TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Apr 22, 2018
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Media Literacy - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Peruse this curated list to find resources related to media literacy. Media literacy is a set of skills that help people to analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a wide ...more
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Peruse this curated list to find resources related to media literacy. Media literacy is a set of skills that help people to analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres, and formats. To become media literate, students must learn to raise the right questions about what they are listening to, watching, or reading. Media literacy education is about helping students become competent, critical, and literate in all media forms so that they can appropriately interpret what they see or hear rather than blindly accepting what they are told. This collection of resources includes lesson ideas, activities, and resources for teaching media literacy skills. Be sure also to check out the media literacy professional learning resources.
tag(s): critical thinking (112), cyberbullying (41), digital citizenship (89), evaluating sources (28), internet safety (113), media literacy (102), news (229), primary sources (115), professional development (393), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Today's messages come in many forms and literacy can no longer refer simply to the ability to read and write. Prepare your students to be literate citizens with this collection. Many are ideal for whole-group instruction, while others would work best on individual devices. Read the reviews to find classroom use ideas with each review. Although the list of tools is mainly geared towards grades 4-8, there are a few resources for the primary grades.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Text to Speech Reader - WellSource Ltd
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Drag, upload, or paste text files to convert your text to speech instantly. Choose from many voice and language options for replay. Other options allow control over the speed of ...more
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Drag, upload, or paste text files to convert your text to speech instantly. Choose from many voice and language options for replay. Other options allow control over the speed of your speech replay. Use the upload icon to save to your computer.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chinese (44), french (74), german (48), multilingual (65), spanish (105), text to speech (19)
In the Classroom
Share with world language learners to hear text spoken in the native language. Use this site with ENL/ESL students to convert small pieces of text to their native language. Use the speed options to slow down speech for students who are language learners. Use this site with students who have difficulty reading, especially when working with more challenging passages and text. Include a link to this site on your class website for students to use when learning new vocabulary in a different language and for your ENL/ELL students to hear something read or pronounced both in and outside of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World Press Freedom Map - NewseumEd
Grades
7 to 12
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Discover what a free press really is and how many of the world's nations enjoy a free press using the NewseumEd activity World Press Freedom Map. You don't have to ...more
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Discover what a free press really is and how many of the world's nations enjoy a free press using the NewseumEd activity World Press Freedom Map. You don't have to make a trip to Washington D.C. to learn from this activity, instead, use the accompanying link for the Freedom House interactive map. Download the worksheet/chart in PDF or as a Word document for distribution. You must be a registered NewseumEd member to access this resource; however, membership is free.
tag(s): freedom of speech (13), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Begin by showing students the Freedom House interactive map and read the information in the right column about what a genuinely free press is. Compare that info to a partly free press (explained just under it). Then have students work in small groups or with a partner to fill out the worksheet/chart. Complete a class discussion of the chart, and then have the small groups or pairs choose one of the countries with partial freedom of the press and research what other freedoms the U.S. enjoys that are restricted or repressed for the citizens of that country. Add these to the chart. Challenge students to convert their paper worksheet/chart to an online digital infographic to present their findings using Visme, reviewed here, or to set up their own graphic organizer to show the comparisons using an online tool such as TUZZit, reviewed here. TUZZit allows you to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Text Mode - omarr.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Text Mode is an easy-to-install extension for Chrome browsers that removes all information from web pages except text. Convert distracting, hard to follow web pages into clean black...more
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Text Mode is an easy-to-install extension for Chrome browsers that removes all information from web pages except text. Convert distracting, hard to follow web pages into clean black and white text with a click of a button. Once installed, click the "T" on your browser toolbar to turn Text Mode on or off when viewing any page.
