Technologies I Cannot Live Without (So They Say--Whoever They Is...)

Today Google Reader showed me Edudemic's post, The 15 Education Technologies to Know About This Year.  Since it's now my job to keep in the know about these things, I decided to check it out.  There were some technologies that I'm currently aware of or using (Kidblog, StudyBlue, and Glogster) but there were also several other technologies that interested me.

Flashnotes

Flashnotes is a site that allows students to post the notes they take in class and get paid when other people use them!  How amazing is this??  I wish this had been around when I was a student, because I, quite frankly, was an amazing note taker.  Granted, this is not a useful program for my students in particular, but for students at the high school and college levels, this program could be really useful!

Another great technology is LiveBinders.  LiveBinders seems kind of like Diigo, but instead of simply tagging webpages, you can create entire binders dedicated to areas of your curriculum.  These binders can include webpages, videos, pdfs, and other technologies that you can then organize to your liking.  You can also share the binders, so it would be a great way to collaborate with other teachers in your building or district.  This program, like Flashnotes, does not seem like it will be used frequently in the elementary classroom, but if students are doing a large research project, it could come in handy. Click here to watch a video on the usefulness of LiveBinders.

I thought I'd share these technologies even though they might not be appropriate for your elementary classroom.  Despite that, they would be great as teacher tools, and if you visit the Edudemic website, you can see the other technologies that you cannot live without this year.

So Apparently Now I'm Blogging for Fun...About StudyBlue

After playing around with Google Reader, I started subscribing to a few RSS feeds that might be applicable to my field.  I started by typing in education and found a few interesting feeds, and then I moved to educational technology.  That's where I hit the jackpot.  Free Technology for Teachers is a frequently updated and highly useful site that shares technology that is great for classrooms of all types and levels.  It's where I discovered StudyBlue, a super handy site where you can make flash cards for FREE and use them on your phone or computer!

Screenshot of front of flashcard

One of the really cool aspects of StudyBlue is that often when you type in terms, other cards that have already been made are recommended to you, so you often don't even have to start from scratch.  The note cards can be accessed from phones or other computers, and the program can be accessed using a web browser, so it doesn't have to be downloaded (which is handy for elementary schools where you have to have administrative privileges to install anything on the computer).

Screenshot of back of flashcard

The notecards can also be printed as a review sheet and the program keeps track of which cards you get correct so you only end up practicing the ones you need to practice.  This program has the potential to make reviewing and practicing tons of fun, even in the elementary classroom!