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OECD Better Life Index - OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Grades
8 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Explore statistics and data about what it takes to be happy in different locations. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you have the best life? Of ...more
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Explore statistics and data about what it takes to be happy in different locations. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you have the best life? Of course, it all depends on what you think contributes to a better life. The OECD presents the opportunity to choose from among 11 indices related to happiness. Rank them in order of importance to you, and then see graphically which countries in the world have the best quality of life based on those considerations. Want to have a high income? Then the United States ranks first in that category. Is the cost and quality of available housing what matters? Norway ranks first in that category. Other indices include Environment, Education, Safety, Work-Life Balance, Health, and Jobs. A slider bar on each index allows you to select your priorities and then watch as the countries realign themselves according to your preferences.
tag(s): communities (38), cross cultural understanding (125), environment (321), politics (98), safety (91)
In the Classroom
A great classroom discussion starter, and perfect for displaying on an interactive whiteboard, the Better Life Index allows students to consider and debate what makes for a "better life." And once (or if) they can reach a consensus on those factors, where could that life be found in the world? Of course, once you discover that people are healthiest, for example, in Australia, what does that mean? Why are they healthy there? What community, government, and institutional factors make Australia healthy? Do they make choices other countries don't? This is a wonderful tool for guiding discussion about the public policy decisions made by citizens and governments, and how those decisions affect the quality of life. It would also provide powerful information for persuasive writing or debates. If you talk about utopias and dystopias, this is another way for students to decide what the criteria are for each. If you study world cultures, this site can provide a whole different lens to promote crosscultural understanding. Assign students to compare and contrast factors that matter most to them across multiple countries. Gifted students who are designing an "ideal civilization" can find meaningful data here to use as part of their plans.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Website Evaluator - ResearchReady.com
Grades
5 to 12
14 Favorites
0 Comments
The Website Evaluator takes you step-by-step through the process of evaluating any website. The site also creates a final report based on your input. Begin by adding the URL of ...more
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The Website Evaluator takes you step-by-step through the process of evaluating any website. The site also creates a final report based on your input. Begin by adding the URL of any website and clicking "Go." A sidebar set of questions appears alongside the site to guide you as you go. Questions consider purpose, accuracy, authority of the author and publisher, relevancy, and how recent the information is. Once finished, view responses and print or email them.
tag(s): evaluating sources (16), internet safety (116)
In the Classroom
Use the Website Evaluator as an integral part of your Internet safety, information literacy/research, or website evaluation lessons in any subject where you require online research. Demonstrate how to use the Evaluator on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to evaluate sites on their own. Share and compare printed evaluations on a classroom bulletin board or your class website (or wiki). Have students use the Evaluator to compare and contrast different websites to find the one that is the best fit for a particular need. Require that students include a site evaluation for any online source they use as part of a research project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Comics Head - Next Wave Multimedia
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any ...more
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Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any device and access them from the same device or any other. The drag and drop interface ensures ease of creation. Choose from a variety of options for characters, layout options, backgrounds, props, captions, and special effects. Choose options to use and drag and drop them onto the comic page. Simply undo or delete objects, move objects backward, forward, add text captions, and zoom in and out of the page. Register with the site (email required) to save, share, and print out creations. You can create a single page comic or full book length comics. You can download as a pdf or even share as an ebook! Some of the instruction videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Tube Offline, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube. Mobile apps are available, including "lite" (free) versions.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (62), DAT device agnostic tool (175), digital storytelling (154)
In the Classroom
In classes with younger students, use a whole class account under teacher control. In a BYOD classroom, let students set up their own accounts and use the app versions. When studying characterization, create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Use the dialog box (bubbles) to explain the sequence of a story, a science concept, or school news! Create a political cartoon. Why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Emotional support and autistic support teachers can work with students to create strips about appropriate interpersonal responses and/or feelings. Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or create pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments. Let your creative (or gifted) students take the comics even further by making them into entire books!Edge Features:
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
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Trove - Rob Malda
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Discover and curate personalized news stories using Trove. Browse through ready-made Troves that may be of interest, and "follow" them. Create an account using your email or social...more
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Discover and curate personalized news stories using Trove. Browse through ready-made Troves that may be of interest, and "follow" them. Create an account using your email or social network login. Create and curate your own Trove by following the instructions on the site. This tool will work on iOs devices or on the web. At this time there is no Android app available.
