Week 7 - Top Ten Tech Tools I Cannot Live Without!

Really? I have to list only ten? Tough job, but I think I can do it. Here we go:

10. ipod - I love my iPod for personal use of course, but it also comes in so handy for different classes I teach. I can download white noise (my students especially love thunderstorm and crashing waves) for when my students are reading or testing, as these keep the room from being too quiet and stuffy. I can also download tracks to play in my Humanities class, exposing students to music that accompanies the history-based lessons I teach.

9. LCD Projector - Ok, I know this one isn't new or novel, but I don't know how I could manage if I had to go back to the days of the old-school overhead projector and transparencies. I use my projection system to give my students notes, show them artwork, play video clips, and to demonstrate how to use different websites and software programs.

8. Mobile phone - I love the convenience of being able to text parents with information about upcoming assignments, etc., and it is nice for them to be able to contact me without my having to interrupt class time. I also love the abundance of apps that seem to come out on a daily basis that help me do my thing in the classroom.

7. Prezi - I love this software because kids love it so much. My students have been "PowerPoint-ed" to death, and have grown so bored with it, which is why they come alive when they watch me demonstrate prezi. They love being able to make their presentations uber-personal and they really love flipping the screen orientation around the way only prezi can do it. Plus, with the online program, there are no file saving compatibility issues to worry about.

6. LiveBinders - I love being organized, but I am low on physical space, so I love the LiveBinders approach to keeping myself organized. Plus, it is a great tool to share with my students!

5. Symbaloo - Speaking of organization... I really, really love Symbaloo because it allows me to organize sites I use most and classify them according to how I need them or what I plan to do with them. Additionally, I can save sheets on symbaloo to share with people who have common interests or who teach the same subject area. Love it!

4. Facebook - What can I say? I love that I can stay so connected with so many different groups of people. I can send out messages to my students, communicate with parents, and stay in touch with friends, all while keeping abreast of the major events in the lives of those around me.

3. iNow - I am sure most of you Alabama teachers are familiar with this web-based gradebook software. I didn't care for it too much at first, but I am used to it now, and I enjoy being able to access my gradebook from home. I also love that my students are growing more accountable for their progress by checking their grades and staying on top of their progress.

2. Microsoft Office - Again, nothing new, but I don't know of a single day that goes by at work that I don't use Word or Excel to make handouts, publish flyers, organize data, etc. Without this software, my productivity would be reduced by about 700%!!!

1. Kindle - I love, love, love e-readers, especially my Kindle paperwhite. Not only does it facilitate great reading, but it enables me to cart a library with me anywhere I go, which is great for pulling up books for sharing quotes with students or supporting ideas from our literature textbook. I also love the increase I see in student reading since e-readers came along. Students read more when they are allowed to use their electronic readers, and I love anything that encourages my kids to read!