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Elizabeth I - Class 8C
Grades
5 to 8
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This site contains good, simple information about the life and times of the Elizabethan era in England. It is a good source of info for the basics before studying Shakespeare. ...more
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This site contains good, simple information about the life and times of the Elizabethan era in England. It is a good source of info for the basics before studying Shakespeare.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to the class using a projector to show them how to navigate. Break students into groups with each group investigating one of the people on this page, and don't forget to assign a group to research the Spanish Armada. Have groups share there information, images, etc. using a tool like Lino, reviewed here, which is a digital bulletin board where students can post a sticky with information, images, and make comments.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Comics and Cartoons Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about and create comics in any subject area. Comics have become mainstream in...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about and create comics in any subject area. Comics have become mainstream in "graphic novels" and can express or explain major concepts, portray the underlying tensions behind an issue, or simply help students remember terms and definitions. The storytelling potential of comics goes back to cave drawings and can be as simple as a stick figure or as elaborate as a photograph annotated with voice bubbles. Explore these resources for tools and ideas to "draw" comics into your classroom as a tool for learning. Many of these resources trace the history and technique of various comics, providing an interesting area of study or examples for student-made comics.
In the Classroom
Choose a comic creator tool for students to use in your class to reinforce curriculum concepts. With younger students or those who need examples, create the first comic(s) together on interactive whiteboard or projector as a closure activity to reinforce concepts before a test. Gradually allow students to create their own comics (or collections of comics) to tell stories, review concepts, or make political comments. More techno-savvy students will appreciate the variety of tool options offered here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vacations - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
3 to 9
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Explore vocabulary and word activities related to vacations on this extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more. Find interactive vocabulary activities the same list of using vacation...more
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Explore vocabulary and word activities related to vacations on this extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more. Find interactive vocabulary activities the same list of using vacation vocabulary words. There are printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.
In the Classroom
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work with a partner to try out the puzzles on their own. Have students (or groups) create their own word puzzles to share as a class challenge as a student-run interactive whiteboard activity or share them on a class wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smilebox - Smilebox, Inc.
Grades
5 to 12
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This resource allows you to create slide shows, greeting cards, scrapbooks, invitations, collages, and more. There is a free basic program, but there are paid upgrades available if...more
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This resource allows you to create slide shows, greeting cards, scrapbooks, invitations, collages, and more. There is a free basic program, but there are paid upgrades available if desired. For educational purposes, the upgrades are not needed. Photos, videos, and music can all be added to your creations. A Smilebox template must be used to make your creations. Products made with this program can be shared to web pages and blogs, social networking sites, or emailed for free. Several themes in each category are free. You no longer have to download this program.
In the Classroom
Upload images from your computer. You can save web images or use screen shots, as well, to be used in your creations. Watch copyright! Check out Awesome Screenshot, reviewed here, for details for a screen shot taker. From there, it is easy to simply click and follow the on screen instructions. The program is simple to navigate and very user friendly for those who are accustomed to web tools.With the variety of formats, Smilebox has a wide variety of applications in any type of classroom! For basic technology integration extend learning with this tool. Use in history class to have students create collages of different periods of time such as the American Civil War. Create topics such as the Lincoln's Election, the Gettysburg Address, Battle of Antietam, Emancipation Proclamation, Battle of Gettysburg, and Lee's Surrender. Have pairs or groups of three select topics at random, and then have them create a collage or "scrapbook" of the event. Try having students choose a role from which to create their assignment such as a Rebel soldier, a Union Soldier, a volunteer nurse, a mother or father of children fighting on different sides of the war, etc. Have students collect copyright free images online for their use or create their own by reenacting and creating visuals to take pictures for their productions. Unleash student creativity by showing them this tool as resource in creating presentations and projects for your class and others. What a fabulous tool to use on the first day of school (as a welcome), beginning of a new unit, or back to school night with the parents! Elementary classes could create whole-class scrapbooks of curriculum projects, such as their science garden or Colonial Days celebration.
