Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Use polltogo to create polls for student response during a meeting or class time. Connect with your audience in many ways. Create a question and select the type of answers, how long the poll will last, password or not, and more options. Receive notifications about your poll via your email. Each poll is free for twenty people to vote. Tweet about polltogo and receive another thirty credits so thirty more people can vote. Choose to receive results (via email) after every vote or at the end of the voting period. Interim and final results can also be viewed online. Another great feature is embedding the results link into a PowerPoint or Keynote slide to project results during a presentation. polltogo is a device-agnostic voting tool and will auto-adapt to display on any mobile or desktop device.

tag(s): assessment (147), Formative Assessment (74), polls and surveys (49)

Enter the world of Common Core with NYlearns. Find a myriad of free resources including activities, learning experience unit, lesson plans, multimedia, teacher resources, web-based practice, constructed response questions, document based questions, and rubrics in elementary, intermediate, and commencement. An overview of Assessment includes basics, and assessment builder in which you may choose grade level and subject. Currently, memberships are available to school districts to have access to e-portfolio, website, e-planner, my curriculum, and assessment builder.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Create diagrams, flowcharts, organizational charts, and more using ProcessOn. After a short registration process, create your diagram using templates provided or start from scratch. Creation tools are similar to Microsoft Word setup, allowing easy personalization with colors, shapes, text, images, and more. Easily collaborate using tools such as an online chat. Click the Invite Collaborators link to send an invitation. Save files on the site or download directly to your computer.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), concept mapping (15), graphic organizers (48), venn diagrams (15)

Explore the life of Nelson Mandela with this informative site from Biography.com. Contents include facts of Mandela's life, photos, and quotes profiling his life and leadership. There is a lot here to explore.
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tag(s): 20th century (62), black history (133), civil rights (209), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)

Explore information and facts about the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, straight from the Nobel Prize website. In addition to basic biographical information, view videos of Mandela's Nobel lecture, a bibliography of his writings, a photo gallery and much more.

tag(s): 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), biographies (94), black history (133), civil rights (209), cultures (180), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)

Debate with others or vote on topics of social and political interest on Quibl. This site offers an open debate platform. See the best of what both sides of an issue have to offer and then decide where to put your comment or argument. There are guidelines for every submission, and moderators review every topic submission and all comments. Find a debate via search. Browse the categories you are interested in, sort the debate with filters, or use the map and the regions that are interesting to you. Though Quibl is monitored, the general public has access so content may not be appropriate for all students. Preview before sharing in a classroom.

tag(s): debate (42), persuasive writing (58), polls and surveys (49)

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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tag(s): creative writing (124), novels (34), short stories (18), writing (324)

Use this free interactive mapping site to make additions to Google Maps, incorporating other data and maps with them. Add topographic maps and spatial or environmental data. This is an easy tool for adding symbols and icons or for adding a drawing on a Google map. Find many of the simple tools along the top of the map. You can do something as simple as adding text labels or shading a region. Add data to the map using the tools below the map. Create a mashup of KML, GPX (easily imported from Garmin), WMS and GEORSS data sources. This video explains many of the features of Geokov. Please note this video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.

tag(s): environment (252), landforms (39), landmarks (22), maps (220)

This free tool is an aggregation site for news, research, information, and opinion about learning and technology. Hover over the titles to read an abstract or click to be taken to the site. There are video clips, slideshows, articles, and more. Share easily with others through email, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or other social media. Interested in a specific topic? Use the tags on the left to view an entire category of related information. The site operates "automatically" by following certain feeds and web news searches, so new items appear very often. Although the title is Spigot, it could seem like "Firehose"! The content seems appropriate for secondary classrooms, but you might want to preview just before you turn students loose to be sure.

tag(s): media literacy (109), news (228)

Sheppard Software offers hundreds of online learning games for learners in a large variety of subjects. Topics include brain games, seasons, nutrition, and world geography. Search for specific topics or browse categories. Looking for a specific grade level range? Scroll down below the main icons to view recommended sections for different age ranges from preschool to adult. In addition to games, some categories include videos, timelines, and coloring activities. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Some activities require flash which isn't supported on all browsers.
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tag(s): addition (129), alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), animal homes (57), animals (294), capitalization (9), capitals (16), cells (82), colors (63), continents (33), counting (60), countries (73), decimals (85), dinosaurs (43), division (98), elements (33), endangered species (27), equations (119), estimation (33), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), grammar (137), integers (21), landforms (39), life cycles (21), measurement (122), money (113), multiplication (122), number lines (33), number sense (69), numbers (120), oceans (149), order of operations (29), parts of speech (39), patterns (61), periodic table (44), place value (34), puzzles (149), states (124), subtraction (110), time (91), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (93)

