TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 4, 2015

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

 

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Daily 5/Cafe Pinterest Board - Jana Wilson

Grades
K to 6
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Do you need new ideas to spice up your Daily 5 instruction? Try browsing through this Pinterest board for ideas from all over the web. Choose the links provided to ...more
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Do you need new ideas to spice up your Daily 5 instruction? Try browsing through this Pinterest board for ideas from all over the web. Choose the links provided to find many free ideas for strategy charts, scheduling, posters, and tips for use throughout the school year.

tag(s): bookmarks (46), literacy (117), reading comprehension (148), reading strategies (103), word study (60), writing (324)

In the Classroom

Be sure to "follow" this Pinterest board to view new pins as they are added. Use this board as inspiration for creating your own Pinterest board for your Daily 5 links and favorite ideas. Share with colleagues and create a Pinterest board as you collaborate. Create a Pinterest board with links for parents to use at home. The ideas are as endless as your imagination!

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Technology and the Daily 5 K-2 - Laura Moore

Grades
K to 5
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Technology and the Daily 5 is a must-see site if you are thinking about adding technology into to your Daily 5 routines. Although the title states K-2 classroom, the Daily ...more
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Technology and the Daily 5 is a must-see site if you are thinking about adding technology into to your Daily 5 routines. Although the title states K-2 classroom, the Daily 5 routines (and tools) are great to use for any elementary grade. For each of the components of the Daily 5 find categories such as Web Tools, Mobile Devices, and a video. Some components have interactive whiteboard suggestions, and there are links to other resources such as a PDF for task cards. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): literacy (117), literary devices (13), reading comprehension (148), reading strategies (103), video (262), vocabulary development (91), word study (60), writing (324)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site for use all year while incorporating technology into your Daily 5 components. Post links to downloads for the apps you decide to use so parents can get them on their computers and mobile devices at home for student use. As you get into more and more technology for student use, you may consider suggesting apps to parents that you do not have time for in the classroom. These apps could be for additional at-home practice.

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Daily 5 Technology - Jennifer Lambrecht

Grades
K to 5
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If you are a primary or elementary teacher looking to include technology into your Daily 5 routine, look no further. At this primary teacher's blog investigate the tabs across the ...more
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If you are a primary or elementary teacher looking to include technology into your Daily 5 routine, look no further. At this primary teacher's blog investigate the tabs across the top for Videos, Word Work, iPad Creating, SMART Notebook, QR Codes, Listening to Reading, Skype/FaceTime, and Web. Under Videos find a link to a Play List of YouTube videos for literacy, and a video showing how to set up iPods for the Listen to Reading component. Under each of the other tabs find sources and "how to's" for all sorts of technology to incorporate into your literacy lessons. This blog also has a section about incorporating Chrome Books (under the New tab) and iPads into the primary curriculum. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): listening (93), literacy (117), reading comprehension (148), reading strategies (103), video (262), vocabulary development (91), word study (60), writing (324)

In the Classroom

Incorporating technology for students into the classroom is necessary to meet state standards. Let this blog guide you and make it easier. Although the creator of this site is a 1st grade teacher, many of the technology ideas and tools she mentions are appropriate for older students and other grades as well. This especially pertains to the QR Code and iPad Creating, and Skype/FaceTime sections of this blog. Mentioned are several iPad apps this blogger is currently using with her students. One ingenious idea is to use Skype or FaceTime for your Read to Someone component. Primary teachers may be interested in Literactive, reviewed here, and Teach Your Monster to Read, reviewed here, that she has students use on her Chrome Books. So if you are thinking of, or just beginning to use technology in your class, take a look at this blog for an easy start or as a guide for new ideas to add.

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The Vortex: A Sorting Game - Class Tools

Grades
4 to 12
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Create an interactive categorization activity with The Vortex. Give the activity a title and begin adding categories. Add items in up to four different categories. When finished, drag...more
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Create an interactive categorization activity with The Vortex. Give the activity a title and begin adding categories. Add items in up to four different categories. When finished, drag and drop items as quickly as possible into the correct bin. Use the provided links to share the activity, embed into a blog or web page, or print it. Use password protection if desired to limit access. Click the question mark on the bottom right toolbar, and scroll down that page to find many templates for inspiration or use.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): game based learning (182), quiz (66), quizzes (89)

In the Classroom

Develop Vortex activities to review any topic and save for use as a classroom center. Have students create review Vortex games as a study tool. Be sure to demonstrate how to make and share The Vortex before having students set up their own. Ideas for categorization activities are unlimited but can include categorizing types of animals, literary elements in novels, habitats, characteristics of geographic areas, and much more.

