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Both wikis and blogs provide teachers with a a dynamic process for integrating Web 2.0 technology in their science and math classes. These two types of online tools offer students a more engaging process for learning. Both are relatively easy tools which do not require teachers or students to learn any special program tools or computer skills. Their uses and applications are only limited by the vision and purpose for helping students learn.

There has been talk in the edtech community for a long time that we need to stop talking about the tools, but I disagree.

"dTech tools themselves are simple to use, the real challenge is knowing where to start. I don't know about you, but I get completely overwhelmed by the number of EdTech tools out there. I'm bombarded constantly by emails and tweets telling me I *have* to sign up to the latest app or website. I'm no technophobe and I know it can save me time, or help me create more engaging lessons, but where do I even begin?"

Nominate someone you know NOW. What a great way to share up and coming education technology leaders: "Do you know educators who are passionate about using technology to transform teaching and learning; who can inspire their colleagues to embrace new tools; and who are curious by nature and always looking for how the next innovation can be applied to education? If so, please submit their names by Wednesday, December 18th for consideration as part of the National School Boards Association's "20 to Watch" recognition program. The 2013-14 "20" will be honored in Washington, D.C. during CoSN's Annual Conference, March 19th, 2014 (www.cosn.org) and recognized during the Technology Leadership Network Luncheon at the NSBA Annual Conference in New Orleans, April 6, 2014. Questions? Please email Ann Flynn."

LoTi, or the Levels of Technology Integration, is a research based framework developed in 1994 that helps assess the level of technology integration within an educational setting. Curriculum alignment tools, articles, and other resources can be found here. Would be really useful for K-12 alignment of tech integration as well as assessing how effectively teachers are integrating technology within their classes.

This amazing matrix is wonderful to share.

WOW!

Considers: Levels of Technology Integration into the Curriculum -compared to- Characteristics of the Learning Environment.

An interesting list of technology tools and teaching concepts to help ell students by Kathy Perrett is making the rounds on Twitter. Very helpful.

As an academic librarian, I hear an awful lot of hype about using technology to enhance instruction in colleges and universities. While the very word "technology" - not to mention the jargon that crops up around it, like "interactive whiteboards" and "smart classrooms" - sounds exciting and impressive, what it boils down to is really just a set of tools. They're useful tools, but they don't offer content beyond what the users put into them.

The value of Twitter for helping you and your colleagues stay informed of the latest trends, ideas, resources, and Web 2.0 integration tools has increased tremendously in the past year. A Web 2.0 tool is available for exploiting the every growing information on Twitter to remove barriers and allow you to collaborate with other science and math teachers. This new online tool is paper.li - a source of daily Twitter newsletters in education.

One of the most powerful, misunderstood and under-utilized tools for teaching 21st century skills, is the Creative Commons. Besides providing access to hundreds of thousands of media works that can be used to augment the creative process, the Creative Commons offers a legitimate way for students to license their own creative works, be they audio, video, text or hybrid products.

Blog about 14 tools to teach about Creative Commons

Take time to read this PEW research about teachers and how they are using technology in their classrooms. It is shocking that 73% say they or their students use cell phones to complete assignments. I wish they had separated out this number to know exactly how many let their STUDENTS use their cell phones. To me, this number shows the tide has turned.  Some of the highlights of the research: "Mobile technology has become central to the learning process, with 73% of AP and NWP teachers saying that they and/or their students use their cell phones in the classroom or to complete assignments More than four in ten teachers report the use of e-readers (45%) and tablet computers (43%) in their classrooms or to complete assignments 62% say their school does a "good job" supporting teachers' efforts to bring digital tools into the learning process, and 68% say their school provides formal training in this area Teachers of low income students, however, are much less likely than teachers of the highest income students to use tablet computers (37% v. 56%) or e-readers (41% v. 55%) in their classrooms and assignments Similarly, just over half (52%) of teachers of upper and upper-middle income students say their students use cell phones to look up information in class, compared with 35% of teachers of the lowest income students"

Whether you love or loathe technology the reality is that it's going to play a big role in the future of libraries and educational facilities all over the world. Mobile technology has been at the center of a lot of discussion lately in research and library facilities, with schools like ACU choosing to distribute iPhones to new students for educational purposes. While the long term value of the iPhone as an educational tool is still up for debate, there are a number of ways librarians and researchers can begin using the technology to help them find information, catalogue their collections and much more. Here are a few ideas and tips to get you started on using the iPhone for more than just calls.

"The modern American school faces rough challenges. Budget cuts have caused ballooning class sizes, many teachers struggle with poorly motivated students, and in many schools a war is being waged on distracting technologies. In response, innovative educators are embracing social media to fight back against the onslaught of problems. Technologies such as Twitter and Skype offer ideal solutions as inexpensive tools of team-based education."

"A new national center founded to spur breakthrough technologies that can help transform the way teachers teach and students learn. Educators Empowering you with tools to help you reach every single student. Innovators Making it easier for you to turn a great idea into a product that delivers results for learners of all ages. Researchers Translating cutting-edge research on how we learn into cutting-edge technologies that can help us learn. Citizens Preparing Americans of all races, regions, and backgrounds to succeed in college and a career. ..."

Some great tools for simple quizzes but remember this -- if they only thing you use technology for is to give a quiz - you are totally missing the point. Totally.

Free Downloads of Assistive Technology Tools. They also have free tutorials on how to use the tools.

Collaborative book written by education professionals and teachers with descriptions of a vast array of technology tools for all levels of the K-12 curriculum.  P. 67 - Addresses school filtering and CIPA.

Lots and lots of online tools, activities, and concepts for technology integration throughout the curriculum.  Lists of very well organized links to a variety of resources including differentiation, digital ethics, 21st Century Learning, digital tools, graphic organizers and many more

"A FREE online tool that provides a set of questions to guide classroom observations of a number of key components of technology integration. "

The primary purpose of blog is to facilitate interaction between a teacher and his or her students. This is possible because a blog is a dynamic tool which can be easily updated or transformed as necessary to meet the needs of a science or math class. The integration of blog technology in a class requires an investment of time. Because of this commitment, additional evidence is needed to support the integration this technology in a science or math class curriculum.