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School Digger - Schooldigger.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Refer visiting parents to this site when they make an initial school visit.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Science Behind the News - NBC Learn
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Introduce the videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Ask students to form small groups depending on which video topic they are interested in further exploring. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here, to present what they learned to their classmates. Have older students use these videos as a springboard for further research into the topics found.Comments
Love these videos! Very engaging and extremely informative especially since they are all around five minutes!Cyndy, MN, Grades: 9 - 12
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Science Daily - ScienceDaily LLC
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a research tool or to provide practice reading informational texts in the content areas. Choose an article relevant to what you are teaching, post it on your website or wiki, and have your students discuss what the article means and how it made them think. Since the articles are heavy with text, you may want to have students work in small groups to read the article you have selected for them, and use a tool such as Mindmeister (reviewed here) or bubbl.us (reviewed here) to create a concept map of the important ideas and their details for the article. Each article has several related links. Have each group choose a different one to explore, and create a concept map to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector so all can benefit from the related articles. Once created, the concept maps can be posted as links or embedded on your teacher website or wiki for review and to share with parents. If the text of the articles is simply too challenging without some "before reading" help, show students how to preview it using WordSift, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science News Explores - Society for Science and the Public
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Be sure to check the Educators section to find articles by curriculum topic. Use this site as a resource for current events projects or to relate classroom material to students lives and the world around them. Use the articles by finding an interesting tidbit of information to capture student attention before the start of a new content unit or chapter. Be sure to point out that science discoveries have led to the information about the natural world that we presently have today. Challenge cooperative learning groups to investigate one of the topics and create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Be sure to include this link on your class page for students to find interesting articles and information about Atoms and Forces, Earth and Sky, Humans and Health, and more. Add the RSS feed from this site to your class Flipboard account.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Update Podcasts - American Association for the Advancement of Science
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Try this one for your own professional development, or play it in science class as students are getting settled in for their class period.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ScreenPal (was Screencast-o-matic) - ScreenPal
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
You will need to know how to use whatever computer software, website, or skill you are demonstrating. Following basic directions and managing browser windows or tabs are a must, as well as the managing settings of the computer being used. There are plenty of tutorials to explore for PC's, Chrome Books, Mac's, and downloading their apps.Use the symbols in the upper right corner of the page to start. You will also find your content there and under the personal (could be a white circle) icon find settings, tutorials, support, and of course, your log-out. Select Capture Screen Screenshots. As a first-time user files for the Screen Recorder will need to be downloaded to your computer. Follow the prompts as they appear. Choose the screen size when played and whether audio will be needed (audio can be tested here as well, which is recommended: settings may need to be adjusted for different microphones.) Open a new tab or browser window and enter the web address of the site (or software) that will be the subject of your screencast. Drag the black frame by clicking the line and dragging it in order to choose what will be recorded during the screencast. The microphone icon has a green bar that shows recording levels. A green arrow showing instead of a green bar denotes that sound is not being captured. The red button is used to start recording while the black "X" stops the recording. Once you stop recording, click on your screencast tab or browser window and preview your recording. You can then either upload or discard your screencast. At this point you can create an account easily. Save your screencast to a channel of your own. Use the embed code to place your screencast into a blog, wiki, or other site. You can also use a widget code to embed the screencast player into a website. Screencasts can then be made from your other site and will save directly to your screencast channel. Screencasts can be set to different levels of privacy and comments can be turned on or off.
Teachers who must request certificate approval by tech staff may want to try this tool at home and create some sample projects to convince administration of its educational value. Unless checked to turn off comments, this site will allow comments on your work. Many districts prohibit such interaction and steps should be taken to prohibit commenting from others. When using the widget, the tool does not attribute work to specific students. You may wish to have the students identify their work while creating the screencast. Screencasts will only be able to be viewed when using an embed code in a site, wiki, or blog. By marking the screencast "searchable," it can be available to the public. Recently created screencasts do not appear on the home page of screencast-o-matic. Students are able to self-register, but you may want to keep a record of logins and passwords for students who forget.