tag(s): news (260), newspapers (98), social networking (109)
In the Classroom
Use Trove to create student-navigated lessons or review materials for any topic. Create a whole class Trove account to follow Troves safely under teacher supervision. Allow students to set up their own accounts if over 13 and permitted under school policies. Have students work together in groups to create their Trove on current articles they can use in a research project. Have student groups create Troves of articles in the news related to the curriculum topic you are studying. For example, collect articles about disappearing habitats, design concepts that use new engineering materials, food and religion in a certain culture, or climate change and weather. Demonstrate a new math concept using articles found on the Internet. Create a class study guide for students to access before the big science test! Include Trove as part of your current events lessons and allow students to explore articles demonstrating different points of view. Use Trove as a professional resource for following current topics in education such as standardized testing or Common Core Standards. Speaking of Common Core, the articles collected in Trove could serve as practice with informational texts. Library/media specialists can collect Troves to teach students about using media in research projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Meeting Words - Meetingwords.com
Grades
5 to 12
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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 ...more
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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 (74), proofreading (25), writing (363)
In the Classroom
Have your students set up collaborative groups for projects, lab data, and more. Anything students can do on a single computer, they can do collaboratively on this tool, accessing their work from any online computer. Be sure to test out this tool before using with your class. It may be a good idea to set up the groups with the teacher as a "member" but have students work from home for group projects. Make sure you are protecting the safety of student work and identity and are within your school's Acceptable Use Policy.Create an innovative, exciting revision experience for students to suggest revisions to each other's writing and instantly engage in the peer review process by using Meetingwords. This tool facilitates teacher comments on student essays by not having to wait until students turn in their papers. Have them share links with you to their works in progress. Check essays online, monitor progress, and even make suggestions for revisions to provide feedback along the way and drive successful evidence support, proofreading, and editing skills. Challenge gifted students on their drafts and push their thinking further, adding questions or responses. Since most if us do not have time to provide such individual challenge throughout the writing process, why not connect them with other gifted students to collaborate and debate beyond just your classroom? Obviously, this tool is also fabulous for collaboration among students or teachers creating a shared writing piece at any level. You could even use it for parent input into draft IEPs.
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Booktrack Classroom - Peter Thiel
Grades
1 to 12
7 Favorites
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Make reading a multimedia experience that today's students expect. Booktrack adds movie style soundtracks to favorite stories and books. You can add your own sound effects and music...more
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Make reading a multimedia experience that today's students expect. Booktrack adds movie style soundtracks to favorite stories and books. You can add your own sound effects and music to the stories and books you love, too. There are thousands of titles already available, both classic and contemporary; these include novels, poetry, and short stories that are in the public domain. Find them by clicking "Free to Use" and scrolling down a bit. Creation is possible on your PC or MAC; read and listen only on the iOS and Android mobile apps. There are several ready-to-go lessons at elementary, middle, and high school levels. When using on a computer, BookTrack works best in Chrome and may not function at all in some browsers. Watch the short tutorials to learn how to create a book with a soundtrack.
