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Lucy Maud Montgomery - Uxbridge Online Inc.
Grades
4 to 10
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This up-to-date general biography site is maintained by the town of Uxbridge, Ontario. Montgomery lived near here during her adult life after leaving Prince Edward Island, and this...more
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This up-to-date general biography site is maintained by the town of Uxbridge, Ontario. Montgomery lived near here during her adult life after leaving Prince Edward Island, and this site has good information on where she lived when she wrote her famous books--as well as a chronological listing of the books. This neat Montgomery site gives insight into who the author was and how biographical her works were. There is a link to the Uxbridge Historical Centre.
In the Classroom
This site is better for teachers than students to use as a resource. There is a link to Sullivan Movies, the creators of the famous Canadian "Anne of Green Gables" series, at which you can buy resources from DVD's to books, posters, etc. if you can't resist shopping. Find links to four online texts of the Anne books as part of the Gutenburg collection.Use passages from these online texts for interactive whiteboard activities from parts of speech to analyzing writing style, then introduce the author once the students are "hooked" by the passages!
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Pullfolio - pullfolio.com
Grades
8 to 12
3 Favorites
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Create an online portfolio created from your flickr set of specific photos. Choose your photos by choosing a set or a specific tag. Pictures are displayed in an elegant and ...more
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Create an online portfolio created from your flickr set of specific photos. Choose your photos by choosing a set or a specific tag. Pictures are displayed in an elegant and beautiful format. Since Pullfolio is not flash based, the ipod/iphone app is another plus. Pullfolio instantly updates as you update your flickr set or continue to use the tag. Use the free version or go pro to use your own domain and access additional features.
In the Classroom
Users must be able to add pictures to a set on flickr or use a specific tag for particular pictures. Be sure to choose your username carefully as it becomes part of the url of your portfolio. Follow the directions to identify your flickr account with Pullfolio.Have students create their own pullfolio, but why not create a class pullfolio that showcases student work? If using as a class pullfolio, pictures will not be attributed to the individual students. Create some way of identifying pictures to various students. Require students to tag their pictures with their initials as well or create a comment with their initials in the picture's description.
This tool would be a great asset to a photography or art class but can be used in any subject area. Create a pullfolio of pictures that showcase life around us, or in a Math class to show various Math functions in man made structures and nature. Use this site to take your geography class around the world (virtually). Have students create presentations in any subject area and narrate the pictures rather than doing a traditional oral report. Speech and language on lower grades or ESL/ELL teachers could create pullfolios for vocabulary development, tagging them for positions, feelings, etc. Involve students in taking the pictures, then share the resulting pullfolios for them to practice their new words.
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Book Creator - Red Jumper Limited
Grades
K to 12
15 Favorites
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Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator. Scroll down the landing page to the bottom menu, and click the "Help With Getting Started" title. Note: This points out...more
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Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator. Scroll down the landing page to the bottom menu, and click the "Help With Getting Started" title. Note: This points out how you need to change to the "teacher sign in" (the default is for students). This is a wonderful tool with many features. Reading the short Getting Started Overview first and watching the beginning videos would be best. Then, you can go to the Resources tab from the top menu, where each grade level has a video, and you'll find example books created by students. Under Resources, you can also search by subject to find suggested ideas and books designed for a specific subject. Next, click Resources from the top menu to find the "Teach your first lesson toolkit" with lesson plans, remixable student templates for different age ranges, and a teacher guide. You can also choose Remixable Books to get you and your class started. When finished, publish and share your book using the site's web-based reader for access on any device. Once you have mastered the basics, click on Features to see the magic of using the pen and discover all the features of the graphic organizers, comics, and more. By clicking the "more" you will can embed documents on your page(s). These documents can be narrated and interactive! The free plan offers one library with up to 40 books storage. Book Creator presents a variety of levels for technology use depending on teacher requirements for the project or even student ability; it allows for adding narration, videos, text, using your webcam, and adding links to help explain the artwork. When creating your book, click on the big + in the upper right corner to add text, audio, images, your camera, and the pen; you will also see The lowercase "i" (for inspector), which offers colors, comics, paper type, and more. There are other apps, but you must have a premium account. You can use Book Creator on iPads, Macs, Android devices, PCs, and on these browsers: Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Chrome. Teachers need to provide an email to create an account. However, students do not need emails to make their books. Once ready, follow the site's prompts to add video, text, images, audio, and more to your book.