TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jul 24, 2022
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
The Nora Project Resources for Educators - The Nora Project
Grades
K to 12tag(s): aspergers (7), autism (12), character education (77), disabilities (27), diversity (35), empathy (26), social and emotional learning (73), Special Needs (45)
In the Classroom
Bookmark The Nora Project to include resources for teaching and learning about disabilities and inclusion in your teacher toolbox. Consider curating your resources using Wakelet, reviewed here, into one easy to find collection. Add your peers as collaborators to your Wakelet collection as you continue to find and build additional resources. Ask older students to create infographics and posters to teach others about inclusiveness using Genially, reviewed here. Add links, images, and videos within your Genially projects to create interactive content. Use WriteReader, reviewed here, with younger students to create and share interactive books telling the story of inclusiveness. WriteReader is an excellent tool for creating books with emerging writers as it offers the option to show student writing along with the correct spelling underneath.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Distance Learning Toolkit - National Center for Learning Disabilities
Grades
K to 12tag(s): professional development (332), remote learning (63), teaching strategies (37)
In the Classroom
Save this toolkit to use as an excellent resource for both distant learning and in-person teaching situations. Share with your peers to include with staff meetings and professional development sessions. Consider separating each key teacher mindset and the key teaching practices into individual professional development discussions. Create a collaborative Google Jamboard, reviewed here, for all participants to add ideas, questions, and experiences throughout your learning sessions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mote - Mote Technologies Inc
Grades
K to 12tag(s): editing (88), Google (38), rubrics (30), Special Needs (45), Teacher Utilities (134)
In the Classroom
Use Mote to make feedback more personal for students and hear voice intonation instead of just written text. Use this extension to share positive feedback on student work and point out specific areas of improvement. Share Mote with your peers to use when collaborating on any document as a replacement for written comments. Mote is an excellent way to provide missing in-person connections with students during remote learning by allowing them to hear your voice instead of viewing impersonal comments. Use Mote when teaching ENL/ESL students to help students who are not proficient in English by enabling them to see comments in their native language.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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7 Easy Activities That Encourage Students to Open Up About Identity and Privilege - Jodi Tandet
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): character education (77), disabilities (27), diversity (35), identity (27)
In the Classroom
Include activities from this article to get to know your students or as part of character education lessons that focus on diversity, identity, and privilege. Be sure to take advantage of the tips that offer suggestions for including all students, especially those with disabilities such as vision, hearing, or mobile impairments. Some activities, such as the fourth one, include vocabulary that may or may not be familiar to students. Enhance learning by creating word clouds using WordClouds, reviewed here, that encourage students to brainstorm concepts associated with these terms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BeeLine Reader Collection - Reading is Fundamental
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): independent reading (81), reading comprehension (132), reading strategies (87), Special Needs (45), Teacher Utilities (134)
In the Classroom
These BeeLine Reader PDFs are an excellent addition to the already valuable reading materials found at Reading is Fundamental - Literacy Central, reviewed here. Be sure to bookmark this site to find leveled reading passages with the enhanced function of BeeLine Reader. These PDFs are wonderful to share with ENL/ELL and Special Education specialists to use with their students. Remember, all teachers are reading teachers. Share this tool with your science, social studies, and math teachers, too!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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POV For Educators - American Documentary, Inc. PBS (KQED)
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): black history (109), cultures (123), disabilities (27), elections (77), politics (107), veterans (20), video (246), women (112)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and look at POV first for any of the listed themes that come up throughout the school year. The lesson plans also have extension activities, many for inquiry or research. Show these to students and have them choose one to extend their learning. If your students need an introduction or review of research skills you may want to parallel the POV lesson with R4S: Research for Success, reviewed here. As you work through the lesson, ask students to keep a journal about what they are learning and questions they still have. Subtitute paper and pen journals for a digital journal using a tool like Penzu, reviewed here; with Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. As a culmination activity enhance student's understanding by having them put together an interactive infographic about their learning for you and their peers using Infogram, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Immersive Reader - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): adhd (27), differentiation (71), disabilities (27), dyslexia (10), Microsoft (75), reading comprehension (132), Special Needs (45), text to speech (17)
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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Speechnotes - Speechlogger & TTSReader
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (134), speech (67), writing (301)
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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Higher Education for Students with Disabilities - Accredited Schools Online
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): careers (133), college (46), disabilities (27), learning disability (22), Special Needs (45)
In the Classroom
Guidance counselors and teachers, particularly intervention specialists, will find this a helpful place to share with students and their parents although information is very basic. The larger sponsoring site includes higher education selection advice for all students. Use this resource with individual students or in group settings, perhaps at a college and career night, or as part of a newsletter or other resource geared to high school students and their parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Disability History Museum - Disability History Museum
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): character education (77), disabilities (27), primary sources (106)
In the Classroom
Use the resources here to help students talk about the role and experiences of those living with a disability. How have attitudes changed over time? What has driven those changes? Helping students understand why some people experience physical and emotional challenges, and the importance of honoring their contributions and abilities can be difficult. The resources in this archive may be helpful in sparking discussion.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 (27), 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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Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center - Pacer Center, Inc.
Grades
K to 10tag(s): bullying (53), character education (77), cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (79)
In the Classroom
Introduce a bullying discussion in your class by viewing a video appropriate for your age group. Continue with a class discussion. Then, exchange paper and pencil and have students do a quick write about how they feel about bullying. Use a blogging tool like Webnode, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students, use Seesaw, reviewed here. Begin a school and community-wide campaign against bullying by sharing this resource with your school leadership team, PTA/PTO, and other teachers. This tool would be a great project for the school's student council to undertake. There are a ton of resources; someone just needs to get this program going!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learning Disabilities - Great Schools
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): adhd (27), autism (12), dyslexia (10), learning disability (22), preK (245), professional development (332), Special Needs (45)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for understanding and finding resources for learning disabilities. Share articles and information with parents during conferences. Use this site as a resource during professional development sessions.Comments
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