Edsurge, Educlipper, Edshelf, Edutopia, Edudemic, and Graphite were also listed as go-to resources for learning about new educational technology. Most teachers prefer to use relatively simple software when doing innovative learning with their students. In order tod o these things, however, a teacher will need to be provided with the right tools like computers and other software to support their professional development. The web 2.0 tools are no longer optional, so teachers must be current with new technologies.
An interesting web 2.0 tool that I found was polldaddy. Their mission is to create surveys and polls that match your brand, budget, and vision. It is a free website that I believe would be beneficial to both the students and teachers. Teachers can use it with other faculty and staff to choose different programs and teaching methods. If everyone votes they could eliminate any problems with changes to curriculum amongst teachers.
I believe this would also be a great tool to use in the classroom with students. For instance, I could give my students a chance to vote on whether they wanted a multiple choice or short answer quiz. I think the students would really appreciate that they have such an influence on their assignments. I think they would also make better grades if they had polls that rated their understanding of the material. Conclusively, polldaddy can be used in so many ways that I believe will greatly benefit the student and teacher.

After starting the concept map assignment, I realized I had no idea on how to make one. I tried to create a bunch of text boxes but I could not figure out how to link them all to the main theme, World War I. I finally figured out how to complete it with an insert concept box. It was so much easier, it created a new box with each bullet. If I were to use this, I would most likely have my students create their own for better studying habits.

• SS.912.S.2.12 - Compare and contrast ideas about citizenship and cultural participation from the past with those of the present community. http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewStandard/Preview/8473
• Electronic reference software – I would tell my students that this is the only source they are able to use. They would be restricted to doing research based on peer reviewed articles online.

I believe the internet is an awesome tool when it comes to student research.
There was once a time in history when one could know all of the knowledge in the world. Today, because of the internet and modern technologies that is simply not possible. If used in the right way, the internet holds all knowledge known to man. While it could be fairly easy to receive inaccurate information, if a student is given the right tools the internet can be their best source. The internet is, I think, the best tool, and also the worst.

I have used the internet quite frequently in college as well as grade school. I have also had to use technology for work, by checking my schedule via the online associate website. My methods are fairly simple, and usually easy. Sometimes I do have to do research as well as use online sources for information when doing papers. 

The web hunt assignment was fairly easy, but that could be  because I completed it so late in the course. I feel that I had all of the necessary knowledge to find mostly everything without going to the second google page. The dated Lincoln photo was kind of hard to find, but once I searched the election, I knew a picture would be found. Here are a couple of Web Hunt Questions: 1.) Find a free website that allows you to make quizzes. 2.) Find a photo of MLK that is dated.

I think this was my favorite assignment thus far.  I really like how you can make games and how complex a power point could actually be. If I do become an educator I would definitely use this assignment as backup for creating a jeopardy or quiz like game for my future students. The only thing that would change is that I as the teacher would be making the power point activity.

If I become a teacher, I would teach history at the high school level. Tests, focus groups, and observation will most likely be my only data collection tools. My test will be achievement test that measure how well a student knows the material being presented. Focus groups are great because it gives the teacher and student a chance to better understand where they stand. Lastly, There will of course be observation. A teacher can better understand whether a student is feeling confident in a certain subject simply by observing.
I found my classmates blogs to be quite interesting and varying in many different ways. I especially found the topics talked about in the book intriguing, since I was winging it. Cloud Computing is pretty cool, something I've never really heard of, so the fact one of my classmates mentioning that, pretty outstanding. Also I really enjoyed reading people's opinion on the digital divide. I honestly think I might be on the divide side, not because of limited access but because I'm a little older.
This may not be a new technology skill, but it is a great tool to have for probably any job as well as in school. I would love to learn how to correctly type. I never learned how to place my fingers, or type without looking at the keyboard. I feel that it would be exceptionally beneficial when working on assignments. It would also save a lot of time.
There are many ways that can help me become better at typing. I can practice with taking notes in class. I can also do online tutorials. I can also write all of my papers then read as I type. Other goals related with teaching include becoming more handy than my students when it comes to handling technology. I always want to have the upper hand on new innovative technologies, so there are no surprises.

The flipped classroom is an idea that first came about four years ago. “The core is to flip the common instructional approach: With teacher-created videos and interactive lessons, instruction that used to occur in class is now accessed at home, in advance of class. Class becomes the place to work through problems, advance concepts, and engage in collaborative learning. Most importantly, all aspects of instruction can be rethought to best maximize the scarcest learning resource, time.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_BqyVD2HFg

I chose SchoolRack for my interesting web resource.  SchoolRack is a free application for teachers to create classroom web sites. Using these class portals, teachers can interact with students and parents, post, collect, and grade assignments, communicate via mailing lists and private discussion boards, and send private messages to students. It is a free site that can be used by all.

I think it can be a great source that is used for professional development. It is an internet source, so it would be quite inexpensive for all teachers to actively use the site. I think it would especially benefit students because it can be used to give technological and educational skills. Teachers can use it to communicate with parents, students, and other teachers. Students can use it to interact with other students and teachers.
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

This week’s assignment was rather simple. I honestly knew how to do everything that was required except for the Jing thing. I knew nothing about Jing until I went to the website. You can use Jing for many things, including recording, to simply taking a screenshot. It’s a pretty coo tool that I can see using in a high school setting. Although I could not figure out how to record myself, all in all, I liked this assignment because it was simple.

I think virtual classrooms are a great technological advancement. I believe giving the student a day in a virtual classroom would relieve some stress, and give the student time to catch up on homework after they have viewed the online lecture and/or assignment. This is the most beneficial to me because the student is still actively engaged, yet the learning is independent.
"Biometrics is the technology used to recognize humans based on specific physical or behavioral traits. In the future, this technology will help intelligent software completely understand the physical and emotional state of children learning in the classroom."(Grantham) I think this is a really cool idea. I also think the students would have better control over their emotions in order to have pleasant results. I also think this would greatly help the teacher in understanding her students emotions. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-future-education-technologies-nick-grantham
I believe I am on the "digital" side of the divide. I have had access to just about every type of technology that has been released since almost birth. In my future classroom I honestly don't think too many students will be technologically illiterate. Technology is such a big part of life today in America (and in other parts of the world), it is almost impossible not to be exposed. If I did experience any problems I would simply give a class lesson on how to use whatever technology being used in the current lesson.

http://sdp14b.weebly.com/

My PowerPoint would consist of six different slides to represent each different level. The first slide would be a general overview of the current unit. The second would be definition or any explanation to justify the information presented to the students. The third would be some sort of source list or other reputable list. The fourth would relate the unit to "real" life situations. The fifth slide would be an in class assignment. The sixth and final slide would be a something to help the students remember all they learned in the lesson.
Adaptive technology is essential for some students. They are extremely helpful to those with certain disabilities. There are many different types of adaptive technologies: from hearing aids to prosthetic limbs. I have known people with hearing aids and prosthetic legs. Having those things helped them live as normally as they could. The only challenge I think would arise is curiosity from other students.
This week's assignment was actually not that challenging, but very time consuming. I had issues with the first three website makers, so the final had to work! While I will admit, my site is all over the place, I think I did a pretty good job being that this is my first site. The only thing I had problems with were adding certain elements to the site that you wanted. I honestly couldn't figure it out, but I made it work.