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The Math Dude: Quick and Dirty Tips - Jason Marshall, PhD
Grades
6 to 12
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Put math (and related science) fears behind you with podcasts with text transcripts from The Math Dude. The Math Dude makes complex math problems easy to decipher with his easy ...more
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Put math (and related science) fears behind you with podcasts with text transcripts from The Math Dude. The Math Dude makes complex math problems easy to decipher with his easy to follow explanations and tips. Listen to podcasts while viewing text explaining common math questions from basic algebra through SAT prep questions. Be sure to check out the "The Math Dude's Most Popular Tips" and "The Math Dude's Archives." Download podcasts as MP3 files and play through iTunes, QuickTime Player, and RealPlayer installed on a local computer. You can also simply play them from the site. Just be sure you click on the podcast play button and not one of the annoying videos or other ads! This site is loaded with advertisements. However, there is some great material underneath them all. NOTE: This site includes tools for blog users to interact with others. Any visitor can comment on the posts and podcasts or participate in Forums. There are also links to other tip blogs on the web page. Check your school policies on students posting comments, etc. to the web and whether they are permitted to do so anonymously and/or with name or initials.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): measurement (123), operations (72), podcasts (106), problem solving (232)
In the Classroom
Check ahead of time to be sure this site is not blocked at school. If it is blocked, consider subscribing to the blog via iTunes to avoid all the ads. External speakers connected to the computer will help broadcast the sound throughout your classroom. Help students follow along by opening the podcast article (transcript) ad-free using the Readability Test Tool, reviewed here. Project the ad-free article as you play the podcast. Share the link on your class web page or select specific episodes links to offer support for concepts you are studying, such as absolute value or sine/cosine. Extend the concept of The Math Dude by having students write and produce their own math tip podcasts or English tip podcasts to explain the grammar demons that haunt their writing. Use a site such as Spreaker, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Listen to Nature - British Library Sound Archive
Grades
K to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Listen to nature, literally, through this enormous library of animal and bird sounds. There are 400 sound recordings to explore on these pages. Search by habitat, animal group, location,...more
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Listen to nature, literally, through this enormous library of animal and bird sounds. There are 400 sound recordings to explore on these pages. Search by habitat, animal group, location, or bird language. Use the location tab to click on an interactive map and find 150,000 animal sounds throughout the world. Learn how and why birds communicate by checking out The Language of Birds tab. This site requires Windows Media Player or a Mac compatible player for .wma (Windows Media) files. Flip Player for Mac works fine.
tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), birds (46), habitats (91), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
Use your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and speakers to share the various sounds of animals and birds when studying habitats and the animals who live there. One of the most interesting sections is The Language of Birds. This could be an entire investigative unit completed by your students. Explore the text heavy introduction where you can extract information together with your students. Let them explore the different sections of the contents. In small groups, upper elementary and middle school students could create an online poster about the habitat or bird language they learn about. Try a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here. They could play the bird communication in the background while they are explaining their poster to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Screencastify - Chrome Web Store
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
1 Comments
Screencastify is a screen capture/screencast software created for use ONLY with Chrome browsers. It even runs on Chromebooks. Choose the "Free" link to add the extension to your Chrome...more
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Screencastify is a screen capture/screencast software created for use ONLY with Chrome browsers. It even runs on Chromebooks. Choose the "Free" link to add the extension to your Chrome browser. Screencastify captures video and audio within tabs. Find the application icon on your browser toolbar and click Record to easily record presentations, tutorials, and more. Be sure to ALLOW Screencastify access to your microphone to enable voice recordings. Choose from recording tabs, your entire desktop, youe webcam, or embed your webcam only. Once your recording is complete, return to the Screencastify icon on your browser to name the recording, download to your computer, save to Google Drive, or upload to YouTube.
