TeachersFirst Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision (Habit of the Mind) Resources
This collection of resources relates to the Habit of the Mind described as Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision. This habit is fundamental to effective learning and meaningful interaction. It challenges us to move beyond vague impressions and ambiguous language toward specificity and accuracy in our expression. When we cultivate precision in our thinking, we develop sharper analytical skills, reduce misunderstandings, and build stronger arguments. For educators, modeling this habit means demonstrating careful word choice, supporting claims with evidence, and showing students how precise language leads to precise thinking. In this collection, you will find videos, lesson plans, and web resources, including interactive vocabulary, digital graphic organizers, rubrics, reflection journals, virtual simulations, debate platforms, and more. The resources in this collection offer practical strategies and engaging activities to help students recognize the power of clarity, refine their communication skills, and understand that precision isn't about perfection—it's about thoughtful, intentional expression that honors both the message and the audience.
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Habits of Mind Explorer - Habits of Mind Insitute
Grades
K to 12
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Explore a collection of free resources designed to help students of all ages develop 16 essential thinking dispositions, such as persisting, managing impulsivity, and thinking flexibly....more
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Explore a collection of free resources designed to help students of all ages develop 16 essential thinking dispositions, such as persisting, managing impulsivity, and thinking flexibly. This site offers clear definitions and practical strategies for each habit, making it easy to weave social-emotional learning into any subject area. You can access a variety of free materials, including classroom posters, blog posts tailored for adolescents, and crowd-sourced assessment tools like rubrics and self-assessment checklists for grades PreK-12. The platform also features learning paths and instructional animations that introduce the habits through relatable scenarios.
tag(s): critical thinking (163), preK (298), problem solving (262), social and emotional learning (144), thinking routines (29), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Include this resource as part of a project-based learning unit by having students choose one habit to focus on as they work through a complex challenge. For a social studies project exploring historical figures, students can analyze which habits, like Taking Responsible Risks or Striving for Accuracy, were most critical to their subject's success. After conducting research, students can organize their insights and provide examples of these habits in action by creating a collaborative digital board with Lino, reviewed here. To take the reflection deeper, ask students to map out their own growth in that specific habit by creating a visual journey or mind map using MindMup, reviewed here shifting focus from just learning facts to understanding the mental behaviors that drive achievement, helping students become more self-aware and intentional learners.
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Teaching With Habits of the Mind - The Institute for the Arts Integration and STEAM
Grades
K to 12
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Created by The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, this webpage introduces teachers to the Habits of Mind, a set of purposeful thinking behaviors that help students become more...more
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Created by The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, this webpage introduces teachers to the Habits of Mind, a set of purposeful thinking behaviors that help students become more resilient and thoughtful learners. This page explains how these habits apply across grade levels and content areas and encourages teachers to weave them into everyday routines so students can practice them regularly. It also provides practical tools, such as mini-lessons, discussion prompts, and printable habit cards, to facilitate easy classroom integration.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): professional development (295), social and emotional learning (144), teaching strategies (67), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students create a habit of mind character sketch with Google Drawings, reviewed here. They can choose a character from a book and identify which habits the character uses or lacks. They can write a short explanation and illustrate the character demonstrating the habit in a key scene. Assign students to design a toolkit for a habit of mind. In small groups using Canva for Education, reviewed here, they create posters, bookmark reminders, or short scripts for morning announcements that teach their classmates how to use a specific habit. These tools are shared with the grade level or displayed in the classroom as ongoing reminders. Choose one habit of mind, such as persisting, and give students a quick challenge, such as building a tower from index cards and tape. Pause halfway through and ask students to reflect on how they are using the habit in real time, this helps them experience the habit through action.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PhET Interactive Simulations - University of Colorado
Grades
K to 12
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The PhET Interactive Simulations website, developed by the University of Colorado Boulder, offers free, research-based interactive simulations for teaching science and mathematics....more
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The PhET Interactive Simulations website, developed by the University of Colorado Boulder, offers free, research-based interactive simulations for teaching science and mathematics. These engaging simulations allow students to explore concepts in physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math through hands-on virtual experiments. These PhET simulations are designed for elementary through college-level learners, and support inquiry-based learning and can be used for whole-class demonstrations, small-group activities, or independent exploration. The simulations are HTML5-based, making them accessible on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices without additional software. This resource is an excellent tool for reinforcing key STEM concepts in an interactive and visually engaging way.
