My Thoughts on... Technology!

Technology: Technology is important, no doubt about it (otherwise I wouldn't be getting a masters degree in it!) but it shouldn't overpower your classroom. Technology is the best tool out there right now for engagement, enrichment, and guidance because students LOVE it and it works for everyone. There a bajillion tools out there for teachers that are FREE and simple to use. You don't have to have computers in your room either for it to work. Technology allows students to connect to the material in different ways that suit their own learning styles and needs. It is a perfect tool for differentiating instruction and allows students to connect with each other, their teachers, and people all over the world that can help them learn something new.

Here are some of my favorite tools right now to use in the classroom:

Glogster : Online poster making!
Twitter : Quick sharing of ideas
Podbean : Create your own podcasts, free!
Bubbl.us : Online brainstorming
School Notes : Good classroom communication center
Edmodo : Facebook for the classroom!
Goodreads : Create booklists and share reviews
Wordle : Word clouds!
Google Sites : My classroom website
Delicious : Like pinterest, but groups websites into categories and students can collaborate. Great for tracking online research.
Storybird : Create storybooks online! You can see student examples in my portfolio below
Prezi : Awesome alternative to power point, examples in my portfolio below!

Here's a link to my online tech portfolio where you can check out some of the great activities we have done in class and example projects by students!

What tools do you use in the classroom? Link up!!

Next time.... Classroom Management!

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