Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

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 (109), video (266)

WordDraw offers a variety of newsletter and flyer templates designed for classroom use in Microsoft Word format. Scroll through the home page to find templates for each grade level, holidays, back to school, and more. To view all school templates choose the "School Templates" link at the very bottom of each page. Other options include Business and Family templates. Click any link to view a short description and larger image of the template. Choose "Template Download" to save directly to your computer. Modify any design after downloading by clicking in text boxes to add text or change text box properties. Modify the color, size, and font. Use templates on all versions of Microsoft Word 2000 and after. Don't have Word? Many of the templates can be saved to your computer (without opening) then uploaded to Google Docs/Drive (reviewed here) with the option set to CONVERT them to Google's format and used there. Note that most of the text is designed to go inside text boxes, so you have to double click the text box to edit the words.
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tag(s): back to school (55), Microsoft (80), newspapers (93)

Thoughtbox.es organizes your ideas, notes, and to-do lists in a post-it note format. Add up to three train-of-thought "boxes" to hold your lists or notes. Drag and drop items to reorder as needed using the free format. Make lists public or share privately via email for viewing or collaboration. Change settings as desired. Thoughtbox.es is web-based, so view lists at any time on any device.
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tag(s): note taking (36), organizational skills (88)

Travel to Space Facts to see a growing collection of interesting facts about planets, the solar system, space explorations, and more. Information includes planet profiles, planet size compared to Earth, and basic facts about the planet. The blog area provides updates on current discoveries and space related features. The Gallery includes images available for use in other projects. Read the terms of use, but most are NASA images that are permissible for download and use in your own projects. Although this site is rather text heavy, it is full of great content! There are rather annoying advertisements, so readers who are easily distracted may find it disruptive.
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tag(s): earth (184), mars (26), planets (113), solar system (110), space (222)

Use the popularity of The Hunger Games books and movies to teach about gender empowerment and gender roles in society using this complete lesson plan. This lesson includes three activities focusing on gender relationships found within The Hunger Games . Explore features of the main characters through ratings charts, writing activities, and class discussion. This lesson is in PDF format for easy download and printing.

tag(s): book reports (28), characterization (19), creative writing (124), sociology (23)

Futility Closet is a large collection of entertaining and interesting tidbits from history, language arts, literature, and more. There are mind-stretching puzzles and many thought-provoking, true tales. The collection contains close to 8,000 tidbits (some with photos or video clips). More are added daily. Choose from categories such as hoaxes, poems, puzzles, or technology to narrow your search. Scroll through the site to find items by date added. This entertaining site will have you returning over and over to explore and find new bits of trivia! Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): logic (161), poetry (193), puzzles (149), trivia (19)

Sketch Toy is an intriguing, online drawing tool. No membership is required. Click in the blank graph paper to begin drawing. Click buttons/menus to adjust the line size and color, undo, or erase. Note that you must click Erase a second time to turn it off! Set your line to vibrate using different options. One of the best features of this site is the ability to take an image from your desktop and drag it onto the drawing screen. Once your image is on screen, use the image to trace and create a stencil. Then choose "SAVE" to view your artwork in a step-by-step replay. Copy the image URL and/or share using social networks. Going to the URL will "play back" the drawing process. Click Refresh to watch it over again. You can also download your image. This tool works nicely on tablet browsers. Important: Be SURE to save your image URLs in Favorites or paste them somewhere so you can find them again later. With no registration, you have no way of "saving" your works of art within the tool!
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tag(s): creative writing (124), creativity (86), drawing (61), geometric shapes (134), images (263), perspective (14), writing prompts (61)

Design and create beautiful images from quotes using Quotes Cover. Click Quote on the to menu bar to find many quotes to use divided into categories like happiness, life, love success, attitude, knowledge and many more. Follow the steps along the way. Choose from e-cards, wallpaper maker, prints for posters, and other options. The print section offers many size options from business cards to large posters. Edit and personalize using tools provided such as fonts, colors, custom background pictures, and drawing tools. You can download the finished image as a PNG file or share it on various social networks.
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tag(s): back to school (55), firstday (22), images (263), posters (43), quotations (19)

