Technology+Resources

[|Teaching through Technology]
 * Site Description - This blog is a collection of lessons using a variety of different technologies. The author, Ann Oro, is a teacher in New Jersey chronicling her usage of technology in the classroom.
 * Resources Description - There are many links to different websites that Ann used to bring technology into her classroom. These resources seem to be really original, not the normal websites that you would think of, and so there are a lot of new ideas to be found.
 * Usage - The great thing about this website is that most of the resource links are embedding in examples of how Ann used them herself, so you are not completely at a loss, trying to figure out a way to use what you are looking at. Also, Ann does a great job of going step-by-step through her processes, which is fantastic for people who may not be as well versed in technology. Lastly, there is sure to be something for every teacher here; the resources can really be used across any curriculum.
 * Rating -
 * Content - 5 stars!
 * Speed - 5 stars!
 * Ease of read - 4.5 stars
 * Navigation - 5 stars!
 * Timely - 5 stars!

[|The Tech Savvy Educator] The author of the Tech Savvy Educator shares specific ideas and links for educators and parents to use technology to use with their children in education. Most of these ideas are free, which is very helpful to most teachers. Aside from general ideas and links, he also categorizes some popular uses of technology (podcasts, blogs, social bookmarking and virtual field trips) and offers tips and suggestions that work well. The author is Ben Rimes who is an elementary school technology teacher.

Rating -
 * Content - 5 stars
 * Speed - 5 stars
 * Ease of read - 5 stars
 * Navigation - 5 stars
 * Timely - 4.5 stars

http://wyatt67.edublogs.org __/__
 * Technology in our Classroom **

v Ms. Wyatt, the teacher who operates this site, has organized an international student blog challenge. This site serves as a model for teachers looking to set up their own classroom blog or teachers that would like to take their classroom blog a step further. v Students from all over the world are involved and invited to participate. Ms. Wyatt started the challenge at the beginning of the school year and posted a challenge each week for classes around the globe to try. The topics generally focus on history and social studies. This is the last week of the ten week challenge, but she would like feedback from students and teachers for the next challenge coming up this spring. Teachers can volunteer to help assess end products. v This has been a highly motivational tool for students, especially when competing against other students around the world. v The site is not the easiest to navigate. Categories and links do not appear until scrolling down to the end of the site. However, it does provide a model of an effective teacher produced blog site. v **Rating** Content: 5 Stars Speed: 5 Stars Ease of Read: 5 Stars Navigation: 4 Stars

**FMS Tech Blog**
This blog changed my life, more than once. Ok, so that might be a too little bold of a statement, but in some ways, it's true. This blog is written by a teacher in my building. All of the posts are short and to the point. He offers quick tips about how to improve your use of technology. The only draw back, is most of them are Mac specific (which meets the needs of teachers in our districts, but probably not most of you). One of the simple tips he shared that changed my life: the two fingered touch pad scroll.


 * Content: 5 Stars
 * Speed: 5 Stars
 * Ease of Read: 5 Stars
 * Navigation: 4 Stars

=//**Technology in the classroom**//= []
 * Site Description- This blog demonstrates how to // use // the //Wii// Remote (Wiimote) to turn any surface into a Low-Cost Interactive //Whiteboard//.
 * Resource Description- There is a video that provides step by step instructions on how to set up the “Wiimotes”.
 * Usage- The wonderful thing about this website is that it shows you exactly how to turn a regular whiteboard into an interactive white board for your classroom. The tools you will need are described and he demonstrates how you can use it in your classroom. For many teachers who are not fortunate enough to teach in a school district where Promethean boards or interactive whiteboards are available, this is an inexpensive alternative.
 * Rating -
 * Content - 5 stars!
 * Speed - 5 stars!
 * Ease of read - 4.5 stars
 * Navigation - 5 stars!

Reviewed by: Shenisa R. Allen

=Free Technology for Teachers= =[]= · Site Description- This site contains free technology resources; review how teachers can use them and other ideas for technology integration in education. · Resource Description- This is an awesome website! It has how-to series for setting up Wiki spaces, blogs, building a classroom website, and much more. There is an area that provides the most up-to-date advancements in technology and an area which contains a homepage for five to eleven year old kids to customize their pages with different backgrounds, themes, avatars, videos, games, and other widgets. · Usage- Teachers can blog new ideas, preview/submit lesson plans, post how-to instructions, introduce students to creative and productive uses of technology, allow the students to set up their own webpage, and above all, use as a teaching tool for the classroom.
 * Rating -
 * Content - 5 stars!
 * Speed - 5 stars!
 * Ease of read - 5 stars!
 * Navigation - 5 stars!

Reviewed by: Shenisa R. Allen

Google for Educators
http://www.google.com/educators/index.html

> Reviewd by: Brian Aldridge
 * Site Description - This is Google's site devoted specifically to providing resources for teachers. It is designed to cater to teachers from every grade level, beginning in early elementary all the way to the University level. It is also the home of the Google Teacher Academy where teachers can apply and work towards becoming Google Certified Teachers.
 * Resources Description - Links on the home page take you to pages for tools for your classroom, classroom activities, classroom posters, the Google Teacher Academy, and the Google Teacher Community. Resources are available for most subjects including (but not limited to) Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Art. Google tools that are available for use and training include Google Earth, Google Docs, Google Maps, Picasa, Blogger, and many more.
 * Usage - Teachers can download lesson plans, posters, and activities for their students which have been created by Google employees or Google Certified Teachers. There are also trainings available on how to use Google products in the classroom.
 * Rating -
 * Content - ★★★★★
 * Speed - ★★★★★
 * Ease of read - ★★★★✩
 * Navigation - ★★★★✩
 * Timely - ★★★★★

**Making Teachers Nerdy**
http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/


 * Site Description - Mrs. Smoke (not sure if that's her real name, but that's what she goes by on her blog) shares her insights and ideas as a technology teacher to help teachers integrate technology into their teaching. The site has had some good posts in the past, but her postings have been sparse the past few weeks due to her new job.
 * Resources Description - This blog discusses topics such as digital storytelling, art and poetry generating websites, wikis and blogs, and many other things.
 * Usage - This has been one of the more interesting blogs that I have come across, and up until recently (when she stopped her regular posting), I have used it to generate ideas and new practices for my teaching.
 * Rating -
 * Content - ★★★★★
 * Speed - ★★★★✩
 * Ease of read - ★★★★★
 * Navigation - ★★★★✩
 * Timely - ★★★✩✩

Reviewed by: Brian Aldridge

**Digital Education**
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/

> Reviewd by: Brian Aldridge
 * Site Description - This is Education Week magazine's blog about technology and digital education.
 * Resources Description - This blog has postings on many different topics that affect the digital educator. Topics range from how teachers can (or should) use social-networking in their professions to the advantages and difficulties of going wireless.
 * Usage - The Digital Education blog tackles many important issues facing teachers and has thoughtful insights and contributions from its two authors and many other contributors. This can be a very useful blog for anyone trying to stay at the forefront of the complex and ever changing world of digital education It is also valuable for the wide variety of subject matter that it addresses; any teacher, no matter what discipline, can get something from this blog.
 * Rating -
 * Content - ★★★★✩
 * Speed - ★★★★★
 * Ease of read - ★★★★✩
 * Navigation - ★★★★✩
 * Timely - ★★★★★