| Here are some technology things that you could | | | | - Make hand-outs and homework assignments |
| do with your students. Not everything may be | | | | accessible on a classroom website. |
| feasible (i.e. cost factors) or appropriate (i.e. | | | | - Use a secure website as a communication tool |
| security or privacy issues): | | | | for marks for both parents and students. |
| - some of the things we're already doing, | | | | - Introduce your students to HTML and web |
| - some of the things we're thinking of doing, and, | | | | design. |
| - some of the things are simply wishful thinking, | | | | Making Money Online |
| but great ideas have to start somewhere... | | | | - Introduce students to the business of making |
| How do you integrate technology into the | | | | money online. |
| curriculum? Do you have any ideas to add to the | | | | - Explore advertising online - how it works. |
| list? | | | | - Fund raise by selling stuff on e-bay. |
| Class Set of Laptops | | | | GPS and Mapping Technology |
| - Get a company to donate a class set of laptops | | | | - Geo-cache with your students. |
| when they upgrade their equipment. (The | | | | - Use GPS technology or mapping software (i.e. |
| company can receive a charitable donation | | | | Google Earth) in math class to construct larger |
| tax-credit.) | | | | geometric shapes. (i.e. construct a circle that has a |
| - Set up a wi-fi hotspot in your classroom so that | | | | radius of 5 city blocks.) |
| students can blog online during independent reading | | | | - Apply GPS technology or mapping software in |
| and writing workshops. | | | | Geography. |
| - Purchase digital copies of textbooks to have a | | | | The Internet as a Global Village / Community |
| paperless classroom. Use text-reading software | | | | - Find a class to pen-pal with and correspond using |
| (i.e. Kurzweil) to highlight and take notes in the | | | | blogs, email, or IRC chat rooms. |
| textbook. | | | | - Use a wiki for students to synthesize and |
| Non-Traditional Reading and Writing | | | | evaluate knowledge gained in a content-subject |
| - Teach students the differences between formal, | | | | like History or Geography. They can track how |
| informal, and colloquial language and explore text | | | | their understanding of concepts grow. |
| messaging, chat rooms, and msn-speak as forms | | | | Demonstrate how our understanding of a |
| of colloquial language. | | | | subject-specific topic evolves over time (i.e. a |
| - Evaluate the evolving nature of language and | | | | dynamic and digital KWL chart) |
| develop word-attack skills by examining how | | | | - Publish student work in English and in their first |
| words get accepted into everyday language (or | | | | language online so that relatives overseas can |
| the dictionary). For example, Google is now a | | | | celebrate in their success. |
| commonly used noun and verb. | | | | Technology as a Teaching Tool |
| - Use text-reading software (i.e. Kurzweil) to allow | | | | - Use a data-projector in class to do modeled and |
| students to access difficult texts. | | | | shared readings. |
| Blogging | | | | - Use a data-projector in class to do shared |
| - Have students set up personal blogs as a | | | | writing: the modern equivalent of flip-chart paper |
| medium to publish their writing portfolios. | | | | - Use dynamic geometry software (i.e. |
| - Explore how Google is a popularity contest. | | | | Geometer's Sketchpad) to explore math |
| Publish work in an e-zine article directory to | | | | concepts. |
| understand how to build inbound links. Post | | | | Music and Technology |
| comments on other blogs to build inbound links. | | | | - Buy songs (i.e. itunes) and allow students to DJ |
| - Explore copyright issues. Publish work in a blog | | | | their own school dances. |
| or an e-zine article directory will inevitably end up | | | | - Critically examine popular music to determine |
| with your work scraped onto another blog | | | | whether mainstream music is appropriate at a |
| without proper attribution. Explore how that feels | | | | school dance (i.e. Soulja Boy - Crank that) |
| and the ethics of using other people's content | | | | - Create your own pod-casts. Students can use |
| without consent. | | | | free sound-editing software (i.e. audacity) to mix |
| Computer Safety | | | | in free sound effects (i.e. ljudo.com) with their |
| - Discuss cyber-bullying: ways to protect yourself, | | | | digital recordings of their voices. |
| how to respond when it happens, and how to | | | | Class Projects |
| avoid accidentally cyber-bullying when blogging. | | | | - Send an object around the world and invite |
| - Explore computer safety: password strength, | | | | people who find the object to leave a message |
| viruses, trojans, phishing, etc. | | | | online in the classroom blog. |
| - Learn about online dangers and ways to protect | | | | - Explore the video making process: scripts, |
| yourself. | | | | recording, editing, post-production |
| Classroom Website | | | | - Explore youtube as a medium to publish content. |