Exciting Software for Science Educators

I recently downloaded Google Earth to my computer and believe that it will be a fun resource for my future classroom. The software allows you to explore different constellations and galaxy's. You can also create "road trips" and navigate around the earth from thousands of miles away to hundreds of feet away. This software is fun to explore and I believe that students will really enjoy this hands on approach to exploring science.

How can we incorporate technology into the classroom while teaching concepts such as photosynthesis with limited computer resources?

We posted this question in Classroom 2.0 last week looking for feedback from educators as opposed to trying to find resources on our own. Classroom 2.0 is a website for educators to communicate and share ideas. While the majority of questions posted had responses, ours did not. After comparing our question to others we came to the conclusion that our post was to specific. If we had phrased the question "How do we integrate technology into teaching photosynthesis?" we would have received some feedback. We asked the initial question with the addition of "limited technology resources" because in the majority of classrooms k-12 we will not have access to machines capable of analyzing specific output from plants and experiments. After looking at other posts placed by students in ED331 and the feedback they received, classroom 2.0 looks to be a wonderful resource for us as future educators.

Copyright

When reviewing several of the copyright links provided on RamCT this information was consistent throughout all of the websites I viewed in regards to copyright and the WWW-
Follow the guidelines for published (print) sources, make sure that downloads are legal or attain permission, cite all sources and provide as much information necessary to relocate the original resource. The other piece of information on the sites that I viewed was that if it is found on the WWW it is published, and copyright needs to be taken into consideration.

AECT

In comparing AECT, or the Association for Educational Communications and Technology with the previous website ISTE, I found several things that were unique to this website. AECT offers information on upcoming conferences and events. They also have a "job center" with the option to post a resume. There are links for people looking to volunteer or participate in an internship on the website as well. I did not like the fact that you need to become a member to have access to most of the website. Member fees ranged from $50-$400. I found more available information on the ISTE website without having to purchase a membership.

ISTE

I recently visited the ISTE or International Society for Technology in Education website. There were many resources available for teachers including professional development, online courses for continuing education and many publications to help teachers develop stronger curriculum. Some general lesson plans are also available on this website.