tag(s): book lists (132), book reports (36), DAT device agnostic tool (175), ebooks (39), guided reading (47), independent reading (127), reading comprehension (127), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Click "Teachers" and scroll to the bottom of the home page to find free lessons. Work together with your music teacher to find classical music selections that make great background music. Have students choose a story and create a "read aloud" with music and sound effects. Challenge students to capture the feel or tone of current events articles, science articles, or poems they have created. Use music and sound effects to enhance historical events or battles in social science. At the end of literature circles, have students select the best events in a story and put music and sound effects together with them. Watch the short tutorials to create your class and to create a book with a soundtrack. FanFiction users may want to put sound effects or music to their own writing. In the library/media center, share BookTracks to interest students in some of your "old" books!Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Audio Expert - AudioExpert
Grades
1 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Audio Expert is a free and simple online audio editor, file converter, and sound recorder. This tool has all of the standard functionality of an audio editor. It provides students ...more
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Audio Expert is a free and simple online audio editor, file converter, and sound recorder. This tool has all of the standard functionality of an audio editor. It provides students and teachers with an easy way to create a podcast or even a ringtone for a cell phone. The Audio Expert can also be used as a powerful audio file converter that will allow you to modify your file format, bit rate, and frequency. If your computer is equipped with a camera and microphone, you can use Audio Expert to record your own sounds. You can download completed files.
tag(s): podcasts (57)
In the Classroom
Use Audio Expert in early grades to promote literacy by recording your students and creating an audio portfolio record of their reading. Use this tool with ESL/ELL students to practice fluency and hearing themselves speak. Use Audio Expert to record parents, principals, lunch ladies, librarians, relatives, and bus drivers all telling your favorite class story. During writing time, allow students freedom from the pencil to express their true creative voices. Also dabble into digital storytelling to create a lesson in adding voice, emotion, and characterization. Record audio interviews at a local nursing home, fire stations, or museums to recollect times such as wars, the Great Depression, Civil Rights Movements, or as a primary source at memorable events. Record world language conversations as a student project. Make music class or the school band a gold recording!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LessonPaths - MentorMob, Inc
Grades
K to 12
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Create, share, and explore learning lists of web-based resources with LessonPaths (formerly MentorMobEDU). Similar to Pinterest, but in a slide show format. This site shows thumbnails...more
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Create, share, and explore learning lists of web-based resources with LessonPaths (formerly MentorMobEDU). Similar to Pinterest, but in a slide show format. This site shows thumbnails of each resource. LessonPaths allows you to view and create "playlists." Browse through playlists by subject or keyword. Each playlist has links to online content correlated to the topics. As you browse through each playlist, choose Next to view an overview of each link. At the left side, roll over the list of steps to find out what to do at each stop on the playlist. Click within that link to go to the web content displayed. When ready, create an account and begin to create your own playlists.
tag(s): classroom management (153)
In the Classroom
Browse to find ready-made activities for classroom use. Create your own playlists for organizing classroom resources found on the web along with tasks to do at each place. Create playlists for students to view and/or add to as a whole class activity. Some ideas include things that use energy, food groups, or groups of items for primary level vocabulary/practice (clothing items, farm animals, clock faces for telling time, etc.). In lower grades, create very simple sequences of activities for students to try from a class computer center or at home. Since your directions will require reading, keep it very simple! In higher grades, make playlists for different subjects or units where you collect videos, images, classroom blogs and websites, etc. Share your playlists with students and parents by putting the link on your class website. Have them work through the tasks at their own pace. Challenge your older students to create their own playlists with thought-provoking questions as a product from a research project. For example, they can compile information about a disease and how it is transmitted, asking questions at each resource. (What a great way for them to read informational text and then generate questions that go further!) Teachers of Gifted or regular ed teachers trying to design independent tasks for gifted students to do will love the flexibility of the playlist format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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In Charted Waters - Mapping a Brave New World - MSC Cruises
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
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Follow a timeline to view and learn about major ocean explorations from 500 BC through 1911. Each mouse click moves you through explorations beginning with Carthaginians reaching the...more
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Follow a timeline to view and learn about major ocean explorations from 500 BC through 1911. Each mouse click moves you through explorations beginning with Carthaginians reaching the Atlantic Ocean for the first time and finishing with Raold Amundsen setting foot on the South Pole. Deceptively simple, this site is worth a visit for a quick look at ocean exploration (and explorers) throughout time. Unlike many explorer sites and textbooks, this site includes explorations outside the western hemisphere.
