Top 10 Tech Tools I Can't Live Without

I believe that teachers can improve their lessons so that students are more engaged by using different types of technology. This technology can convenience teachers by helping differentiate instruction so that all students can reach their full potential. Over the past few years, I have been using technology to help me plan my lesson and teach my lessons. For my Technology and Education ED 505 class, I have been exposed to new technology tools that I plan on using in my future lessons. I have compiled a list of these "tech tools" that I feel like I cannot live without.

Wiki

I recommend that all teachers try to incorporate a wiki into their teaching. Wikispaces is a great place to learn how to use a wiki. A wiki will allow your students to work together on-line to complete a project. If you click on the link above you will see a wiki that I created to use with my Geometry B class.

 

Blogger

Blogger is a wonderful site if you have ideas or topics you want to share with others. I have used this site in my undergraduate and graduate studies to share ideas about technology and education. In my classroom, I plan on using Blogger to communicate with students and parents.

 

Glogster

I have been using Glogster for years and love how creative it is. Glogster can be compared to a bulletin board or poster board where you can post all of your ideas on a topic. If you click on the subheading above you will see a Glog that I created about being a good digital citizen.

 

Google

I cannot begin to tell you how much easier my life is because of Google. I get picked on by my friends and family because I search so many things on Google. If I am watching a movie and I hear a word I don't know... I am searching Google. If I have a question about teaching techniques... I am searching Google. Anything and everything I want to know... I am searching Google!

 

Apps

What is in every teens' hand these days? A cell phone. The generation that we are teaching only knows a life where everyone has a cell phone! As teachers we must move with the times. If students are going to have devices like cell phones and tablets... LET THEM USE THEM! The school policy where I teach does not require teachers to take up cell phones as long as they are not a distraction. I feel like teachers should use these devices to their advantage. I have located a few apps that I feel like will help students succeed in school. Click on the Apps Subheading to see these apps.

 

SmartBoard

Students seem to be more engaged when they are all looking at the same thing! I hate it when I tell students to turn to a certain page in their book... and who knows if they are there or not. I know that it is a waste of class time for me to have to walk around the room to check and make sure we are all on the same page. Using a SmartBoard helps eliminate this problem. If you plan ahead, like I do, you can create your lesson in PowerPoint (or another tech tool) and display it on your SmartBoard. By showing your lesson on the SmartBoard you know that all students are receiving the same information and it is easier to tell if they are all paying attention (Because they are looking at the board).

USA Test Prep

The juniors and seniors that I work with need additional assistance on the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. USA Test Prep is an on-line format of the paper-based test they must pass in order to be able to graduate. This site shows students their scores immediately and gives them suggested practice so that they can improve their weaknesses. Teachers can view each student's progress and print off progress reports.

 

Blabberize

I was introduced to Blabberize while working on my Master's Degree. This site is absolutely hilarious! Blabberize allows you to take an ordinary photo and make it talk to you with your own voice. I think that this is a great tool for teachers to use in their classroom but it is so simple that students could also use this as a part of a classroom assignment. Click HERE to see Blabberize photos that I created.

 

Animoto

Animoto is a site that allows for you to create videos on any topic. You can incorporate music and graphics when creating these videos. Another great thing about this site is that it is FREE! If you need to make a short video (30 seconds long) you can use this website for no cost. Because this site is free, I think that students could work together to create videos for a classroom assignment.

 

Catpin Productions 

The school where I work does not have funds to purchase each student an individual work book. In order to overcome this obstacle, I have found that I can purchase a few work books and then use bubble-in answer documents instead of letting students write in the books. This website allows you to create different styles of bubble-in answer documents.

Apps in Education

I work with high school juniors and seniors who are at-risk of failing. I work at a school that allows students to carry their cell phones as long as they are not a distraction to the student's learning. Most of my students carry iPhones or have tablets like an iPad. I try to incorporate my students' interest with their remediation and tutoring. Being that their cell phones are a huge part of their life, I have located a few educational apps that they could use to help them succeed in school.

  FREE Spanish Essentials by AccelaStudy®

AccelaStudy is the award-winning language education software for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad that helps you understand and pronounce words in the shortest possible time. Learn new Spanish words quickly, easily, and permanently with AccelaStudy. 

 

Evernote Peek

Evernote Peek is a learning app designed for the iPad 2 Smart Cover. No Smart Cover? No problem! The new Virtual Cover lets any iPad get in on the fun. Studying with an iPad has never been more natural. Simply peek under the cover to prepare for a quiz, practice a language or strengthen your memory.

