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Yes! HCISD is setting the expections and following through with supporting and implementing Cadre 1 with 21 Century equipment. They are providing the resources and setting guidelines for a successful program.

This is a great help to other districts to see how Harlingen is using technology. Hopefully it can inspire others by your success. Do you think you could add links to the apps you are using into the description of the video?

Brian, in my class the students were using a Camtasia edited youtube video from School House Rock linked on Edmodo with a quiz, but aside from that, I'm not sure what the other teachers were using. I know another group of students were using Edmodo as well, but the math app where they were working on triangles of some sort, I really don't know. I'll ask the district's instructional technologist, she would probably know and I'll get back to you.

The goal of the 21st Century classroom should be to seamless integrate technology in the classroom to enhance and promote learning. You are certainly in the right path. Support ant training would be the next items to get in line to keep the technology working properly, and continue enhancing you lessons.

I wish my district would do something like this. We are on an IPAD for every student push right now but we are not producing lessons to go with the IPADs. I really like what you guys are doing in HCISD. Good Job!

Albert, Wow!!! That was an awesome video showcasing how technology can be used in the classroom. In regards, to your questions! I truly believe that Harlingen has taken the right path to prepare students for the real world.

Albert that is fantastic! I am sure that most teachers and students are very excited. In regards to your question, I would have to say yes and no. The creation of digital classrooms is definatley a step in the right directions, but it goes deeper. Teachers need to receive the proper training and then there needs to be some accountability (PDAS, etc.) to ensure that technology is being used to enhance instruction. I was recently in a meeting, where a veteran teacher continually pointed out the negatives in regards to technology: students are off task, distracted, not listening, not producing, etc. With this attitude, I believe that no matter how "digital" his classroom is, he will probably never take full advantage. I guess what I am trying to say is, the equipment is a huge step, but teacher "buy-in" can make or break the long-term success of the initiative.

Absolutely, Heather. There are so many teachers that are resistant to technology, just like there are many who aren't but are in need of the know how. That's why it's very important for us to model, support, and encourage those who can't to do, and those who don't to want.

Albert, I totaly agree. We have a big job ahead of us, but I am EXCITED to be part of it! Together we can all make a difference.

This is really great, HCISD is on their way to incorporating technology in the classroom. The students were really engaged and excited about learning using their IPADS. At my daughter's school they use the Edmoto to communicate with the teacher and parents and she is only in 3rd grade. The teachers are also creating tutorial videos on objectives using You Tube and the students can go into the district website to view them. I think schools are taking a leap into the technology and having the students use it more for their learning.

I really like the way HCISD is implementing technology tools and the "Layers of Learning" training, where administrators, principals, then librarians, and then teachers who were selected as the Digital Classrooms, are being trained, and will continue the layering until everyone is trained. Having administration understand the plan well is important. There is less of a chance that someone will have a gap of learning, and not implement the Technology initiative well. HCISD has thought this out well. In addition an elementary, middle school, and high school PBL Executive team was selected and trained through the summer. Now anyone who is a digital classroom teacher will go through that training. The tools, including mounted projectors with audio microphones, are not just placed in a classroom without the proper training. It is very exciting.

I agree with Ana regarding training and adminstrative support. I believe this IS the answer for the 21 century classroom.This is the direction we need to be moving or we and our students will be left behind, but with so many teachers apprehensive about using technology in their lessons, success of the digital classroom will require and abundance of on going training and support. Reading the description of Isable's daughter's classroom is wonderful!

Wow!!! Yes definitely, digital classrooms are the answer to the 21st century. We live in a digital world, kids are learning in a more interactive way. It's awesome to see when educators and administrators are open minded and are not afraid of using technology for the 21st century. It is true, allowing the students to use their own technology it teaches them to be responsible, to have a digital citizenship. Ofcourse all teachers have to be trained in order to implement these tools, a school doesn't transform into a digital school from one day to the other, it takes time and it's awesome to see Harlingen ISD is doing that. Adding more digital classrooms every year. Thanks for sharing video with us Albert!

I agree with Dara that teachers must be trained properly on the use the technology and how to implement Web 2.0 tools. Sometimes the trainings provided are to vague and are not enough to get the teachers comfortable in using the technology or software. Teachers need to be provided with the proper training in order to be able to teach the students how to use the technology.

