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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
Grades
4 to 12
tag(s): animals (295), architecture (76), art history (100), aviation (40), black history (131), civil war (139), dinosaurs (43), explorers (65), images (260), inventors and inventions (80), Learning Management Systems (20), oceans (147), scientists (64), shakespeare (99), Teacher Utilities (191), volcanoes (54)
In the Classroom
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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15 Spanish Christmas Dessert Recipes - Spanish Sabores
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): christmas (38), cooking (32), cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (179), holidays (187), spain (13)
In the Classroom
Ask parents to volunteer to cook and bring in items for celebrations. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here to describe the different foods or ingredients. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. Students can add text, videos, and location stops from their around the world food tasting! If teaching Spanish, have students rewrite recipes in Spanish.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tarr's Toolbox - Russel Tarr
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): classroom management (120), differentiation (83), game based learning (199), professional development (386)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this excellent resource to use when looking for new ideas for your classroom. Choose from ideas such as "Hands up if you DON'T know" or "Sock puppets in the secondary classroom" to inspire and motivate your students. Look to this blog to differentiate for students of all levels. Divide students into cooperative learning groups using different ideas found on Tarr's Toolbox.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Making the Grade - PBS NewsHour
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): news (229), newspapers (92), professional development (386)
In the Classroom
Use information from this site as part of your ongoing professional development and discussion within your school and district regarding educational issues. Have debate students use this site as a resource for topics or to find information for their viewpoint in a debate. Challenge students to read articles and write about how they would address the issues if placed in a position of power. Challenge students to create a multimedia presentation representing their viewpoint using Vevox, reviewed here. Vevox offers interactive features such as real-time polls and comments to keep viewers interested and involved in the presentation. Vevox allows adding polls, videos, embeds, web links, and PowerPoint.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Badge List - Knowledgestreem
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (144), behavior (45), classroom management (120), game based learning (199), gamification (82), organizational skills (88)
In the Classroom
Badges are the "stickers' of today and much more. Use Badge List to keep track of student progress with large assignments, rewarding badges for each completed step. Present awards using badges such as Student of the Month, Math Hero, Perfect Attendance, and more. Share this site the first week of school as you set up your classroom expectations. Autistic support and behavior support teachers will find this tool useful and easy to use for reinforcement and tracking. Gamify your class using badges as reward levels. Challenge students to progress through different achievement levels by providing badges along the way. Share student login information with parents so they can track progress and accomplishments at home. (Be sure to keep the login information yourself, just in case students misplace their login). Keep track of mastery of various topics or skills, much like a sticker chart! Students can embed their class badges in other sites, such as personal blogs, using the embed code.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
Products can be embedded
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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TinyTap - Yogev Shelly
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (144), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (199), quiz (66), quizzes (90), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
Use the embed code provided with activities to embed activities on your class website for play at home. Create a link to activities on classroom computers. Create your own activities (or have older students create review materials) to include with lessons. Be sure to watch the demo video for information about creating your own games.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
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
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Requires download/installation of software
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National Robotics Week - iRobot Corporation
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): engineering (128), robotics (23), STEM (290)
In the Classroom
Start a discussion about what students know about robots. Introduce them to the National Robotics Week celebration and get them involved in one of the events or the Instructables contest. Not sure where to start? Check out the resources on this page. Replace paper and pencil and ask small teams of students use Mindmeister, reviewed here, and create a mind map for the steps they have to take to build a robot. Modify technology use and challenge students create a comic strip about building a robot or something the robot will do using Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classtools Countdown Timer - Classtools.net
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (120), counting (60), time (91)
In the Classroom
There are many uses for this practical online tool. Get out your interactive whiteboard or projection screen (or even the classroom desktop computer) and make sure the speakers are turned up. Use this tool for students to practice speeches, or to limit the time for a quiz or spelling test. Use the countdown feature for timing the rotations from center to center. You can even use the timer for reading fluency exercises or physical education warm-ups! A clever classroom management tool would be to start the visible count-down on your computer screen when you want the class to settle down for directions or to transition to the next subject. Select calming music for quiet times. Students may even want to use this tool for themselves. Kindergarten students can practice counting along with the watch!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoom - Eric Yuan
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (41), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), parent conferences (21), video (264)
In the Classroom
Use Zoom to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the same location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work. Connect whole classrooms across the country for book clubs. Collaborate with experts such as authors and scientists with classrooms of children. Create connected learning experiences with other students, especially those in older grades. Connect world language classes to classes in other countries. Teachers can hold "office hours" for homework help and asking questions. Create a collaborative space for homework help before or after school or on snow days. Students can meet whenever help is needed or teachers can create a session that can be accessed on any device easily by those who need it. Consider using a tool such as Remind, reviewed here, to alert parents and students when your sessions are open. Use Zoom for group work - no more excuses about not being able to meet for cooperative learning projects! Buildings can collaborate and share professional development with others in their own district and beyond!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mindset Kit - The Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS)
Grades
