Free Technology for Teachers This blog presents a variety of webtools that have practical applications to the classroom, and the best part about it is that they are all free! Edumacation A blog with reflections and resources on teaching, learning, and technology. Teacher Tech Blog A Blog that has tips on hardware, software, lessons, and general computing.
Assignment 4 - Web Sites
Examples of Technology Integration Lessons
A lesson in proofing - This activity is great for the editing portion of the writing process. Students use tools available in Microsoft Word to check for common errors including the following:
lack of subject/verb agreement.
too many spaces between words.
inconsistent tense.
overuse of contractions.
misuse of first person pronouns
Definition Expedition - Students in grades 9-12 learn three ways to define a term in technical writing, search the Web for scientific text, then copy and paste sections into a Word document. Finally, they use the highlighter feature of Word to highlight examples of definitions within the text.
Poetry Slam - Students select poems, create PowerPoint presentations that use graphics and text to enhance those poems, and then display their presentations as they read their poems aloud.
Digital Booktalks - This site contains many digitally done booktalks that can be used a variety of ways - from introducing a read-aloud, to previewing literature circle choices, to simply guiding kids to find their next book choice.
Assignment 5 - Lesson Plan with Technology Integration
- a lesson plan that is part of a larger unit that introduces students to the basic skills need for writing a research paper. The technology integration is primarily in the teaching, not in the product the students will be creating.
Assignment 6 - Web 2.0
Middlespot.com
On this website teachers or students can create home-pages (called a mashup) that contain links, photos, files, screenshots, video, music, etc. The options are really endless. This tool could be used by students to create presentations that are web-based. This would allow them to work both at home and at school. As a teacher one could use this as the jumping off point/home-page for research projects, webquests, etc.
Setting up the account at middlespot.com was quite easy and free (for the basic version). All that is needed is an email address. If you want more space, you will need to pay for it. When you first create a mashup you are asked whether you want it to be private or public. I selected private as it was unclear what it really meant if it was public. Once I got my account I decided to create a mashup about my family's recent trip to California - it would end up to be more of a presentation style. I started out by trying to upload a photo. Here is where I encountered my first problem. Even though there is a box to check that should keep the photo within the size of the mashup, my photos were too large. Resizing of big pictures is a must. Other than that, adding links to websites and even screenshots of websites required no more skill than cutting and pasting. For everything you want to add you are offered the option of either getting it from your computer or from the web so that allows you to integrate personal and web based materials.
While the end result of the website is pretty cool, the site does take a bit of time just messing around in order to create something worthy of showing off. There are very few directions and what is there does little to help. I'm hoping that with a little practice I'll be able to create some of these to share with my students as well as my family and friends.
Assignment 7 - Educational Games
Wordplays.com On this website students can choose from a variety of English games which can help vocabulary as well as spelling strategies. Games include Word in a word, Word morph, Boggler, Crossword Helper, and many more.
Really Useful Websites
Sumo Paint - cool site to digitally edit and manipulate photos. Education World A huge website on technology in schools which offers research, articles, lesson plans, templates, etc.
EDT 650 - Foundations of Educational Technology
Assignment Checklist for EDT 650
Assignment 3 - Blogging
Rob's Rants
Cool Education Blogs
Free Technology for Teachers This blog presents a variety of webtools that have practical applications to the classroom, and the best part about it is that they are all free!Edumacation A blog with reflections and resources on teaching, learning, and technology.
Teacher Tech Blog A Blog that has tips on hardware, software, lessons, and general computing.
Assignment 4 - Web Sites
Examples of Technology Integration Lessons
A lesson in proofing - This activity is great for the editing portion of the writing process. Students use tools available in Microsoft Word to check for common errors including the following:- lack of subject/verb agreement.
- too many spaces between words.
- inconsistent tense.
- overuse of contractions.
- misuse of first person pronouns
Definition Expedition - Students in grades 9-12 learn three ways to define a term in technical writing, search the Web for scientific text, then copy and paste sections into a Word document. Finally, they use the highlighter feature of Word to highlight examples of definitions within the text.Poetry Slam - Students select poems, create PowerPoint presentations that use graphics and text to enhance those poems, and then display their presentations as they read their poems aloud.
Digital Booktalks - This site contains many digitally done booktalks that can be used a variety of ways - from introducing a read-aloud, to previewing literature circle choices, to simply guiding kids to find their next book choice.
Assignment 5 - Lesson Plan with Technology Integration
Assignment 6 - Web 2.0
Middlespot.com
On this website teachers or students can create home-pages (called a mashup) that contain links, photos, files, screenshots, video, music, etc. The options are really endless. This tool could be used by students to create presentations that are web-based. This would allow them to work both at home and at school. As a teacher one could use this as the jumping off point/home-page for research projects, webquests, etc.
Setting up the account at middlespot.com was quite easy and free (for the basic version). All that is needed is an email address. If you want more space, you will need to pay for it. When you first create a mashup you are asked whether you want it to be private or public. I selected private as it was unclear what it really meant if it was public. Once I got my account I decided to create a mashup about my family's recent trip to California - it would end up to be more of a presentation style. I started out by trying to upload a photo. Here is where I encountered my first problem. Even though there is a box to check that should keep the photo within the size of the mashup, my photos were too large. Resizing of big pictures is a must. Other than that, adding links to websites and even screenshots of websites required no more skill than cutting and pasting. For everything you want to add you are offered the option of either getting it from your computer or from the web so that allows you to integrate personal and web based materials.
While the end result of the website is pretty cool, the site does take a bit of time just messing around in order to create something worthy of showing off. There are very few directions and what is there does little to help. I'm hoping that with a little practice I'll be able to create some of these to share with my students as well as my family and friends.
Assignment 7 - Educational Games
Wordplays.com On this website students can choose from a variety of English games which can help vocabulary as well as spelling strategies. Games include Word in a word, Word morph, Boggler, Crossword Helper, and many more.Really Useful Websites
Sumo Paint - cool site to digitally edit and manipulate photos.
Education World A huge website on technology in schools which offers research, articles, lesson plans, templates, etc.