Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.

The educational world that we inhabit right now can often seem overwhelming.  Technology is such a large part of our students' world.  This video shows so well as that students set up tablets as easily as they might wash their hands or brush their teeth.  In addition to the rise in technology, more is being expected of teachers and schools.  Accountability is the law of the land and teachers need to work to get students motivated and taught or may find themselves out of a job.  However, the method of technological tools can be a help for teachers.

There are many tools out there for helping teachers to increase their productivity.  This article suggests a few including Rescuetime.  The focus here is on helping teachers do everything that they need to do more efficiently.  Another article focuses on tools that help teachers deliver content better in a technology rich environment.  Teachers can use tools such as Audioboom or Screenr.

"Tech" by Mitah Val Karem licensed under CC BY 2.0

As a future social studies educator, I can see myself using these productivity tools tools in my classroom.  As I began my master's program here at the University of Akron, I purchased a Chromebook.  Previously, I had spent double or triple the amount of money on laptops buying Dells or other comparable brands.  I wanted to try out the more economical Chromebooks and had to learn Google Documents and other Google solutions.  I have fallen in love with Google documents and could easily see using this in my classroom.  I love how easy collaboration is with the Google suite of products.  Users with the right link can get in the document and make immediate changes.  I would value being able to use this to answer questions collectively.  I love the idea of using a Google Slide as a Graffiti Wall where students could go in and write on top of a quote or a picture.  Then, the whole class could see the wall.  I also would like to start using Google Docs as a way to have students submit papers and then provide feedback.

"Graffiti" by Automatomato licensed under CC BY 2.0

I also plan to use technology as a way to keep students and parents aware of what is happening in our classroom.  I have already seen in my PLN several teachers who use their Twitter as a way of keeping families informed of what is happening in class.  I could see using the Twitter account I set up for this class as a way of sharing pictures and media of what is happening in class.  If I needed some help, I could use Remind 101  as a way to send text messages.  This would be especially helpful for reminding families about due dates of big projects and when big exams are happening.  Text messages are direct and a great way of sharing very important information.

I can also see using a tool such as Poll Daddy both for formative assessment in the classroom as well as a productivity tool.  This is a great way to give students a practice quiz in preparation for an exam as well as a way to let students share their thoughts.  Both of these are great formative assessment practices.  As a productivity tool, it can be used to gather thoughts of parents on everything ranging from a date of a potential field trip to attitudes around class discipline to parents' perceptions of the classroom.

Overall, these methods can help control the madness.