Online tool explored

I thought this weeks blog assignments were really cool and could be very beneficial for any classroom. Wish I had more time to play around with them.

 Voice Thread- A great way to change up a typical video in class. I like how students/ teachers can comment in a variety of ways. Additionally, it's a user-friendly product.

Animoto- Awesome web tool! I don't often get blown away by an internet tool but this one made me say "WOW!" This tool is great because you can pick a theme, upload pictures and select music. This an extremely user-friendly tool, one that I would highly consider implementing into my classroom.

Wordle- This is a great tool to keep track of vocabulary words. I like how you can alter a number of the settings to make it look like the way you want. Another user- friendly tool

Microsoft Access

I will admit that I have never used Microsoft Access before this week. My original thoughts were that this software is going to be exactly like Excel. That was far from the truth, it's much much more! I found the software somewhat difficult to use, even after watching the tutorials and countless other videos on the software. At times I became very frustrated with the software and had to take a break and come back to it. With that being said, I found this weeks assignment very challenging. But that made it that much more gratifying when I completed it. 

I also see the upside in using Microsoft Access in a school setting. The software it self is very powerful and once mastered can make ones job easier. Microsoft Access allows for one to create a database to manage grades, student addresses and other information. Beyond using this software as an administrative tool, it is a great program to challenge ones self in something new. 

Web based tools

The EdTech teacher website provides hundreds if not thousands of way to incorporate technology into the classroom. The website is well laid out and is divided by topic, making it easy to navigate and to understand. I found several resources within the website very intriguing, leading me to investigate about them a little bit more.

Timetoast- We learned earlier how to create a timeline in Excel but this resource is great because they provide already made examples of timelines to use. The site is very simple to use and all you need is to create an account. Once registered, you can create a timeline, inserting text and pictures. This tool is essential to the classroom because it helps provide a visual aide in which students can be engaged by.

ePals- I like this resource because it brings out of the classroom without leaving the classroom. the ePals students can engage in learning bu creating real world, culturally- enriching  experiences. This resource helps by matching classrooms with other classrooms. For instance, a high school class studying Chinese can connect with a class studying English in China, or the classes can work on a another project together.

Scribble Maps- This resource is awesome! I always wondered how people altered maps while on the internet. This resource allows you to add text, draw shapes, and other countless abilities. Their website is easy to navigate and allows users the ultimate control in creating a custom map.

EdTech teacher provides so many valuable resources for educators to use, I love these types of websites because they allow teachers to find cool, active, engaging resources to make learning fun for all of our students. Rather searching around multiple websites, EdTech teacher brings it all to one spot, sure we have to explore the website a little to find something that works for you but that's half the fun :)