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Bolt AI - StackBlitz
Grades
6 to 12
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Bolt is a free tool that simplifies coding by allowing users to describe the application or website they want to create in plain English, then uses AI to translate that ...more
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Bolt is a free tool that simplifies coding by allowing users to describe the application or website they want to create in plain English, then uses AI to translate that information into functional code. The interface features a live preview pane, enabling users to see their changes in real time as they edit code or prompt the AI for adjustments. When satisfied, publish the website and receive the URL to share. Free accounts include 300,000 tokens daily and 1,000,000 tokens per month. Building a basic, generic landing page typically costs between 25,000 and 100,000 tokens for the initial generation.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (347), coding (111)
In the Classroom
Use Bolt to engage students in a computer science or web design course by prompting the AI to create a basic landing page for a fictional business or a personal portfolio. To enhance the lesson and check for understanding of the generated code, have students take their most complex functions or script segments and explain them using Snorkl, reviewed here. This allows you to see the student's thought process behind the AI's output. For a final project that extends learning, challenge students to build a community-focused web app or a comprehensive digital study guide and then present their development journey through an interactive presentation created in Gamma, reviewed here. This process allows students to synthesize their technical work into a professional multimedia format that showcases their problem-solving and coding skills.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Book Club for Kids - Kitty Felde
Grades
5 to 9
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Book Club for Kids is a free, weekly 20-minute podcast for middle school students. Each podcast includes a discussion of a favorite book along with an author interview and celebrity...more
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Book Club for Kids is a free, weekly 20-minute podcast for middle school students. Each podcast includes a discussion of a favorite book along with an author interview and celebrity reading. In addition to the podcasts, this site offers a variety of information for students and educators, and parents. Scroll over the title to select the link for librarians, teachers, and parents to find curriculum guides for several books. Choose the sections with "Writers on Writing" to discover in-depth conversations with several authors. Podcasts are available on most popular podcasting sites.
tag(s): authors (114), book lists (166), book reports (26), literature (215), podcasts (173)
In the Classroom
This tremendous resource is a must-have for all middle school classrooms and libraries! Share the podcasts with students not only to learn about the latest books but also to learn how to improve public speaking skills, learn about the author's techniques and tips, and discover how to share informative book reports. Subscribe to the podcast and have students listen to weekly presentations during center times or as a class. Share the "Books We Love" portion of the site on your class webpage for students to use when looking for reading material. Ask your school librarian to share these podcasts in the media center and look into ordering books of interest to your students. As students learn from these podcasts, ask them to use what they learned to create their podcasts to share with classmates and your school. Have students use organizers found on ReadWriteThink, reviewed here to organize and plan for their podcasts and book reviews. Help students visualize their written work by creating word clouds with Wordsift, reviewed here to focus on commonly-used terms within their text and evaluate their usefulness. As a final project, help your students create and produce ongoing podcasts sharing their book reviews with peers. Buzzsprout, reviewed here and Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here both provide free podcasting tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Cover Creator - ReadWriteThink
Grades
2 to 8
7 Favorites
1 Comments
Create covers for student-created reports or books with this interactive site. Choose from several styles: front and back, front only or full dust jacket. Templates for covers with...more
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Create covers for student-created reports or books with this interactive site. Choose from several styles: front and back, front only or full dust jacket. Templates for covers with text only or text and illustration are included. Also find templates for CD/DVD covers.
