Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

ReadWorks provides a free, research-based, and Common Core-aligned reading comprehension curriculum. Click Explore Content from the top menu to search through hundreds of lesson plans organized by grade level, topic, or titles. Register to download materials and save lessons to your folder. (A valid email and password is required). Be sure to start with the Teacher Guide to see all the many features ReadWorks offers about using and teaching the provided lessons and differentiation. For a quick start, click Explore Content then select options from the left menu: Text Options - Reading Passages, Aritcle a Day, and Paired Text, Curriculum Support, Grade, Topic, Text Types - Nonfiction, Fiction, or Poetry, and Lexile. There are thousands of reading passages along with question sets to support learning activities for grades K-12. Each selection contains the text with audio, a vocabulary link, and a questions set. In the left margin, you will find related resources such as standards and related materials. Teachers can create classes to assign reading and track assessments (which are automatically graded). After signing up with email, click on Admin from the top menu and create a class. Students join the class by using a code and their Google account. No Google account? No problem. Create a roster and provide the class code to students. Easily create assignments for the whole class, or individuals as a way to differentiate. This is a perfect tool to use for remote (or distance) teaching and learning!

tag(s): characterization (19), context clues (5), figurative language (17), guided reading (33), main idea (8), parts of speech (39), plot (15), point of view (8), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (96), sequencing (17), Teacher Utilities (198), themes (16), vocabulary (238)

Generate the data you need quickly. You can easily generate large volumes of custom data in a variety of formats. Enter a column title, choose from a variety of data types, and include options as necessary. Choose result types such as HTML, XML, SCV, or Excel files among others. Also choose data from specific countries such as US, UK, Netherlands, and Canada. Choose the number of results to be displayed. Databases are used to randomly bring in the results.

tag(s): data (151), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), population (51), variables (14)

This free site provides a color-coded mashup of current news headlines, clickable to see the full articles. View various sections of the news separately by clicking on the colored icons along the top. Sort into World, National, Finance, Tech, Showbiz, and Sport. To read the full article, click on the brief story (in the box). Use the drop-down feature to search news stories in a variety of other countries.

tag(s): countries (73), financial literacy (93), news (229), sports (82)

Building bibliographies drives us all crazy. Comma before the parenthesis, or after? CiteThisForMe allows you to enter the relevant information you want to cite and download a finished bibliography in MLA, APA, or Harvard styles. Turabian is coming soon, according to the site. You can either enter all the sources at once and complete the task at one sitting or save your bibliography-in-progress on your computer for seven days. You can also upgrade to a paid subscription that saves your sources indefinitely, allows you to work on more than one project at a time, and saves your work to the cloud where it can be accessed from any computer.
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tag(s): citations (33)

The High School Journalism Initiative is a large site dedicated to high school journalists, teachers, and mentors. Choose from several different options such as news literacy, games, students, teachers, and more. You can view stories by teens, read school papers, find local journalism organizations, research colleges with journalism majors, and more. You can also find a large bank of lesson plans along with teaching tips, information on starting school newspapers, and links to featured school papers. Search the lesson archive to find lessons sorted by topic such as bias, ethics, or interviewing.

tag(s): editing (93), journalism (74), media literacy (109), news (229), newspapers (93)

EasyBib, the automatic bibliography and citation maker, instantly creates and formats citations for your sources in MLA format. Cite websites, books, newspapers, journals, and data bases correctly in seconds. All you have to do is enter your website URL, or the title or ISBN number of the book, journal, etc. in the form. You can copy/paste citations from Easy Bib into a document to create your works cited list. You will need to alphabetize the citations yourself. The paid version offers APA and Chicago/Turabian style and additional features. Pick up the latest tips and tricks in their research guide. Review the writing and citation process in an instant. and review citation rules for various styles using the reference guides.
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tag(s): citations (33)

