Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Draw geometric constructions with the help of Robocompass's animated features. View ideas from the example list to understand how the site works. Choose one of the examples (such as Bisect an Angle) then click the "Play All" button to follow the step-by-step procedure in action. Stop the animation at any point and resume play when ready. In addition to using examples provided, create your own constructions using commands found in the "How to" link. Robocompass interfaces with Google memberships, allowing you to SAVE animations! For a good overview of the site, choose "Take the Tour." (The tour button only shows AFTER you have clicked a sample file or "Open Robocompass.") This option offers a video overview and explanation. If your district blocks YouTube, "Take the Tour" may not be viewable. The tool states it operates best in Chrome and requires WebGL. You need to enable Web GL to use it in Safari. See directions how in this blog post. iOS and Android apps are "coming soon." Imagine this one on a tablet! Note: This site uses significant bandwidth to load the animations and the tour video. Be patient.

tag(s): angles (52), charts and graphs (171), geometric shapes (134), transformations (12)

Get lost in the world of Mathigon - a visually beautiful, interactive online library of math animations, games, illustrations, and more. Choose to begin with the World of Mathematics e-book or explore one of several slideshows, movies, and explorations. The Mathematical Origami and Panorama math applications sections are fabulous, though a little text-heavy. Take a trip with Alice in FractalLand using Disney clips to learn about sequencing, fractals, and triangles. Explore Mathigon Ideas containing short video explanations of important math ideas using only graphics and animations. There is much to explore and see on this interesting and colorful site. Be sure to allow plenty of time to find it all! Check back often as new explorations are currently under development. If your district blocks YouTube, then parts of this site may not be viewable. The site operates well on any mobile browser, too!

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), origami (14), probability (99), problem solving (233), tangrams (8)

Oppia is a wonderfully interesting tool for creative learning explorations. The goal of Oppia is to create a one-on-one learning situation similar to that found in a learning dialogue. As you proceed through each Oppia and enter responses, feedback stimulates thinking without providing answers. Browse the gallery to begin exploring math, languages, science, art, social sciences, and programming options. Be sure to choose the "Show beta explorations" option to find many more activities with topics from "Art" to "Welcome to Oppia." The activities offer an exploration of the background and use of the website. If you feel comfortable with technology, try to create and add your own Oppia to the site.

tag(s): coding (85), computational thinking (40), cooking (32), electricity (61), equations (119), fractions (160), homonyms (8), homophones (6), india (32), latin (23), light (56), logic (161), politics (118), puzzles (149), quadratics (27), ratios (47), statistics (121), STEM (297), Teacher Utilities (197)

Use this simple, online collaborative writing editor with up to 32 people! No registration is required. Create a free meeting room, and share the link with others or send an invitation email. Use the chat space along the right to comment to one another, perhaps explaining why you made the changes you made to the text. Save versions, view and revert to earlier versions, import/export, and use simple editing tools. Be sure to use or edit at least once per week, if you intend to keep your project. The site is clear on its intention to be a real-time collaboration tool among up to 32 people, not meant for long-term storage. "Pads" may be deleted if they haven't been edited in more than seven days. Be sure to mark the url for your pad as a Favorite or send it to yourself so you can find it again (before the seven days run out).

tag(s): editing (93), proofreading (21), writing (324)

Find crafts and activities for both home and in the classroom. First, figure out which are ads and which is actual site content! Discover activities for families or after school. Find your area by searching within your state or area code. Discover party ideas, theme ideas, crafts, classroom helpers, puzzles and games. Free personalized printouts include; blank checks, thank you cards, coupon books, and bookmarks. Find fun worksheets for holidays.
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tag(s): crafts (64), directions (11), holidays (187), mothers day (12), parents (57)

Foodista is a community of food lovers who share and exchange all things food! Find recipes and cooking ideas, food news, holiday ideas, health and nutrition, video directions, questions and answers, blogs, and an RSS feed. Add a recipe or share on social media The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): cooking (32), holidays (187), nutrition (140)