In the Classroom
Create screencasts showing how to do various computer tasks or navigate websites. Demonstrate how to use a website or software for specific tasks within the classroom. For example, show how to use the comment feature in Word for annotating class notes, reading passages, and other items. Make how-to demos for instructions on using and navigating your class home page, class wiki or blog, or other applications you wish the students to use in creating their own projects. By narrating how students should navigate through a certain site or section, you can eliminate confusion, provide an opportunity for students to replay the information as a refresher for the future, and maintain a record for absent students. Software demonstrations add an increased flexibility with helping students who need it while allowing students to begin and work at their own pace. Added audio is a great asset for many students, including learning support and those who might need to access the material in smaller "chunks." Use this site for students to give "tours" of their own wiki or blog page. The presentation of their web-based projects and resources can be more engaging. Use screencasts to critique or show the validity of websites, identify a resource site they believe is most valuable, or explain how to navigate an online game. Social studies teachers could assign students to critique a political candidate's web page using a screencast. Reading/language arts teachers could have student teams analyze a website to show biased language, etc. For a powerful writing experience, have students "think aloud" about their writing choices as they record a screencast of a revision or writing session. You will probably need to model this process, but writing will NEVER be the same! Math teachers using software such as Geometer's Sketchpad could have students create their own narrated demonstrations of geometry concepts as review (and to save as future learning aids). Teachers at any level can create screencasts to demonstrate a computer skill or assignment, such as for a center in your classroom or in a computer lab. Students can replay the "tutorial" on their own from your class web page and follow the directions. As a service project, have students write and record how to screencasts to help elderly or less tech savvy computer users navigate the web, register to vote, or find important health information. Writing for such a project would fit right in with CCSS informational writing and digital writing standards in middle and high school.Comments
Great tool!Barbara, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Here is Today - Whitevinyl
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Here is Today offers a visual look at time. Click Okay+ to the next step in time - from today to this month. Click again to go to the year, ...more
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Here is Today offers a visual look at time. Click Okay+ to the next step in time - from today to this month. Click again to go to the year, and keep moving through eras of geologic time until the creation of the universe millions of years ago. Each step includes an arrow pointing to this day in relation to the rest of the timeline.
tag(s): 20th century (62), calendars (37), cells (83), earth (184), geologic time (12), timelines (55)
In the Classroom
View on your interactive whiteboard or projector to help students visualize and gain perspective of events over time. Here is Today would be great to use when studying dinosaurs, in biology class, in Earth science or geology units, or just as part of a philosophical discussion on the world today. This is a great tool to share with students where "our time" fits into the continuum of the earth's 'life." This site could be used with younger students as well. Share the easier concepts (day, month, year) visually during your calendar math lessons. Extend the concept of proportionality by having older math students create simple visual timelines to scale showing their own life vs the life of the United States and other major, longer periods.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cumberland Trace Gifted - DAP Tool - Julia Roberts and Tracy Inman
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
The DAP (Developing and Assessing Products) Tool is a set of rubrics developed to assess student products at varying levels of expertise. The intent of the DAP Tool is to ...more
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The DAP (Developing and Assessing Products) Tool is a set of rubrics developed to assess student products at varying levels of expertise. The intent of the DAP Tool is to differentiate while taking the ceiling off higher level and creative thinking skills (perfect for gifted learners). There are four components for all products: content, presentation, creativity, and reflection. The tool offers rubrics at three performance levels. Especially appropriate for removing a "ceiling" for gifted students is the inclusion of an expert or "professional" performance level rating. This rating acknowledges work that one would expect from a professional in the content area. The criteria for each level increase in sophisticated. Level 1 would be for younger students or those with less expertise. Level 3 might be for high school and/or your most gifted students-- at any grade level. There are fourteen different product rubrics and a blank rubric at each level. The blank rubric suggests descriptions for all but the presentation component. Some of the products are PowerPoint, poster, pamphlet, diorama, service learning, monologue, model, and more. Download the rubrics in PDF format.
tag(s): critical thinking (124), differentiation (83), essays (21), interviews (17), posters (43), rubrics (36), service projects (17), speech (68), writing (324)
In the Classroom
Offer individualized rubrics for every project so each student can demonstrate appropriate expertise. These rubrics are perfect to use in the heterogeneous classroom where you might have a mix of ESL/ELL, gifted, and learning support students. Many of these activities are ideal for differentiating for your gifted students and providing challenges more suited to their ability, creativity, and thought process.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Online Tools: Suggestions from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This editor's choice collection offers timesavers and organizational tools for teachers. They include "utility" sites for teaching tasks such as seating charts, rubrics, and certificates....more
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This editor's choice collection offers timesavers and organizational tools for teachers. They include "utility" sites for teaching tasks such as seating charts, rubrics, and certificates. Other tools facilitate parent communication, such as text messaging or online conferencing. Our editors have also hand picked simple, timesaving, creative tools from the TeachersFirst Edge. These tools organize to-do lists (for yourself or for students), convert files, remove ads from web pages, check web site readability, write a one-time blog, generate an online sign up sheet, make a simple graphic organizer or chart, create online corkboards or stickies, and much more.