tag(s): acids and bases (7), area (54), atoms (43), charts and graphs (193), electricity (60), fractions (178), functions (59), gravity (50), light (55), magnetism (36), matter (50), molecules (41), ph (2), probability (128), quadratics (29), simple machines (21), simulations (45), sound (74), space (238), STEM (340)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to explore a PhET simulation related to a current science topic, such as circuits, gravity, or states of matter. They can make predictions before interacting with the simulation and record their observations to compare with their initial ideas. Give students a scavenger hunt worksheet with specific challenges to complete in a simulation (ex., "Find a way to make a circuit light up" in the Circuit Construction Kit). Students design a virtual experiment using a PhET simulation. They choose a variable to change, make a hypothesis, run multiple trials, and record their results in a data table or graph before sharing their findings. After using a PhET simulation, students discuss or write about real-world applications of what they learned (how forces affect roller coasters, how molecules move in different states of matter) and present their findings using Visme, reviewed here or Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Forms - Google
Grades
K to 12
17 Favorites
0 Comments
Create forms for virtually any need using Google Forms, part of Google's online suite of document tools. Begin with included templates, or start with a blank form to create polls, ...more
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Create forms for virtually any need using Google Forms, part of Google's online suite of document tools. Begin with included templates, or start with a blank form to create polls, sign-ups, registrations, and much more. Choose from multiple response options including short answer, multiple choice, and check boxes. Options also allow you to incorporate images and YouTube videos directly into any form. You have the ability to make questions required or optional. Once shared, receive responses in real-time within the "Responses" tab or link to a Google Sheets spreadsheet.
tag(s): polls and surveys (41), spreadsheets (20)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the flexibility of Google Forms to create surveys for parents and students at the beginning of the year to learn about student interests, create parent volunteer lists, and much more. Create sign in and sign out sheets for classroom library materials including books and digital equipment. Use Google Forms to set up and collaborate on lesson plans, include check boxes to standards, materials needed, and covered content. Google Forms is perfect to use for assessment purposes - create online quizzes and exit tickets. Have students use Google Forms to prepare and submit reading logs, brainstorm and collaborate with fellow students, create choose your own adventure stories, or schedule reading and writing conference times. Use Google Forms to set up and share rubrics for any project, have students complete the rubric and turn in with any completed assignment. The uses for Google Forms are as unlimited as your imagination; this is a must-have tool for all classrooms!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seesaw - Charles Lin, Carl Sjogreen , Adrian Graham
Grades
K to 10
8 Favorites
1 Comments
Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from ...more
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Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from teachers and parents. Create a class blog in your Seesaw for students to write blog posts. Teachers create an account with email and then start creating as many classes as needed. There is no limit on the number of students a class can have. Once students have parental permission, give students a "join" code for their class, and they sign up from there, choosing to access their account through a Seesaw generated QR code or their email. Teachers can enable or disable student likes, comments, and editing. Blog posts and comments must have teacher approval before becoming public. Students will be able to reflect on their work with a voice recording or text, and can share artifacts from their portfolio by clicking the red button at the bottom of the screen and then either print or get the item QR code. Once you have an account, click Help & Teacher Resources to find Getting Started Tips, Tutorial Videos, FAQs, and Activity Ideas grouped by grade level. If your district blocks YouTube, the tutorials may not be viewable. Please be aware that Seesaw falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Seesaw with their child.
