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I really like this article because it addresses the need for learning to be relevant to the students. It is important for students to use what they have learned and technology provides a great outlet for that use.

Reading this article made me get excited about the possibilities of teaching with creativity and application. I agree with the author when she wrote, "I'd rather know that my kids were creating something of meaning, value, and I hope, beauty for people other than just their teachers, and that those creations had the opportunity to live in the world. That they were thinking hard about audience. That they were learning how to network and collaborate with others. That they were developing "proficiency with the tools of technology," learning to "design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes," and becoming literate in the process. Real work for real audiences is, of course, hard to find in the current standardized testing regime." I could not have said it better myself! It seems that employers are looking for people who possess the quality of "working well with others". This new integrated classroom setup would allow for so many different learners to excel! Incredible article!

I enjoyed this article but also disagreed with it due to the fact that it is not possible for most students to complete some of these because they may not have access to a computer. They are great ideas but you have to look at your students before making it an assignment.

Looking to add visual interest to your lesson? Pinterest may be your solution! The article suggests ways in which this visual social media site can be used in the classroom and promotes SPACE - an acronym that helps students to remember the "best" uses for the site. This is interesting in terms of reaching students with varied learning styles and intelligences, developing creativity and higher order thinking, and more. However, like most tools the site does have its downfalls. It tends to be more engaging for females than males, which brings about an interesting gender debate. Its use also falls into fuzzy copyright issues - none of which are different from other social media sites. Check out the article & let me know what you think!

Until Pinterest addresses the nudity and pornography that can pop up on the "everything" catergory, I can't recommend this site for class projects. I've banned my own children from it (both of my daughters have a board on my own account) and wish desperately that I could unsee some of the images I've seen. It seems like copyright might be the least of their worries if lewd content continues to surface. It's really too bad - I have to agree that it could be great for group or individual projects.

Pinterest has taken the world by storm. This article is about Pinterest and how it is used as a creative tool for teachers every where. It allows teachers to share and post ideas from lesson plans, to pictures of creative bulletin board ideas.

I loved the programming examples some kids have done on this website. It is free, which is a big plus. Encourages creativity individually, or in groups. Teaches computer programming in a fun, easy way.

This site has got some great articles on intergrating technology in the classroom. This one in particular gives some useful tips when setting up your classroom instruction.

This was very interesting. I found it a little funny when I saw the word relax but it is true that if you let students have the feeling that these valuable tools are theirs then they will take care of them. I feel for most children, who are taught to be careful with valuable things, this will be the case. Although, there are some kids who are never taught that nor taught respect for others things because they are just taught to be selfish. As a teacher this would be you job to show them that they need to care for valuable things and respect others property along with your own.

I thought this article was very interesting. Students do have the ability to continue the use of technology with out the guidance of teachers, as this article points out.

This article talks about whether or not to use cell phones in the middle school classroom. It talks about the good and the bad and ways teachers can creatively use cell phones for learning tools.

Cell phones have become a ubiquitous accessory of high school students since the late 1990s. Initially banned by schools as an unnecessary distraction, events such as the Columbine tragedy and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have made most districts reconsider the place of cell phones in middle and high schools.

I think that cell phones can be used as a tool, but they are not always appropriate. Some children don't have cell phones so in that situation, children can tend to feel left out if a teacher decides to use a phone as a tool. From my perspective, I most likely will leave cell phones out of my plans for the classroom and use other tools such as remote clickers and things of that nature that I provide for the students.

Education 3.0

This page talks about creating crazy toys that bring out a whole new way of learning in the classroom instead of using textbooks to explain it these toys would do it.

Digital learning environment designed for differentiated education.

This article just makes it clear that the use of I-CAN is really a great tool for classrooms. This tool makes it easy for children to communicate with others and be independent with their own projects. It allows creativity and that is something we need more of in the classrooms.

I think the I-CAN technology seems really neat. It's like out Blackboard at oul but it also has job opportunity postings and is more tuned to the professional side of college students.

Kristy shared this with our 203 group. Students can make a "virtual" poster for a class project and incorporate you tube videos, pictures, sounds, etc. Very creative and unique! I will definitely use this website. I think it would work well with groups or individuals.

How do you attach the stuff? I would like to maybe use this in the future, but not too much. Posters probably get old after a while.

I found this site today and I think it is a great way for kids to be creative by writing their own story and even uploading their own drawings/photos. This would make a great gift for Mother's Day, grandparents, or other family members. For $2.99 they can make a PDF eBook.

This in a great article with examples of how beneficial technology is in the classroom. You get great visuals and explanations of how technology is being utilized.

This was an interesting article that showed off many interesting things that can help students become more engaged in what is going on. The article gives a good summary of the different technologies used and more importantly how it helps students better understand what subject it pertains to.

I loved the idea of using language exchanges through technology.