tag(s): classroom management (120), graphic organizers (48), rubrics (36)
In the Classroom
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Free Online PDF Calendars - Kevin MacLeod
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a custom, yearly calendar quickly with the PDF Calendar creator. Choose from several sizes or insert your own size in inches. Choose from many different languages. Create your...more
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Create a custom, yearly calendar quickly with the PDF Calendar creator. Choose from several sizes or insert your own size in inches. Choose from many different languages. Create your calendar for any year from 1901 - 2038 and select Sunday or Monday as the starting day each week. Click "GET PDF" to instantly view your calendar ready to print or download.
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In the Classroom
Use this calendar maker to create calendars throughout the year. Create a calendar from a year in history to discover days of the week that historic events took place. Include a calendar with multimedia projects for a written perspective of time and events. Create a calendar for the future to explore events such as days of the week birthdays will occur, day of the week for future holidays, or for the upcoming school year. Create calendars for upcoming years to view days of the week for annual events. Give your students calendars to highlight in different colors showing vacations, major projects, field trips, and other events. Help your "organizationally challenged" students by printing calendars they can annotate and keep inside the clear cover of their binders or in a plastic sleeve page. Have young students (or ELL students) decorate a yearly calendar as they learn the months of the year.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Timeline - ReadWriteThink
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a printed or PDF timeline using this handy tool. There is no registration required. This tool allows you to easily add, drag, and rearrange items as work progresses. Timelines...more
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Create a printed or PDF timeline using this handy tool. There is no registration required. This tool allows you to easily add, drag, and rearrange items as work progresses. Timelines can be organized by day, date, or event. Add an image for each event to make a timeline visually appealing. The event label can include an annotation for the image with short or long descriptive text. Save as a draft to make revisions later or finalize and share the timeline via email (as a pdf). You can also download and save the file. Click Get Started and begin your timeline by simply entering your name and the name of the project. Teachers will want to explore lessons that use this timeline tool. Lessons are divided up by grade level. For more explanation about saving work in progress, go to the Videos menu and click "Using RWT" to find a video about Saving Work With the Student Interactives.
tag(s): timelines (55)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate how to use this tool with your projector or interactive whiteboard. In lower grades, you could make a timeline of the months and add images of all who have birthdays each month. This tool is so versatile it can be used for a variety of topics and subjects, including autobiographical incidents, plots of a story or book, the cell cycle, stages in volcanic eruptions, any history topic, steps in a math problem, or steps in a plan to create a project. As students learn about informational texts in CCSS, they can also learn about adding (and interpreting) graphical information to accompany their words. Students who cannot complete their work during the class time can save their work in a local computer (in its own rwt file format) to finish later. Just make sure the student names it logically and knows WHERE the file is saved!!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hemingway - Ben and Adam Long
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Make revising your writing easy and enjoyable using Hemingway. Simply copy/paste your text into this website, and receive instant feedback. The visual aspect of this program helps one...more
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Make revising your writing easy and enjoyable using Hemingway. Simply copy/paste your text into this website, and receive instant feedback. The visual aspect of this program helps one to see exactly where the errors are and where to make improvements. There are color coded suggestions for wordiness, weak adverb use, passive voice, and complicated words and phrases. Did you know that the most effective writing is at or under grade level ten? The goal of the program is to help writers make their missives concise and clear.