tag(s): book reports (26)
In the Classroom
Have students write and illustrate a book for younger students, then create a full dust jacket to give the book a professional look. Share the stories during a meet the author/book signing event with a younger class. Present the books to the younger class library so they can be enjoyed over and over. OR use the full dust cover as a book report template. As always, preview and create a sample cover to decide what options you want your students to use. NOTE: Make sure you allow enough time to create and print the cover in one session, as there is no way to save work.Comments
I love this one. The art teacher and I worked together on this month's book reports (sixth grade) . I talked in my class about finding symbolic objects within the stories the students read, and the art teacher taught them how to design book covers that used these ideas to make a meaningful book cover for the books. Then the students wrote in my class about how the object was important to the themes of their book.Thinking, PA, Grades: 5 - 10
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Book Creator - Red Jumper Limited
Grades
K to 12
15 Favorites
0 Comments
Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator that combine text, images, drawings, audio recordings, video, links, and more. New users can explore the Help Center and...more
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Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator that combine text, images, drawings, audio recordings, video, links, and more. New users can explore the Help Center and Getting Started resources for tutorials, videos, and step-by-step guidance. The Resources section offers lesson ideas, example books, subject-specific activities, and remixable templates that can be customized for different grade levels and content areas. Teachers can also access toolkits, lesson plans, and classroom implementation guides. Students can create interactive books featuring narration, comics, graphic organizers, embedded media, and collaborative elements. Books can be published and shared online through Book Creator's web reader, making them accessible on a variety of devices. The creation tools include options to add text, images, audio, video, drawings, shapes, links, and backgrounds, while the Inspector panel provides customization options for colors, layouts, and accessibility settings. The free version allows teachers to create one library with up to 40 books. Book Creator works on Chromebooks, PCs, Macs, iPads, and Android tablets through modern web browsers. Teachers need an email address to create an account, while students can often join a teacher's library without providing their own email address. Book Creator supports a wide range of technology integration levels, making it suitable for simple storytelling projects as well as complex multimedia presentations
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tag(s): collaboration (139), DAT device agnostic tool (133), digital storytelling (181), ebooks (49), literacy (123), preK (328), reading comprehension (146), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Create books together, as a class, as you move through a unit or topic. Enhance student learning by adding images and ideas your students suggest. Use in a flipped classroom to deliver course information. Assign several student groups a different topic and redefine their learning by having each group create their own multimedia versions as they learn more about the topic. Students can combine their books later as a class book. Make a digital bookshelf of all the versions for all to use. Challenge gifted students to modify the "standard" class text with the additional material they discover, by going deeper and learning about related topics. In lower grades, create teacher-made e-books for your young readers, perhaps adding audio - your own voice reading the text. Find much more information and ideas for using Book Creator in any classroom by exploring the Book Creator Toolkit for Schools and Districts available here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Creator Certified Author Course - Book Creator
Grades
K to 12
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Become a Book Creator, reviewed here, Certified Author or learn about this resource's different components by completing the course curriculum. This...more
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Become a Book Creator, reviewed here, Certified Author or learn about this resource's different components by completing the course curriculum. This course includes eighteen lessons that share features found on Book Creator, such as importing media, using the camera, and using templates. The final activity is a twenty-question quiz. Complete sixteen or more questions correctly to receive a digital badge and printable certificate of completion. The course takes approximately two hours to complete.
tag(s): digital storytelling (181), ebooks (49), literacy (123), preK (328), professional development (298), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Completing the Book Creator Certified Author course is an excellent way to learn about the numerous features included in Book Creator, available when making engaging and interactive books to share with students or for students to use when creating books. Use the many available templates as a starting point to create books to enhance student learning and for students to share their learning. Find out more about how to use Book Creator by visiting the TeachersFirst review found here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book It! - Pizza Hut
Grades
K to 6
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Book It! is the popular free reading program provided by Pizza Hut since 1984. The program is available October through March each year and encourages students in grades K-6 to ...more
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Book It! is the popular free reading program provided by Pizza Hut since 1984. The program is available October through March each year and encourages students in grades K-6 to set and accomplish monthly reading goals. Educators help students set achievable goals and provide a free pizza certificate upon completion.
