Page 74 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Leveraging Technology for Teacher Efficiency and Effectivenes • CHAPTER 11

Sounds
YouTube Audio Library (youtube.com/audiolibrary/music) has collections of free
music and free sound effects for use in videos.

SoundGator (soundgator.com) indicates the free sound effects on their site can be
used without attribution for any projects.
Sound Bible (soundbible.com/royalty-free-sounds-1.html) has a curated collection
of sounds taken from Creative Commons and Public Domain, so they can be used
without cost. Creative Commons clips must be attributed to the creators.

Free Stock Music (freestockmusic.com) requires free registration on the site before
you can download music. All the music on the site is free to use and free from
attribution, although I would require students to indicate they downloaded the
sounds from this site.

Professional Development Resources

One key to effective practice is continual professional development in best teaching
practices. No matter what digital tools you use, if your instructional methods do
not promote student learning, you will not be effective.

Inservice training and professional development offer two different types of expe-
riences for teachers. Inservice training is when teachers attend required district- or
school-level training to learn about new curriculum, standards, or tools. The
purpose of inservice is to promote the institution’s agenda. Inservice may provide
information about the institution’s approach to curriculum, but it often has little
influence on teachers’ professional practices.

Professional development happens when teachers pursue assistance to improve
their professional practices. Because different individuals have different needs,
rarely will a whole school or district engage in professional development. Instead,
teachers seek out rich learning opportunities appropriate for their own profes-
sional growth. In other words, inservice is generally imposed, and professional
development is a teacher’s choice. Of the two, professional development has the
potential to trigger within teachers the desire to make changes to improve their
modes of instruction.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom 263

Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Tools to Meet the Needs of Every Student 74