Productivity+Tools

SO Productivity Tools. . . what are they? Well, they make you (the teacher) and/or your students more efficient and effective. Productivity can really encompass many of the tools we've talked about before. For instance, blogging may be a fast way for students to receive feedback on their work. A wiki may be a great way to get a collaborative document done quickly. Microsoft templates (which you reviewed in class on your blog) has many pre-made resources such as flash cards, blank graph paper, handwriting paper, and other tools for students to use.

So here are some general resources for Productivity Tools. Notice how they cover all the previous categories because again, anything that will allow students to get work done faster and more efficiently is a productivity tool. PLEASE, DO NOT SITE GENERAL WEBSITES WITHOUT A HIGHLY DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW IT WILL BE USED!!!! For example: Don't just write that the students will go to blogspot.com and write a blog. What will the blog be about? How will it address the needs/resources/standards in the case? Be specific and don't forget to provide a general description of the websites themselves.

**List of tools for personal productivity**

 * Word processing**: Microsoft Word, Google Documents, Notepad, OpenOffice, etc.
 * **Wikis** (for document creation/brainstorming): Wet paint, Wikispaces, PB Wiki
 * **Blogs** (allows for quick publication and feedback): Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, Edublog, Blogspot


 * Time Management:** Outlook, Google Calendar, Ta-Da-list, iPod To Do List, etc.
 * **Communication:** (vital to group work, so it may be a component of productivity): Drop.io, Jing, Illuminate, Skype


 * Spreadsheets**: Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheet, etc.


 * Organization:** Inspiration, Kidspiration, Cmap, Timeliner, ClassTools, OpenOffice Draw, Gliffy, Graphic Organizer, Smart Draw, etc.


 * Research:** Deli.cioi.us, Google Scholar, Google Notebook, ThinkQuest, my-ecoach, Poster4Teachers, EduBlogs, PortaPortal


 * Databases:** Aqua Data Studio, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, etc.


 * Multimedia Presentations:** PowerPoint, Google Presentation, SlideShare, PhotoShow, Animoto


 * Everything under the Sun**: Google and Zoho.com