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
Products can be shared by URL
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Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature - CLASP
Grades
3 to 12
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting...more
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting appropriate or attractive titles for their students. Click the title to see a description; most will have a classroom unit with reading levels and standards. Not only are the yearly winners listed here, but you can search by several categories such as Immigration, Civil Rights , Artists, Musicians, and Writers, various Latino countries, and several others. Clicking the category will produce a PDF you can take to the library or send home to parents.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free unit plans and classroom activities within the "resources" section of the page. Explore through these resources to find one to add a multicultural perspective to your history or language arts class. Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on. Try using Raindrop.io, reviewed here for this purpose.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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MLB Kids Activites - Major League Baseball
Grades
1 to 6
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This is Major League Baseball's official site for kids complete with interactives, tips, videos, and links to favorite teams. The Game Zone features games such as "Suit Em Up"...more
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This is Major League Baseball's official site for kids complete with interactives, tips, videos, and links to favorite teams. The Game Zone features games such as "Suit Em Up" to create your own uniform, "Home Run Pursuit," and "T-Shirt Launcher." Meet the Pros or Travel the world of baseball at the Press Box or visit the Rec Room to view videos from This Week in Baseball. The News Stand contains the latest news, polls, and links to team's kid's pages.
Be Aware: some links lead to subscription and shopping sites so students may need to be introduced to the site to be made aware of links to avoid.
Be Aware: some links lead to subscription and shopping sites so students may need to be introduced to the site to be made aware of links to avoid.
In the Classroom
Share the latest polls with students and compare results to those found within your class. Create a link on classroom computers and allow students to read headlines and latest news then prepare a summary to present to the class. Have students use a multimedia tool such as Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Follow students' favorite teams through the site to use as story starters and journal topics. Practice math by following statistics of Major League Baseball teams.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Shape Generator - A to Z Teacher Stuff Tools
Grades
1 to 4
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Teachers can generate their own personalized word wall worksheet, customized to the words they enter. This online tool allows you to generate word shape worksheets with the word list...more
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Teachers can generate their own personalized word wall worksheet, customized to the words they enter. This online tool allows you to generate word shape worksheets with the word list at the top of the page and the word shapes below. Students then fill in the appropriate word from their word list.
In the Classroom
Special education teachers, ENL teachers, or regular teachers with students who are dysgraphically- or dyslexically-challenged will find this a valuable tool. Any student who learns visually would find this helpful in learning their spelling words. This tool generates the worksheet quickly.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cultural Unity Through Folk tales - Yale University
Grades
7 to 12
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This site is basically for the teacher. The lesson plans include background research and resources for Folktales, Tricksters, Creation Stories, Cinderella Stories, a separate bibliography...more
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This site is basically for the teacher. The lesson plans include background research and resources for Folktales, Tricksters, Creation Stories, Cinderella Stories, a separate bibliography for students and teachers, and an appendix that lists all the Paul Bunyan tales. The site also has lesson plans and lots of suggested activities. Study folktales and legends to discover the diversity and the essential unity of cultures.
In the Classroom
Introduce your students to folktales, tricksters, or one of the others using the information you gain from this site. Whether you choose to put a lecture on video or present the information in another way, have student take online notes using Simplenote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Simplenote updates across all devices. Then have students choose stories (folktale, etc.) to read independently or in small groups and have them try to find what qualities the tales share. Have students collaborate to create a map of where the stories they chose to read take place 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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Amazing Vocabulary Machine - English-Zone.Com
Grades
4 to 12
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Students can practice the formation of adjectives and adverbs, check their answers, and keep track of right and wrong responses with this interactive quiz. Accurate keyboarding skills...more
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Students can practice the formation of adjectives and adverbs, check their answers, and keep track of right and wrong responses with this interactive quiz. Accurate keyboarding skills are a plus for this activity. Also useful for ESL students.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station for higher achieving ELL students who will be able to grasp these grammar concepts. Be sure to mark the site on classroom computers, making it easier for students to navigate there.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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On-Lion for Kids! - NY Public Library
Grades
1 to 8
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The New York Public Library offers this just-for-kids portal featuring links to sites by subject (science and technology, arts, games, sports, people and places), reading and book lists,...more
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The New York Public Library offers this just-for-kids portal featuring links to sites by subject (science and technology, arts, games, sports, people and places), reading and book lists, book reviews written by kids, and helpful resources for parents and teachers.
