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return to subject listingTarr's Toolbox - Russel Tarr
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Bookmark this excellent resource to use when looking for new ideas for your classroom. Choose from ideas such as "Hands up if you DON'T know" or "Sock puppets in the secondary classroom" to inspire and motivate your students. Look to this blog to differentiate for students of all levels. Divide students into cooperative learning groups using different ideas found on Tarr's Toolbox.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Space - Time - Time Inc.
Grades
4 to 9This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Include a link to this site on classroom computers as a non-fiction resource for reading material. This site will be especially helpful for students with a high interest in space exploration. If you want to remove distracting advertisements, use a site such as Juicy Studios: Readability Test, reviewed here. Use this site on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector as you explore the latest news from space.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NBC Learn Free Resources - NBCUniversal Media, NBC News
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for flipped or blended learning classrooms but will spark interest in most classroom lessons. Use the search box in the upper right corner to find free content of interest. The whole class can watch the videos, many of which are parts of a series. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, for each group and have individuals or small groups view and extend their learning by sharing information. The transcripts and close captioning will be helpful for struggling learners. Transcripts can be used alone for informational text reading practice. If your school or district doesn't block YouTube, you may want to investigate the NBC Learn playlists here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Badge List - Knowledgestreem
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Badges are the "stickers' of today and much more. Use Badge List to keep track of student progress with large assignments, rewarding badges for each completed step. Present awards using badges such as Student of the Month, Math Hero, Perfect Attendance, and more. Share this site the first week of school as you set up your classroom expectations. Autistic support and behavior support teachers will find this tool useful and easy to use for reinforcement and tracking. Gamify your class using badges as reward levels. Challenge students to progress through different achievement levels by providing badges along the way. Share student login information with parents so they can track progress and accomplishments at home. (Be sure to keep the login information yourself, just in case students misplace their login). Keep track of mastery of various topics or skills, much like a sticker chart! Students can embed their class badges in other sites, such as personal blogs, using the embed code.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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TinyTap - Yogev Shelly
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use the embed code provided with activities to embed activities on your class website for play at home. Create a link to activities on classroom computers. Create your own activities (or have older students create review materials) to include with lessons. Be sure to watch the demo video for information about creating your own games.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Requires download/installation of software
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The Guide to Pinterest for Educators - USC Rossier/Leah Anne Levy
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use this resource to understand how to use Pinterest for your personal and professional use and also for student collaboration. Share ideas with other staff members to collaborate on shared interests. Discuss one section a month with your professional learning network (PLN) and reflect together how to make the most of Pinterest in your educational setting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classtools Countdown Timer - Classtools.net
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
There are many uses for this practical online tool. Get out your interactive whiteboard or projection screen (or even the classroom desktop computer) and make sure the speakers are turned up. Use this tool for students to practice speeches, or to limit the time for a quiz or spelling test. Use the countdown feature for timing the rotations from center to center. You can even use the timer for reading fluency exercises or physical education warm-ups! A clever classroom management tool would be to start the visible count-down on your computer screen when you want the class to settle down for directions or to transition to the next subject. Select calming music for quiet times. Students may even want to use this tool for themselves. Kindergarten students can practice counting along with the watch!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Literary Devices - literarydevices.net
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Writing and English teachers will want to bookmark this site for use throughout the school year! Share different devices with a projector or interactive whiteboard to help define and understand their use. Introduce a few terms each week for students to explore and find in their reading materials and to use in their writing. Have students create an online or printed comic using different literary devices. First, have students create a rough draft of their comic using Printable Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. Then, have students create a comic strip online using Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Journeys in Film - Journeys in Film and USC Rossier School of Education
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans for your classroom. These resources and videos are extremely flexible for classroom use. Use the film clips for current events, and to highlight events from the past. Use a video segment to get students thinking about their understanding of issues, solutions, and whether today's environment has changed from that of the past. View a variety of clips from one theme and discuss events in the clip or use a writing assignment to provide time to process the events. Discuss in what ways these clips are similar and other societal, economic, and political factors that affected them. Be sure to brainstorm how different people, in other areas of the world, would view these issues. Research these issues using resources from other areas of the world. Use Today's Front Pages, reviewed here, to see editorials and news clippings that are not of American origin. If you'd like to to create your own clips from these films try using a tool like EDPuzzle, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New York Times Spanish Edition - New York Times
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for advanced Spanish language learners for current events projects or for ENL/ESL students to stay up to date on current events- assign students different weeks throughout the semester in which they are to be the class news reporter, keeping their peers up to date and informed. Have students research what's going on via this news site, and present a short presentation at the beginning of class every day during their week. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to create their own news videos using a tool like Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoom - Eric Yuan