Take the hassle out of report card comments and school report writing (by teachers) with School Report Writer. Join for free to keep your comments handy. This time saving, free program gives you instant access to hundreds of comments. Use comments that are already there or create your own. Enter your comments in the create space, find automatic initial sentences, concluding sentences, synonyms, a grammar checker, and a spell checker. Save your comments on your own device, copy/paste into your school report card system, or share with the community. Take the time to view the screenshots or video from the links at top right to see how this tool works.
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tag(s): assessment (147)

Hashify is a simple tool to create web pages with no HTML experience.... and more. Think of it as the plainest of plain vanilla online writing spaces. Type everything in the left side of the tool and it is automatically formatted on the right side. The tools on the left toolbar tool add formatting: headers, bold, bulleted lists, etc. This tool offers options in between plain text writing and the formatting you would expect in Microsoft Word. It's also supported in many different web applications, including Tumblr and some Wikis. It is a great way to organize notes, to-do lists, or other items. It has all the advantages of plain text writing, but acts like a word processor. Use this tool as a minimalist writing system to jot down your thoughts without worrying too much about the appearance. Export the finished result with formatting added. Click Save. Share above the left typing area to obtain the URL to the page you have created. Others can add their own ideas, too! No membership is required.

tag(s): blogs (65), communication (129), creativity (86), social networking (61)

Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message. When sending a text, the site is set up so that students & parents do not see the teachers' phone numbers nor do the teachers see the students' phone numbers. Create an account. Any phone that can receive text messages will receive these. Communication through this site is safe and secure. You only see the names of your students, not their phone number, and they only see your name -- not your cell phone number. With Remind you can schedule reminders for the future, translate your message into 70 languages, send photos, PDFs, voice clips, and see who has read your messages. Be sure to obtain parental permission FIRST, as standard messaging rates apply. Be sure to click the Security Overview to read about Remind's FERPA and COPPA compliance.

tag(s): chat (41), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), microblogging (14), Teacher Utilities (197)

Receive online math help and practice anytime and anywhere using I Coach Math activities (many correlated to Common Core). Begin by choosing your appropriate math level from elementary, middle school, or high school at the bottom of the screen. Narrow results by grade and topic to find lessons. Review and practice material with short, multiple choice response questions. Other interesting features of this site include math, physics, chemistry, and biology dictionaries. Complete the free assessment test to receive an instant report including your strengths and challenges. Please note that although I Coach Math works on all browsers, the site recommends Mozilla Firefox for display of all content. There are significant ads on this site, so guide students to avoid them.
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tag(s): assessment (147), decimals (85), equations (119), exponents (35), fractions (160), functions (52), geometric shapes (134), homework (29), measurement (122), polynomials (20), probability (99), ratios (47), statistics (121)

Brief.ly is a simple way to share a "bundle" of links at the same time. Enter up to 30 links and captions you want to share (one per line or click the wrench for more options). Brief.ly will generate a unique URL. When opened, a Table of Contents page lists the sites included. When you open the bundle, each site appears and tabs appear along the top of the page that allow you to easily jump from one recommended site to the next. This site is very easy to use and helpful for all ages, as long as they can read. With your membership, you can edit the contents of your list later, without resending it or changing the single link.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), organizational skills (88)

NCES Kids' Zone offers enrichment and informational data. Explore This Day in History, updated daily. Take a poll and compare your own answers with others. Try your problem solving skills with the mindbender. Learn (and use) the word of the day. The Dare to Compare button leads to short quizzes where you can compare your knowledge with others. You can also explore data about your local schools and libraries and even find college information. Note that the upper menus do not work in all browsers, so not all areas of the site are readily accessible.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), probability (99)

Use the magic of speech recognition to create emails, dictate notes, or write an essay in many languages without ever touching your keyboard. Online Dictation only works in the Chrome browser. Click "Start Dictation," and grant the site permission to connect to your computer's microphone. Begin talking, and watch your words appear on the screen. Dictation detects many different languages so is useful for many non-English speakers. When you finish speaking, export your text using links to Dropbox, Google Drive, your computer, or send as an email. This is a speech to text tool.