In the Classroom
Post a link for this site on your teacher webpage or in your newsletter. Talk about it with parents at back-to-school night or at parent conferences. Share with your middle school reluctant readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Language Arts for Dummies - John Wiley & Sons
Grades
7 to 12
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Filled with a variety of essential language art skills, this site is a super teaching opportunity to be followed by students working on their own. With 42 lessons ranging from ...more
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Filled with a variety of essential language art skills, this site is a super teaching opportunity to be followed by students working on their own. With 42 lessons ranging from "Differentiating between who/whom" to "Writing Sonnets" to "Crafting Your Character's Dialogue in Your Screenplay," there is plenty to suit your particular class needs. You are able to write replies (comments), however an email address is required. Registration is not required for any other part of this site.
This site does offer the option of signing up for RSS feeds. There are some unobtrusive advertisements at the site.
This site does offer the option of signing up for RSS feeds. There are some unobtrusive advertisements at the site.
In the Classroom
These lessons give great examples as well as "pop quizzes" as you go through them. It would be great to do these on a projector or interactive whiteboard, having students comment as you go; then you can assign their own writing to follow up. Of particular interest is the lesson on "note taking on a computer." As essential as computers are to writing these days, it may be the best place to begin. This might also be a good site to link from your class website. It is very easy for students to explore on their own and get extra help where needed. Or have small groups investigate a specific area together and then create a multimedia presentation to share with the class. Have the groups create a podcast to share using a tool such as Podomatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Children's Picture Books - Pan Macmillan
Grades
1 to 3
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This site provides guidance for teachers and parents in selecting the perfect picture book for a child and offers suggestions for instilling a life-long love of reading in young students....more
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This site provides guidance for teachers and parents in selecting the perfect picture book for a child and offers suggestions for instilling a life-long love of reading in young students. Includes book reviews and links to author and illustrator Web sites. This is a wonderful resource to share with parents via your classroom, school, or library newsletter.
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Simple English Wikipedia - Wikipedia Foundation
Grades
3 to 10
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Simple English Wikipedia is a new production of Wikipedia, focused on readers and learners with less vocabulary than native speakers of English. According to the producer, the pages...more
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Simple English Wikipedia is a new production of Wikipedia, focused on readers and learners with less vocabulary than native speakers of English. According to the producer, the pages featured here contain simpler words and shorter sentences than the regular Wiki pages. The number of pages is more limited as well, though this should grow with educators and learners contributing information. Another difference is that any slangs or idiomatic language is carefully explained to accommodate the ELL reader. The HELP pages explain how to write and submit articles for Simple English Wikipedia and have suggestions for simplifying English.
In the Classroom
Share this site with your school ESL teachers as well as classroom teachers who may have ESL students who are involved in researching and possibly even writing new articles. Bookmark this for your classroom computer. If you do recommend wikipedia as a source for research, be sure to have the discussion about its unknown authorship and usefulness as a general information tool but not as a "scholarly" resource. As a challenge to your better writers, consider asking them to write entries that you can submit to this encyclopedia on classroom topics in simpler English. They will have to analyze their own language and writing style with far greater scrutiny than ever before. Or have the class create a two-version wiki glossary of your own on curriculum topics in any discipline, using this as a model for the "easy reading" side.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Painless Writing - Richard Guidone
Grades
3 to 9
2 Favorites
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This site developed from the Yale-New Haven Teachers' Institute offers some tried and true as well as new ways to get children writing painlessly. It walks a teacher through rationale...more
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This site developed from the Yale-New Haven Teachers' Institute offers some tried and true as well as new ways to get children writing painlessly. It walks a teacher through rationale and procedures and offers lessons for different lengths of writing, etc. Guidone offers some creative ways to get kids writing, especially reluctant learners who might need a little prodding of the imagination! While you may be familiar with some of the methods, his combinations can be surprising and thought-provoking. Definitely worth a look, despite the simple, text-only appearance of the page.
