Short, Fast, and Easy

Short, Fast, and Easy...Anyone who knows me knows I am not describing myself. My name is Erica Hartman and I am a 6th grade Language Arts teacher. Like many other Sparta Middle School teachers, I am trying to make it all work in a one computer classroom this year.
Angela said it perfectly in her previous post when she wrote: "The bottom line is this: Times, they are a changin' and if we, as teachers, don't keep up, we will certainly be kept out."
This scares me because as a teacher, we need to be in the loop and this continuous loop that is Web 2.o technology is moving fast. Our priority is to be able to reach and connect with our students. Well, what if you are trying to stay one step ahead of your tech savvy students but find it frustrating to implement your Web 2.0 ideas in your classroom?
Here are four web tools you can use. They are short, fast, easy, and free. You will feel like you are teaching in a 21st century classroom. Your students will think you are tech savvy. All you need is one working computer in your classroom. A Smartboard is a plus, but not a necessity for all of them. I'd be interested to know what you would do with these tools in your classroom.
Voicethread Example
Animoto
Exploretree
Classtools

Sometimes it is hard to remember that technology is only one way or gimmick we can use to connect with the digital natives that are our students. Watch this YouTube video and you'll forget about your technology frustrations. In fact, you might be inspired to give a good ol' lecture today.

What would you tell your students today if this were the last day you would ever teach?