and copied to members of the group.

Teaching and Learning with Technology

While it may be tempting to assume that a flashy new technology will transform teaching and
learning, it’s important to first reflect on your overall course goals and learning objectives. How
will this technology support those goals and objectives? How does that technology support
learning? 

Whether you’re using a tool like “clickers” (personal response systems) or “flipping the
classroom,” technology must be integrated effectively in order to enhance learning.

References and further reading

Overhead Projectors - ReferencesHayes T and Campbell J (1998). Educational Technology. In:

Teaching and training techniques for hospital doctors. .Bayley T and Drury M (editors) Radcliffe
Medical Press. ISBN 1-85775-173-6. Race P (1999). 2000 Tips for Lecturers. Kogan Page. ISBN
0-7494-3046-X

Using PowerPoint - References and Useful Links “How to get started using PowerPoint 4.0.”
http://library.humboldt.edu/~chadwick/pptintro.htm.
.A well illustrated step-by-step guide on how to use PowerPoint for the first time. Includes tips
and guidelines to help avoid common errors. “Using PowerPoint”.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/using/default.asp

On-line Microsoft support site that offers self paced tutorials on using PowerPoint and also
“How to....” advice on specific tasks. “Using PowerPoint in Courses”
http://cit.duke.edu/resources-guides/methods-powerpoint- presentations.html This is the site of
Duke University Centre for Instructional Technology. This is just one of a number of guides on
the site, and includes tips on using PowerPoint as well as “how to” instructions.

If you prefer to have a book at hand there are many to choose from.These include: PowerPoint
2000 for Dummies (1999). Doug Lowe and Grace Jasmine Published by Hungry Minds, ISBN
88-7303-5698 This popular series includes this handy book on PowerPoint. Sams Teach
Yourself Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 in 10 minutes (1999). Faithe Wempsen Published by Sams
Publishing, ISBN 0-6723-1440-1 You would need to be a fast reader to do it in ten minutes, but
this is a well-illustrated and easy to use guide.Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 At a Glance (1999) .