tag(s): media literacy (102), multilingual (65), reading comprehension (141)
In the Classroom
Install Text Mode on all classroom computers for use throughout the year. Turn distracting images off when sharing web pages with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to help students focus on content. Use this tool in technology training with students to share how images, videos, and ads change the look of web content. Share how adding images helps viewers understand the content. Text Mode is excellent for use with ESL/ELL and special education students as a method for focusing. Share web pages with images to help students get the big picture, then remove images to deliver and understand the content offered.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Glean - Digital Literacy Teaching Tools - The Public Learning Media Laboratory
Grades
6 to 12
3 Favorites
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Small but mighty, this site has several lesson plans for the digital classroom. Use, share, and help create digital literacy lesson plans using Google Docs at Glean. Also, use the ...more
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Small but mighty, this site has several lesson plans for the digital classroom. Use, share, and help create digital literacy lesson plans using Google Docs at Glean. Also, use the hashtag #lessonhack on Twitter to follow the development of ideas and the lessons. Use the drop-down menu for Lessons to view plans for Media, Data, Information, Network Literacy, and also find Security and Privacy lessons. Find plans already created that include, To Teach Memes, Teaching Media Making, Terms of Service, and there are several others about the Internet and IPs. One lesson on Safer Sexting states, "This is not intended to condone sexting; rather it is designed to provide young people (at risk through their sexting behavior) with digital literacies and personal practices to mitigate negative impacts of the sexting they've done."
tag(s): computers (106), digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), media literacy (102)
In the Classroom
Computer Literacy teachers and those responsible for teaching Internet safety in any course are sure to find a lesson they need. Take advantage of these free lessons to educate students about the basics of the Internet from safety to reading the terms of service to creating or sharing memes. After these lessons, challenge students to create a simple infographic about what they learned using Infogram, reviewed here. The lessons and (some of) the descriptions include resources you may want to share with parents and school counselors so they can have a conversation about the topics with their students. Discuss topics on this site as part of Internet safety lessons. Share this site with school counselors as a resource for teens facing online safety issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'45 Words' Video Lesson - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12
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Brought to you by NewseumED, this video is a perfect fit to introduce any unit on the First Amendment and its freedoms. Find a comprehensive lesson plan, watch the video ...more
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Brought to you by NewseumED, this video is a perfect fit to introduce any unit on the First Amendment and its freedoms. Find a comprehensive lesson plan, watch the video through the NewseumEd site, and download documents in either PDF or Word formats. The documents include a list of historical figures and their involvement with the issues from the period, and a viewing guide worksheet for students to fill in. All of the actors' words, in the video, are direct quotations taken from primary sources. Since the video focuses on the origins of the freedom of the press, it would make a fascinating intro to a media literacy unit, too.
tag(s): civil rights (194), constitution (87), media literacy (102), video (257)
In the Classroom
Whether studying the First Amendment or media literacy, upload this video to a tool such as EDPuzzle, reviewed here, to edit the video to show only portions you select, or to pause the video automatically and add questions for students to answer, and/or add your verbal comments. Some of the Discuss questions would be appropriate to insert after viewing parts of the video. Break students into small groups after the video and assign them different Discuss questions for reflection and investigation. Challenge small groups to create a presentation to share what they learned using a tool like slides, reviewed here. After watching and discussing the video, extend either a media literacy unit or a civics/government unit. Do this by asking students to view news articles in our present political situation i.e. election time, civil rights discussed, etc. Then have them compare how the news media during the late 1700s would have handled issues of today, and how politicians of the Federalist party would have reacted to our issues today. Alternatively, have students create a simple infographic comparing the problems in the news of then and now. Use a tool such as Infogram, reviewed here.
