Michael+Denslow

I am Michael and this is my Wikispace page, not to be confused with my Myspace, LiveText, Blogspot, or FaceBook pages. On this page I intend to collect my thoughts on the importance of using technology to the advantage of all students.

It is my belief that technology should be the educator's greatest ally. The internet, when used properly, is an extremely valuable resource. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this technology is not always used to its full potential. Occasionally there are financial reasons for this. But often wealthy school districts with full access to assistive technology fail to use it.


 * LINKS**


 * Websites for Teachers**

[|teAchnology]: This site provides free resources for teachers. Among these resources are 28,000 lesson plans, 6,700 printable worksheets, and an assortment of games, downloads, and webquests. It also includes a huge list of links and site reviews. All the information is arranged and categorized in easy to read formats, making site navigation simple.

[|4Teachers]: This website is dedicated to helping teachers integrate technology into the classroom. It also has a wide range of links to sites dealing with technology.

[|IntelliTools] : IntelliTools is a company that provides technology to help struggling students. It provides resources for children on IEPs, with limited English, or with any other difficulties. All products are research-based and teach a wide range of subjects.

[|Tucows] : This site offers thousands of free software downloads for educational programs. Some of the layout on the site is a bit chaotic, and it is pretty ad-heavy, but there is a lot of good stuff here.

[|TeachStrong]: This site serves as a community for teachers looking to make better use of technology in the classroom. It allows teacher and other educators to communicate with each other and learn from each other's knowledge and experience.


 * Websites for Students**

[|FunBrain:] This site has all kinds of fun games for students in a wide range of categories.

[|HowStuffWorks]: This is a great site for kids to gain all sorts of useful knowledge on a wide variety of topics. What if there were no gravity? Can water go bad? The answers are all here!

[|Math.com]: Math.com is an instructional site that helps students with mathematics-related subjects.


 * Websites for Community**

[|The Kanye West Foundation]: The Chicago rapper has started this foundation to earn money for a program called Loop Dreams, which aims to keep at risk students in school by promoting music production and classes based on hip hop culture. In addition to the inherent positivity associated with true hip hop culture, this is a way of making school more relevant for struggling children.

The following products can benefit students who struggle with math... Electronic Math Worksheets MathPad MathTalk Talking Calculators The Trigonometry Explorer Access to Math Mathpert Algebra Assistant
 * AT PRODUCTS**

[|"NCD's Report: What are the AT Implications"]: This article is a few years old but is still relevant. It focuses on a study conducted by the National Council on Disability that found all fifty states to be out of compliance with IDEA standards. This article discusses the impacts that the study has on assistive technology. [|"Assistive Technology Helps All Kids Learn"]: This is an //Education World// article. It serves as a sufficient overview of what assistive technology is, why it is important, and how it is funded.
 * AT ARTICLES**

I plan to continue my professional development by making every effort to stay abreast of changes in the field of technology. I can do this by frequently checking websites dedicated to assistive technology and by subscribing to journals on the subject.

Wikispaces is a potentially valuable resource for teachers. It is an opportunity to network and share ideas with other educators. It can be a support group for teachers who wish to utilize technology to its full potential.