Since this tool has to connect back to its own servers to "translate" your spoken words to text, it may not have the sensitivity you expect. It is a good idea to test it first yourself before assigning students to use it. You might want to demonstrate how clearly you must speak to make it work.

tag(s): communication (129), differentiation (84), note taking (36), speech (69), writing (324)

Create video conversations including up to four people instantly with Whereby (formerly Appear.in). There is nothing to download, and no registration is required. Add a name for your room and click "create." Allow access to your computer's webcam and microphone, and your room is all set up. Send the link to others to click and join in. Claim a room to get privileges such as customizing your room's background and locking your room when empty. Whereby works with Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Opera browsers.

tag(s): blended learning (37), chat (41), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), remote learning (54), video (266)

Achieve the Core provides high-quality resources to assist with implementing Common Core Standards. Whether you are already a Common Core whiz or just a beginner, this site will help you grow and learn. Choose from three main portions of the site: Professional Learning, Planning for Instruction, and Classroom Resources. Search the site by selecting Classroom Resources, which has subject area, lessons, student samples, tasks, assessments, and more. Begin your professional development with instructional modules found under the Professional Development tab and Instructional Materials and Assesments. Modules include a facilitators guide, a video, and hands on activity with discussion ideas. Content includes both ELA and Math. Some lessons can be found (in ELA) that also incorporate science and social studies. Filter by individual grade level or by elementary, middle school, or high school. Under ELA/Literacy, examine text dependent questions and text complexity. You will also find instructional videos, sample lesson and assessment questions, instructional practices, and aligning materials. Math activities include videos, examining the shifts, and evaluating yourself. Another area to explore is the Leadership Tools. To the far right of the Classroom Resources, find Early Reading Accelerators which includes Foundational Skills and Knowledge and Vocabulary. This can be viewed online or downloaded in PDF format. Under Early Reading you will also find special materials for fractions.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Brainly is social networking site for homework help. Use this tool on ANY device! Created for students of all ages, Brainly allows you to post questions and also respond to other questions. The site's point system encourages you to return and participate within the network. Use the "Ask a question" box to post any homework question. Choose a subject and type the question. View questions others ask by browsing latest questions or within subject categories. View questions and responses without creating an account. However, an account is required to post questions. Registration requires an email address or Facebook account. Although Brainly states that it is a homework help site for all ages, registration requires that users be 13 years or older.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), homework (29), social networking (61)

Lulu's Games offers a nice assortment of strategy and number games. Choose from games for four year olds or seven year olds. Different categories include games focusing on logic and strategy, observation, math, or positioning. The overall look of this site is very "outdated", but some games are still quite decent.

tag(s): alphabet (53), logic (161), number sense (69), preK (270), problem solving (233), puzzles (149)

Everything Preschool offers a large assortment of preschool and early elementary resources. Discover 30,000 activities sorted into 100 themes. Explore categories to find activities and lessons requiring basic supplies. Choose from topics such as themes, lesson plans, alphabet ideas, and crafts. Discover top lesson plans and popular themes located on the right hand side of the page or search the site for any term using the Google search bar.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), holidays (187), preK (270)

Video Math Tutor is a YouTube channel offering many math tutorials from basic math operations through Algebra. Find videos using playlists on the site sorted by topics such as Video Flash Cards, Tips for Students, Calculator Tips, and much more. The site continues to grow and offer a great variety of content. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): addition (129), division (98), equations (119), factors (29), inequalities (25), multiples (15), multiplication (122), operations (72), subtraction (110), time (91)