Top 10 Tech Tools I Can't Live Without

Now that my class about educational technology is coming to an end, I have several technological tools in my teaching toolbox. I've been exposed to many different tools, and here's my top 10 favorite tools that I truly can't live without.

1.  Mobile Apps- My iPhone is so much more than a phone. It's my alarm clock, my iPod, my calendar... AND it has apps that I use with my tutoring students. My tutoring students LOVE to "play" the games on my phone, and I LOVE that they are practicing skills in an engaging way. 
2. SMARTBoard- How did people teach Reading and Math without a SMARTBoard? Students can see the large text, which is great for choral reading activities. Students can use virtual manipulatives to help solve math problems, and everyone can see what they are doing. 
3. Blabberize.com- I LOVE Blabbers. Blabbers are engaging and can reinforce concepts in a more interesting way than just a simple review of material from another day in class. I can create Blabbers. Students can create Blabbers. The possibilities are endless! 
4. Diigo- This online bookmarking tools is fabulous because I can bookmark something at home and access it at school the next day. Also, bookmarks can be shared, which allows everybody in a grade level or subject area to share what they have found. 
5. Blogs- I don't blog usually (this class has been the exception), but I enjoy reading what other teachers have posted on their blogs. It's always good to get new ideas from other areas of the country. Sometimes, all it takes is one new idea to spark a great lesson. 
6. TeacherTube/SchoolTube/YouTube- These online video sites provide wonderful resources for educational videos. Just be sure that when you find the perfect video to reinforce your lesson that it is allowed by your school's server. 
7. Mrnussbaum.com- Mr.Nussbaum's website is chock full of educational games for many subjects and grade levels. Mr. Nussbaum also has mobile apps available!
8. Classtools.net- The timer from this website is something that I use daily in the classroom. Some students need to know that they have a certain amount of time to complete an assignment, and this timer helps them pace themselves. This timer plays music and has a box that gets filled in as time progresses so that students can see that time is halfway up. 
9. Google- From the search engine to Gmail to Blogger, I use tools developed by Google everyday. "Google it" has become a common term in our vocabularies. If we don't know something, we "Google it".  I use Gmail as my email service, and of course, I access my email from my computer and my iPhone. 
10. Animoto- Animoto videos are so simple to create. Animoto allows users to create engaging videos. Teachers can create videos to use in conjunction with lessons, or students can create videos as another form of assessment.