tag(s): independent reading (84)
In the Classroom
Encourage student reading by signing up and sharing the Book It! program with your students. Set goals together with your students that match individual reading abilities and interests. Use a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to document student progress and accomplishments. Visit ReadWriteThink, reviewed here to find a large variety of activities and templates to extend learning with any book. Be sure to visit the section with printouts that contains many graphic organizers, writing starters, and assessment tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BOOK IT! Summer Reading Program - Pizza Hut
Grades
K to 6
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BOOK IT! offers a summer home reading program where students in grades PreK-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital...more
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BOOK IT! offers a summer home reading program where students in grades PreK-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital dashboard to track their student's reading progress during June, July, and August. Move the slider to certify completion of the preset goal to receive a certificate to redeem at Pizza Hut for a personal pan pizza. Other features found on this site include a series of ongoing articles with activities and book recommendations; under Resources at the top, slide to Teacher Toolbox to find activities and calendars to track reading.
tag(s): independent reading (84), seasonal (47), summer (53)
In the Classroom
Share Camp BOOK IT! with parents to encourage reading over the summer months. Use this program as an opportunity to collaborate with parents to engage students in reading by providing a reading list for students that includes books that appeal to your students. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to share suggested titles of books for students, and use the stream feature to organize the titles into different categories. Encourage students to add comments to your Padlet, sharing their book reviews. Enhance your students' summer reading experience by creating a topic using Gravity, reviewed here, and ask students to contribute video book talks discussing their reading. Another idea is to create a Summer Bingo topic. Attach a Bingo form to your Gravity topic with different squares to complete. Ideas might be reading a biography, starting a new book series, or sharing a book with a friend.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Book Lending - Catherine MacDonald
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Book Lending.com is the modern version of an elibrary online, a modern reader's online paradise. This is a social network...for books! Using a valid email, register to be able ...more
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Book Lending.com is the modern version of an elibrary online, a modern reader's online paradise. This is a social network...for books! Using a valid email, register to be able to lend or borrow an ebook for free! Registration does require an Amazon account. Register to "lend" your Kindle format, lendable ebooks to other people for a 14 day period while being able to borrow from other people. After some ebooks have been purchased, they come with the option of lending once to another person's account for 14 days. After 14 days, the original ebook is returned to the purchaser's account automatically. Be sure to visit the FAQ page that explains a lot about how to use this site. Also, this site is ONLY for Amazon's ebooks (Kindle format). While most books are available for lending, not all publishers are currently offering this capability... at least not yet.
Visit this fabulous tool that offers no late fees and no lost books! Join in sharing and borrowing of ebooks for free!
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Visit this fabulous tool that offers no late fees and no lost books! Join in sharing and borrowing of ebooks for free!
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): ebooks (49), independent reading (84)
In the Classroom
Finally, a way to expand class libraries with no budget limits! Book Lending.com opens up different titles that your students are requesting. Provide an extensive, ever growing library to Kindle devices or any device with the Kindle app. A valid email is required with no late fees or lost books, and with an ever-growing list of books. Fill the passions of your most avid readers with a wide variety. Students will take an active interest in selecting and in completing their book within the time limit. Motivation has no limit as your students can chose a book uniquely for them. Encourage families to join in their reading adventures. Be sure to add this site to your class webpage, wiki, or blog for a great free resource that encourages and supports literacy. This site is a must share for all readers!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Report Makeover - Education World
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Here you will find a plethora of ideas for students to report about the books they've read. Watch your students' appetite for reading soar with this collection of creative book ...more
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Here you will find a plethora of ideas for students to report about the books they've read. Watch your students' appetite for reading soar with this collection of creative book report ideas, complete with instructions. From edible book reports to video projects, there is something to spark everyone's interest and keep them engaged.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book reports (26), critical thinking (191), writing (309)
In the Classroom
The variety of ideas will keep readers thinking in new ways about what they read. How about having them create a quiz to go along with their class novel to demonstrate what they have learned? TeachersFirst can make that easy for you with Easy Test Maker reviewed here. Perhaps your students fancy transforming parts of their book into online comic strips. TeachersFirst has that covered for you too with Make Beliefs Comics reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Talks - Quick and Simple - Nancy Keane
Grades
1 to 6
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0 Comments
Nancy Keane has collected thousands of short (sometimes very short) book descriptions into an easily-accessed collection for use by elementary librarians and reading teachers. You will...more
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Nancy Keane has collected thousands of short (sometimes very short) book descriptions into an easily-accessed collection for use by elementary librarians and reading teachers. You will probably want to augment many of these if your book talks need to be more than a minute or two, but they can be a great starting point. Although the site is dated (has not been updated since 2021), it still contains a wealth of information.
