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Famous Inboxes - Mark Brownlow
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
If famous people from long ago had inboxes, what would be in them? Famous Inboxes takes that concept and creates inboxes for characters in literature, entertainment, and history....more
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If famous people from long ago had inboxes, what would be in them? Famous Inboxes takes that concept and creates inboxes for characters in literature, entertainment, and history. Choose from artists, musicians, great leaders, authors, and many more categories. Each inbox contains a screenshot of the person's email (mythical) inbox including the subject of the email and the sender. This is an entertaining and provocative site sure to inspire lots of ideas for your own use! Be sure to preview before you share as some of the topics (or "texting" language) may not be appropriate for the classroom.
tag(s): creative writing (121), digital storytelling (141), gamification (74), social networking (67)
In the Classroom
Share Famous Inboxes with your students on your interactive whiteboard or projector using a character or author studied in class. Assign students to each of the inbox titles and have them write the actual email sent. Don't see anyone to use in class? Create your own or have students use the site as a model to create their own. Most likely, working in groups will get the creative juices flowing. This would be a great model to use for introducing a history or science unit or for looking at the relationships between characters in literature. Have students write the emails as an end of unit review. Subscribe to the RSS feed of this site to receive updated contents. Use the option to create an inbox as a differentiated challenge for your gifted students. For example: Summarize World War II by showing Winston Churchill's inbox, then write two of the key emails. As a "hook" for new books in the media center, have students create inboxes for one of the characters and post them with the book jackets. Instead of a "report" on a scientist, have students create their inbox documenting their research and accomplishments.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Project Noah - Networked Organisms
Grades
3 to 12
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0 Comments
This down to Earth site encourages you to view and appreciate nature (even on your smartphone!). Become an active part in the quest to understand nature. Share your experiences through...more
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This down to Earth site encourages you to view and appreciate nature (even on your smartphone!). Become an active part in the quest to understand nature. Share your experiences through photos, called Spottings, and tag your location. Act as a "citizen scientist" to discover organisms and share findings. Document living things (natural creatures, plants and other living things) discovered by using a camera or mobile phone. Upload the contribution to Project Noah for further studies and projects by the community. Use the search tool to look for specific organisms by name. Sightings are recorded using Google Maps.
tag(s): amphibians (17), animals (281), birds (44), insects (69), plants (145), qr codes (17), spiders (10)
In the Classroom
Add to the growing database and document creatures seen in your area. As you discuss various types of organisms, assign students to take pictures of various creatures and submit for a grade. Students can make observations about the organism to submit with the picture using a class or individual account and be part of a growing group that aims to appreciate nature and understand the living things around us.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Skype as a Learning Call - Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano
Grades
2 to 12
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Skype as a Learning Call is a PDF loaded with information on using Skype calls in your classroom. Different pages include information such as what to do before, during, and ...more
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Skype as a Learning Call is a PDF loaded with information on using Skype calls in your classroom. Different pages include information such as what to do before, during, and after a call for both you and your students. Also included are student handouts to record information from calls. Be sure to check this out as an excellent resource for getting the most of your Skype learning experiences!
tag(s): webcams (10)
In the Classroom
Print or save this PDF to use as a resource with any Skype call. Use ideas from this site for assigning student jobs during Skyping. Use the student handouts as a resource for students to complete for post-assessment. Share this site with your Skype partner before your session so that you know each other's goals and objectives for the session.
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Flask - flask.io
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Flask is a very simple list maker. Type in your first to-do item and press enter to create a new list. NO membership required! The unique url generates, and your ...more
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Flask is a very simple list maker. Type in your first to-do item and press enter to create a new list. NO membership required! The unique url generates, and your list is ready to use. Continue typing items as needed and change the name of your list if desired. Use the share button to view the url, embed link or to email the list.
