Glogster

I really enjoy Glogster! I think it's a great way to present information to the class. Students are easily able to create "about me" pages or describe a certain event, book, or experiment. It can be used in ANY subject. You can also post links, pictures, and unlimited information. I also think this is a great tool to post weekly updates in the classroom for parents to see. This keeps them involved and interested!

Wordle and Twitter

I really enjoyed Wordle! I don't necessarily think that it is an extremely helpful tool in the classroom, but I think it is a great way to put together a list of names, verbs, etc. As a teacher, this would be a fun way to put all the names of my student's in one document and have Wordle create a fun way to display them. I also like the idea of using Wordle to see if I have been using a word like "good" too much. Overall, it's a fun and creative tool!

I love Twitter! It is a great way to communicate with your friends what is going on in the world. I mainly like it because we are always kept up to date on new information. It is fun to follow celebrities, but it is also very beneficial to follow the news, UT, and health magazines to see the latest news. Twitter is a great tool to use in the professional world and academic world as we always want to communicate with our followers. Twitter is also a great tool to use in the classroom. As teachers, we can keep our students up to date with assignments, field trip information, etc.

WebQuests

WebQuests are a great tool to use in the classroom. At first I was a little confused as to how it could be used in the classroom, but it is basically a lesson plan given right to you. WebQuests divide up every aspect of the lesson plan (the before, during, and after parts). It also allows students to be hands-on with technology. There are also SO many options of lesson plans. Today I found multiple WebQuests on health, nutrition, and the environment. The one I chose to write about focuses on cleaning up the environment, as well as coming up with an idea as a group on an actual plan. It is a great way to get students out into nature and making a difference. These are all crucial lessons that are important in student development. They are all also lesson plans that are often overlooked. These WebQuests encourage students to collaborate in groups and think outside the box. They aren't just handed worksheets and told to "learn something." Students are being active in their education!