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Doing What Works - US Department of Education
Grades
K to 12
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Looking for best practices and ways to provide evidence for current practices? Discover Doing What Works! Find research and resources in the subject areas of reading, math, science,...more
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Looking for best practices and ways to provide evidence for current practices? Discover Doing What Works! Find research and resources in the subject areas of reading, math, science, English fluency, and how to teach effectively for teachers and administrators. Current national reports reflect recent trends in education. Information is also geared to educating parents.
tag(s): grants (19), parents (61), professional development (158)
In the Classroom
Use Doing What Works to increase your knowledge of best practices and have research backing up your educational decisions. Need information and evidence for grants? Doing What Works is the go-to site! This site is a great site to recommend to eager parents to help them understand current educational practices, and also parent resources.
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Lingo Hut - Lingo Hut
Grades
1 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site offers English lessons for ESL/ELL students beginning from their native language. All directions and vocabulary are in their first language. Learn by clicking on the topic...more
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This site offers English lessons for ESL/ELL students beginning from their native language. All directions and vocabulary are in their first language. Learn by clicking on the topic you would like to pursue. Listen to the pronunciation of the new vocabulary while looking at its translation. Activities that review the vocabulary include flash cards that are in the first language on one side and English on the other, tic-tac-toe games and concentration games. Quizzes show the words and phrases studied in your first language. Select the answer based on the English words and phrases heard. If computers have microphones, students can also record their own voices pronouncing the vocabulary words and then immediately listen to how they sound.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): flash cards (47), vocabulary (325), vocabulary development (125)
In the Classroom
Sit ESL/ELL students in pairs at classroom computers to get extra review for survival vocabulary and phrases. This site is perfect for the classroom where there is one or more English language learners. This would be like having a personal tutor. Be sure to put the URL on your class website so students can work at home, too. It would be a good idea to get parents involved, if they are learning English, too.
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A List of Twitter Educators by Subject Area - Alice Keeler
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
1 Comments
Are you looking for other educators to follow on Twitter? Check out this lengthy list of educator Twitter handles arranged by subject. The easiest way to view the full document ...more
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Are you looking for other educators to follow on Twitter? Check out this lengthy list of educator Twitter handles arranged by subject. The easiest way to view the full document is to click the link located under the heading "A Twitter Win." This link leads to a Google document with headings for all content areas as well as Ed Tech, Counselors, Administrators, and more. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the document to view all categories. Add your own Twitter handle in the appropriate category for inclusion on this document.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): social networking (112), twitter (44)
In the Classroom
Explore the site to discover and follow educators who match your interests and needs. Read the Tweets about what is happening in other classrooms to gain some fresh, new ideas. Looking for more ways to use Twitter in the classroom? If you are the only person in your building who teaches a particular subject, such as gifted or learning support, this list can help you find like minds to share ideas or to set up collaborations between your students. Read more about Twitter at TeachersFirst's Twitter for Teachers page.Comments
what a great resourceSusan, NY, Grades: 6 - 12
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Online Math Learning - OnlineMathLearning.com
Grades
1 to 12
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0 Comments
Supplement math instruction in the classroom using OnLineMathLearning. Find videos explaining concepts, worksheets for practice, games, and activities. The site material correlates...more
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Supplement math instruction in the classroom using OnLineMathLearning. Find videos explaining concepts, worksheets for practice, games, and activities. The site material correlates to Singapore Math but is assessable to all learners. Explore math by grade level, or by topic. Find math worksheets by grade level or even by topic. There is also Test Prep for SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, ESL, IELTS, or TOEFL. Furthermore, this site has instruction on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Animal facts, Programming, or English help. Find many science project ideas, listed by subject area.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): parents (61), video (276), worksheets (62)
In the Classroom
OnLineMathLearning is a nice supplement to your classroom. Use the videos on your interactive whiteboard to begin instruction. Differentiate your math instruction by student need and assign individually. Use the worksheets, games, and activities for extra practice and reinforcement. Allow students to see the ideas listed before they start their science fair projects. Recommend this website to parents so they can understand the "new way" of doing math. Be sure to list as a resource for extra practice on your class website. Keep the videos on this site in mind for using as models when assigning students to make their own videos. Be sure to include in your math parent night. Use as enrichment for your advanced students.
