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Anki, Japanese for "memorizing," is a flashcard program that's been around for years

Because it's a flashcard style program, its focus is on memorization. It'll display you a word, phrase, image, or even play a sound, and then leave it to you to make the connection, repeat it, interpret it, and commit it to memory. Anki is great for languages, but it's also useful for studying equations, diagrams, names and faces, and more—its strength is in the fact that you can load it up with custom card sets depending on what it is you want to memorize.

Anki is free

With the increasingly interconnected nature of our global society and the need for a very different kind of literacy for our students, extending teaching and learning beyond the walls of our classrooms is especially vital in this digital age. Through a blend of authentic examples, hands-on activities, and engaging social learning experiences, this learning path will guide you through the process of modernizing and globalizing your classroom practices while expanding your professional learning network to include colleagues from around the world.

The Top 100 Tools for Learning was compiled from the votes of over 500 learning professionals in workplace learning and education from 48 countries worldwide in the 7th Annual Survey, by Jane Hart, Centre for Learning & Peformance Technologies

Vosloo says even phones that only have texting (SMS) and calling functions can be useful for learning. “The main thing to remember is not that we’re going to deliver a whole textbook or learning experience by SMS,” he said. “The idea is what does SMS do well?” UNESCO has used texts to send reminders, for school administration purposes or to send small bits of content to students.

Another program called BBC Janala in Bangladesh taught English to adults with audio. Students would call a number, listen to a three minute audio lesson and leave a message. The program used voice recognition software and texting for assessment. Again, a deal with the telecommunications provider kept the calls low cost.

A New Role for Avatars: Learning Languages

with  more sophisticated technology, another theory around language learning is being tested: the use of avatars to practice speaking.

Companies like Second Life and Middlebury Interactive Languages both offer digital avatar programs to give language learners a chance to practice their skills in virtual environments.

He explained, "What we do is break the movies into short segments of 40 or 50 seconds with some event or concept. In Toy Story, it could be as simple as Andy playing with his toys or as complex as Woody pushing Buzz out the window and what happens after that. Children understand almost intuitively what has happened."

A modern source of Spanish in a form that you enjoy using

Dictionaries and a verb conjugation tool or book

Even if a student never intends to pursue programming as a career, learning to code will still foster problem-solving skills, spark creativity and enhance logical thinking. Code.org (10), a pro-coding education nonprofit, features dozens of quotations (11) about computer programming from famous and important people who believe that coding should be part of the core curriculum for every child.

ISTE Standards (formerly the NETS) for Students (ISTE Standards•S) are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world. Simply being able to use technology is no longer enough. Today's students need to be able to use technology to analyze, learn and explore. Digital age skills are vital for preparing students to work, live and contribute to the social and civic fabric of their communities.

Technology was now a part of our learning -- technology to research, explore, create and share. It was natural for the children to use chart paper, markers, their voices, iPads and computers. There was never a choice to use technology or not use technology, but rather to think about what tool would support their objective.