Tool # 9

This is the fun part - using and integrating the technology...

Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective? Content drives the technology not the other way around. You select the technology to best fit what you are trying to teach to your students. Having multiple choice for what to use makes it work!

Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers? Students need to be responsible...if not...they become careless. In the library...its usually not the students that leave things messed up..except for the cables..they are usually very careful to leave notes on cameras they return. They have learned that they need to respect student work saved on various machines as well.

Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations? This does not really apply to the library..however I have created a wiki for the teachers at RCE with interactive websites that can support their classroom curriculum. PBS has some great things as well KHAN Academey and Wolfram alpha. New sites come up everyday...but you have to check things out. Some of the sites have tracking devices...another way is to have students keep a written journal (online of course) that lets you know where they are.

List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations? Just like the computer stations, students need to be able to communicate what they have learned. A checklist will help keep things in check. Two new ones I found deal with graphics that the students can import into other projects. Creative graphics and forreal

What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station. I have given each teacher an ipod touch with a rockstar. We have downloaded audio books and books from the gutenburg project. This gives teachers a listening/reading stations. The ipads/itouches can also be used for "on demand" research ...whatever whenever...We need to continue to look for uses for these pieces of equipment...i think we have only touched the tip of the iceburg!