tag(s): blogs (71), communication (119), DAT device agnostic tool (125), digital storytelling (157), Learning Management Systems (20), portfolios (21), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Sign up for Seesaw, and after students have parental permission, generate a join code for the class from the menu at the upper right corner or by clicking your name or initials in the left corner to get a drop down menu. The join code expires in 15 minutes, so it is best to do this in your classroom or computer lab. Teachers can add photos, drawings, links, notes, and upload a file from this same menu by clicking the + symbol. You can even add a co-teacher! See Seesaw's FAQs for ways for parents to sign up and letters to send home. Use Seesaw portfolios for any subject or grade level. Once your account is set up, create a simple project or borrow one from the Activities on the Help and Teacher Resources page. Share the project on your interactive whiteboard or projector to get your students started. The teacher portal allows you to access and comment on student work. View the work of an individual or the entire class. The ability to import work from many creation apps to Seesaw makes this a perfect portfolio tool. Don't forget to watch the video about setting up blogs for your students. Remember, this is all free! Science teachers could have students write up their lab reports, take photos of their labs and label them in a portfolio. History teachers could set up portfolios for student report writing or digital storytelling projects. Seesaw is the perfect tool to use during parent conferences.Comments
I love using Seesaw with my elementary school students. It's great that parents can comment also.Katy, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Nearpod - Nearpod
Grades
K to 12
16 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site...more
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Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site does offer ready-made presentations (some free). The interactive, pre-made videos and text presentations are from Ted-Ed, Khan Academy, Nearpod, and others. Some include questions to answer as you work through the presentations. What is the best part of Nearpod? There are now three different presentation modes.
When in the "live presentation" mode (in person or remote web conferencing), teachers control the lesson's pace, and students do not move to the next screen until advanced by the teacher. With the "student pace" mode, students progress through independently, whether at home or in class. The third mode is "front of the class;" you project your presentation, and the students do not use their devices. Use the teacher version of the app to push out the presentation to your students. For the first two modes, every student uses their own student app to follow the screens and answer the questions. This provides immediate feedback about every student. The feedback can be emailed to the teacher for later review. This formative assessment tool is invaluable and a unique part of the app. The tool also includes drawing for students to work out problems. Teachers can identify students who are not "on task" and not working within the app when a little red light pops up. Absent students can complete the assignment at home.
The free version of Nearpod for Educators is called Silver; you get 100 MB of storage, 40 students per session/lesson, access to standard formative assessments features, pre-made interactive lessons up to your storage limit, pre-made interactive videos up to your storage limit, create interactive videos, lessons, and activities, upload PDF, PPT, and Google slides, and more. Again, how many lessons and videos will depend on your storage.
When in the "live presentation" mode (in person or remote web conferencing), teachers control the lesson's pace, and students do not move to the next screen until advanced by the teacher. With the "student pace" mode, students progress through independently, whether at home or in class. The third mode is "front of the class;" you project your presentation, and the students do not use their devices. Use the teacher version of the app to push out the presentation to your students. For the first two modes, every student uses their own student app to follow the screens and answer the questions. This provides immediate feedback about every student. The feedback can be emailed to the teacher for later review. This formative assessment tool is invaluable and a unique part of the app. The tool also includes drawing for students to work out problems. Teachers can identify students who are not "on task" and not working within the app when a little red light pops up. Absent students can complete the assignment at home.
The free version of Nearpod for Educators is called Silver; you get 100 MB of storage, 40 students per session/lesson, access to standard formative assessments features, pre-made interactive lessons up to your storage limit, pre-made interactive videos up to your storage limit, create interactive videos, lessons, and activities, upload PDF, PPT, and Google slides, and more. Again, how many lessons and videos will depend on your storage.
tag(s): assessment (135), classroom management (124), DAT device agnostic tool (125), differentiation (82), Formative Assessment (45), gamification (95), Learning Management Systems (20), multimedia (56), Online Learning (32), personalized learning (11), playlists (8), remote learning (32), slides (38), Teacher Utilities (199), teaching strategies (67)
In the Classroom
This is an exciting way to begin iPad (or BYOD), blended learning, or remote learning integration into the classroom. Initially it may be difficult to determine the best pacing of the lesson, the ability to slow down the advancement of the next screen allows more time to digest the information. Be aware that students needing more time may be very frustrated as the screen may advance before they are able to finish. Start small by uploading presentations and using JPEG and other images. Add interactive elements such as polls and videos. Grab students attention by using the first slide to deliver a piece of humorous information. Create guided learning stations and push out several presentations to different devices as students move through the various lessons to be learned. This technique can be helpful for struggling learners. Use this tool to help reinforce the most difficult parts of the lesson. Use the app to create schedules for training, clubs, and more. For English, learn about grammar rules, sentence structure, and other elements necessary for good writing. For ENL/ESL classes and world languages, practice various vocabulary words and learn tenses of verbs. Learn vocabulary and basic scientific concepts in any science class or facts about historical periods in history classes. This app is a valuable tool in any classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quill - Empirical
Grades
2 to 12
13 Favorites
1 Comments
Quill is an interactive grammar program with over 150 Common Core, grade-level aligned lessons. Sign up to use the program by entering your name, username, password, and (optional)...more
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Quill is an interactive grammar program with over 150 Common Core, grade-level aligned lessons. Sign up to use the program by entering your name, username, password, and (optional) email. Create a class and track progress, assess, and assign what individuals have not mastered. The program uses color-coded "heat maps" to easily track progress. This tool individualizes grammar and writing for ALL learning levels. There are exercises revising interesting passages. There are also practice questions that require the writing of complete sentences.