tag(s): organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
Help students organize the specific tasks necessary to finish a project. Use class discussion to create a list of all necessary items or steps. Organize tasks and set due dates to assist students in time management for completing projects. Create weekly lists of due dates and important information to embed on your class website. Use this tool to support students in learning organizational skills. Share this tool at the beginning of the school year for your students to use to organize assignments. Use this tool for your own organizational purposes. Create as many separate lists as needed.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How Do You Play - howdoyouplay.net
Grades
K to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Don't remember how to play certain games or need to find some new ideas? This is the site for you! How Do You Play contains instructions for many classroom-friendly games ...more
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Don't remember how to play certain games or need to find some new ideas? This is the site for you! How Do You Play contains instructions for many classroom-friendly games and activities. Choose from categories of active games, board games, classroom games, icebreakers, sports, and many more. Find instructions and information for great icebreaker questions/games, how to build the tallest tower, playing spoons, how to play a photo scavenger hunt, egg drop with teambuilding, life timelines, and much more. Each game or activity includes a list of materials needed, number of players, time required, and directions for play. Some directions for strategy games also include strategy options. Although many of the games seem juvenile, the team building and icebreaker options are even good for adults.
tag(s): back to school (63), firstday (22), sports (77)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find games and activities for classroom centers or review activities. Icebreaker activities include options for the first week of school community building. Bookmark this tool for the first week of school or anytime that you want to experience some "team-building" in your class. This is a great site to use if you have weekly classroom meetings to build relationships among students. Share this site with students and have them create their own games based on research projects or as review for major tests. Challenge students to describe their "creations" using the models shown on this site. Share this site with parent helpers to find ideas for classroom parties.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Printable Paper - printablepaper.net
Grades
K to 12
15 Favorites
0 Comments
Download and print many types of papers easily from Printable Paper. Lose the excuse, "I don't have any graph (or other) paper!" Choose from popular types such as lined paper ...more
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Download and print many types of papers easily from Printable Paper. Lose the excuse, "I don't have any graph (or other) paper!" Choose from popular types such as lined paper (college or wide rule), several forms of graph paper, letter templates, and much more. Use the categories listing to find specific options to narrow your search such as different forms of penmanship paper, score sheets, or music papers. There are even several different comic page templates and storyboard templates for storytelling or story mapping. Click on any paper image to download in PDF format. A special heading for teacher resources includes lesson plan paper and more. The specialty papers include doorhanger patterns to decorate and cut out. Don't miss the printable games.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): charts and graphs (169), comics and cartoons (53), handwriting (16), letter writing (18), musical notation (35), preK (255)
In the Classroom
This site is a must bookmark for classroom use. Use anytime you need graph paper, writing paper, music sheets, etc. Share a link on your classroom website for student use at home. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Share this site with older students the first week of school. Now there is no excuse for not doing homework because of not having the correct type of paper! Some of the papers have alternate uses, such as using quilting graph paper to create and study geometric shapes.
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Inspirational Quotes for Teachers - Windows to the Universe
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Inspire yourself and your students with Windows to the Universe Motivational Quotes. Although a rather simple site in appearance, there is a lot of "good stuff" here. Add creativity,...more
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Inspire yourself and your students with Windows to the Universe Motivational Quotes. Although a rather simple site in appearance, there is a lot of "good stuff" here. Add creativity, encouragement, and an atmosphere of excellence to your classroom and your life.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): firstday (22), quotations (20)
In the Classroom
Post in the signature on your email, on your website, or even on your whiteboard! Encourage leadership, hope, and inspiration! Use quotes as a theme for writing prompts or even to relate to the theme of a story. Use the quotes as examples of figurative language. Add quotes to end of year picture CDs/DVDs. Use the quotes to inspire personal or classroom mission statements. Have students include a quote when turning in work, and explain how it inspired or helped them. Add music or art to explain a quote. During the first week of the school year, share this site with students. Challenge students to choose a "quote of the year" for themselves personally. Have students put the quote in their notebook, folder, or as a screen saver. Also, choose a few quotes to hang around your classroom. If you need more quotes, check out TeachersFirst's Bulletin Board Hangups.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SciShow - SciShow
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This YouTube channel teaches scientific concepts in an easy to understand style. The channel includes a variety of short videos ranging from 3 to 10 minutes. There are videos for ...more
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This YouTube channel teaches scientific concepts in an easy to understand style. The channel includes a variety of short videos ranging from 3 to 10 minutes. There are videos for primary students as well as high school students. New videos are released weekly, and viewers are encouraged to add their suggestions for future videos. The wide variety includes just about every topic in Science. Note: Constant additions mean that adults will want to preview in case recent additions are not appropriate for your audience. One page load included a video about "How Weed Works," possibly appropriate during a drug and alcohol study, but not elsewhere? Be sure to check whether YouTube is blocked at your school and download videos prior to class if necessary.
