Technology

**Technology Tools & Keyboarding**

 * Cool Tech Tools**

[|Portrait Illustration Maker] - create your own avatar [|10 Great Photosharing Services] - good information and comparisons [|Webspiration] - "Think visually. Work Collaboratively. Anywhere. Anytime." Site stores your work. [|Show Yourself] - Combine your online profiles into one widget [|Word Clock] - could make a cool screen saver [|100 Helpful Tools for Every Kind of Learner] [|Tag Crowd] - Create your own tag cloud from any text to visualize word frequency. [|Wordl] - Another tag cloud creator that allows you to change fonts, layouts, and color schemes. [|Tagxedo] - like Wordle, but a step farther as text can be used to build cool images [|xtranormal] - text to movies, fun! [|School Clip Art] - Lots of copyright free images [|Free School Clipart] - copyright free clip art and animations [|PPPST] - scroll down for lots of free images [|Me and My Movie] - online filmmaking community where you can learn how to make your own films, etc. [|TypoGenerator] - enters text and then click "generate" to see it change into a graphical design...fun! [|Foldplay] - Make your own kaleidocycles, moving paper sculptures that turn in an endless cycle [|Down for Everyone or Just Me] - Wondering why a site doesn't work? Just paste the url into this site to find out if it is just you or everyone. [|artPad] - Express yourself! Nice drawing tool.

Cool Image Tools

 * Keyboarding**

Here are the relevant Common Core standards for keyboarding from [|Ask the Tech Teacher]:
 * Keyboarding is addressed tangentially–saying students must be able to type *** pages in a single sitting (see [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.6] for example. The ‘pages in a single sitting’ starts in 4th grade and continues through 6th where it’s increased to three–see [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6])
 * By 3rd grade, Common Core also discusses the **use** of keyboarding to **produce** work, i.e., [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6] which specifically mentions //‘use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills)’//
 * The keyboarding requirement that is giving teachers across the continent heartburn is that **keyboarding will be required to take Common Core Standards assessments**.

[|Online typing course by Good Typing]Register for free using email address to access the good stuff [|Dance Mat Typing]12 levels of typing practice from BBC Schools [|Free Typing Games]Let us know which ones you like! [|Keyboarding Practice]More Keyboarding Practice [|Keyboarding] More Keyboarding [|Typing tutorials, exercises, tests, and games] - many great links for keyboarding practice and reinforcement [|Learn Touch Typing Free] - learn and improve your speed, savable results! Highly recommend! [|Common Core and Keyboarding] - Blog post explaining 2 types of keyboarding: formal and real world. Also, shares ad free sites. [|Typing Club] - Recommended. SMMA uses this site for assessments

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 * Internet Safety**