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Unhangout is a free platform for connecting community-driven learning opportunities. Participants gather in the site's lobby at the time of the event, introduce themselves, and possibly view a short presentation or video together. After introductions, participants choose breakout rooms based on their interest. Breakout rooms hold up to ten participants at a time and open in a new tab so they can continue to add to the main chat if desired. Within the breakout rooms, conversations focus on a common topic and include options for members to use their webcam to discuss topics, view videos together, or work on a shared document. Following the event, participants receive an email with a transcript of the event and email contacts of fellow participants. Create your event by logging into your account and adding information including date, time, and additional hosts if desired. Other options enable you to set privacy options, allow follow-up emails, and provide for a custom URL.

tag(s): chat (41), collaboration (94)

YoTeach! is a free backchanneling app created for teachers and students. Create a room and set a password then provide the URL to your students. Once in the platform, the site's features allow you to share chat discussions, use the online whiteboard, and upload images. Additional options include a simple polling tool, a "like" button, and student participation statistics. When finished, download the conversation to your computer as a PDF. When creating your room, use settings to control privacy and moderate participants. Students can now engage using anonymous mode.

tag(s): chat (41), communication (130), social networking (61)

Clockify is an online time tracker and spreadsheet. Use Clockify to organize information by project or assigned topics. Invite others to your spreadsheet, then log in to start and stop the timer while working. This site also has a manual mode for entering information. Add tags to sort further and categorize information as needed.

tag(s): calendars (37), DAT device agnostic tool (146), organizational skills (88), Teacher Utilities (203)

Make sure your headlines and titles are capitalized correctly with this fantastic tool! Type or paste in your title to convert to the correct capitalization of all words. Even better, this site highlights changes made. Also, hover over each word in the correct title to see a pop-up explanation explaining why each word is or isn't capitalized. Modify the results to meet your needs using Associated Press, Chicago, MLA, or Wikipedia formatting.

tag(s): journalism (74), writing (325)

This 25-page booklet provides a guide for middle school educators for teaching about violence and domestic abuse. Information includes guidelines for distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy relationships along with warning signs of abuse. Also, this guide provides suggestions for helping students in unhealthy relationships.

tag(s): bullying (48), conflict resolution (9), emotions (52), school violence (10), social skills (22)

Google provides a series of lessons correlated to career readiness and reading standards in three different levels to teach students how to search effectively. Select from topics including picking the correct search terms, understanding results, and evaluating the credibility of sources. Find additional lessons related to culture, geography, history, and science by clicking the link for "A Google a Day Challenges," reviewed here.

tag(s): Google (48), search engines (48), search strategies (22)

The Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) has an extensive collection of resources for integrating technology into classroom instruction. Find over 100,000 pieces of digital content including clip art, audio files, historical maps, and more for classroom use by students and teachers. Find resources and professional development in their Technology Integration Matrix (TIM), reviewed here, including graphics, PDF's, and evaluation tools. Each month FCIT curates and shares digital collections related to holidays and important events in history.

tag(s): images (263), maps (224), professional development (392), teaching strategies (52)

This simple site provides a valuable service for anyone with a need to share a daily schedule for a child. Just use the link to add new items to the planner including the time and specific details. When finished, print the completed schedule to share with caregivers.

tag(s): Special Needs (53)

Do you want to start a classroom blog but don't know how to start? This series of articles provides all the information you need from getting started through promoting your blog. Information on this site begins with the most basic information including choosing the appearance of your blog and moves on to cover using and customizing your site. All information in these articles pertains to using WordPress as your platform; however, the tips and information apply to anyone wanting to create a classroom blog.

tag(s): blogs (67)

This safe and straightforward site creates unique passwords within your given parameters. Choose the length of your desired password and use the checked boxes to include or exclude letters, characters, or numbers. Additional options allow you to select the number of numeric characters or symbols to add. After making your selections, click "Generate" to create your password. Additional information on the site explains why it is important to use strong passwords along with specific content on how a strong password looks.

tag(s): internet safety (114)

Don't let the simple look of this article keep you away; it lists explicitly several specific threats facing children through their use of online content. After viewing these risks and corresponding data, this site shares suggestions for protecting against these threats and pre-emptive steps for avoiding many Internet pitfalls.

tag(s): cyberbullying (42), internet safety (114)

Have you found an online article that you want to read but just don't have the time? Email This is the answer. Install the bookmarklet into any browser to send ad-free articles and web pages straight to your email for reading at your convenience. Follow directions to add the bookmarklet to your web browser. Once installed, click the icon when viewing any web page. Email This sends it to your email without any of the annoying ads.

tag(s): bookmarks (43)

Understood is an online collaboration of 15 non-profit organizations with a goal to provide learning resources for students aged 3-20. The site offers thousands of articles, decision guides, quizzes, and more. Also, choose from unique tools such as the Parenting Coach, Tech Finder, and Through Your Child's Eyes (simulations of different learning issues). Use the Parent Toolkit to find personalized resources available by topic, grade, or learning disorder. Videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): emotions (52), learning disability (21), learning styles (17), preK (286), professional development (392), racism (81), social and emotional learning (109), Special Needs (53), Teacher Utilities (203)

The Consortium for Media Literacy provides this collection of archived newsletters for teachers, parents, administrators, and others involved with education. Each issue is based on a monthly theme and includes teaching ideas related to the subject along with research highlights and additional resources. Select the latest issue with the provided link or scroll through the archives listed in alphabetical order to find topics of interest. Sample topics include Cell Phones as Learning Tools and Parents and Media Literacy.

tag(s): internet safety (114), media literacy (109), professional development (392)

Does giving a presentation make you nervous? Perhaps you envy those who make presenting look easy? This infographic packed with tips and advice provides solutions to everyday concerns about speaking in public. Scroll through to find common problems and how to address them. Other information includes planning, preparation, and delivery tips for getting the most out of any presentation.
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tag(s): infographics (57), speaking (26), speeches (23)