In the Classroom
Mark this one as a Favorite so you can find a writing prompt at a moment's notice. These idas would work well with blogs or journals. You cna also use the prompts to model writing techniques on an interactive whiteboard-- always a motivator!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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From Egg To Chick: An Embryology Unit - Missouri Farm Bureau and Missouri State University
Grades
K to 3
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This interesting webquest is all about the transformation from egg to chick. The students will love the video clips of live chicks, detailed pictures and the entertaining rebus rhyme...more
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This interesting webquest is all about the transformation from egg to chick. The students will love the video clips of live chicks, detailed pictures and the entertaining rebus rhyme and coloring activities. Teachers will love the unique lesson, creative teaching ideas and detailed rubric. The videos require the latest version of the FLASH plug-in.
In the Classroom
Don't forget to bring in an egg for step 4 and use a smartboard or projector for this webquest! To assist students with feedback, have them complete the charts using Google Docs, reviewed here. Save trees and the headache that comes with messy papers to grade!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How Stuff Works - Howstuffworks, Inc.
Grades
4 to 10
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Find answers to the most curious questions that students ask on this great site. Search the site for your topic of interest, such as how cars work, what makes a ...more
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Find answers to the most curious questions that students ask on this great site. Search the site for your topic of interest, such as how cars work, what makes a refrigerator cold, or how construction has changed and the materials that are used. Articles provide diagrams, text, videos, images, and a range of other resources to show a curious student what makes something tick. The site's explanations are a great resource for "kitchen science" projects, getting budding inventors started, or providing added explanations of how things work the way they do. Click the top menu topics for the various subjects such as Adventure, Animals, and Autos through Money, Science, and Tech. Can't find your answer? Ask in the search, and it may become the question of the week. Sign up for the monthly newsletter. Search the other areas of the site such as "Games," "Quizzes," and "Pics and Puzzles." Find great podcasts and blogs. Scroll to the bottom to find fun facts, trivia, and even a poll of the day! Ignore the advertising; the site content is worth it.
In the Classroom
Use this site as an "activator" to introduce a new science unit or lesson on a projector. It could also be a great way to introduce informational speeches/videos and how to write them. The videos on earth and life science topics provide a great launchpad for further class discussions. Participate in the poll of the day. Use the trivia and facts section for interesting ways to get kids thinking in class. Use this site for students to "show and tell" something they have learned. Use the information presented here to understand better how science is applied in our everyday lives. This activity would work well for individual or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Ask students to visit the site and give them a choice for how to share the information they learned by creating a multimedia presentation using Canva Edu, reviewed here, a video using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, a podcast using Podcast Generator, reviewed here, or a blog post using edublogs, reviewed here. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Reference - wordreference.com
Grades
2 to 12
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This series of free translating dictionaries allows students to search to/from English in these languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Once a definition comes up...more
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This series of free translating dictionaries allows students to search to/from English in these languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Once a definition comes up in English, there are links to other dictionary pages where the word appears in a sentence. You can click on the audio button to hear the word spoken in both languages. This feature is only available in more commonly used words
There are also immediate clicks to other languages, so a student could check the same word in Spanish and French very easily. In addition to the translation dictionaries, there are also "English Dictionaries" (non-interactive) available in Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic (coming soon). Many of the foreign language dictionaries will increase in volume as the site developers add more vocabulary.
Be aware: this site does include minor advertisements. There is a link to Language Forums. It is probably best to advise students to stay away from the forums.
In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites on your classroom computers for use by ESL/ELL and foreign language students or for use when studying derivations and word families in English (compare the same word across several languages to see how close they can be!). Students can take an active role in vocabulary preview work by using this site in prior to reading. Be sure to list this site on your class webpage so students can access this information both in and out of the classroom. If you are introducing new vocabulary words to your foreign language class. Have them use this site to find the appropriate translations. Then have the students work in cooperative learning groups to create online vocabulary guidebooks using a tool such at Bookemon. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to keep the links for future students to use the guides, as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts - University of Pittsburgh
Grades
3 to 12
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Includes translations of many Germanic-rooted myths, legends and stories. The texts are categorized. Also gives many additional links to other tales and legends. Excellent source for...more
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Includes translations of many Germanic-rooted myths, legends and stories. The texts are categorized. Also gives many additional links to other tales and legends. Excellent source for comparison studies of specific tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.
