Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This is a collection of summer seminars provided by NEH. Offered are one-to-four week programs called Institutes, where participants learn about and discuss important topics in the humanities. Another topic is Landmarks of American History and Culture, which has a video with an overview of the Landmarks workshops offered for the current summer. You will also find information for Applicants and Participants and Application and Notification dates.

tag(s): grants (15), professional development (385), seasonal (16), summer (28)

Has your favorite website gone MIA? Do you get the messages, "This site has moved" or "This website cannot be displayed?" If so, this website, Way Back Machine, will be of great assistance to you. The website pulls sites from Internet archives so you are able to look for clues how to find those websites when they "disappear."

To use this site, simply type or paste in the old URL into the Way Back Machine Search box. You will see links to find several pages that show when the site was updated. Look at the archived pages to find the author, actual page title, project name, or other clues to use in a new Google search for the "missing link." Oftentimes you will find that it has simply moved to a new home. Try copying key or unique short passages from the archived page and putting them into Google with quotes around them. If that text appears somewhere new on the web, Google will find it!

This site is one of the TeachersFirst editorial team's all time favorite technology tools!

This site offers 101 ideas for a Great Start to your school year, semester, or even January doldrums. (Okay, actually there are 111 with the 10 bonus ideas). The ideas are broken down into sections: Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere, Set a Positive Tone, Encourage Active Learning, Encourage Students to Keep Up and Do Well, Provide Support for Students, Be Efficient and Effective with Your Time, Gather Feedback on Teaching, and the Bonus 10. Some of the tips are more suitable for college professors, but teachers of all levels can find numerous ideas at this site. There are a few links to other sites (at Iowa State University). Some of the sites are relevant; others are not. Some require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): firstday (22), newbies (11), substitutes (25)

This annual "conference" started in 2006, costs you nothing, and connects you with teachers and education professionals all over the world in live or near-live interaction. Always held during the second half of October, the conference features "presenters" using technology tools to share their experiences using technology and best practices to change the way learning occurs in their schools and classrooms. They describe it as "a conference by educators for educators around the world interested in integrating emerging technologies into classroom practice."

Each year the strands vary, so be sure to visit the site early to learn more about the current focus. Our editors are very impressed at the changes in this conference since our first review in 2006 and cannot wait to see what will happen next. Every teacher can find something to learn and stretch without being overwhelmed.

Don't miss the "Fireside Chats," opportunities to talk live with the presenters and ask questions. NO question is too minor or "dumb."

tag(s): blogs (65), podcasts (108), professional development (385), wikis (14)

This site allows you to create and customize online quizzes. Once registered, create quizzes using the shared templates or make your own from scratch. Current templates for educators include quizzes in several subjects, including geography, math, and language arts. This site also consists of an extensive database of ready-made questions to use. Customize your quizzes by adding images, changing backgrounds, and more. Use the preview feature to review your quiz before sharing. Share quizzes with a link, use the embed code to embed onto a website, print, or share with social media links.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): quiz (67)

Discover a simple, yet sophisticated blog about all things related to writing. The information is presented as text only (nothing visual or slick), but it is helpful, especially as a reference or guide to improving your writing. The variety of tips offered is perfect whether you need help or are simply curious. The list in the left column offers the archived articles on everything from business writing, fiction writing, and writing basics to misused words, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This is a great site for information both students and adults can use in their writing.

tag(s): creative writing (124), expository writing (31), grammar (137), process writing (37), punctuation (25), spelling (98)

You can be as adventurous or not as you wish! This safe, free site lets students and teachers show off their talents by sharing their appropriate videos to be viewed all over America. With a simple registration, you can upload your classroom video, which then goes into a "holding" area. That video then awaits approval by the website's moderator before becoming available. Because of the layering of approval, this site poses no security concerns to students or schools. Not only can teachers and students upload videos, but administrators may also want to post welcome or informational videos to be viewed by parents and students. You may also wish to share some of these videos with your class. Teachers will find videos suitable for classroom instruction (and lesson plans). Use the search box at the top of the webpage to look for topics that relate to your current units of study. Searching the site and simply viewing the videos does not require any registration or log-in. There is a link to SchoolTube Games , as well.

tag(s): video (266)

Protecting our youth on the Internet is the number one goal of I Keep Safe. Full of ideas and resources, this organization generously promotes technology-safety. Check out the abundant videos and ad campaigns, as well as, other prolific avenues to share their wisdom. Their generosity even invites you to download their materials and share with everyone. Click on the educator's link to access tools to use with your students. Your students will enjoy the interactive games in the Kids section. Prowl around for a while and discover the valuable advice located here.

