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 From email to backups this book covers the essentials without focusing on any soon-to-be outdated technology.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.

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.

Schools can defitely use donations in the technology department. However, schools are not places to dump your “tech-junk”. Wired has a great guide on what to donate.

Technology and Your Local School: What to Donate and What NOT to Donate | Geekdad from Wired.com.

Edutopia has a great article on how many teachers are finding ways to use web2.0 sites that are often blocked in the classroom. This goes along well with our recent article on how to bring youtube videos to class dispite filters.