Talky is a chat and video sharing application that is easy to set up and use. Features include screen sharing, group video chat with up to six participants, and privacy setting options. Begin by naming your conversation. Be sure to allow access to your computer's camera and microphone when prompted. Share the link with participants to allow access to the meeting. Use links to lock the room to anyone without a password and to share your screen. Current settings only allow use of Talky with Chrome and Firefox. Screen sharing is available with Chrome only. Be sure to read the helpful information found at the bottom of the site for Chrome screen sharing settings. Best part of all... no membership or sign-up is necessary to use this tool.

tag(s): chat (41), communication (129), microblogging (14)

Share YouTube videos in a nicer, "uncluttered" way with NicerTube. Convert the usual YouTube share page into an attractive, easy to view page. Choose your design option. Enter the URL for any video. Choose your background from available options such as a web page, solid color, or other design. Complete your design, copy the URL, and share the link as you desire. If your district blocks YouTube, this tool may or may not work with your school filters. Test it with a sample before going to the work to make your own.
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tag(s): safety (68), video (266)

Have fun creating sentences or short messages (like tweets) using drag and drop words at X (formerly Twitter) Magnets! X (formerly Twitter) Magnets calls them poems, though the length limit is a real challenge for poets! Choose from the words offered. Drag and drop the magnets into the message area at the bottom -- up to 120 characters. The tool keeps a character count for you. Need different words? Click the swap words link for new choices. Click submit to view your message/poem and decide whether to submit to X (formerly Twitter) Magnet's feed or not. You can also link to send from your own X (formerly Twitter) account. Note that clicking to see the Twitter Magnets feed will show you "messages" and poems created by the general public. Steer clear or preview to be sure these are appropriate in your setting.

tag(s): creative fluency (5), microblogging (14), poetry (193), Teacher Utilities (197), twitter (13), writing prompts (61)

RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details on that topic. An excellent rubric is available for download in PDF format at the bottom of the home page. This simple site is a great resource for discussing and teaching information literacy lessons about evaluating information and sources.

tag(s): evaluating sources (29), internet safety (114), media literacy (109), Research (87), rubrics (37)

EngageNY offers a video library and pedagogical tools to aid teachers implementing Common Core. Although this site is mainly math, there are also some ELA resources/ideas. Search the site using filters for content, grade level, or type of resource. Video topics include professional resources and also lesson ideas. Videos range in length from 5 to over 40 minutes.

tag(s): commoncore (73), professional development (385)

Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few activities to get the idea. After registering, click on the CSW Projects and Activities tab. Search the activities by project type (e.g. projectiles, music, woodshop) or by STEM content. Workshop ideas are either video or downloaded instructions with images. Most use simple, inexpensive materials.

tag(s): engineering (129), gravity (43), inventors and inventions (80), musical instruments (52), plants (146), sound (72), STEM (297)

Pocket is a bookmarking and curation application that syncs across all of your devices to save online articles or videos for later viewing. Saving is simple. Download the bookmarklet on your computer or the Pocket app to your mobile device. When you see something to save for later viewing, click the share button to send to your Pocket account. View at anytime (even offline). Sort by content type such as article, video, or text. Add tags to organize content as you wish. Pocket integrates with many other online tools, such as X (formerly Twitter) and Flipboard. Share articles using social networking or email links to the Pocket app. Although this site is recommended for all grade levels, younger students would only be able to use this site if the collection was completed by an adult. Click to view the short introduction video to learn more.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), curation (32), DAT device agnostic tool (147)

Create beautiful interactive timelines quickly and easily. Begin with a Google spreadsheet from the template provided. Add from a variety of media sources such as X (formerly Twitter), Google Maps, YouTube, and much more. When finished, publish to the web, and share using links or embed code. Be sure to check out the example link for suggestions and ideas for use. The tutorial video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, it may not be viewable.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), timelines (56)

Create a free website in just minutes with Jimdo. Use the drag and drop feature to insert and move content easily. Toolbars offer editing options such as adding images from Flickr, including YouTube videos, files, Google Maps, and formatting your text. Add share buttons to connect your site using social networking. Changes save and publish automatically. Although there are paid options, the free site offers 500mb of storage along with many features useful for the casual website builder.
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tag(s): communication (129), portfolios (23), social networking (61)

Listly is an online application for creating, curating, and sharing "social" lists. You are able to view lists without any login or account. Create an account on Listly to start your own list following the simple instructions, using your online dashboard. Edit features include tags, description, and options for comments and guest participation. Allow others to add to your list or move items up and down in rank. Use the code to embed a list into your website/blog or share by URL. Add the bookmarklet to your browser's toolbar to easily add any web page to a list. Not ready to create your own lists? Use the search bar to find lists already created on any subject.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), curation (32), organizational skills (88), polls and surveys (49)