My “wow” moment was that technology is unavoidable. As educators, we WILL be required to use technology in this every-changing world. It is majorly important for teachers to be up-to-date on this technology. There are SO many resources available for FREE, which is very awesome! So, there is very little excuse not to use technology in my future classroom.

My two favorite resources from the semester are iMovie and Google Docs.  iMovie makes uploading to YouTube easy. It is a tool that could definitely be used in upper elementary. I feel that I will definitely be using it in my future classroom and college projects.

I appreciated the collaboration that Google Docs makes available to us! It amazes me! With resources like Google Docs, teachers, students, parents, and administrators will be able to communicate and collaborate more effectively.

Of the “The 100 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You” two of my favorites are Netflix and Prezi. As quoted by the site, “Netflix is not just for laying back and being entertained. There’s loads of great educational and children-friendly TV shows and films on there (mostly on streaming). Prezi is my fav Web 2.0 tool because it makes presentations fresh, energetic and brings the basics of “show and tell” into the future. Excellent tool for sharing and engaging the audience with more creative, imaginative content. Kudos to Prezi!!!”

Netflix could be used to show my students educational documentaries or clips that pertain to a lesson I am teaching. I could use Prezi as an alternative to the normal “PowerPoint” presentation. It would also be a fun tool for my students to use during any project!

Vicki Davis, the creator of Cool Cat Teacher Blog, is a “full time teacher, blogger, Tweeter, Tumblr, Facebook-er, and passionate advocate for inspiring and informing teachers, parents, and professionals about how to reach this generation of learners.” She believes in teaching students through technology, enthusiasm, and a belief that teaching is a noble calling. She is a spokesperson for the flattened classroom. On her blog, Davis provides resources, ideas, and thoughts about educational tools, technology, and up-and-coming educational movements.

The second blog I looked at was Practical Theory by Chris Lehman. Lehman tells writes this blog from his perspective–a classroom teacher. In his many posts, he includes useful information, tips, and resources for teachers. The one concern I have is the length of the the posts; it is hard to hold my attention for his long posts.  On the other side, this blog is told in stories, which definitely captivates my interest. It is relatable  and fun to read.  This is a blog teachers should check out!

iTunes U is a great place to share educational info and podcasts! It’s  easy to search for anything I am are looking for. Kansas is not a part of the K-12 yet, but I grew up in  Colorado, so I decided to search through their K-12 site.

Anne Belle has a podcast called A Lesson in Time. She explains that her father grew up in Denver, Colorado and that she grew up in Oregon, then she talks about the first time she visited Denver with her dad. It would be great to show to a classroom full of children, as a history lesson!

I also listened to a podcast titled 3rd Grade Math, by Kelley Randall. She shows easy ways to learn simple math for 3rd graders. It looks as if she has just started these posts in iTunes this month, so she does only have three right now, but I am looking forward to many more!

Lastly, I watched Science Bites, which is a series of videos  by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I watched one video called The Truth about Spiders. A scientist from the museum gives facts and myths about spiders. I think this video would be interesting to children and might help them get over some of their fears.

View Northwest Tech-My Dad’s Story in a larger map

This project was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the school that my dad teaches at. Kansas has a rich history, and it very important to learn about the stories of its residents. I did find it hard, though, to use Voicethread in making my project, since I had to do it over the phone. I do like the tool, though, and believe it would be useful in my future classroom. Great project, and great idea!

Here’s the link to my video on the Celebrate Kansas Voices Ning!!

I feel that iPads would be the an incredibly helpful tool to implement into the classroom.  Technology is changing everyday, and we, as teachers, must stay up to date in our changing world. We must be trained with the resources to pass this knowledge onto our students. The iPad puts this new technology at the students finger tips. Some students may not have access to computers at home, so this would be a way to increase equality of opportunity for learning among students.

There are many educational apps that are now available on the apple app store, and many text books are available on the iPad. Schools could supply their textbooks via the iPad, making it easier for kids to bring their supplies to class; all they would have to do is bring their iPad instead of actual textbooks for 5 different subjects. They are light, thin, and easy to carry to and from school and the student’s home. When considering the prices of 1:1 iPads vs. laptops in my school, I believe iPads would win the vote. They are much cheaper than laptops.

If I were to help to implement  1:1 iPads in my school, I would explain to the school the positive impact of iPads  on student learning. I would have some apps to suggest, and I would demonstrate to the administration how I could use them in the classroom. I would explain how technology is key to childrens’ learning, and that teaching through technology would keep the students more engaged in lessons.

Overall, there are many more advantages to using iPads 1:1 in schools than  disadvantages. It would be a great adjustment, but in time I think iPads could make teaching and learning easier for everyone!

We created a Glogster, which is an interactive poster, to inform people about cyber bullying. Glogster is free website used for making digital posters. My friend Austin and I wanted students to see the importance of being a good “digital citizen.” Cyber bullying takes place heavily in schools, and as educators, we must fight against it.  Austin and I agreed that Glogster is a great educational site, and we will both use Glogster in our future classrooms. It’s free, it’s easy to use, and it’s a lot of fun! Check it out

Visit our Cyber Bullying Glogster!

This educational iMovie addresses the issue of The Fine Arts being taken out of public schools, due to budget cuts. The arts greatly benefit our students; saving the arts is detrimental to the future of our country!

1) The first site I chose to investigate from David Kapuler’s 50 Sites in 60 Minutes is WiseMapping.

This is a great site for brainstorming and creating professional-looking “mind-maps.” It is free, easy to use, and can be accessed at anytime, anywhere! The Web 2.0 capabilities are wonderful; sharing ideas is made easy with WiseMapping.

I can see myself using this tool to help prepare a thematic unit, lesson plan, or for other professional development. I can also see students in mid- to upper-elementary using WiseMapping–it’s that easy!

2) The second site I chose is FlockDraw.

“FlockDraw is a free to use online based painting & drawing tool. It makes it easy to draw with multiple people for fun or business. You can have unlimited people in a room and the drawing updates in real time. Uses different colors, shapes and text. Save your drawing to our gallery and show it off!”

This site reminds me a lot of my childhood. As I tried to “play” with it, I realized how terrible I am at art on the computer! I can see my students using this to work on group projects or to create a piece of artwork to go along with a paper/project. It is a great resource and provides an alternative for students who may not necessarily enjoy or flourish while drawing with piece of paper and some crayons. A downside to this site is the flashy advertisements.

An incredible picture painted by Oken on FlockDraw. –>

3) The third site I chose is Little Bird Tales.

Little Bird Tales is a free digital story teller that is meant for kids! It is a “green” alternative to traditional books there is no advertising, and asks for donations to help “keep it flying.” Little Bird Tales encourages creativity and self expression, and it helps reinforce reading and writing skills. Along with being able to create your own story, there are “public tales” that are available to anyone!

There is also a students only option, which makes it very easy for educators to use. I can definitely see my students using this tool to create books about well…anything: addition, cause and effect, the presidents, photosynthesis, or an important event in his/her life.

An example of one of the tales a made by a member of Little Bird Tales.  –>

4) My next site is BetterLesson.