EDTC6343

Some really great ideas for different Web 2.0 tools in a variety of subject areas.

This is one of my favorite websites. All you have do is click on one any of the icons and it will direct you to the page. Also, The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy provides the types of technologies for the appropriate learning domains. Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Created by Samantha Penney http://www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm

I had heard about this website zooburst and I just signed up it is great. I can't wait to share it with my students. I want them to create a book on a favorite science topic they learned this year. http://www.zooburst.com/index.php?state=login&invaliduser=1

Valree, this website has many great resources for teachers. I specifically liked the website link titled, "Building a school website". It's basically step by step instructions on creating your own school website. I liked this link because some educators want to learn how to create their own website but don't know how. We can share this website link so that they can access it and learn how. Thank you for sharing.

Valree, It looks like a good website, but I was not able to go to this website. I'm very interested in finding out if it has resources for 1st grade social studies. Does anyone know of a good website for social studies (1st grade)?

It's an awesome page with a lot of interesting links. I was trying the "Dance Mat Typing" link. It's a great activity for those students that are learning how to type. And also for those who want to practice their typing skills.

I am also a big supporter of tablets in the classroom, but I have yet to justify the cost of purchasing an ipad at $500 a piece. With budget cuts as wide spread as they are now, I would think a kindle, nook or even a nexus tablet for around half the price would work just as well. What students need is a dedicated e-reader and access to the internet to look up any information on the spot. Any of the above mentioned tablets could perform these skills without the premium price tag. Since most apps are now available on both the ios operating system and the android operating system, I would imagine the apps developed by speech and language experts are also available across platforms. The second issue in dealing with ipads is the familiarity with the product. Apple is the most successful and profitable tech company in the U.S. right now, but 90% of the computers in the classroom are windows based. Teachers will be more willing to utilize a tool if it integrates easily with the technology already found in the classroom. Ipad is a name. It is the most trusted and used tablet on the market. If, however, students can receive the same benefits of an ipad at half the price, I see no reason to limit the inclusion of tablets in the classroom to an ipad. Check out this article. It has some interesting comments by Bill Gates. http://macdailynews.com/2012/06/27/bill-gates-tablets-in-the-classroom-have-really-horrible-track-record/

It is amazing how much technology is available to help students in the classroom. Integrating technology into the classroom enhances teaching and learning, yet it is now a necessity, even for students with disabilities. My question is, Are facilitators aware of how technology can be used in the classroom? It seems we are still lagging behind on the use of technology in the classrooms. Here is another article that touches points to consider when designing teaching and learning activities when integrating technology into the classroom: http://www.cput.ac.za/blogs/cel/2012/09/13/technology-for-inclusivity/

Jaime, I believe the use of iPads and other related Tablets in the classroom is great way to engaged students in the concept being taught. I like how this article detailed how the iPad can be implemented in the classroom to help students with special needs. Article: 7 Strategies for iPads and iPods in the (Math) Classroom- http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/07/11/7-Strategies-for-iPads-and-iPods-in-the-Math-Classroom.aspx?Page=1

Article about the flipped classroom

I really admire those math teachers especially being able to work with each other being that they were both from far ends of the spectrum when it came to the education profession. I have been hearing a lot about the "flipped classroom" and I have also been able to connect my previous course work with it. I find that being able to have all your information narrated and easily accessible for your students is a great way to reduce stress. This means that the students will be able to review the lesson at their own pace and in a comfortable environment. Even though I hear many good things, as a 5th & 6th grade Language Arts and Reading teacher I still hesitant to flip my classroom. I know it's not impossible but it will require much training and guidance for it to work effectively.. This article has really opened my eyes to where our future educational system might be or should be gearing towards.

As teachers we should be open-minded and ready to accept new ideas that can revolutionize the way we teach. Always keeping in mind that everything we do is to improve our teaching.

Useful for Social Studies and it's free.

Totally agree for the use of Social Studies, I can use this tool for technology classes as well.

Dipity is a great Web 2.0 technology to integrate in the classroom. It provides an excellent way to create timeline presentations.

