TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Nov 13, 2011
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
CyberWise - CyberWise
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (87), internet safety (111), media literacy (104), tutorials (55)
In the Classroom
Share videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector with students to discuss media tools and how they are using them, or show before assigning projects using current media tools. Challenge students to create an online "scrapbook" on cyber safety using Smilebox, reviewed here, or ask them to create a simple infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Share videos with parents to help them understand current media tools and how to use them.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Memonic - Nektoon AG
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bookmarks (46), curation (36), note taking (36)
In the Classroom
Use this site to collect your thoughts and information for class projects, research, and idea/data gathering. Create a group for others to share information with for a subject area, class, or a common interest. Use with classes to allow students to comment to any page you assign for discussion. Students can find pages of interest about a specific content topic and comment their likes and dislikes. Look at various political, environmental, or ethical viewpoints by adding URL's for both sides of the argument and allow time for commenting and voicing of opinion. Learning support teachers may want to create notes together with students, annotating assigned text to show understanding and learn target vocabulary.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
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 shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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DIY Podcast - NASA
Grades
K to 12tag(s): podcasts (96), scientists (63), space (216)
In the Classroom
Provide example topics to your class once they have tried this site, and let them go! Podcasts can be used in any subject area. In math, have students "teach" the class a new skill via podcast. Rather than a traditional book report, have students create a podcast highlighting the main character, plot, conflict, or storyline or a book. In current events, have cooperative learning groups create a podcast debating a current area of dispute. You could record your assignments or directions; you can record story time or a reading excerpt for younger ones to listen to at a computer center AND from home! Have better readers record selected passages for your non-readers (perhaps older buddies). Launch a service project for your fifth or sixth graders to record stories for the kindergarten to use in their reading and listening center. Have your Shakespeare students record a soliloquy! Write and record a poem for Father's or Mother's Day (or other special events) and send the URL as a gift to that special person. Create great podcasts that can be shared on your wiki site, or blog!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Letterboxing Kids - Letterboxing.org
Grades
K to 4tag(s): directions (12), map skills (56), maps (207), mysteries (19)
In the Classroom
After showing students how to follow directions for the online treasure hunt, create a link on classroom computers for students to practice on their own. Have students create their own treasure hunts using premade maps or one they make on their own. Create your own personalized stamps using directions from the site to use in the classroom as incentives or motivation. If time permits, host a letterboxing day for your class or include the activity as an instrctional part of a holiday party. Hide the treasures around the playground or school grounds. More than likely, your school already has a pre-created map/floorplan of at least the inside of the building. Make copies for students to use as guides. Create clues for the students (using geography vocabulary, of course).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Business Insider Chart of the Day - Business Insider
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): charts and graphs (170), cultures (138), data (148), financial literacy (89), infographics (56), sociology (24), sports (81)
In the Classroom
Share a daily chart on your interactive whiteboard or projector and have students recreate the chart into a different format (bar chart to pie chart or line graph). Have students use a tool such as Hohli reviewed here. Ask students to analyze information included on the daily chart as a math journal entry. Create a class chart comparing student information to the daily chart provided. Use the daily chart as a class warm-up - discuss trends, information provided, information not included that might be useful, etc. Social Studies teachers may want to use the charts as a tie-in to current events. Reading teachers charged with teaching about charts as part of informational texts will find a treasure trove of examples here, especially as prep for BIG reading tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vi Hart's Math Videos - Vi Hart
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): geometric shapes (135), humor (16)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for a Math fun day! Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector or set them up as stations on laptops. After catching students doodling during Math class, show one of the doodling videos to show students how their doodles can really be productive! Your visual learners will love it. Have fun with balloons creating shapes demonstrated on the balloon page. Challenge students to create the shapes after being shown a picture -- but before seeing directions. Use some of the topics when researching ideas for Math Fairs or Math Nights at school. Provide this link for student to explore outside of the classroom. Even girls may find they like math presented in such humorous ways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Understanding Taxes - Student - IRS
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (89), money (114)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plans at the Teachers site to teach the financial literary concepts. Then use a projector or your interactive whiteboard to show students how to navigate the student site. Allow students to explore the online activities on their own at a center, in the computer lab, or at home by putting the URL on your website. After completing the worksheets provided with the lessons, have students create their own worksheets for other classmates to complete. Challenge students to create their own financial literacy newsletter using Revue, reviewed here, for students in their school including money-saving suggestions, job ideas for students, and tips for creating a budget. Have students create posters sharing their newsletter using a site such as Padlet, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Fix - Darren Fix
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): blogs (64), density (18), experiments (52), fire (22), motion (50), planets (112), rockets (11), space (216)
In the Classroom
Share demonstration videos classes of students on your interactive whiteboard or projector. This helps if funds or time for actual labs are limited. Or they can be used to show students how to carry out an experiment before they are unleashed into the laboratory to do it on their own. Challenge students to create their own science videos (sharing an experiment and explanation.) Share these videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Radio Lingua Network: One Minute Languages - Radio Lingua
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): greek (32), japanese (47), portuguese (22), russian (24)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of a specific country or new language. Mark this site on your classroom or lab computers so students can take advantage of the free lessons and use them for review. List this link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom. In a world cultures class, have cooperative learning groups spend a class/period learning the basics of a new language. Have the groups create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools and share their new language with the class. Gifted students would love to compare new languages discovered on this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Protagonize - Taunt Media
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (121), digital storytelling (152), expository writing (31), narrative (14), persuasive writing (56), poetry (190), six traits of writing (4), songs (44), stories and storytelling (48), word choice (14), writers workshop (31), writing (319)
In the Classroom
You may wish to set up a group or class account, so that you can keep a careful eye on what outside additions are made (use an RSS feed!) . Students would then need to sign their writing or their comments on other class members writing, with a code known by you. Or you can invite students through email, and then create a group on the program that would include your students; however this group would also be open to the public.Create groups of students who would like to work together on a "Choose Your Own Adventure" story connected to a science or social studies topic. Have the students create the story guidelines and parameters. Once the students have started the story, have them use your projector and interactive whiteboard and get feedback from class members about the different directions the story could take. Publish the final adventures by using the page flipping publishing program, Youblisher, reviewed here.
Have your students create "solo" stories, and then have them switch to "collaborative" to receive comments and input from other members in their writing group or class. Publish the final adventures by using the page flipping publishing program, Youblisher, reviewed here.
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
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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