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Create books together, as a class, as you move through a unit or topic. Enhance student learning by adding images and ideas your students suggest. Use in a flipped classroom to deliver course information. Assign several student groups a different topic and redefine their learning by having each group create their own multimedia versions as they learn more about the topic. Students can combine their books later as a class book. Make a digital bookshelf of all the versions for all to use. Challenge gifted students to modify the "standard" class text with the additional material they discover, by going deeper and learning about related topics. In lower grades, create teacher-made e-books for your young readers, perhaps adding audio - your own voice reading the text. Find much more information and ideas for using Book Creator in any classroom by exploring the Book Creator Toolkit for Schools and Districts available here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Women in Poetry - Carolyn Kohli/The Academy of American Poets
Grades
9 to 12
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This unit (an extensive set of lesson plans) uses both critical writing and the Internet to explore women in poetry. It helps to make students familiar with the work of ...more
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This unit (an extensive set of lesson plans) uses both critical writing and the Internet to explore women in poetry. It helps to make students familiar with the work of women poets and confident in understanding poetry. Students get practice reading poems critically, learn technical poetry vocabulary, do research on the web, write responses, and more. Examples of themes explored in the unit include "Entering the Darkness Out of Childhood," "Voices of the Mothers," and "The Body Electric." The culminating project is creating a webpage. The lesson plans are very detailed, so that even teachers reluctant about teaching poetry will engage their students with this literary form.
In the Classroom
Choose the lesson options that best meet your needs and time limits or simply use the research and project portions. Although the site suggests making a web page on your school server, a wiki would be an easy place to create the culminating projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classtools Twister: Create Fake Tweets - Classtools
Grades
6 to 12
8 Favorites
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Create a Twitter wall and fake tweet quickly and easily by entering minimal information. Enter a (fake) user name, full name of the person you are impersonating, your tweet, and ...more
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Create a Twitter wall and fake tweet quickly and easily by entering minimal information. Enter a (fake) user name, full name of the person you are impersonating, your tweet, and a date to show on the tweet. Your tweet will appear on a wall with an image of that person ready to share through links provided at the bottom of the page. Twister also includes several ideas for consideration when creating an update such as possible hashtags and most important moments to include. Share via social networks or simply COPY the URL of your finished Twister page to share it. There is also an option to save as a PDF for easy printing.
In the Classroom
Share examples found at this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to demonstrate possible uses. This site is wonderful for creating interest in many subjects. It is perfect for the social studies classroom as a quick end of class review or homework assignment to summarize each day's lesson. Write about presidents, founding fathers, famous scientists or artists, a Civil War soldier, and much more. Use Twister to study literature, create an update for the central character, book's author, or the setting of the book or play. For a unique twist in science class, create a Twister update for a periodic element or another science topic. Use the update to describe "the life" of that atom or element. The possibilities within the classroom are endless (as is the creativity and engagement)! In World language classes, have students do this activity (about themselves) in the new language they are learning. Create a Twister update for the first day of school to introduce yourself to students or at Open House for parents. In the media center, have students create twister pages for authors or about favorite books. Challenge students to create and share an update about themselves during the first week of school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Top Documentary Films - topdocumentaryfilms.com
Grades
7 to 12
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Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to...more
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Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose List from the top menu to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on your interactive whiteboard, on a projector, or as a link on your class web page. Use videos to demonstrate different points of view. Then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. to compare and contrast information. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from any film using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Want to engage students WHILE they watch a video? Why not set up a backchannel chat using GoSoapBox, reviewed here. Be sure to ask your class if there could have been any bias in the video you watch together. What film techniques influence our thinking?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Puerto Rican Folktales - Yale University
Grades
7 to 12
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Explore the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico through a study of the myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales. Students learn to analyze tales by identifying the character, problem,...more
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Explore the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico through a study of the myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales. Students learn to analyze tales by identifying the character, problem, setting, sequence of events, ultimate solution, and implied lesson/moral.