Qwant is a search engine that allows you to search several forms of media at once, share easily, or create bookmarks and lists. Type in any search term to display results in columns sorted by web, news, graphs, social, and shopping. Or click to view in classic view. Click the Boards tab to browse collections by others (similar to Pinterest). Account creation isn't necessary, but it allows the option to save, tag, and organize sites into public or private lists.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), search engines (48)

This special dictionary for language learners has several unique features: definitions, examples, and explanations for natural language words and phrases. It also has constant updates as the "cobuilders" (other contributors) add to it. Read the explanation of the site BEFORE you start to search a word. The larger part of this site also includes tools for Translation, Conjugation, Grammar, and Spell Check (install the Reverso toolbar on your computer). In addition to defining the word or phrase, the dictionary also allows you to click on any blue word or phrase in the definition for more definitions, audio, and sometimes video explanations. There is an option to search for the word in video/text news stories. It pulls up short little blurbs of authentic news stories, some accompanied by video (with the blurb being read) or a picture. Pronunciation is available for all words (click the word, then "speak"). The company that created the site is British, but its dictionary entries include comments on both American and British usage. The site is a collaborative site, so anyone can add new entries. In addition to being useful for any English language learner, there are features available in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Portuguese. You can even set up your own vocabulary lists if you want to use this site as a personalized learning tool. Although we didn't find anything inappropriate at this site, you will want to preview this site before sharing with students.
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tag(s): arabic (13), chinese (45), dictionaries (47), french (75), german (49), italian (31), russian (26), spanish (109), spelling (98)

Feedspot is a tool for gathering, reading and sharing all the interesting blogs and websites you read on the web. Simply sign up (email required) and import information from other feed readers or start new. Add the url of any RSS feed to include it in your stream. Click the little RSS feed icon on any blog or site that has regular updates. Once added to Feedspot, read feeds by clicking the title in your main window or search for new feeds using the "You Might Like" box. Share using links provided to social networking sites or use tags and folders to organize information. Be sure to read the "Getting Started" link for useful tips in using Feedspot. This is an excellent alternative for users of Google Reader (now shut down).

tag(s): blogs (65), bookmarks (43), curation (32)

CPALMS is an online source of information, resources, interactive tools, and lesson plans to help educators K-12. Although created for use in Florida, you can find resources for Common Core by subject, grade, or area. With free membership you can save favorites. Find free online courses by grade level or general education. Find exceptional professional development for instructors of elementary, middle, high, or adult ed. Explore Model Eliciting Activities or problem based learning lessons enriched with engineering based concepts by grade level and subject. Lesson Study Resource Kits cover grades K-12 in math, science, and English Language Arts. Discover information for unpacking and understanding Common Core Standards and information about how to use complexity ratings in Common Core.

tag(s): commoncore (73), professional development (385)

Easily get a snapshot of students' mastery of core concepts in the classroom. Create formative assessment questions tied to a specific objective in the state curriculum. This tool ensures that every question on formative quizzes is important, shows mastery of concepts, and is linked to the curriculum. The grade book, or "tracker," uses red, yellow, and green color coding to show mastery. The free account allows ten question quizzes. You can easily share assessments (even those aligned with the Common Core) with others. Resources such as Khan Academy videos are also linked to the Common Core. Registration is required, and the free version has limitations. Read the Plans and Pricing information.
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tag(s): assessment (147), quiz (67), quizzes (90)

Find news features on current events, politics, space, weather, sports, and more. This would be useful in any classroom where a "knowledge of the now" is a focus. At the time of this review some of the specific topics included What's New on the Climate Crisis, remembering Children's Author Beverly Clearly, Huge Container Ship Blocks Suez Canal, the discovery of new planets, and much more. Of course, as the news changes so will the features on this front page. Subscribe to their newsletter to receive updates on new articles.