tag(s): continents (51), explorers (68), maps (294), oceans (166)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on exploration on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students create maps using Animaps, reviewed here. Students can add text, images, and location stops. Have students create their own timelines of explorers (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the explorers mentioned on this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Picfull - Picfull
Grades
K to 12
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Picfull is an easy to use, online photo editor that doesn't require registration. Upload your picture from any computer to begin. Choose from photo effect options such as red-eye removal,...more
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Picfull is an easy to use, online photo editor that doesn't require registration. Upload your picture from any computer to begin. Choose from photo effect options such as red-eye removal, vintage, dark, or pencil strokes. Use options within each photo effect to create your desired image then choose "Save" to view and download your finished image to your computer.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): editing (74), images (283), photography (157)
In the Classroom
Use this tool anytime that photos need to be edited for use on class blogs, wikis, or sites. In primary grades, use this tool to edit pictures from a field trip, science experiments, and more. Share the editing process with your younger students using your interactive whiteboard or projector. Edit the project together! Encourage older students to use this tool themselves on images for projects or presentations. Use the editor to edit pictures to fit styles of pictures when doing historical reports or to set a mood.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Headslinger - James Bottorff and Mandy Bottorff
Grades
7 to 12
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0 Comments
Discover, read, collect, and share news from multiple sources with Headslinger. Browse links to popular news sites to find interesting news articles, tweets, and Facebook posts. Save...more
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Discover, read, collect, and share news from multiple sources with Headslinger. Browse links to popular news sites to find interesting news articles, tweets, and Facebook posts. Save to your favorites using the "Sling it" button and place in a folder you create and categorize. Easily find saved articles and news sources using the navigation bar at the top of each page. Find new sources using links included with each story to sources similar to the one you are viewing. When you are ready to share articles, use the social networking buttons included with the article to share on Facebook, Twitter, and email. Register to create an account to save stories; however, registration isn't required to browse and share articles.
tag(s): bookmarks (68), journalism (55), media literacy (65), news (260), newspapers (98)
In the Classroom
Find and share interesting stories with your classroom from many resources using Headslinger. Create folders of sources that supplement curriculum topics such as pollution, engineering, or space. This is a terrific way to collect articles during an election cycle for students to compare bias in various publications! Challenge older students to create their own Headslinger account and share news articles demonstrating different points of view or topics of special interest. Bookmark and save Headslinger to find and use interesting current events articles for classroom use. With the CCSS emphasis on informational text, Headslinger could provide an unlimited source of reading material. Create professional collections to keep track of trends and topics in education.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scoot and Doodle - Scoot & Doodle, Inc.
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this tool to connect and play with ideas or draw, imagine, and create stories in real time, all within a Google Hangout. Collaborators solve problems...more
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Use this tool to connect and play with ideas or draw, imagine, and create stories in real time, all within a Google Hangout. Collaborators solve problems and discuss ideas with the contributors in a creative way that can be used formally or informally. Collaborators can see each other in the hangout as they work. This tool is not about technology. The power of this tool lies in the use of spaces, relationships, and creative experiences. Note: A Google Plus account is required, and inviting your friends is even easier! Add people with the person icon across the top. Add a chat, YouTube video, screenshare, remote desktop, or more with the icons along the side. Capture all your created products easily too. Participants appear in live camera along the bottom.