tag(s): assessment (135), capitalization (9), grammar (140), homonyms (8), homophones (6), punctuation (23), sentences (21), verbs (25)
In the Classroom
There are two ways for students to sign up. Give them the code to join the class, and they sign up themselves, or you enter them manually making the student username a combination of their name and the class code. Challenge (and excel) your gifted students with the concepts practiced at this site. Since student assignments are at their level, students can experience significant acceleration in practicing these necessary skills. ESL/ELL students will undoubtedly benefit from the practice using correct English, in their writing, over a continuous period. Use this site as part of your rotation during learning stations or centers. Inspire every student in the class to become a proficient writer by using Quill at least weekly. Be sure to share this tool on your class website so that students can practice at home, too.Comments
Excellent self checking quiz format. Great resource to show why or why not the answer is correct.Kevin, SC, Grades: 0 - 5
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Hemingway - Ben and Adam Long
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Make revising your writing easy and enjoyable using Hemingway. Simply copy/paste your text into this website, and receive instant feedback. The visual aspect of this program helps one...more
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Make revising your writing easy and enjoyable using Hemingway. Simply copy/paste your text into this website, and receive instant feedback. The visual aspect of this program helps one to see exactly where the errors are and where to make improvements. There are color coded suggestions for wordiness, weak adverb use, passive voice, and complicated words and phrases. Did you know that the most effective writing is at or under grade level ten? The goal of the program is to help writers make their missives concise and clear.
tag(s): editing (88), proofreading (18), writing (306)
In the Classroom
Use this highly visual revision program with your students who are ready to refine and improve their writing. This is a wonderful program to use for revision after editing of grammar and mechanics is complete. Discover what is making your writing too wordy (excessive prepositional phrases or adverbs?) Partner an advanced writer with one not so advanced and have them use Hemingway to improve their styles. Put the URL on your website for students and parents to use from home. Remind seniors to use it for their college essays. Use this tool to polish your own professional writing, parent newsletters, blog posts, and papers for grad classes!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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VideoAnt - Regents of the University of Minnesota
Grades
4 to 12
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0 Comments
VideoAnt is an annotation tool for use with YouTube, mp4 and .mov formats. Create and share your annotated videos without ever leaving VideoAnt. Launch VideoAnt and sign in using Google+,...more
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VideoAnt is an annotation tool for use with YouTube, mp4 and .mov formats. Create and share your annotated videos without ever leaving VideoAnt. Launch VideoAnt and sign in using Google+, Facebook, or Twitter. You may also sign in as a guest (email required). As a guest, you will not have as many options for sharing your completed videos. Upload a video file or enter the URL for a YouTube video. Browse your YouTube account uploads and choose a video to annotate. Begin and stop your video at any time to add a subject line and content. When finished, choose from sharing options using the link, embed code (not available for guest users), or export as various video file types. Privacy options include making ANTS (your annotated videos) public or private for only those with the link. Share using the annotate link to allow others to contribute (make their own comments/annotations) to your video, or use the view link for viewing only. If your school blocks YouTube, these videos may not be viewable. The four minute Getting Started video is very helpful!
tag(s): media literacy (112)
In the Classroom
If you are lucky enough to have a (BYOD) Bring Your Own Device classroom, allow students to add comments as you watch videos on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Share the "Ant" link and have students add comments and questions to any YouTube video. This works for any subject. Identify examples of foreshadowing in dramatic videos. Add questions to math explanations. Identify landforms with videos from different locations. If you joined the site, use the embed code to add annotated videos to your class website or blog. Ask students to contribute comments directly onto the video. Share this site as a way to review before tests. Have media literacy students use the annotation feature to critique videos for bias, poor writing, weak information, etc.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.