I think a particular strategy i would struggle is about time. Sometimes we go "on and on" on one concept that we forget about time especially if we are team teaching and the time frame is shorten.I like the video which explains the ten tips the teacher should follow. I am going to share this video with my coworkers in school. Very informative :)

This is what my student population consists of. Great article!

I like the strategies, every bit of guidance and tips will defintely help us implement innovative and interactive lessons. I think we are all guilty of going on and on, because we become engaged as well. These strategies would go very well with PBL instruction.

This website gives an insight of what Colorado districts are presently doing: 4-day school weeks. Are we headed that way?

I think that districts here in the valley are far from moving to this 4-day school weeks. It would have to be most or all of the school districts from around here in order to work more effectively. There will be a lot of unhappy parents due to child care expenses. On the other hand, us teachers will probably enjoy it. As it is most of us already stay late hours at school everyday to finish up. The districts will have to show how much they are saving by doing this and at the same time maintain or improve scores.

I read the article and I believe the 4-day week has its benefits but as well it has its downside. I believe at the end the positive benefits will outweigh the downsides. If any district is going to implement the 4-day week, the district has to have the parents and community behind them if they want the system to work. I can see how having a 4-day week will have a positive effect on test scores, because the students and teachers will make every hour count for instructional time, knowing they only have 4 days to teach the concept within the week. I can also see improvement in attendance with students and staff, now parents and teachers can schedule their appointments on the off day during the week. Article: http://crosscut.com/2012/02/16/education/21873/The-fourday-school-week-why-less-really-is-more/ A superintendent in Oregon explains the reasons why a shift to a four-day school week works well for students, teachers, and families. Start with better academic performance.

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?

Thanks, Kate! Yes, I am still at awe at the number of results I get when I look up for tools, it's incredible! Thanks once again for this great resource.

I wouldn't be surprised if some students already knew about this. I have not used any in class yet, but I will definately look into it.

I really enjoyed the article and I will say that I agree that testing is not making our students smarter. I have been in the teaching field for 22 years and year after year I see the students so disconnected with learning. Students have been taught how to pass a test, rather than how to think creatively. I have students that can't answer an open ended question in a complete thought, but can pass a state exam. I have always refused to teach to a test, and have gotten very good results at the end. Since I teach Science my class is very hands-on, so the students love the class, but they don't have the background ability to apply it on a test. These students have been trained not to think only to answer multiple choice questions. It takes me a whole semester to get them to make the connection from the experiment and how to apply it to the test. My first year at my school the teacher who was teaching Science before me gave me boxes full of TAKS materials that she used in her class and she told me that I wouldn't have time for hands-on activities. As soon as she left my room I threw everything in the trash and my principal was surprised that I didn't want her materials. Needless to say my students became thinkers by the end of the year and grew a new appreciation for Science. Being in the MTT program I have begun integrating technology in my Social Studies class and I have never seen students so interested in learning about the American Revolution. We are getting ready to create newsletters about different topics they learned about the American Revolution. They are even getting ready to create a voki to present a part of their newsletter. I have seen technology even motivate the most reluctant learner in my class. I have students that will come in the morning and begin working on their project that they need to complete. I even have students going to the public library to use the computers. I am a true believer in integrating technology. I

Loved this fable!! It reminded me about a book I read a few years ago titled Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell . It was a whole bunch of stories about real-life success stories such as The Beatles and Bill Gates. The one thing that all of these people had in common was that they all spent tens of thousands of hours honing in on their craft. Some of them just got lucky and had the opportunity to practice. Others had parents that knew that they had cultivate their child's passion and not force them to do things that they were just not capable of doing or that they were not interested in. This fable reminds me of what we are doing in education today. We want all of the students to be "good" at everything and never give them enough time to become great at something. If students were allowed to follow their passion, the benefits would overflow into other subjects.

