Top+Ten+Teacher+Tools

=HTSD Top Ten Technology Tools =

==As technology use has taken off in Hampton over the past few years, these are the TOP TEN tools that are being used most frequently and most effectively in our classrooms. For additional resources, examples or help with any of these, check out the links to the left or contact me at halter@ht-sd.org and we can work together to implement any of these in your classroom. ==


 * 1) **Wikis-**-(www.wikispaces.com)By far the most popular tool in our district, wikis are easy to set up web sites that can provide a dynamic classroom resource. Some of the most popular uses for wikis are:
 * As a classroom website and resource
 * As an online discussion platform
 * For webquests
 * For student portfolios
 * For student individual and collaborative projects and presentations
 * To publish student work
 * 1) **Blogs** -- (www.wordpress.org or www.edublogs.com)Similar to a wiki, but a more personalized web space. Blogs can be used for:
 * Individual student writing reflection
 * Lab reports
 * Posting supplemental readings for discussion and response
 * Creative Perspective -- blog from a historical or fictional point of view
 * 1) **Animoto** -- (You and your students can create engaging slideshows that incorporate images, video, music and text
 * 2) **Glogster** -- Create digital, multimedia web posters that can incorporate graphics, text, images, video and sound clips
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Photostory** -- Create a slide show from still images--unlike Animoto, these can be narrated
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Moviemaker** -- Create video projects
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Webspiration** -- A web-based version of Inspiration, students can create and collaborate on graphic organizers, flow charts, etc.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Audacity** -- This is a recording software for creating podcasts such as dramatic readings, interviews, radio shows, etc.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Response Devices** -- Collect data from your students and give instant feedack using Turning point or Active response devices. A great formative assessment tool, these can be used for quizzes, games, stimulating discussion and group reporting.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Survey Tools** -- Google Docs and Survey Monkey are the most popular online survey tools. These have been used to give quizzes, evaluate student projects, collect student information with instant results. Collected classroom data can be analyzed holistically or individually to help drive instruction.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Top Three Tools Worth Exploring
===<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">These tools have been, for the most part, unexplored in our district, but are definitely worth the venture if you are looking for something new! Look for more information, workshops and examples on these and other new tools and resources throughout the school year. ===
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Prezi--a dramatic twist on boring powerpoints, Prezi is a presentation tool that will challenge students to look at and organize information from a unique perspective. For an example of a Prezi I have created and presented, click here.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Standards Aligned Systems-- A growing and useful resource from PDE, this site gives us an in depth look at state standards and provides a ton of resources to support them.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Google Custom Search--Create your own search engine that only pulls from websites you define.