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This site provides a wealth of information about technology for classroom use, as well as current discussions about technology and resources for teachers. I think K-12 teachers should subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about what's going on in the field. I've been skimming the site, and so far, I've come across interesting research about the use of games in the classroom, as well as serving diverse populations, like special Ed through technology. The strength of this site is it's breadth of topics, but the weakness appears to be the amount of time sorting through everything to find what you want.

There has been a lot of discussion on the web about how one can create their own Personal Learning Network (PLN). This term represents a purposeful approach to using technology to network with other professionals who share similar professional interests and goals. This article explores a number of technologies that are used for creating a PLN. For staying abreast on recent developments in technology and the use in teaching, I believe that developing a PLN is a must.

ProLiteracy has lots of student and teacher resources, but I'm posting a link to the page on using technology. I clicked on a few links and found some ideas for projects that incorporate technology. If you're looking for project ideas in an ABE or ESL program, you may find these links useful. There are also some basic "how-to's" with step-by-step instructions and screen shots that both teachers and students could use to build their technology skills. I have found creating "how-to's" for my students pretty time-consuming, so it's nice to have these available. Finally, there are audio downloads on topics such as using authentic materials and using everyday technology. For a teacher who feels a little uncomfortable using technology, I think these resources would offer some helpful suggestions.

I found this article on NEA's website (which I recommend on it's own). The topic is using social media to enhance the classroom. We've talked about most of the technology in here, but the applications of the resources are focused to younger learners and flipped classrooms. Google Docs are used with middle schoolers to prevent them losing track of the documents. Google forms are used to speed up quiz grading, and cell phones are used to help facilitate meaningful (and safe) field trips. If you are considering a K-12 career, this article might help you be on the cutting edge in interviews and in the classroom. Finally, at the end of the article, you'll find links to other online technologies to try. Happy tech-ing!

"Teaching English with Technology (TEwT) is an online peer-reviewed journal that seeks to disseminate work mainly focused on how technology is being used, or could be used, in TESOL." A journal solely dedicated to teaching English with technology. This is obviously a great resource for our class, but also for our current and future classrooms. From what I've seen, I like this journal because it features ideas and research done in this setting. Very interesting!

Lots of great ideas about the integration of Web 2.0 tools and articles about the use of technology in the classroom. There is a forum too if you have any questions about the use of technology and you can get ideas from other teachers/professionals.

My blurb: How do you use QR codes when students have limited online access? Did you know you can use QR codes offline? This website explains how to use a text feature that requires no online access. I thought this was an interesting option when working in classrooms where students may have varying access to technology. Their blurb: Smartphones during EFL classes? How can that be productive? Raquel Gonzaga is a blog writer in the field of technology resources for ELT classrooms. In this post, she considers how QR codes can be used to involve and motivate students in the EFL classroom.

Want to learn French cooking, while learning French? Forget Julia Child! Go to the Digital Kitchen. This is a task-based learning "ambient kitchen." A computer gives cooking directions in French, and you try to follow them. All the cooking utensils are embedded with Wii-type movement sensor technology, so if the instructions are to stir with a spoon, the computer can tell if you have completed the action correctly. If you leave the oven on too long, the computer can give you feedback. I think this is absolutely crazy technology that could (with a lot of money) be applied to other areas of language teaching. Watch the video on the website. I think you will be impressed. I was.

This blog post discusses how both Google Drive and Evernote can be used to create E-portfolios. Both of these technologies are free and easy to use. For classrooms integrating the use of Ipads, this post has a number of tips on using the Ipad applications of these platforms for portfolio creation online.

This is an interesting slideshare about someone's experience using the Nintendo Wii in their classroom. It definitely seems like it could be beneficial, but also distracting. It's limited because only a certain number of students can be on it at one time. This could be a serious distraction for other students in the classroom. Not to mention, if there is only one teacher in the classroom, it might be difficult to keep both groups on task. There is also the concern with being able to afford this device for your classroom. However, the slideshare mentions that the teacher can apply for grants to purchase one.