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tag(s): bullying (40), charactered (77), preK (298), 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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Slick Write - Russ Tek, LLC
Grades
5 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Refine your writing with Slick Write's feedback about the flow, style, structure, readability, word frequencies, and repeated phrases in your writing. This program is not just a grammar...more
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Refine your writing with Slick Write's feedback about the flow, style, structure, readability, word frequencies, and repeated phrases in your writing. This program is not just a grammar check. See diagrams showing the flow of your writing and sentence styles. It will highlight and label weak descriptions, too many prepositional phrases, cliches, and weasel words. Under "Configure", Slick Write gives choices for types of feedback for the writing. Give it a try by clicking on "edit" and pasting your text. Click "proofread" to get your results. Click "stats" to learn about overuse of prepositions and passive voice, two common writing faults. Once you see your "weaknesses," it's time to begin the hard part: revising! But at least you have an idea where to focus!
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tag(s): editing (88), proofreading (18), writing (306)
In the Classroom
Use this program with your students who are ready to refine and improve their writing. This is a wonderful program to use for revision after editing of grammar and mechanics is complete. Discover what is making your writing too wordy (excessive prepositional phrases or adverbs?) Partner an advanced writer with one not so advanced and have them use Slick Write to improve their styles. Easily differentiate for writing pitfalls by having them "configure" the settings to focus on their greatest needs instead of overwhelming them with everything at once. Put the URL on your website for students and parents to use from home. Remind seniors to use it for their college essays. Use this tool to polish your own professional writing, parent newsletters, blog posts, and papers for grad classes!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MindMup - Gojko Adzic, Damjan Vujnovic, David de Florinier
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
MindMup is an easy to use mind mapping tool. Click to create a new map. Double click the starter bubble to add your title. Use the tool box (top menu) ...more
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MindMup is an easy to use mind mapping tool. Click to create a new map. Double click the starter bubble to add your title. Use the tool box (top menu) to add or edit ideas. Use the mouse to drag and drop nodes. The mouse can also be used to scroll the map (drag the central node, or anywhere outside the map). As soon as you change a map, the Save button appears in the toolbar. Click it and your new map gets a unique URL. Every time you save, the map gets a new URL. Just copy and share the URL with colleagues and friends. Anyone can edit the map, but won't change your original copy. The best part of this simple/easy site: no registration required!
tag(s): concept mapping (14), graphic organizers (55), mind map (31), noregistration (81), organizational skills (84)
In the Classroom
This free organizational tool can be used in classrooms at every level. Use this tool to help organize learning units and share the organization on screen so students see how pieces fit together. Share the unit map with other teachers, students, or parents. Highlight goals, objectives, learning tasks, assessments, and resources. Share before your unit, and expectations become very clear. Use as a yearly overview for parents at the beginning of the year at Open House. Let parents see the multiple ways their child will be assessed through the year. Have students use this tool for direction in problem based learning situations. Use this tool in science for collecting data, experiments, or science fair outlines. Use the tool in writing class to make writing guides for narrative or expository writing. In reading use for predictions, sequencing of stories, inferences, or organizing genres of books each student has read. Have students map multiple ways to solve a single problem in math class. Have students keep daily requirements or schedules with readily available resources as links. Let students enjoy taking notes from content based classes. Have a student scribe create the notes each day and share with the class. Have student groups map the current unit before the test as a review activity. Or use an ongoing map as a whole class visual diagram of concepts learned, adding new knowledge throughout a unit. Don't miss the chance to color code to "sort" ideas and concepts!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Storyboard That - Aaron Sherman and Clever Prototypes, LLC
Grades
4 to 12
20 Favorites
2 Comments
Find an easy, interactive tool to create storyboards at Storyboard That. Choose between three and six frame storyboards and build a storyboard using the free library with drag and...more
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Find an easy, interactive tool to create storyboards at Storyboard That. Choose between three and six frame storyboards and build a storyboard using the free library with drag and drop technology. Before you begin, you may want to look at the example storyboards for business and teachers. With a free account, you can create two storyboards a week with the classic storyboard layout. To share and save storyboards, you must register with an email.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (193), creative writing (126), digital storytelling (157), writing (306)
