Rasmussen College has a great article on 100 applications useful for educators. Maybe you’ll find your next indispensable app on their list?

100 Apps for Tech–Savvy Teachers

Presented 1/20&21 at the Ohio Free-Tech Conference in Cincinnati

Presentation:

Handout:

http://tech.savvyteachers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Moodle_Outline.pdf

Resources

Moodle Benefits

http://www.smartschools.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools/BenefitsMoodle.htm

About Moodle

http://docs.moodle.org/en/About_Moodle

Moodle Philosophy

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Moodle/Philosophy

Review of HS use of Moodle

http://aiken.moodlerooms.com/wb/pages/academics/moodle/moodle-at-aiken-high-school–introduction/moodle-at-aiken-high-school–images.php

Getting Started

http://docs.moodle.org/en/Getting_started_for_teachers

Blackboard vs. Moodle

http://www.humboldt.edu/~jdv1/moodle/all.htm

Hot potatoes – Create Interactive Activities

http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

Wikipedia’s Moodle Article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

Demo Course – Features

http://demo.moodle.net/course/view.php?id=5

2 Minute Moodles – Videos

http://tomazlasic.net/moodle/moodle-tutorials-2-minute-moodles/

Moodle Documentation

http://treadwell.cce.cornell.edu/moodle_doc/

Over the next few posts, we’ll be investigating if Google Apps is a good fit for your school. In a 3 part series we’ll be answering the following questions:

• Google Apps – what will we gain?
• Google Apps – what will we need to give?
• Google Apps – is it worth it?

In case you’re not familiar with Google Apps, Google offers many of their most popular services, such as gmail, calendar and docs to be “hosted” under your domain name, with additional controls over users. Many large companies and universities have taken advantage of the program.

Here’s some excellent information about using twitter to improve your classroom.

Do you use twitter to improve your teaching? How do you find great twittering teachers to follow?

Bit Literacy Cover

Bit Literacy is an excellent book that explores how we can be masters of out technology, instead of the other way around. Do you know anyone who sits at the computer hitting send and receive constantly waiting for an email? This book goes over a lot of common sense tips and techniques on how to set up systems to get the most out of the flood of information. From email to backups this book covers the essentials without focusing on any soon-to-be outdated technology. It’s a classic on technology use if there ever was one.

Continue reading ‘Bit Literacy – A must read for anyone using technology.’

This is a great video on a general overview of how a teacher can use technology to revolutionalize how students access and interact with information. Instead of a text book, students are expected to create their own text book, and interact with the creators of the writers of the various blogs and sites that make up the body of information they create.

Perhaps you’ll see a lot of things that you are already doing in your classroom in this video. Hopefully this video will inspire you to take technology in your classroom to the next level. Instead of adding a little technology in, let the technology completely change the way you “do class”. It’s not about requiring students to create a powerpoint every now and then, it’s about introducing them to a global, constantly changing body of knowledge that hopefully, they’ll utilize for the rest of thier lives.

Twitter4teachers is a great place for you to find other “twittering” teachers in your area. Join the conversation!

photo credit: Foraggio Fotographic

It’s essential that teachers keep constantly up to date, especially in the area of technology. Exciting new tools are created daily, and teachers must stay on top of technology if they wish to remain relevant in the classroom.

Here’s 7 great blogs that every teacher should be reading.

1. So you want to teach?
   While this site is written by a band director, it offers advice that are important to all teachers, including information on classroom management and personal development.
2. Infinite Thinking Machine
   A very interesting blog full of great ideas of using technology in your classroom. From the about page: “The Infinite Thinking Machine (ITM) is designed to help teachers and students thrive in the 21st century. Through an active blog, an Internet TV show, and other media resources, the ITM shares a “bazillion practical ideas” for turning the infinite universe of information into knowledge.”
3. ELearn Magazine
   A magazine site with a blog full of articles on online education. As you integrate a site into your traditional classroom, this site will help you follow best practices that will help you be a success online.
4. Edutopia
   This is a top-notch site filled with info. The stories on specific teacher’s experiences are always inspirational.
5. e-Literate
   All about online learning. Another solid site for teachers looking to take their students online for their courses.
6. The Tech Savvy Educator
   With a name like that it has to be good! While I hadn’t discovered it until after setting up this blog, The Tech Savvy Educator is a frequently updated site full of practical ways to integrate technology.
7. darcynorman.net
   Focuses often on secondary education, but full of great ideas, including wide spread use of blogging on a campus. The information is good, but after reading the blog for a while you’ll enjoy the personal tone and the inside look at technology integration at the secondary level.

While I’m sure I’ve missed some essential blogs, these are just a few that I enjoy reading. Have a blog you think was missed? Post it (with the url) in the comments!

photo credit: Extra Ketchup

• Typer Shark
• Typing of the Ghosts
• Cup Stacking
• Alphattack
• TuxTyping
• Learn2Type
• TyperShark
• Bubbles
• Baracuda
• Arachnid Falls
• Spacebar Invaders
• Outerspace Fleet Commander
• The Frogs are Off Their Diet

Math Class Starters
Online Stopwatch
Scientific Method Lab
Promethean Planet (World’s Largest Interactive Whiteboard Community)
Classroom Game Show Templates
Smart board has many activities that work great with the mimio also.
A Large list of interactive site resources organized by subject.

Found a great site or resource for your smart board or mimio? Share it here! Leave a comment with the url.