Classtools

http://classtools.net/education-games-php/quiz/

This is a fun tool to make different games for different subjects. I think that the variety of games could be very beneficial in the classroom and is very efficient. It does not take very much time to create these games and they could be utilized by all the students for various subjects. I think that games are an important aspect to include in lesson plans and this website provides and easy way to accomplish this.

Voice Thread

http://voicethread.com/share/939630/

At first I found voice thread hard to navigate; however, after exploring the site more and experimenting with the different tools I found that it could be very useful for reports and projects. Students have the ability to use this site to create book reports, state reports or an about me project. I believe that this is a fun way for students to express their creativity and also help students who have problems with public speaking. Voicethread also opens the option to having parents be exposed to their students work, which is often overlooked.

Glogger

I created a glogger that utilizes different graphics to describe and explain the different facts about the state of Oregon. I think that it could be a fun way to introduce lesson plans and could also be used by the students for different projects; however, I think that different websites could do this same thing better.

Xtranormal Movie

I think that this website would provide an interesting way to introduce lesson plans because the different characters grab the students attention and rather than me standing in front of the class droning on they are way more likely to listen to a funny cartoon introduce the subject matter for the day. It is very easy to create and fun to watch!

Rubric

This is a grading rubric we created as a PLN and I think it will be very useful to use as a teacher and it allows for a consistent grading system in which you know the expectations necessary to receive a specific grade. I have found that whenever the standards are not clear to the students, it is hard to grade consistently. This rubric is very helpful for the grading process.

Google Earth Tour

I had a lot of fun doing this activity and exploring google earth as well as the different land marks on our planet. This would be a great aid for country or state projects that students have to do because it requires creativity and but it is easy to navigate and would be really helpful for older students. Google Earth definitely would strengthen a students project by not only providing pictures but also a visual and interactive tour of whatever is being researched. I think this tool could definitely be utilized in the classroom but perhaps for older students. This is a great way to explore the amazing things technology has to offer and also the wonders of our world. This is an amazing resource and should be used whether in the classroom or not.

Teacher Lingo

http://teacherlingo.com/blogs/teachers.aspx

What an awesome website! I am really happy I was exposed to this website because I think it is important to have open communication among the teaching community. It allows teachers to relate and understand each other as well as learn. It is frustrating running a class and being in charge of so many kids, but the support from teacherlingo.com is really helpful. In this class we have explored the idea and process of lesson plans and also learned that it is okay to take lesson plans from others and this website provides a list of lesson plans that teachers of all grade levels and subjects have used and ones that have been successful. I do not necessarily think this would be a useful tool in the classroom but rather for the teacher. It provides necessary support, helpful lesson plans and interactive blogs to help teachers succeed.

Text2MindMap

I LOVE this website. I think it is truly an effective way to brainstorm. All through elementary school my teachers would make it required to have a brainstorm sheet before writing an essay. I always thought it was tedious and that is not necessarily how I prefer to organize my thoughts before writing a paper, but honestly brainstorming helps to create an organized essay and also helps develop ideas and themes. I definitely think that students could use this website. It helps make brainstorming a fun process and is an effective way to put your thoughts on paper and would be great preparation for writing an essay.

Big Huge Labs

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and this website is a great way to express my passion as well as display it in a way that is enjoyable to others. I think that this website could be really fun in the classroom especially for projects that involve visual aids. It is a great way for students to demonstrate their creativity and involve art in a way that also uses technology. I think it would be fun to have kids at a higher level, do a research project in which they have to take their own pictures and incorporate them into bighugelabs. I loved using this site and I hope to use it in future classrooms.

Webquest

Our PLN created a webquest. I think that this is an awesome way to organize a lesson plan because every step is laid out but you also have the ability to add interactive games. We did ours on teaching students the alphabet. The steps are easy to follow and help divide a large lesson plan into sections so that the students do not get overwhelmed. The videos and games that we provided only enhance the lesson plan and the topic to help the students understand and engage with the material. I think this tool could be very useful in the classroom.

Quizlet

Math

I created flash cards for learning elementary math, including simple addition and subtraction. This could be a great way for kids to study vocabulary, math, science, or any subject. This is a great motivation and saves paper. I think that flash cards are a very effective way to study and learn subject matter, it helps with skills such as memorization and and interactive ways to understand the information. I think that this is a very valuable site and can empower students because it is a fun way to study!

Simply Box

I was able to sign up for and access the website however, honestly I do not see the point of this website and I think that it is ineffective. It is very hard to navigate simply box and seems like an ordeal just to share websites, when there are much easier ways that this could be accomplished. I think that while it could be useful for some people I did not see the purpose and I had trouble figuring out how it works and therefore this site ended up being way less efficient.

Personal Search Engine

I created my own personal search engine! I titled it the Fun Search Engine because I created a more specified search engine based on my interests and most used websites. My search engine is geared mostly towards entertainment purposes.

Search Engines

I think that too often when we are trying to search or utilize the Internet we think that Google is the only engine, when in fact there are many other engines that provide the same tools and resources. Through this assignment we got to explore different search engines and I found that I liked Bing the most. The sites and resources were quick and I feel as if more relevant search results came up than came up in Google. Wikipedia is a search engine that I use daily and have grown to love. It is great to have a site that can be translated into different languages and also a site that can tell you everything about anything, all in one site. Lycos was a new search engine for me and I really liked the set up. It was easy to navigate and provided me with great tools. I think sometimes we are blinded by Google, but this assignment opened my eyes to other great search engines.

Internet Safety

With all of the positive effects of using the Internet and technology in the classroom come the few negative aspects. While the Internet allows for various interactive ways of expressing creativity and information, it is difficult to safely monitor the students activity, especially when with all of the secure and interesting web utensils come inappropriate and unsafe websites. I think that as a frequent user of the Internet it is easy to navigate away from secure websites; however, when used in the classroom it is vital that the use of the Internet is focused and safe. For this reason I think that having blocks on specific sites is necessary. Exploring the various and informative sites is one thing but when this privilege is abused it makes the use of the Internet ineffective.

Smartboard and Differentiation

After visiting many of the sites that we were provided with I was able to experience many interactive smartboard lesson plans that reinforced the power of differentiation in the classroom. On one of the websites I had the opportunity to carve my own pumpkin and create my own landscape. These websites clearly demonstrated that there are different levels and ways of explaining or creating different curriculums. This website http://www.plattscsd.org/oak/smartboard/Smartboard.htm provides various subject topics and a variety of lesson plans that apply to them. I had so much fun interacting and participating in the different games and curriculums and I think that this website could be very useful in the classroom because it makes learning fun. When kids get bored in class they turn off their brain but when they are having fun and interacting with the material they are much more likely to actually understand and retain the information.

Differentiation

I think differentiation is an important aspect to recognize in the classroom. We are all individuals and have strengths and weaknesses that apply to academics. As a teacher it is important to recognize these talents and manipulate the curriculum so that it applies to all different kinds of learners. It is hard to apply one way of teaching to an entire classroom and in order to see all of the "lightbulbs" go on in the students heads it is important to create different and stimulating lesson plans to reach a broad range of individuals.

Whiteboard

I am not sure how useful these tools would be in the classroom but it is definitely a fun way to exchange creativity and express yourself in an open environment. This is a very cool tool but could be distracting in the classroom and I don't know how it could be properly introduced in the curriculum but it is definitely a fun thing for students to engage in outside of class.