Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

CommonCurriculum is an online lesson planning resource that helps align lessons to Common Core resources. Copy and paste a current lesson plan into their weekly template. Search a standard to find standards that may align with the lesson. The more text provided, the more options for standards will be offered. Drag and drop items from one day to another. Print using the print option for paper lesson plans. Publish lesson plans to your blog or website with one click using links in the site. Send public sections in a daily email to addresses you enter.

tag(s): professional development (385)

The High School Journalism Initiative is a large site dedicated to high school journalists, teachers, and mentors. Choose from several different options such as news literacy, games, students, teachers, and more. You can view stories by teens, read school papers, find local journalism organizations, research colleges with journalism majors, and more. You can also find a large bank of lesson plans along with teaching tips, information on starting school newspapers, and links to featured school papers. Search the lesson archive to find lessons sorted by topic such as bias, ethics, or interviewing.

tag(s): editing (93), journalism (74), media literacy (109), news (229), newspapers (93)

Search and find standards based resources in every subject and grade levels. Many are aligned to Florida standards, some also to Common Core. Recently added resources appear on the home page. In addition, there are several search options available. Browse by subject area then narrow choices using drop boxes for grade level, and instructional components. Also choose from a keyword search to find specific topics and phrases. Choose all resources to view the list of over 1800 resources available. Short explanations include basic information; click on the link to view a full description.

tag(s): florida (12), professional development (385)

Pandora is a customizable popular music streaming service based on the Music Genome Project. Enter the name of a musician or group to find a "channel" made up of singe by that artist/group and other songs that have similar characteristics: lyrics, rhythm, style, etc. The "genome" sorts and matches the musical characteristics of the artist or of a particular song. Register for free (requires email). Then as you listen, click "like" to teach Pandora your preferences. Read more about the Music Genome Project under "About" in the footer of the page. There is a paid version of Pandora, but the few commercials in the free version are tolerable. Pandora also has free apps versions to use on mobile devices, and your account is accessible from all devices.
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tag(s): lyrics (15), music theory (46), poetry (193)

Create interactive, choose your own adventure (branching) style stories with inklewriter. This site is ideal for anyone to create a story and then share with others via a unique URL. These stories allow for others to create their own path or choose an existing one. Begin by choosing to read stories or create your own. Type parts of the story including the title, author, beginning, introduction, and add sections as needed. After each paragraph is the option to create different outcomes of the story, offering choices the reader makes. The site contains excellent tutorials for getting started with stories. When finished, share the URL for your story using X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook or copy the URL to share and bookmark as you wish. Of course, your "story" need not be fiction! You could also write an opinion piece with branches for people to ask (click) on questions about facets of your argument! NOTE: When you click to begin writing, you should click SIGN IN and choose to make a new account. Do this before you start writing in order to be able to save. The tool will then save your work as you go along. Although you do not HAVE to sign in before you start, it is risky to sign up later! . Inklewriter has also made it easier for teachers to sign up students WITHOUT student email addresses. Read the directions about how to do this on the landing page by scrolling down and finding "Sign-up and email addresses."
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tag(s): creative writing (124), digital storytelling (154), narrative (16), persuasive writing (58)

SpeakPipe offers a widget to install on your blog, website, or podcast so readers and listeners can send you an audio message of up to 90 seconds in length. Other features for the free plan include recieving 30 messages per month, one Widget, and email notification. The message goes to your Speakpipe inbox, and you receive an email notification. You also receive a URL for the message that you could post on the blog or your podcast so others can hear the comments. Visitors click the "leave voicemail" button to access. Next, the visitor records a message for you. Visitors have the option of including their names and email addresses.

tag(s): blogs (65), communication (129), Teacher Utilities (198)

Your spoken words are instantly changed to written text. Just click on the microphone and speak. Follow simple directions and immediately begin to dictate. As soon as speech is ready, it appears in red, and you push ok. Corrections are suggested in red. If your speech is not recognized, there is an alternatives button to help you dictate correctly. You can also click on the speaker button to hear the written words played back to you. Click the blue arrow to move the text down to the larger text box. There you can store several phrases or sentences together. Choose to print, email, or tweet your message. Talk Typer is also available in a variety of languages. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. This is best used with short phrases or sentences.
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tag(s): communication (129), differentiation (84), note taking (36), speech (69), writing (325)

Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what they've learned and know. The videos are even more appealing because of the professional animators who worked in the background (with the educators) to get the message across to the audience. You can search these videos by "Lessons" (under "Discover") and from there by subject, "Collections," is organized by theme, or by "Exploration." Every video has a "Think" section with multiple choice and open ended questions. If you get a multiple choice answer wrong you will receive a video hint to help you get it correct. Every video has a Dig Deeper section with additional resources for exploring the topic. You can take one of these videos, a video from YouTube, or any other video with a URL and "flip" them to make them your own. You can change the title, put in instructions, discard or keep the questions, create your own questions. In other words, you can make the video your own, to suit your needs. Once you save the video it will have a unique URL so you can track the progress and participation of anyone using it. Don't miss such clever offerings as David Hunter's video about the importance of geography concepts in deciding "How do you decide where to go in a zombie apocalypse?" Ted-Ed is only part of the TED offerings. View the full TED site reviewed here. Be sure to look at the Discover and Create tabs on the top menu.

tag(s): blended learning (37), business (52), design (79), literature (221), psychology (65), religions (95), Teacher Utilities (198), video (266)