In the Classroom
Read some of these Puerto Rican folktales with your students. After finishing, discuss the characters, problem, setting, sequence of events, ultimate solution, and implied lesson/moral. Alternate readers so that everyone is invested in presenting these tales.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What's Your Reading History - NY Times
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
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This lesson plan assists students to reflect on what kind of reader they are by going through their own reading histories until they find one that shaped the kind of ...more
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This lesson plan assists students to reflect on what kind of reader they are by going through their own reading histories until they find one that shaped the kind of readers and persons they are today. Students close their eyes and listen to a guided journey through their reading pasts; they then respond to it in a journal. Options include reading the words of a published author who realized she was illiterate and discussing or writing about what she said. A teacher's pdf is included to help students format their writings. McREL standards are included (for grades 6-12).
In the Classroom
Use this activity both at the beginning and ending of a school year to impress upon the students the importance reading plays in their self-concepts. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce the idea of regular journal keeping. After students complete their writing segment, have them do a media project that reflects their reading "identities."Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Use an online poster creator, such as Padlet, reviewed here. Share the results of their writing and posters at open house nights or --even better- embedded in your class wiki or web page. Ask students to find what other celebrities and authors say about how reading has influenced their lives. Collect quotes from famous people about writers and list them on posters in your classroom.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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ThingLink - Thinglink.com
Grades
2 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
After a 60 day free trial, Thinglink is no longer free. Try using a similar program like Genially, reviewed here, Image Annotator, reviewed...more
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After a 60 day free trial, Thinglink is no longer free. Try using a similar program like Genially, reviewed here, Image Annotator, reviewed here, or even Google Drawings, reviewed here. If you need help using any of these replacement tools, you could watch an archived OK2Ask session: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here, OK2Ask Genially, here, or 3 Cool Tools for Images (Image Annotator is 1 hour and 5 minutes into the presentation), here. ThingLink is an interactive image tool offering a unique way to link "things," within images. Teachers and students should register using the EDU area. Although the example on the home page uses Facebook to share a ThingLink, you do not have to use Facebook at all. Start with an image from upload, online URL, or Flickr. Select specific items within your image (called "things") and link them to resources or other websites. By clicking an area within the image, viewers can access the "thing" (website) that you have linked. Add multiple links to separate items from areas within a single image. Choose or upload an image and click on the ThingLink icon on your image to begin editing. Click on specific spots to add information to the link. If you plan to create many ThingLinks from your own images, it may be easier to use a class or personal Flickr account to pull images from instead of using the maximum number of images to upload. Preload your images to that Flickr account before starting your ThingLinks. ThingLink presents a variety of levels for technology use depending on teacher requirements for the project, or even student ability; it allows for adding narration, videos, text and links to help explain different parts of the image. Free Android and iOS apps are available. Teacher tools include making student groups and more.
