Technology+Resources

Leslie's Technology Resources:

There are so many technology resources available, and I am lucky to have access to the following at my school:

SMART board air slate Webcams laptop computers digital cameras Flip Cameras e-games classroom and student blogs alpha smarts and more...

On a daily basis I use the SMART board to engage my students and teach various lessons. Students are constantly using our classroom laptop computers, we have currently have 4. The other resources listed above are always available and I either have used them a few times, or have not yet tried them. I am going to describe two specific pieces of technology that supports 21st century skills.

First: SMART Board, or interactive white board

The newest edition to my classroom this year is my SMART board, or interactive white board. I would describe an interactive white board as a giant touch-screen computer. At first glance it looks just like a regular white board. The difference is you hook the board up to your computer and a projector that flashes the image onto the screen. You can do anything you would on your computer up on the screen using your finger, special pens, or other approved devices. The software I use for most of my lesson comes from a program called, SMART Notebook. Through the use of this program students can participate in learning activities, manipulate things on the screen, get on the internet, and much more.

To begin using this specific technology, you would need a SMART board mounted on a classroom wall, your laptop, a projector, and the SMART program loaded on your computer. While I am talking specifically about SMART technologies, I am sure the same steps can be taken with any interactive whiteboard. Once the program is loaded you can begin creating activities, lessons, and more to use during classroom instruction. You can also get on the SMART website where there are hundreds of pre-made lessons available for free download. You can even search by your state's standards for aligned lessons. It's great! Each day all you need to do is hook up your computer to the board and turn everything on. The projector should always be plugged into the board if possible.

Second: Blogs-class and student

This year I started something new for myself, I started a classroom blog. There are many websites that offer blogs, but I chose to go with edublogs.org. This type of blog allows me to do a few different things. I have my classroom blog where I use both posts and pages. Pages are more like links on a website, they stay the same for longer periods of time. I have different pages for various information that I always want to be available to my students and their parents. When I want to anything else, I add a new post. I try to post a new update a few times a week. The post can include classroom instructional information, share pictures or videos, and more. Students, parents, and other viewers can leave their comments after all posts. This type of blog also allows me to be able to set up individual blogs for all my students. So on my classroom blog, there are links to each individual's blog too.

To set up an edublog, you go to edublogs.org. They are 3 different options of blogs. I chose the second one that is most popular for classroom teachers. It costs $3.00/month--not bad at all. The website provides step-by-step instructions on how to do posts, pages, set-up student blogs, change the format, etc. It is very user friendly.

Amber's Technology Resources:

I, too, am very lucky to have access to wonderful resources within my school and accessible through my school district.

At my school I have access to:

Promethean Board (in each classroom) Activ Votes Two sets of 22 netbooks 7 Classroom Desktop Computers Digital Cameras Web Cams Activ Slates OnCourse Planner

Having so many resources to choose from makes it difficult to pick what to use each day. I have immediate access to my Promethean Board each day, as well as digital cameras. I rely on my Promethean Board to provide interactive instruction to my students each day. My kids love getting to use the board, also. We play educational games together. I also download "flip charts" from Promethean Planet and create my own charts to use with my classroom. These are aligned with the lessons being taught each day.

The Promethean "ActivBoard" allows me to engage my students in interactive learning each and ever day. In our school, we have ActiVotes, response devices, to use along with our ActivBoards. I love this resource! ActiVotes can serve as both a formative and summative means of assessment. I find myself using them for all types of activites.

ActiVotes come in a set 32. Our school shares sets of these but are working to provide each classroom with their own set. The ActiVotes have an ActivHub that allows for their use. Once the ActiVotes have been set up on the teacher's computer, then the teacher can pass out the "clickers" to the students. Once a question or discussion idea is presented, the students can then respond using letters A-F from their ActiVote. The information is then sent through to the teacher's computer. This provides the teacher with immediate results and allows for reteaching right then and there, rather than waiting until the next day, after papers have been graded, to reteach something that some students may have missed.

Maya's Technology Resources: I have a variety of resources available within my classroom and school. Although I have many to choose from, the communication devices are used the most for my students with autism who are nonverbal. The technology resources that we used in our classroom consists of

SMARTBOARD Big Mack Chep Talker Labtop Cart LCD Projector Desktop Computers IntelliKeys Web Cam SymmWriter

The SMARTBOARD and communication devices are a asset to my classroom. I include interactive activities and games within my lessons everyday. My students always enjoy interacting with the SMARTBOARD and being able to use their gross motor skills helps them as well.

The IntelliKeys is a device that connects to the computer and takes the place of the keyboard when powered on. The device has different sizes of the letters and numbers in the same format as a keyboard. This allows students to use the keyboard and type better since the letters and numbers are bigger and are spaced apart more. Students really enjoy using the IntelliKeys and become excited once they have completed their typed assignments.

The BigMack is a communication device for nonverbal students and/or for students who has limited speech. The teacher can record a word or short phase and the student may push down on the device with the picture that relates to the word or phase and the recorded word or phase will play. This device is used in all lessons and activities if needed. The BigMack is vital to my classroom since some of my students are nonverbal, I depend on this device in order to help communicate along with picture cues.

The Cheap Talker is another technology resources that is used to help students communicate. This device is also can record a word and/or phase. There are pictures that goes along the device, once the pictures are put in place on the appropriate recorded word/phase then students may use to communicate while lesson is going on.

These technology resources are really important and is a part of my instruction everyday. I depend on many of these resources since my students has autism I am constantly adapting the materials to fit their needs.

*I'm not as lucky to have all of the wonderful technological resources that are available, however I am lucky to have:
 * Brittani's Technology Resources **

Promethean Board LCD Projector Desktop Computers
 * __Classroom __**

__**School **__ Video Camera Digital Camera

**Promethean Board**: A "Promethean board" or "Activboard is a component of the Promethean Activclassroom which is simply a revolutionary way to create a dynamic environment which allows students to actively participate in their learning. In my classroom I use my promethean board daily during lessons by using it for interactive writing, interactive games, videos, etc. **LCD:** Used with the Promethean Board.


 * Desktop Computers: **In my kindergarten classroom, most of my students have never come in contact with any type of computer, so I use my computers to introduce the students to that type of technology. I use it for independent practice and reinforcement on all subjects. They are also used in conjunction with the promethean board.


 * Video Camera/ ****Digital Camera: **Tools that can be borrowed from the media center for observation purposes or to capture highlights within lessons/activities.

Although they are few in number these are key resources that I use on a daily basis to ensure I provide adequate instruction for my students. Since technology is beyond popular, it's only right that I intorduce and use it in order for the students to know how to utilize it.