Tool 9 - Tools for Learning

I can see why it would be very important to tie the use of the tools to the classroom's current learning objective. If that congruency doesn't exist, the time on the tools may become just busywork or supplemental play time. Furthermore, demands to get the students ready for their grade levels' standardized tests make us as teachers super aware that the students need to be engaged in meaningful learning at all times of the school day.

It is equally important to hold the students accountable for their time on the tools both to show mastery of the objective and to allow time for reflection.

I visited Study Ladder, ManipulaMath, TES and Thinkfinity. My favorite was Study Ladder's interactive math. I would have it as a station on the computer or active board. I would hold the student's accountable by having them complete sentence stems that I have started for them on the targeted content objectives.

For ipod apps, I tried out Basic Math, ClockMaster and Fraction Factory. ClockMaster was my favorite. and I think that I would hold the students accountable by having them list the analog times of the clock faces they read.