I agree with technology in the classroom, I studied engineering, and it really makes a difference when you have hands on activities, and when you do research, or when you are working with a software that is relevant to what you are learning. The only question that I have is, why do they only offer these types of technologies to academies ? or to a few students at schools, why not having offer this learning in all classrooms at the school. I also believe that technology or this type of classrooms by themselves are nothing, there has to be a well trained teacher that is willing to work this way, instead of the traditional way teaching.

Great stuff Albert! Seems like HCISD is doing great things with technology in the classroom. I was wondering how much technology does the district provide and how much do the students bring into the class? How do you all monitor what the students can see when they bring their own device?

Albert sounds like Harlingen is doing some great things with technology. I would have to say that technology is a big part of the 21st century. If teachers and students are trained and educated properly, technology will motivate, inspire, and create critical thinkers.

Cesar you have some great questions that I would like to know the answers to myself.

Edna, in regards to your question. HCISD began a program called Cadre 1 where they would convert 20 classrooms throughout the district to digital classroom by giving those classroom teachers a cart with 11 IPads and headphones, 1 MacBook, an Apple TV, $50 worth of apps, and all the support necessary from a team of collaborating teachers, administrators, and even an instructional technologist. A few months in, they upgraded us to 22 ipads for those digital classrooms. Last Friday was the deadline for teachers to submit their applications for Cadre 2 next year where HCISD will be adding 64 more digital classrooms, and if I'm not mistaking, there will be 120 classrooms added in the 2014-2015 school year. This is where we are headed, and the success of the digital classrooms depends on consistently incorporating technology in our everyday routine. It's a new step, but it has made a world of difference in our classrooms with our students. Besides, it goes hand-in-hand with what we've been learning the last year and a half in the program.

In addition to all that HCISD is doing, all the Library Media Specialists were sent to Project Based Learning as well as technology training which we have as part of our annual training. This year we attended TCEA and brought back many new apps and ideas to implement in our classrooms. We are part of the layers of learning to help support our campus teachers. The Cadre I and II digital classrooms are well supported on their campus and by the district Technology department and technicians on campus, instructional technologist, Library Director and Library Media Specialists. I know a 5th grade teacher who teaches Math and Science at Stuart Elementary who has implemented the B.Y.O.D. initiative in her classroom. She used the district form ( found on our website) to send to her parents, and students are bringing in tablets, smart phones, and any other device that accesses the internet. The devices supplement the lesson which is standard based or driven, and the teacher facilitates the learning, and monitors their use. Many times students decide when they need the devices during the lesson, or how they will use them to share with the classroom. This teacher is now ready to apply for the digital classroom, and understands that the devices still supplement a well planned Standard based lesson, and that she must facilitate and progress monitoring daily. Cesar, the district has a strong firewall, and certain websites are blocked, but the teacher uses her username and password to get through the firewall if he or she deems the website appropriate. Teachers get 30 minute time increments. Most everything that students need is available to them. Anytime an inappropriate breach happens, the technician is alerted and will come to the classroom to let the teacher know. In this particular classroom, Edmodo is used as well as other district software for Math and Science. Another idea on the use of iPads: For poetry, I used my iPads to introduce Poems, and gave studen

This is a great way to teach, being able to have all your students working interactively while you teach. I am still hoping we get some in our district. I feel this will really help my students get motivated in their reading which will eventually help their comprehension.

I enjoyed reading the article of Mcallen I.S.D using IPADs in their classrooms. I was a permanent sub at a middle school in McAllen and the middle school did not have IPADs but other campuses did for edcuational purposes. I heard students would log into edmodo for school assignments using their IPADs. However I also heard of numerous stories of students pawning the IPADs for money and parents being involved with the pawning scam. It's a huge risk to take investing in IPADS for students to use because of parents and students that might misuse the device.

I agree with Mr. E.J. Martinez, Principal of Stillman Middle School. Technology is a very powerful tool. If used properly in the classroom it can catapult participation, learning and creativity. It will give students the opportunity to access information and visit virtual places. The possibilities are endless and the sky is the limit.