I stumbled upon this resource while researching the tools and techniques used by a school that I'm applying to teach for.The Reading Assistant is based on speech recognition technology that helps students practice reading aloud (pronunciation) and answer comprehension questions (reading and critical thinking skills). From what I can tell, this paid software is available online, for maximum student convenience. After students complete assignments, teachers receive reports on students' performances. The program claims to have 300 graded readers that align with  US Common Core standards from elementary to high school. To me, the capability of this program to "listen" to students' pronunciation and provide help and individualized feedback is its greatest advantage. The inclusion of a variety of resources for developing vocabulary and work knowledge are also important points for me. Overall, this looks like a useful resource for K-12 schools that want to supplement classroom reading instruction.

This page contains a number of links to graphic organizers that students can use online.

This is the blog of a EFL teacher in Japan who has a technology focus. He introduces some pretty good CALL tools and also provides some lesson/activity ideas and resources that you can use yourself. He's got some really interesting ways of using video and shows off some neat things with a WiiMote.

This is a useful resource for teachers who want to use Skype in the classroom. The short annotations help seekers decide which lins are most relevant for them. There are resources for teachers looking for classrooms to connect with, for individual learners looking for conversation partners, and much more. I can see this as a go-to source for K-12 and higher ed teachers who need to communicate often (it's free) with people who live far away (it's internet-based).

My blurb: If you find yourself in the position of teaching basic computer skills, this site is an excellent resource. They have instructional videos on computer basics, like operating a mouse or using a keyboard. The videos can be played with or without subtitles, and include games to practice your newly learned skills. There are four courses: the Webwise Online course, Internet Basics, Computer Basics, and Social Media Basics. There is also a glossary of common computer terms. This is really a very practical website! Their blurb: Online courses on computer basics, internet basics and the 10 hour WebWise Online Course

My blurb: Teacher training videos, for your ongoing professional development. These videos seems to be geared towards K-12 education and are on a variety of subjects. However, there are 391 videos about teaching English, some of those are TESL specific (I noted at least 3 on teaching Listening and Speaking skills). They also have 108 videos on teaching Modern Languages (mostly French and Spanish). Also, they have ideas for using technology in the classroom, under the "ICT" subject. For instance, they have a "Using web-based software to enhance speaking skills" video, and a "Flip Video Cameras" video. Their blurb: Education video resources, lesson plans, inspiration and ideas to use in classroom. Professional development, CPD and training for everyone working in schools.

Wordle isn't necessarily ESL focused, but it does do fun things with language. Teachers can use this application to create vocabulary word splashes that are visually appealing to students, or teachers can let students play with their own words. For example, students can input an essay and world will pick out the most frequent words and put them into a cool design. It's a simple and easy way to manipulate language.

Jena, I'm glad you posted this. I think that this has some great potential for introducing vocabulary in the pre- or -post phases of a lesson for different skills or content classes. I like that you can choose different fonts, # of words that can be displayed and the direction of displayed words. You can also embed this into blogs and wikis. For a good blog post on using word clouds in the classroom, you might want to check out Nic Peachey's post on this subject: http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2008/09/using-word-clouds-in-efl-esl.html As an aside, in my opinion this guy is perhaps one of the most active technology/CALL ESL people on the web. I get a lot of great ideas from reading his blog posts and other resources.

This is very interesting.. It can be used by teachers of vocabulary and writing.. I like the fact that it can be used ina number of ways. Thanks Jena

This is an excerpt from an International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) publication that shares some case studies and a lesson plan for employing cellphones in the classroom. Students use texting, blogging, QR codes, and call into a Talk Radio style voice blog (podcast/webcast kind of thing).

There are some great ideas here on how the popular platform Edmodo can be integrated into the classroom. I think the advantage of using this platform is that it resembles popular social networking sites.

Wall Wisher seems like a great application for getting students to add their ideas to an online posting board. I think it has a lot of potential. They can also add youtube videos which can be watched in class.

I thought I just shared this on here but I don't see it below! haha this teacher in my program just gave a workshop on this. it's a pretty cool tool with a lot of different applications. I actually did a write up on the workshop for the UM's current events feed, check it: http://um2.umac.mo/apps/com/bulletin.nsf/nrsview/2184F90458D580DA48257BDB00116A5F