Alabama Virtual Library

The Alabama Virtual Library is a teaching tool that allows students and teachers to access valuable research material. It is an online database that contains thousands of newspapers, journals, and articles from magazines. Students and teachers can use the material for research papers, reports, or just everyday homework.
The Alabama Virtual Library can be accessed at your local or university library. Any Alabama residents may obtain an AVL code at their local library and access AVL from home.

Google Tools

Google is a great teaching tool for the classroom. There are many different resources to choose from that teachers can use in the class. Google documents, Gmail, presentation creator, spreadsheets, google maps, google earth, google scholar. Teachers can use igoogle as a home web page for students and parents to retrieve class information. The google tools are all useful to teachers and students a like one of the most appealing things about the tools are they are free to use.

Blogs as a teaching tool

I feel that a blog is a very useful tool for educators. Teachers can stay in constant communication not only with the students but their parents as well. Teachers can post homework, extra credit work, or information students need to complete assignments. Links to important websites can be posted. Links that help with homework or certain subjects can be posted. Educators can post links to video material that helps explain the assignment, students could see each step online.

Another benefit of blogs is that students writing seems to improve when they use them. They know that not only is the teacher going to view their writing but the entire class will read their blog. A Student might express their opinion more openly on their blog where as in class they may be too nervous

I think it is important to offer opportunities to use blogs because students excel when they are able to use technology in the classroom. We as educators need to offer ways for students to get out of the text book and associate with the outside world, make it relevant to them.

Growth mindset

I recently learned of "Growth mindset" and I think it is a powerful teaching tool. Growth mindset is were students are taught that their mind is a muscle and like every other muscle in the body it gets stronger with use. Students realize that they may not know every answer to every question but that it is a learning process, over time they will understand more. There are some students who have a fixed mindset and they believe that there knowledge is all ready predetermend, that if they do not know the answer they must be stupid. It is our job as educators to let these students know that learning is a life long process for everyone. We need to be postive role models and display that all students are smart and capable of learning.

Podcast as teaching tools.

Podcast are a wonderful teaching tool for educators to use in the classroom, audio and video podcast are available. I see podcast more beneficial to university, high school, and middle school students. Video podcast can be used by students taking a web-based course so they have visual examples of the lesson. Professors or teachers can assign students to download lectures from different universities.
Itunes U has every subject on every level of learning. Teachers could assign history lessons to be view on a video podcast or watch an example of a statical problem being solved for math class. There are video podcast for students learning another language or if taking an art class you can find examples on drawing different subjects, use of this tool is endless.
Although I do feel it is more beneficial to older students there is plenty of material for elementary school students. Teachers could assign students to download and watch mini field trips then write a report on what they learned. Students could listen to certain stories and write a book report. The material found on itunes U is free to use, as an educator I plan on taking advantage of this resouce.