tag(s): book lists (166), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Students can use Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here to share their favorite book. Students can use Magazine Cover Maker, reviewed here to create a new cover for the book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book TV - National Cable Satellite Corporation & C-SPAN
Grades
6 to 12
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Watch and listen as popular authors talk about their nonfiction books on this C-SPAN companion website. Book TV features 48 continuous hours of nonfiction books every weekend. You can...more
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Watch and listen as popular authors talk about their nonfiction books on this C-SPAN companion website. Book TV features 48 continuous hours of nonfiction books every weekend. You can easily explore the archived programs, video library, or books and topics by searching the title, author, category, keyword, or browsing all of the listings. Watch the online videos or listen to podcasts of interviews with the authors from Book TV's After Words. There is a lot here to explore, and it appears to be ever-growing! You can find past telecast videos on YouTube, as well, in case you want to be able to download them to use offline. Click the YouTube menu. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): biographies (97), independent reading (84), interviews (18), politics (121)
In the Classroom
Use the online resources from this website to accompany your nonfiction literature. This collection is particularly useful when reading about historical figures. Make books and authors come alive for your students by accessing and projecting videos on your interactive whiteboard and sharing "Book Notes," biographies, and more. Lure students into independent reading by allowing them to explore the videos and find a book they might enjoy reading. After viewing a program or reading a book, have students share their opinions in a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Canva Inforgraphic Maker.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Wizard - Scholastic
Grades
K to 12
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Wizards perform magical feats, and this book wizard proves to be equally supernatural. Claiming to be the first book search engine for teachers, it is built on a database of ...more
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Wizards perform magical feats, and this book wizard proves to be equally supernatural. Claiming to be the first book search engine for teachers, it is built on a database of 50,000 books from all publishers. Snazzy tools allow you to see the reading level of any book in several leveling systems, and use the BookAlike tool to see what books are similar to a particular well-loved book. Use the Discover New Books tool and you will find ready-made, themed lists. The Leveling Chart to find books by Guided Reading, Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), and Lexile''''® Levels. This gives you the opportunity to buy them from Scholastic, but check your library first to find a free copy to use in class. Matching the right book to each individual student has never been easier.
tag(s): book lists (166), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Teachers, make sure your librarian and even parents know about this wonderful web tool. This could be set up as the homepage for several computers in the library, so students can plug in their levels, their interests, and then enjoy the book recommendations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BookBub - Josh Schanker
Grades
7 to 12
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Looking for a new book to read? Bookbub has it covered. Enter your email address and begin telling BookBub your preferences in genres and your preferred reader device or app ...more
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Looking for a new book to read? Bookbub has it covered. Enter your email address and begin telling BookBub your preferences in genres and your preferred reader device or app (Nook, Kindle, iBook, Google Play, Kobo). You will be presented with a list of authors to follow based on your genres, and then you create your password. Next you will get a list of books recommended for you. Best of all, many of the books are free. You can always put a book under bookmarks, and be alerted when it has a reduced price or is available for free. You will even get an email when one of your favortite authors is publishing a new book. Under your account and notifications select how often you would like to receive BookBub updates - daily, weekly, and various other choices.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book lists (166), independent reading (84), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Sign up for BookBub and receive daily emails with book excerpts. Share the excerpts with your class as a way to hook some students into reading or to offer book suggestions. Use the emails as an example of a service that students may want to try. A valid email is required to join this site. Read TeachersFirst tips for safely managing email registrations here. Substitute oral book recommendations by having students choose an interesting excerpt from a book they are reading and share with it others via email or on your classroom blog or website. Be sure to have students use the title and author in the subject line! This will also provide a record for those looking for a new book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bookcrossing.com - Humankind Systems, Inc.
