Tool # 9 Post

The whole idea of getting students engaged can be a challenge.  The question becomes how can we as teachers help ourselves help our students become excited about learning?  How can we work smarter and not work harder?  Technology is only the base for what can become something bigger than we or our students could have ever imagined - purposeful collaboration!
Learning to embed the technology tools into the objectives that are being taught is a good beginning.  Once teachers learn how to effectively use technology they can acquire student "Buy-In" by providing choices for accomplishing these objectives.
Having an iPod, iPad, or Netbooks Station can foster the learning that is going on in a classroom.  Envision having an App that allows the student to practice what is being learned in class until they can't get it wrong!  Students can brainstorm and collect information about a subject and then place what they have learned into a Google Doc, or onto Wall-Wisher.  The class can then organize their information, data, or thoughts and chunk this information into an interactive journal.  The possibilities are endless.
I explored the interactive activities on the Thinkfinity and PhET sites.  Both of these where easily organized by content for teachers and provided opportunities for students to practice what they have learned in class.