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This is a very informative article about how to integrate twitter into the modern classroom lesson plan. It shows that social media platforms can be used in schools and develop good academic skills. It also provides insight and opinions from professionals in the field.

This article discusses how technology will actually be beneficial when it comes to teaching with the common core standards, where some people were afraid this would not work. As future teachers, we must use the proper technology to ensure students are receiving a quality education and finding accredited information on the internet.

This article shares some key ideas from Sharon Sakai-Miller, author of Innovation Age Learning: Empowering Students by Empowering Teachers. Her book proposes an educational shift from "acquiring knowledge to using it." Students need to learn how to become innovators in the workplace, to devise creative solutions and join the rising tide of "Makers."

Math and Science students are now using the Madden NFL game for the classroom. Being a division 1 AA football player and now coach of the game, this learning tool is something I would definitely love to use in the classroom and for myself! Electronic Arts will work with NFL Players Association and Discovery Education on a program called EA Sports Madden NFL: Football By The Numbers. The program is for 5th and 9th graders to teach them Math and Science skills. The program will combine football concepts with math and science principles including physics and probability. Different opportunities will be accessible for the kids as well. Students can take field trips to EA Sports Tiburon studio in Orlando to watch the creation of the Madden NFL. NFL players are hopping on board too. NFL players will help promote the program and develop awareness of the learning opportunities. Being a fan of this game, this is very good news. Not only is it incredible that they are using it for academic reasons but I believe accessing knowledge for gaming creation will benefit the game in their future. Every Madden game gets more realistic each year, allowing children to gain greater knowledge of how this system works will increase the future endeavors for the company.

This article talks about how to use technology to rediscover traditional ways of learning. The main points are rediscovering oral traditions, rediscovering gestures, dance, and the body, and rediscovering visual learning.

This article explains what holographic technology is and how it can be possibly be used in classrooms in the future. Microsoft has created products that allowed used to interact with 3D images, and while not available as of yet, have impressive applications for a classroom setting. For example, this futuristic technology would allow students to virtually conduct science experiments that would otherwise be too difficult or expensive to conduct in real life. The learning process as a whole could be greatly improved with the use of holographic technology.

I found this article that relates to our class. It relates to our class because it talks about how todays students are starting their schools years using more technology then ever before. Instead of having students writing, they are swiping screens. This article labels the skills that technology can help improve in students today.

Andrew Marcinek Director of Technology and EducatorU.org Co-founder, Boston, MA An acceptable use policy is a document that is present in every school district around the country. The purpose of this policy is to provide safe parameters for exploring digital resources and using school-issued devices properly. The article talks about the importance of developing internet use guidelines that students can understand by avoiding overly complicated words that may confuse or intimidate students. These guidelines should focus on how students should use the technology rather than focusing on what they should not be doing. The article also focuses on the importance of involving parents and helping them understand how their children should be using technology. Furthermore, the article mentions the importance of being aware of the new apps and their implications in the lives of students. This allows school districts to stay one step ahead and decide whether or not they want students to have access to these apps.

Project ReimaginED is based of of Sarah Winchester's idea for her eighth grade students workshop which allowed students to comment and grade each others works anonymously. This was a great idea and could be a tremendous help to anyone need a technological helper in their creative writing class or if the class is new and not comfortable with each other yet. Project ReImaginED is a contest for teachers to show off their ways of infusing technology into their classrooms in order to win. Winchester's idea allowed the students to express their ideas without having to share their identity so some may be more inclined to say more than the usual, "It was nice. I liked it." When they have to workshop their peers. Project ReimaginED "allows teachers to see what their peers have already or plan to implement in their classrooms and encourages teachers to try technologies in ways they have never imagined." It does not say what the prize is for winning.

Technology integration is the use of technology resources like computers, mobile devices like and tablets, digital cameras, social media platforms and networks, software applications, the Internet, and so on in daily classroom practices, and in the management of a school. This article discusses the successful ways you can incorporate this into the classrooms for your students.

This article has many different points and examples of technology integration. They start off by defining technology and quoting "Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions -- as accessible as all other classroom tools." When effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools can extend learning in powerful ways. The article also brushes up on types of technology integration, such as online learning, blended classrooms, project based activities incorporating technology, game based learning and assessment, Learning with Mobile and Handheld Devices, Instructional Tools like Interactive Whiteboards and Student Response Systems, Web-Based Projects, Explorations, and Research, Student-Created Media like Podcasts, Videos, or Slideshows, Collaborative Online Tools like Wikis or Google Docs, Using Social Media to Engage Students, and the levels of technology.

I like that this article is very detailed in how to effectively use technology in the classroom. According to the article, technology incorporation should be seamless, second-nature. The way we use pen and paper today should be the way technology is used. We don't stop to think about how to use the pen and paper in a class; ideally, the same thing should be happening in blended classrooms.

Not every school has the resources necessary to take their students on an airplane . . . or spaceship tour. Having the iPad app can help these students and show them how things are inside and out. Fun app for the students. They have virtual sites for many historic places.