In the Classroom
Use digital images of lab experiments or class activities for sharing on a class wiki or blog with clickable enhancements offering additional information. Have students add links or even a blog reaction or explanation to their project or experiment image. Use the site for making a photography or art portfolio blog. Have students annotate images to explain their work or various techniques they used. World language or ENL/ESL teachers can enhance images with links to sound files or other explanations for better understanding. Use in world language to label items in an image with the correct words in that language. Young students could write simple sentences to practice language skills while explaining about a favorite picture or activity. Use in Science to explain the experiment or in a Consumer Science class to explain cooking or other techniques. Consider creating a class account for student groups to use together. Teachers can create a ThinglLnk of an image with questions and links that students must investigate to respond as a self-directed learning activity. An image of a tree could have questions and links about types of leaves, photosynthesis, and the seasons, for example. Gifted students could create a collection of annotated images that link to sound files to add "personalities" to science objects (think of the talking trees in the Wizard of Oz) or create an annotated image of a almost anything they research to go beyond regular curriculum they have already mastered: Annotate an image of a food product to link to information about its sources and potential harms. Annotate an image of a campaign poster and "debunk" its claims with links to video clips that show the politician in action, etc. Annotate an advertisement with links its propaganda techniques. Teens with a sophisticated sense of humor will especially enjoy linking to ironic examples that debunk or offer a satire of the original!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
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Goofram - goofram.com
Grades
K to 12
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Looking for the most from your search? Use Goofram to find the best of both Google and Wolfram alpha all in one place. View top Google searches using Safesearch as ...more
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Looking for the most from your search? Use Goofram to find the best of both Google and Wolfram alpha all in one place. View top Google searches using Safesearch as well as Wolfram alpha (which include definitions and abundant resources.)
In the Classroom
This site is very simple to use. Simply type in the term you are searching and click "search."This site is as safe as any other search engine. Just be sure students are aware of the consequences of misusing the search engine.
Use Goofram the next time that you use search in your classes. Discuss the difference between each side of the screen where both parts appear. What is the advantage of Wolfram Alpha vs. Google? Use this site as you discuss how to search and use materials on the web. Practice showing different searches and aspects of the searches that are useful. Challenge students to use these sites for individual research projects.
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BibleGateway
Grades
4 to 12
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This site provides the text of the Bible in five different translations. A search feature allows students to locate specific words and phrases in any of the texts. ...more
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This site provides the text of the Bible in five different translations. A search feature allows students to locate specific words and phrases in any of the texts.
In the Classroom
Use this site for easy searching of the bible. This site would be useful in any philosophy or religion class. Save the site as a favorite on classroom computers, allowing students to use it for research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Flashcard Maker - ProProfs.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Flashcard Maker, as the title implies, is an online tool to create flashcards. This site also has a healthy bank of prefabricated flashcards that could easily save time in meeting ...more
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Flashcard Maker, as the title implies, is an online tool to create flashcards. This site also has a healthy bank of prefabricated flashcards that could easily save time in meeting your needs. The link to "Explore Flashcards" allows you to search for prefabricated cards sorted by subject and topic. You can save as sets of cards with tags and share with friends. You can add images to cards, making them not only more interesting to use, but also more versatile since you can identify and learn more visual things than standard flashcards. You can change the flashcard theme, font size, and viewing order.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Create flashcards for your classes using Flashcard Maker-- or have them make their own. Try using them as a introduction to a concept, then again in the practice of the concept, and again as a final review. It is a nice three for one creation deal! This would be great for teaching Latin prefixes and suffixes of words to students, use in science terms, or for standardized test preparation. Try having students create flashcards and share with each other to quiz themselves within their own groups. Teach students in higher grades how to create flash cards with multiple blanks to challenge their brain to remember more pieces of the puzzle. Show them how to carefully read through their classroom notes and underline the most important word or words in a sentence. Then have them leave out the most important words for their flashcards. Learning support teachers might want to have small groups create cards together to review together before tests. Have students create flashcard sets to "test" classmates on what they "teach" in oral reports.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hatrack River- The Official Website of Orson Scott Card - Hatrack Enterprises
Grades
8 to 12
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As official websites go, this one is comprehensive.The menus at the top of the page will take you to Card's biography, a "library" of his works --that allows you to ...more
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As official websites go, this one is comprehensive.The menus at the top of the page will take you to Card's biography, a "library" of his works --that allows you to download one copy of any of his works from novels to short stories, reviews, articles, plays, and a writer's workshop with an area just for teachers. This is a real find for anyone who teaches Card or is interested in getting students who do to write and research online.
In the Classroom
There is plenty here to like. Card has made this site as user-friendly as possible and still include a wide variety of things. Clicking on the research area will give you the teacher links. Caution: there are ads on the left column and a store; however, you must register to purchase anything, so it's fairly safe at school. The site is too good to pass up because of ads, but you might want to just pull some of this yourself for your class. If you want to watch his version of "Romeo and Juliet," you must have Quicktime.You will definitely want to include this among your authors links if you have students doing research and reports.
