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At Learn it in 5, you'll learn what is Web 2.0, and strategies for using Web 2.0 technology in the digital classroom - all in 5 minutes or less. Learn it in 5 is a powerful library of how-to videos, produced by technology teachers, for the purpose of helping teachers and students create classroom strategies for today's 21st century's digital classroom. These step-by-step how-to videos walk teachers through Web 2.0 technology, demonstrating how to use Web 2.0 applications like blogs, social networks, podcasts, interactive videos, wikis, slide sharing and much more.

From the site: The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, constructive, goal directed (i.e., reflective), authentic, and collaborative (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). 

NYTimes article with videos of how technology has changed the way teachers teach.  Published: November 20, 2010

How to integrate technology into your classroom with only a few resources. 

If you haven't seen Eric Witacre's amazing global video project, Virtual Choir - Lux Aurumque," it's a must. It is an amazing example of how technology can bring people together from around the world to collaborate and produce something beautiful. Keith Ferrel

A blog post about tools to work with autistic students

This 21things4students (21t4s) Project was developed to equip students with 21st Century Technology Skills, for success in their education, jobs, and lifelong learning experiences. 21 Things - We selected 21 areas of Web 2.0 tools, all FREE, for your learning and exploration. Each of the areas is called a "Thing" and you can receive a special badge for each thing you complete. Some "Things" have more than one badge, and some have "Gems" for completing advanced levels. Our Mission - is to provide a fun and project-based experience for you as you build your skills using different Web 2.0 tools available on the Internet.

How to integrate the NOVA Design a Parachute interactive into the classroom: In this activity, students assume the role of engineer as they design a parachute that will slow the Mars Explorer Rover as it lands on the surface of Mars.  I like the authentic feel of this activity, students are led through the thinking process of an engineer as they consider all of the requirements the chute must meet before they begin designing.Approach this interactive as a class using an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer.  As a class, get "briefed" on the requirements for the parachute design.  Discuss how these requirements may impact the parachute design.  Treat this like an actual briefing and encourage discussion (all ages like to pretend!).  Before students access the interactive, ask them to sketch their thoughts about parachute design.  This lets them think through the design apart from the pre-determined categories presented in the interactive.Students can design and test their parachutes individually in a one to one computer lab setting or take turns designing and testing in a computer center lab on classroom computers.Debrief after the interactive to discuss the parameters that were the most successful and what students learned about volume, drag, strength and stability.Extend this activity by creating a mock-up of the parachute they designed online.  Find a high place on the playground or in the building where students can test these parachutes.  What did they have to adjust for an Earth bound parachute? iLearn Technology

RSS, podcasts, screencasts and more. How can you stay on top of them all? The November Learning team has designed a series of educational handouts that can make any user comfortable with the latest technology tools. Each sheet can be read, printed and passed out as needed. Use them in your next professional development session.

To help you start off 2011 with some good resources to try in your classrooms, I'm posting a list of eleven good resources to try, today's list features language arts resources. In creating this list I branched out a bit to include ESL/ ELL resources.

The idea behind the site is to introduce students to a variety of books and form classroom book groups.  How does Extreme Speed Booking work?  A whole lot like speed dating.      Students spend a little time with each book and then rate them accordingly with "I want to read more",  "Interesting", "Not for me", or "I've already read".  Students can also make a note of how interested they are in reading the book (maybe a 1-10 scale)?  This process introduces students to a variety of books, genres and authors.  Students may come across titles and authors they wouldn't otherwise find.  It also helps teachers form classroom book groups that are of high-interest and investment to students because they had input. iLearn Technology

An amazing list of tech resources for teachers listed by category. If you are trying to think of a way to integrate technology, this is the site for you!

a nice site intended for younger students to use to create digital stories. Little Bird Tales walks users through each step of creating a multimedia story. Users can upload images, draw images, or record from their webcams. Stories can be written with text or narrated by students using microphones connected to their computers. (Richard Byrne)

If you haven't seen Digital Citizen:  Using Technology Appropriately, you may want to (actually, you must) check it out. I could see this being very useful ---I especially like the Nine Elements-Themes of Digital Citizenship ----The resources section is quite comprehensive as well!!

A blog post by Richard Byrne about using Stupeflix, GoAnimate and Xtranormal in your YouTube account. 

"Fraboom is an online children's museum packed full of games, interactive books, creativity, learning and-are you ready for this-LIVE online teachers!  On Fraboom students can learn about US presidents while they play games, watch Fraboom TV cartoons to learn vocabulary, read interactive books that encourage creativity and join live online classes with real flesh and blood teachers!  Fraboom TV has a variety of cartoons that will teach students content area vocabulary words. Each cartoon on Fabroom TV lists all associated vocabulary words so teachers can quickly find a video that will support learning.  Cartoons can be searched by keyword or category.  The very best part of Fraboom (in my humble opinion) is the live online teachers.  Drawing classes start every hour on the hour.  Students can drop into a class and learn how to draw cartoons.  There is a new challenge every day so content is always fresh!  Students can interact with teachers through the chat feature; students type a message and the teacher responds to them by name.  Fraboom cartoon characters introduce the activity for the day and the teachers interact with the cartoon on the screen- very fun!  Students learn how to draw step by step guided by the teacher and follow along on their own whiteboard space.  When students are finished, they can share their pictures with the class.  After drawing, the class completes a mad lib together.  The teacher explains a part of speech and requests words for that part of speech from the class.  Students can contribute words to the story by typing them into the chat area. Throughout the class, the teacher shares submitted pictures with the whole class.  I attended two live classes and was really impressed with the teachers in both sessions. They are upbeat, engaging and fun.  Fraboom was created for students six to twelve years old.  Content is being added regularly and fresh challenges in the live classes every day.  Plenty to keep kids creating a

33 space websites! All on one page! Sky Science, here we come!

Remember playing telephone as a kid? You and your friends would sit around in a circle, the first kid would start it out by whispering a sentence or two into the next kid's ear. The sentence would move around the circle until it arrived at the last person and, inevitably, the end result would be completely different (and often pretty funny) from what was initially said. Now, with the help of Google Translate, a new site called Translation Telephone lets you simulate this experience online. You type in a phrase and click go and then watch as your sentence gets translated from language to language, until it finally gets translated back into English iLearn Technology