In the Classroom
Enhance learning and demonstrate how to create a storyboard using Storyboard That on your interactive whiteboard or projector. As you and your students create a class story, show them the different selections of characters, settings, dialogue boxes and more. Show them how easy it is to edit anything in the frame. Have your students use "Storyboard That" for anything from brainstorming for a video story they want to create to a final copy of a story, report, comic, or poem. This is a highly engaging way to teach your students about story elements, dialogue, character development, etc. Challenge students to create a storyboard of a book or short story recently finished in class as a review of characters and story plot and extending their learning. World language students can create storyboards and label the images, or tell the story in the language they are learning. "Storyboard That" has a growing collection of lesson plans and you can also contribute yours. Math teachers can use the interesting storyboard characters to explain word problems and capture reluctant student's interest. Have your students complete biographies for famous people. Tell the story of different famous events in history or explain their understanding of cell division using this easy program that produces entertaining results. Autistic or emotional support teachers can have students storyboard interpersonal behavior skills.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Comments
david, TX, Grades: 9 - 12
As of January 2013 teachers can now create a private classroom where their students data is secure and the teacher has more control. -Aaron (Founder/CEO of Storyboard That) *Editor's Note: this feature is available as part of the Classroom Portal Section which is a paid add on. This review highlights only the free portions of the site.Aaron, , Grades: 0 - 12
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noredink - Jeff Scheur
Grades
3 to 12
14 Favorites
1 Comments
Students will have fun while improving their writing and grammar. At the time of this review, noredink's grammatical categories include apostrophes, subject-verb agreement, comma issues,...more
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Students will have fun while improving their writing and grammar. At the time of this review, noredink's grammatical categories include apostrophes, subject-verb agreement, comma issues, sentence fragments, run-on sentences commonly confused words, phrases and clauses, and a lot more! The program provides differentiated instruction based on the questions students answer right or wrong. Click the "Product" tab on the top menu to read about more features. There are interactive tutorials to help students correct mistakes. Sign up with name, username, email address, gender, school name, and a password.
So, what's fun about learning this type of grammar? noredink asks students to pick their interests from Sports, TV shows, Musicians, and Miscellaneous. They will also be asked if they want them to use your friends from Facebook. When students are practicing or are taking quizzes, the program will use their interests and friends, and generate the questions around their interests and friends. The hope is that the content will be more interesting by including sentences with favorite celebrities, hobbies, TV shows, or even personal friends. Be sure to watch the introductory video. The program works on iPads as well as your regular computer.
This site includes advertising.
So, what's fun about learning this type of grammar? noredink asks students to pick their interests from Sports, TV shows, Musicians, and Miscellaneous. They will also be asked if they want them to use your friends from Facebook. When students are practicing or are taking quizzes, the program will use their interests and friends, and generate the questions around their interests and friends. The hope is that the content will be more interesting by including sentences with favorite celebrities, hobbies, TV shows, or even personal friends. Be sure to watch the introductory video. The program works on iPads as well as your regular computer.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (135), capitalization (9), classroom management (124), differentiation (82), grammar (140), homonyms (8), homophones (6), punctuation (23), quiz (61), quizzes (86), sentences (21), Teacher Utilities (199), verbs (25)
In the Classroom
Teachers sign up and create a class. You will receive a class code for your students to use (optional). With the class code you will be able to track student's progress, differentiate, assign quizzes and assignments, and see class trends. The program has color-coded "heat maps" to track progress easily. Your assignments and quizzes will be uniquely generated according to each student's interests. Also, students don't have to wait for you to give them an assignment. With their account, they can practice at any time. A student does NOT have to provide an email address to create an account. It will work without it! Since students are providing some personal information about interests, etc., we strongly advise parent permission.Challenge (and excel) your gifted students with the concepts practiced at this site. Since student assignments are at their own level, students can find great acceleration in practicing these necessary skills. ENL/ELL students will especially benefit from the practice using correct English, in their writing, over a continuous time period. Student assignments are at their own level. You can also create your own quizzes. Use this site as part of your rotation during learning stations. Put your class' URL on your website so students can practice at home, too.