In the Classroom
Ask students to choose a favorite tale and record and share the stories with tools such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place. Challenge cooperative learning groups to modernize one of the tales and create a podcast by using sites such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Help students create a checklist or rubric to use for self-evaluation or peer review. Use a tool like Quick Rubric, reviewed here, for the checklist and rubric. Use this same document to help students make constructive suggestions for story revisions. Use an online tool such as the 2 and 3 Circle Interactive Venn Diagrams, reviewed here. to create a visual comparison of different folk tales and story patterns.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plurk - Plurk
Grades
9 to 12
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Plurk is a microblogging platform for quick 140 character "plurks" about what you are doing, thinking, or mentally asking. Plurks show as a timeline along with those of your friends....more
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Plurk is a microblogging platform for quick 140 character "plurks" about what you are doing, thinking, or mentally asking. Plurks show as a timeline along with those of your friends. Comments to plurks are attached to the original and conversations are easy to track and continue. Plurk brings interconnectivity between friends and is more like a social network than a blog. Registration with an email is required and managing login and password is necessary. Instant messaging and mobile blogging options are possible.
In the Classroom
This site is not difficult to navigate. Left click on the timeline to drag it to earlier posts. Unread plurks and replies appear as a number beside each plurk and in the timeline. Along the top of the timeline are user controls. "My profile" contains your contact information and details. Upload a photo, customize the colors of your outline, or add a widget to your blog or site that contains your plurks. Use "My friends" to invite friends, create cliques that allow you to segregate who sees certain plurks, and blocking other users. "Alerts" contain friend requests sent to you. Click on "Interesting plurkers" to see plurks from everywhere which you can customize to gender, age, city, state, or country. Use "My account" to change privacy settings and set up instant messaging. Create your plurks below the timeline and use the dropdown to change your verb from "is" to "says," wishes," "feels," and many others. Hover over a person's picture or name to send a private plurk. Plurk messages can be edited but replies cannot. Pictures, images, and links can be added as well. Also below the timeline are tabs to see plurks from you and your friends, your plurks alone, and private plurks. View your Karma -- which increases with plurks and friends and unlocks new features. Use "Embed your Plurk widget" easily to your blog by simply entering your login information.Create a written and signed classroom policy that outlines necessary privacy settings and actions that would be considered misuse. Check these regularly and take appropriate actions to enforce rules when needed. Students need to be guided in how to safely blog and share information. Students may come across questionable content if reading through the "interesting plurkers" tab. As with all social networking sites, students need to be aware of proper ways to communicate at school and at home. Teachers should be a part of all student groups to monitor use.
Students can use Plurk to discuss group work on a project, create study groups, ask for help, or communicate with those who can mentor their class or subject they are learning. Many students will find success with sending bits of information at a time and letting the conversations evolve from there. Literature teachers may want to require students to plurk their thoughts within small groups as they read chapters or acts of longer works for homework, generating discussion and active reading. Social studies teachers could assign a similar task as students read about history. Math teachers may want to encourage "plurking" as students work on longer, more complex problems. Those writing lab reports for science class may find that plurking will help them collaborate in interpreting data. Consider setting up a regular class "plurk time" in the evening on certain nights of the week or for snow days.
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Gary Paulsen
Grades
6 to 12
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Gary Paulsen is an author of young adult literature. This site includes a biography of the author as well as a list of his works. Site created by James A. ...more
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Gary Paulsen is an author of young adult literature. This site includes a biography of the author as well as a list of his works. Site created by James A. Schmitz, Univ. of Vt. This site is an excellent resource for someone needing background information on Gary Paulsen. The audience for this site may be limited.
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