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Merlin Photo ID - Beta - The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Grades
K to 12
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Looking to identify a wild bird? Visit the Merlin site to download the Merlin ID app for any phone or device. When using a mobile device, the Merlin app asks ...more
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Looking to identify a wild bird? Visit the Merlin site to download the Merlin ID app for any phone or device. When using a mobile device, the Merlin app asks a series of five questions starting with when and where, followed by choosing a basic body type and other questions. View the generated list of possibilities to find your bird and identify it! Merlin is capable of recognizing 400 of the most commonly encountered birds in the US and Canada. When you choose the bird, data is recorded with Merlin. Read more about your identified bird and listen to its bird song. The Merlin bird identifier is designed for beginning and intermediate bird watchers. Note: When using Merlin on the web upload a photo of the bird, and then follow the prompts to place "pointers" on the bird image. The web version cannot be used to identify a bird and is different from The Merlin ID app.
tag(s): birds (45), DAT device agnostic tool (144), ecosystems (73), habitats (86)
In the Classroom
Use this app when out in the field with your students for any reason and for any subject. Encourage observation by students in identifying birds that are located in your community. Follow the identification of the bird by creating related art, music, poetry, or stories. In Biology, identify how the bird fits into the food chain. Identify the plant species that each bird uses for food or shelter. In Math, map the sightings of birds, looking at density of various species.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Writing Exercises - JG Publishing
Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites
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Find fresh ideas for writing prompts and exercises to explore and use. Use links to find story starters, characters, titles, and more. Use the random generators to create titles, dialogues,...more
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Find fresh ideas for writing prompts and exercises to explore and use. Use links to find story starters, characters, titles, and more. Use the random generators to create titles, dialogues, town names, and much more. These are a must see for those writing blogs, needing new ideas, or having writer's block. This site was created in the UK. American English speakers may notice some slight spelling differences.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), digital storytelling (144), poetry (190), writers workshop (31), writing (317)
In the Classroom
This site is a "must see" for any writing instructor! Digital storytelling incorporates many Common Core Standards and is a possibility in any classroom. Enhance and modify student writing by having them use this tool. Think about using the random plot generator and put in the twist of an invasive cell to the human body for a science class. In math class, possibly a large whole number is building an army by splitting lesser whole numbers into fractional parts. Use the digital stories in place of a multiple choice test for final assessments. Enhance student learning by having students construct the digital story using Google Slides, reviewed here. Use tools from this site to create stories together as a class or in small groups. In addition to the random generators, there is a children's writing prompt section for younger students. Make a link to the site on classroom computers for student use when working on writing projects. Share a link to the site on your class website or blog for use at home. Share with parents who are looking for ideas to use at home. In addition to story ideas, use this site to create inspiration for poetry writing in the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Snow Days - Always Snowing LLC
Grades
K to 4
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Do you need a snow day? Create a virtual snowflake without folding and cutting. Send it to your friends and family with a message. You will receive notification when someone ...more
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Do you need a snow day? Create a virtual snowflake without folding and cutting. Send it to your friends and family with a message. You will receive notification when someone responds. The site keeps track of the total amount of flakes ever made (currently over 14 million). The site also tells you how many others are currently creating snowflakes (in "real time") by sharing "Current Conditions."
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Let it snow all day with these virtual snowflakes. Challenge students to write poetry to include when students send their snowflakes to parents or grandparents. Research winter animals, places, or birds and put information and write facts on snowflakes. Create and make a multimedia presentation with your different snowflakes. Make a blizzard of all of your snowflake messages! Virtually cutting and creating snowflakes may become addicting!