Make how-to demos for communicating instructions on using and navigating your class home page, class wiki or blog, or other applications you wish the students to use in creation of classroom content. By narrating how you want students to navigate through a certain site or section, you can eliminate confusion, provide an opportunity for students to use the information as a refresher for the future, and maintain a record for absent students. Software demonstrations add an increased flexibility with helping students who need it while allowing students to begin and work at their own pace. Added audio is a great asset for many students including learning support and those who might need to access the material in smaller "chunks." Use this site for students to give "tours" of their own wiki or blog page. The presentation of their web-based projects and resources can be more engaging. Use screencasts to critique or show the validity of websites, identify a resource site they believe is most valuable, or explain how to navigate an online game. Challenge your gifted students to create a screencast as a final project rather than a more traditional project. Social studies teachers could assign students to critique a political candidate's web page using a screencast. Reading/language arts teachers could have student teams analyze a web site to show biased language, etc. For a powerful writing experience, have students "think aloud" their writing choices as the record a screencast of a revision or writing session. You will probably need to model this process, but writing will NEVER be the same! Math teachers using software such as Geometer's Sketchpad could have students create their own narrated demonstrations of geometry concepts as review (and to save as future learning aids). Teachers at any level can create screencasts to demonstrate a computer skill or assignment, such as for a center in your classroom or in a computer lab. Students can replay the "tutorial" on their own from your class web page and follow the directions.
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)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Requires download/installation of software
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September 11 Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12In the Classroom
Include one or more of these sites as your observe September 11 in your classroom or make the link available on your class web site for students who ask about the events of this pivotal day. You will find many specific project or class activity ideas within the reviews themselves.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SheHeroes - sheheroes.org
Grades
2 to 10In the Classroom
Use SheHeroes as part of your Career Day or career unit resources. Add a link on classroom computers for students (male and female) to explore on their own. Take advantage of the further discussion questions to encourage students to think about the obstacles faced by women in business and society. Ask a prominent local business woman to speak to your class and discuss obstacles she has faced and how she was able to overcome those issues. Although the site is dedicated to girls from ages 8-14, share with both boys and girls from ages 8 and up as part of any unit on gender inequalites.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Simple English News - simpleenglishnews
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Check with this site to see if it has a feature on a grammar or vocabulary lesson you are preparing. Check with your administration about the feasibility of students registering to participate in polls and make comments on news articles. Refer students to the article about five special apps for learning English.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Slavery Footprint - How Many Slaves Work For You? - MUH-TAY-ZIK HOF-FER
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Have students complete individual surveys and graph results, use the information for a basis of class discussions on economy and each individual's impact on the environment. Complete one survey for the entire class on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) using average information found from students. Show the impact of changes in lifestyle by completing new surveys by making lifestyle changes. Have students use a tool such as Buzzsprout, reviewed here, to create a fictitious radio news story from information they learn at this site. Have students use a mapping tool such as Google Earth, reviewed here, to create an audio (and visual) tour of countries included on the survey.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian: Energy Innovation - Smithsonian
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site with an interactive whiteboard or projector and big screen. View together as a class to show students how the interactive map works. Have pairs of students go through the interactive maps and write down key phrases for information they learn. Then have the pairs create a word cloud of the important terms learned from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. This site could be used in a unit on contemporary environmental issues or energy. Use it for background research for a class debate on fracking. It would also provide evidence for a Common Core-style writing piece developing an argument and supporting evidence. In a government or civics class, this information could be part of a class discussion on how government policies can affect the environment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics - Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource during the Olympic games to find information on scheduled events and venues. Share the Paralympics portion of the site as part of your unit on disabilities. Have students create timelines of the Olympic Games (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Have students use facts from this site to make Bingo cards, or board games for small groups to enjoy. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on values on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation about teamwork. Have students make a mash-up using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge Tools reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the Olympic athletes past or present.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sochi 2014: An Olympic Preview - The Atlantic
