TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Nov 3, 2013
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
GE Focus Forward - GE & Cinelan.com
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
GE Focus Forward offers a series of 30 three-minute videos featuring stories about innovators. Directed by award-winning documentary film makers, the films range in topics from a "Journey...more
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GE Focus Forward offers a series of 30 three-minute videos featuring stories about innovators. Directed by award-winning documentary film makers, the films range in topics from a "Journey Under the Sea" to a look at the "Secrets of Trees." Hover over any film icon to view a short description of the topic. Click to begin. Share films using social networking buttons within the film. Copy the code (click the video you want, then, click the third symbol in the upper right corner to copy the code) to embed on any website or blog. Videos are hosted on Vimeo, which is accessible in most schools.
tag(s): environment (245), inventors and inventions (78), medicine (56), mental health (36), nutrition (136), oceans (149), robotics (23), solar energy (34), STEM (284), trees (18), video (262)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students explore this site independently or in small groups. There is one film about sanitation that refers to "poop," so you may want to avoid classroom giggles from less mature students by setting the tone for scientific viewing. Use as any part of a career unit, as a look at explorers and innovators, or when discussing character education. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Challenge students to choose a topic to further explore and create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Infogram, Marq (formerly Lucidpress), Powtoon, and Vibby.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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CloudConvert - Lunaweb Ltd
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
CloudConvert is a file conversion tool. Upload any file to convert to a different format. Select files from your Google Drive, DropBox, or computer to begin. Choose the format ...more
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CloudConvert is a file conversion tool. Upload any file to convert to a different format. Select files from your Google Drive, DropBox, or computer to begin. Choose the format for conversion. For example, convert an avi movie file to a different movie format such as mp4 or an audio file. Choose an option to receive your new file by email or directly into your DropBox (reviewed here ). This tool is particularly helpful for mobile device users because it can manage conversions of files both stored and converted in the cloud.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save CloudConvert for use throughout the year. Upload PDF files to convert into Word documents, save PowerPoint presentations as a PDF, convert movie or audio files to one single type for use in class projects. Use CloudConvert to change files that won't open to a different format accepted by your computer.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learning English with Mr. Duncan - Mr. Duncan
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Discover a comprehensive YouTube channel of ENL/ESL videos at Learning English With Mister Duncan. This channel includes over 75 videos at the beginner through intermediate levels....more
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Discover a comprehensive YouTube channel of ENL/ESL videos at Learning English With Mister Duncan. This channel includes over 75 videos at the beginner through intermediate levels. Subjects include survival English, grammar, travel, the history of linguistics, and more. Videos vary in length from just a few minutes to over 30 minutes. Mr. Duncan is a British series, so American English speakers may notice some slight differences in pronunciations. Mr. Duncan claims to offer a new video daily! If your district blocks YouTube, these videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): cultures (147), grammar (134), multilingual (69), punctuation (25), slang (15), video (262)
In the Classroom
Check out the video list before presenting a lesson to your ESL/ELL learners. These selections are an excellent way to preview or summarize the lesson you have prepared. Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link on your class website or wiki for students (and ENL families) to explore at home. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own ENL/ESL videos 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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We Do Listen Foundation - We Do Listen Foundation
Grades
K to 3
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Songs, video book readings, lesson plans, and more abound at this fabulous site for young children! At We Do Listen you will find activities to build character traits (such as...more
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Songs, video book readings, lesson plans, and more abound at this fabulous site for young children! At We Do Listen you will find activities to build character traits (such as honesty) and social skills (such as anti-bullying). There are many video animations of the books. Choose the lessons link to find printable lessons to accompany each book to teach character traits and social skills. Under Fun Stuff there is also online coloring and a place to write and color your own story! Download song videos to your computer for use at any time. Choose the color and print your own book to color on paper, computer, and create stick and paper puppets.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bullying (50), character education (77), preK (263), social skills (23)
In the Classroom
All primary classrooms should take advantage of this wonderful tool. Share the songs on your projector and interactive whiteboard. Use the songs, stories, and lesson plans to teach about various character traits: honesty, anti-bullying, good sportsmanship, courage, and more. Use these stories during class meetings to discuss issues happening in your own classroom. Share a link to the site with parents as a resource for use at home. Share the songs with your PE teacher to reinforce the concepts during movement activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Voice Recorder - 123apps
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Just as the name says, Online Voice Recorder allows you to record your voice from your computer and save the file. With no membership required, this is a free and ...more