tag(s): editing (93), proofreading (21), writing (324)
In the Classroom
Use this highly visual revision program with your students who are ready to refine and improve their writing. This is a wonderful program to use for revision after editing of grammar and mechanics is complete. Discover what is making your writing too wordy (excessive prepositional phrases or adverbs?) Partner an advanced writer with one not so advanced and have them use Hemingway to improve their styles. Put the URL on your website for students and parents to use from home. Remind seniors to use it for their college essays. Use this tool to polish your own professional writing, parent newsletters, blog posts, and papers for grad classes!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Frontiers for Young Minds - Frontiersin.org
Grades
2 to 10
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This tool is a neuroscience journal that includes articles reviewed by kids! Approved student scientists, ages 8-16, review the articles, and neuroscientists serve as their mentors....more
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This tool is a neuroscience journal that includes articles reviewed by kids! Approved student scientists, ages 8-16, review the articles, and neuroscientists serve as their mentors. The scientific process is followed with young scientists writing their submission specifically for the Frontiers Journal. The article is then peer reviewed. Students and scientists serve as peer reviewers. The process shows how articles are reviewed in major publications and show the scientific process.
tag(s): brain (56), child development (24), human body (93), senses (20)
In the Classroom
Use these articles in Biology or Health class to learn about the brain and factors that affect it. Students will find many articles of interest to them. Articles focus not only on learning, but games, media, emotions, and other activities. Have a bright students looking for a challenge? Encourge him/her to follow the directions to apply as a Young Mind reviewer. Challenge cooperative learning groups to read an article and create an infographic sharing the highlights of what they discovered. Use a tool such as Venngage reviewed here. If you teach gifted science students or would like to offer an advanced option to a gifted student in your regular science class while studying the brain or human body, this journal offers an outstanding opportunity for real world collaboration with scientists and very bright students in other places. Differentiate by going outside school walls! Have your student write an article and/or apply to join the team of young scientists.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kahoot! - Mobitroll
Grades
K to 12
9 Favorites
1 Comments
Ask meaningful questions and see responses in real-time while creating an exciting, game-like environment. Build instant polls, quizzes, or responses through a simple drag and drop...more
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Ask meaningful questions and see responses in real-time while creating an exciting, game-like environment. Build instant polls, quizzes, or responses through a simple drag and drop interface. Once you create your account, be sure to take the Intro Quiz to learn how to use this tool. When you start the quiz, you will be prompted to open a new tab, create a nickname, and enter the game pin. Now you will be able to take the quiz to learn how Kahoot! works AND be able to see what a teacher sees in your original tab. You will have to go to the Main tab to launch the next question in the Quiz. Find ready-made quizzes on the public Kahoot! menu by entering search terms. Create questions, quizzes, and polls with an optional uploaded image. Kahoot! also has a team option. Groups can use one computer to answer questions. The best part about the team option is it allows groups wait time to discuss their answer before submitting it. The teacher gets the data back instantly, and it is stored on the site or can be downloaded. This is superb for checking the knowledge of your audience/students or to see if they are still paying attention and understand concepts. Scroll past the 3 plans that cost money to find the basic plan that allows for upto 40 participants, multiple choice quiz questions, 5 teams, and more.
tag(s): assessment (144), DAT device agnostic tool (147), Formative Assessment (73), game based learning (199), gamification (82), polls and surveys (49), quizzes (90)
In the Classroom
This is a powerful formative assessment tool that is also fun! Create pretests to offer to gifted students to "test out" of already learned material. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Make it a class challenge! Use this tool at the start of a new chapter or unit. Project your quiz to the entire classroom using a whiteboard or projector. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Use the Team choice when reviewing for a unit test. Students can see who is at the top of the leaderboard during the play and can even ask questions while going through the quiz. Use this tool often to obtain a snapshot of each student's understanding of content.Comments
What makes a good web tool? In my opinion, a web tool should be two things. They should be easy to look at, and easy to use. When you use these tools you need to be able to see clearly what a site does and the purpose it serves. Not only do you need to be able to see what you are doing, but do it easily. If it takes students more effort and energy to use a web tool or website, they will stop using it. You have to be able to keep the attention of the user. Beyond that an education tool needs a few additional items. Education tools need to be fun and interactive to continuously grab the attention of students. Students should have fun when using the site/tool.Ad, , Grades: 0 - 12
Kahoot fits all the above criteria. Not only is it fun and easy for students to use, but easy for teachers to set up and use for students. Kahoot is a fun quiz tool that teachers can use to build discussions, polls, and quizzes for the classroom. Students can then log into the quiz using smartphones, tablets, or computers. The tool is designed for students and works for students. Kahoot is well thought out, and well executed. This tool really brings the learning experience to students who are so familiar with technology.