Lessonstream offers 70+ English lessons originally intended for multilingual learners. They are divided by ability levels, listed according to topic, language aim, learner type, and lesson time. Each lesson includes images or a video, preparation tasks, text prompts and then the lesson plan. Many include additional printouts to supplement the lesson. Explore the site in several ways: browse all lessons page by page, time needed for lesson, learner type, main activity, language aim, or materials. Download lessons using the PDF link provided with each lesson. "Pinned" images provide age level information, activity type, and language skill addressed for each activity. Most lessons are aimed at middle school learners and above. However, there are several for younger students and worth taking a look if you teach younger grades.
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tag(s): narrative (16), parts of speech (39), punctuation (25), sentences (22)

Find technological improvements and enhancements that make a difference in today's rapidly changing world. This site's goal seems to be "Good design is green design." Search articles about improvements in architecture, interiors, energy, technology, transportation, fashion, art, and kids. Read blog posts about advancements in each of the categories. Below the posts are related topics of additional interest. This site appears to be updated often, so be sure to check back.
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tag(s): ecology (103), environment (252), inventors and inventions (80), persuasive writing (58), resources (84)

This simple blog site offers directions for embedding practically anything in a web site. Directions are included for photos, RSS feeds, YouTube videos and other videos, podcasts, and more.
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tag(s): images (263), photography (130), portfolios (23), resources (84), video (266)

Looking for some new free clipart to add to projects, presentations, and websites? With over 10,000 images and a keyword search function, IconBug makes locating and using clipart easy. Simply click on the image to download. With Mac, the image automatically downloads as a PNG. With a PC, you need to choose to save the image. Either way, it is easy to use and there is no need to worry about image copyright. Each image page specifically tells you whether icons/clip art are free for personal use, for commercial use, or both. Note that many do require that you give credit via link back to their site.
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tag(s): clip art (11), creative commons (28), images (263)

View this Prezi to learn more about the focus and goals of the Common Core English Language Arts standards. Among the highlights are reasons for the Common Core, shifts that are taking place, video clips explaining WHAT the Common Core means, and where Common Core plans to go.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Find ideas for using QR codes in the classroom. This slideshow is a must-see to get many unique ideas for using QR codes. Examples include adding QR codes to worksheets for students to check answers or to go to a video explanation for completing the worksheet. Another idea: print a QR code on a sticker and place into textbooks for students to access additional content. Add to displays or bulletin boards to make them interactive. There are many great ideas shared on this site. It is definitely worth a visit for anyone using or wanting to use QR codes in their classroom. Of course, you do need to have devices that can read the QR codes; smart phones and iTouches work well.

tag(s): qr codes (18)

Crop and resize your images using this online tool. Upload your images and select the desired size. There are several predefined sizes to choose from: an avatar image, gallery thumbnail, Facebook timeline cover image, or you can select a custom size (width and height) for your particular purpose. Crop up to 5 images simultaneously. The site detects the most interesting part of each image to use when cropping. Adjust the placement as needed. When finished, select images to keep and download to your computer.

tag(s): images (263), photography (130)

Create interactive, text-based games with this simple tool. Perhaps you remember a text-based game called "Adventure" from back in the early days of computers. Be sure to use the tutorial on the home page that also teaches you how to navigate the stories themselves. By clicking on the "About Us," you can view the "cheat sheet" that will certainly make your first creative attempt at Playfic more enjoyable. Experiment with Playfic games created by others and time yourself. if you get stuck, you can look at the source code. Create your own Playfic for any topic that interests you, whether it's fiction or not. Note that there is no moderation on games created by others, so preview before sharing with young people.

tag(s): creative writing (124), creativity (86), digital storytelling (154), gamification (83), mysteries (23), puzzles (149)

Teach Preschool is a delightful blog filled with activities for teaching preschoolers (and primary grades). Updated often, the blog articles include activities, classroom images, and practical suggestions. Choose from topics for exploration including: Powered by Play, Exploring Books, or Exploring Art. Use the search bar to look for specific content, explore recent posts, or browse monthly archives. Another way to explore is using the icons on the left side of the page. Although geared toward preschool, this site is worth a visit for anyone interested in educating young children.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), counting (60), density (18), dental health (14), firstday (22), numbers (120), phonics (51), plants (146), preK (271)

Use this site to be able to edit PDF documents. It is free and easy to use. Upload your PDF document or link to an existing online PDF. Add additional text or free hand writing. Create drawings or add images. You can create PDFs, edit PDFs, fill-out existing PDFs, save/print PDFs, and more. When finished, download the final product. No sign up is required to use most features. If you must complete entry forms, applications, or other PDF forms, this tool can be a lifesaver.
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tag(s): Teacher Utilities (198)

Find a wealth of resources for using drama in the ENL/ELL classroom. The same activities can also be useful for other subjects. The improvisation resources are especially exciting, offering definitions, examples of activities, links, and visual examples of how you can use improvisational techniques. In addition, information and activities on using plays, process drama, and reader's theater for language teaching abound. Use play writing for another aspect of language teaching. There is a complete curriculum for offering an independent class in drama for ENL/ELL students. Although this site may appear plain vanilla, there are sprinkles throughout, making this tool very valuable and informative.

tag(s): acting (19), creative writing (124), plays (32)

The Mind is a Metaphor is something like a dictionary for finding metaphors. There are over ten thousand of them. Though many are mental metaphors, there are some that don't relate to the mind. This site originally started with an "expanded eighteenth century" list, but now has metaphors from as late as the 1990's. Search for a metaphor by literary period, author, genre, gender, and several others. You may also enjoy the creator's blog with his interpretations of his favorite metaphors at Blog for The Mind is a Metaphor.

tag(s): literary devices (13)