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Just as the name says, Online Voice Recorder allows you to record your voice from your computer and save the file. With no membership required, this is a free and simple recording treasure! Simply push the record button and follow screen prompts to ALLOW the application access to your computer's microphone. Talk as long as desired. Then listen to the recorded playback. Trim and edit the length using easy sliders as desired. Save your finished version in MP3 format using the link.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): blended learning (37), communication (138), fluency (25), preK (263), speech (68), spelling (98)
In the Classroom
Have students practice spelling words orally, record speeches, practice reading fluency, and much more using Online Voice Recorder. After recording, allow students to listen to the playback and reflect upon the quality of their work. Do before and after recordings of students to share with parents during conferences to demonstrate reading progress. Have students record weekly summaries for what has happened in your class to share on your class website or blog (you will have to upload the files). Record weekly or daily homework assignments and share as a voice recording on your website. Save file space by replacing old files with new ones. Online Voice Recorder would be an excellent resource for recording and sharing more complicated directions for projects and assignments (adding you voice intonation and cues!). Your weaker readers and ENL/ESL students may do better with a combination of written AND auditory directions. Provide the link on your class website for students to use at home for additional practice in spelling, reading, practicing reports, and more. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Have students write and record audio book reviews others can play on iPads in the school library. If you have gifted students in your classroom, this tool is simple enough for even the youngest to be able to record audio mini-dramas portraying a historic figure, poetry readings, and more. Be sure to show them how to NAME and download the files to the local computer! Anything they can say out loud can become a creative project recording. Don't forget about recording musical performances or practices.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cuban Missile Crisis - Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center
Grades
8 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
The Cuban Missile Crisis offers a great resource for learning and teaching about the 1962 missile crisis. Explore the site to find many primary documents, an excellent timeline, and...more
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The Cuban Missile Crisis offers a great resource for learning and teaching about the 1962 missile crisis. Explore the site to find many primary documents, an excellent timeline, and lessons. The Educators section of the site includes many tools such as lesson plans, reading lists, and videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): 1960s (26), kennedy (20), presidents (135)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site (or save it in your favorites). Use the resources for any unit that includes the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidents, or John F. Kennedy. Watch videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share a link on your class website for students to view at home. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the characters involved with the crisis. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare the point of view of the U.S. vs Cuba or to compare outcomes based on possible decisions made during the crisis.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Map Treasure Hunt - Class Tools
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a virtual treasure hunt using the tools and maps on this resource. Follow simple directions to add clues to find any location on the globe. When finished, save to ...more
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Create a virtual treasure hunt using the tools and maps on this resource. Follow simple directions to add clues to find any location on the globe. When finished, save to receive a unique url for your treasure hunt. Players follow your clues to find coins at each location along the way. After finding a coin, clues provide information for the next stop. There is a small learning curve for following and creating treasure hunts. But once you figure out the first one, the activity becomes quite simple to understand. See a very short treasure hunt sample here.
tag(s): game based learning (182), map skills (57), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Add virtual treasure hunts to many classroom lessons. Share treasure hunts on your projector or interactive whiteboard, perhaps for students to do as a center. Create treasure hunts to announce field trips, locate areas of interest for social studies lessons, or point out locations in novels and other reading material. Have students create their own virtual treasure hunt for a favorite location, where they were born, or to begin a biography of a famous person or series of historic events such as the civil rights movement. In science class, have students create a treasure hunt of habitats or environmental disaster sites. Create student-made mapquests for math skill practice as students calculate distances, map scale, and trip costs using a treasure hunt.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Edible Schoolyard Project - Alice Waters
Grades
K to 12
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0 Comments
Visit this incredible site to bring students of all ages into a positive relationship with food by connecting it with nature and culture. Click Resources from the top menu bar ...more
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Visit this incredible site to bring students of all ages into a positive relationship with food by connecting it with nature and culture. Click Resources from the top menu bar and the Resource Library to discover a sustainable food curriculum that includes Farm to School ideas and much more. This project shares a food curriculum for schools around the world to put into practice. Search and explore inspiring ideas, programs that work, and the voices of the movement. Add your own story or classroom to the project to share with others around the world.
tag(s): nutrition (136), plants (147), sustainability (43)
In the Classroom
Use the search feature to find lessons by grade, topic, or even season. View videos available on The Edible Schoolyard to learn how to begin a classroom or school garden. Show the videos to parents to encourage help and participation. If your school doesn't have an area for planting a garden, be creative! Plant a small garden in a wagon to roll in and out each day! Enhance learning by creating a class wiki using PBWorks, reviewed here, and having students update your garden's growth through pictures and words each week. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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