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X (formerly Twitter) - Twitter, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
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Yes, Twitter is now named X (formerly Twitter) users enter information to share with their "followers" by creating 280 character Xs (formerly "tweets"); "followers" see what they are...more
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Yes, Twitter is now named X (formerly Twitter) users enter information to share with their "followers" by creating 280 character Xs (formerly "tweets"); "followers" see what they are thinking, favorite links, etc., all from the brief X (formerly "tweet"). Xs (formerly Tweets) are much more than messages to share what you are eating for lunch! Use this popular microblogging and social networking tool for a great way to communicate with teaching peers and real world people you may not have a chance to otherwise meet. Reply to others to create conversations for some of the best professional development around. Each X (formerly "tweet") or message may not seem extraordinary, but using the sum total of Xs (formerly tweets) from those you "meet" on X (formerly Twitter) can have an amazing impact. Use your profile and settings to add a bio and other information, change your security settings from public to protected, find those who follow you, and more. Post your tweets through the website, mobile devices, or myriad of applications to manage tweets and followers. Keep track of your favorite Xs (formerly tweets) by starring them. Refer to your favorites list as needed. Wish you could take back a X (formerly tweet)? Click the trash can beside the post to delete (however, others may have already seen and responded.) Find many opinions about X (formerly Twitter) on and off the Internet. Remember you will gain only as much as you put into this service. Build a network of helpful colleagues to become a better learner (and educator). Anyone can learn from X (formerly Twitter), even a class of elementary students! Still not sure what X (formerly Twitter) is about? Find a great explanation of how it works.
In the Classroom
Bring teaching and learning to new heights by using this service as a great form of professional development. At conferences, use X (formerly Twitter) as a backchannel to expand upon thoughts and ideas during presentations and after. Have a question to ask others' opinion about? Throw it out to X (formerly Twitter) to see the great perspectives given by those who follow you. Start out slowly and look at conversations that catch your eye. Follow people with experience in your areas of interest to gain from the conversations. Start off by following @teachersfirst or @moreruckus2 (our leader). Learn about hashtags -- ways to mark, search, and follow conversations on a specific topic. For example, the #ntchat tag is for new and pre-service teachers and the #edchat hashtag is for all teachers. Participate in these chats which are scheduled at certain days and times or search for their tweets anytime. Find archived tweets from these chats to learn from some wonderful and motivated teachers when it is convenient for YOU. Use other X (formerly Twitter) applications to search or collect specific hashtags. As a teaching tool, X (formerly Twitter) is amazing! If your school permits access, have a class account to share what you are doing with parents and especially for your class to follow people in topics you study. Studying space? Follow NASA. Studying politics and government? Follow your congressional rep or the White House. Consider using your teacher or class account to send updates to other teachers across the country or across the globe. You can also teach about responsible digital citizenship by modeling and practicing it as a class. A whole-class, teacher account is the most likely way to gain permission to use X (formerly Twitter) in school, especially if you can demonstrate specific projects. That can be as simple as making sure you and that teacher are FOLLOWING each other, then sending a direct message (start the tweet with D and the other teacher's X (formerly Twitter) name) or creating a group with your own hashtag for a project such as daily weather updates. Even if you are not "following" someone, you can send them a tweet using @theirtwittername in the body of the message. This is called a "mention" but can be seen by others, too. Compare what your class is observing in today's weather, which topics you will be discussing today, or ask for another class' opinions on a current events issue. Ask for updates about local concerns, such as talking to California schools about wildfires in their area or a Maine school about a blizzard. Challenge another class to tweet the feelings of a literacy character, such as Hamlet, and respond as Ophelia, all in 280 characters or less. Have gifted students? Connect your classroom with the outside world to find greater challenges and connections beyond your regular curriculum.Learn much more about teaching ideas and tools for X (formerly Twitter) in the many resources listed on TeachersFirst's "/twitter-for-teachers/">X (formerly Twitter) for Teachers page.