tag(s): video (257)
In the Classroom
Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Flip your classroom and have students view video clips at home and then discuss the following day in class. Use as an introductory video at the start of a lesson or unit to catch student interest. Follow with individual and group brainstorming of questions the students have about content they would need to know to understand the topic. Students can research the answers to the questions and present to the class with teacher guidance and filling in gaps of knowledge. Can't find a video that pertains to your current unit of study? Why not have students create their own videos to share with the class using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Field Book Project - National Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian Institute
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This article announces and explains a one stop archive of field research journals and other documents. Click the text link "View all Field Book Project records on Collection Search...more
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This article announces and explains a one stop archive of field research journals and other documents. Click the text link "View all Field Book Project records on Collection Search Center" to search from a wide variety of examples of scientific fieldbooks. Use the search functions to find specific journals related to many fields in Biology and Geology. Click to view each electronic resource in a pop up window.
tag(s): field trips (8), geology (64), journals (15), scientific method (47)
In the Classroom
Share this site as you teach about scientific method or simply about what scientists do. Display sample journals on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have student partners explore to find a journal they find intriguing and bring it back to describe to the class. Be sure to discuss the value of using journaling in the sciences. View a journal to identify what information is included in actual scientist's journals. How is the information recorded then valuable to what we know today? How are field journals different from the type of work that students do? Challenge your students to keep their own field journals. Have students use Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mars Education - Developing the Next Generation of Explorers - Arizona State University
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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The Mars Education Program is a resource for STEM lessons and activities related to Mars and outer space. Mars resources include videos, images, and news on the latest research of ...more
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The Mars Education Program is a resource for STEM lessons and activities related to Mars and outer space. Mars resources include videos, images, and news on the latest research of the planet. Don't miss Ask Dr. C (a beta project) in the Resources menu to pose questions about Mars and see the answers. Stay up to date with the latest information from Mars by perusing The Red Planet Report from the Mars Resources menu. Visit the STEM plans for lessons in exploring, scientific research, and conceptual modeling. Aligned to National Science Education Standards, lessons have been developed for K-12 classrooms. Lessons include complete descriptions of activities, learning objectives, handouts, and assessments to download in PDF format. In most cases, you must open the pdf to see the grade range on the lessons.
tag(s): mars (26), planets (112), scientists (62), space (213)
In the Classroom
View videos on your interactive whiteboard to learn more about the exploration of Mars. Download and use lesson plans during your planet or atmosphere units. Challenge students to create online, interactive posters, infographics, or presentations using a site such as Genial.ly, reviewed here, to demonstrate what they have learned and further questions they would like to investigate.
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Tableizer! - Danny Sanchez
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Tableizer is a "cool tool" for creating HTML code to show spreadsheet data in table format. No one wants to learn how to write HTML (web page code) to make ...more
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Tableizer is a "cool tool" for creating HTML code to show spreadsheet data in table format. No one wants to learn how to write HTML (web page code) to make tables, but adding a table to your blog is sometimes a must to line up information into columns. Copy and paste your cells from Excel, Calc, or other spreadsheets into the box provided. Choose options such as font size and style and color. Click the Tableize it! button to view the HTML code along with a preview of the results. Copy and paste the HTML code into any web page you create, such as your blog or wiki. The best part: no registration is required.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): blogs (66), data (147), spreadsheets (23)
In the Classroom
Tableizer is an excellent tool for easily displaying data on your web page or blog. Use anytime you want to display information from a spreadsheet. Share with students for use in displaying lab results, scientific data, budgets, etc. Use this to list a schedule of events, requirements, etc. in a clear table on your class blog.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kaizena - Kaizena
Grades
1 to 12
13 Favorites
0 Comments
Do you wish you had enough time in your schedule for one-on-one personalized writing conferences with your students or writers you know? Kaizena (previously 121Writing) can make that...more
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Do you wish you had enough time in your schedule for one-on-one personalized writing conferences with your students or writers you know? Kaizena (previously 121Writing) can make that dream a reality. Kaizena allows you to give feedback on writing via an audio recording. Writers often have difficulty reading the margin notes from teachers or other readers, or they need more explanation. An audio recording of the feedback provides a personalized experience to enhance the writing process. Kaizena works best by synching with your Google Drive account. There is an option at the bottom of the page to sign up by sending in your name and email address. However, this can take a while, so plan ahead! Sign in with your Google account to watch a helpful video and learn how to connect to your Google Drive account or school Google Apps account.
