Tech Teaching Tools

South Dakota State Technology Standards

2007-07-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

In addition to the state content standards, check out the technology standards!

South Dakota State Technology Standards

Please take this last survey.

Click Here to take the Last Post Blog Survey

Promethean Board Sites

2007-07-03T14:10:00.001-05:00

Interactive sites are perfect for Promethean boards. Please explore the links below and think of how the students would manipulate the sites with the Promethean boards.

1. Build a Prairie Biome: Elem - MS Science

2. Numberlines: Elem - HS Math

3. Electric Circuits: Physical Science

4. World Mapper: Geography

5. The Virtual Body: Anatomy

There are many, many more sites. Please explore further!

Click Here to take the Promethean Board Survey

Assistive Technology Sites

2007-07-03T14:04:00.000-05:00

Explore the following assistive technology sites and see if any of them can be implemented in your classroom. Be sure to watch the short video about Lukas Bratcher; it is truly amazing! When you have finished, please take the survey at the end of this post. Thanks!

1. American Sign Language Browser.

2. Please watch the story of Lukas Bratcher. It is a quick video.

Click Here to take the Assistive Technology Survey

Assessment Sites

2007-07-03T13:47:00.000-05:00

The internet has a large number of assessment sites that aid teachers in assessing their students. Please check out the following sites, and when you are finished, please take the Assessment Sites Survey at the end of this post.

1. Quizlet is a free survice that helps you and/or your students create flashcards and quizzes. The account is free, and it really saves time when you are trying to create flashcards!

2. Interactive games are a great way to get students involved in class as well as to review the content of class. This site has many templates that you can tailor to meet your needs. Save whatever games you like.

3. Interactive math assessments.

Click Here to take the Assessment Sites Survey

Content Area Sites

2007-07-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Each discipline can utilize the internet in specific manners. Please go through the following content sites and explore what's out there. When you have finished the adventure, please take the Content Area Sites Survey at the end of this post. Thanks!

Go to Content Area Links. Once you are there scroll down until you find your content area, then find three links in your content area that you would find valuable in your instruction. Be ready to list the URL address and explain why you throught the site was useful. You will do this in the survey.

Click Here to take the Content Area Sites Survey

Digital Sites Online

2007-07-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

Many digital teaching tools are at your fingertips. The internet is a vast resource that we should take advantage of. Please explore the following links to see what you can implement into your classroom. When you have finished looking through the links, please take the Digital Sites Online Survey at the end of this post.

1. Many people have digital cameras, but not everyone knows that free digital picture management software is on the internet. If you classroom has a digital camera, you can also use this software free of charge. Picasa is a great program that can be kept "private." This is a great option for teachers.

2. Once you have your students taking pictures of field trips, science projects, plays, or any other activity in your classroom, they can create wonderful presenations or "photostories." PhotoStory3 is a free download from Microsoft, and it is very user-friendly. Keep in mind you can make any presentation about any subject! By the way, this program is already loaded on all the students' tablets! So give it a try!

3. If you are tired of running off copies of worksheets and your students seem sick of completing those worksheets, try your hand at a gravity "clickable worksheet ." This is a worksheet that is on the internet, and students click on the links to find the answers to the questions. It adds another dimension to the normal old worksheets. You can find clickable worksheets for your subject by Googling it.

Click Here to take the Digital Sites Online Survey

Online Teacher Tools

2007-07-02T19:39:00.000-05:00

We as teachers use many tools in our classroom. What online teacher tools do you currently use? Please explore the following links, and then take the Online Teacher Tool Survey at the end of this post.

1. Watch the Captivating "Did You Know III" PowerPoint Presentation. This is well worth waiting for it to download. Click the download under Common Presentations. Did You Know III.
This should work; I have used this link this year at school.

2. Check out this GREAT Survey Builder! You can make surveys that are tailored just for your class and your current content. It is fast and easy. This is the software used to create the surveys at the end of all my posts. By-the-way, it's FREE! You just need to create a user name and a password. SurveyMonkey

3. Are you tired of trying to make rubrics all the time? They are very time-consuming, but they are very important. RubiStar helps you create them in a fraction of the time normally required to make a rubric. Check it out, oh, it's FREE too!

4. Check out National Geographic Kids. It has some great resources for teachers and kids of all ages.

Click Here to take the Online Teaching Tool Survey

RSS

2007-07-02T07:59:00.000-05:00

RSS is a time-saving tool. It stands for Real Simple Syndication. It's like a mini subscription to the sites you enjoy visiting. Instead of you having to go to the internet everyday and view those favorite sites, RSS will send you NEW articles when they are published. This way you aren't wasting your time looking at old information. Check out the sites below that examine RSS. When you are finished with the sites, please take the short survey at the end of this post!

1. Entertaining RSS Video

2. Google Reader: An RSS Service

Click Here to take the RSS Survey

What Is A Podcast?

2007-06-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

A podcast is a compound word from iPod and broadcast. Its a little radio clip that you can download and listen to. There are podcasts on every subject you can imagine. The cool thing about a podcast is that once you find a podcast you like, like your favorite news site or one that pertains to your class content, you can "subscribe" to it and it will come to you. You won't need to constantly go out to the internet and look for the cast, instead it will be waiting for you to listen to at your convenience. Oh, and you don't need an iPod to listen to one; your computer works just fine.

Check out the following sites on podcasts, and when you are finished please take the Podcasting Survey at the bottom of this post.

1. Education Podcasting Network

2. Radio Willow Web

3. National Geographic Podcasts

Click Here to take the Podcasting Survey

What In the World Is A Blog?

2007-06-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

What in the world is a blog? You are using one right now! It is a website that can be updated automatically by the authors and provides conversation and links to other webpages. It is an easy way to collaborate without having to meet.

Please look through the following sites, then take the survey at the bottom of this post.

1. Blogging Techtorial

2. What's A Blog?

3. A Blog Definition

4. Create A Blog

Click Here to take the Blogging Survey

A Wiki What?

2007-06-28T08:23:00.000-05:00

What in the World is a Wiki? A Wiki is short for the Hawaiian word wiki-wiki, which translates into “quick.” In internet terminology, a wiki is a website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want. Have you ever heard of Wikipedia? It is a website that is an encyclopedia where anyone can change anything at anytime. The idea behind wikis is that everyone together is smarter than anyone alone.

So what can you do with a wiki in your classroom? You can create a wiki just for your class. You could use the wiki site for students to form definitions for vocabulary words, construct the plot, theme, and other story components, or research a specific topic. It is a great collaboration tool and teaches that everyone has something of value to contribute.

The following websites will hopefully clear up any confusion about wikis! When you have looked at both websites, please take the short survey at the end of this post. Thanks!

1. Wikis in the Classroom

You can create your very own wiki by going to the following site, and it's FREE!

2. PBWiki

Click Here to take survey

Awesome Sites

2007-06-28T08:06:00.000-05:00

Please Take this Quick PreSurvey before you begin.

Click Here to take the PreSurvey

Below you will find 5 awesome websites. Please visit each one. When you have examined each site, please take the quick survey. It will be quick, and you may find some great sites to use in your classroom.

1. Science: EdHeads Virtual Knee Surgery

2. Math: Visual Fractions

3. Social Studies: The Voices of WWII

4. Language Arts: Write to Your Favorite Author

5. Music: New York Philharmonic Compose Your Own Minuet

Click Here to take the Quick Awesome Sites Survey