K to 12tag(s): brain (56), learning styles (18), professional development (386), social and emotional learning (100)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lessons and ideas on this site in your classroom and when working with parents. These tools are especially useful for times when a student (or parent) claims that they were never good in a particular subject. Share ideas with your peers as part of your ongoing professional development, discuss ideas from this site and how they can be incorporated as part of a school-wide action. Take advantage of the many ideas featured in the Popular Practices section to learn how to use ideas in any classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OneNote - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), Microsoft (80), organizational skills (88), Storage (6)
In the Classroom
Use OneNote for all notes, ideas, and photographs in all aspects of your busy life. Keep your file system with you all of the time! Instruct students in the use of OneNote for notetaking needs. Share outlines and study guides with students. All members can collaborate and add thoughts. Offer as a way to improve organizational skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ThemeSpark - David Hunter
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (144), professional development (386), rubrics (36), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
Use ThemeSpark for all of your lesson planning. Copy and paste current lesson plans to Theme Spark to match to standards. Collaborate with peers to create and develop standards-based lessons for your entire curriculum. This is perfect for when you need to have a sub, and for those teachers who must have a week of lesson plans on their desk for an administrator.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PenPal Schools - Joe Troyen
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (172)
In the Classroom
Create an account and participate in different courses as part of your studies of current events. Enrich course content by having students create an annotated image based on discussion questions including text boxes, related links, and even video. Use Thinglink, reviewed here, for this activity. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a tool such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wright Brothers - Who Were Wilbur & Orville? - Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
Grades
K to 12tag(s): aviation (40), flight (34), wright brothers (16)
In the Classroom
What a perfect addition to a lesson about the Wright brothers or a science unit about aviation (physics and more)! Have students work in cooperative learning groups and research a specific topic found at this site. Enhance learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the Wright brothers or as a spectator viewing one of the first flying machines. Be sure to take advantage of the free experiments and activities available on the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sign Generator - Ryland Sanders
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): graphic design (49), images (260), photography (123), posters (43)
In the Classroom
Create signs to include with multimedia projects. Customize a sign for use on your interactive whiteboard with directions for seat work or to introduce students presenting projects to the class. Have students use the images to give short story summaries using only four to six words. Create a set of class rules using one of the templates, and then print and post them on a bulletin board.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Big Ideas Video Series - Class Dojo
Grades
K to 8tag(s): brain (56), emotions (49), empathy (33), learning styles (18), social and emotional learning (100), social skills (22)
In the Classroom
You may want to start your school year by sharing the three part video series on Empathy. Each video is five minutes and has a discussion guide. As a follow up use the Ripples of Kindness activity in small groups. Share younger students' observations on a whiteboard or poster. Older students can share their observations using a tool like Stickies, reviewed here. Dotstorming allows participants to add comments. Share other videos with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to introduce a video each week and explore the discussion questions together. These videos could be very useful when preparing and motivating students for upcoming standardized testing or at the beginning of a school year to set a tone that everyone can learn. Include a link to videos on your class web page for parents to discuss at home with their student, and be sure to send home the take-home questions with topics to talk about.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PBS World Explorers - PBS Learning Media
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): columbus day (8), explorers (65), marco polo (3), space (218), video (264)
In the Classroom
Videos are perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard, with a projector, or create a link on classroom computers for students to view on their own. Since the videos are only four to six minutes long, students could research the era of the explorer to see what else was happening in the world and create an infographic using Snappa, reviewed here to share their findings. Have students create online movie posters to advertise the video they watched (individually, as partners, in small groups, or together as a class) using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here, sharing each explorer's route. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose various locations on a map where the routes are.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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eLearning Infographics - e-Learning Industry LLC
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (153), infographics (56), professional development (386)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the infographics on this site for both classroom use and professional development. Introduce a topic by sharing the Infographic and allowing time for students (or peers) to identify various items that they notice about the chart. Allow time to think-pair-share and list questions for further understanding. Choose a new infographic each week and use links for each image to embed on your website or share via social media. Make curriculum content more real with infographics that students can relate to. Consider creating Infographics of material students are learning in class for better understanding and connection with other topics and the world around them. You and students can create a simple infographic sharing information and/or findings using Snappa, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Election Central - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): debate (42), elections (82), electoral college (22), presidents (135), speech (68)
In the Classroom
Include The Election Collection as part of any election unit. Have students research candidate information and compare and contrast points of view. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, or the Interactive Three Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Pose a controversial question about an election issue and have students answer as one of the candidates. Use a tool such as Dotstorming, reviewed here, for that exercise. Or, challenge students to use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a candidate's journey through the election process. Or, using Fakebook, have two candidates debate an issue. Be sure to take advantage of the free lesson plans offered on this site correlated to National History Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Freebies - Charity Preston
Grades
K to 8tag(s): back to school (55), book reports (28), classroom management (120), commoncore (74), posters (43), preK (269), substitutes (25), worksheets (69)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Classroom Freebies as an excellent resource for teaching materials throughout the school year. Take advantage of the free printables for use on bulletin boards, for classroom management, and centers. Choose materials from the site to use in substitute folders. Be sure to share this site with your fellow teachers! You might consider finding snow day and vacation day activities to post on your class website for parent and student use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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