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R4S: Research for Success - INFOhio
Grades
9 to 12
6 Favorites
1 Comments
Designed as an interactive online course this site helps high school students develop the sophisticated research skills needed for college and careers, an important component of most...more
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Designed as an interactive online course this site helps high school students develop the sophisticated research skills needed for college and careers, an important component of most standards. The formal research process is broken down into six steps: Asking Good Questions, Finding Information, Selecting the Best, Putting It Together, Your Presentation, and Making the Grade. Students work through a variety of activities linked from outside sites, including reading articles, watching videos, and completing worksheets. Each module is introduced by Voki avatars, reviewed here. Several popular research tools, such Zotero, reviewed here, and Evernote, reviewed here, are introduced. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): citations (34), classroom management (128), digital citizenship (89), evaluating sources (28), inquiry (24), media literacy (102), note taking (34), organizational skills (90), plagiarism (34), Research (83), search strategies (23)
In the Classroom
R4S would be perfect for use as a blended-learning or the flipped classroom experience for upper high school into the first year of college. You can have students work online, or you can download into your course management system. Have students work through all the steps as part of a research assignment, or use only the parts relevant to them. Teachers need to register to receive the text copy of the helpful teacher's guide. Use the site in any subject or curriculum area.
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Comments
Will be integrating this unit into freshman comp at the community college where I teach researched argument, the first English class students are required to complete.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Media History Digital Library - Media History Digital Library
Grades
6 to 12
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Come to the Media History Digital Library to find digitized classic media periodicals available from the public domain. All of the collections pertain to the cinema, broadcasting, and...more
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Come to the Media History Digital Library to find digitized classic media periodicals available from the public domain. All of the collections pertain to the cinema, broadcasting, and sound. Periodicals such as Business Screen, Pictures and Story Magazine, Motion Picture Classics, and Radio Age have at least a five-year spread of content. Over 100 other periodicals are featured. When selecting a periodical, you may choose to read, download, or go directly to the site. Join the blog to discover recent additions, scholarship opportunities, events, and more.
tag(s): art history (86), media literacy (102), multimedia (43)
In the Classroom
Use Media History Digital Library in your classroom as a secondary resource to discover the culture and setting of a time period while studying literature or even through history classes. List the clues and details that provide further information. Analyze the article use and its influence on society by using close reading techniques. In a multimedia class, discover the history and progression of cinema, broadcasting, and sound. Use to discover the influence of critical world events such as world wars, depressions, economic influences, an industrial revolution, and more. Analyze the artistic changes throughout time.
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Media Smarts - Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy
Grades
6 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Media Smarts is a comprehensive Canadian site devoted to media literacy and critical thinking skills for children and youth. Browse through several topics such as digital and media...more
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Media Smarts is a comprehensive Canadian site devoted to media literacy and critical thinking skills for children and youth. Browse through several topics such as digital and media literacy to explore articles related to television, Internet, and gender issues. An extensive teacher resource section offers many lessons and resources searchable by grade, topic, and media type. Download lessons in PDF format using links in the lesson description.
tag(s): media literacy (102)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to explore and use with lessons related to digital and media literacy. Share articles on gender and body image with students. Engage students by having them create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Enhance learning by having students find examples on T.V. and use an online poster creator, such as PicLits, reviewed here to demonstrate examples. Give students a choice and have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage, reviewed here, instead of the poster.
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National Archives: Educator Resources - National Archives
Grades
4 to 8
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This site is meant to assist teachers in their use of archival documents when teaching. Choose "Teaching with Documents" and "Docs Teach" for documents and analysis instructions. Also...more
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This site is meant to assist teachers in their use of archival documents when teaching. Choose "Teaching with Documents" and "Docs Teach" for documents and analysis instructions. Also find reproducible primary documents, photographs, and lesson plans correlated to the National History Standards, and cross-curricular connections. The site includes interesting activities for use in studying events in U.S. History.
tag(s): media literacy (102), primary sources (115)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site for any history, art history, or civics teacher attempting to put forth something more tangible for students to grasp. Click on "Images of the American Revolution," and open up the pictures on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Question students as to the meaning and context of the illustrations, to help them understand how images were used to convey certain meanings. Ask the students to create their own cartoons about something controversial in their town, or about the unit being studied, and encourage them to use some of the same subtle concepts the original illustrators did.
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