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PBS Newshour Classroom - PBS NewsHour Productions LLC
Grades
7 to 12
3 Favorites
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Find news and resources for grades 7-12 at PBS Newshour Classroom. Search the site by Subject Area, Videos, Arts and Media, Science, and more. Explore news articles written for students...more
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Find news and resources for grades 7-12 at PBS Newshour Classroom. Search the site by Subject Area, Videos, Arts and Media, Science, and more. Explore news articles written for students with the background and context needed to understand complex topics. The Daily Videos are ad-free and have related stories along the right side of the page. Read the current events news stories and follow the Extra Twitter feed. Don't miss the many free lesson plans including current events, American history, health, government, holidays, and more. Lesson plans are all aligned to the Common Core standards. Lesson plan topics vary from "Personal reflections on the poetry of Maya Angelou" to "Selma to Montgomery: An introduction to the 1965 marches" and countless others! Look for the Student Voices and Student Reporting Labs for those who would like to be published or to help a local PBS station produce the news.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): civil rights (198), elections (80), holocaust (41), memorial day (12), news (229), pearl harbor (9), poetry (190), veterans (20), video (260), women (138), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Watch the news together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to watch independently on laptops or at a learning station. Use any video or article as a current events writing prompt. Challenge students to create blog posts about them. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, replace pen and paper and have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Webnode, reviewed here. Don't forget the many free lesson plans (already aligned to Common Core standards). Click on the Lesson Plans link to explore the countless topics available (Poetry, Veterans, Elections, Ebola, Civil Rights, and more). For articles and videos about conflicts and tension, extend student learning by having your students engage in a debate using a tool such as Virtual Debate, reviewed here, which has online examples and resources for conducting virtual debates. Keep your class up-to-date on the news using this site. Provide this link on your class website for students (and families) to access both in and out of your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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English Worksheets Land - English Worksheet Land
Grades
K to 5
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Visit English Worksheet Land anytime you need an activity for Kindergarten through fifth grade English language learning. Select Common Core aligned curriculum from the menu bar at...more
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Visit English Worksheet Land anytime you need an activity for Kindergarten through fifth grade English language learning. Select Common Core aligned curriculum from the menu bar at the top. Discover analogies to vocabulary and everything thing in between (with accompanying answer keys). Find PDF downloadable worksheets by grade level or alphabetical topics. Sign up and receive their weekly New ELA worksheet via email.
tag(s): antonyms (14), capitalization (9), context clues (5), figurative language (15), grammar (133), grammar review (31), handwriting (16), homophones (6), inferencing (7), myths and legends (21), parts of speech (40), phonics (50), poetry (190), prefixes (9), punctuation (25), reading comprehension (142), root words (10), sentences (22), spelling (95), suffixes (8), synonyms (17), vocabulary (236)
In the Classroom
Why reinvent the wheel? Bookmark this site for use all year. Use these worksheets to help differentiate for students. Many of the topics are covered at different levels and with different activities. Use some of the worksheets as review of a topic you already taught or to prepare for a test. Set up stations with worksheets from different topics for different days of the week, i.e. Monday is always spelling day and Friday is always poetry day. Choose individualized options so students are working at the appropriate level. These worksheets would be great practice for ESL/ELL and learning support students. Hate worksheets? Have students access this site and create their own learning activities to challenge each other based on the content here, but adding their own creative touches. They could use a quiz creator or multimedia tool from the Edge. Create "free and easy" interactive polls/quizzes using Kahoot (reviewed here).
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Royalty Free Music - Kevin MacLeod
Grades
3 to 12
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Royalty Free Music provides music in several genres for free download to your computer. Choose from genres such as African, Modern, or Soundtracks, as well as different "feels" such...more
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Royalty Free Music provides music in several genres for free download to your computer. Choose from genres such as African, Modern, or Soundtracks, as well as different "feels" such as humorous or intense to start your search. Each piece includes a short description including instruments, play time, and tempo. Listen to each selection before deciding to download. (Some also include a link to a "video" plays the tune with visual annotations). Choose the download button to save to your computer. Some selections also include a YouTube link for video viewing. Click the "More" button for complete credits and licensing information. Be sure to give proper credit when you use one of these downloads!