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Adventure '14 - Jason Elsom
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
1 Comments
Experience a worldwide, virtual, culture exchange in November, 2014. Adventure '14 is an opportunity to work with students from another culture. The only equipment needed is a computer,...more
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Experience a worldwide, virtual, culture exchange in November, 2014. Adventure '14 is an opportunity to work with students from another culture. The only equipment needed is a computer, webcam, reasonable Internet connection, and a projector. Signing up indicates an interest, not a commitment. Sign up requirements: contact information about the school or group, age range, and website address. Also, indicate if there is an interest in pairing up with others by subject, language, or interests. Although there are places to fill in Twitter account information, having a Twitter account is not required. Get to know about people in another culture, embrace the opportunity to work together on a global project, and create a website together (optional).
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (120), cultures (110)
In the Classroom
Consider the many ways your class could collaborate. Science students can collaborate on labs, history students on research, and math students can solve some of the world's most difficult equations together. ESL/ELL students might collaborate with students who want to know about their experiences where one does not speak the language.Partner teachers can choose a collaborative platform students can use to brainstorm ideas they have about the other country and culture before they meet. Use a projector and Lino, reviewed here, (no membership required) to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge about the culture with whom they will be working. Once the project is underway, go back to Lino occasionally, and add what they learned and whether it coincides with the students' original ideas. Ask the partner class if they will fill in the areas and ideas missed on your Lino. Also, consider asking the partner school to blog together. It is amazing the improvement you will see in student writing when they know they have an authentic audience! If you never blogged before, you might want to check out TeachersFirst Blog Basics for the Classroom. Use the blogs as a way to discuss topics related to both culture AND your curriculum: environmental topics, different types of government, or simply day to day life.
Comments
I intend to use this. It sounds like a great idea., MD, Grades: 1 - 1
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Comics Head - Next Wave Multimedia
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any ...more
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Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any device and access them from the same device or any other. The drag and drop interface ensures ease of creation. Choose from a variety of options for characters, layout options, backgrounds, props, captions, and special effects. Choose options to use and drag and drop them onto the comic page. Simply undo or delete objects, move objects backward, forward, add text captions, and zoom in and out of the page. Register with the site (email required) to save, share, and print out creations. You can create a single page comic or full book length comics. You can download as a pdf or even share as an ebook! Some of the instruction videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube. Mobile apps are available, including "lite" (free) versions.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (69), DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (153)
In the Classroom
In classes with younger students, use a whole class account under teacher control. In a BYOD classroom, let students set up their own accounts and use the app versions. When studying characterization, create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Use the dialog box (bubbles) to explain the sequence of a story, a science concept, or school news! Create a political cartoon. Why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Emotional support and autistic support teachers can work with students to create strips about appropriate interpersonal responses and/or feelings. Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or create pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments. Let your creative (or gifted) students take the comics even further by making them into entire books!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Booktrack Classroom - Peter Thiel
Grades
1 to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Make reading a multimedia experience that today's students expect. Booktrack adds movie style soundtracks to favorite stories and books. You can add your own sound effects and music...more
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Make reading a multimedia experience that today's students expect. Booktrack adds movie style soundtracks to favorite stories and books. You can add your own sound effects and music to the stories and books you love, too. There are thousands of titles already available, both classic and contemporary; these include novels, poetry, and short stories that are in the public domain. Find them by clicking "Free to Use" and scrolling down a bit. Creation is possible on your PC or MAC; read and listen only on the iOS and Android mobile apps. There are several ready-to-go lessons at elementary, middle, and high school levels. When using on a computer, BookTrack works best in Chrome and may not function at all in some browsers. Watch the short tutorials to learn how to create a book with a soundtrack.
tag(s): book lists (133), book reports (37), DAT device agnostic tool (174), ebooks (43), guided reading (45), independent reading (129), reading comprehension (119), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Click "Teachers" and scroll to the bottom of the home page to find free lessons. Work together with your music teacher to find classical music selections that make great background music. Have students choose a story and create a "read aloud" with music and sound effects. Challenge students to capture the feel or tone of current events articles, science articles, or poems they have created. Use music and sound effects to enhance historical events or battles in social science. At the end of literature circles, have students select the best events in a story and put music and sound effects together with them. Watch the short tutorials to create your class and to create a book with a soundtrack. FanFiction users may want to put sound effects or music to their own writing. In the library/media center, share BookTracks to interest students in some of your "old" books!Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Audio Expert - AudioExpert
Grades
1 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Audio Expert is a free and simple online audio editor, file converter, and sound recorder. This tool has all of the standard functionality of an audio editor. It provides students ...more
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Audio Expert is a free and simple online audio editor, file converter, and sound recorder. This tool has all of the standard functionality of an audio editor. It provides students and teachers with an easy way to create a podcast or even a ringtone for a cell phone. The Audio Expert can also be used as a powerful audio file converter that will allow you to modify your file format, bit rate, and frequency. If your computer is equipped with a camera and microphone, you can use Audio Expert to record your own sounds. You can download completed files.
