Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find out instantly if the problem you are having opening a web site is YOUR problem or a website that is down. Is It Down Right Now (iidrn.com for short) instantly "pings" a site so you can tell whether the site is down for everyone or just for you (perhaps due to a glitch with your Internet provider). The Internet is never a sure thing, but this tool tells you whether it's just YOU having trouble. Although it sounds geeky, it's easy. Copy/paste or type the URL you are trying to reach into the box at top right, and click "Check." The results tell you how long it takes for the site to respond and how long it has been down (if it is). What a handy tool for ANYONE using the web! What this tool will not tell you is if you are mistyping the URL, so always double check.
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Create random groups quickly with the Group Maker Tool. Click "Create a Group Now" to begin and follow prompts to set up your groups. You will need to provide an email and create a password for your group. Add up to 100 names to your class list. Choose the number of groups to make. You can even choose to make pairs!

tag(s): Teacher Utilities (146)

Homeroom Mom is an online community to share tips and tools for working with classroom teachers. Don't let the title fool you, this site contains valuable information for anyone working with students! Choose from the many categories to find ideas for decorations, crafts, holidays, and much more. Select Letters, Flyers, and Forms to find a yearly planning calendar, party sign-up sheets, and other handy forms for immediate use.

tag(s): classroom management (128), field trips (8), holidays (162), parents (60), preK (254)

When it seems the same students always volunteer with answers and help, try the Random Name Picker. Get your entire class involved using this colorful "game-like" tool. This colorful wheel clicks when you spin. It cheers when you land on a name. The site uses HTML5 so it will work on iPads as well as laptops and PCs. There is no registration required. Input the names, (enter each name or word on a different line, copy and paste from a spreadsheet or word document if available), save your lists with a password, and embed the Picker into your blog or website. You can even get a QR code. Choose the typewriter to view a scrambled word letter-by-letter. The fruit machine reveals a choice with a slot machine, choose the button Remove to delete used names/words from the list as you play. For safety, use first names only!

tag(s): classroom management (128), Teacher Utilities (146)

Explore this video showcase of innovative and effective teaching practices from America's schools. The video library offers a wide range of subjects for grades K-12. Videos also include information on alignment with Common Core State Standards and ancillary material for teachers to use in their own classrooms. Browse by grade level band, subject, or popular topics. Use the search box to find ideas for a specific topic, such as "earth" or "electricity." There are too many topics to list. Pretty much anything you are looking for academically, behaviorally, or professionally can be found here! See video length for each choice along with the title, subject and grade band. After choosing a video, view objectives, questions to consider, and information about the teacher in the video. Download or receive codes to embed videos using the links available with each video. Register on the site (free) to access the site's lesson planner features. Save, schedule, and receive reminders about great ideas after registering or follow teachers to receive notification of new uploads.

tag(s): assessment (147), behavior (43), classroom management (128), commoncore (75), differentiation (84), firstday (22), inquiry (24), newbies (14), professional development (393), rhythm (20), substitutes (27), video (257)

This cool tool, developed especially for older elementary to middle school students, allows you to create simple animations. You are provided with 40 frames. Click to choose your color, brush size, and more. The site includes the options to copy a frame, draw with a pencil instead of a brush, save, undo, clear and start over, and more. This is a simple to use tool. More in-depth instructions are provided on the site. Animations are saved as a .gif file. Read the tips on the home page to learn how to open your downloaded .gif.
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tag(s): animation (62), back to school (63), creativity (92), firstday (22)

Manage behavior and boost involvement in class quickly and easily. ClassDojo allows you to recognize desirable behaviors and accomplishments in real time. Use it on any Internet-connected device in your classroom. Be sure to check out the Resources from the top menu for helpful, timesaving items like a Back-to-School night resentation, a Parent Introduction letter, a Student Introduction video, and Student Account Facts. You can choose an avatar for each student. Student behavior records are automatically created, updated, and reports generated with just one click by you. You can even write comments to parents about why a student lost a point. Weekly summaries are automatically emailed to parents. Students can earn badges. On ClassDojo students can now have their own portfolio to share photos and videos of their successes. The wording on the ClassDojo site indicates that ClassDojo "will always stay free for teachers."

Please be aware that ClassDojo 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 ClassDojo with their child.

tag(s): behavior (43), classroom management (128), DAT device agnostic tool (143), game based learning (171), gamification (74), Special Needs (53)

Blabberize is a photo editing tool that creates talking animations or a video clip from a photo or other image. Browse the ready-made blabbers or create new ones. Upload an image from your computer, select an area to become the talking "mouth," and record sound using your microphone or upload a short .mp4 file from your computer. Make sure to "allow" access to your computer's microphone. Narrate your photo within the allotted 30 seconds, then save when complete. Options include marking your blab "mature" or "private" (not shown on the "latest" pages and other public areas). Share completed blabs via email or embedd in another web page, blog, or wiki. Users unfamiliar with copy/pasting embed code can simple share by the URL of the blab's page.
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tag(s): animation (62), back to school (63), communication (136), firstday (22), images (271), photography (131)