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
You might want to share this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) before student use to demonstrate how to use the search and how to work around the many advertisements on the site. Play musical selections for students to "name the instrument" or talk about musical elements and styles in music class. Have partners explore the site to find examples of different rhythms or styles they prefer. Use Royalty Free Music for soft background music during quiet work times in your classroom. Share with students for use in multimedia presentations. Try sharing this resource with students when they are creating podcasts, slideshows, and other media projects. This would also be great for performance groups such as drama clubs or musicals that need background music. Use background music for poetry readings during poetry month. Have them try making a "sound rebus" story on your class wiki, with words and sound links to tell what happens. Download sound effects and add them, worry-free, to projects or productions. Make sure students realize that "royalty free" does not dismiss the need to give proper credit for their source!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Down the Drain Project - The Center for Innovation in Science and Engineering
Grades
3 to 12
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Down the Drain is a free Internet-based collaborative project that has classes around the world share and compare their water consumption. For a detailed explanation, visit the New...more
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Down the Drain is a free Internet-based collaborative project that has classes around the world share and compare their water consumption. For a detailed explanation, visit the New to the Project link. The project includes a hypothesis, prediction, data collection, and comparing results. The data collection period lasts one week. There is a link for Student Activities. The Teacher Guide link offers an overview of the project, publishing policy information, and extension activities. The project says it is designed for grades 4-8 but can be used in upper grades, as well.
tag(s): environment (238), recycling (45), water (101)
In the Classroom
Bring problem-based learning into your classroom and share the results globally. Encourage multiple classrooms or schools in your area to participate. Extend the project by having collaborative groups find water saving ideas to employ in school, at home, or in the community. Find ways to share results locally in newspapers or news channels to encourage community involvement. Present findings with a variety of multimedia: PowerPoint, Prezi, reviewed here, video, podOmatic podcast, reviewed here, artwork, poetry, or song.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Patatap - Jono Brandel and Lullatone
Grades
K to 12
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Create music and animation by tapping the keys on your keyboard with Patatap. Choose any letter from A to Z to bring your screen to life with sounds, lasers, and ...more
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Create music and animation by tapping the keys on your keyboard with Patatap. Choose any letter from A to Z to bring your screen to life with sounds, lasers, and motion. Press the space bar to change everything up including sounds, background colors, animations, and motions. Be careful...creating interesting mixes may become addictive with Patatap! There is an app version, but only the web version is free.
In the Classroom
Patatap is perfect for your interactive whiteboard or projector. Just bring up the on-screen keyboard and play away! Use sounds and animations to refocus student attention or as a short brain break. Allow students to explore and experiment with sounds and animations during indoor recess or free time. Challenge students to create their own short mix of sounds to accompany multimedia projects. Students who find themselves "musically challenged" will find success in creating short mixes using Patatap. This site is prefect to teach sound and rhythm in music class! Use Patatap as a memory game: create any sequence and challenge students to come recreate the same sequence on your interactive whiteboard. Discuss the various background colors and "themes." Do different colors elicit different forms of sound or emotion? Have students write a journal entry about their favorite color scheme and animations. Small groups of students on individual laptops with speakers could create an actual "band" together! Record the band's sounds using an iTouch or even a mobile phone. As a classroom management tool, create certain sound sequences as cues for activities or transitions. Challenge your gifted students to create a system of musical notation for Patatap that includes both the keyboard symbols/letters and a way to indicate the rhythm. Use Patatap during poetry units to help students hear poetic meter, such as iambic pentameter. Use Patatap as an accompaniment/study aid for auditory learners to memorize spelling, states and capitals, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Smile Kids - Delta Dental Insurance Company
Grades
K to 5
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Delve into dental information with My Smile Kids! Learn about dental health as you explore games, stories, coloring pages, and the teeth of many different species! A glossary gives...more
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Delve into dental information with My Smile Kids! Learn about dental health as you explore games, stories, coloring pages, and the teeth of many different species! A glossary gives detailed dental illustrations with definitions. Find brushing and flossing tips. Learn ways to keep track of the days you have brushed. The interactive stories let you add a personal name to the story. Explore the Bingo, Match Up, Teeth Match, and Teeth Cleaning games for younger children. For older children, check out the Guess the Word, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, and the Dental Quiz. Click on "news" to find dental careers with information about becoming a dentist, dental assistant, hygienist, or dental lab technician.