WOW, thats great that Stillman were issued IPADS. IPADS or any other equipment such as KINDLE FIRE are very useful for our students in our district. Like it was mention before, technology is a powerful tool so our students need to have the access of any equipment that is out there for them. Great News!!!.

Its great to see that more and more schools are implementing technology into the classroom. It would be great if every district had enough money to issue out educational technology tools to the students (iPads, tablets, iPods) as an instructional resource in the classroom. Here is a link to how Weslaco is providing teachers training in technology to help 21st Century learners excel with the technology they're already used to: http://www.themonitor.com/mvtc/news/article_1f614f22-122c-11e2-83e4-001a4bcf6878.html

Great link, Marivel. I really liked that the website is divided by grade level and different objectives. I tried several links and find many of the links to be useful in keeping our students engaged. This website would definitely help in helping us create 21st century classrooms.

Marivel Garcia, the list of technology tutorials available for students is awesome! I really liked the one titled, "Using Powerpoint-Animating text" and "Keyboard shortcuts". The students will really like how these tutorials are presented and how easy it is to follow the instructions. Overall, this can be a great instructional unit that students who don't know how to use powerpoint can be trained on following the links at their own pace. This is also a great resource for parents who want to learn how to use powerpoint but never had the chance to learn it before. This is a Great Resource to have,. Thanks for sharing!

Using this website is a great tool for newbies! I believe introducing this to students early on would help provide the "help" when struggling inserting a new slide, setting transitions, or keyboard shortcuts. It may even help digital immigrants transition into using technology. This may provide the confidence they need before creating or incorporating another technology. =-)

Wow I am vrey amazed from looking at the website, great article and yes I do agree for technology newbies this is a great resource website to use. Technology is growing everyday and it's hard to keep up with technology and by using a resource website like this one, I'll really take advantage of this resource for following teachers who are not technology savy.

This is a great place for getting students to create a PowerPoint. I have taught elementary students how to create a PowerPoint the past three summers. I will be using this website with my students in the future because it is easy to follow.

Thank you for the link. This is a great tool for students and teachers to use to get familiarize with the Powerpoint software and other Microsoft tools. There are many teachers in my campus that did get the training to use Powerpoint or Excel or Word when they started teaching, so I believe this website will help learn a few trick in using the software. Thanks again. Blanca

Awesome website.....step by step instructions for students. Good way of learning how to teach the students and students how to follow the online training.

The website provides very good tips and points to consider when creating a PowerPoint. There are times when we want to add so many things to make our presentation, according to us, presentable. In the end we just end up with too many things that distract our viewers.

Greaty website! I especially like the step by step instructions that it gives for the audience to view.

Thanks Marivel! This is a great way to layout the most important aspects of powerpoint. It's a great resources to bookmark in my favorites. Thanks for sharing.

I do believe the use of broadband is an issue with our campus. There have been several activities I'd like to conduct with my students but am held back because of the use of broadband. I've been told, that whatever I'd like to try will slow the speed down. Well then, how about we purchase more bandwidth so we can conduct more activities online??

I would say that our internet access and speed in our district is good. I agree with what Christine Fox said, " Young children entering school nowadays are accustomed to digital learning devices and expect that level of technology in schools". We use large broadband access so much that it's now a necessity and not merely a luxury. Students are using laptops for audio podcasts, e-textbooks, and collaboration that it's important to have more broadband access in schools. This is a great article Lucero. Thank you for sharing.

Luckily, like Romel, I aslo work at the same school district and agree that the broadband connectivity is pretty quick. I have heard other educators' concerns regarding buffering during streaming on DiscoveryEducation,but I have not experienced that. Streaming videos and music does require large amounts of bandwidth and so if educators are planning on activities that require these, it will be a slow process :(

How would I rate our district internet speed? One word..SLOW!..This is my 5th year at my High School and even though we are getting more technology equipment for student and teacher use, the most common problem remains to be "internet connectivity. The campus refuses to purchase wireless devises that could help our student stay current with technology use due to lack of broadband support. The teachers cannot access the wireless technology on their own personal laptop, IPOD, IPHONEs because it slows down the internet connectivity for the rest of the school. This is a hugh problem and remain an issue that needs to be address by administration.