tag(s): podcasts (55)
In the Classroom
Use Audio Expert in early grades to promote literacy by recording your students and creating an audio portfolio record of their reading. Use this tool with ESL/ELL students to practice fluency and hearing themselves speak. Use Audio Expert to record parents, principals, lunch ladies, librarians, relatives, and bus drivers all telling your favorite class story. During writing time, allow students freedom from the pencil to express their true creative voices. Also dabble into digital storytelling to create a lesson in adding voice, emotion, and characterization. Record audio interviews at a local nursing home, fire stations, or museums to recollect times such as wars, the Great Depression, Civil Rights Movements, or as a primary source at memorable events. Record world language conversations as a student project. Make music class or the school band a gold recording!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AnMish (Beta) - anmish.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Create, save, and share your personalized animations using AnMish technology. Register using your email to create an account and begin making an animation. Upload your own picture or...more
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Create, save, and share your personalized animations using AnMish technology. Register using your email to create an account and begin making an animation. Upload your own picture or choose from puppets and celebrities such as Prince Charles or Hillary Clinton. Use the record button to record a message for up to 30 seconds. Choose a title and make the animation public or private. Save to complete the process. Share using the provided embed code or use social networking links. Be sure to preview for content inappropriate for your classroom.This tool has public Favorites on the home page so might be best used under direct adult supervision.
tag(s): animation (65), comics and cartoons (69), digital storytelling (153)
In the Classroom
This site includes the ability for the general public to submit their own animations. Be sure to preview for content inappropriate for your classroom. You may want to limit use to whole-class activities or prohibit accessing the public portion of the site. Set up the class account and give them the url to the create page. (Talk about how to avoid inappropriate content as part of digital citizenship lessons.) Have students sum up debate ideas using animated characters or present simple concepts from researched material to introduce to the class. Use for book report stories, to create fictitious stories, or present ideas in an engaging format. Challenge students to use this site to tell the history of political figures, historical figures, or historic events. Use this site to teach about chemical properties, scientific figures or discoveries, or great moments in Science through animation. In language arts class, use this tool to apply concepts of narrative patterns or characterization. Teachers of gifted may want to assign students to create an entire animated series. Have ESL/ELL or world language students create animations to practice new vocabulary. Have students compose monologues to be delivered by animated characters.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12
12 Favorites
1 Comments
Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message or email. When sending a text, the site is set up so that ...more
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Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message or email. When sending a text, the site is set up so that students & parents do not see the teachers' phone numbers nor do the teachers see the students' phone numbers. Create an account. Any phone that can receive text messages will receive these. Communication through this site is safe and secure. You only see the names of your students, not their phone number, and they only see your name -- not your cell phone number. With Remind you can schedule reminders for the future, translate your message into 70 languages, send photos, PDFs, voice clips, and see who has read your messages.Be sure to obtain parental permission FIRST, as standard messaging rates apply.
tag(s): chat (54), DAT device agnostic tool (174), microblogging (40)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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4 Free Photos - 4freephotos.com
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
4 Free Photos offers public domain and free stock images. Preview and download the photos at no cost. Use the search feature to find the image you are looking for. ...more
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4 Free Photos offers public domain and free stock images. Preview and download the photos at no cost. Use the search feature to find the image you are looking for. The images on this site are contributed by the photographers for open sharing under Creative Commons. Be aware, there are photos for sale (clearly labeled). Some of the links for "More Free Photos" and other ads take you to outside sites. You may want to advise students to avoid those links. Note that all uses of the photos are supposed to be accompanied by the link to the license (available on each photo's display page).
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): copyright (50), creative commons (22), images (275), photography (161)
In the Classroom
Starting a lesson on copyright? With so much social media and access to almost anything on the web, it is important to teach students about copyright and about owner's rights. Use this site to search for photos for presentations, photos, projects, or research. For your ESL/ELL students or speech/language, use the images for them to create their own visual dictionary. World language teachers can also challenge students to use images to illustrate vocabulary or accompany writing. Use images for writing prompts or even to create descriptive sentences. Have one student describe the image as another sketches the image. Now compare the described image to the real image. To find more Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Compfight, reviewed here or PhotoPin, reviewed here.