Start by highlighting a text selection, hit record, and provide your feedback. Writers will be able to listen to your feedback and revise or edit their writing as though you were face to face. Tag your highlighted text with keywords that can be tracked in a mastery-based rubric. You could tag conventional errors, mistakes, or selections that are amazing. Verbal feedback can be played on an iPad so students can listen in the best learning environment to meet their needs. Writers will progress as you enhance the writing process with explicit audio feedback. Kaizena can enhance feedback for written work for any school subject or even outside of school. With the free Kaizena you can create up to 5 lessons.
Start by highlighting a text selection, hit record, and provide your feedback. Writers will be able to listen to your feedback and revise or edit their writing as though you were face to face. Tag your highlighted text with keywords that can be tracked in a mastery-based rubric. You could tag conventional errors, mistakes, or selections that are amazing. Verbal feedback can be played on an iPad so students can listen in the best learning environment to meet their needs. Writers will progress as you enhance the writing process with explicit audio feedback. Kaizena can enhance feedback for written work for any school subject or even outside of school. With the free Kaizena you can create up to 5 lessons.
tag(s): communication (136), editing (89), process writing (38), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Editing and revising are better with audio feedback. Provide explicit details to improve student performance. Students can record peer edits and share audio recordings with classmates. Classroom time is more efficient and effective when students can listen to your feedback before meeting face to face. Have students highlight passages of text and provide their reflections on the selection. World language classes can speak text or respond to questions in their new language. Learning support students will better understand audio feedback on their writing than detailed comments written in "teacher-ese." This is a great tool for students to highlight poetry and record their thoughts and feelings on the text. Students can highlight and record their thought process as they solve math word problems. Highlight and record opinions on current event articles. Highlight an entire passage of text to model reading fluency. Students can listen and read along with the recording to help with phrasing and expression. Highlight text and model fluency for ESL/ELL students. Highlight assessment questions or text for lower-level readers to provide a level playing field in the classroom. Challenge students to provide audio feedback to their peers on passages where they would like to know more, questions they have as readers, and positive feedback on passages they enjoy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hungry Pests - APHIS
Grades
4 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Learn about a variety of Invasive Pests. Identify them by their mug shots, learn how they spread, and view affected states. Click on the link to view the entire United ...more
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Learn about a variety of Invasive Pests. Identify them by their mug shots, learn how they spread, and view affected states. Click on the link to view the entire United States. Choose the state you want to explore. Find a list of the pests and information.
tag(s): ecosystems (73), environment (240), insects (69), species (15)
In the Classroom
Create a campaign to educate others on activities that spread pests around. Identify what these pests look like and how they are similar or different to other insects that live in your ecosystem. Write a story about the animals in the ecosystem and include one of the invasive pests. Students can also write poems, create pictures, or other displays to educate others about pests. Have students create a blog to share their writing projects. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newsela - Matthew Gross
Grades
2 to 12
19 Favorites
2 Comments
At the start of the school year for 2023-2024, Newsela made some significant changes for their FREE or LITE version of the program! Now they offer four leveled news articles ...more
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At the start of the school year for 2023-2024, Newsela made some significant changes for their FREE or LITE version of the program! Now they offer four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.