Well our district internet speed is extremely slow most of the time which does interrupt lesson presentations at times. Most of us have accustomed to bring our internet to speed up the process and eliminate firewalls. However, I do agree that it is an issue that needs to be addressed.

I know educators could teach so many new tools to their students if they were given the right tools, and internet speed is one that is lacking in our classrooms.

Lower grades are always the last ones to get new technology if they do get any at all. Why do districts or administrators think that the upper grades are priority? Is it because they are the testing grade levels? Don't you think that if we were to teach children how to use technology since they were in pre-kinder, then they could do so much more in depth projects when they were in the upper grades instead of learning how to use it in the upper grades. What is your take on this topic?

Cora, the bottom line is that the upper levels get tested, and the results dictate our very jobs. If there is anything I have understood is that "we" are all important components of a school, but when it comes to testing and results, step aside because the upper grades are priority. It is what it is, but as a teacher, I know that every grade level lays the foundation....and a strong foundation is important.

Cora, I think the lower grades should have access to technology, just as the upper grades. I recently read an article that concluded that children as young as two can utilize an iPad as an educational tool, much like they use blocks and play dough. Touch screen technology has eliminated the need for children to "have" to learn to manipulate a traditional keyboard and mouse. In addition, young children are "sponges" that can absorb and achieve much more than we give them credit for. I see how the focus tends to be on the upper elementary, and primarily because of testing, but I have learned that as educators, we have to learn to be more proactive as opposed to reactive.

Heather, I agree with you, and I include our early (PK and K) childhood in all iPad activities, and they all get to handle one by themselves with help if needed. They can at least get the manipulation and navigation under their belt, by the end of the year, they are savvy. Children cultivate 85 percent of their intellect, personality and skills by age five. This is what crosses my mind when I meet a child who has never been read to or even talked to. They have so much to learn. See the article below. http://www.wccf.org/pdf/brain_dev_and_early_learning.pdf

I like the point that Roberta Schomburg makes about how technology integration is everywhere today. It's not just confined to the computer labs anymore. The students should have access to technology in the classroom on a daily basis. I wish I could say that this is a reality in our campus but it is more of a rarity.

Heather, I totally agree with you that young children are like sponges because I get to see it everyday this year in my pre-kinder classroom. Unfortunately in my classroom we only have one teacher iPad, but I let my little ones use it every chance I get. When I first got the iPad, I was surprised that they knew more about it than I did. I teach them how to use something on it, and they pick it up write away. I am always looking out for my little ones and asking for more technology whenever I can. When I moved into pre-kinder this year I asked for a document camera and projector. Last years teacher did not have one, but I was going to make sure my kids had access to the use of those tools. My children enjoying using them. I have one little boy who says, "Mrs. Mendez I want the scream." He means to say he wants me to project something onto the screen like a game, movie, book etc. They enjoy using technology. It makes things more engaging and fun to learn.

Ana, that is so awesome that you allow PK and K to use ipads. In our school only 5th graders got one and one for every teacher. You are right if you teach them the basics when they are young, they will have that under their belt and can progress from there in another grade level. Thank you for sharing the article. It is a good reminder of how critical their first 5 years are for learning. This is why I don't understand why they make PK only available for low income people in so many places. How does this affect our middle income and high income children when in comes to them not receiving a whole one year foundation on the basics of learning. I would never have believed that Pk students are capable of so much learning if I had not seen it and experienced it for myself. They are amazing learners.

Mr. Rogers; I loved his show, although it was right on for that era, this newer generation requires a different approach which is the use of today's technology. They seem to on board and very knowledgeable with iPads, apps, and games out there. Although I have very little experience with Pre-K and Kinder, I am aware that they are an even better target to incorporate technology with. I think as teachers, we might want to set our standards a little higher with our students, especially the little ones and be ready to be surprised on what they know and can do.

I can understand the concern over age, but we witness the use of technology from our Pre-K and Kinder on a daily basis. I firmly believe, that technology enhances children's cognitive and social abilities, when used appropriately. Especially when we set the goals and introduce digitial citizenship early on.

From a technology standpoint, there are more apps available for students in the lower grades than for the higher grades. From a personal stand point, even my three year old can use the ipad and iphone for seeing videos and playing games. If I were an administrator, I would start deployment of an Ipad/Ipod program in the lower grades.

