Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that allows members to have conversations that answer questions and assist with many tasks. Create an account using your email address, Google, or Microsoft account. Use the "Send a Message" box at the bottom of the page to type a chat request and click send. ChatGPT provides a response based on your input. Use the option to regenerate the request if you want to see different answers, or use the chat box to type in clarifying information to improve the response. Find your previous chats on the left side of the screen, and click any chat to edit, view, delete, or obtain a link to share. Always verify any information provided by ChatGPT before using it. This is an evolving tool, and many features change (or upgrade) on a regular basis.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), chat (41), search strategies (22)

Purdue University offers STEM "degrees" for kindergarten through high school students which are available for completion individually or as a class. Select a grade level band from the eight options to access the ten videos required. After watching the short videos, complete the accompanying quiz to receive a code. Collect all ten codes and complete the form to request your certificate of completion. Videos cover various STEM topics, such as seasons, fossils, and the environment. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): adaptations (16), colors (63), energy (133), environment (252), forces (37), fossils (41), habitats (92), mass (19), number sense (68), plants (147), seasons (37), soil (16), sound (72), space (220), STEM (304), summer (28), sun (69), tides (6), volcanoes (55), water cycle (22), weather (161)

The Achievery is a free digital learning platform created by AT&T in collaboration with Warner Brothers that pairs video clips with lessons to engage students in learning across seven subject areas. Create an account to access activities such as a poetry scavenger hunt with Amanda Gorman or learn reading and writing skills from Wonder Woman video clips. Begin at the "All Units" link to find content by grade level, standards, subject, and additional filters. Most lessons are part of a larger learning unit; however, they are ready to use as individual teaching activities. Each lesson includes correlations to teaching and CASEL standards (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), highlights relevant vocabulary, activity directions, and links to the featured video, and is available in PDF format. The Achievery lessons and activities are available in English and Spanish. This site would be a good one to leave for your substitute to use; it's high interest, no sign-in, and has lesson plans & video clips.

tag(s): blended learning (36), coding (86), digital citizenship (89), engineering (137), environment (252), equations (119), geometric shapes (134), graphic design (49), internet safety (114), literature (221), map skills (64), measurement (123), media literacy (109), narrative (16), numbers (121), operations (72), order of operations (29), problem solving (233), remote learning (54), Research (88), social and emotional learning (107), spanish (112), STEM (304), substitutes (25), writing (326)

C-Span Classroom offers free, video-based classroom materials for teachers. Browse the links on the site to find Bell Ringers, Lesson Plans, and additional teaching resources. Under Topics (on the far right top menu) are other tools including a Constitutional Clips video series, Classroom Deliberations based upon current issues, and On This Day in History featuring significant historical events using video clips.

tag(s): branches of government (65), civil rights (216), constitution (99), declaration of independence (16), elections (82), electoral college (22), environment (252), journalism (74), nasa (28), STEM (304), supreme court (30), video (267)

Discover the possibilities available in computer science careers through exploration activities and courses found on Real World Exploration. Visit the Real World Exploration section to enroll high school students in three lessons to teach an hour of AI with Amazon's Alexa, take virtual field trips to explore careers of the future, or sign up for class chats with Amazon professionals. In addition, take advantage of the computer science curriculum for elementary through high school students and teacher training found under the Computer Science Courses section of the website. Some courses include self-guided options for students.

tag(s): careers (179), coding (86), computers (109), engineering (137), STEM (304), virtual field trips (132)

Parlay Genie uses artificial intelligence to create discussion prompts for any topic or URL. Parlay Genie, a feature of Parlay, reviewed here, generates higher-order thinking questions to develop and encourage deeper thinking among students through round table discussions. Begin by selecting to create a discussion either with your topic or with a URL, choose to make between one and three questions, add the URL or subject, and choose the grade level of your students beginning with 5th grade and going up to higher education. The final step is to generate your prompts with an option to regenerate questions if desired. Registration is not required to create discussion prompts using Parlay Genie; however, creating a free account includes options for sharing discussion questions with your students through the Parlay dashboard.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), Teacher Utilities (203), teaching strategies (52)