Incase you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times for a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles have embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that conform to the reading levels for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and for students, but students sign up using a teacher or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
Incase you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times for a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles have embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that conform to the reading levels for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and for students, but students sign up using a teacher or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), differentiation (84), guided reading (32), independent reading (85), news (229), reading comprehension (143), remote learning (61)
In the Classroom
Achieve two goals here: help students improve their reading comprehension and keep them current with what is happening in our nation and the world. When assigning articles, choose to have the class read at one reading level, or choose individuals and set the reading level for them. There are five categories from which to choose. You may want to set up different articles at different learning stations on the computers in your room. Have the students rotate daily through the stations, completing one or two a day until they have completed all five articles. Since Newsela is cloud based, even absent students can complete the missed work easily. If you and your students are teaching and learning remotely, or you have a blended classroom, Newsela will work perfectly for those! Teachers of gifted students can use this site to accelerate or enrich reading for students. Find each student's individual levels for reading nonfiction. Teachers of Learning Support and ENL//ESL students will love this alternate way for their students to meet nonfiction/current events requirements.Comments
This is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing this information. Please keep sharing content like this.Cassandra, IL, Grades: 0 - 12
This is an excellent site and allows differentiation while everyone is reading the same text.Renee, NC, Grades: 0 - 5
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Actively Learn - Jay Goyal and Dr. Deep Sran
Grades
7 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Teach students how to develop close reading skills with Actively Learn. Choose from over 150 commonly taught texts that include embedded Common Core aligned questions and multimedia....more
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Teach students how to develop close reading skills with Actively Learn. Choose from over 150 commonly taught texts that include embedded Common Core aligned questions and multimedia. Choose from any public domain texts or any article from the Internet and be guided through creating your own Common Core aligned questions. Also, embed your own multimedia or images. Reading "school texts" becomes much more personalized when students are able to write notes, questions, or respond to their reading directly on the page they are reading. This is like the old way of using paper and pencil to annotate the text in the margin. Others can respond to questions and notes written by peers reading the same text. Actively Learn makes it easy to set up an assignment by having a "help" button for each area that will show a video for help, or download a PDF to read the instructions. Not only will you find poetry, drama, and stories, but also nonfiction for the sciences and the humanities. The introduction video requires Flash. The rest of the site does not.
tag(s): guided reading (32), reading strategies (98)
In the Classroom
Choose a piece to use with your students and model for them how the program works on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Then assign students to read a piece with a partner in class. Once students are familiar with the format and tools, assign reading for them to complete on their own. Upload current event articles into Actively Learn and write open ended questions for students to answer. Include images or video to go with the article. Use a tool like the Questioning Toolkit, reviewed here, to create some intriguing questions and writing prompts. This is a great tool to use for students with learning differences and ESL/ELL students due to the ability to adjust the text size, color and background, include audio, and the built in dictionary. Besure to check out the blog for ideas about teaching divisive topics, an infographic for close reading stategies, and more.
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Quest - Alex Warren
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option...more
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Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option from the top of the web page to view and play games such as The Mansion or Shipwrecked. Play games online or download to your Windows computer. Design your own games online using your web browser or download software to your Windows PC to work offline. Create an account in Quest to begin creating activities. View the video tutorial for an overview of the activities and creation processes. Create rooms and objects or tasks for each room. Create more complex games by following complete instructions found in the web browser version of the game system creator. Add sound files and even videos to games in addition to tasks. An option allows players to choose their own endings to games. There is a documentation wiki and a forum to get help. This site may require some tinkering around to figure it out! But it is well worth the time. Note: since games available for Play are created by the general public, you will want to preview for appropriateness.
tag(s): interactive stories (21), process writing (38)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to create games when studying process writing of essays. Instead of writing a dry essay, create an object of entertainment with an interactive story. Use steps of the game to provide supporting evidence for the essay. Create simple text games to show the typical patterns of stories. Have a contest to see which group of students in your class can imagine the best game scenario. In science class, have student groups create games that follow the life of a plant or animal where players collect all the needed nutrients or conditions the plant/animal needs to survive. In civics/government class, have students create a game around getting elected, passing a bill, or ending Washington gridlock! Don't have time to have your students actually CREATE a game? Create your own "review" game for your students to use to prepare for the big test. This would be ideal if it is a unit that you teach yearly; you can reuse your game! Share some of the ready-made games on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link with parents on your class website. Students may enjoy the challenge of creating a game during summer break.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask'® Archives - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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TeachersFirst offers free, hands-on OK2Ask'® workshops for teacher professional learning. This collection of on-demand session recordings is available for those who attended as...more
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TeachersFirst offers free, hands-on OK2Ask'® workshops for teacher professional learning. This collection of on-demand session recordings is available for those who attended as a recap and for new viewers to watch any time. Gather your teacher friends and learn together! Note that TeachersFirst does not award professional development certificates to teachers for watching archive recordings. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.
