Blog Post # 8

I was astounded to find out how many teachers are actually using 21st Century technology and communications in their classrooms. After researching tons of the tools that they use, I chose a top 7 and bottom 7, plus one more for elaboration, because there just never seemed to be an ending to what is out there. It was easy to find what tech tools could fit into the elementary classroom that I will be teaching in, and instructions on how to master the sites were not difficult at all. I would love to have mentioned them all in this blog, since it was a learning smorgasbord, but I hope the one's that I chose will help someone in their learning and teaching careers.

Schoology was my number one choice because it was project-based and allowed easy collaboration between the students, teachers, parents, and other educators. It does require an access code that is easily attainable from a teacher or IT professional at the

school. My next choice, Capzles, is in the top of my list because it had many applications in the classroom that could be used in one place, such as blogs, photos and documents management. Initially, I thought my third choice, Educreations, looked dull, but once I started playing with it, it proved to be a great online tool for teaching a topic and having students demonstrate their own skills, and it is especially designed for the iPad. Next on my list is IXL (Pronounced I Excel), a great online tech tool that allows students to practice math and language arts, make awards and reports, and has all of the states' CCSS on the site. I included Glogster in my top 7 for its great editing tools for all media, and is great for creating innovative projects that can showcase a student's talents. Used primarily for student responses, Socrative is on this list because it can be used on all devices that can connect to the internet, so the students can engage in activities almost anywhere. Even though Aviary rounds out my top choices, it is excellent for editing media, it is in my top 7 because it can create and modify screen captures, which is a tool often used for projects and much more.

Starting my bottom 7 is Snagit for Chrome, an online tool for sharing and collaborating information from projects, and it supports screencasts that can be saved into your Google Drive. I think my next choice, Mastery Connect, could be on either of my lists, because it allows teachers to network and share assessments from the Common Core. Popplet was a lot of fun to examine it was student and teacher friendly, and set up perfect starting and finishing collaborative projects or individual ones. It was hard figuring out where to place Crunchzilla on my list,

because it is great for students and teachers to learn how to program computer games through interactive technology. I would have loved Storyboard That when I was younger, but having access to a great tech tool that can create comics designed for students' classroom activities, is something I will enjoy learning more about and teaching one day. My next choice had me thinking how great it would have been to have it the day our project group had all types of Gremlins stopping us from recording our conversation. Audio Boo is an audio tool that allows you to record and share audio files with anyone, anywhere, and let's you edit and upload a photo for inclusion with the audio. Closing out my top 14 is ABCya, which would be great when your students get bored, because it is loaded with computer games and activities designed especially for elementary school students. These and other great sites make learning and teaching in a technological age a challenge, but it is worth it when considering how much more engaged the students will be.

The tech tool I chose to elaborate on is Educreations because it is designed for the iPad, which would be less costlier to have in the classroom and still be great to get the projects and assignments completed. At first glance, Educreations seems like a simple tech tool to use, but underneath that shallow exterior lies the capacity for students and teachers to create videos on any given topic. One of its best features is that

it allows you to upload images from anywhere and you are able to draw and erase as needed. Its audio recorder is state-of-the art and can easily connect the users voice to the lesson. With many lessons already created for Math, Language Arts, Science, World Languages, Social Studies and English, students and teachers have access to great study tools and examples of lessons that meet the CCSS. The site is very user-friendly and can be mastered in no time, but it keeps on giving in the learning and developing departments of education. The video, How to Use Educreations, is pretty much all you will need to become a professional on site. I've included the video, Muscular System, to show how creative and informative the lessons can be. I think Educreations is a tool good for anyone's tech tool box and I signed up for it because I see where it can benefit me already.

I hope you have enjoyed the few tools that I introduced in my blog that we haven't used so far in EDM310, and that they are helpful. Since I found so many tech tools, I definitely plan to read a few of the classes posts and see what I can use to add to my ever growing network. Overall, what I learned mostly from this weeks blog is that, when it comes to using technology, I don't know diddly squat! But, it is great to be learning about so many technologies that will help me as a student and when I become a teacher.



Sources: Fluency21, ABCya, IXL, Storyboard That for Teachers, Mastery Connect, Crunchzilla, Techsmith, Audio Boo, Popplet, Aviary, Glogster, Capzles, Socrative, Educreations, All Things Learning, The De-Tech-Tives 4 Teachers, Schoology, Lin Potter, Allistair Williamson.