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Online Dictation - Amit Agarwal
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
1 Comments
Use the magic of speech recognition to create emails, dictate notes, or write an essay without ever touching your keyboard. Online Dictation only works in the Chrome browser. Click...more
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Use the magic of speech recognition to create emails, dictate notes, or write an essay without ever touching your keyboard. Online Dictation only works in the Chrome browser. Click "Start Dictation," and grant the site permission to connect to your computer's microphone. Begin talking, and watch your words appear on the screen. Dictation detects many different languages so is useful for many non-English speakers. When you finish speaking, export your text using links to Dropbox, Google Drive, your computer, or send as an email.
Since this tool has to connect back to its own servers to "translate" your spoken words to text, it may not have the sensitivity you expect. It is a good idea to test it first yourself before assigning students to use it. You might want to demonstrate how clearly you must speak to make it work.
Since this tool has to connect back to its own servers to "translate" your spoken words to text, it may not have the sensitivity you expect. It is a good idea to test it first yourself before assigning students to use it. You might want to demonstrate how clearly you must speak to make it work.
tag(s): speech (94)
In the Classroom
Use Online Dictation to dictate homework assignments to post on your class webpage. Demonstrate proper note taking using Online Dictation. Leave this site up in your browser, and add notes throughout your lesson. Save notes to your computer to print and use for future reference. Share this site with students who have difficulty putting thoughts onto paper or students with delayed handwriting skills or processing delays. Let students dictate stories, poems, questions, etc. to print and use. Share Online Dictation with your school's ESL/ELL teacher as a resource for use with their students. Speech and language teachers can try this tool to encourage students to improve articulation. If they speak clearly, their words will "magically" appear in writing!Comments
The concept is great but the execution is disappointing. The text response is slow and often captured only an occasional word or phrase. Most of what was returned in text was gibberish. This program is not suitable for student use.Dwight, , Grades: 3 - 7
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Dictionarist - dictionarist.com
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Dictionarist is an online talking dictionary. Type any word into the search box. See a definition and click the icon to hear the pronunciation and view a translation into several ...more
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Dictionarist is an online talking dictionary. Type any word into the search box. See a definition and click the icon to hear the pronunciation and view a translation into several languages. Click on a country flag at the top of the page to begin with a foreign word to hear the pronunciation and view the translation into different languages, including English. If desired, save preferences for future visits or use the bookmarklets to add Dictionarist to your search provider or Google Toolbar. Be aware: This dictionary includes many words that are not appropriate for the classroom, as it is not abridged for students. Talk about ethical behavior and observe less mature students' searches .
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): dictionaries (57)
In the Classroom
Save Dictionarist or add the bookmarklet to your computer for use anytime foreign translations might be needed or for correct pronunciation of difficult words. Dictionarist may be especially useful in ESL/ELL classrooms as an online tool for definitions and pronunciations of English terms. This site is very simple to use, even for younger students. Share this site on your class website for families to use to find definitions and pronunciations for difficult words.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Teleprompter - Autocue
Grades
1 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
This handy online tool makes any computer screen into a "teleprompter" (scrolling screen with the text YOU paste in). No membership or login is required. Just open the site and ...more
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This handy online tool makes any computer screen into a "teleprompter" (scrolling screen with the text YOU paste in). No membership or login is required. Just open the site and copy/paste in the text from a word doc (or type it in). Note: there is no way to SAVE it on the site. We recommend keeping your text ready to copy/paste and saved in another document. Set the font size and screen size to large or small. When you are ready to "speak," click the "start prompter" button. Use speed controls at the top of the screen to speed up or slow down your scrolling text. If you are fortunate enough to have a rear projection screen, the text can even be reversed by turning mirroring on. Other options allow for viewing white text on black or black text on a white background.