Grades
9 to 12
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0 Comments
If you are a booklover, this is a fabulous site and a unique way to connect with other booklovers around the world. The proviso with it is that it is ...more
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If you are a booklover, this is a fabulous site and a unique way to connect with other booklovers around the world. The proviso with it is that it is an entirely open site. Watching the site for several years has proven that it is genuinely populated by people interested in reading and discussing books as well as sharing them with others throughout the world. Ron Hornbaker of Humankind Systems developed this software to make tracking books possible, and a phenomenon began that has grown immensely over the past 6 years. For everything you ever were curious about with the site, click on the FAQ at the bottom. An amazing site for anyone who reads and loves books.
tag(s): book lists (166)
In the Classroom
Understanding that this is an open site worldwide is what puts it into the HS range-- plus the fact that most of the books addressed are adult books (rather than books written for juveniles). As a teacher, it is fascinating to gather information from other places-- and books are released from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between! There are sites on this web to look at the books and the people who release them. You must register to fully use the site, but it is free. This is definitely worth exploring for a variety of reasons, even beyond teaching reading and English. And if you are a book lover yourself, it is just plain fun! Recomment the site to your mature students to promote independent reading and life-long learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bookemon - Bookemon, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
47 Favorites
1 Comments
Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in an interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and...more
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Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in an interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and sharing. This is the ultimate in "digital storytelling." Take advantage of the free apps that make Bookemon even easier to use with any device! Use Bookemon Reader to READ books you created in Bookemon or Bookemon edCenter (available for both iOS and Android). BookPress for iOS devices only allows you to CREATE books from scratch, including using photos from your iPad/iPhone. InstaPress (for iOS only) offers options to create books from documents, PDFs, etc., for sharing on mobile devices as e-books. http://www.bookemon.com/book_Here is an example of a book created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors. Once you set up a free membership on this site, students (or teachers) can choose to create from scratch or use the provided templates. You can also create a book starter of your own as an example, so students can follow the prompts you have created. The book creator allows you to upload your own images and to create books from a Word document or PowerPoint file you have already made. EdCenter users can collaborate on books.
After you save and publish the work, share the URL so people can read the entire book online, either among an audience of "just my friends" or publicly. They also offer the embed code to place your books on a class or school web page, wiki, or blog. The easiest option is to copy the address of the new window displaying the interactive book. There is an option to have the book printed for a fee, but this is not required. You can also read books created by others (if they make them public). Use the fully public option to create learning materials for classes that can be accessed year to year for at-home review or reading practice.
This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include iPads and more for viewing your books.
