Live Binders

I have recently come across a sharing site that I think is pretty neat. It is called Live Binders. On Live Binders you can create separate folders that can store whatever informaion that you want it too. Some people use it to share recipes or how to take care of specific flowers for example. I think this could really be applicable in a classroom. Teachers can upload safe websites that their students can use, classroom information, or they could post learning games to the website. There is a couple of examples of binders used in the classroom on the website, particularly for a math class. It has some good games on it that students may use to practice their math skills. The binder is actually a url so you can send it to anyone and they can open up the information where ever they are. I really like how each binder can be organized with tabs so you can see the other information stored in the binder easily.


The website for Live Binders is: http://livebinders.com/#

So check it out!! There is an informational video on how it works on the homepage.



Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarcord69/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Google Earth

I have recently downloaded Google Earth and found that it is ridiculously awesome. It is fun to look at places you go to everyday and places around the world that you have traveled to. What I think is really cool about Google Earth is how it could be used in the classroom. As a future social studies teacher it could be used for a lot of class lessons. If I decide to talk about, let's say the Netherlands, I can zoom in to see the different regions and rivers. I can also zoom into different cities that we may talk about in class. Another cool feature is the street view, where if you click on the button it will take you down to see pictures that have been taken of the area from the street. I think this is great because it allows the students to actually see what other places look like instead of just having them imagine it. Google Earth could also be used by science teachers as well because it allows you to go into outer space to see the constellations, the moon and the planet mars.


Check out this website:
http://earth.google.com/


Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missha/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Interactive Whiteboards

After talking to other students and watching a few videos on interactive whiteboards I have decided that every classroom should have one. I love how the teacher or student does not have to be constantly behind the computer if they are giving a presentation. With the interactive whiteboard teachers can move around the classroom and are able to use their hands just like a mouse. They can now create notes during class time, which hopefully teachers are allowing students to look at outside of class as well. The interactive white board is a great way to get students involved in the classroom. What kid today wouldn't want to use an interactive whiteboard. Kids use technology for everything else in their lives so why not get them excited about using more technology in the classroom.

I have heard that some teachers are not really being trained on how to use the interactive whiteboard which is a shame. I do believe that if schools do start buying more interactive white boards then they should properly train teachers on how to use them. They should at least provide a user manual because if they don't train people on how to use them then they will go to waste. There is a lot of potential to use the boards in the classroom and teachers need to know what they can actually do with it.


Some websites on interactive whiteboards:
http://rmtc.fsdb.k12.fl.us/tutorials/whiteboards.html
http://www.scholastic.com/interactivewhiteboards/

Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhall426/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

My thoughts on e readers

After first hearing about e readers I was really skeptical about them. I mean they aren't books that you can cuddle up with, nor do they smell or feel like a book. But then I got thinking. There is no way that I would say we should stop printing books but the e reader would be great for students to use. As a student myself, I know that I hate carrying six books with me at one time. It would be great if students were able to get their classroom textbooks on e readers so they no longer would have to carry such a heavy load. Also students who have extracurricular activities would be able to take the small e reader along with them on trips rather than lugging around large textbooks.


I think the coolest feature on the reader is the dictionary. I know that when I am reading a book I hate trying to find a dictionary when I do not know what a word means. I also tell myself that I'll look it up later but that usually doesn't happen. But with the e reader I can look up the word right then and there. I think it is great that you can change the size of the font as well. This feature will be great for times when people need to read a larger print.

Here's some e reader websites:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Original-Wireless-generation/dp/B000FI73MA

http://www.ereader.com/

Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceslava/ / CC BY-SA 2.0