TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jul 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
stickK - Dean Karlan, Ian Ayres, Jordan Goldberg
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): character education (76), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
Share StickK with students as a motivation to help achieve individual or classroom goals. With younger students use these ideas to set goals for long-term projects. Add deadlines to your calendars to monitor progress along the way. Use edublog, reviewed here, or another blogging tool to share successes and failures along the way. Upon completion of the stated goal or project, have students create a multimedia presentation using Presentious, reviewed here, to share their journey and completed work. Presentious allows adding narration and text to a picture. Resource teachers could use StickK with their students for goal setting and checking in to see accomplished steps towards achieving their goal.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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AutoDraw - Google Creative Labs
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (101), colors (65), drawing (59), images (270), painting (56)
In the Classroom
AutoDraw is an excellent tool for artists and non-artists. Use this site to quickly draw professional looking images for any number of classroom purposes. Create images to accompany presentations on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) or for use on your class website. Ask students to create drawings when retelling stories or creating math problems. Use with students who have any disability as an aid for conveying information through pictures. When teaching ESL/ELL and world languages, use AutoDraw to create images to replace words in texts. Have students create and personalize their images to include with multimedia presentations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Immersive Reader - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): adhd (28), differentiation (84), disabilities (29), dyslexia (11), Microsoft (84), multilingual (65), reading comprehension (141), Special Needs (53), text to speech (19)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many features included with Immersive Reader for any classroom use. You may need to discuss downloading this product with your school's IT department; however, it is well worth the effort. This product is especially helpful for ENL/ESL students and students needing additional help with reading. Use the language options for students to hear and view text in their native language. Use Immersive Reader to help students with Dyslexia or ADHD to decode and focus on the text by using the options included. Upload classroom materials for students to use for help in understanding difficult text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Twitter Chat: Differentiating Instruction: Practical Ideas for Teachers - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (84), twitterchatarchive (173)
In the Classroom
View this chat to learn more about differentiation and tools to help you engage and differentiate for the various levels and interests in your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Amazing Things Happen! An Introduction to Autism - amazingthingshappen.tv
Grades
K to 12tag(s): autism (13), brain (54), disabilities (29), Special Needs (53)
In the Classroom
Share this short video with your class as part of any discussions on autism. Stop the video at different points along the way to discuss the information and develop knowledge of how to understand and work with autistic students. Consider enhancing classroom technology use and giving all students a chance to voice their opinions (even the shy and quiet ones) by using a tool like Yo!Teach, reviewed here. Backchannel Chat is an easy tool to manage if you are starting the process of integrating technology into your classroom. If you and your students are more advanced with technology, you may want to modify technology use in your classroom with a tool such as Vibby, reviewed here, where you AND your students can annotate, highlight, and ask questions or make observations about the content of the video. This video is also perfect for use during staff meetings as an introduction to considering tools and guidelines for working with autistic students. Include a link to this video on your class webpage to share with parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Speechnotes - Speechlogger & TTSReader
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (136), multilingual (65), speech (66), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Speechnotes is a very versatile tool, for students, parents, and teachers alike. Bypass poor typing skills, dysgraphia, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. Use this tool to create emails, documents, or anything requiring typed text. Use in your writing class so students can get their thoughts into text without having to also think about typing. Be sure they edit their work. Use when you are in a hurry with emails requiring long text. Use for your newsletters or family emails. Share this on your class website and at Back to School Night. Emerging literacy students will enjoy the success they have with their oral language into written word. Improve content and forget about mechanics of writing or typing. Focus in on grammar and mechanics after seeing the recognized mistakes. Include this website on every toolbar and as a favorite on your class web page. ENL/ESL students can speak English, play it back, and correct it until it "sounds right" and expresses their ideas correctly.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ZenPen - Tim Holman
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): editing (93), process writing (38), proofreading (21), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Use this simple tool with an interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate different writing techniques without any distractions. Create and save student writing projects such as short stories, poems, and reports. Create study guides before tests or directions for assignments. Have students write a progressive story where they each add a portion.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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VideoLink - Safe YouTube Videos - Wessam El Mahdy
Grades
K to 12tag(s): adhd (28), classroom management (128), internet safety (113), Special Needs (53), video (257)
In the Classroom
Share "distraction-free" videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Removing distractions and having confidence in removing any offensive content makes for a better learning experience. Use this tool to limit distractions for your ADD/ADHD, Autistic, unfocused Gifted, and other special needs students. Less distraction = better learning experience for all.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Mighty - Mike Porath
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): disabilities (29), diseases (66)
In the Classroom
Share The Mighty with parents and even older students as a resource for finding positive news about those with disabilities. Read these stories together on your projector or interactive whiteboard to teach about tolerance and acceptance of differences. Encourage parents and students to submit their own story of inspiration to the site. Search for articles dealing with challenges your students face to read and discuss together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News in Levels - newsinlevels.com
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): differentiation (84), guided reading (32), multilingual (65), news (229), reading comprehension (141)
In the Classroom
Add this website to your classroom computers, websites, and newsletters for parents of ENL/ESL students or beginning readers. This tool is especially helpful at the beginning of the year, as you are learning students' reading levels. Use this tool to differentiate in all primary classes. Although this site was created for English Language Learners, it could still be used by all students including gifted and learning support. Differentiate for your advanced/gifted students in elementary, while meeting Common Core standards of Informational Text. Use these news articles as informational text meeting your Common Core goals. Assign students of different levels the same story at the appropriate level or build skills by sharing the same story as a class. Challenge groups to compare the stories in pairs. Have students create a visual presentation of the story. First have students create a rough draft of their comic using Printable Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. For Level 1 readers have them create their final comic using ToonyTool, reviewed here, for Level 3 readers use Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Audio Books Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): audio books (22), listening (68), preK (254)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your professional favorites AND share it on a class web page for access by students and parents. The helpful reviews suggest ideas for ways to use the audio books in the classroom or outside of school to reinforce literacy skills, improve English skills, or study literature in new ways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Adapt-a-Strategy for ENL/ESL - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): teaching strategies (41)
In the Classroom
Share this one with your colleagues who also have ENL/ESL students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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