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use Zoom to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the same location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work. Connect whole classrooms across the country for book clubs. Collaborate with experts such as authors and scientists with classrooms of children. Create connected learning experiences with other students, especially those in older grades. Connect world language classes to classes in other countries. Teachers can hold "office hours" for homework help and asking questions. Create a collaborative space for homework help before or after school or on snow days. Students can meet whenever help is needed or teachers can create a session that can be accessed on any device easily by those who need it. Consider using a tool such as Remind, reviewed here, to alert parents and students when your sessions are open. Use Zoom for group work - no more excuses about not being able to meet for cooperative learning projects! Buildings can collaborate and share professional development with others in their own district and beyond!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mindset Kit - The Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS)
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lessons and ideas on this site in your classroom and when working with parents. These tools are especially useful for times when a student (or parent) claims that they were never good in a particular subject. Share ideas with your peers as part of your ongoing professional development, discuss ideas from this site and how they can be incorporated as part of a school-wide action. Take advantage of the many ideas featured in the Popular Practices section to learn how to use ideas in any classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OneNote - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use OneNote for all notes, ideas, and photographs in all aspects of your busy life. Keep your file system with you all of the time! Instruct students in the use of OneNote for notetaking needs. Share outlines and study guides with students. All members can collaborate and add thoughts. Offer as a way to improve organizational skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Great Expectations - National Braille Press
Grades
K to 5In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans when reading stories to your class. These books and activities are not only good to use with visually impaired students; any student will love the different activities. These activities will help ENL/ESL students understand some of the language employed in the books. In your regular or inclusive classroom, you may want to consider making centers for a featured book using some of the activities listed here. Challenge older students to use the ideas developed for these books with their favorite childhood book for a younger sibling or "buddy."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ThemeSpark - David Hunter
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use ThemeSpark for all of your lesson planning. Copy and paste current lesson plans to Theme Spark to match to standards. Collaborate with peers to create and develop standards-based lessons for your entire curriculum. This is perfect for when you need to have a sub, and for those teachers who must have a week of lesson plans on their desk for an administrator.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sign Generator - Ryland Sanders
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Create signs to include with multimedia projects. Customize a sign for use on your interactive whiteboard with directions for seat work or to introduce students presenting projects to the class. Have students use the images to give short story summaries using only four to six words. Create a set of class rules using one of the templates, and then print and post them on a bulletin board.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Big Ideas Video Series - Class Dojo
Grades
K to 8In the Classroom
You may want to start your school year by sharing the three part video series on Empathy. Each video is five minutes and has a discussion guide. As a follow up use the Ripples of Kindness activity in small groups. Share younger students' observations on a whiteboard or poster. Older students can share their observations using a tool like Stickies, reviewed here. Dotstorming allows participants to add comments. Share other videos with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to introduce a video each week and explore the discussion questions together. These videos could be very useful when preparing and motivating students for upcoming standardized testing or at the beginning of a school year to set a tone that everyone can learn. Include a link to videos on your class web page for parents to discuss at home with their student, and be sure to send home the take-home questions with topics to talk about.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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eLearning Infographics - e-Learning Industry LLC
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the infographics on this site for both classroom use and professional development. Introduce a topic by sharing the Infographic and allowing time for students (or peers) to identify various items that they notice about the chart. Allow time to think-pair-share and list questions for further understanding. Choose a new infographic each week and use links for each image to embed on your website or share via social media. Make curriculum content more real with infographics that students can relate to. Consider creating Infographics of material students are learning in class for better understanding and connection with other topics and the world around them. You and students can create a simple infographic sharing information and/or findings using Snappa, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spiral - The Social Learning Network
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Spiral is a terrific set of tools to use whether you are just starting to incorporate tech with students or if you are a long time user of tech with students. After creating an account, start out simply with Quickfire. Students must create an account (no email required) and select their school. Teachers must approve students to join a class. You can also download Spiral's spreadsheet, fill it out, and upload it. You could also use Quickfire for back-channel discussions which encourages timid students to participate.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Classroom Freebies - Charity Preston
Grades
K to 8In the Classroom
Bookmark Classroom Freebies as an excellent resource for teaching materials throughout the school year. Take advantage of the free printables for use on bulletin boards, for classroom management, and centers. Choose materials from the site to use in substitute folders. Be sure to share this site with your fellow teachers! You might consider finding snow day and vacation day activities to post on your class website for parent and student use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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