TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 14, 2014
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
PBIS World - PBIS World
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): autism (15), behavior (46), classroom management (124), difficult conversations (60), emotions (49), Special Needs (56)
In the Classroom
Think of an undesirable behavior in your classroom, and you will probably find it on the PBIS list. Read a description of the behavior (just to make sure you chose the correct one). Then go on to the interventions. Click to see how and when to use each intervention. Choose from many interventions for each behavior. Use the different forms to keep track of the success (or lack of success) of the intervention over the weeks and months you try it. If the Tier One interventions do not work, proceed to tier two. Share this resource with colleagues and parents to team up for success.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!).
ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World - Stanford University
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): maps (212), romans (35), rome (22), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
There are a lot of complexities involved in plotting a route between two cities, but the interface is pretty intuitive, and students with enjoy playing "what if" with the various possibilities. Once they get the hang of it, challenge individual students or groups to see who can make it from start to finish most quickly or cheaply. What happens if you start in the Winter? or the Fall? And of course, how did these challenges affect the real Roman Empire and its citizens? If individual computers aren't available, plot your travel as a class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Include this in Latin or world history class to make Roman civilization more "real."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!).
Dandy Candies - Dan Meyer
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): area (52), measurement (123), perimeter (20), problem solving (225), volume (34)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site (and video clip) on your interactive whiteboard or projector during units on measurement, volume, and perimeter. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. Have students make concrete representations of candy and packaging to demonstrate responses. Before solving this activity, create a quick poll using Survey Anyplace, reviewed here, to see how much students know. Extend the challenge by having students write packaging/measurement challenges for their classmates to solve, perhaps for a product they especially like!Comments
Can't wait to use this for morning meeting! Diane will be so proud of me!Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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!).
Learningpod - Learningpod, Inc
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): advanced placement (26), test prep (69)
In the Classroom
Introduce this tool to students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Lower elementary students will need help reading the directions on the site, so do a few together. Share pods for student practice on your class website or blog. Create a link to practice pods on classroom computers. Encourage students or parents to create their own Learningpod account to practice and review content at home. Share this site with parents (on your class wiki or website) as an excellent resource for test preparation.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!).
Happy Numbers - HappyNumbers.com
Grades
K to 3tag(s): addition (127), number sense (70), numbers (119), operations (72), patterns (62), place value (34), preK (267), subtraction (108)
In the Classroom
Use activities from Happy Numbers on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to practice and reinforce concepts. Share links to individual activities on your class webpage or blog for practice at home. Create a link to activities for use on classroom computers. Register all of your students for a personalized experience during centers or even for at-home practice. Use this site to make differentiating a snap!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!).
Educators New to X (formerly Twitter) - Kyle Calderwod
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (41), microblogging (15), social networking (64), twitter (18)
In the Classroom
After creating an account, look at the page for what else you can start doing. Find other educators to follow on the Before You Begin page, and also look at participating in a X (formerly Twitter) Chat. Find a list of chats to join, and the day and time they meet at Cybraryman Educational Chats on Twitter. As a teaching tool, X (formerly Twitter) is amazing! If your school permits access, have a class account for your class to follow people who work in fields and topics you study. Even primary grades can connect with other classes or "follow" many learning experiences via X (formerly Twitter). Learn much more about teaching ideas and tools for X (formerly Twitter) in the many resources listed on X (formerly Twitter) for Teachers page.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!).
Calameo - Jean-Olivier de Berard and Mathieu Quisefit
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (123), digital storytelling (154)
In the Classroom
Use this site to engage students in Writing for Digital Publication, an important part of the Common Core. In social studies or government class have individual students or small groups design magazines for the candidate of their choice. Remember those travel brochures your world language students used to make with glue sticks and scissors? Try this online tool instead. World language students can also create an interactive magazine telling a story in their new language. In science class students can design a booklet to explain cells, life cycles, or any science topic. Instead of a book report, try a digital magazine. Do an author study via a digital magazine. Create a poetry magazine. Have your ESL/ELL students create a bilingual magazine in English AND their native language. Create digital magazines for any subject or topic: explain an event in history, demonstrate different types of animals or habitats. Create an ongoing Calameo magazine of class activities.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
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!).
SmallPDF - smallpdf.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): conversions (37), worksheets (69)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save SmallPDF for use throughout the year. Upload Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files to convert into PDF documents. Use SmallPDF to split large PDF documents into smaller, manageable portions. Have students use Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more.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!).
Estuary Education - Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): biomes (111), ecology (102), ecosystems (80), marine biology (30)
In the Classroom
Estuary Education is essential for teaching your students about the importance of estuaries. Designed to be used by teachers in grades 6-12, the Estuaries 101 Curriculum provided on the site deepens students understanding about estuaries and how estuaries affect their daily lives. Estuaries offer an exciting context for learning about math, geography, chemistry, marine science, among other fields. Use the information on the "Science and Data" page for students to analyze real-time data if you're unable to access an estuary where you live. Use the "Video Gallery" page to introduce lessons, to "flip" your instruction, or to provide visual examples for students. Challenge your students to use Prezi, or PowerPoint with Office Mix, or another presentation medium to demonstrate their knowledge of estuaries. Enhance classroom technology use and record a podcast using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, for students having difficulty with the reading. Have your students use Padlet to collaborate as a class on research for an assignment. Review their posts on an interactive whiteboard. Challenge your gifted students to explore the "Resources" page to deepen their understanding of estuaries. Provide an opportunity for your students to get involved with a local organization to use what they learned from the Estuary Education site to preserve local estuaries.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!).
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
Close comment form