Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

FutureLearn for Schools offers a large variety of free online courses presented by leading universities for students aged 13 and older in a variety of topics. Choose a category to begin browsing topics offered. Content includes history, creative arts and media, literature, and much more. Watch a short video to learn specifics about the course offerings and objectives. This site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): advertising (24), business (47), computers (106), creative writing (122), cultures (132), dental health (15), environment (240), financial literacy (92), gifted (65), literature (217), photography (130), politics (112), professional development (393), psychology (67)

The goal of Learn Engineering is to present "tough engineering concepts" in a logical and simple way. Click Blog to choose from one of the main fields of engineering on the top menu- automobile, mechanical, electrictronics, aerospace, and others to begin. Subcategories within each section answer questions using labeled images and detailed image explanations. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): careers (139), engineering (119), STEM (262)

The Television Archive News Search Service is a comprehensive resource for finding news video clips from the United States and Great Britain. Scroll through to view clips by most popular or sort by title, date, archived, or creator. Use the search bar to search by keywords for specific information. Choose any clip, and then choose any minute from the filmstrip to view clips.

tag(s): d day (9), journalism (72), news (229), world war 2 (149)

MasterMath offers a large variety of resources for middle school mathematics, including videos, worksheets, and quizzes. Choose from 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade math, or Algebra 1 divided into quarters. Click on any lesson description correlated to FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) standards to view all resources offered for that standard. If your district blocks YouTube, you are given an Archive link that should play the video.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (169), decimals (84), equations (119), fractions (159), functions (52), integers (22)

Track learning in real-time with Quizalize. Student answers are color-coded on the teacher dashboard for ease in identifying who needs more help. Create scrambled word or multiple choice questions, and each question can have a custom timer. View reports for each student's progress and learning gaps. Create a quiz or select one from Quizalize's growing library. Quizzes can be "gamified" by showing the teacher dashboard as a leaderboard to see progress against other users. Quizalize works on any device with a browser and Internet connection. Sign up with an email and password. Create a quiz, assign it to classes, get a code, give it to students, and let the fun begin! The free account provides 3 classes and 5 activities.

tag(s): differentiation (84), game based learning (171), gamification (74), polls and surveys (46), quizzes (90)

Create simple and easy stories using ABCya's Story Maker. Without registering, draw a picture using the many drawing tools provided. Type the story, and add pages for a longer story. Once finished, print in PDF format. This tool is so easy Pre-K students can use it. Since all pictures are hand drawn your older artists will love it, too.
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tag(s): digital storytelling (141), drawing (59), writing (315)

Support learning of numbers and operations with these four activities requiring nothing more than pencil and paper. These game-like activities offer practice in mental computation, column addition, combinations of 10, and multiples of 10. Be sure to check out the Math Game Tips offering excellent advice for all math activities.

tag(s): addition (128), base ten (5), game based learning (171), mental math (18), multiples (15)

Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from teachers and parents. Create a class blog in your Seesaw for students to write blog posts. Teachers create an account with email and then start creating as many classes as needed. There is no limit on the number of students a class can have. Once students have parental permission, give students a "join" code for their class, and they sign up from there, choosing to access their account through a Seesaw generated QR code or their email. Teachers can enable or disable student likes, comments, and editing. Blog posts and comments must have teacher approval before becoming public. Students will be able to reflect on their work with a voice recording or text, and can share artifacts from their portfolio by clicking the red button at the bottom of the screen and then either print or get the item QR code. Once you have an account, click Help & Teacher Resources to find Getting Started Tips, Tutorial Videos, FAQs, and Activity Ideas grouped by grade level. If your district blocks YouTube, the tutorials may not be viewable. Please be aware that Seesaw falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Seesaw with their child.

tag(s): blogs (66), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), digital storytelling (141), Learning Management Systems (22), portfolios (22), Teacher Utilities (146)