In the Classroom
Make a sample dialog for students to recite as you project it in a foreign language or ESL/ELL class. Be sure to write in script format so they know who is speaking! Or share this tool with students who need help getting their nose out of their notes when giving speeches or recording videos. They can run it on a laptop only they can see and look out at the audience past the prompter. The comfort of having their text right there will ease many butterflies. Use this site to feed information used in group or individual presentations to the class. Set this up on another computer when recording video and audio recordings. Why use this tool? Information fed through the prompter can be read at a steady and consistent pace. Use this site with emergent readers to practice basic reading fluency. Make oral reading fluency practice more engaging by having students pretend they are newscasters. If you advise the school announcement crew, try this handy tool to make them sound and look more professional. Share this link on your class website for young readers to use to practice reading skills at home or for older students to use to practice building confidence in their speeches.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A-Z Animals - Millie Bond
Grades
2 to 9
1 Favorites
0 Comments
A-Z Animals is an online animal encyclopedia and much more! Browse through the large list of animals in several different ways. Sort by alphabetical listing, Scientific names, group,...more
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A-Z Animals is an online animal encyclopedia and much more! Browse through the large list of animals in several different ways. Sort by alphabetical listing, Scientific names, group, location, endangered animals, pictures, or favorites. Each selection contains beautiful images and extensive information including basic facts, habitat, and behavior. Click the "listen" icon near the top of the page to listen to all text on each page (read by a synthesized voice). Print each page in PDF format using the Print link also located on a tab near the top of the page. In addition to the animal encyclopedia, explore the large selection of reference articles including many topics such as habitat, life cycle, and evolution. Other great features of this site include online quizzes and games. This site is one you will want to explorer and save! The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animal homes (44), animals (291), biodiversity (35), habitats (84)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further exploration during and after your animal or biodiversity unit. Explore information about the Animal of the Day. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Print animal pages for use in classroom reading centers or for Guided Reading instruction. This site is perfect for use with Special Education and ESL/ELL students in upper elementary and above-- if their listening vocabulary is strong enough. Provide headphones and allow them to listen to information from any page. Have cooperative learning groups use information from this site to create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) or PicLits (reviewed here.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Easy Street Prompts - Writing Blogs
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Throw away the traditional story starters and inspire writing (and art) with Easy Street Prompts. The prompts include videos, random words, and picture prompts that will truly inspire...more
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Throw away the traditional story starters and inspire writing (and art) with Easy Street Prompts. The prompts include videos, random words, and picture prompts that will truly inspire you and make you think. There are over a thousand prompts in the archives, even though the site does not seem to be adding new ones anymore.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (170), descriptive writing (44), journals (21), writing prompts (94)
In the Classroom
Save this website to your favorites or link from your class web page. These inspirational ideas are perfect for journals, quick writes, or to develop into a full story or essay. There are plenty of unusual ideas to give even your most reluctant writer or artist an inspirational nudge. ESL/ELL students can be motivated easily with the video or picture prompts. Share these prompts with your gifted students for some "out of the box" writing ideas. Keep these creative ideas in your "emergency" lesson plan folder for substitutes or for your own spontaneous writing needs. Challenge students to share writing aloud in a podcast format with websites such as PodOmatic (reviewed here) or Spreaker (reviewed here). Create a Prezi (reviewed here) or PowerPoint with artwork or quotes created.
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ProConIt - ProConIt
Grades
4 to 12
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Create a debate or ask specific questions of a group or the entire web using ProConit as a social evaluation tool. Questions can be pro/con, either-or choices, or open-ended evaluations...more
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Create a debate or ask specific questions of a group or the entire web using ProConit as a social evaluation tool. Questions can be pro/con, either-or choices, or open-ended evaluations of a specific topic. Get creative and write your questions to make them even more engaging. You can embed the ProConit topic in multiple web locations, such as websites or blogs, using ProConit's free widget. Get started simply by registering with your email or other social network log-in. The pubic can vote and add their own comments to the ProConits left open to the public. You can also make them private.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): critical thinking (112), debate (44), persuasive writing (56), polls and surveys (55)
In the Classroom
Create a class account that you can control if using this tool with students under 13 or if school policies prohibit student accounts. Use ProConIt on your webpage, wiki, Edmodo group reviewed here, or blog and display it in-class on your interactive whiteboard to develop critical thinking skills and evidence to support an argument (a la Common Core). Challenge students to research the topic so they can provide evidence for their stance when writing about their opinion or while refuting another's. Help students develop flexibility in their thinking by having them argue a side they do NOT agree with. Create a class account with a generic password, and have students put initials as an identifier with their opinion.Is there anything questionable or controversial about what your students are studying in science? Studying cells? Try a debate about stem cell production. Studying astronomy? Why not have a debate about UFO's, extraterrestrial beings, the creation of the universe? Why not create a debate about whether math is a feature of the universe or a feature of human creation? For language arts and social science teachers this site is a gold mine! Create debates about politics, famous people in history, famous events in history (like what if's), current events, or social issues your students are interested in. Why not create a debate about whether students think being kind to a bully will make the bully stop bullying?