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Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay Bridge Construction 1934-1936 - The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
Grades
6 to 12
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0 Comments
This collection of photographs of the construction of both the Golden Gate and the San Francisco Bay Bridge during the mid-1930s helps illustrate what a massive undertaking these projects...more
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This collection of photographs of the construction of both the Golden Gate and the San Francisco Bay Bridge during the mid-1930s helps illustrate what a massive undertaking these projects were. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is one of the United States' iconic landmarks. It's come to symbolize the vitality of the US West Coast and of the building projects that sprang from the later years of the Great Depression. There are both individual photographs, relevant documents, and a PowerPoint presentation overview of the construction of the Golden Gate. The articles accompanying the photos include extensive data about the structure and the challenges in accomplishing the construction.
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tag(s): bridges (11), california (16), engineering (128), great depression (30)
In the Classroom
These are great primary source images and documents for the study of 1930s construction projects related to the rebuilding of the US during the final years of the Great Depression. Share the PowerPoint and photographs on your interactive whiteboard. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Presentious, reviewed here. This tool allows narrating and adding text to a picture. To find Creative Commons images (with credit, of course), try Wikimedia Commons, reviewed here. Use the photos as part of a physics or technology unit about bridges. Include this as one of several structures for students to research and analyze using their new-found concepts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dropmark - Oak Studios, LLC
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Dropmark is a tool for collaborating, curating, and presenting files, links, and text. Create your account and choose the basic (free) plan offering 250 MB of storage. Begin by dropping...more
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Dropmark is a tool for collaborating, curating, and presenting files, links, and text. Create your account and choose the basic (free) plan offering 250 MB of storage. Begin by dropping and dragging images or files from your computer onto your Dropmark collection. Add links to URLs and online media by choosing the + button and adding link information. Once complete, adjust privacy settings as desired and share using your unique URL. If you prefer, save your collection to your computer in ZIP format using the download link. You can also collaborate with others "in the cloud" by sharing files and links.
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tag(s): bookmarks (43), curation (32), organizational skills (88), social networking (61)
In the Classroom
Use Dropmark to create a bank of resources to use for each content unit within your subject or classroom. Student can then download and use the raw materials you provide to make their own projects or to learn independently. Create a separate class account for students to curate their own lists or bookmarks and resources. Use this tool to compile web treasure hunts to learn or introduce any topic within your content area. Collect links to informational texts for students to read "closely" a la CCSS. With younger students, create links of audio books for children to view and listen to or simple interactives teaching colors, numbers and more. Have students create their own Dropmark as a place to store links for a project. Share a link to your Dropmarks on your class webpage. Save pictures of class activities with a Dropmark collections then share with parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tynker - Krishna Vedati
Grades
3 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed ...more
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Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed choose from several helpful videos to get started. To find the Hour of Code click Courses from the left menu and find several including Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides. Learn to code by dropping blocks of commands into sequence on the left side of the screen and seeing the results along the right. The lessons provide step by step instructions, missions, and other materials to learn to code. Teachers can create a class and add students to the class. Click on student view of each lesson to see the tools and student tasks. Follow the instructions along the right panel. Note the tools that are along the top including undo and redo! This tool also features a question bar along the top. Note: This free portion of the resource offers four Coding Courses, weekly STEM Projects, Hour of Code Activities, Project Templates, Coding Tools (Block & Text), Unlimited Student Accounts, Student Progress Metrics, and Professional Development. Sign up for a free account by selecting Teacher and using Google, your email, Apple, Microsoft.
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tag(s): animation (65), coding (85), computational thinking (40), computers (108), critical thinking (124), design (78), game based learning (199), gamification (82), problem solving (232), STEM (290)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to "tinker" and see what they can make. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Be sure to recommend that students "ask three before me" (the teacher). Have students use an online storyboard to write down what they plan to do/draw/say with their creation, and to help you keep tabs on students and their progress. For enhancing learning and technology use create a digital storyboard with Story Map, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. When finished with these Tynker lessons, move to other free tools such as Scratch, reviewed here. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum. Have them create a creature they can explain to the class or share with gifted peers in other classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media offers a large collection of media-based resources to bring engineering (and Next Gen Science) to students at all grade levels. Think...more
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Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media offers a large collection of media-based resources to bring engineering (and Next Gen Science) to students at all grade levels. Think of design as problem solving by applying science and math. Begin browsing by choosing from grade level options for descriptions of activities including grade level and type of resource offered. Each activity includes additional resource links, correlations to Next Gen Science Standards, and support materials. Discover the most popular resources by viewing the number of times other users designated them as favorites. Learn about wind powered vehicles, mechanical arms, designing a skyscraper, and much more. Everything on the site is free; however, after viewing three resources you will be prompted to create your free account. Account creation offers the ability to save and favorite resources.