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This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include iPads and more for viewing your books.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (126), digital storytelling (181), writing (309)
In the Classroom
SKIP the profile and friends areas to get to the book creator to play with the tools a bit. Before you get too involved, create an edCenter to minimize advertising and create books in your own teacher-friendly class environment. Use the edCenter to register students and establish privacy settings for your class. No student emails are required. On the Create Books page, choose to use a blank book, start from a file, or use a template. Choose "school" to see projects from other classes or a sample created by you or a student team working in advance, along with you. Explore ready-made themes (seasonal, topical, etc.) or use "open theme." Choose book dimensions (match the layout shape to any uploaded files, such as PowerPoint slides). Enter settings and description of your book (editable later), including who is allowed to "see" it: everyone, just friends, or private. Again, choose a "theme" - more of a category where Bookemon will list your completed book. A logical option is "school." Experiment with tools to upload files (within file limits), add images, add text, etc. Written help is offered as you go, but there is no video demo. SAVE often. Turn margins on to avoid chopping content. To share the book, you must "publish" it (i.e., finalize). Once published, locate the book under "My Books" and use options to share (by email--and see the URL to copy from there), "Make a new edition" to create a new version--also useful for treating the original as a template for later books. Post to Other Sites offers embed codes. The BEST option is to click the book COVER, which opens a new window without ads or "stuff," and copy the ADDRESS of that window to paste into email, etc. You can also mark that clean window view as a Favorite on a classroom computer. Use your edCenter settings to manage social networking features. This will avoid the "public" Bookemon features, such as opportunities to share address books and to use social tools like Facebook to share your books. Teacher-controlled edCenter accounts are probably the easiest option for managing within school policies. With younger students, have them begin their work in PowerPoint, then upload for whole-class books. See an example, created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors. The example is full of ideas for classroom use from kindergarten to high school, including science concept tales, poetry books, general writing, math problem-solving, and more. ANY grade can use this tool, depending on the level of teacher direction. (By the way, the correct answer to the problem in the sample book is c. 27.) Another idea: have students create personalized books for their parents or grandparents for special occasions (Mother's Day, Father's Day, or Grandparents' Day). Use the mobile device features available in your BYOD classroom to create and share books, PDFs, and more. Tip: Use this site for a guided introduction to social networking as a class, an excellent teaching opportunity for digital citizenship in the context of a project.This is one of the best creative tools for gifted students to go above and beyond the regular curriculum. Don't let the "juvenile" appearance fool you. Even older students can write and include images to create and share books of any length. Any independent research or writing project can become an interactive book. Even advanced science experiments and lab reports can be shared online using this tool. Once you have one book, you can use that as a template for others. Inspire your gifted students to create a literary magazine or even a personal online "portfolio" of writing, artwork, or photography presented in interactive book form.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
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 (NO email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Comments
This is one of my all time favorite creative tools. Very versatile. Great for making "buddy books" or for teacher-created learning "books." Make one as a whole class to summarize a science unit in primary grades. I even use it personally to make fee online "gifts" for children I know. I did purchase one print version, and it looked great.Thinking, PA, Grades: 5 - 10
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Bookopolis Summer Reading Headquarters - Bookopolis
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo...more
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo card and emailing a picture of the five in a row Bingo completion to Bookopolis. Take the summer reading challenge to read ten books or 10,000 pages to earn a badge and a free book. Second through eighth graders can join virtual book clubs that meet by Zoom over the summer. The book clubs are divided into two grade levels: second through fourth grade and fourth through eighth grade. In addition to the summer activities, check out the suggested book lists available for all grade levels.
tag(s): book lists (166), seasonal (47), summer (53)
In the Classroom
Include information and links to Bookopolis Summer Reading Activities in your end-of-year newsletter to parents. Encourage students to participate in the activities by sharing and discussing the information before the school year ends. Use Symbaloo, reviewed here to create a curation of summer reading links and activities for families, then share the link to your Symbaloo collection for families to find all options in one location. Encourage students to read and share their reading over the summer by contributing to video conference on Flock, reviewed here. Share the link to your Flock topic on your class website and newsletter.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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BookRix - Gunner Siewert
Grades
6 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
BookRix is a very cool program for readers and writers! You don't even have to register to read a book. It's all free. If you or your students are ...more
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BookRix is a very cool program for readers and writers! You don't even have to register to read a book. It's all free. If you or your students are aspiring authors, you can register and publish your writing here, again for free. Check out the lists of categories before giving students this link. At the time of this review there were a two that could be inappropriate for your students (erotic and esotericism). You could create your own list with the URLs; click on "read the book" to get the URL for that book.
