TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jul 14, 2024
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
TeachersFirst: Differentiated Instruction Professional Learning Module - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This five-part learning model provides guidance and support to educators as they tailor instruction to meet the many differing needs of their students. Module one begins with a short...more
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This five-part learning model provides guidance and support to educators as they tailor instruction to meet the many differing needs of their students. Module one begins with a short overview of differentiating the learning process and shares several technology tools to support successful differentiation. Other models discuss differentiating the learning environment, products, and content; the final module helps pull all the information together as part of a cohesive learning unit. Professional learning credits are available; follow the provided link to receive a link to the course assessment.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many instructional ideas and resources to support differentiation in your classroom. Visit TeachersFirst to find many other resources for classroom differentiation, such as the archives of online professional learning sessions, OK2Ask: Playlists to Personalize Learning, reviewed here and OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire: Choice Boards for Differentiation Pt. 2, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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SchoolAI - SchoolAI, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
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SchoolAI provides a suite of artificial intelligence (AI)- based tools and resources for K-12 classrooms. In addition, AI features provide feedback and allow educators to moderate and...more
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SchoolAI provides a suite of artificial intelligence (AI)- based tools and resources for K-12 classrooms. In addition, AI features provide feedback and allow educators to moderate and manage student use of resources such as the Sidekick assistant. SchoolAI offers many easy-to-create student activities, such as the Historic Figure Chatbot, Book Explorer, Choose Your Own Adventure, and chat-based Tutoring Sessions for any subject. Use the discover feature to choose an activity, then provide the requested information. Most activities include an option to view a preview or try the activity out before being added to Spaces. After adding an activity to your Spaces, it is shared with students using the URL or QR code provided.
In the Classroom
Use SchoolAI to create and share engaging activities with all students and for all subjects. For example, differentiate text easily to fit the abilities of all students, generate a list of engaging activities for any topic, or quickly create a worksheet or multiple choice quiz as a formative assessment. As students engage in chats with historical figures or choose your own adventure activities, ask them to use the information learned as a starting point for additional research. Use Symbaloo, reviewed here or another curation tool to collect and share additional resources with students, such as videos, online articles, and book suggestions. As a final extended learning activity, ask students to share their learning using Sway, reviewed here, Genially, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express, reviewed here to create multimedia presentations. This tool would also be great to share with gifted students. As always, use best practices when sharing AI tools with students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MagicSchool - Adeel Khan
Grades
K to 12
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What if you could magically create rubrics, quizzes, and scaffold assignments? MagicSchool does it for you...and more! Create an account at MagicSchool to view the dozens of tools and...more
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What if you could magically create rubrics, quizzes, and scaffold assignments? MagicSchool does it for you...and more! Create an account at MagicSchool to view the dozens of tools and generators available using AI (artificial intelligence). After selecting a tool, use the included options to define terms such as grade level, text levels, or topics for your needs. Many tools also have opportunities to refine the results, including translation to several languages and length of response. MagicSchool also offers Raina, an education chatbot. Use Raina to answer school-related questions such as teaching ideas, research on pedagogy, and behavior management strategies. MagicSchool's database is trained on best practices for educators, is FERPA compliant, and declines non-educational requests. When using AI generation tools, always check the results for accuracy before using them.
In the Classroom
Use MagicSchool as a time-saving tool to support many professional needs in your classroom and increase productivity. For example, save time by choosing from the student support tools to generate ideas for IEPs or suggestions for behavior management. Prepare classroom newsletters quickly by sharing relevant information and asking MagicSchool to write your newsletter. Quickly create lessons, unit plans, rubrics, and more using the tools in the planning section.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Judy Huemann - Life and Legacy of the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement - The Huemann Perspective
Grades
K to 12
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This site brings together many of the excellent resources on the web about Judy Huemann and the disability movement. Find podcasts with disabled changemakers and their supporters. Resources...more
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This site brings together many of the excellent resources on the web about Judy Huemann and the disability movement. Find podcasts with disabled changemakers and their supporters. Resources offer a variety of information, lessons, videos, books and book guides, disability resources for asserting your rights, and much more. Central to the disability rights movement is Section 504 of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which stipulates that individuals with disabilities "should not be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Find a downloadable "Curriculum Guide for Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights," found under 504 Sit in History. Judy Huemann led protests, including a 26-day sit-in at Health Education and Welfare's San Francisco headquarters, calling the federal government to issue regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
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In the Classroom
Include this site with other resources featuring women role models, biographical topics, and career exploration information. Since this website has extensive information from around the web, consider using a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, as a resource to share information and sources with students. While "Patient No More" is for high school and beyond, there are parts that can be pulled out for your elementary students. For instance, there are videos you can use with Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add comments and discussion questions for younger students. In addition, there is an observation chart where students wander around their environment, recording where there are examples of accessibility or a lack of accessibility.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Nora Project Resources for Educators - The Nora Project
Grades
K to 12
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The Nora Project offers activities and resources to educators that promote disability inclusion and connect learning about disabilities to real-world situations. For example, visit...more
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The Nora Project offers activities and resources to educators that promote disability inclusion and connect learning about disabilities to real-world situations. For example, visit a virtual calming room featuring relaxing music, puzzles and games, and live animal cams. Download stories about diversity, learn how to host an inclusive event, or visit the Kindness Library to find books and lesson plans. In addition, The Nora Project includes resources for parents with infographics and a planning guide for hosting inclusive playdates.
