Technology is everywhere and for most people it is an integral part of their daily life. Students are attached to their technology (phones, music players, computers, etc) to such a degree that it would seem unnatural for them to spend a day without having access to it.
It is important that we as educators make an effort to integrate technology into the classroom experience as much as possible because students have developed relationships with each other and grown to understand the world around them through the use of technology. They easily adapt to rapid change and expect to learn from the interactive experiences that can be provided by computers and cell phones. Teachers have an opportunity to enhance a student's learning experience through the use of technology. However, technology shouldn't be haphazardly included in a lesson. Instead, it is the teacher's job to identify how each type of technology can be used effectively to increase student learning not just entertain them.
Week One Tool:
A tool that I can see implementing in my math class is the livebinder website. Over the past year I have been thinking about I could have my students create a math portfolio containing pieces of evidence showing their growth as a math student over the course of the semester. Students would be able to easily organize the information by units of study using the binder tabs. They could load in videos, written assignments, and scanned pdf's of their work.
I think creating a portfolio is a great idea. It opens up a ton of possibilities that you referenced and will allow students to demonstrate competency in a variety of ways. It also allows access to all students to examples you might post and to materials that their classmates post.
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