Tech+Tools

For the purpose of this class, "Tech Tools" are free resources available to educators for use in their classrooms, with their students. Throughout the course of the semester, TE 831 students will search for, use and report back on different tools. This is part of your participation grade and offers you opportunities to learn AND "play" (think Koehler and Mishra's work, connected to TPACK). This page is intended to be a wealth of practical information. In addition to posting tools and information, students should also read their peers' posts and try out as many tech tools as possible this semester (and beyond!). For some ideas, check out Mohamed Amin Embi's (2013) online book, //40 Must-Know Web 2.0 Edutools: A Quick Guide //
 * TE 831 Tech Tools **

**Directions:** For each week listed, every student must identify a tech tool they know of but haven't had a chance to use it much OR one they found by searching the web and/or talking with colleagues (in either case, for each of these tech tool posts __the tool a student chooses should be a NEW tool to the student__). They must also try it out before posting. As much as possible, it'd be nice to avoid duplication of tools but first and foremost, students should try a tool/program that they're interested in and one that will potentially benefit their students. For the second and third posts, students may choose a tool a peer reviewed in the first post and try it out for themselves, or students may try something new . In addition to posting the link to the resource, students must also write and post a 200-300 word abstract that explains 1.) what the resource is and its educational purpose(s)/applications; 2.) the web address; 3.) what grade(s)/content area(s) in which it might work best; and, 4.) what the student's experience(s) with the resource has been (i.e., pluses, minuses, specific applications, etc.).

**Due Dates:** Like other assignments in this course **all tech tool posts are due on Sundays **. Specific due dates are below. NOTE: When you read through your peers' tech tools pages, feel free to add additional comments/thoughts that you think might be helpful, if you have experience(s) with the tool listed. You will also be expected to "play" with some of your peers' tools each time a tech tool post is due. More information about this will be provided in the weekly lessons in which these are due.

**Example #1: ** **Web address:** [] **Student’s Name:** Ima Sample **Grade level(s):** K-University (it might work best for grades 6+, depending on resources and students’ skills) **Content area(s):** any content area that uses group work and/or student collaboration
 * What: **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Join.me (desktop sharing tool)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Abstract:** This resource is a free online desktop sharing program that allows multiple users to view one person’s desktop (there’s also a free iPad and Android app for join.me). According to the website, this product allows groups of people to review documents and/or projects, share ideas, and it allows for up to 250 viewers. Using join.me allows all users to have access to one computer screen without hovering over it or having to send multiple files back and forth via email. Teachers can also use it in real-time to share presentations with large groups of students and/or peers. For example, if students have access to laptops and/or tablets, they can work in-person or remotely in groups to create presentations, share ideas, as well as collaborate on group projects and products. Teachers can also use join.me to view a colleague’s desktop, either down the hall or around the world. Although join.me has a chat feature, some people opt to use join.me and skype simultaneously for visual and audio.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Personal Experience:** I’ve used this with students in real-time, face-to-face small groups when they created in-class presentations (i.e., one student edits but all students view their peer’s screen via their own device; while they watch the work, they contribute to the group’s work and final product(s)). I’ve also used this to view information from colleagues when a projector wasn’t available and I’ve used this in virtual small groups, when students collaborate online (in this instance, they used Skype to talk to one another and join.me to review course material and complete assignments). On a scale of 1-10 (10=high), I'd give this a 9.5.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**What:** Print What You Like (web tool) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Web address:** [|www.printwhatyoulike.com] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Student’s name:** Bailey Garwood (former TE 831 student) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Grade level(s):** 6 – 12 and/or all computer users (may be best for teacher use) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Content area(s):** All
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Example #2: **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Abstract:** I would assume that most people who have used a computer have printed something at one time or another. Because of today’s advertisements on websites, printing one small item can turn into a lot of printed pages because of all of the extras. Well, “Print What You Like” allows you to eliminate the advertising and/or any other things on the webpage you don't need/want! It allows you to keep or get rid of the pictures, advertisements, margins and extras that you do not care to print. It allows you to highlight individual sections and create much smaller printing jobs. As schools are trying to cut down on costs, including ink and paper, this tool is great for being greener as well as making pages of information easier to read. You can use this tool to create "cleaner" hard-copies or .pdfs of a page, too.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Personal Experience:** I do not have a lot of experience with this particular tool as it was recently suggested to me by a coworker. I tried it at school in a few times before this assignment but investigated the website quite a bit for this assignment. There is a tutorial on the main page and you can copy and paste any web address into the box the site gives you. This web tool really cuts down on those frustrating printing jobs where you end up wasting pages with just one line on them or having several extra pages with advertisements. The downfall to this website may be that it is a little slow and antivirus managers may pick it up as a potential threat, as mine did. However, in general, it seems that the benefits outweigh its shortcomings and I plan to use it for my own teaching and when I create handouts for my students and parents. [|Try Print What You Like!]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">TechTools Post 1 ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">Due by Sunday, May 26 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Click on the link above to visit the Tech Tools Post #1 Page. Remember to follow the directions for creating a new page and tagging it correctly.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">TechTools Post 2 ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">Due Sunday, June 16 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Click on the link above to visit the Tech Tools Post #2 Page. Remember to follow the directions for creating a new page and tagging it correctly.