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
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Webnode - Webnode AG
Grades
K to 12
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Webnode is a free and easy website builder. Create an account. Choose from hundreds of template design options, including personal blogs. Add many site features: photo galleries, polls,...more
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Webnode is a free and easy website builder. Create an account. Choose from hundreds of template design options, including personal blogs. Add many site features: photo galleries, polls, forums, social features, and much more. Webnode saves changes as you make them, so information is stored in real time. Possible uses are only limited by your imagination!
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): blogs (85), social networking (112)
In the Classroom
Create a Webnode class website at any grade level for parents and students to stay updated about what is happening in the classroom if your school does not offer a class web site tool. With teens (and in accordance with school policy), try using Webnode for: "visual essays;" digital biodiversity logs (with digital photos students take), online literary magazines, and personal reflections in images and text. Consider using Webnodes for research project presentations, comparisons of online content, such as political candidates' sites or content sites used in research (compared for bias). The tool requires that a member be 13+, so you will want to create an account for your younger students to use. Using a whole-class account under your supervision, students can create pages documenting experiments or illustrating concepts, such as the water cycle, and "Visual" lab reports. Create digital scrapbooks on a class or individual page using images from the public domain and video and audio clips from a time in history -- such as the Roaring Twenties, Local history interactive stories, and Visual interpretations of major concepts, such as a "visual" U.S. Constitution. Imagine building your own online library of raw materials for your students to create their own "web pages" as a new way of assessing understanding. For younger students, provide the digital images, and they sequence, caption, and write about them on the class site under your supervision. For older students, provide the steps in the design as a template, and they insert the actual content of their own. After the first project where you provide "building blocks," the sky is the limit on what students can do. Even the very young can make suggestions as you "create" a whole-class product together using an interactive whiteboard or projector. You might consider making a new project for each unit you teach so students can "recap" long after the unit ends.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cumberland Trace Gifted - DAP Tool - Julia Roberts and Tracy Inman
Grades
K to 12
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The DAP (Developing and Assessing Products) Tool is a set of rubrics developed to assess student products at varying levels of expertise. The intent of the DAP Tool is to ...more
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The DAP (Developing and Assessing Products) Tool is a set of rubrics developed to assess student products at varying levels of expertise. The intent of the DAP Tool is to differentiate while taking the ceiling off higher level and creative thinking skills (perfect for gifted learners). There are four components for all products: content, presentation, creativity, and reflection. The tool offers rubrics at three performance levels. Especially appropriate for removing a "ceiling" for gifted students is the inclusion of an expert or "professional" performance level rating. This rating acknowledges work that one would expect from a professional in the content area. The criteria for each level increase in sophisticated. Level 1 would be for younger students or those with less expertise. Level 3 might be for high school and/or your most gifted students-- at any grade level. There are fourteen different product rubrics and a blank rubric at each level. The blank rubric suggests descriptions for all but the presentation component. Some of the products are PowerPoint, poster, pamphlet, diorama, service learning, monologue, model, and more. Download the rubrics in PDF format.
tag(s): critical thinking (112), differentiation (49), essays (22), interviews (17), posters (39), rubrics (32), service projects (28), speech (94), writing (367)
In the Classroom
Offer individualized rubrics for every project so each student can demonstrate appropriate expertise. These rubrics are perfect to use in the heterogeneous classroom where you might have a mix of ESL/ELL, gifted, and learning support students. Many of these activities are ideal for differentiating for your gifted students and providing challenges more suited to their ability, creativity, and thought process.
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Free Online PDF Calendars - Kevin MacLeod
Grades
1 to 12
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Create a custom, yearly calendar quickly with the PDF Calendar creator. Choose from several sizes or insert your own size in inches. Choose from many different languages. Create your...more
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Create a custom, yearly calendar quickly with the PDF Calendar creator. Choose from several sizes or insert your own size in inches. Choose from many different languages. Create your calendar for any year from 1901 - 2038 and select Sunday or Monday as the starting day each week. Click "GET PDF" to instantly view your calendar ready to print or download.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this calendar maker to create calendars throughout the year. Create a calendar from a year in history to discover days of the week that historic events took place. Include a calendar with multimedia projects for a written perspective of time and events. Create a calendar for the future to explore events such as days of the week birthdays will occur, day of the week for future holidays, or for the upcoming school year. Create calendars for upcoming years to view days of the week for annual events. Give your students calendars to highlight in different colors showing vacations, major projects, field trips, and other events. Help your "organizationally challenged" students by printing calendars they can annotate and keep inside the clear cover of their binders or in a plastic sleeve page. Have young students (or ELL students) decorate a yearly calendar as they learn the months of the year.
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