tag(s): careers (139), dental health (15), preK (258)
In the Classroom
Have a mouthful of fun during Dental Health Month or any health unit on teeth! Have fun reading literature and poetry while exploring your tantalizing teeth! Add a taste more to your study of the senses, and watch children dig right in! Provide dental information for career day. Have students invent their own dental games. Students can create a quiz, guess a word, write a story, or even investigate career specialties.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky - Scholastic
Grades
2 to 8
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Write a poem using Jack Prelutsky's guidance and tips for writing and editing poetry. Gain confidence and success with writing poetry. When finished, post your poem online! Find a Teacher's...more
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Write a poem using Jack Prelutsky's guidance and tips for writing and editing poetry. Gain confidence and success with writing poetry. When finished, post your poem online! Find a Teacher's Guide in the lower left corner to guide you through this lesson.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Start your language arts lesson with Jack Prelutsky by reading the poem "Louder Than a Clap of Thunder," featured in this lesson. If you have access to his books, put them out on desks/tables and have students look through and read a poem out loud for their group. After this introduction, read the poem for the lesson again and have students try to write their own "Prelutsky-like" poem. Once students finalize their poems, offer a variety of ways to present their poems through drama or enhance your classroom technology use by using a digital story using Bookemon, reviewed here, or Prezi, reviewed here; with either of these tools you could enhance classroom technology use depending on your requirements for the assignment. Add the poems to your class website or blog.
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Calameo - Jean-Olivier de Berard and Mathieu Quisefit
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Publish, share, and browse interactive web publications with Calameo. Sign up for an account using your email or Facebook account. Upload documents in most common formats such as Microsoft...more
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Publish, share, and browse interactive web publications with Calameo. Sign up for an account using your email or Facebook account. Upload documents in most common formats such as Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, and OpenOffice. Use the link editor to add YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo, and SoundCloud content to your magazine. Share completed publications through a unique URL or embed directly into your website or blog. Calameo is available in many languages. Be sure to check Calameo's help links to find full features and suggestions for use. Use caution when allowing students to explore this site on their own, as some content may not be appropriate for the classroom.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), digital storytelling (144)
In the Classroom
Use this site to engage students in Writing for Digital Publication, an important part of the Common Core. In social studies or government class have individual students or small groups design magazines for the candidate of their choice. Remember those travel brochures your world language students used to make with glue sticks and scissors? Try this online tool instead. World language students can also create an interactive magazine telling a story in their new language. In science class students can design a booklet to explain cells, life cycles, or any science topic. Instead of a book report, try a digital magazine. Do an author study via a digital magazine. Create a poetry magazine. Have your ESL/ELL students create a bilingual magazine in English AND their native language. Create digital magazines for any subject or topic: explain an event in history, demonstrate different types of animals or habitats. Create an ongoing Calameo magazine of class activities.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
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Fake iPhone Text - fakeiphonetext.com
Grades
2 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Fake iPhone text is a tool to create fake screenshots of a series of iPhone text messages. Enter your conversation including name and message. Click the link "Create" to view ...more
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Fake iPhone text is a tool to create fake screenshots of a series of iPhone text messages. Enter your conversation including name and message. Click the link "Create" to view the picture. Take a screenshot or copy the URL to share.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), digital storytelling (144), gamification (73), writing prompts (58)
In the Classroom
Have students create texts between two characters from a book or two famous people. Create short poetry in text message form. Provide some opening text and ask students to write their ideas for the other person's answers. Use a text sequence as a prompt for creative writing. Have students practice creating a short dialogue or questions and answers. Create a fake text of a conversation and have students use inference skills to determine what happened before and after the conversation. Teach proper texting etiquette and digital citizenship using this tool. Use a fake text on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to display word definitions in a new way. Create fake texts of homework or project reminders and post them on your class wiki or web page. Make fake text book promotions to share on the dust jackets.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Power Poetry - Power Poetry
Grades
8 to 12
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Encourage budding poets with Power Poetry. Power Poetry's mission is to close the literacy gap through poetry. This is a community where young people of all backgrounds come together...more
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Encourage budding poets with Power Poetry. Power Poetry's mission is to close the literacy gap through poetry. This is a community where young people of all backgrounds come together to process their emotions using poetry. Find challenges to write about social issues or to write a poem in only 140 characters. Scroll down the page and point out the topic "7 Famous Poetic Pop Songs" where students are sure to recognize current singer/song writers. Find many supportive community members to encourage you to develop your voice. From the dropdown menu on the top click Resources then Teachers to find lesson plans, a free "How to Teach Poetry" course, and lots more. Poets are free to write about any subject; however, there are site guidelines to prevent hate speech and other inappropriate content. Join with a username and email address. On your profile, there is the option of sharing your first name and last initial, profile picture, and a short biography. You can message each other within the site, but this feature can be disabled from account settings.