Comments
Any website that doesn't let you try it before creating an account is instantly uninteresting to me.Kristi, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Rubrics for Assessment - Joan Vandervelde
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site provides many rubrics for assessing portfolios, cooperative projects, oral presentations, and much more. Quick links lead to different categories such as web 2.0 and content...more
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This site provides many rubrics for assessing portfolios, cooperative projects, oral presentations, and much more. Quick links lead to different categories such as web 2.0 and content areas of math, art, and science. Each rubric is in a table form with criteria listed vertically and rating categories are horizontal, all contain well-defined expectations and explanations of each category of scoring. Be sure to check out the section with rubrics for primary grades including a kindergarten writing rubric and rubrics for teamwork. Print any of the rubrics using the PDF link located near the top of the page.
tag(s): assessment (135), rubrics (38)
In the Classroom
Bookmark (or mark as a favorite) and save this site as a resource for assessment of class projects. Give a copy of the rubric to students before beginning projects to define expectations.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Penzu - Alexander Mimran and Michael Lawlor
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Penzu offers a FREE service to write journals or diaries online with exceptional privacy options. As an added benefit, you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. There...more
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Penzu offers a FREE service to write journals or diaries online with exceptional privacy options. As an added benefit, you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. There is a very short demo video on the home page. On Penzu, you can keep everything completely private or share selective posts by email or URL. Perhaps share selections on a class wiki page? Don't have a wiki? See the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for practical management and safety tips for a class wiki. Note: Premium service is available, but this review is for the free version.
tag(s): communication (119), DAT device agnostic tool (125), journals (19), writing (306)
In the Classroom
A class journaling program has limitless possibilities. Engage students in discussions using a topic from current events, current social issues, independent reading, literature, and more. Any class using a journal can use Penzu. For example, science lab write-ups or the problem of the week in math. Penzu can even be used for homework. Just think, no more lugging heavy boxes full of notebooks around! In language arts, students journal daily and harvest from their musings and ideas to create a short story or a poem. They can even use Penzu to develop their brainstorms and rough drafts. For social studies classes, students can write posts and ideas about famous people or daily life in a time period being studied, then create a "diary" for the famous person in Bookemon, reviewed here or a poster using Genially, reviewed here about daily life. For either of these ideas, once they are ready to present their final project, have them share it with their peers and others, and consider adding other media. See more ideas for student blogging/journaling at TeachersFirst's Blogging Basics for the Classroom. Share journals with parents as appropriate by URL. Be sure to respect student privacy before sharing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Padlet - Padlet
Grades
2 to 12
13 Favorites
0 Comments
Padlet offers many tools and resources for creating online bulletin boards to display and organize information on any topic. Create a new board from scratch or choose from many templates,...more
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Padlet offers many tools and resources for creating online bulletin boards to display and organize information on any topic. Create a new board from scratch or choose from many templates, including timelines, maps, storyboards, KWL boards, and many more options. Padlet also offers AI features to use as a tool to automatically create interactive activities and custom boards based on topic, grade level, and additional details such as standards or teaching objectives. Padlet Sandboxes allows members to interact and collaborate in real time using sticky notes, drawings, and more. Customize the appearance and format of your Padlets using options such as allowing comments on posts, moderating posts and comments before they are publicly posted, and sorting options for easier viewing. When adding posts, you can add links, images, videos, documents, polls, and more. This is a link to Padlet's Help section for posting a video or an image. Free accounts allow you to make 3 Padlets that include search, themes, stats, premium wallpapers, and cross-device support for uploaded videos. You can always delete an old Padlet to create a new one. Find video tutorials and examples by scrolling to the bottom menu and clicking "Support" on the left side of the page. Padlet is a device-agnostic tool available on the web, but also available for free as both an Android and iOS app. Use it from any device or move between several devices and still access your work. App and web versions vary slightly.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (254), biographies (93), blogs (71), book reports (26), brainstorming (17), bulletin boards (13), DAT device agnostic tool (125), images (262), journals (19), rubrics (38), timelines (58)
In the Classroom
Use a Padlet to collaborate in collecting ideas, brainstorming, and more. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students can access it for free, no matter what device they have. Padlet does not show which work is attributable to which student, so you may want to require that students initial their contributions in order to get credit. If allowing all students to post to the wall or make comments, you may want to discuss internet safety and etiquette and establish specific class rules and consequences. Making the setting private again will prohibit content from later being replaced by classmate "vandalism."Take advantage of Padlet's many features, such as "recipes," to make and personalize Padlet collections quickly. Examples of recipes include exit tickets, read-and-respond activities, class schedules, and blogs. Another option to use with Padlet is the Sandbox option, which allows members to draw, create, and play with others in real time. Be sure to visit the Sandbox examples that share ideas and templates for Jeopardy games, interactive lessons, collaborative reading reflections, and much more. If you previously used Google Jamboard, which has been discontinued, Padlet's Sandbox features are a worthwhile replacement for Jamboard.