 

Frog Dissection

Frog Dissection from Punflay, is a greener alternative for teaching dissection in the classroom. This iPad app is suitable for middle-school students who are learning about organs and organ systems as part of their life science curriculum. Students can try dissecting a virtual specimen with all the trappings that come with the real procedure-minus the mess of course! Besides a virtual chloroformed specimen, the app comes with all the dissection tools and detailed instructions to complete the procedure. Once dissection is complete, the frog’s organs are exposed for further study. Vivid 3D images will help students visualize the internal organs very effectively. For enhanced learning experience, the app also has information on the different types of frogs, frogs’ life cycle, anatomical comparison of frogs with humans, an interactive quiz and detailed descriptions of the organs.

 

myHomework

- Track your classes, homework, tests and assignments.
- Beautiful calendar display.
- Supports time, block and period-based schedules.

- Sync to the myHomework iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows 8 apps.
- Access anywhere, anytime at myhomeworkapp.com.
- Receive homework reminders on your iPhone, iPad or Android apps.
- Facebook Single Sign-On
- Join your teacher's Teachers.io class and automatically download their class information, assignments, files and announcements

 

ACTStudent

ACTStudent helps users anticipate and manage the ACT Test experience. Using the "Practice" feature, students can attempt answers to practice items and gain feedback from their attempts. "Account" allows users to log in for limited, read-only access to their own registration and score information. Accessing the link to ACT's mobile site, users can find straightforward answers to typical questions test takers have about events leading up to the test and the test day itself.

 

 

Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use (Definition found at Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately). Since the majority of today's youth has a Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or Blog, it would only be natural that there should be guidelines to follow when using these social media sites. Being a good digital citizen means that information that is posted on these sites is true/accurate. Basic digital citizen rules will inform you that a good digital citizen will not post true/accurate information just because he or she can. For example: If you video your friend jumping off a building and breaking his/her arm, you might hurt your friend's reputation by posting this to a social media site.
A good digital citizen will use correct grammar when posting on their social media sites. Any information that is posted from another online source should be documented so that you are not taking credit for someone else's work.
Having a good digital reputation is a goal that all users should strive to reach. Having this good reputation means that the information you post is true, your information is grammatically correct, and you document all other sources that you post. Your followers on social media sites will know that they can use your site as a reliable source if you have a good digital reputation.

Basic guidelines for how to be a good digital citizen can be found HERE.

For my Technology and Education Course, I had to create a Glog on Digital Citizenship. Click the following link to view my Glog:
My Digital Citizenship Glogster

Material Generators in the Classroom!

Whiteboard Activity Software

My primary experience is with 3rd grade and 5th grade students. One thing that I have noticed about both of these grades is that they love coming to the Whiteboard. I feel like the reason for this is it gives them an opportunity to show the rest of the class that they have mastered the concept and gives them an opportunity to "play" teacher. I always ask for students to explain to the class how they are thinking while they are working out a problem on the board. If students can work out a problem on the Whiteboard and tell me how they are thinking, I can determine if they have mastered the concept I am teaching. There are websites available that help teachers create interactive lessons on their Whiteboards. I personally feel like interactive lessons engage students more than a teacher reciting out of a textbook. I have not used either of the following links in my classroom but I do plan on using them. If you are intimidated by using a new program, you can always do what I have done for years... PowerPoint. Most teachers are familiar with PowerPoint and I have found that I can conduct my reading lesson more smoothly if I am using a PowerPoint. My students have also expressed that they would rather see a PowerPoint than just listen to me read to them.

Click on the follow links for websites that will help you create an interactive lesson:
Notebook (for use with Smart Boards)
ActivStudio or ActivInspire (for use with Premetheus Boards)

You can also click on the following links to see a math and reading PowerPoint that I used while teaching 5th grade. The reading PowerPoint has material from Harcourt Lesson 10 Day 4 and the math PowerPoint is a lesson on Greatest Common Factor.
Reading PowerPoint
Math PowerPoint

Rubric Generators

I think that rubrics are a great way to give students guidelines on how an assignment or project should be completed. I know that in my graduate studies rubrics have guided my performance so that I knew what was necessary to make the highest grade possible. I have never used a rubric with my students. I feel like rubrics would work better with secondary education. The primary students that I have experience with may get overwhelmed by a rubric. I have attached links to websites that allow teachers to create rubrics to use with their students. I have used RubiStar in my undergraduate studies. I was required to make a rubric to go along with a lesson (that I did not have to teach... just for an understanding of how rubrics could be created). I think that RubiStar makes creating a rubric very simple and that it would be a great place for teachers who have no experience with rubrics to start. I work with at-risk seniors who need additional assistance for them to be able to graduate. I would love to make a rubric for each student so that would know what they had to complete to reach their goals in my program.