I think bringing ipads into the classroom and giving students a chance to see a virtual version of a famous museum or historical place is an amazing teaching too! Most students may never get to the actual place but that doesn't mean they should not get the chance to experience it, whether it be virtual world or not. It makes the information to students more interactive and they can connect history to the places they see online.

Use the Hightlight extension to highlight important text on specific web pages in different colors! This would be extremely helpful in classrooms, especially when teaching students how to research and find important words and phrases in text!

This definitely seems like a useful tool, not only for teachers but for people who want to share certain parts of an article. I always feel like sharing certain parts of article or stories with friends is tricky to achieve online, but this seems like it would make it much easier, and the fact that there are multiple different colors to choose from makes it that much better

Google Earth Pro is now free! After reading the comments it was a little confusing. It appears there is a licensing key which is GEPFREE (google earth pro) is my guess for the acronym. A facet acquired by obtaining the Pro version is also being able to record and share journeys which could be very useful for field trips or even if a teacher wanted to show what life looked like in another country to students. The videos Google Earth Pro is able to produce are mindboggling clear and vivid. The image is nearly flawless and all of it can be recorded and uploaded to Youtube if a teacher needed to pull it up quickly to show to the class. In the Pro version, you are also able to find out the voter turnout rate, where there are more Fair Trade farms, and if the population is higher in one city to the next. If you are having students conduct data gatherings, they can also import their results to Google Earth Pro to show them how the findings they obtain can be put to real world use. There is also traffic maps incorporated into this version which is a convenience to anyone I would like to say. If there was a property dispute in an old time non-fiction story, the students could look up to see who was right with the app. You can also look at how states looked thirty or forty years ago. And of course, you can still look at the universe. This was a very informative article written by Matthew Hughes.

4 things you didnt know about google earth pro Go on a tour and show all your friends Find out more about the world Find out how bad the traffic is in your neighborhood Solve property disputes For 11 years, Google Earth has allowed anyone with a fast Internet connection to explore the world from their desk. Without having to step foot on a plane, you can see the dizzying skyscrapers of Manhattan, marvel at the reddish splendor of Uluru, or even take a trip to space, all for free.

Can help us newbies integrate tech in easy ways so that we can get comfortable using it in the class room. Gives basic ideas on how to integrate technology in your lesson plan that every teacher has access to. 

This is a great list to use as a resource for Chrome Extensions; not only does it give you 100 examples from simple to complex, they vary in use as well. I liked "Grammarly Lite," which spellchecks your grammar and spelling on the internet, super helpful for future teachers who would like to avoid looking unprofessional in an email when their proofreading simply was not on point that day. "Panic Button" is also good for parents (or teachers, if they prefer to keep their emails and such private), as it hides and locks whatever tabs are on your screen at the time with the click of a button.

This is a really comprehensive list. I'm going to have to go back after the semester is over and try some of these out. Great article, thanks for sharing!

This article is very interesting because it talks about the top 10 free Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers. It give a brief explanation of what Google Chrome Extensions are which is very helpful for someone who has never heard of this before. Also, each of the top 10 free extensions are listed along with a description. The description explains how it will help the student or teacher as well as a brief explanation of how it works. 

The extension about keeping students organized seems really cool, its something that I would even use on my own computer!

I liked this site. I even downloaded the MYSTUDYLIFE app because I thought it may be helpful in the final stretch of the semester.

This relates to our class because its connecting students with technology while saving them money As we all know, Graphing Calculators were also around the same price as a college textbook. But in this innovative age of technology that we are living in, why are we still paying well over $100 for the same piece of equipment? Desmos is a free Google extension that can replace the graphing calculator all together. It preforms all of the same functions while giving a way better look to your graphs. Your curved graphs will actually look curvy!

EasyBib released its chrome extension that allows users to cite websites automatically and offers a credibility review of the site as a source. The author who reviews this extension asserts that the citation feature is really useful, but the advice on credibility depends too much on the website domain and is not smart enough to distinguish between the different content available; rating opinion pieces, comments, and news articles on an approved site equally credible.

Interesting , not sure if its effective but really cool for people who do not want to do citations.

Teacher explains how playing Minecraft with her class has benefitted students. The student's scores increased significantly in math and English. She explained a cultural shift that took place, students loving the work and showing off their academic skills. The academic growth seen by students using Minecraft makes me want to implement this in my future classes!

This is a very interesting article. Every student in my class play this game. Most of my students play the creative mode. It is amazing to watch these kids build intricate maps that display knowledgeable concentration. I find myself watching the kids over their shoulders on break for several minutes and being astonished of the problem solving techniques they use to think their specified maps. On top of that, it is a very hard game to play. I never can complete a regular level. I feel like a dinosaur picking up their tablet and try to play this game. I remember trying to play my dad in the early Madden games growing up. I feel like the parent picking up the controller and having no idea what to do. Even though the concept is so simple. There are several learning abilities to apply for the game.

Teacher explains how playing Minecraft with her class has benefitted students. The student's scores increased significantly in math and English. She explained a cultural shift that took place, students loving the work and showing off their academic skills. The academic growth seen by students using Minecraft makes me want to implement this in my future classes!