Oolone visual search engine searches the web and shows the results as thumbnail images of each webpage. Oolone is ideal for those who are visual learners. (If you often recognize sites by their look rather than their words, this tool will hep you find the site you recall but cannot name.) Although this search engine appears "plain vanilla," its best features aren't obvious until you start using it. Hover over the thumbnails to get an enlarged view of each site without having to leave your search results. This allows you to spend less time on sites that don't fit your needs. Oolone doesn't track you so no ads appear.

tag(s): search engines (48)

Add a new dimension to your web search engines. Find information you might never have found without intensive searching. This experimental web search engine takes away the first million, first 100K, first 10K, or first 100 top hits. Sometimes the creators of great sites do not have the tech savvy to "optimize" their results on Google. Not everyone has a paid expert on "search engine optimization" to being them to the top. Find some hidden treasures among remaining results which did not land in the top spots. Listed on the side are the sites that were removed (the top hits). Use this tool directly from the million short site or click at the top to add it to your browser as a search engine.

tag(s): search engines (48)

Use this "easy-to-use" tool to help collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research sources. Under the Documentation tab, find many quicks start and other guides to help you understand all Zotero can do. Downloadable versions run as a stand-alone or as a Chrome Connector. Once installed, the tool saves information several ways: through a click at the bottom of the web browser, by a click on favorite/bookmark bar, or manually. Files already on computers can be included with files saved from the internet. Items can be grouped and sorted according to individual needs. Information saved through Zotero can be accessed on any computer that has the computer/browser extension downloaded. The site includes a helpful quick start video guide explaining features included with the program.

tag(s): citations (33), curation (32), evaluating sources (29), note taking (36), primary sources (117), Research (87)

Try Duck Duck Go, an open source search engine that protects your privacy by not tracking your search habits. Without tracking, you get true search results not tied to your personality or search habits. Duck Duck Go shows search results in a unique way. The site is very clean and uncluttered. Results of your search term can provide a definition or other general information, labels on links that are an official site, and more. On the right side, find additional search ideas. Clicking on terms will add that term to your original search term and generate new results. Go to the settings page to change privacy settings. Change result settings, color settings, look and feel of the search results page, and interface settings also. Search for calculations, dates and events, and more. Be sure to click on Goodies under the search box to find an easy way to enter search terms. Instead of copying and pasting these search strings, change the information you need to alter in the box and press Go! An unbelievably easy way to search!

tag(s): search engines (48), search strategies (22)

This short animated YouTube clip shares specific copyright issues, focusing on reusing previously developed materials available on the Internet by uploading and presenting them on YouTube. It begins with a written quiz on the right side of the page to assess prior knowledge and also to get viewers thinking about copyright issues. It presents the message that uploading copyrighted material onto YouTube can have serious consequences. It also explores the fact that, in addition to written and broadcast media, performances and other public presentations may also be copyrighted. It explains the concept of Fair Use in easy-to-understand terms and examples. It also points out that you may watch for people who misuse material and report any such items so they will be removed from YouTube. The video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.
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tag(s): copyright (44), multimedia (53), plagiarism (34)

This site offers a complete lesson plan to use with students prior to beginning a first research project. The lesson takes students through the process of analyzing book titles to determine ones that would be helpful in their research. It then builds on class discussion to enable students to make informed decisions on appropriate research material. One especially useful part of the lesson is the Hints About Print interactive link included in the lesson plan. This would be a wonderful site to use on your interactive whiteboard to lead the class through basics of choosing materials for research. Other useful items on the site are the nonfiction book reviews and nonfiction book evaluation forms that are available in pdf form for easy classroom use. Find all resources and print material by choosing the Resources and Preparation tab near the top of the page.

tag(s): book reports (28), interactive stories (22), Research (87)

Use Tineye as a reverse image search engine. Tineye's unique image search engine looks for the same actual image -- not the description. This is a great way to find out where else an image is in use on the Internet. To use this simple and free service: upload or enter the link to an image on the Internet. Tineye will search the Internet to find the same image even if it has been rotated, altered or cropped by using image recognition technology. What a terrific way to discover the origin of an image or find those using it without permission. Note that the maximum upload size is 1 MB. Use this free service without registering. Create an account to use other features such as saving your searches. Registration does require email verification. Download the applet for Firefox or Chrome for ability to instantly use the service. You must have the ability to install browser add-ons to use the add-on version of the tool.
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tag(s): images (263), photography (130), plagiarism (34), search engines (48)

