Skype

Skype is a useful tool especially for teachers, but can be useful to the entire classroom. When people Skype it is basically a phone call but you can see the person/people you are talking to. Teachers can share ideas to each other by using skype. I have used skype a little and from what I have used, it is pretty neat. You can also view live feeds of things by using skype. It is nice to put a face with a voice or a blog. Students can learn so much from others using skype. They can learn about different cultures and different countries. This is a great way for students to broaden their horizons. This is a neat video that visually explains how skype is used.

TimeToast Timeline

Timetoast is an online program where you can make your own timeline. This is great for a history class. Students can make their own timelines. It is very user friendly. All you do is type in a date and name the event and it will put it in a nice little timeline that can be viewable. Below is and example of one of the timelines. The History of Computers

Blogging

Blogging is important to students these days, especially in an english. Students these days do not simply just writing papers. We as teachers have to trick them into writing. Students love to blog about anything. This helps them with their grammar, sentence structure, ect. Students can comment on other students and can correct them or give them some advice. This can also develop a knowledge and respect for different cultures. Bloggers can comment on any blog around the world. Students including I love when someone comments on my blog, especially if they do not even know them and if they are from another country. If you are reading this you probably enkoy blogging so I don't have to tell you that blogging is important in schools.

Google Earth

Google Earth is a tool that can be used in any class. This is a program that shows the earth in 3D and basically has no boundaries. It can go under the ocean, zoom up to buildings, ect. In a History class this would be very useful to not only describe a place of a historic event but to show them. In a science class a teacher could show the students habitats for certain animals. It can even be used in math classes to measure distance, find the surface area of something, and to teach geometry. Here is a link to 50 ideas for google earth in the classroom

Google Docs

Google Docs is another useful program I learned about. This allows you to make powerpoints and do surveys. The benefit of using google for a powerpoint is that it can be viewed from any computer with internet access. This is just like Microsoft powerpoint, but free. I have already used google presentations in other classes at south alabama. It is very user friendly. In the classroom you can use google presentation for a lecture and you can assign a presentation to students and they will not have to bring in a flash drive or email it to you. All they have to do is pull it up on google using the teacher's computer. The survey can be used to ask students questions about maybe a review of the class. you could even give test on it because the answers they choose are put into a spreadsheet. Below are some presentations and surveys. Here is a link to a video DR. Strange made to show us how to use Google Docs

Podcast and Videocast

In this class I learned how to make a podcast and a videocast. I thought they were going to very difficult, but they are rather easy. Podcast and videocast can be used in today's classroom. Students can listen to or watch a lecture that they missed due to an absent. The teacher now does not have to reteach it to that student, but can simply review it and go over any questions. I used a program garage band to make my podcast, but this is only available on a mac. For non mac users there is a free program called audacity. It is so easy. Below is a video that teaches you how to use audacity and a videocast I did talking about EDM 310