Juan I wish more administrators would think like you. I think that technology integration in the lower valley is still in its early stages, so in time I think lower grades will get more technology and more programs will be available to to cater to lower grades. I know the apps are there, but we the the hardware. My document camera and projector were borrowed because they needed it to tutor the upper grades for STAAR. I have had to manage without it. I have two desktops and my laptop and my ipad in my classroom as far as hardware goes.

With all the new legislation in the state house and senate hopefully we can get away from so much testing. With many of the new bills the state is taking away the number of state tests the students will have to tak but they will still have to take some tests. Hopefully this will give teachers more "wiggle" room to teach more interactively and engaging. Most of our students know more about technology than we do. We should be using it to reach them.

As a second grade teacher, we still have a little "wiggle room" to incorporate fun reading graphic organizers and fun mini projects for science and social studies. It is getting to the point that our 3rd grade teachers want us to do what they are doing (paper & pencil), but I disagree because with 7 and 8 year olds, they still need the phonics, visuals, and hands on to learn and stay engaged. They have a short attention span and are still developing.

It seems that transitioning from no technology to technology really gets students motivated and excited, however, they also expect guidance if not they'll just play games. Incorporating technology inot what we already do does make a huge difference in student motivation and participation. I will add though that school can still be exciting even without technology, it's just a lot harder.

As a first grade teacher, I have the opportunity to introduce and implement technology. My students are not interested in using the textbooks, but prefer the online texbook and interactive avtivities. Students at this young age are eager to use technology and hands on activities.

All I can do is allow more opportunities in the library with the use of iPads so that the younger students are exposed to devices and apps. For older students, I made sure I covered digital citizenship, evaluating websites, and introduced credible research databases, to lay a foundation for our teachers. Our teachers are very strong, and they are always on task, but many time are limited for all the reasons we all know, lack of tools, time, etc.

I agree students are bored and unmotivated with textbooks and lectures. I think teachers are too. I really like the comment that technology can paint with a much broader palette of colors. That's a great way to look at it. Technology definitely brightens lessons I've tried to inegrate technology into as many lessons as possible; however, not nearly as much or in the way I'd like to. Right now my students are working on Prezis. They are creating a presentation on an ecosystem and they're loving it. The lesson actually called for a diorama - the shoebox version. The Prezis have been a huge hit. Also, technology is integrated in to Health lessons by teaching Internet safety - this is an on going lesson with several sections. Our District subscribes to several sites (Aha Math, Think Through Math, Aha Science, etc.) we use in centers or all together in a computer lab.

It is really hard to motivate certain students, but I'm doing my best to get them ready for college or a job. On a separate but related note, I make a point to tell them that not everything will be to their liking and they'd better be ready to produce.

I agree with all of your comments. It is extremely difficult to motivate students when as teachers we are limited to our teaching strategies and overwhelm with the pressure of having to pass the STAARS test. We are limited with resources. Yet, we must learn how to use technology and learn how to motivate both our students and teachers. Give them a new resource a new way of teaching..

Due to our lack of funds or low funds; it seems like a good concept. However, many things would have to be worked out before something like this could be implemented. Like taking into consideration that working with different devices will be a challenge because some may not be compatible with certain software. If implemented appropriately BYOD could work.

With the appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools and software, it can be done. But like Cora mentioned it is going to be a challenge to address all of the issues associated with so many plataforms being available to students. To get started, a definite must is bandwidth. Then moving forward in setting up a wireless access point that is locked.

My school has had a BYOD policy for the last year and a half. Well, actually they have had the students bring their own device but we really do not have a policy to go with it...yet. Many of our students bring their laptops and tablets to school but our network is HORRIBLE. The teachers can barely access the internet let alone the students. Our district says we will be getting a new network this summer (we will see), and then hopefully we can use more content on the internet. I love using what others have come up with and posted on the internet I just want to be able to get to it easily.

I agree with what you all are saying. In my school district they implemented the BYOD for our high school and 9th grade campus. The teachers received no type of training and were basically told when school started that we would be implementing it. We are having issues with internet access and supposedly our network is up to par. The teachers on our campus have mixed feelings because they feel alot of the students are just using their phone for texting or to get on social websites. Since students with phones can get on the internet without accessing the school's internet. The most importantly alot of teachers are having issues on how to use all these different devices. Since there are so many devices it is almost impossible to know how to use them all.