CyberWise provides tools for parents, educators, and kids to help them understand and use new media tools safely at home and in the classroom. The site provides an extensive collection of videos and resources that explain current media tools and ways to use them. Guides include X (formerly Twitter), Google+, Pinterest, Blogger, Prezi, Glogster, Facebook, Snapchat, Vine, and many others. Enter any tool name into the search box to see if there is a guide. Find information about media literacy, digital citizenship, cyberbullying, sexting, and more. The CyberCivics blog has the latest issues, trends, and tools to keep you an informed digital citizen. Sign up for the free newsletter and subscribe to the blog to stay current with information included on the site. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (85), internet safety (114), media literacy (109), tutorials (52)

Looking to take bits of notes from a variety of web pages? Use Memonic to take notes or clip any web content. Easily take it with you wherever you go and share it with others (or the entire world.) Using Memonic allows much more efficient printing. The free plan allows up to 100 notes and 3 groups.
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tag(s): bookmarks (43), curation (32), note taking (36)

At Paper Rater you can check your grammar, detect plagiarism, and find writing suggestions all at one place. Use this site for sixth grade writing and above. With the free version you are able to check for plagiarism, grammar, vocabulary, word choice and style (transitions). No login is required. PaperRater offers a premium version for a fee.

tag(s): book reports (28), editing (93), essays (21), grammar (137), plagiarism (34), proofreading (21), writing (325)

Scirus is basically a science search engine. It only scans science only information The searches happen quickly and can be limited using the menu on the left of the screen.

tag(s): resources (84), search engines (48)

Looking for a great search tool for quantitative information? Use Wolfram Alpha to find responses in a whole new way. Use the power of Wolfram Alpha to get to the heart of computational and mathematical data with corresponding information and explanations. You must be exact in the wording of your query since Wolfram Alpha may not know what to do with your request. Wolfram alpha is peer reviewed vs. user generated and should be considered a valuable resource. To better understand this entirely different approach, watch the "Take the Tour" video available by clicking on "About." Browse the examples to notice the subtleties. To see the vast differences between Wolfram Alpha and Google using Goofram, reviewed here.

tag(s): resources (84), search engines (48)

Use Sweet Search to search the web for student friendly and informative sites for students of all ages to use. Simply enter your search term in the box. Use "Get Widget" to place on a wiki, site, or blog for easy access by students. Use resources listed on the search page for more effective searching and specific lists for various subjects such as Social Studies. Although the search tool does not include TeachersFirst's teacher-friendly review and classroom use suggestions, the sites they find are solid.

tag(s): search engines (48), search strategies (22)

Create, find, and share visually appealing Webmixes (web based screens of link "tiles") to share web resources. Find the "Tour" (a green tile with a red circle) to learn more about Symbaloo EDU or begin exploring color-coded links on your own. Choose the EDU Tools WebMix to find links to classroom resources for social networking, video and image tools, remote teaching, and much more. Other WebMixes designed specifically for educators include widgets for classroom use, educational headlines, and much more. Tailor web resources to your individual need by creating your own WebMixes. Add tiles to instantly connect students with the resources you choose. Accounts are free but require a password (and email verification). Click "Edit WebMix" to change the background, rename the webmix, and edit the tiles. Link tiles to website URL's or RSS feed links. Hover over a tile to bring up a simple menu. Click "edit" to paste the URL of the resource, enter a title, and change icons and colors. Select any name to be displayed on the tile. Be sure to click "Done editing" when finished, and then "Share" to choose publicly or privately with friends. Use the embed code to embed directly into your class website or blog. Download the free iPhone or Android apps for use on mobile phones or use Symbaloo in your tablet browser as it has been maximized for use on these devices.
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tag(s): bookmarks (43), curation (32), DAT device agnostic tool (147), gamification (83)