Urls #1 and 1st article summary

Wordle.net
We used wordle as fun way to list and create a page of the characteristics we hope to have as teachers. It is a great tool for creativity. This would be a good site to use in a classroom to get the students to make something their own and show their creative side. This could be used for any subject or class; from art, to history, to English.

Toondoo.com
This is a great site to create cartoons and books and comics. There are also pre-made comics available for viewing. I could use this site with my class to make something or to do something fun. You can easily create a comic and then share it on a blog or elsewhere. Very easy.

Freetech4teachers.com
This is a blog site that provides new and innovative technology for teachers. It is created by a Google Certified teacher. This site is full of resources for all types of subjects and classes. The blog explains the technology, how to use it, and where it may be beneficial to use.



How To Bring Our Students Out Of The 20th Century
This article presents the image of what the classroom today looks like - and how it hasn't varied a whole lot since the 'olden days'. It is discussed that we need to find a balance of how much each subject and class is taught: core knowledge vs. portable skills. Our country is rapidly changing and the more it changes the faster it continues to change. There needs to be a greater emphasis on teaching kids to collaborate and solve problems in small groups and apply what they learn into the real world.

The Multitasking Generation
This article discusses and gives examples of how recent generations multitask more and more and what tasks they are doing. There have been many studies about the effectiveness of multitasking and is it actually possible. Our brains need a break from thinking and processing everything that comes through it. By constantly multitasking our brains may feel overloaded. It is not always efficient to be listening to music, chatting with a friend, the TV on and writing an essay for class.

Visualizing Technology
Having our students learn by doing hands on activities and projects where they get to build upon their knowledge is very beneficial to their learning and has shown to be a great method in preparing the students for big state exams.