tag(s): poetry (190), social and emotional learning (84)
In the Classroom
Encourage your most avid writers to submit their poetry to this site. Use your whiteboard or projector to show them the "Take Action Guides." There you will find many issues of concern to youth today. Most students will enjoy uniting multimedia, poetry, and activism in one place. Challenge your students to choose a contemorary poet, either from this site's list or one they know of, and study their poetic form, then to write a poem in that poet's style. Enhance learning by having students keep a blog using a tool like Penzu, reviewed here, to write down their thoughts as they investigate different parts of this site. This will help them when it comes time to write their own poem. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. Then extend learning by having students either publish their poems on the site or by using a multimedia tool like Genially, reviewed here, and publish their poems on your classroom or school web page. Counselors may want to encourage disenfranchised students to join the site and write about their deepest feelings. This is a supportive community that encourages students to develop their own voice.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids Gardening - National Gardening Association
Grades
3 to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Get involved with gardening throughout the community using ideas from Kids Gardening! Scroll down the home page to see an overview of what is offered for educators and caregivers (at-home...more
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Get involved with gardening throughout the community using ideas from Kids Gardening! Scroll down the home page to see an overview of what is offered for educators and caregivers (at-home activities and more). Then, explore the menu at the top to see all topics available. For instance, under the What's New tab, you will find The Latest, Garden Stories, and Recent Posts. Next, click Learning Tools to see specifics for Getting Started for Educators and Caregivers. The Learning Tools tab also offers Resources and Activities for Play and Learning, and Growing a Garden. Choose from these categories to find how-to guides, lessons, and projects. Learn how to make the most of "gardening moments." Be sure to take some time to explore this site for many valuable ideas for indoor and outdoor gardening projects.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
If you aren't lucky enough to have outdoor gardening space, take advantage of ideas offered for indoor gardens, such as terrariums and container gardening. Check out the extensive lesson library to search by theme, standards, season, and more. You will also find lessons and activities appropriate for science and math. Use the Growing Poems, found here, to enhance your classroom poetry unit. Whatever activities you choose, have students record the growth in their garden or container by taking photos. As a summation for your gardening project use Photo Joiner Collage Maker, reviewed here, to create a collage of your garden photos with special effects, text, frames, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Writers Speak to Kids - NBC Learn
Grades
K to 8
1 Favorites
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Learn about the craft and techniques of writing straight from real authors in this series of videos at NBC Learn. Choose from 17 short videos, each less than 5 minutes, ...more
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Learn about the craft and techniques of writing straight from real authors in this series of videos at NBC Learn. Choose from 17 short videos, each less than 5 minutes, focusing on an author and a specific craft such as writing poetry, sources for inspiration, and the writing process. Each video includes a transcript of the author's conversation. The authors write popular books for a variety of age ranges. The videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
tag(s): authors (105), creative writing (119), descriptive writing (38), poetry (190), process writing (38)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Look for authors of favorite read-alouds you use in your classroom and share their videos. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a learning center. View an author's video then share their books in your classroom reading center or as an author of the month. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here to explain their own writing process.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FanFiction - FanFiction/FictionPress
Grades
6 to 12
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Disappointed that your favorite book or TV series has ended? Satisfy your craving on FanFiction. Discover FanFiction stories written by up-and-coming writers based on your favorite...more
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Disappointed that your favorite book or TV series has ended? Satisfy your craving on FanFiction. Discover FanFiction stories written by up-and-coming writers based on your favorite comic, cartoon, movie, book, television show, or other genre. Read and vote for your favorites or even write your own. Whether you are a fan of fiction or like to dabble with writing, take a look at FanFiction. Fanfiction authors write new stories about characters from their favorite books (movies, TV series, etc.). Read to your heart's content and leave a comment without even signing in. To create and submit your own writing you need to sign up with an email. Click on the genre of your choice to get started! This site can be accessed in a variety of languages. Click the small "mobile forum" icon at the top to use on mobile iOs or Android devices.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), novels (31), short stories (18), writing (317)
In the Classroom
