"The Paperless Classroom"

Classroom websites are an amazing way to keep your students, parents, and others connected to what you are doing in the classroom.  But what if your website was the hub for all that you teach and plan to present?  What if it takes the place of your filing cabinet and allows you to store and post all of your lesson plans and activity sheets with the click of a button?  Mark Barnes discusses the "Paperless Classroom" in this linked video.  From podcasts to message boards he covers a plethora of web 2.0 tools and how to embed them into your class website to enhance student learning and digitally organize all of your teaching tools.  I was amazed by all of the wonderful information and resources he shares in this video.  You have to check this out!
My goal is to try and work to organize my classroom in a similar digital fashion.  It will take a great deal of time and energy in the start, but will greatly pay off in the long run.  I think everyone will eventually be driven to this type of organization, especially with so many virtual classrooms coming into view.

Check out/Subscribe to Mark Barnes' Blog page

Are you a teacher in Indiana and need technology support for your classroom? Ask Erica

I am supporting the Ball State Teacher's College in the role of a virtual GA and online technology savvy teacher to provide support for the needs of teachers and teacher-educators.
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Check out the iStudio website for more info

Glogster! What an Amazing Webtool

Web tools and multimedia are great ways to engage students and create final product presentations.  I love the capabilities that Glogster offers for this.  While looking through the sites' project library I had so many wonderful ideas of how to use this in my teaching and then as a project presentation option for my students.  The MLK example gave me ideas of how it would be a great way for students  to do literature circle cumulative presentations or share their knowledge on biographies they've read.  Teachers could use glogster to introduce topics and get their kids excited about what they are going to learn.  I love the fact that you can embed video, graphics, etc. all into one interactive poster.  If you haven't seen this you have to check it out!

Erica's Favorite Literacy Tech Sites

 

A big way to get even your most reluctant readers excited about diving into that next book is through ebook resources and websites that promote reading. Walk your students through these sites and how to access books and they'll be reading in no time.  iPads are a great way for students to access these books anywhere in the room and not be tied to a desktop computer. 

http://www.biguniverse.com/

Read and write books online/digital resource library

http://www.bookwink.com/

video book talks for kids

http://www.tumblebooks.com

ebooks for kids

www.storylineonline.net

celebrities reading books

www.speakaboos.com

another celebrity book reading site 

Get students reading/finding books that interest them by watching "bookcasts"

http://www.readinginaction.org/