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use images from this site as story starters. For example - use image 17 showing the family with their demolished home and ask students to write about the Olympics from their point of view. Challenge students to find current images of construction projects and compare progress made since 2012. Have students collaborate and create maps of Olympic venues using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social and Emotional Learning Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Find resources to educate yourself and your students about various topics related to social-emotional learning. This collection includes lesson plans, digital check-ins, toolkits, professional resources, and more. Share this curated list with your colleagues and families.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Media Test Drive - Cornell University and the Cornell Research Foundation, Inc
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Share these modules for students to complete during any lessons on Internet safety. Ask students to contribute to a collaborative document sharing examples they have seen of cyberbullying or deceptive news practice. Replace pencil and paper notetaking by sharing an online tool such as Webnote, reviewed here, for students to use to take notes on any website. When finished, have them share their notes using the URL created for use in classroom discussions. Reinforce online safety concepts through gameplay using Baamboozle, reviewed here. Enhance student learning by asking students to create a game in Baamboozle for their peers to play to identify best practices in creating a safe online presence. After completing your digital safety unit, modify classroom technology use and extend learning by asking students to create explainer videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, with suggestions on how to identify fake news, how to create a positive digital footprint or ways to support peers when faced with cyberbullying. Share student videos on your class website and with younger students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Media: Digital Literacy + Citizenship - New York City Department of Education
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Share information from this site with your peers and other staff members as you work to develop guidelines for social media lessons and acceptable use in the classroom. Include a link to this site on your class webpage for parent use at home. During your social media lessons have students share tips and ideas using Padlet, reviewed here. The Padlet application creates free online bulletin boards. Sort ideas on the Padlet into columns based on different social situations, types of online media, or consequences of inappropriate behavior. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create weekly social media advice videos using a tool like Typito, reviewed here, which is a simple tool to use to modify student technology use. Then share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Studies for Kids
Grades
1 to 8Note: an annoying audio ad plays when you first enter the site. Turn OFF your sound!
In the Classroom
Use the current events segment as weekly discussion starter or assignment in your social studies class. Share this link on your teacher web page for students to access outside of class. To really build a stronger sense of current events, start a class year-long current events "log" on a wiki and have a differnet student write a "week in review" each week throughout the year, based on the current events provided here or others he/she may know about. Reading teachers may also want to use the articles on this site to teach informational text reading skills on an interactive whiteboard. Reading levels are challenging for grades 1-3. Teachers will need to provide help by reading aloud or partnering readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SoundCloud - SoundCloud Ltd.
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Add the dimension of sound into your language arts classes with SoundCloud! Turn written stories or poetry into works of spoken art. Use SoundCloud recordings of places such as; the city, the forest, the beach, or a cafeteria to bring settings to life. Make and share audio writing prompts. Challenge students to create their own story using sounds. Add sound into projects such as webquests, PowerPoints, podcasts, or blogging to hear the results! Emphasize important messages to your parent or student emails using sound. What a practical solution for ENL/ELL learners. Record and share poetry readings during Poetry Month. Save quarterly recordings of speech articulation students s they can hear their own progress (and you can share it with parents). Check school policies, of course, before uploading any student recordings to the web. Instrumental music teachers can share clips of musical pieces for students to emulate during at-home practice.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
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
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Requires download/installation of software
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Southern Poverty Law Center - The Southern Poverty Law Center
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the information on the site to include when teaching lessons about equality, racism, and social injustice. Learn more about the classroom resources offered through Learning for Justice, reviewed here. Include selections from the Features and Stories portion of the site as part of any integrated unit. Consider using a learning management system like Actively Learn, reviewed here, to include videos and additional text sources as part of your unit. Actively Learn also includes resources that provide feedback on student learning. Extend learning by asking students to gather data and share information through various digital tools including infographics and digital storytelling resources. For example, as students learn about civil rights issues, ask them to share information by creating infographics with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, create a multimedia presentation with Sway, reviewed here, or use Powtoon, reviewed here, to create an animated video explanation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SpeakUp! - Martie Gillin
Grades
5 to 12In the Classroom
Share the resource guides with parents and students on your class website to use when facing any of the covered topics. Use Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to curate and share helpful guides for parents and students within one collection. As you and your class discuss problems that face teens, ask students to use Canva Edu, reviewed here, to share what they learn. For example, have students create posters to display in the classroom that include the dangers of drug abuse and include tips for helping someone that displays signs of drug abuse. Ask other students to design and share infographics that include facts and figures discussing cyberbullying, along with suggestions on how to respond to bullies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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