It is amazing how students will polish their writing for an authentic audience! Demonstrate how to use FanFiction with your projector or interactive whiteboard. Show students the different genres and have them read a selection or two from an amateur writer to see how it works. Have student pairs or trios work together on a piece for a favorite book. There is also a miscellaneous category you could use to have students add a different ending or write from a different point of view based on any short story you use in class. They can also submit in the poetry category. Use 121 Writing reviewed here to proof student writing and make suggestions (verbally if your choose to) before they submit to FanFiction. For students to develop and polish their writing skills, use a program such as Slick Write reviewed here. Create a FanFiction account with a class email and have students work on their piece using a nickname or acronym. Since FanFiction can be accessed in several languages, this program would work well in an ESL/ELL classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Voice Recorder - 123apps
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Just as the name says, Online Voice Recorder allows you to record your voice from your computer and save the file. With no membership required, this is a free and ...more
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Just as the name says, Online Voice Recorder allows you to record your voice from your computer and save the file. With no membership required, this is a free and simple recording treasure! Simply push the record button and follow screen prompts to ALLOW the application access to your computer's microphone. Talk as long as desired. Then listen to the recorded playback. Trim and edit the length using easy sliders as desired. Save your finished version in MP3 format using the link.
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tag(s): blended learning (37), communication (133), fluency (24), preK (258), speech (66), spelling (95)
In the Classroom
Have students practice spelling words orally, record speeches, practice reading fluency, and much more using Online Voice Recorder. After recording, allow students to listen to the playback and reflect upon the quality of their work. Do before and after recordings of students to share with parents during conferences to demonstrate reading progress. Have students record weekly summaries for what has happened in your class to share on your class website or blog (you will have to upload the files). Record weekly or daily homework assignments and share as a voice recording on your website. Save file space by replacing old files with new ones. Online Voice Recorder would be an excellent resource for recording and sharing more complicated directions for projects and assignments (adding you voice intonation and cues!). Your weaker readers and ENL/ESL students may do better with a combination of written AND auditory directions. Provide the link on your class website for students to use at home for additional practice in spelling, reading, practicing reports, and more. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Have students write and record audio book reviews others can play on iPads in the school library. If you have gifted students in your classroom, this tool is simple enough for even the youngest to be able to record audio mini-dramas portraying a historic figure, poetry readings, and more. Be sure to show them how to NAME and download the files to the local computer! Anything they can say out loud can become a creative project recording. Don't forget about recording musical performances or practices.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diamante Poems - ReadWriteThink
Grades
2 to 8
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Diamonds are forever, and so are diamante poems created on this free site. Find a great tool to shape up your poets through the structure of a seven lined diamante ...more
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Diamonds are forever, and so are diamante poems created on this free site. Find a great tool to shape up your poets through the structure of a seven lined diamante poem. Learn about the diamond-shaped poems that use specific types of words for each line. Rhyming isn't needed, but needn't be impeded. Describe a central topic or two opposing topics like night and day. View the examples before creating your poem. Each screen provides an organizer for any poet to complete. Click on the parts of speech for definitions while composing poems. Edit your poem, if needed, before printing, downloading it as a PDF, or sharing through email. Save your draft to continue at a later date. This site is a must during poetry month in April.
tag(s): antonyms (14), firstday (22), parts of speech (40), poetry (190), rhymes (21), synonyms (17)
In the Classroom
Diamante poems are a fun format to write about a single topic or to compare/contrast two topics. Review parts of speech and then apply these concepts with writing diamante poems. Work the idea of cause and effect into the diamante poem format for a challenging activity with your poets. Provide students with diamante poems with a few words missing and have them fill in the blanks to complete the poem. Compare or contrast text passages for any subject area or use the diamante format to summarize a selection. Provide your students with images, and have them write diamante poems about the images. Make homemade greeting cards with your students to give using this format of poetry or write "about me" poems using this tool at the start of school.
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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 (133), editing (90), process writing (38), writing (317)
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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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 (33), 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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