I think BOYD can be a good thing. It's not quite a good thing just yet. The district I am in created new guidelines for BYOD policies mid year last year. The reason I say it can be good thing is it's not really being implemented like I think the district thought it would. Even though we are well into the first year of the policy, students don't take advantage of it like they could. I do have a few students who bring a device almost daily to read from, but my own daughter, for instance, doesn't want to take hers out of fear of losing it. I think other share her fear; however, the fear the district had of students abusing the new BYOD policy never matierialized. In fact, it's as if less students bring devices now that they are allowed to than when it was against the rules. Figures. :)

I can definitely see BYOD as a possibility in the middle and high school setting, but as an elementary teacher, there would be more barriers than just network speeds and compatibility issues. Most elementary students wouldn't really have access to laptops, smartphones, or tablet computers. While they might be able to use these things at home, I doubt most parents would let their 9 year old bring the family $500 iPad to class everyday. Additionally, as others have said before, there would have to be a really solid policy put in place for the use of these devices to avoid the whole plan backfiring on educators. The internet can be a dangerous and scary place for those who don't know what they're doing as well as the obvious scenario of students just browsing facebook or something similar instead of completing an assignment.

Like many of you have pointed out, I too believe that there are lots of kinks that must be worked off before BYOD can be truly successful, but I also believe that the open-minded, willingness of the districts to integrate technology is a step in the right direction. Our district will be implementing BYOD and I am excited to see how it unfolds. I realize that teacher monitoring is crucial and planning will be key, but I think it will benefits the children in the long run,

I did not even know what BOYD was till I saw this video. It sounds pretty interesting. I believe that any teacher who is interested in technology will "buy" in to it. My only concern is what happens to those students who don't own any tech devices they can bring to school. At the school where I am at the students are from very low income families but then again somehow, someway they find money to own these things. Yet, there are parents who refuse to buy the expensive devises. What happens to those students?

I think that BYOD is a good thing, because the student is familiar with his/her technology device. Sometimes when I have to use the school laptops, they have different features that I need to ask questions. If I had brought my own laptop, I would have completed more work and been more comfortable using my own technology. I do agree with Juan, we do need appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools, hardware/software in order to incorporate BYOD in your school.

I think BYOD is a great thing, however, it's not that easy to get all parents on board, and I think it's even more difficult to get other teachers on board. Even one technology device is difficult for teachers who are not technologically inclined to prodide assistance in, and having many different devices can be overwhelming for those teachers. The concept is right on, however, there are some issues that need to be addressed first like teacher training and getting parent "buy in."

BYOD has been implemented at our campus with the upper grades. The students enjoyed bringing their own device and were eager to share their favorite applications. The teachers were surprised to see how many students owned their own devices.

BYOD is great idea in implementing technology in the curriculum..I think that will motivate students to learn more..at my district they'll be implementing BYOD this coming year and I'm very excited about it. I know the students will be taught to use their own device but the right way. They will be more involved with classroom discussions and participate more, since it'll be done with their own device.

Albert, this is an awesome resource we can share with others so that we can help students or parents that are having difficulty or don't have basic computer skills. This website is very well organized and will be very helpful for them. Thank you for sharing!

Wow! This is an excellent website for students and parents. Students can practice their basic skills and parents can learn and practice their skills as well. This is definitely a website that I am going to share with students and parents.

I loved this website! I am the technology teacher for my grade level and I have used this website to teach my students the fundamentals of computers. Great website!

Great website! I will diffently add it to the teacher resource link on our campus website. Teachers and student can benefit from a large variety of lessons available on the website. This is a great tool! Thank you for sharing.

Good website! I tried one of the lessons and truly learned something new. I thought it was a scam website that says it is free and ends up charging something, but it is not! I liked the tools and resources that it provides. Thanks for sharing.

No Problem everyone. I've used this website for about a year already and it makes planning so much easier :) glad i was able to help out and good luck to all =D

Great! I went through some of the lessons and they are great opportunities for the students to practice different skills. Try this website: http://sheppardsoftware.com/. Hope you can use it. Thanks for sharing that excellent website.