This eighty-one-piece informational text set shares poems, short stories, memoirs, and informational text that explore the experiences of Latinx, Chicano, and Hispanic individuals and movements. The thumbnail view of each text includes a summary, suggested grade level, type of text, and Lexile level. Some texts are available without registration; however, creating a free account on CommonLit provides members access to all available features, including the teachers' guide, related media, and full access to the included activities. Be sure to watch the short video Show Me to learn how to explore a topic with text sets.

tag(s): differentiation (85), hispanic (36), literature (221), poetry (196), reading comprehension (150), Teacher Utilities (203)

Curipod creates interactive lessons using AI (artificial intelligence) technology. Tasks include features for making word clouds, adding polls, questions, and more. Visit the Discover link to browse through ready-to-use templates or create an account, then copy and edit a lesson using a template or build one in just a few seconds using your prompt and instructions. When creating a new lesson, start with a blank slide or use templates that include a brain break, exit ticket, multiple choice, or complete lesson. The brain break generators include several stress-free tasks, such as Would You Rather questions, and fun writing and drawing prompts. To create new tasks, add a topic and include standards if desired. Another option allows you to import PowerPoint presentations and PDFs when creating new activities. When ready, share lessons with students using the provided QR code or the join code for students to access at curi.live. View statistics in your dashboard, including the number of times played and player results. Free accounts currently include unlimited players, five private Curipods, a shared workspace, and all core features.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), assessment (146), blended learning (36), differentiation (85), Online Learning (36), remote learning (54), slides (43), social and emotional learning (107), Teacher Utilities (203), teaching strategies (52)

Follow the simple steps to convert any PDF document to various formats or convert documents to PDF, then download it to your device. Fortunately, this site doesn't require registration and is ad-free! Begin by selecting formatting options that include PDF to JPEG, PDF to PPT, PDF to Excel, and more. Scroll down the page to find options for converting documents to PDF. After selecting the type of conversion desired, upload or drag your document to the workspace. When the conversion is complete, save the document to your device.

tag(s): conversions (37), editing (93), worksheets (71)

SwifDoo PDF is a free download for Microsoft Operating Systems that offers many tools to edit, merge, compress, and sign PDF documents. Use the PDF editor to add or change text, font, links, and images to documents. Additional features allow you to add passwords to documents and annotate and reply to others within a shared document. Install SwifDoo PDF by selecting the Free Download link and following the prompts to open and install the application. Check the system and hardware requirements information on the site before downloading and installing SwifDoo PDF.

tag(s): collaboration (94), editing (93), Microsoft (80)

Find high-quality resources curated by educators in all content areas and grade levels shared by WeTeachNYC. Although only registration and saving of resources are available to New York City Department of Education employees and partners, most materials are open to all site users. Use the search feature to find and filter content by subject, grade level, and resource type. Resources include lessons, classroom strategies, templates, and much more. All links that lead to offsite material are vetted for quality and alignment to standards.

tag(s): newbies (11), OER (43), preK (284), professional development (390), resources (83), substitutes (25)

The Open Textbook Library provides access to over 1,000 textbooks to download, edit, and distribute at no cost. View the newest additions or use the browse feature to find textbooks by subject. After selecting a book, read a summary, including the copyright date, author(s), and licensing information. Then, to access any text, select the "Read More" link that provides additional information and links to the available formats. Formats available include PDF, ebook, and online availability.

tag(s): blended learning (36), differentiation (85), OER (43), professional development (390), remote learning (54)

SchoolStack is an instructional design system that provides tools for personalized learning options for students. After creating an account, the first step is designing or choosing lessons from SchoolStack's library. Lesson options include adding exit tickets or making tasks optional or required. Next, add assignments to a "stack," like creating a choice board of activities. Then, assign stacks to a whole class, groups, or individuals. Dashboards for students, teachers, and caregivers track students' progress throughout their lessons. Free accounts offer limited stack creation, limited access to the lesson library, and the ability to add one teacher collaborator.

tag(s): differentiation (85), personalized learning (10), playlists (8), remote learning (54), Teacher Utilities (203)