tag(s): creative fluency (7), creative writing (169), creativity (118), drawing (77), social networking (109), social skills (22)
In the Classroom
Use this wonderful collaborative, real-time drawing space, connecting your Google Plus account with friends, such as classes in other schools. Use this tool to illustrate, explain and teach remotely across the world. Use this resource for students to collaborate with other project members in their same school or in different schools. Sketch out plans for an engineering design together. Brainstorm solutions to environmental problems or sketch out the steps to a geometry proof. This resource is wonderful for homework help, especially in subjects where drawing can be beneficial such as science and math!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Timemapper - Open Knowledge Foundation Labs
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This free tool maps dates, information, and locations specified on a loaded spreadsheet into a timeline format. See the Examples on the middle portion of the page to see the ...more
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This free tool maps dates, information, and locations specified on a loaded spreadsheet into a timeline format. See the Examples on the middle portion of the page to see the results! You need a Google Docs/Drive account to create a timeline. Work anonymously or log in using your Twitter account. Click "Get Started Now" to read the details and create your spreadsheet, using a template Google Doc spreadsheet available by clicking where it says, "this template." Read the 1-2-3 steps AND the FAQ lower on the page to understand the steps and the reasons why you might want to create a free account using your Twitter login (not required). Once published with the url loaded into the Timemapper form, data from the spreadsheet is displayed in Timemapper in a slide style format. Data can include images, citations, locations, and more. Move along the timeline at the bottom of the screen or advance through the screens. Locations are pinpointed on a map that displays alongside the timeline. Click on individual locations or see them highlighted as you advance through the screens. Use the embed code to place the Timemapper in your wiki, site, or blog. You can also share it by url. Note: Timemappers cannot be made private.
tag(s): timelines (57)
In the Classroom
Create Timemapper timelines to introduce material in any subject. If your school uses Google Apps or Docs/Drive, your students (or groups) can create their own very easily. Map specific battles in history (World War II or the Revolutionary War, perhaps?) Map significant scientific discoveries in the progress of understanding about cell theory or genetics. Follow the works of various writers, artists, or musicians. Follow the life of famous people or noteworthy events such as elections, the Olympics, or even local history!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Foodista - Foodista
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
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, question...more
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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, question and answers, blogs, and an rss feed. Add a recipe or share on social media.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Capture every student's heart (or stomach) with Foodista! Introduce on your interactive whiteboard or projector for learning how to write, read, and follow directions. This site is sure to make some stomachs grumble and some mouths water! In math class, explore or multiply fractions used in recipes. In science, FACS, or health class, explore the nutrition side of Foodista. Help students gain a better understanding of diabetes or food allergies. Use to create food for special celebrations of literature or in social studies as you study cultures around the world. Allow students to choose food for special class celebrations. In your FACS class, use the blog area as a weekly update for new recipe, home care, and nutrition ideas.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Hashify - David Chambers
Grades
6 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
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 ...more
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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.
In the Classroom
Use this minimalist tool for a student scribe to keep track of key terms during a class discussion. Share the url with classmates for them to add their thoughts, as well. When brainstorming with a class, use this simple tool for students to add ideas or make lists. It is so simple it does not take up space with lots of fancy toolbars and gadgets. It also does not offer spell checker, so it could be a useful way to have students write without all the "crutches" of grammar and spell checkers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12
12 Favorites
1 Comments
Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message or email. When sending a text, the site is set up so that ...more
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Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message or email. 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.
tag(s): chat (50), DAT device agnostic tool (175), microblogging (39)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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TeachersFirst's Editors' Choice Tools for Pretests - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of resources was selected by TeachersFirst editors as the easiest or most useful tools for creating pretests, a must-have when working with gifted students in the regular...more
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This collection of resources was selected by TeachersFirst editors as the easiest or most useful tools for creating pretests, a must-have when working with gifted students in the regular classroom. This collection is part of a special section of TeachersFirst, Nourishing Gifted Through Technology in Any Classroom.
