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Blogs on Technology Integration

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Virtual Schools: A Method of Education That's Becoming More of a Reality

Diane Demee-BenoitMay 22, 2006

Tags Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

More than twenty states now have statewide online-education initiatives, primarily virtual high school courses. As more states see online classes as a way to provide access to curriculum, it's even more critical that we look closely at the quality of the various offerings.

A Pencil Is a Word Processor: Making the Case for Cell Phones in Class

Ron SmithMay 16, 2006

Tags Formative Assessment, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8)

Suppose I were to offer you a fantastic word processor, small, portable, battery free, readily available, capable of operating in any language, and easily used by people from ages one to one hundred. There is such a word processor. It is called a pencil.

Favorite Websites for Educators: So Many Sites, So Little Time

Mimi GilmanMay 2, 2006

Tags Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

The April 2006 issue of Edutopia magazine features a readers' survey. I just couldn't choose one favorite Web site for educators. I regularly visit more than forty sites, and I share them with my master's degree students. They find them helpful, and I hope you will as well! Yes, it's a smattering of odds and ends, and some with my personal notes:

Creating the Vision: You Need to Know the Trends

Patsy LanclosApril 28, 2006

Tags Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Before an innovation such as integrating technology into the curriculum can be successfully implemented, there must be a clear vision. This vision must be shared with all stakeholders. So, how do you go about creating that vision?

Get Busy in the Beehive: A Life-Skills Lifeline

Diane Demee-BenoitApril 24, 2006

Tags Integrated Studies, Project-Based Learning, , Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Here's a great Web-based resource most educators don't know about. Though this Web site is not specifically designed with the school audience in mind, I think you'll find it extremely valuable, and will be able to integrate it into a number of curricular areas. It's great for interdisciplinary, project-based learning.

The Power of Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: Telling Stories With Technology

Peggy BentonApril 21, 2006

Tags Literacy, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration

The first time I saw Ken Burns's documentary series The Civil War, I was captivated. He used old photos and personal letters to bring this part of our history to life and touch our hearts while we learned. Storytelling has been a form of communicating throughout the history of humanity and was a way to educate the younger generations.

Digital Camera: Inside the Classroom and Out

Jim MoultonApril 19, 2006

Tags Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Do you use a digital camera in your classroom? I bet you have access to one, either one that the school owns, or your own. And I don't mean using it for special events like field trips or culminating activities, but really for the day-to-day. You see, I believe digital imagery in the classroom is an underused tool, and that there are some really easy and effective ways to step it up!

The Best of Times: And They May Only Be Getting Better

Pat HarderApril 11, 2006

Tags Classroom Technology, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

The other day, I was trying to explain to my husband how this is both the worst of times and the best of times to be a teacher. Never before has society expected so much from public education.

Getting Over the Hump: Using Web-Based Resources Effectively

Jim MoultonMarch 31, 2006

Tags Classroom Technology, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

So, when I want to help a teacher or a school get over the hump and begin making effective use of Web-based resources, I look at what they are doing, at their curriculum, and then make some suggestions.

An Internet Field Trip: Exploring the Arctic by Dogsled

Diane Demee-BenoitMarch 16, 2006

Tags Integrated Studies, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

We're hearing a lot about the Arctic region these days. From proposals to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to alarming warnings from climate scientists that Arctic ice is melting, the far northern latitudes are capturing news headlines.