tag(s): architecture (76), energy (131), engineering (128), problem solving (232), robotics (23), STEM (290), structures (18)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of many different STEM-based topics. Use this site for enrichment or to help non-readers understanding concepts through video. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Enhance learning and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. To extend learning have students create a multimedia infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WhenIsGood - Keith Harris
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
WhenIsGood is an easy to use tool to find out when all participants are free for an event or meeting. Choose "get started" and click all possible times and dates ...more
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WhenIsGood is an easy to use tool to find out when all participants are free for an event or meeting. Choose "get started" and click all possible times and dates for an event. Narrow times to particular days and time periods of 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Give the event a title. Additional options include specifying a time zone and viewing of only specific hours each day. After creating the event, write down the result code provided to receive the link to send to participants. Click the box to receive email alerts for any new responses. Participants highlight their choices and submit adding comments if desired. No registration is required to use this tool. You can register for an account to receive a few additional perks: edit or delete activities, no need for result codes with each event, and more.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (37), parent conferences (21)
In the Classroom
Create a calendar for scheduling parent-teacher conferences to send to parents. Scheduling a special presentation and inviting parents? Use this tool to find out what date and time of day will work best. Use WhenIsGood to set up grade level or department meetings. Share with your school's Parent Teacher Organization as a tool for scheduling meetings, fundraisers, or book fairs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NowComment - Fairness.com
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Turn any document, image, or video into an online conversation with the NowComment collaborative tool. Choose any of the public documents available on the site or upload your own (using...more
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Turn any document, image, or video into an online conversation with the NowComment collaborative tool. Choose any of the public documents available on the site or upload your own (using the free membership). NowDocument works best with Microsoft Word and HTML web documents. They offer PDF conversions. but say they are not as reliable. Invite members to join private conversations or choose to make conversations public (use caution with students!). Link comments to specific portions of any document such as a sentence, image, or even video. Sort documents in several ways to view by commenter's name, date of the comment, or included tags. Be sure to check out NowComment's FAQ and Features Gallery for in-depth presentation of features. The introduction video is hosted on YouTube. If YouTube is blocked at your school, be sure to view this video at home.
tag(s): communication (129), media literacy (108), questioning (36), reading comprehension (148)
In the Classroom
Consider using NowComment as a resource in your classroom to increase student interaction with materials and each other. Use a class account for students using this tool for group projects. Library/media specialists could use this tool for online book clubs. Teach on a team? Collaborate with other teachers for assignments and more using this site. Create quick questions or even a short quiz using NowComment. Use this with ENL/ESL students, encouraging them to add questions about passages of text they do not understand. Make NowComment an integral part of your flipped classroom by assigning readings and student comments as part of at-home learning. Use NowComment for peer reviews, collaborative authoring, and online assignments. Share web pages and have students comment on media bias in online articles or practice CCSS close reading skills to comment to show where the writer includes supporting evidence in opinion pieces. Since commenting requires an account, you will either have to set up class accounts or use this with students who have email to set up their own accounts.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Eventbrite - Kevin and Julia Hartz
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Eventbrite is an all-in-one event planning solution. Create your event page including logos, images, and other pertinent information using the templates provided. Take advantage of...more
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Eventbrite is an all-in-one event planning solution. Create your event page including logos, images, and other pertinent information using the templates provided. Take advantage of the option for creating bar coded tickets to send to participants (choose free tickets for the free account, paid tickets have a small charge to cover credit card costs). Once your event page is ready, get the word out using Eventbrite tools such as emailing personalized invitations or various social media options. Use the mobile features to check attendees in at your event and scan bar coded invitations.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (37), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