tag(s): back to school (55), internet safety (114), parents (57), safety (68), space (222)

Your busy life needs a manager. Now you have one: RememberTheMilk.com (also known as RTM). Don't worry about missing a date; any or all of these applications or programs will remind you: email, SMS, and instant messenger (AIM, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype and Yahoo) are all supported. Set up a free account in minutes. Secondary students will embrace this tool to remind them of tests or assignments or sporting events. List making has made it to a whole new level.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), organizational skills (88), time (91)

Do you ever think you are the only veteran teacher who is tired of doing the same thing in your classroom? Do you wonder how to take on a massive change and learn new technology tools to implement the change? This article in Edutopia magazine (online and print) features Louise Maine, one of TeachersFirst's review team members, and tells the story of the changes she made to her teaching style after 20 years in the classroom. The companion article , also in this Edutopia issue, provides specific how-to-do-this advice on making a class wiki the center of your class. Louise used the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through and our Wiki Warranty template at the start of her journey, and look where the path has lead!

tag(s): wikis (14)

This Canadian site provides a week's worth of lessons to teach your students about bullying. It doesn't matter when your particular school highlights this important topic, you can use these valuable lessons and tools any time of the year. Please be aware that the statistics at this site are Canadian, however; the USA stats can be found via the internet with ease. Click on the left hand menu on each day of the week for a healthy stash of activities to use. From surveys to books to school-wide activity suggestions, be sure to save this site in your favorites. Music, videos, and more also await you at the Resources link.

QuickTime, Flash, and Adobe Acrobat are required for music and videos. You can get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): bullying (48), cyberbullying (40)

This professional resource offers a possible look (scenarios) into the future of education. This site is a good illustration of the fact that teachers all around the world are aware of the changes that are necessary in education to respond to new technologies and globalization. The goal of the scenarios is to look at the possible education system in Australia in 2030. The creators narrowed down the futuristic world into four categories/scenarios. The first scenario offers a tolerant and harmonious society. The second scenario depicts a highly competitive world. Scenario three represents the society as polarized. The final scenario shows a world violent and fractured. The seeds of each of the possible societies are visible today. The scenarios demonstrate the importance of engaging with change and how THAT creates your ability to anticipate issues in the future, raise awareness, and create change! Click on Teaching for Uncertain Futures to view the book in its entirety. The links require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

tag(s): australia (28)

This site offers free publications about teaching, literacy, reading instruction, child development, math, and school safety. The offerings include materials for all levels (brochures, posters, videotapes, newsletters, and more). The intended audiences include students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Many publications and also site information come in Spanish and English.

tag(s): literacy (122)

The focus of this site is to encourage better literacy and reading enjoyment among pre-teens and adolescents. Sister sites Reading Rockets, Colorin'Colorado, Start with a Book, and LDonline offer summer reading strategies, book lists, book clubs, classroom technique hints which encourage the development of reading attack skills, and a special section on authors and their best books. For a Spanish language version of the main topics available as an A to Z list, click on the left side of the screen En Espanol. This site has everything you need to know about teaching reading in easy-to-use formats.

tag(s): authors (107), independent reading (81), reading strategies (96)

This timely website is a must-see if you are teaching computer and Internet safety. The site is divided into three age levels of activities: 5-7, 8-10, and 11-16. Students ages 5-7 get to meet Hector and take a tour and see interactive information about Internet safety. There are several interactive cartoons and other educational material. Students ages 8-10 meet Griff and his friends to learn how to stay safe while using email, cell phones, chat rooms, and other new technologies. Turn your sound on to listen to Hector and Griff explain safety on a young person's level (and with charming British accents). The site for secondary students includes video clips, information, and more. All three sub-sites provide age-appropriate activities, with upbeat music and neat interactives. There are also links for parents and teachers. The teachers link features lesson plans to coincide with the cartoons and/or video clips. The lesson plans require membership (which is easy and free). Viewing the cartoons does not require membership.

tag(s): chat (41), internet safety (114), safety (68)

Wizards perform magical feats, and this book wizard proves to be equally supernatural. Claiming to be the first book search engine for teachers, it is built on a database of 50,000 books from all publishers. Snazzy tools allow you to see the reading level of any book in several leveling systems, and use the BookAlike tool to see what books are similar to a particular well-loved book. Use the Discover New Books tool and you will find ready-made, themed lists. The Leveling Chart to find books by Guided Reading, Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), and Lexile'''® Levels. This gives you the opportunity to buy them from Scholastic, but check your library first to find a free copy to use in class. Matching the right book to each individual student has never been easier.

tag(s): book lists (167), reading lists (77)