Great resourceful website. I can use this to help teach my students more about computers. I can also use this resource for having students practice concepts.

One thing I really liked was the different levels of instruction. Being able to pick the level of complexity is a great tool for effective learning. Great Information!

Great website. I have shared this website with my technology 21st Century Teacher so she can do some excel activities with the students.

These are awesome Kate! The only one I have used before is GoogledDocs. I really like it when I'm working with a group. I've used it to create staff development plans, campus improvement plans, and analyzing data with my colleagues. I just set up an account for Bibme and I added it to our library website. I had been using Citation Machine, but this is different. I have some Pre-AP Social Studies classes scheduled for next week, and I'm going to show them how to use it. I also used the Flashcard maker to create flashcards for Competency 2 Vocabulary. I created them really fast. I just copied and pasted the terms from the database on Dr. Butler's wiki. I am going to share this website with our teachers too! This is so exciting! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing the article; I will add them to the resource page I created on my wiki. I agree it has become unnecessary to purchase any software. There are massive Web 2.0 tools and apps to use for free. I have exposed my students to concept mapping with bubbl.us, presentation formats (sliderocket, prezi, brainshark, slideshare), charts and graphs creation, vocabulary build up with games created on line (taxgedo, wordle) and interactive posters like glogster. Students love diverse means to present their information; they are not limited to present in a specific software.

Wow!!! I loved them!! I am amazed at the number of Web 2.0 tools that are out there. I just was told by a friend about a Web 2.0 tool called live binder and I loved it too. You place all the web pages a student may need for a research or any project you want and you waste less time on searches and the kids will focus more on the assignment goals.

And even more interesting - at the bottom of the page, there is an ad for getting college credit by taking a free online course. So you go through the free online course and then you can take a test and get CLEP exam and get college credit. For $77.00 you can get 3-credits. Not a bad deal. In my spare time, I would like to go through one of the courses.

Great website. I used http://www.bibme.org/ to do my bibliography for the technology plan. It is a lot easier than using citation machine. I can't wait to use it with my students, since they have no idea about citations. It amazes me how many free websites are out there for free. I will be going through several of the websites to see what else catches my eye.

This is an awesome website, it will definitly be worth bookmarking for future reference. Students will definetly find this information useful.

This website gives the teacher background information needed when a teacher is planning on utilizing ipads in the classroom. It also details how ipads are beneficial for students with learning disabilities. It suggests for teachers to download applications that students can refer to when in need of help for core subjects.

Wow Jaime, this is a very interesting article about how technology is helping students with special needs learn. The IPADS has proven to be a good technology to support curriculum and instruction for all students. I liked how they are being used to enhance learning. The only state that is not using IPADS to supplement instruction in reading and math is TX but I think as more states across the U.S. are using them, we will be next in using IPADS more abundantly in our classrooms. 

Yes IPads are wonderful for students to use. Students should have the opportunity to be exoposed to all type of technology equipment. Through my program, we purchased Kindle Fires for the students to use when researching information and for other content area such as reading.They really love it and learn to navigated very quickly.

Great! I am certainly going to use this website if everything goes well with the grant writing. I have seen how teacher integrate their lesson and how students are totally engaged. We have to be able to keep up with all the emerging technologies and the generation of children that are in our classes. Try: http://www.interactioneducation.com/index_files/Best-Educational-Apps-For-iPad

I think iPads will be a great tool to integrate in the classroom. They will be more focused in what they are doing using these type of tools in the classroom.

This is awesome if we had iPads to supplement instruction in reading and math as well as to facilitate communication for students with autism spectrum disorders and others who require support through the use of communication devices. Students would be more engaged and would be able to collaborate. It would be a student centered environment where the teacher would guide the learning. Read this artlicle about ipads and how they are being used in the classroom. www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?pagewanted=all

This is a great article about how the iPad can be used to help the special needs student. One of the apps mentioned in the article can help the students with their reading. By having text-to-speech, the students can practice their reading skills while they read ebooks. There are also so many apps available that the students can benefit from using an iPad in almost any subject.

