Week 7

Top Ten Tech Tools I Can't Live Without:

1. Glogster

2. Animoto

3. Twitter

4. Concept maps

5. Wikis

6. Virtual fieldtrip app

7. Webquests

8. Digital storytelling

9. Voicethread

10. Blabberize (my favorite)

Week 6

There are several good apps that could be implemented in the social studies classroom. I like the app which allows you to take your class on virtual fieldtrips. Proration has placed limitations on what teachers can do for their students. This app allows you to bring the fieldtrip to the students. The app still gives students the ability to travel to other countries and learn about different cultures. The stock market simulation game is also a good app. This app allows students to participate in a virtual stock market and it teaches them about economic principles. World book is another good mobile app. This app provides a this day in history calendar to show students when important historical events took place. It also provides other media such as photos, illustrations, music, and speeches for students to hear. Digital storytelling is a process where students can use images and audio to tell the stories of lives, events, or eras in history.

Week 5

I believe it is important to be a good digital citizen because if not, you are putting your reputation on the line. If you are trying to publish information on the web for others to use, you want that information to be creditable so people will be willing to use it and provide your information to others. The last thing you want is for people to determine that you have plagiarized or provided false information. If this happens, then people will always question information you put out there and your credibility will always be in question. You also need to be sure when using others information, that you cite their work. You do not want to take credit for someone else's work. This will not only get you into a lot of trouble but will also destroy your reputation. In order to be a good steward of digital citizenship, you must know and be willing to follow the rules. 

Week 4

Desktop publishing generators would be something I could see myself using in my classroom. I like the idea of my students being able to generate their own flyers and posters, brochures, newsletters and magazines, and books and booklets. Benefits of allowing them to publish their own work would increase their self-esteem and raise their interest in writing.  Web design software, which offers web-based lessons, gives teachers the ability to create instructional activities that students can do on the web. Webquest  is a good example of this type of software. Students' motivation is increased when they realize their work will be "on the web". Rubistar is another material generator that allows the teacher to publish rubrics for different types of activities. I have used rubistar to create rubrics for grading power point presentations as well as poster project and found it easy to implement.