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Breaking News Generator - Russell Tarr

Grades
4 to 12
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Design professional looking front pages for a newspaper with this tool. Simply fill in the pertinent information (headline, date, place, and more) and an image. Share via URL, Twitter,...more
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Design professional looking front pages for a newspaper with this tool. Simply fill in the pertinent information (headline, date, place, and more) and an image. Share via URL, Twitter, or download to your computer. Be sure to view the several samples available, and click on the little question mark at the end of the title to see ideas for use of this tool. No registration is necessary.

tag(s): digital storytelling (152), images (261), newspapers (92)

In the Classroom

Assess students prior knowledge by creating a Breaking News piece to introduce a new unit. Replace paper and pencil and ask students to fill in an interactive KWL chart from Holt, reviewed here, or discuss in small groups what they know about the topic. Transform student learning by using their "Breaking News" in presentation slides by downloading the image from your computer. Then upload the image to a slide presentation creator such as Slides, reviewed here. Suggest to students that they do the same for their presentations. Use as a timeline of events for lab experiment, a novel study, historical event, and more. You might want to think about using this tool as a storyboard for digital storytelling as this tool could work well for storyboarding.

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Every Last Drop - Nice and Serious

Grades
3 to 9
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Every Last Drop is an interactive site sharing information about the amount of water wasted each day in the United Kingdom. It offers suggestions for small changes that make big ...more
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Every Last Drop is an interactive site sharing information about the amount of water wasted each day in the United Kingdom. It offers suggestions for small changes that make big differences. Scroll down through the site to view water usage during a typical day. Watch the video at the end of the presentation for many more suggestions on water saving. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English and measurements use the metric system.

tag(s): conservation (92), earth day (60), environment (245), water (100)

In the Classroom

Use this site as a perfect addition to Earth Day activities. View together and brainstorm ideas about how you can save water at school and home. Have students brainstorm ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Scrumblr, reviewed here, (quick start- no membership required!). Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos demonstrating ways to conserve water and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Toward the end of this presentation, it is stated that over 1 billion earthlings have no access to clean water. Research countries and communities who do not have access to clean water to see why and also what is being done to help them. Student's findings could be turned into a very clever digital storytelling project using Visme, reviewed here. Visme allows for narration.

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FreeConferenceCall.com - freeconferencecall.com

Grades
K to 12
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Conduct virtual conferences with up to 1,000 people at one time with Free Conference Call. Instantly share your screen during online calls for participant viewing or use the active...more
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Conduct virtual conferences with up to 1,000 people at one time with Free Conference Call. Instantly share your screen during online calls for participant viewing or use the active speaker mode. Other features allow for recording and sharing meetings when finished. After creating an account, follow instructions for inviting participants and setting up the conference call. This tool works on any device with a modern web browser and Internet access, or download the free iOS or Android app.

tag(s): blended learning (37), chat (41), communication (138), DAT device agnostic tool (147), parent conferences (21), parents (60), remote learning (56)

In the Classroom

Use Free Conference Call to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the same location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work.

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The Great Human Odyssey - A World of Extremes - CBC

Grades
6 to 12
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The Great Human Odyssey is a powerful journey into the lives of three different cultures and the lives of nomads. Explore the sea, desert, and tundra as you become the ...more
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The Great Human Odyssey is a powerful journey into the lives of three different cultures and the lives of nomads. Explore the sea, desert, and tundra as you become the nomad and view life from a first person perspective. Along the way click on icons as they pop-up to provide additional information through videos and photographs.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (170), deserts (16), oceans (149), tundra (14)

In the Classroom

The Great Human Odyssey is perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard or projector. View the different sections together to learn more about life in extreme climates. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the nomads. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast student lifestyles with those on this site. Compare the three nomadic lifestyles presented with the Venn Diagram - 3 Circles, reviewed here. Have students collaborate and create maps using MapHub, reviewed here, to locate places found on this site and explore areas close by. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops!

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Tux Math Scrabble - Charles B. Cosse

Grades
5 to 9
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Tux Math Scrabble takes the traditional Scrabble game and replaces letter tiles with numbers and mathematical symbols. Drag tiles anywhere on the Scrabble board to form equations while...more
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Tux Math Scrabble takes the traditional Scrabble game and replaces letter tiles with numbers and mathematical symbols. Drag tiles anywhere on the Scrabble board to form equations while earning as many points as possible from the value of the tiles. Use links on the menu to the left to change the background, adjust grid size, see a demo, and change skill levels.

tag(s): addition (127), division (97), equations (119), galileo (6), game based learning (182), multiplication (121), problem solving (224), subtraction (108)

In the Classroom

Tux Math Scrabble makes an excellent addition to any unit on equations. Have students play games with classmates while discussing different game strategies. Create a link on your class web page and have students challenge family members.

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Above the Clouds - Plus 360 Degrees

Grades
6 to 12
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Above the Clouds is an interactive experience celebrating the Earth. Follow the adventure set to text written by Carl Sagan in his book Pale Blue Dot. While watching this interactive,...more
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Above the Clouds is an interactive experience celebrating the Earth. Follow the adventure set to text written by Carl Sagan in his book Pale Blue Dot. While watching this interactive, move your mouse to explore different views. Use icons at the bottom of the screen to toggle sound and captions on or off.

tag(s): conservation (92), earth (185), earth day (60), environment (245), planets (112)

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard. Use as a starting point for a unit on planets, the universe, or conservation. Be sure to include a link on your class website for students to explore at home. Introduce this site when you assign individual or group projects about environmental or global issues. Enhance learning and modify technology use by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings for their projects using Venngage, reviewed here.

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