Jaime, the article sums it up using an appropriate acronym (IPAD) Involve, Prepare, Apply, and Develop to describe the innovating trend to expose student to technology. This technique is already being used in several states to allow students with communication difficulties to express themselves in group interaction using technology to enhance their education experiences. Very informative it puts techniques we are learning into perspective.

This is a great study on the positive effects of technology. I can see how it could have been so successful, like any other type of program or project, consistency is the key aspect. Any type of technology that is going to be introduced into the learning setting will be effective if the accountability and full cooperation is clearly stated prior to making the commitment. This is something I have seen as an educator that becomes an issue because as Title 1 districts I am sure funds are available for Ipads or any other tablet that might be more affordable but the way things are implemented is a big aspect of how productive you will be. Many times we begin something and not follow through, I think that implementing any time of tablet into the learning process in our school is a great way to enhance learning as long as we set goals to meet and accomplish. Great information thank you for sharing.

Marivel, I agree that districts and campuses have to be committed when introducing and executing the use of technology in the classroom. I believe errors in success occur when there's no consistency in using a technology in the classroom. Students are always more engaged. For example, this week, I did the story plot with my students in class and we retold the story of Prometheus using Toontastic ( I believe that's the name of the app) and my students were glued to the screen. It's a FREE app I encourage teachers to use. It provides the visual in the story students need so they can recall events in the story.

Learned alot from this study!! It's amazing how much influence technology has on students. When I read that 90% of the students who were using technology went to college compared to only 15% of the non-tech students, I was shocked. It puzzles me how many school districts are not willing to make the necessary expenses to attain this same achievement. The school drop-out rate is sky rocketing here in the valley. I posted a link to a Texas drop out report. Check it out! http://www.idra.org/Research/Attrition/

Thank you for sharing the FREE app on recalling events in a story. I will try it tomorrow and hope to have great results just like you. Thank you.

I was hoping this was something that I wouldn't have to pay out-of-pocket. I did see how you mentioned there being an app for the ipad. I'm goign to look into that once I log-off. I have "checked out" the ipad for a few weeks and apparently, the other two on campus have yet to be checked out. I believe teachers are having difficulty in how to use them in class. I on the otherhand have been trying new apps, programs, and reasons to keep the ipad in my classroom. LOL

Lucero, this "Interwrite PAD" seems like an awesome idea to have. The ability to teach interactive lessons from different places in the classroom would be great! The best part is that it comes with the software ($249) value. The battery life on this technology is also incredible. Up to 40 hours of continuous use without recharging it. That's a whole week! Having and using this "Interwrite PAD" would be awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Lucero, I wish all campuses had the luxury of devices like the Interwrite PAD. Interactive lessons would work out best if students had ease of access instead of being restricted to a certain area of the classroom. This device seems to be able to provide engaging activities for the students and I would jump at the possibility of having the opportunity to incorporate the Interwirte IPAD into my lessons. Hopefully our school districts will continue growth in technology and purchase these devices for educations everywhere.

Lucero, my school district has purchased an Interwrite Pad for all of the elementary teachers at my district. I have been able to use it for the past three years and find that it keeps my students engaged in the lessons that involve the Interwrite Pad.

Wow! this is something my students can really gain from especially in my reading class. We are in the process of purchasing IPADS for our students and we are all looking forwards to it. Thanks for sharing.

This is an excellent equipment for all teachers to use in their classrooms because you can actively monitoring your students while you teach your skill. Also another benefit for gthis interwrite pad is that a students can also put his or her response to the question being ask by the teacher. Great information. Thanks for sharing.

Santos so are you doing this to encourage two-way communciation? I've started using http://www.edmodo.com/ Feel free to check it out. I believe students in the high school level have used it more effectively then MS students.

"The Nerdy Teacher" is a great blog for educators and students because many new updates on education are posted monthly. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing this website. I agree with the comments that others have mentioned, like; giving students the opportunity to share and collaborate in this website. I am using Edmodo with some of my classes as a way to share, collaborate, assess and keep in touch with my students.

This site would be great to use but unfortunately we can not use it in our district. Under some certain clause chatting or blogging is not permitted. Other than that this site would have been great to use.

Great reference tool but in my district I'd need approval of administrators. I know in my district we use Edmodo for school related purposes. I hope that one day the district I work for will allow more web 2.0 tools available to students.