I have to admit that when I started my Educational Technology and Design course through UNI, I thought I was going to be way in over my head. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at all of the information and tools that I have gained. We recently submitted an assignment using either the Kidspiration or Inspiration programs, and I love these. But then it got me thinking, with programs such as these, Power Point, Skype, i-pads, smart boards, and even newer technologies coming out all the time for teachers to use, I think we can all get lost in the technological realm that we forget all of the amazing things we can do with the basic connection to the Internet itself!
This is great for schools who cannot afford to get new technologies or who cannot get the grants needed to fund them, and it is a great resource across the board. Some of my favorite resources as a teacher include: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/ - which provides great ideas for lesson plans, thematic units, bulletin boards, printable worksheets, and more! I also like http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ - which provides tons of FREE printable worksheets, and http://free.ed.gov/ - just to name a few.
On top of providing great resources for teachers themselves, it also provides a way for teachers to connect to their students with social networking through places like Twitter and Facebook. Furthermore, this can provide another opportunity for students to keep track of what is going on in the classroom, what is due, and what is to come. But it can also be a way for parents to keep track as well.
Above all, the internet provides a way for teachers to be able to teach the technology generation in a way that fits them and their learning styles best. This in return has a better payoff for our children’s future?
Let's face it, reading, writing, and arithmetic cannot be taught the same way it once was, because our students are not learning the same way they once were. And as great as all of the new programs and technologies are that are helping shape our future, maybe the first place you should look for help is the good old fashioned Internet itself!
