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Inside the halls of West Junior High School, hand-written notes delivered during passing periods are a thing of the past. Cell phones, smuggled into the bathroom or concealed in the pocket of a hooded sweatshirt, trade text messages instead. Kate Welch, 42, teaches English to eighth- and ninth-graders. She says a student without a cell phone is a rarity. “And if they don’t have texting, they have abusive parents,” Welch says.

Kate Welch, 42, teaches English to eighth- and ninth-graders. She says a student without a cell phone is a rarity. “And if they don’t have texting, they have abusive parents,” Welch says.

Text messages, e-mails, instant messages — they’ve not replaced pencil and paper, but they are ways students communicate daily. The modern student has mastered the shorthand, condensed language of electronics by the time teachers introduce classic literature and formal writing.

Morphie’s GREAT WATER RIDE Adventure Meet Morphie, a raindrop who travels, magically changes shape and form (hence his name), and shows us how many things water can do as he “rides” the water cycle. Use the story of Morphie’s adventures as: • A downloadable, read-aloud poem, to make young children aware of the wonders of water in our lives • An illustrated, interactive on-line water adventure for classroom computer use Morphie’s rhyming story is a complement to science learning, and an invitation to investigate more about the properties, uses, vocabulary and responsible care of fresh water. Ways to use Morphie’s Great Water Ride Adventure as a teaching aid: • As a whole narrative, to introduce and/or sum up water concepts presented in Grade 2 science • In parts, to illustrate the many different aspects of water in our lives and in the natural environment (through science, art, language) • On a computer for children (in the classroom, or at home to read with parents) • As a theme for related cross-curricular activities, demonstrations and extensions (see below)

How do you select books to read? Do you use the jacket cover? Word of mouth? Reading lists? Which comes first, reading a book or watching a movie made from it? We believe it does not have to be an 'either-or' choice. Similar to movie trailers, video book trailers are short, minute and a half to two-minute videos that introduce the basic storyline. They differ from book reports captured on video in that in these productions the story is re-enacted with artistic and creative decisions made by the director as to what parts of the story are presented.

Does your vocabulary measure up? A confident command of a growing vocabulary is one of the best indicators of achievement in school. Building on the success of the popular 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know, the editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries are pleased to introduce a new list of words geared toward the reading level expected of high school freshmen. With its attractive format and thoughtful word selection, 100 Words Every High School Freshman Should Know will spur students to add new words to their vocabularies as they make the important transition from middle school to high school.

PHOTO OP (Shockwave, 7 MB) is a two-part interactive activity that introduces you to digital photography and digital photo editing. Use the virtual camera to create snapshots and explore lighting, focus, shutter speed, and compositional effects. After you've taken some photos, switch to the Photo Op editor and transform your pictures into something completely different. This Art Zone interactive is suitable for all ages. Young children will find it easy to take simple snapshots and transform or recolor their virtual photos. More advanced users can create complex artistic compositions by layering, applying filters, and experimenting with various special effects, lighting, and blends. If you need help, scroll down for some hints about how to use the program.  If your Internet connection is slow, allow the program to load fully, then come back to play.

reasons that I hear all the time about why people do not use technology in K-12 education

Do not let students try a technological tool until you are totally proficient with it yourself. Better not to introduce something than do so and risk revealing that you do not know all. You are the sole purveyor of knowledge.