Top 10 Tech Tools I Can't Live Without!

1. Google- Can't live without google! Google is just a great search engine for anything!

2. Pintrest- This is a great tool because you can use this site to collect and create lesson plans and projects.

3. YouTube- I've found great educational videos to share with my students. They also have a channel that focuses on special education for teachers and students.

4. Animoto- In ED 505 I used animoto for the first time and I really enjoyed it. It gave me an alternative to presenting a lesson to my students and they loved it!

5. Delicious- This social book marking site is very helpful because I can always go back to websites/articles to gather information and I have already put them into categories so it cuts down on my search time.

6. PowerPoint- I use PowerPoint everyday in my classroom. Students love to see the different slides and pictures I create to enhance their learning experience.

7. Wikispaces- This is also a tool I used for the first time in this class. Wikispaces is a wonderful way for me to share information with my students and parents about projects, lessons, videos, and pictures.

8. Voki- I created 2 voki's for class and shared them with my students. This is also another creative way to motivate student learning and participation.

9. Twitter- I found twitter to be helpful with education information for teachers. It kept me informed of what was happening around the world in education and it was also a way for me to communicate with my classmates.

10. Glogster- A great and different way to create graphics and posters with useful information to share.

Educational apps for English/ Language Arts

Puppet Pals is a mobile app that can be used on a tablet where can tell stories with pictures, cartoon, audio and video.

Mobile iEducator is a app that can be used on the ipod. This is an app that guides you through reading, answer questions, writing, and vocabulary. The app prompts the user to use the app at least 5 minutes a day to build vocabulary knowledge.

iTooch which can be downloaded on smartphones and ipads and students can practice their reading and writing, comprehension and context clue findings in many exercises using this app.

Bluster! is an app for the ipad where students can build their vocabulary and comprehension by completing matching games.

Mobile Apps for English/ Language Arts

Puppet Pals is a mobile app that can be used on a tablet where can tell stories with pictures, cartoon, audio and video.

Mobile iEducator is a app that can be used on the ipod. This is an app that guides you through reading, answer questions, writing, and vocabulary. The app prompts the user to use the app at least 5 minutes a day to build vocabulary knowledge.

iTooch which can be downloaded on smartphones and ipads and students can practice their reading and writing, comprehension and context clue findings in many exercises using this app.

Bluster! is an app for the ipad where students can build their vocabulary and comprehension by completing matching games.

Good Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship refers to how you act or are perceived online. How other view you play a major roll in digital technology. It is very important to be a good digital citizen because you are responsible how you use your technology. If you abuse your privileges on certain sites, you can be banned and blocked. How you act online can be traced back to you. Your job can even trace your tweets, Facebook posts, pictures etc...back to you and it could jeopardize your job. True enough you are entitled to express how you feel online, but you have to be careful and consider others when you are doing so. Values that a good digital citizen will have is respect for other online, treat people how you want to be treated, don't be rude or abrasive with anyone, don't follow people around on the Internet, share your knowledge with others and NO CURSING!! Having a good digital reputation is the key and by following the simple rules I just spoke about you wont have a problem!

Material Generators

Three material generators I've used are whiteboard, worksheet,and puzzle generators. The whiteboard is just like a chalkboard without the chalk, that  use electronic pens to write with. There is no need for eraser because with one touch you can erase the entire board. Worksheets and puzzle generators are there to help teachers create a variety of worksheets for homework, classwork and for practice to make sure the student understand the concepts that are taught. Puzzle generators are more like learning through games, like crosswords and word puzzles. I use the interactive whiteboard on a daily basis. The students love this because they are able to come up to the whiteboard write, do math problems and watch and model what I am teaching. We use Go Math and they have great interactive Curious George math that introduces the lesson to the students before I teach them. I also use the interactive whiteboard to listen to the morning announcements and watch movies on some Friday afternoons. I have also used worksheets and puzzle generators. This is one site that I use http://www.worksheetworks.com/ and it is very helpful. Here I can create a worksheet for just about any subject/concept.

Instructional Software

Instructional software as defined in our Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching book, are computer programs designed specifically to deliver instruction or assist with the delivery of instruction on a topic. Using educational software in the classroom can help students who are struggling in certain areas of study. Instructional software is a bonus to students and it gives them hands on and knowledge of technology. The book speaks of 5 different types of Instructional Software which are: Drill and Practice, Tutorial, Simulation, Instructional Game, and Problem Solving.
Drill and Practice allows students to work problems and receive immediate feedback on the correctness of their answers. A great example of Drill and Practice can be found on http://www.schoolzone.com/best-kids/flash-cards?gclid=CKv7ivixtrUCFQmxnQodISUA0w . This website allows students in grades k-6 to create flashcards that cater to their own learning styles dealing with spelling reading and math.
Tutorial Software is an instructional sequence on a specific topic, similar to that of a teaching style. An example of this can be found at http://www.abcmouse.com/landing/SEM:GOOG?gclid=COPdke6ztrUCFQsFnQodriEA_w
Simulation Software is teaches how a system works using computerized models that can be real or imaginary. Here students can choose the activities they want to do in any order. An example of simulation software can be found here http://peanuts.wikia.com/wiki/It's_the_Big_Game,_Charlie_Brown . Students are able to experience real-life situations in decision making.
Instructional Games are games that combine fun, education, gaming, and technology into one. Here student will encounter game-like rules, or competition in learning activities. http://www.reader-rabbit.com/ Reader Rabbit is designed to help students with basic reading skills.
Problem Solving Software is designed mainly for problem solving. Students focus on their problem solving abilities in various content area. http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/problem/07/kapu_cave/merge.shtml This website gives you examples of problem-solving software that challenges students to solve mysteries in a 3-dimensional world.

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (6th ed., pp. 78-99). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Web 2.0 Voki's

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=7429131&height=267&width=200

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=7429080&height=267&width=200