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.
Using Garage Band to create my vocabulary lesson was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed it! It was a bit more difficult than the other systems I have used, but it also turned out a bit more detailed. I am slightly disappointed in how it upload onto my blog, though. In during the export, it cut off my pictures. So, if you use Garage Band on your project, be aware of the pictures you use! Overall, I feel it is a great tool to use in the classroom!
Also, after you watch my vocabulary lesson, feel free to take the Google Forms quiz! 
The Thinking Stick is one of the best education blogs I’ve seen…by far! He provides fact-based (constructivist) educational insights that all teachers should hear. The Thinking Stick discusses educational issues, provides advice, and gives resources to teachers.
One of my favorite posts was Utecht’s take on Google Docs.
Utecht gives the top 10 reasons to switch from a word processor to Google Docs. I definitely agree that Google Docs are the future. Utecht also gives reasons such as, formatting difficulties, working collaboratively, making things public, and more. Google Docs make word processing and education in general so much easier!
In my experience with Google Forms and Spreadsheets, I was very pleased! The form was really easy to use, and the spreadsheet was very similar to the spreadsheets I have used in the past! These two Google Apps allow for stronger collaboration, communication, and organization amongst students and teachers. Google Forms can be used for quizzes, surveys, attendance, and much more! As an educator, I will definitely use Google resources!
If you are interested in viewing the DED 318 Favorite Education Blogs page, click here.
<– A screen capture of DED 318′s Favorite Education Blogs form.
As I explored the sites that my peers posted on the DED 318 public Google Doc, I became very excited! I can’t believe the amount of resources that are available to us! The collaboration that is available now, as opposed to ten years ago, amazes me. With resources like Google Docs, teachers, students, parents, and administrators will be able to communicate and collaborate more effectively.
In my experience with PUBLIC Google Docs, I was very pleased. It was easy to use, familiar, and in real-time! One of my favorite things about it was the chat on the sidebar. I was able to communicate with my classmates about any questions I had…instantly! I greatly enjoyed seeing my peers’ favorite educational sites and being able to seemingly be “working with them.” This is a tool that I will incorporate into my classroom.
If you are interested in viewing the DED 318 Favorite Resources page, click here.
^A screen-capture of part of my post on the “Favorite Resources” Google Doc!
Through reading the first chapter of “Retool Your School,” watching the “How Google Transformed My School” presentation, and looking over “Google for Educators” and the eSchool News article, I am a firm believer in incorporating Google Apps into my classroom! Google has made many FREE applications available to the public (and especially educators). These apps can help create a communicatory, collaborative, organized, technology-friendly, student-centered environment within the school system.
“Google Docs is an easy-to-use online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor that enables you and your students to create, store and share instantly and securely, and collaborate online in real time. You can create new documents from scratch or upload existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. There’s no software to download, and all your work is stored safely online and can be accessed from any computer.” (http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html) As an educator, Google Docs could help promote group work and peer editing. As a teacher at CIS 339 stated in the “How Google Transformed My School” presentation, because of the Google Apps, students were able to stay organized, on top of their assignments, and had an excitement about what they were doing!
Another application, Google Calendar, “is an easy way for teachers, administrators and students to share time-related info like team schedules, assignment deadlines and school holidays.” Google Calendar can also help students keep track of all of their schedules. It allows for coaches, parents, teachers, and administrators to input information, dates, and times, while seeing what else is “on the student’s plate.” It is truly an efficient way to keep track of everyone’s schedules!
Google Apps for Education can enable teachers, students, parents, and administrators to work together, stay organized, and get excited about learning! Check out the Google for Educators site for more tools and more information!
I definitely encourage you to check it out!
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