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Random Name/Word Picker - Russel Tarr
Grades
K to 12
14 Favorites
0 Comments
When it seems the same students always volunteer with answers and help, try the Random Name Picker. Get your entire class involved using this colorful "game-like" tool. This colorful...more
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When it seems the same students always volunteer with answers and help, try the Random Name Picker. Get your entire class involved using this colorful "game-like" tool. This colorful wheel clicks when you spin. It cheers when you land on a name. The site uses HTML5 so it will work on iPads as well as laptops and PCs. There is no registration required. Input the names, (enter each name or word on a different line, copy and paste from a spreadsheet or word document if available), save your lists with a password, and embed the Picker into your blog or website. You can even get a QR code. Choose the typewriter to view a scrambled word letter-by-letter. The fruit machine reveals a choice with a slot machine, choose the button Remove to delete used names/words from the list as you play. For safety, use first names only!
In the Classroom
The obvious use for this tool is for selecting students to answer a question or do an activity. Other uses could include forming groups/pairs or creating seating charts. Allow students to use it when it's time to choose the next student. Instead of names, enter activities for P.E., rainy day recess activities, the next book your class will read together, or anything where you need to make a choice. Use for vocabulary practice, too. You may want to save one wheel as a template when you know you'll be selecting several students. That way you can remove names from the list on the wheel you are using, but will have the original for the next time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Print what you like - printwhatyoulike.com
Grades
K to 12
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Hate to waste paper? Use this free resource to print web pages without wasted white space, ads, or extra pages. Enter the URL (web address) of the website you wish ...more
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Hate to waste paper? Use this free resource to print web pages without wasted white space, ads, or extra pages. Enter the URL (web address) of the website you wish to print, rearrange the elements, and print! To rearrange, edit the items on the left navigation bar. Choose to show or hide the background, images, or margins. Change the font or font size. Save your changes as a pdf for later viewing. Create an account for more features such as "change sets" which allow your formatting options to be applied to other pages from the same website and clips. Use the clips or pieces from various web pages to create a simple page that houses them all. Add the bookmarklet to your browser by simply dragging it to your toolbar. Be sure to check out the demo and videos.
In the Classroom
Use in the classroom to save paper and printing ink. Teach students to remove unwanted images and change margins to fit the content on a page. Be sure students save the page as a pdf to view and print again later if needed. Model an environmentally friendly classroom with the use of this resource. Be sure to check with your tech department on the ability to add bookmarklets to the browser toolbar. This resource can be used without signing up - a bonus for the classroom! Use this when technology access is low or you want to print an activity for students to do when you are not there to supervise the technology use. Create in-class reading from blogs or other websites appropriate for your classroom. Make a pdf that can be opened on your interactive whiteboard without all the ads and clutter of the web page so students can annotate, highlight, and even practice reading comprehension skills such as "main idea." List this link on your class website for families to try at home! Use it to share articles with parents, as well--as long as you model proper behavior by giving credit. Best practice ALWAYS includes a url and title/author on any printed article from the web.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Calibrated Peer Review - University of California
Grades
9 to 12
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This site offers teachers the option of having students do writing assignments on the web. It also offers students the chance to comment on the writings of their classmates. After ...more
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This site offers teachers the option of having students do writing assignments on the web. It also offers students the chance to comment on the writings of their classmates. After registering as an institution administrator or just a class administrator, the instructor can put up the writing assignment and attach relevant links, graphics, and other references. Although the lesson plan is part of the overall site offerings, the student responses are not visible to anyone but the class administrator. Another option for the teacher is to browse the lesson plans already created by other teachers and use them if so desired. This site works with Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. You also must have cookies enabled in your web browser.
Although the collection of lesson plans is heavily science oriented, there are plans from other subject areas, for high school and college. The site appears to function just fine, though the copyright date on most areas is 2001.