In the Classroom
Bookmark The Nora Project to include resources for teaching and learning about disabilities and inclusion in your teacher toolbox. Consider curating your resources using Wakelet, reviewed here, into one easy to find collection. Add your peers as collaborators to your Wakelet collection as you continue to find and build additional resources. Ask older students to create infographics and posters to teach others about inclusiveness using Genially, reviewed here. Add links, images, and videos within your Genially projects to create interactive content. Use WriteReader, reviewed here, with younger students to create and share interactive books telling the story of inclusiveness. WriteReader is an excellent tool for creating books with emerging writers as it offers the option to show student writing along with the correct spelling underneath.
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Helperbird - Robert James
Grades
K to 12
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Helperbird is an extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers that adds accessibility and productivity tools to any website. The free version includes dyslexia fonts, a font changer,...more
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Helperbird is an extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers that adds accessibility and productivity tools to any website. The free version includes dyslexia fonts, a font changer, and the ability to adjust word spacing to make websites easier to view. Content features include Immersive Reader, translations, a picture dictionary, and screenshot tools. Enhanced display tools offer you the ability to emphasize links and adjust for color blindness. Try it for free by choosing your browser and following the directions to add the extension. After adding the extension, pin it to your toolbar and adjust the different options as desired.
In the Classroom
Use Helperbird as a browser extension to support learners in many different situations. Turn on the dyslexia font for students with dyslexia, for students with visual challenges, adjust the font and color to make viewing and reading online information more accessible. Include the dictionary to support readers and English as a New Language learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mote - Mote Technologies Inc
Grades
K to 12
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Mote is a Chrome browser extension that allows you to add voice notes to Google Documents, Google Classroom, Google Slides, and Sheets. It also supports transcription in over twenty...more
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Mote is a Chrome browser extension that allows you to add voice notes to Google Documents, Google Classroom, Google Slides, and Sheets. It also supports transcription in over twenty languages. Begin by downloading Mote from the Chrome Store and allowing it to install on your browser. Once installed, click the Mote icon when in Google documents to record up to one minute using the free version. Students use the play button to listen to recordings within their document or view the text within a card created by Mote as a comment. Use your account activity page to monitor student engagement and see which students listened to or viewed your notes. Students also have the option to provide reactions to your messages. If students don't have the Mote extension, they receive a link to the Mote website to listen to the audio recording. This is a terrific resource to help your struggling writers and special needs students.
In the Classroom
Use Mote to make feedback more personal for students and hear voice intonation instead of just written text. Use this extension to share positive feedback on student work and point out specific areas of improvement. Share Mote with your peers to use when collaborating on any document as a replacement for written comments. Mote is an excellent way to provide missing in-person connections with students during remote learning by allowing them to hear your voice instead of viewing impersonal comments. Use Mote when teaching ENL/ESL students to help students who are not proficient in English by enabling them to see comments in their native language.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BeeLine Reader Collection - Reading is Fundamental
Grades
K to 12
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Improve reading and comprehension skills for all students and adults with this BeeLine Reader Collection on Literacy Central. Find over 100 books and stories as downloadable PDFs, all...more
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Improve reading and comprehension skills for all students and adults with this BeeLine Reader Collection on Literacy Central. Find over 100 books and stories as downloadable PDFs, all using BeeLine Reader technology to highlight and wrap text to improve focusing and tracking while reading. Use the leveled reading passages within Reading is Fundamental for multiple grade levels and books. Find additional support materials for each book, including author interviews, lesson plans, crosswords, and word searches all as downloadable PDFs. Though Beeline Reader is not usually a free tool, Literacy Central is providing it to its members for free through these PDFs. You do not need to create a free membership to use these materials, only to save them as a favorite. Learn more about the Beeline Reader tool and how it improves reading comprehension by watching the YouTube video introduction on this page.
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In the Classroom
These BeeLine Reader PDFs are an excellent addition to the already valuable reading materials found at Reading is Fundamental - Literacy Central, reviewed here. Be sure to bookmark this site to find leveled reading passages with the enhanced function of BeeLine Reader. These PDFs are wonderful to share with ENL/ELL and Special Education specialists to use with their students. Remember, all teachers are reading teachers. Share this tool with your science, social studies, and math teachers, too!