tag(s): professional development (394)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this page for your own professional learning and for sharing. Check back often as new archived recordings are frequently added. Learn new topics and tools at your own pace with these recordings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12
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As school district budgets continue to be cut, field trips are more and more difficult. Enter the online panoramic virtual tour. The Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History...more
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As school district budgets continue to be cut, field trips are more and more difficult. Enter the online panoramic virtual tour. The Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History can now be "visited" using a computer or a handheld device like a smart phone or tablet. Choose to tour several featured areas such as Permanent Exhibits, Current Exhibits, Past Exhibits, Narrated Tours, and a couple of others. Click on a featured exhibit and view a map of the exhibit area. Hover over one of the hotspots to see what is included in that exhibit. Choose to view the Hope Diamond, for example, and access panoramic views of the artifact or the exhibit hall. Follow the arrows to travel through the museum. Maybe a virtual tour of a museum isn't quite as good as the real thing, but you won't have to deal with crowds, noise, and that really tall person who always seems to be standing between you and the exhibit you want to see. Click the Education tab at the top, to find Teaching Resources with 300 options, that includes activities, videos, and science literacy resources for Grades K to 12.
tag(s): museums (44), natural resources (37), virtual field trips (79)
In the Classroom
Perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector), the virtual tour can allow students access to exhibits and artifacts they may never be able to visit in person. If you have access to tablets or have a BYOD policy, students can explore exhibits or areas individually. If you are fortunate enough to be planning an actual field trip to the Museum of Natural History, this site is a great way to prepare for the trip.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Draft - Nate Kontny
Grades
6 to 12
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Draft is a collaborative writing tool similar to Google Docs with one notable exception: the ability to view and accept changes before they are actually made to the document. The ...more
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Draft is a collaborative writing tool similar to Google Docs with one notable exception: the ability to view and accept changes before they are actually made to the document. The site also features the ability to mark/label major versions of your work as it is produced, allowing the ability to go back and easily view previous versions. Be sure to check out "Hemingway Mode" (explained in Features) which prevents any editing as you write, forcing you to get ideas down to rethink, revise, and edit LATER. This is a great way to prevent the perfectionist in you from paralyzing your writing process! But the BEST part of this site: it is easy to use! Sign up using your email and password and immediately begin creating your document. When ready to share, choose the home icon and copy your document's link to send via email or text (or copy and paste as desired). When changes are made, you will receive an email. You may then view the document to see color coded changes and accept or deny changes as desired.
tag(s): editing (89), proofreading (21), writing (315)
In the Classroom
If individual students are allowed to have accounts (using email address sign up), that's great, but they must share their work with you. If students cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of Gmail subaccounts, explained here. This would provide anonymous interaction within your class. Create an innovative, exciting revision experience for students to suggest revisions to each other's writing and instantly engage in the peer review process by using Draft. This tool facilitates teacher comments on student essays by not having to wait until students turn in their papers. Have them share links with you to their works in progress. Check essays online, monitor progress, and even make suggestions for revisions to provide feedback along the way and drive successful evidence support, proofreading, and editing skills. Challenge gifted students on their drafts and push their thinking further, adding questions or responses. Since most if us do not have time to provide such individual challenge throughout the writing process, why not connect them with other gifted students to collaborate and debate beyond just your classroom? Obviously, this tool is also fabulous for collaboration among students or teachers creating a shared writing piece at any level. You could even use it for parent input into draft IEPs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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dotEPUB - Xavier Badosa
Grades
3 to 12
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Convert the content of any webpage into an e-book format to read on your tablet, phone, or other e-reader device using dotEPUB-- even offline! Install the browser bookmarklet in Firefox,...more
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Convert the content of any webpage into an e-book format to read on your tablet, phone, or other e-reader device using dotEPUB-- even offline! Install the browser bookmarklet in Firefox, Safari, Opera, Mozilla, or Chrome to begin. In Chrome and Mozilla use the dotEPUB browser extension to create documents. Once installed, click on the bookmarklet or browser extension while on any page to convert the page and send to your e-reader. Choose from either epub or mobi (Kindle) format for use in e-readers. View the instructional videos for complete directions on how to use the bookmarklet or extension. This site is also available in Spanish. The instructional videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube and you wish to share the videos in class, they may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
What a great find for BYOD programs! Use dotEPUB for students to take content from your course blog or website and put it on their e-readers for easy access wherever they go. Have students download informational texts from web sites to annotate in their e-reader software as you build comprehension and "close reading" skills a la CCSS. Elementary teachers will need to help students learn to use this tool. Use dotEPUB to create an ePub portfolio of your students' blogging efforts. In Spanish class, convert your website into an e-book for students to practice language learning. Make ePubs of any web content for portability and annotation tools available on e-readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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