Teaching with the Tools Kids Really Use : Learning with Web and Mobile Technologies

"The author empowers teachers to engage IT specialists or administrators in a discussion about the use of mobile technologies or Web 2.0 tools and to change the way we think about using technology with kids. This book gives readers lots of information (ammunition) to go out and make things happen with their cell phone, laptop, MP3 player, or digital camera!"
―April DeGennaro, Gifted Education Teacher
Fayette County Board of Education, Fayetteville, GA

A foundational guide for integrating mobile technologies into your classroom!

Writing for educators who want to use 21^st-century technologies to help deliver relevant classroom instruction, Susan Brooks-Young examines inexpensive hardware already used by many students, explores free Web 2.0 tools such as social networking sites and virtual worlds, and sheds light on both common objections and changing points of view about using mobile technologies for instructional support.

Emphasizing digital citizenship―the ethical use of technology―this invaluable resource identifies:

• Specific Web 2.0 tools for supporting collaboration and communication in K–12 settings
• Strategies for practical applications
• A decision-making model for selecting appropriate mobile technologies and Web 2.0 tools for classroom use
• Recommended books, Web sites, and online reports and articles for reference

Teaching With the Tools Kids Really Use gives educators a solid approach for capitalizing on readily available technologies and opens up rich teaching and learning opportunities for today′s classrooms!

Susan Brooks-Young has been involved in the field of instructional technology since 1979. She was one of the original technology users in the district where she taught and has continued to explore ways in which technology can be used to facilitate student learning. She has worked as computer mentor, technology trainer, and technology curriculum specialist.  Prior to establishing her own consulting firm, Susan was a teacher, site administrator, and technology specialist in a county office of education in a career that spanned more than 23 years. Since 1986, she has published articles and software reviews in a variety of education journals. She is also author of a number of books which focus on effective use of technology in schools. Susan works with educators internationally, focusing on practical technology-based strategies for personal productivity and effective technology implementation in classrooms. Two current areas of particular interest for Susan are mobile technology and BYOT programs.