tag(s): news (228)

Flippity is a versatile and useful tool for creating many types of educational activities, games, and assessments. Easily modify the included templates to suit any subject or content area. Flippity integrates with Google Sheets, allowing users to input and organize data to use in their activities easily; updates to Google Sheets are automatically reflected in the Flippity activity. Templates include flashcards,10-sided multimedia flex cards, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and more. Customization options include adding images and text, choice of fonts and colors, and the ability to embed videos or other multimedia elements into activities. Flippity offers helpful tutorials to guide users through the process of creating and customizing content.

tag(s): flash cards (44), game based learning (205), quiz (67), quizzes (90), test prep (69), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94)

Delivr combines a URL shortening/tracking service with a QR-Code generator to easily share web-based information such as links to videos or web sites. Copy/paste any url into the bar. Use the drop-down menu for sources such as YouTube or Flickr; then press enter to shorten the url and share. Share options include Facebook, Twitter, or as a QR code to save in several different formats. Free sign-up offers additional options such as an account dashboard that allows you to manage campaigns, produce reports, and download QR codes. The FREE plan requires email registration and allows five "active campaigns" or services for one user.
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tag(s): qr codes (18)

Calendly is an appointment scheduling tool that syncs with your Google Calendar. Sign in with your Google login and set up scheduling pages with your availability preferences. Choose from several options for length of appointments. Next, describe your event and even add additional questions for invitees if desired. Advanced options allow for making events public, limiting the number of participants, and minimizing schedule notice time. You can add buffer time before and after appointments. Share the link with anyone needing to schedule an appointment with you. They simply visit your calendar to schedule an appointment, and it appears automatically on your calendar. Invitees receive a confirmation screen upon completion of scheduling that includes a link to add the event to their own calendar.

tag(s): calendars (37), organizational skills (88)

Use Flipboard to collect, explore, and share information from many sources, all in a magazine-style format. Flipboard can hold specific articles and images you choose or a dynamic "feed" from a web source such as CNN, a social media hashtag, or a favorite blog. Most Flipboard consumers read their magazines on mobile devices, but you can manage and access your magazines from the "web tools" page (the link from this review) on a computer. Create your personal magazine(s) with things you care about: news, staying connected, social networks, and more. Create an account with Flipboard and then connect with LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or YouTube. Click the More panel to browse other categories and add them to your magazines. Drag the Flipboard button to your bookmarks bar or use the Flipboard app on your smartphone or tablet. Find an article you want to add to your collection? Click the + button next to the article to save it or simply click "Flip It" on your computer's browser toolbar to add that web page to your magazine. Edit your magazines online and share with friends and colleagues. View your RSS feeds or follow your news stream in social media with this magazine-style interface. Most of the tutorial videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. Flipboard is a device-agnostic tool. Load the free app on mobile devices.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), news (228), social networking (61), video (266)

Looking for a way to quickly collect answers or opinions? Use PollCode to quickly create and embed a poll on your website. You can also share it using a simple link. Receive a breakdown of responses. Fill in the question along with up to 30 answer options. Use the code provided to embed the poll on any website. Share the poll also using social media share buttons. Sharing the poll by link allows users to also leave comments. Polls stay online until they have received no responses for 30 days.

tag(s): quiz (67), quizzes (90)

MakeUseOf offers a large collection of tip sheets for popular programs such as Gmail, Mac programs, and Windows. Find over 40 help guides. Some of the topics include Safari for Mac Keyboard Shortcuts, Shortcuts For Special Characters on Windows, Evernote Search Tips & Tricks, Skype Shortcuts for Mac OSX, YouTube Tips, and several others. View by clicking the thumbnail or use the download link to print in PDF format.
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tag(s): computers (109), search strategies (22)