Use Eventbrite to increase excitement for any classroom event. Be creative and have students attend an "event" to review for exams (with bar coded tickets they can earn by sharing a student-made review activity). Offer tickets to in class enrichment "events" for those who test out of a unit. Have student groups design "events" instead of giving class presentations. The "event" could be a quiz show or game session that teaches a curriculum topic, such as "World War Wonders." Have your class work together to plan a culminating "event" such as a tea for famous Americans, and issue invitations and tickets to students who play the parts of the people they researched. Invite parents to Open Houses and Conferences. (Perhaps provide a small door prize for those using the Eventbrite app as their admission ticket!) Use Eventbrite to manage events with limited seating or a limited number of participants. If you provide professional development sessions, this is an excellent way to spread the word and manage participation. If you are an advisor for a school club, this tool would make club-sponsored events easier to organize.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Powtoon - powtoon.com
Grades
K to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Powtoon is an amazing, free, animated presentation tool. Sign up for your free account then choose from one of many templates available to edit, or start from scratch. Next, start ...more
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Powtoon is an amazing, free, animated presentation tool. Sign up for your free account then choose from one of many templates available to edit, or start from scratch. Next, start making magic! Create your title and description. Modify slides by changing text, font, image holders, and props. Preview your creation at any time with the play button. Stop and make changes as needed. Change styles easily by choosing a different style within the program. Select from the royalty free music options offered by Powtoon to enhance your presentation. Share the finished presentation via social media buttons on your page to Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and other popular pages or export to YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then using YouTube may not be your best option. Use the embed code provided to easily embed in your website or blog -- or simply share your Powtoon using the URL provided. Exports are not included with the free membership plan. Email is required to register and use Powtoon.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animation (65), digital storytelling (153), movies (54), multimedia (51), slides (43)
In the Classroom
Challenge older students to create their own PowToons. Students can use PowToon to share their ideas or to "prototype" an idea. Students can create videos to show math processes, explanations of complex concepts, review new learning, teach others, explain scientific processes, tell stories, or present research. The possibilities are really endless, and students will come up with hundreds more uses. Flip your classroom using PowToon presentations. Use PowToon to create teacher-authored animations for students in ANY grade. This is a great way to present new information or ideas for discussion. It is an easy way to share information with the class when a substitute is in your classroom. Embed your PowToon creations on your website or blog for students to review at home. Use a PowToon on the first day of school to explain class rules or give an exciting introduction to the year ahead. Use PowToon to create movies or presentations for back to school night or conference nights to display on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Teacher-librarians can ask students to create PowToon book reviews to share kiosk style in the library/media center.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
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
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QR Code Generator - Visualead
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create and share QR codes in a hurry with this easy to use QR code generator. Choose to create a QR code to share text, URL's, contact information, or phone ...more
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Create and share QR codes in a hurry with this easy to use QR code generator. Choose to create a QR code to share text, URL's, contact information, or phone numbers and personalize with information of your choosing. The QR Code Generator converts your information to a QR code to save, share by link or embed onto any web page. Customizing options allow you to change the size of your QR code to fit any need. Sign in using your Google account to change your codes from static to dynamic. This allows you the option to change information embedded in the code at any time. Creating an account also saves codes onsite instead of having to save to your computer.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): qr codes (18)
In the Classroom
Create a QR code that directs to your class site or blog and include it on handouts for Back to School night. Create a QR code scavenger hunt for students, making a webquest more engaging. Add QR codes to documents for students to check their answers to questions. Expand knowledge of a topic by adding a QR code to a site that expands upon what is in the textbook. Create a data chart accessible via a QR code. Students access the data and manipulate the information. Have students create a book trailer or review and affix a QR code to the outside of the book. Students may be more apt to read a book that has been reviewed by another student. Make a display completely interactive with a QR code that describes the assignment, the process, the research, student's reactions and more! Add extra help information to any assignment that asks students to solve problems. Create an online help tutorial accessible via a QR code, and place the code beside a similar problem. Link directly to a Google Map. Place QR code contact information for you and your school on contact cards to give to parents. Attach QR codes to physical objects around the room to provide information about the object. Place the links in a newsletter using QR codes instead of a series of words that need to be typed.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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