tag(s): differentiation (45), gifted (82)
In the Classroom
You may not always be able to pretest at the start of a new unit, and sometimes an informal assessment will tell you that a student is ready to move beyond the regular curriculum content right away. You may want to wait a day or two before offering a retest, since many truly gifted students will absorb or even seem to "intuit" the full unit of content very quickly after a short exposure. The great thing about using online pretests is that once you create them, you have them for the next year. Consider teaming up with other teachers in your subject/grade to build a library of pretests that you can share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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60-Second Civics - The Center for Civic Education
Grades
7 to 12
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60 Second Civics offers podcasts covering one important concept at a time in 60-second narratives. They are updated daily. Short Attention Span? This site is perfect for you! There...more
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60 Second Civics offers podcasts covering one important concept at a time in 60-second narratives. They are updated daily. Short Attention Span? This site is perfect for you! There are nearly 2000 podcasts to explore. You can subscribe to the podcast series through an RSS feed, on iTunes, or access them directly through the website. Unfortunately, they do not seem to be searchable by theme or content, so you'll just need to scroll through them if you're looking for a specific topic or issue. Tip: when you hover your cursor over the word PLAY, it doesn't change to a pointing hand. Click on the word anyway to start the podcast. 60-Second Civics is part of a larger site that contains lesson plans, teacher resources, video clips, and a photo gallery on all aspects of citizenship.
tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (52), constitution (88)
In the Classroom
Need a quick lesson starter or attention grabber at the beginning or end of each class? Try a 60-second Civics lesson. If you access the day's podcast via the website, you'll also find a one-question multiple choice quiz that relates to the podcast so you can check for content acquisition. These podcasts are perfect for a civics or government class! Share the podcasts on your projector (or interactive whiteboard) so the entire class can hear the podcast and see the quiz at the end. If you are the adviser for the school news program, these would be a terrific addition, ready to go for you every day. During the run-up to Consitution Day in September, include these in the morning PA announcements. Load the podcast on iTouches or other mobile devices in the media center for students to browse and learn. Encourage students to create their own "stump the teacher" or "stump the student citizen" quizzes based on these podcasts. Use one of the many poll/quiz tools in the TeachersFirst Edge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Documentary Lens - National Film Board of Canada
Grades
9 to 12
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What makes a short film or documentary effective? The National Film Board of Canada presents a database of documentaries from the 1940s through 2004. Each film is annotated with questions...more
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What makes a short film or documentary effective? The National Film Board of Canada presents a database of documentaries from the 1940s through 2004. Each film is annotated with questions for discussion or with observations on important elements of the film. The focus is not necessarily on the content (although the films are grouped by theme), but rather on what makes the effort noteworthy.
Don't miss the related site, accessed through the drop down menu, "Behind the Camera," that highlights the elements of good film making.
tag(s): canada (31), history day (24), media literacy (65), movies (70)
In the Classroom
The availability of inexpensive video cameras and film editing software makes including film making as a part of the regular classroom easier than ever. With digital writing included as part of Common Core, documentaries are a wonderful way to share student-written, informational text in a multimedia format. Incorporate the lessons that accompany these films as you introduce a documentary project. Help students understand that no matter how much fun it might be to watch the latest homemade viral video on YouTube, effective film making requires planning and design. The lessons presented here will be of particular assistance to students who are considering a National History Day entry in the documentary category.
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GDP: Measuring the human side of the Canadian Economic Crisis - National Film Board of Canada
Grades
9 to 12
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The National Film Board of Canada documented the economic crisis through short films and photo essays between 2008 and 2010. We hear about economic downturn every day, but it can ...more
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The National Film Board of Canada documented the economic crisis through short films and photo essays between 2008 and 2010. We hear about economic downturn every day, but it can be easy to forget the human side of hard times. Economic failures are more than statistics on a graph; they are the realities that affect lives. GDP presents these stories in 135 episodes and 53 photo essays. Search the stories by theme--community action, real estate, farming, natural resources--or by using the interactive map. Although the stories are from Canada, their appeal is broader, and they parallel what occurred in many countries.
tag(s): canada (31), media literacy (65), photography (157)
In the Classroom
This site can put a human face on the numbers for students studying current events, economics, or social studies. The site may also be useful as an example of how to tell stories related to history. Consider asking students to analyze HOW the stories are told, either using film or still photography. How can we use these media to illustrate a historical event? For students considering a History Day exhibit or documentary, these stories may provide inspiration and direction. As Common Core calls on students to engage in digital writing, showing these examples to help students plan student-made media will be more meaningful than simply talking about it.
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