Favorite Technology Tool that you share with teachers?

[Obe Hostetter]

What is your favorite technology tool(s) you train teachers on and why? I would be interested in learning what websites, hardware, software you love and how you are training teachers on that tool.

[pirategirl]

Voice Thread. Because it's collaborative, social, interactive.

[Melissa Rollosson]

A favorite? How many can I list?? There are several hardware tools I promote with teachers:
TurningPoint - turns PowerPoint into an interactive assessment tool. We can attach the SOLs to each question slide to aid in differentiated instruction. Since it works within PowerPoint, there isn't really another program they must learn.
Interwrite SchoolPad - teachers can wirelessly control their laptop from anywhere in the classroom. Annotation tools let teachers mark any document, web page, etc. Teachers can also create activity pages for students and then pass the SchoolPad around the classroom.
As far as website are concerned, I like Slideshare - teachers can upload their presentations to the web so students and teachers can access them at home. I also like Scribd since teachers can upload documents that can then be viewed on the Internet, regardless of the file format. Another tool I share with teachers is Zamzar - who wouldn't like free online file conversion?
I could go on and on, but I'll stop here.

[Tabitha Long]

Melissa,

Russell County Public Schools has taken all of the VA Released SOL tests and put them into the Turning Point format. We use Moodle, so if you go to our Moodle home page: http://moodle.russell.k12.va.us and then click on the ITRT Department category, you will see a page named "PowerPoint Released SOL Questions Grade 3-11". You can login as a guest. You will need to first "Save" the presentation so that it will open inside of PowerPoint rather than your web browser.

[Kay Lera]

I think I will further explore EduDiigo and then share it with teachers...http://edudiigo.wikispaces.com/aboutdiigo
Check it out. It is Delicious on steroids!!!
*highlight specific sections of your bookmarked material
*make student groups (which exclude the general public
*create discussions
*allows students to collaborate when researching
...and more -I am a newbie with the educational version.

Some school systems experience filtering issues. On Feb 24, 2009 we are told that Edudiigo is coming out with and edudiigo URL .

Karla Karr from Botetourt County presented this well at VSTE.

[Annah Bowen]

All of the Smart products we use seem to be the best attention grabber for teachers and students as well. Smartboard Version 10--especially the Interactive Toolkit, has become an overnight hit. They love the Senteo remotes and the Airliner Slates too.
Most of the teachers, principals, and admins use Skype. It has become an everyday tool for us and has even been used (Video feature) for homebound students.
Websites--wow--so many. for upper grades: www.visuwords.com
For making quick slideshows with a twist: www.animoto.com
and for everyone, pk-12 and even foreign lang. www.flashcardmachine.com
Most teachers also have their own portaportal for specific subject areas, but pagekeeper is great too.

[John Jaques]

I have been using Skype to connect classrooms via web cam. We have a connection in India, very exciting way to connect.