Click on the following links for websites that will guide you through making your first rubric:
RubiStar
Rubric Builder
Rubric Maker

 

Puzzle Generators

Regardless of what age you may teach, what student doesn't want to work on a puzzle?? I have used Crossword Puzzle Maker with my 3rd and 5th grade students and they would much rather practice their skills using a puzzle than working on a worksheet. I am wanting to create some crossword puzzles using reading concepts from the Alabama High School Graduation Exam for my seniors. These kind of activities reinforce learning in a more game-like way. Students also like to work together on these kinds of puzzles and I am all for collaborative work!

Click on the following links for websites that will help you create puzzles for your classroom:
Discovery Education
Crossword Puzzle Maker

Software in the Classroom

Instructional software is a general term for computer programs designed to deliver instruction or assist with the delivery of instruction. There are five different types of instructional software: Drill and Practice, Tutorial, Simulation, Instructional Game, and Problem Solving. Teachers can use this software to motivate students to learn. Most students enjoy games and with instructional software teachers have a way to make learning a little bit more "fun!"

Drill and Practice
This type of instructional software helps students practice very structured problems. Students answer questions and get immediate feedback. Feedback can be as simple as "correct" or "incorrect."

Click on the following links for drill and practice websites:
Math Practice
A Plus Math

Tutorial
For students who learn by watching, tutorial software will be a great asset! This type of instructional software acts like a human tutor by providing all the information and instructional activities a leaner needs to master a topic.

Click on the following links for tutorial websites:
Khan Academy
Rapid Typing Zone

Simulation
Sometimes it is hard for teachers to teach their students about concepts in which they have no prior knowledge. I remember back to when I was in school... Of course I was required to dissect a frog. I recall my teacher telling me how to dissect a frog, but I remember being very confused once it came time to actually begin. With simulation software, teachers can take their students into the virtual world of almost any real or imaginary system. Simulation software models how these systems work and can demonstrate underlying concepts.

Click on the following links for simulation websites:
Learn 4 Good
Digital Frog

Instructional Games
What child doesn't like games?? I know my students love them! With instructional games teachers can increase motivation by adding game rules to drill or simulations.

Click on the following links for simulation websites:
Fun Brain
PBS Kids


Problem Solving
As a teacher, I try to help my students become problem solvers. They will not always have me around to help them with a problem therefore need to learn to think for themselves. Problem solving software teaches directly (through explanation and/or practice) the steps involved in solving problems. This software also helps learners acquire problem-solving skills by giving them opportunities to solve problems.

Click on the following link for a problem solving website:
Kids Math Games

Wikipedia Won't Work...

Should Wikipedia be forbidden in students' social studies research?

As teachers, we want to prepare our students for assignments they will have in college. Most classes will require them to write papers in APA format. They will also have to write research papers based on reliable sources. Wikipedia is not one of these reliable sources. Of course there are many unreliable sources that students will encounter, but Wikipedia seems to appear at the top of every search regardless of the search engine. Wikipedia does offer a wide variety of information on basically any topic. The downfall of the site is derived from it's very name WIKIpedia... it is a wiki and the information on a wiki can be altered by anyone. When searching for information on social studies topics (or any other topic) for a research paper, students need to be able to validate the source so that they know their information is accurate. Since Wikipedia's creator even stated that the website was an unreliable source, I feel like there should be no doubt in any one's mind that it should not be used by students.

Web 2.0 Resources

Technology is a great way to add creativity to any classroom. For my ED 505 class, I chose to create Web 2.0 Resources that related to the topic of Long Division. I used the resources Glogster, Animoto, and Blabberize for this assignment. I have used Glogster as a resource in the past and it has many creative and fun ways to gain the attention of any aged classroom. Glogster is very user friendly and would be a great resource for any teacher who is just starting to incorporate technology in his/her classroom. I am a first time user of Animoto but I found that it was also very user friendly and fun to use once I figured out how to navigate the website. I think that Animoto could be used in any subject area and for any age group. Animoto is free for short videos (30 seconds long). Middle and high school students could easily make a video with Animoto has an assignment for any class. The final resource that I used is Blabberize. I had never heard of Blabberize and I never imagined a website like this existed. Blabberize allows you to take any picture and make the picture talk to you. It is very simple to create and the possibilities are endless. I literally was laughing out loud as I created talking pictures of my family members for this project. I would suggest Blabberize to any teacher who wants to capture their students' attention!


To check out the Glogster Page I created CLICK HERE.
To check out the Animoto Video I created CLICK HERE.
To check out the Blabberized pictures I created click on PICTURE 1, PICTURE 2, PICTURE 3.