TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of May 8, 2016

Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive

 

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Wattpad - Allen Lau & Ivan Yuen

Grades
10 to 12
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Wattpad is storytelling redefined through an online story sharing community. Become part of the story experience by sharing your thoughts and comments as you read. Create your account...more
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Wattpad is storytelling redefined through an online story sharing community. Become part of the story experience by sharing your thoughts and comments as you read. Create your account to find recommended stories and view most shared by other Wattpad users. Choose a story and add it to your library to easily begin reading where you left off on any device. Add comments at the bottom of each page, or view comments left by other users. If you feel creative, add your own stories and enter writing contests offered in several different categories. Note: some material is labeled mature and should be monitored before sharing with students.

tag(s): creative writing (122), DAT device agnostic tool (143), ebooks (38), independent reading (85)

In the Classroom

Share Wattpad with students as a resource for free, online reading material. Caution is necessary with this site because it is completely open to the public. Be aware of what your district's restrictions are regarding this kind of activity. Depending on your circumstances and school district policies, this site might best be used under a teacher login. You can put models up on your interactive whiteboard for students to respond to either individually or as a class. You might have reactions to some of the stories or have students write their own critiques of the spotlighted work before sharing what others on the site have posted. Using Wattpad in class might also encourage students to seek out writing on their own and may encourage them to bring in their writing for their classmate's comments. This site might also be a good venue for students who work together on a high school literary magazine or for high school gifted students seeking writing mentors outside of the school community (with parent permission, of course).

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Sejda - Sejda

Grades
K to 12
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Sejda is a tool for working with PDF documents without having to register for an account. Use Sejda to split, rotate, merge, convert PDF files to Microsoft Word format, and ...more
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Sejda is a tool for working with PDF documents without having to register for an account. Use Sejda to split, rotate, merge, convert PDF files to Microsoft Word format, and more. Select the task you desire, upload your PDF document, and follow directions. When complete, download the new document with changes. Documents delete automatically from Sejda's servers after three hours.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): conversions (36), worksheets (70)

In the Classroom

Use this site to work with PDF files in many ways. If you need just a page or two from a large PDF file, perhaps a worksheet to send home to an absentee student, easily extract it to send. Combine class projects received as individual PDFs to create a complete class book by merging all files. Combine several lessons into one whole unit by merging files. Make combined PDFs available as downloads from your class web page so students "get it all together." Teachers at all grades can use this tool, and older students may find it handy for their own use.

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Quizlet Live - Quizlet

Grades
3 to 12
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Quizlet Live is a classroom quiz game for groups created by the makers of Quizlet, reviewed here. Follow directions to create and share a quiz set...more
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Quizlet Live is a classroom quiz game for groups created by the makers of Quizlet, reviewed here. Follow directions to create and share a quiz set and assign to student teams. At least six students are needed to create and play a Quizlet Live game. When students receive the code and log in, they find other team members and begin competing. Accuracy is encouraged over speed, providing a wrong answer will send teams back to start from the beginning of the quiz.

tag(s): collaboration (85), DAT device agnostic tool (143), game based learning (171), quizzes (90), spelling (95), vocabulary (235), word study (58)

In the Classroom

Use Quizlet Live to introduce new topics or content, or as a review before testing. Quizlet Live would be an excellent tool for the start of the year to help students get to know each other, or use throughout the year to have students work with different students in cooperative learning activities.

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MoocNote - MoocNote.com

Grades
6 to 12
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Add comments, links, and questions to online videos with MoocNote. Create a free account, then import any YouTube video or playlist by pasting the URL. Other options include adding...more
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Add comments, links, and questions to online videos with MoocNote. Create a free account, then import any YouTube video or playlist by pasting the URL. Other options include adding videos from DropBox or Google Drive. Return to unfinished videos from where you left off. Notes link back to the appropriate spot in the video and collect in one central spot for easy viewing. Options on the site allow you to create groups to share videos and adjust privacy settings.

tag(s): note taking (34), organizational skills (90), video (256)

In the Classroom

Be sure to view the User manual link at the bottom of the page for directions about how to use MoocNote. Share YouTube playlists with students using MoocNotes, add questions or additional information for student viewing. Only registered users can access your videos so that each student will need his own account. Another option is to set up a single teacher account and have all the students use the class login to avoid safety concerns. They could add their own information by including their code-name on notes. This tool would be perfect for adding student accountability to the flipped or blended classroom!

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GooseChase edu - Andrew Cross

Grades
3 to 12
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Organize and run a scavenger hunt with GooseChase! Sign up for an account to begin creating games. Add your own missions to games or use missions available on the site. ...more
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Organize and run a scavenger hunt with GooseChase! Sign up for an account to begin creating games. Add your own missions to games or use missions available on the site. Determine point values for completion and optional links or images to provide additional information. Choose to allow participants to submit validation of completion through photos or videos that you can see in real-time. Once your game is set up (using any computer or device with Internet access), invite participants to begin play through a mobile device. Download the free apps for any mobile device through the Google Play Store or iTunes. GooseChase now has free basic plans for teachers where you can have unlimited games (Experiences) and have 5 teams per Experience, however, it allows only team Experiences.

tag(s): creativity (92), DAT device agnostic tool (143), game based learning (171), gamification (74)

In the Classroom

Use GooseChase in your classroom as part of your project based learning activities. Assign a series of activities to groups for completion. Differentiate projects based on student interest and ability. Use one of the many educational games already in the library to see great examples of how to use GooseChase for any subject area. GooseChase would be an excellent addition to staff meetings. Have participants locate information on websites, textbooks, or throughout your school as part of professional development. Create a GooseChase for students as part of a nature walk outside of your school, ask younger students to find different geometric shapes, or have students draw pictures of main characters in books as part of a GooseChase mission.

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LivingTree - livingtree.com

Grades
K to 12
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LivingTree is an online collaborative tool for teachers, parents, and students. Share messages, photos, files, and more in 100+ languages instantly. Create a shared calendar for all...more
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LivingTree is an online collaborative tool for teachers, parents, and students. Share messages, photos, files, and more in 100+ languages instantly. Create a shared calendar for all members to access and contribute information. Calendars offer the ability for parents and volunteers to easily sign up for events such as conferences and field trips. There are introductory videos, and video guides for teachers, parents, administrators, and organizations. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): classroom management (128), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), organizational skills (90)

In the Classroom

Use LivingTree to manage and organize any classroom. Maintain a classroom calendar, with automatic reminders, so students can easily find due dates and deadlines for homework and projects. Share information with parents to keep them up to date. Use the discussion feature as a resource for keeping students involved over long holidays or on a snow day.

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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

Grades
4 to 12
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Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature...more
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Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Also, click Discover and use the search bar to find topics already on the site your class is studying like dinosaurs, explorers, black history, volcanoes, etc. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (278), architecture (64), art history (85), aviation (38), black history (121), civil war (133), dinosaurs (38), explorers (64), images (270), inventors and inventions (71), Learning Management Systems (22), oceans (146), scientists (62), shakespeare (93), Teacher Utilities (146), volcanoes (55)

In the Classroom

The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.

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Sal, , Grades: 0 - 12

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