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"One of the major benefits of using technology in the classroom is the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every student in every lesson. Just as every student grows and develops at different rates, they learn in different ways and at different speeds. Technology makes it possible to pace lessons appropriately for each student's learning level and can be used to promote learning in the multiple intelligences. Below you will find website suggestions that address the different learning styles in your classroom with the help of technology: Verbal-Linguistic These learners enjoy learning through speaking, writing, reading, and listening. In the classroom setting these students shine when given tasks such as taking notes, researching, listening, reading for information, and writing. Websites to encourage learning for Verbal-Linguistic students: 1. http://wordle.net Allow students to express themselves creatively with words 2. http://ed.voicethread.com Capture student voices with audio, text, pictures , and video 3. http://zoho.com- A free online word processor, and presentation tool 4. http://gcast.com- Students can podcast (voice recording) online. 5. http://kerpoof.com - Students can create stories or mini- movies 6. http://www2.shidonni.com- Students create animated stories 7. http://tickatok.com Students can create stories and turn them into a book 8. http://pbskids.org/wordworld A world where words come alive 9. http://readwritethink.org 52 interactive activities related to reading, writing, and speaking 10. http://speakaboos.com Students can read stories online, record their own story and play literacy games Logical-Mathematical These learners love numbers, reasoning, and problem solving. These students enjoy measuring, calculating, and organizing data. In the classroom students will shine when given tasks such as collecting data, conducting experiments, solving proble

Article describing games and virtual worlds and their application to learning and teaching.

An online/virtual conference about virtual worlds in education. Held March 16-17 i.e. starting Friday.

I discovered Virtual Tours while on prac in America. It was a great way to show my students some of Australia's sites and they loved being able to work through the images and information at their own pace. Since then I have toured museums and galleries from all over the world without even leaving my desk.

Hi Tamara I looked at the site. Interesting - is it just still images though or are there actual virtual tours? I am keen on using the site but not sure I have the full idea/scope sorted out yet. Thank you http://mrsrobins.edublogs.org/ Jamie

Hi Jamie, Yes for the most part this site comprises of still images and written information...I primarily chose this one to share as it provides a wide range of art galleries. With using gallery tours in my pracs I have found that the still images are easier for students to view, analyse and work through at their own pace than a video feed. There are a few video tours availbale...many can be found on the website for the specific location (I have had more luck finding American and British than Australian tours) but they are definitely worth a look at if you get the chance. http://tammyjoy.edublogs.org Tammy

Virtual Labs create simulated science labs to allow students to perform experiments. Labster is adding a range of features (e.g. gamification etc) to this idea. Currently it appears more aimed at Universities, rather than schools.

We were given this resource by David Martin for our EDX3280 Maths course. It is great for all mainstream education and there may even be some application for higher learning, like TAFE.

Blog post describing Math Trail - virtual tours through Google maps with embedded clues and math questions

"In the 360 degree video, Mike Kent, a Geography teacher, delivers a great lesson and you can look round the entire room as students and teacher move around, get things done, interact with the teacher and go through a Q&A session. It is fascinating. They're using this approach for lesson observations allowing the teacher, or their colleagues, to watch it back in full Virtual Reality. This gives the teacher a view of themselves, from the student's point of view, as well as observe 'everything' that happens in the classroom. It made me think of different possibilities….."

I sometimes hear that the classroom of today looks and functions much like the classroom of the 19th century-desks lined up in neat rows, facing the central authority of the teacher and a chalkboard (or, for a contemporary twist, a whiteboard or screen.) Is this model, born of the industrial age, the best way to meet the educational challenges of the future?  What do we see as the college classroom of the future: a studio? a reconfigurable space with flexible seating and no center stage? virtual collaborative spaces, with learners connected via their own devices?

Great example of what some students can do in virtual worlds.

"Pre Service Teacher EdFest is a free national virtual conference which will be filmed and the live streamed right here from 11:00am-2:00pm AEST on July 30th. No registration is required to be part of the event, simply tune in below. We welcome your ideas and questions leading up to and during the event via twitter and the #PSTEdFest tag (shown at right of screen)."

Is social media all that bad when..... "A new report on "Teens, Technology and Friendships" from the Pew Foundation puts an unusually positive spotlight on the online lives of teenagers as they build friendships and connections in a digital world. Teenagers aged 13 to17 are finding ways to strengthen their relationships with real-world friends as well as making new friends through social media, video gaming, messaging apps and other virtual connectors."

Online addition building with virtual MABs with regrouping

Virtual clouds are a fantastic source of ICT. It has allowed people to share, save and backup all their information, all over the world. The internet is amazing. What will people come up with next?!

Another site for online maths practice. Very popular.

YouTube video backgrounding a UK research project using Second Life to transform how biology students get familiar with laboratory practice.

I read a very interesting article written by Joke Voogt (the Netherlands), Chris Dede (USA).Ola Erstad (Norway), which discusses the importance of ICTs in 21t century learning. They reiterated on the topic that "rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT) are continuously transforming the way in which we live, work and learn." They explored they skills that are required for living and working in the 21st century: collaboration, communication, digital literacy, citizenship, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, productivity. I agree with Voogt and Dede when they say that "an important change has taken place in the way new digital tools and collaborative environments have enhanced learning, from an emphasis on reproducing information and content to content creation and sharing in virtual environments, which some describe as a remixing culture. There are 3 main literacies that we need to develop: Technological literacy (to be aware of the interplay between technology and society), ICT literacy (the skills needed to make effective and efficient use of ICT) and Information literacy (the capacity to access information efficiently and effectively) (Voogt and Dede, 2011). I think the biggest statement that they make is "using ICT to shift our educational structures from industrial era schools to new types of 21st century formal educational models is important" (Voogt & Dede, 2011). I believe schools are now on the edge of this shift, but some educators are reluctant. I mean to make that shift, to evaluate how I use ICTs in the classroom and how I use them to transform learning, not just to use them as 'add-ons'.