Photo courtesy of Flickr by Brad Flickinger

I love the feeling of a book in my hands but lets be real, just like everything else, technology is rapidly replacing printed books with ebooks. Technology today is growing at an unimaginably fast rate. While I may not be ready to abandon my traditional books, I can’t avoid the important role technology plays in society, especially in our classrooms.

In this review of “60 Tech Tools in 60 Minutes,” Brian Housand, Ph.D., will help bring your technology toolbox up to speed by categorizing and reviewing resources designed to promote creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and productivity in you and your G/T students. Dr. Housand has a doctorate of Philosophy and is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

Content resources are tech tools that empower your students to expand their minds. Every student should know how to use an actual dictionary and encyclopedia, but why stop there? Did you know that the Google Cultural Institute lets students browse entire museums online? Take your students on a walk down the mirrored hall in the Palace of Versailles using Google Street View technology.

Additional content resource tech tools include:

Wolfram Alfa – a calculation engine that’s more than just a calculator; it’s an equation solver.
Internet Archive – Archive.org’s Way Back Machine sends you back in time to see what various web sites looked like over the last few decades.
Google Books – Access to free books and thousands of magazines like Popular Science and Life Magazine.

Dr. Housand offers these and other great content resource tools that will elevate student learning from just hearing about something to actually experiencing it virtually.

Technology That’s a Tool for Creativity

Some complain that inundation of technology stifles creativity. But technology can actually be used to inspire creativity. Creative outlet tech tools can inspire teachers and students alike to take creativity to new levels:
Aurasma – A QR code scanner on steroids, this tool turns photos of almost anything into “auras” or creative digital videos.
DIY.org – “Get skills, be awesome.” That’s the motto of this do-it-yourself site that inspires students to try new types of projects.
Big Huge Labs – Students can create motivational (or humorous de-motivational) posters using their own photos.

Not Just What, but How:
The Foundation of Critical Thinking Skills

Our students have access to more information via the Internet than any other generation in history. But all the information in the world doesn’t do any good if there isn’t a foundation of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking tech tools teach searchers how to locate/find, comb through, and determine the value of the information needed. Tools like Wonderopolis.org, Power Searching with Google, and InstaGrok, develop critical thinking as they educate.

Other tech tool topics you’ll learn about in this course:

Teaching and Presenting – Tech tools that both teachers and students can use to take presentations to the next level.
Gaming and Programming – there is no better way to get student’s interest than giving them the chance to build their own video game. Here are some great tools to do just that.
The Top Ten – Dr. Housand finished up with his top 10 must-use tech tools for teachers.

Get this course today!
In this course Dr. Housand literally provides 60 tech tools for G/T teachers in less than 60 minutes. You don’t want to miss this fast-paced, info-packed course. Technology is here to stay; the sooner we embrace it, the better off our students will be.

Did you know that this course is mobile ready? That means you can complete this course on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any other mobile device!

Just click here to order, or call 915.532.9965 if you prefer to speak to someone.