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This article provides helpful tools or "life hacks" for fellow teachers to help them with their instructional technology lessons. Ed tech teachers are always looking for easier and more effective ways to communicate with their students as well as help their students with an understanding of educational technology. This article simply provides an aid for those educators in the pursuit of better tricks to improve everyday life.

This article explains how virtual worlds, found in such games as Minecraft and Second Life, could be used as tools for educators in the classroom. When Second Life first came out in 2007 educators were excited about the potential to use it for education, but found that it was too unruly and wild. Now, as time has passed and technology has advanced, virtual worlds are on the rise again thanks to Minecraft and educators are seeing new possibilities on how to utilize and have better control and understanding of open world games. This class, INTC 2610, is all about exploring technology and learning how to utilize it in a class setting and there really is nothing more immersive and limitless than open worlds. 

This insightful article written by Bill Smoot stresses the importance of the ubiquity of digital devices impeding the growth of the individual. In today's day and age we are all hyper aware of society's dependence on media. This realization led educator Bill Smoot to assign his students the challenge to spend 48 hours, from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, without electronic media. The result, "by their own admission, their soulfulness and their capacity for human connection are limited by their media-obsessed way of life." I think these findings and this article as a whole prove very helpful to our class, as although the power technology lends to us is undeniable, it has slowly disconnected us from numerous realities and relationships in our own lives. We soon will have to face this specific issue within our own classrooms. I chose this particular article because I believe we need to remain aware that we are going to be teaching a different generation, one that lives and dies by their digital devices. As educators we need to be prepared to react to this aversion to real life experience and connection. We need to strike a balance for our students so that they realize that technology is provided to enhance our lives, not consume it.

The article talks about the importance in keeping up with technology. They believe that people, such as teachers and programs would be "silly" to not stay update with the new technological systems, because that is the way our future is learning and growing. The talk about teachers teaching teachers, stating The Teacher Leadership Project, a nationally recognized, award-winning professional development model that is used in 18 states by 4,200 teachers, is a prime example of the good work being done in technology-infused teaching. "The whole '21st century' mindset is more than technology itself. It's the confidence teachers have to effectively use it in class."

This article outlines new improvements for teacher professional development, involving newer technology upgrades.  One key point of the article was the passing of the Enhancing Education Through Technology, or (EETT) state grant program, which includes a $650 million stimulus package to upgrade technology in classrooms across the country.  Funding is also provided to train the teachers to properly use the technology to its fullest capacity, this way educators can have confidence using these new tools.

Today students are expected to learn analytical skills for preparation for work and life in the 21st century. Teachers are expected to teach way that develops those skills. President Obama and congressional leaders included 650 million dollars. 25% had to be used to buy the most updated technology for students. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) states "It would be "silly" not to keep up with the changes of the world today" National Staff Development Council says we have failed as a nation to meet highly effective professional learning. Today 18 states (4,200 teachers) were recognized for technology integration in the classrooms. Enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS) is a program that aims to create classrooms where all students are motivated to succeed, build enthusiasm and creativity. eMINTS trained 3,500 teachers and 300 administrators since its formation in 1999. In the 21st century student will have a difficult time succeeding without technology. The article states "Technology integration in the end, is not really about technology, but rather the life skills it instills in students and teachers."

This article basically discusses what technology integration is. Then it goes into why it is important. One of the things discussed is that kids today are growing up in a strong technology based world and it is important for them not to only learn the basics but what is needed for everyday life 

It is a true balancing act. Because of the workforce skills students will need when they graduate the push is on to have them use technology often and well. Unfortunately, it takes skill to integrate technology in the most appropriate manner and to its best advantage.

I think that we need to integrate technology into the classroom at a young age because the youth will be using technology going forward for the rest of their lives. And for them to be successful in school, they should begin to use technology to help them.

Digital storytelling is a way of bring the story to life. Tinkering allows us to express our creativity. Group assignments bring students together, allow them to share their thought among one another, and create something together.   

Aside from jobs we should be teaching children computer science because it will them the thinking skills that will help them become proactive learners and citizens. Technology is part of every day life and it is so important, shouldn't we find the time in the school day for this?

This article really stood out to me because I found it so interesting and amazing how much our society is advancing. Basically, O'Brien has this great idea to take Google Exploration to a whole new level. She has interns that are getting some experience with her job, but she says that they are choosing their jobs with fear. They are taking the safe route because people just do not know exactly what is out there. No one can know the experiences others have with their jobs on a daily basis. This is why O'Brien wants to take Google Exploration to a new level. If you watch the video in the article, it shows exactly what Google Exploration is. It is a new technology that allows students to "travel" anywhere and see what they are actually learning. Better than a picture, better than a computer screen, the students hold up cardboard lenses with an iPhone on the other side, which is a virtual exploration. O'Brien was fascinated by this creation, and wants to capture individuals lives on the screen. She wants students to experience the jobs they are interested in, and see what each one entails. I think this is a brilliant idea for education and it shows the true advancement that we have with technology. This will help individuals all around discover what they want to be in life.

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.

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.

This post lists five different ways to use technology to improve a classroom, but also has a few suggestions for when a teacher might not have the money for the technology. One app suggestion, ScreenChomp, allows a teacher to screen share on an iPad to give students better understandings when they need help.

"Big History Project" is an online course that embraces a multi-disciplinary approach to learning. It is a great resource for teachers. The website includes text, videos, photo galleries and assessments for five main topics: 1)The universe 2)Our solar system and earth 3)Life 4)Humans 5). The future. Teachers can have their students use the site as part of their curriculum.

"Big History Project" is a free course designed to target the common core standards we are trying to teach students today. The five main topics are broken down into 'thresholds' where students can enter, learn via text, videos, photoss, and assessments, and even earn badges as they complete tasks.

This article I found extremely informative because it shows teachers 50 of the best google chrome extensions to use. The top 1 extension was google drive because teachers can easily save all of their information to it and even share it for their students to see.

I use my google Drive for everything! If didn't have it I would be one disorganized person. I have a personal Google Drive and a school one and it has been a life saver. I wish that I had this years ago. I feel like I have only really had my google drives for the last 2 1/2 years, I am unfamiliar when it would have come out, though.

This extension allows users to spell check and grammar check while typing online. Online language can be informal and incorrect. This extension allows for clear purposeful langauge on social media, email, professional networks and more.

Shannon, I really like how this not only checks spelling and grammar, but also suggests word selection mistakes. This can be really helpful!

This extension allows users to spell check and grammar check while typing online. Online language can be informal and incorrect. This extension allows for clear purposeful langauge on social media, email, professional networks and more.