Although the collection of lesson plans is heavily science oriented, there are plans from other subject areas, for high school and college. The site appears to function just fine, though the copyright date on most areas is 2001.
In the Classroom
Use this site to teach students how to do peer editing. Besides allowing them to see their classmates' writings, it has a series of specific questions, called calibrations, which give them ways to make effective comments. After students make comments on others' essays by responding within a "calibration framework," they can read, respond to, and correct their own writings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Literature Project - Literature Project
Grades
5 to 12
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Literature Project is a compilation of books, speeches, plays, poems and more, including links to chapter by chapter text. The site also provides research links and information as well...more
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Literature Project is a compilation of books, speeches, plays, poems and more, including links to chapter by chapter text. The site also provides research links and information as well as links to eBooks to purchase. There are many classic books available to read as well as information and links, called "topic sites," with more coming soon. One example of a useful topic site on Literature Project is African American Authors in History. Note that though study guides are listed, they are not accessible and the reader may be taken to a link where she can make a purchase! The site lacks images and animation, but it is useful for access to electronic texts of many classic works frequently studied in schools.
The project states that they are currently working on literature forums, which may be useful for students in discussing literature once it becomes available.
The project states that they are currently working on literature forums, which may be useful for students in discussing literature once it becomes available.
In the Classroom
Use this site to assign reading of classic texts and stories. Students will benefit since they do not have to access actual books. As the site boasts, it is more "environmentally friendly"! Students may want to use the topic sites to research for class reports, glogs or other projects. Use classic texts from this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Either copy/paste for some quick electronic text or simply open the actual web page. Use the passages to annotate and explore literary devices, examine sentence/paragraph structure, or analyze writing style or context clues for vocabulary, having students use whiteboard tools to explain their analysis or present their own thoughts about the literature. This site is also a great place to "grab" passages of text and paste them into a graphic word cloud-maker such as WordClouds, reviewed here. With electronic text, you can easily compare the writing style of two or more authors or poets in a snap. Invite students to create visual interpretations of text passages, illustrating themes or motifs using a tool such as Canva, reviewed here.Electronic text can also be "read aloud" by text-to-speech software on your computer, assisting those who may have weaker reading skills.
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BBC News - BBC
Grades
6 to 12
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This nationally published news source makes for an excellent resource for a teacher or student looking for current events. There's information ranging from politics, global news, business,...more
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This nationally published news source makes for an excellent resource for a teacher or student looking for current events. There's information ranging from politics, global news, business, technology - even pop culture. This would be useful in any classroom where a knowledge of the now was focused on.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for current events projects - assign students various weeks through out the semester in which they are to be the class news reporter, keeping their peers up to date and informed. Have students research whats going on via this news site, and present a small presentation at the beginning of class every day during their week. Students can either orally present, or for the technologically inclined, create a short video summarizing the same information. Have students create news briefs and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SMART Board Goodies - Amber Coggin
Grades
K to 12
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This bright and cheerful blog offers original interactive whiteboard resources created by a certified SMARTboard trainer. The site is updated often, get notices of updates by email...more
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This bright and cheerful blog offers original interactive whiteboard resources created by a certified SMARTboard trainer. The site is updated often, get notices of updates by email or by following on Twitter or Facebook. To find archived files, search the site using the search box at the top of the page, search archived files by month, or find links to notebook files on the right-hand side of the home page. Especially helpful are the author's notes when posting new files as she offers tips on how to use it in the classroom. An example is the singing horses file (check it out, very funny!) that she uses to help students get used to using an interactive whiteboard while learning cause and effect. Be sure to check out the Facebook page template which includes a template for student use. Since this teacher uses SMART brand IWB, you may need to use SMART Notebook Express reviewed hereto open some files on another brand of whiteboard.
In the Classroom
Shop the site for interactive whiteboard resources to download for classroom use. Use the singing horses to teach cause and effect. Use the Facebook page template for students to create biographies of famous people, of themselves for back to school, or of teachers in your building for Back to School nights! There is much to explore at this "gem" of a site!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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