I often use this analogy to encourage my students who feel that they are unintelligent because of their struggles to pass tests. Our school system tries to make all of our students fit a specific mold-- some fit, some adapt, and some give up. We've give up the ability to provide our students with the freedom to explore and be creative for a sense of security in "accountability." Sure, we need to hold schools and educators accountable for providing a quality education and yes, there have been schools in the past who have misused the freedoms allowed to them. However, I cannot and will not believe that an annual multiple choice test will sum up all of the knowledge that my students have gained. I strive to teach my students to think critically and be a part of the world around them. In my opinion, being able to think your way through a problem is going to be much more valuable to my students in the future than knowing the difference between rotation and revolution. (Unless they plan on being aerospace engineers that is). We need to focus on inspiring students to learn through their own drive and interest. Let's not kill their natural curiosity with our adult need for accountability.

Is there a question? . . . I think I am lost.

Shouldn't there be an article and a question? I think I'm lost too.

Nice I'll check it out

word searches with phonics

This is an excellent link to use in the classroom. One of the things that I like is that it provides different resources. I am going to introduce this to my students so they can have fun learning new vocabulary. Also, I would like to implement some of the prompts that are given, great for ELL's, ESL and Bilingual students.

Great website, downloadable free worksheets, will always get thumbs up from me. This is great for ESL and Bilingual students to help them phonically.

21st century literacy

Internet technologies may be a good way to teach computer literacy and content, but it may be easy for students to skim through information. In a traditional classroom lecture, the listener may only retain twenty percent of the lecture. When we have our students using online resources, can we be sure that they are thoroughly learning the content. Even in class our instructors reiterate thoroughly reading the materials, because they know we tend to skim the material and miss important information. More on the way we are learning now. We have a new category of learner rather than traditional, according to Dr. Michael Herbert, whom conducted a study of of content retention and course satisfaction at the college level. It is useful to note the five reasons why adult learners drop out of online learning programs: "poor design, failure to understand the new medium, lack of consideration for a variety of learning styles, lack of support systems and ignoring the self-selecting content need of learners." All of these reasons are the same reasons our students may struggle with internet technologies and online learning. Herbert, M. (2006, Winter). Staying the Course: A Study in Online Student Satisfaction and Retention. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www.westga.edu: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter94/herbert94.htm

What really caught y attention in this article was the part where it says: Make it personal - Passion-driven learning. Teaching mathematics in the seconday level is no easy task. Having to teach probably the least favorite subject of high schoolers is such a big challenge that most teachers prefer to teach the subject in a traditional way. Quiet classroom, teacher in the front, books on the table and students quietly listen to to the teachers dicussion. This method is widely opossed nowadays and classroom collaboration many believe is the most effective way of learning. Technology helps this goal to be achieved. Passion driven learning is one of the ways that I truly believe could work in a math class. Online resources such as the Gallup Poll's web page http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx - offers information on how they use data and other information to predict outcomes and verify results. The site is loaded with graphs, data and other information relevant to mathematics in the real world setting. If we could spark that passion in our kids, they themselves, on their own will search for other resources and learn along the way. Dyck, B. (2005, winter). Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal; When Technology Integration Goes to Math Class, from http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/sum2003/math/index.html

Stillman Middle School students were issued ipads as part of the GEAR UP program.

I don't believe people are completely against it, i believe it's the fear of NOT KNOWING how to use it in the classroom. I'm totally up for using the ipad. I've currently started using REMIND 101. WOrks awesome. One way communication that's safe from teacher to student/parent that reminds them about certain activities or important reminders. Check it out!

We recently were asked to fill out a survey within our district explaining why or why not to implement the use of IPADS in the classroom. Of course, I am all for it but I was surprised to see the many educators who are reluctant and don't feel it is necessary. I am already planning what to do with mine if the district decides to suit us with a class set.

Hey Ruth I was shocked to read about the dropouts rates for Texas. I ask myself, why are so many students dropping out every hour in Texas? We need to make learning fun for these students not to drop out and graduate from high School. Alot of these students get to much pressure of the state test that it turns them off from reaching their goals and graduating.

I agree with the comments that other students are making regarding this alarming situation. We need to make learning fun and engaging, but how can we do this? If every time we try to incorporate technology in the classroom we are reprimanded because they think students are just playing.

Great article...It is very alarming on all the information that was given. I have incorporated technology into my everyday lessons so I could keep my students engaged and wanting to learn more. Teaching should be fun and unfortunately due to state tests some teachers just teach to the test and put the pressure to the students to pass the state tests.