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Immersive Reader - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12
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Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft Learning Tool available for use with several Microsoft products including OneNote, Word, Outlook, and Edge. Immersive Reader dictates text and offers...more
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Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft Learning Tool available for use with several Microsoft products including OneNote, Word, Outlook, and Edge. Immersive Reader dictates text and offers several options for personalization. Use the options to adjust the playback speed, highlight text during the audio reading, and adjust text size and spacing. Click on any word in your reading material to listen to the pronunciation. Additional options allow you to view words divided into syllables, use labels to color-code words by parts of speech, and increase the spacing between lines and letters. Use the line focus feature to highlight only small portions of text. Turn on the dictionary option to select words and view drawings representing the meanings. This tool is a wonderful resource for your special needs students and struggling readers!
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many features included with Immersive Reader for any classroom use. You may need to discuss downloading this product with your school's IT department; however, it is well worth the effort. This product is especially helpful for ENL/ESL students and students needing additional help with reading. Use the language options for students to hear and view text in their native language. Use Immersive Reader to help students with Dyslexia or ADHD to decode and focus on the text by using the options included. Upload classroom materials for students to use for help in understanding difficult text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SummarizeThis - Iris Reading
Grades
5 to 12
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Do you need a tool to quickly summarize long chunks of text? SummarizeThis is the answer. Just copy any section of text from online, PDFs, word documents, or where ever ...more
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Do you need a tool to quickly summarize long chunks of text? SummarizeThis is the answer. Just copy any section of text from online, PDFs, word documents, or where ever and paste it into SummarizeThis. Click the link to summarize, and the result appears immediately.
In the Classroom
Introduce SummarizeThis to students working on research projects as a way to quickly determine the content and viability of using websites. Use to differentiate instruction with students. Use with learning support students as a resource to make content more accessible. Use the summaries when teaching how to summarize in an ELA class. Compare the summary you create as a class or in small groups with the "automated" one. Are there subtleties or important distinctions that this tool misses? As a challenge for your more critical thinkers, have them try to figure out what signals the tool uses to create its summary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SMMRY - smmry.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Did you ever wish for a website that would summarize long articles of text? SMMRY grants your wish! Copy and paste text, PDF's, websites, or online articles into the text ...more
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Did you ever wish for a website that would summarize long articles of text? SMMRY grants your wish! Copy and paste text, PDF's, websites, or online articles into the text box, upload a PDF file or paste a URL to begin. Choose the number of sentences for the summary, then click the summarize box and view your summary. Some documents and PDF's may be too long and you may need to upload them rather than using the URL. Or, you could do a copy and paste into the summary box if necessary.
In the Classroom
Introduce SMMRY to students working on research projects as a way to quickly determine content and viability of using websites. Use to differentiate instruction with students. Use with learning support students as a resource to make content easier to understand (and shorter to read). Use SMMRY summaries when teaching how to summarize in an ENL class. Compare the summary you create as a class or in small groups with the "automated" one. Are there subtleties or important distinctions that this tool misses? As a challenge for your more critical thinkers, have them try to figure out what signals the tool uses to create its summary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Higher Education for Students with Disabilities - Accredited Schools Online
Grades
9 to 12
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This guide, part of the larger site titled Accredited Schools Online, helps students with learning disabilities and their parents better understand their rights and responsibilities...more
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This guide, part of the larger site titled Accredited Schools Online, helps students with learning disabilities and their parents better understand their rights and responsibilities regarding postsecondary education. Organized as one lengthy page of useful tips, information includes choosing an online accredited college or university program that best suits a student's needs, financial aid advice, and links to other helpful sites. Specific school searches may be done elsewhere on the sponsoring site once you register. Other areas of the larger website include advice for the hearing and visual impaired.
In the Classroom
Guidance counselors and teachers, particularly intervention specialists, will find this a helpful place to share with students and their parents although information is very basic. The larger sponsoring site includes higher education selection advice for all students. Use this resource with individual students or in group settings, perhaps at a college and career night, or as part of a newsletter or other resource geared to high school students and their parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Disability History Museum - Disability History Museum
Grades
8 to 12
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The Disability History Museum is dedicated to raising awareness about how culture, identity, and law have helped define the lives of those with disabilities. A digital archive of photographs,...more
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The Disability History Museum is dedicated to raising awareness about how culture, identity, and law have helped define the lives of those with disabilities. A digital archive of photographs, artifacts, cartoons, and other primary source material offers important context to the discussion. A small collection of lesson plans will assist in helping students talk about and understand their own assumptions and knowledge of what it means to live with disabilities, both historically, and in the present. A collection of digital exhibits is expected to be added in the near future.
In the Classroom
Use the resources here to help students talk about the role and experiences of those living with a disability. How have attitudes changed over time? What has driven those changes? Helping students understand why some people experience physical and emotional challenges, and the importance of honoring their contributions and abilities can be difficult. The resources in this archive may be helpful in sparking discussion.
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Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger's Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources will help you to better understand these students with special challenges and find strategies for working with them in your classroom. ...more
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This collection of reviewed resources will help you to better understand these students with special challenges and find strategies for working with them in your classroom.
In the Classroom
Share this collection with parents and colleagues using the "email this" link.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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