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=Teaching with Technology=

A wide variety of tools are available on the Internet that can greatly enhance classroom instruction and student learning. Some of the main categories of tools are described here. More detailed lists of resources are provided on other pages within this wiki and subject specific resources are located in the subject area wikis. Enjoy learning about more ways to make learning more fun and meaningful.

All of the resources listed below are Web 2.0 applications. This means that they have some interactivity with the users. There is typically a sense of community and much of the content is centered around that particular group of users. This is different from a typical website that is largely static content prepared by a single person or group for public information.

Wikis
Wikis consist of dynamic content. There is a collaborative aspect as members of the wiki can add and modify content to further enhance the value of the wiki to everyone. We are using wikis as a jumping off point to access web-based resources. To learn more about how wikis work, check out these information videos on YouTube: Wikis in Plain English and Wikis in the Classroom.

Nings
A Ning network is even more of a community site than a wiki. Members will often post questions and answers or information on something interesting that they have recently found or learned. Several excellent Nings have been developed for the educational community. Check out Making Curriculum Pop and Classroom 2.0 (with hundreds of different specialized groups).

Blogs
Blogs have a built in feature called RSS feeds. This provides an update to users each time a blog is updated. Aimsites is an example of a blog. Visitors have the option to subscribe to receive the updates. These can be used as an easy way to communicate with students. If students subscribe to a teacher's blog, they would receive an update each time the teacher makes a change (for example, adds a homework assignment).