HyperDocs is a free resource library for digital lesson plan templates for all subjects and grade levels available to use without registration. Most lessons use Google tools, including Google Docs, reviewed here and Google Slides, reviewed here. Begin your search by exploring the basic templates featured based on different lesson models, or use the keyword search bar to find specific topics. Next, filter down results by grade level, lesson subject, and focus area. Be sure to click the "apply filters" box after making your choices. Each hyperdoc includes a preview for viewing the document; choose the link to "make a copy" to copy and personalize as desired. Although registration isn't required to access and copy the hyperdocs provided on the site, creating an account offers you the opportunity to receive notification of the latest additions to the site.

tag(s): Google (48), professional development (390)

Georgia Virtual Learning is the online education headquarters for the Georgia Department of Education and offers over 100 virtual courses for middle and high school students. Choose from studies in all core content areas and the fine arts and world languages. An additional option features courses in CTAE/Electives. These offerings include classes in finance, computer science, fitness, and more. After selecting a course to view, use the module to proceed through the contents. Each module includes an introduction featuring essential questions and interactive content and concludes with final assessments and a module test.

tag(s): art history (106), body systems (40), business (53), chinese (45), drawing (62), environment (252), financial literacy (95), french (74), geology (62), japanese (52), latin (23), literature (221), music theory (48), myths and legends (41), narrative (16), novels (34), nutrition (139), oceans (149), OER (43), photography (132), plagiarism (34), poetry (196), psychology (65), robotics (26), romeo & juliet (7), short stories (18), sociology (23), space (220), spanish (112), STEM (304), writers workshop (31)

Pear Deck, reviewed here, offers an innovative option for creating flashcards through their integration with Google, Merriam-Webster, and Gimkit. Begin by creating a vocabulary list using your list or adding words and definitions from the dictionary. Select "Play Flashcard Factory" to share with students when your list is complete. After logging in with a Google account, students use the provided link and access code to enter Flashcard Factory. After joining, the site assigns students a partner to work with to create example sentences and illustrations using the vocabulary terms. As a final product, the teacher selects from the flashcards created by students to create a class flashcard set. Print or share the completed set to Gimkit, reviewed here.
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tag(s): flash cards (44), grammar review (31), test prep (69), vocabulary (243), vocabulary development (95)

Quickly create math practice questions that provide instant feedback with helpful explanations using Edia. Edia's database includes an extensive list of questions to use. First, select questions, add time limits, due dates, and more. After assigning questions to groups of students, Edia rearranges the question order for each student to prevent sharing answers. Also, this site includes a unique background that prevents students from using the PhotoMath app to read and answer questions. After creating an account, begin by selecting to create a quiz or practice. Next, create a class or import students from Google Classroom. Continue by personalizing options, including the post date, due date, and allowing late submissions. Next, choose the "Add question" link to find and add questions, continue until a sufficient number of questions are included. Choose "Post Now" to create a shareable link to provide to students. Students sign in using a Google account or create an email and password account.

tag(s): charts and graphs (172), coordinates (15), data (151), decimals (85), division (98), equations (119), exponents (35), factoring (25), factors (29), fractions (160), functions (52), geometric shapes (134), inequalities (25), multiplication (122), negative numbers (13), number sense (68), place value (34), probability (99), quiz (66), quizzes (90), sequences (12), sequencing (17), Teacher Utilities (203)

#GoOpenVA is an open education resource (OER) collection of digital materials and activities shared by Virginia teachers. This source provides materials for use with or without modifications and doesn't require copyright attribution. First, use the search feature to look by a keyword, subject, education level, or standard content. The advanced feature includes additional options, including search by language, type of materials, and rating. After selecting a resource, view pertinent information, including a short description, correlation to standards, and more. Next, choose the "view resource" link to access and download any relevant materials.

tag(s): OER (43), preK (284), professional development (390), Teacher Utilities (203)

Improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills through the use of brain teasers, puzzles, and riddles found on this clever site. Select from fifteen categories of teasers divided into three categories - math & logic, language & visual, and other. Brain teasers are also sorted by difficulty level, beginning with very easy and proceeding up to very difficult. Each puzzle includes the solution to explain the logic behind the answer.

tag(s): critical thinking (135), geometric shapes (134), patterns (61), Problem Based Learning (12), problem solving (233)