tag(s): creative writing (126), ebooks (49), independent reading (84), writing (309)
In the Classroom
There are several ways you can use this site. For young readers and writers: Select a story from the children's book area. Use your whiteboard or projector and select a story to read with your students. Then as a class, have the students change the ending of the story, or write a sequel. You can then publish this class book on BookRix. Older students can publish their poems, short stories, current event articles, persuasive writing for an issue they are into... for free. Some teachers have their students write novels for National Novel Writing Month, and at BookRix they will be able to publish them. Don't miss the great collection of audio books at TeachersFirst, found here.Books are tagged, so you can search by keywords. You can also go to the "Books" tab and search by "Popular Categories." Click on the "See all" to find the "Children's Books" category. If your intent is to publish yours or your student's writing, then you will need to know how to navigate the site. You have three choices for the book format: text only, illustrated book, and audio book.
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Books in Spanish: Children & Teens - California State University San Marcus
Grades
2 to 12
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The Barahona Center at California State University San Marcos has created this listing of Spanish language books suitable for children and teens. Available in either English or Spanish,...more
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The Barahona Center at California State University San Marcos has created this listing of Spanish language books suitable for children and teens. Available in either English or Spanish, the site provides a searchable database of thousands of titles. Though the search interface is more complicated than necessary, this could be a rich resource for teachers working with Spanish-speaking or bilingual students.
tag(s): book lists (166), reading lists (79), spanish (112)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource in searching for books that could benefit your ELL classroom. Books are recommended in various reading levels, making it easier to find things to fit specific students in your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Books Should Be Free - Loyal Books
Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Acquaint student's with the classics (and more) with these free public domain audio books. Most of these novels are written by authors such as: Mark Twain, L. Frank Baum, Lewis ...more
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Acquaint student's with the classics (and more) with these free public domain audio books. Most of these novels are written by authors such as: Mark Twain, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austin, J.M. Barrie, Hugh Lofting, and Beatrix Potter. Some audio tracks are available in different languages. The most significant collection appears to be in French and German. Download MP3 files for each chapter in one zip file (333 MB) or directly into iTunes. Search for books by genre or language. Suggest this site to students who have difficulties with reading, including ENL/ELL students. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Share this site with your teaching colleagues who work with your learning support, foreign language, or ENL/ELL students.
tag(s): audbk (25), DAT device agnostic tool (133), ebooks (49), fluency (32), french (72), german (49), independent reading (84), literature (215), spanish (112)
In the Classroom
Upgrade your literature circles and include e-readers that are speech enabled. Share the stories (or full text) on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Books Should Be Free - Loyal Books provides links to the free text that accompanies the audio track. Sites such as Project Gutenberg, reviewed here, contain free versions of the full text. Students can simultaneously listen and read books on either a classroom computer, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android, or other mobile or cell phone. These recordings will also boost fluency instruction by serving as an oral reading model. Audio-assisted books will encourage students to read with expression, improve reading comprehension, stimulate vocabulary development, and provide a way for students to read text beyond their reading level.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bookshare: Books without Barriers - Bookshare
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This site allows FREE access to a number of books, newspapers, and magazines, all using adaptive technology. After a free registration (available to participants with documented limited...more
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This site allows FREE access to a number of books, newspapers, and magazines, all using adaptive technology. After a free registration (available to participants with documented limited vision), members can download books, textbooks, and newspapers in a compressed, encrypted file. They then read the material using adaptive technology, typically software that reads the book aloud (text-to-speech) and/or displays the text of the book on a computer screen, or Braille access devices, such as refreshable Braille displays. The advantage to this site is that it offers newer books and other written materials than many other online digital libraries. Besides written items, a number of videos are available which assist or focus on typical Bookshare users, many featuring them as success stories. A special page of information for teachers with limited vision students includes information such as other resources, reading lists, and handouts.
tag(s): digital reading (18), disabilities (37), vision (41)
In the Classroom
If you have students with limited vision or certain specific qualifying learning disabilities in your class, be sure to save this useful resource in your favorites. List this link on your class website or wiki or email it to parents of these children. If possible, share this site with those teachers working with students with limited vision and qualifying disabilities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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