This article points to the importance of proper teacher training and use of technology to garner student academic achievement. Students need to have the technology tools accessible to them to be sucessful. Test data needs to be collected (from programs like TestWiz) in order to identify learning strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the author states that it takes a "community of educators and a host of technology tools" to ensure students meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards.

TestWiz and other programs like it, such as Elements, are essential test procesing and analysis tools for data administrators, local school technology coordinators, administrators, and teachers. These systems provide data in a hundred or more demographic fields so as to hone in on sub-groups that need the most help. Due to the results-based high-stakes testing era we are now in, tools such as TestWiz are now essential to ensure schools make AYP at the end of each academic year.

This article, retrieved from "Tools for TEKS- Integrating Technology in the Classroom" site, goes into why teachers should harness many of the new powers available to them now that read/write web (Web 2.0) programs are so readily available. Now that students have cell phones and are constantly posting to blogs, wikis, and YouTube, the author argues that we as teachers should put these things to good use in the classroom. Cell phones, as well as other digital audio and visual recording devices, can be used to gather and later present information for class projects.

This is an interesting article, as it offers a counter-argument to technology integration in all facets of the school experience, as least in the early years. The author makes a good point about young children being over-exposed to computer generated stimuli at such an early age, and he postulates the problems that ensue because of it. He refers to the "erosion" of childhood for marketing/money making purposes that benefit technology companies. He doesn't think software should replace good, interactive teaching.

Although a few years old, this article, entitled "When Technology Integration Goes to Math Class," addresses some still very relevant issues and positive outcomes from the integration of technology into the mainstream math classroom. The article touches on the reasons why teachers have been more hesitant to move to the constructivist approaches now readily seen in language arts, social studies, and in some cases science classrooms. The article features the author's first attempt at this type of teaching in math: a telecollaborative project entitled "Statisitics: A Curiosity Factor."

Teaching Today is a McGraw-Hill Company that features teaching tips, lesson plans, articles, and more. This particular article, "Beyond Podcasting Basics," features what can happen when teachers are able to move beyond the basics of podcasting: students who can produce more full-featured, professional products. This how-to article addresses the selection of sound equipment, recording tips, podcasting on a Mac, Windows podcasting, finding music for podcasts, and publishing a podcast.

In this article, the author describes a project where students in a 4th grade classroom complete Internet-based lessons about each region of the United States. They then use presentation tools like PowerPoint (which could now be Web 2.0 presentations tools, since this article was published in 2002) to create take-home reports to share with their parents. This artcile has some great ideas and insights into things that could be done differently the next time. Technology upgrades would also make the lessons more interesting, being that it is 2008.

This is the International Reading Association's (IRA) 2001 position statement on this issue of technology integration. The article, entitled "Integrating Literacy and Technology in the Curriculum," stresses the need to become proficient in the new literacies of information and communication technology (ICT). A PDF version is available for download.

This page, entitled "Internet Safety for Parents and Kids," features helpful information regarding proper and safe Internet practices. It provides 14 steps to help parents. It also features important facts to think about regarding Internet safety for children. Some of the featured facts/numbers are quite alarming!

This site features many interactive learning and design tools for teachers and lots of ideas and examples for integrating technology. 4Teachers features professional development, educational video games, success stories, and a videos channel. It also has links to a "Family of Tools" including QuizStar, RubiStar, Academic Skill Builders, PersuadeStar, Equity, TrackStar, Assign-A-Day, Casa Notes, PBL Checklists, Teacher Tacklebox, Web Poster Wizard, NoteStar, Think Tank, and KidsVid. There are also assessment resources available.

According to the website, Georgia Public Broadcasting "creates, produces, and delivers high quality educational resources that enrich, inform, and support the Georgia learning community." GPB provides multimedia educational programing with supplementary materials and training on classroom technology integration. The statewide network empowers teachers across the state to collaborate by connecting them with other teachers in and out of their fields.

TeacherLine Southeast provides online professional development courses for PreK-12 teachers in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. These PBS TeacherLine courses are standards-based and proven effective. Georgia PLU credits for recertification are available through their programs. As a result of these courses, teachers are better prepared to help students meet NCLB requirements.

This ISTE designed and inspired site offers help with K-12 professional development and school reform. The bookcase on the left side conatins a lot of good information, including curriculum and student stuff links that lead to resources in math, languages arts, the sciences, soical studies, and more.

Troxell Communications, in conjuction with Hitachi and Lumens, have created a Multi-Function Learning System that includes essential interactive classroom tools in one integrated package. One of these Multi-Function Learning Systems (MFLS) includes the new Hitachi Starboard FX DUO-77 Interactive Multi-Touch Whiteboard. This interactive board is the first to be dual-interactive. It is both pen and stylus-driven, and it can be written on like a normal dry erase board.

SuperKids is a great educational software review site. The site provides rating scales for educational value, kid appeal, age ranges, and ease of use. They also delve into system requirements, price comparisons, and product support. This particular review is on a program called Words Rock! This is a strong drill and test vocabulary/spelling/grammar program, hidden in a search game. The educational component would be attractive to parents and teachers, as well as to students looking to challenge themselves.

This website lays out the framework for completing Project Based Learning projects. Teachers are assisted through identifying learning, constructing assessments, designing activities, designing the process, and planning for management. The site provides a lot of direction for integrating technology in the classroom.

Visit this site for lots of ideas about how to use these programs with your students. Inspiration is a program that makes it possible for students to plan their pre-writing as well as monitor their progress in Writer's Workshop. This is a great site for creating flow charts, as well.

This is a great resource for ideas for student PBL projects (Student Projects: Student Projects, New Work, Best Work, Grade Level Links) as well as teacher resource links.The Pocantico Hills Central School District was named one of 320 schools across the United States as a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School.

This multiplication game, designed by Big Brainz, is an addictive way to get your students to learn their multiplcation facts. This is a real first person game that takes students through many levels of learning. Students don't want to stop playing this game and don't even realize how much they're learning.

Students learn the locations, capitals, abbreviations and over 500 important facts about our 50 states. These games include a "learning" option and a "playing" option. Students locate the state, place the state (beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels), state postal abbreviations, state capitals (beginner, intermediate, advanced), and state clues (intermediate, advanced).