Moodle to me is a great tool. It works as a great central location to post assignments, readings, important links, etc. Using this in the classroom would be a great spot to have students check in and provide them with all of the needed materials. It allows the teacher to monitor what students have and haven't checked in and could also be used to allow parents to view what is going on in the classroom.
VoiceThread is another great resource to be used in the classroom. I feel that with the rise of technology we have increased our typing, emails, and other written communication but have decreased our use of oral communication. VoiceThread allows for us to go back in time and actually verbally express our thoughts. I love it! I think it is a great tool for students as well. Many students struggle writing out their thoughts, but can easily talk about them. I also like how it allows you to post images and other documents. It is also flexible in that not everyone has to be on at the same time and instead can simply leave a message via video, audio, or text. I feel like I have just explored the surface of VoiceThread and there are many more features I haven't even discovered. I look forward to using this more.
I love Google Docs! I use them personally, professionally, and with school assignments. I really see things like this taking over and leaving programs like Microsoft Office in the dust. Anyway, I find Google Docs to be truly brilliant. I love being able to share the document instead of sending it as an attachment, and I love the new features like commenting and seeing who is currently accessing it. I think this would be a valuable tool in the classroom. Having students add their thoughts, make their own additions, and create something together. I love the many features with making spreadsheets, surveys, and other options. With a little creativity, google docs can really be an excellent tool to be used in the classroom.
Erin, that's a great point about VoiceThread - that it may help students tap in to the "lost art" of a longer-form, spoken response. I would go a step further and say it might help some students to formulate verbal responses without the pressure of the whole class staring at them while they're trying to speak it! You could use notes while you post a verbal response on VoiceThread, and really think about what it is you want to say, so it would be a good option to get shy students participating in the dialogue.
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