Use a Padlet to collect Webquest links and information to share with students. Leave the wall open to comments and solicit input, discussions, or viewpoints from students. They can even contribute other sources they find. Color-code resources to indicate different reading levels or "high challenge" sources for your more able students. Assign a student project where students choose their theme and design a wall around it. For example, have students create a wall about an environmental issue. They can include pictures, audio or video, links, and other information to display. Use as a new format for book reports. Do your students have favorites such as music or sports? Create a wall around these favorites or hobbies. Use a wall for grammar or vocabulary words. Create walls for debates or viewpoints. Post assignments, reminders, or study skills on a wall. Do you use student scribes or reporters? Use the Padlet site to create a wall with the goings-on in class. Embed your walls in a blog, wiki or website. See a similar tool (and more ideas to use either tool) in the TeachersFirst review of Lino here. Decide which one you prefer! Unfortunately, the Padlet embedded viewer is very small but can be scrolled in both directions.
Use Padlet as a class space during snow days and school breaks. Share the link to a teacher-created, public wall where students can share notes about what they did during the snow day or respond to a thought-provoking question.
Encourage creativity and organization by having your gifted students (or anyone doing independent projects) create Padlets to collect ideas, images, quotes, and more in an "idea bin." Require them to share a brainstorming Padlet to show you the ideas they considered before they launch into a project. Have them brainstorm (and later sort/color code) the possibilities for a creative problem-solving or "Maker Faire" project. In writing or art classes, use Padlet as a virtual writer's journal or design notebook to collect ideas, images, and even video clips.
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)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Visuwords - Paul R. Dunn
Grades
6 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
This graphical online dictionary will make looking up words and figures of speech addictive, and visual learners will start to understand meanings as never before. The dictionary pulls...more
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This graphical online dictionary will make looking up words and figures of speech addictive, and visual learners will start to understand meanings as never before. The dictionary pulls it information from Princeton's WordNet, an opensource database built by University students and language researchers. A WORD OF WARNING: because the source of the words is a university, where speech is completely open, there are word included in this "dictionary" that are NOT classroom appropriate. Use it only under teacher monitoring.
The color-coded word "entries" display like a mind-map or graphic organizer, showing parts of speech in different colors and showing related words and phrases, as well. Be sure to look at the color key at the bottom to understand all the information presented. This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
The color-coded word "entries" display like a mind-map or graphic organizer, showing parts of speech in different colors and showing related words and phrases, as well. Be sure to look at the color key at the bottom to understand all the information presented. This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
tag(s): dictionaries (49), thesaurus (22), vocabulary (249)
In the Classroom
Introduce new vocabulary before reading or starting a new unit, using this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. The distinctions, examples, and relationships the site features for new words will help students build better connections and understanding as they read and study the words in classroom context. English teachers will love this as a learning tool for teaching distinctions between similar words. Just remember to use it in a monitored situation (see above).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rubrics to the Rescue - TeachersFirst- Melissa Henning, M.Ed.
Grades
1 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst expains the essentials of rubrics: What are they, why use them, types of rubrics, and ideas for involving students in creating rubrics. The article includes links to online...more
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TeachersFirst expains the essentials of rubrics: What are they, why use them, types of rubrics, and ideas for involving students in creating rubrics. The article includes links to online tools for creating rubrics or to find ready-made rubrics, ready for download. Teachers old and new will like the succinct explanations and ready tools for authentic assessment.
tag(s): assessment (135), newbies (9), rubrics (38)
In the Classroom
Mark this resource as a Favorite for quick access to everything you need to create a project-based learning assignment or assessment for any project. Share this resource with other teachers at your school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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