This may be a little bit controversial, but I see a clear link to how we run our educational systems and the ideas presented on this website. I recently went to a training about connecting the content areas to have students create an end of marking period product that required they use skills and knowledge attained in all content areas. There have been several schools going in this direction and so far they've had great success, especially with ESL students. I'm very interested in pursuing something similar on my own campus.

The cost of higher education has grown exponentially in just the six years since my undergraduate days. However, the options that are available are incredible! I was amazed to find out that you can take classes online through MIT for FREE. What an amazing way to use our time on the internet? Are we preparing our students to be self-guided learners who are ready to work their way through an online course? I know that it's been a difficult transition for me, will our students be able to make it? Are they better equipped than the older generation to make the transition because of their technology infused lives or will it be more difficult for them to focus?

In today's economic climate, paying for technology isn't prudent, and for some students, it isn't even an option. Fortunately, there are plenty of freebies on the web that can help with document creation, research, writing, storage, collaboration, studying and more. Here are 25 free web apps and software programs that may be useful to students. I've used several of these web apps with varying degrees of success with students. Have you used any or have plans to use them in your classroom? How have they worked for you?

I agree with Esther! If we had a separate technology period that taught our students the needed skills for basic technology use it would help content teachers immensely! As a 5th grade elementary teacher, I try to help them prepare for middle school by increasing the amount of technology I require. For example, they're asked to present using a variety of Web 2.0 tools, some homework is based online, and I often ask them to type their work rather than hand write it. However, I find that it sometimes difficult to allow them the needed time to learn how to use the tools and to complete the assignment.

Currently all of my students go to the computer lab at least once sometimes twice a week. However, we've been told that they MUST be using things like Achiever. For those of you unfamiliar with Achiever, it's a program that helps them increase their skills in a content area. While I agree that this is useful for the content area, computer lab shouldn't be for remediation!

I think that my district would really benefit from creating technology curriculum for each grade level. That way students are being exposed to the technology and learning how to use them outside of the classroom. This will allow the content teacher to assign projects using the technology while feeling confident that the majority of students will be familiar with it.

I find it really interesting that the Apple way of thinking is coming to a point of even naming a whole generation! I'm not sure that Steve Jobs anticipated the significance of the letter "i" as a prefix to so many words! What started off as just a way to market an mp3 player is now a way to signify that a whole generation of people are technologically linked.

It is amazing to me how technology has become so integrated into our daily lives and how it has to cross all generational lines! I was in elementary school when we received our very first Macintosh computer. I was about 16 when my parents connected our home computer to the "World Wide Web." I was among the first generation of college students with personal computers. My first lap top cost upwards of $3500 and my current Macbook cost half of that and out does that laptop in so many ways! I'm not sure where I fall into the generations, but I certainly am an "iPerson."

Technology is for everyone! My grandmother (85) and I email each other every week. My grandfather (75) texts me from his iPhone when he has a question or a funny joke to share. My dad (65) had a facebook account before I did! Is it fair to label one specific generation as a being the 'technology' generation? I don't think so. However, the students we teach have certain standards because they don't remember a time that "googling it" was just someone mispronouncing "goggle."

As a science teacher, my students are required to do a science fair project. I always schedule time for them to have a library lesson and then use the tools that are available to them. My students are always excited when they get the "secret" user name and passwords to Discovery Education and World Book. (They're in fifth grade after all). I like using the resources we've been provided with because they tend to be a lot more safe than Google. I'm always shocked at the type of images that sometimes pop up with seemingly innocent search terms.

Thank you for the tip on the UTB resources! I will check them out now!

When I entered the MTT program, I was not sure what to expect. I felt that my use of technology in the classroom was fairly decent-- my students used computesr to do research, used some Web 2.0 technology, and I used my projector almost every day. What I had never considered was copyright. It never crossed my mind to question if copying and pasting an amazing photo from a website was legal. It was something that I had the capability to do and so I did it. If it was something illegal, it wouldn't be so easy right? Since we've done several assignments on copyright I've become more cognizant of the correct way to handle others work and more protective of the work that I share. My students have also started to share that respect for others work. I think it's a concept they grasped more readily than I did, because there's nothing worse than being a "copycat" in elementary school.

I am also a TED talks addict! It is the best source for cutting edge technology, ideas for the future, and inspirational stories. Some of my favorite topics include-- growing your own clothing, footage of a octopus' camouflage, and an amazing story of a 14 year old boy in African who used simple machines to purify water in his village while simultaneously charging cellphones. It's an amazing story!

TED talks has a special section dedicated to youth and I've used these videos to inspire my fifth grade students. At the end of last year, I chose to assign passion projects to my students. I asked them to think of something that would improve the world around them and to create a plan to do it. My students thought that this was a silly project at first, because how can an 11 year old change the world? To answer that question I showed them the passionate talk hosted by 11 year old Birke Baehr. Birke is a boy with a mission to create awareness of the problems within our food systems. After watching the video, my class was ready to tackle the problems of the world around them. Some of them created their own video styled after TED talks to share their concerns and solutions.

Here's the link to the video. He truly is an inspiring boy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/birke_baehr_what_s_wrong_with_our_food_system.html

That's fantastic Shannon! I think it's so important that we empower our students and children to think for themselves and not blindly accept the world as it is. There are so many amazing things that have happened because of a child! Creative is so important in all aspects of life. I am lucky to be a science teacher, because it IS part of the curriculum to encourage my students to think creatively to solve problems. It takes longer sometimes, but in the end the lessons are much more powerful.

Kate