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Homestyler - Autodesk
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): architecture (83), area (54), design (76), volume (35)
In the Classroom
Members click and drag design components onto the main layout page. The free draw tool is a bit trickier to control but is similar to drawing tools in other programs. The perimeter measurement scrolls alongside the line you are drawing. The interface for such a complicated concept is intuitive. Students will need explicit instructions on how to operate this program.Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share the tutorial presentation and demonstrate how to use the design tools. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Consider this resource to help math students visualize how to compute the surface area of three-dimensional shapes and understand how area and volume change with scale. Social Studies and History teachers can ask students to re-create the interior of an early American home, Greek Temple or even their own classroom. With guidance, this could be a wonderful tool to help younger students understand interior mapping skills. Classrooms focusing on "real-world learning" may find this a valuable resource tool to help students create design plans for an alternative environment.
Edge Features:
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 shared by URL
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Historvius - Historvius
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): europe (82)
In the Classroom
Because the information uploaded to Historvius is user generated, teachers should preview the site before using it with students. Because the site is constantly growing, it may be most useful as an opportunity for students to research their own local sites and create a collective submission as a group or whole class under teacher supervision. Since Historvius editors must approve and edit any submissions, the upload won't be instant, but students should find it exciting to be part of building the database themselves. The editor-approval process makes the site "safer" and far less likely to include inappropriate content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quicklyst - Shantanu Bala
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): note taking (34), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
If you do not approve use of Wikipedia, you will want to state this up front to your students. Before turning your students loose with this program, use your interactive whiteboard, projector and Quicklyst to show them how to put information in their own words. Then you can have them use Quicklyst to take notes for any type of summarizing or research. Create separate accounts on Quicklyst for student research groups. Students can then easily share their notes with their group members. Create a class account, and use your interactive whiteboard and projector along with Quicklyst to have the class create a study guide for a test on any subject. These can be saved and used for notes for a final test. If there is a common class password, students will be able to access the notes from home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactive Mathematics - Murray Bourne
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (196), differentiation (92), probability (132)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector and allow students to explore on their own or with groups. Use the World Population Display during Social Studies and Geography classes. Art teachers can use the Math of Beauty interactive to teach the Golden Proportion (explained within the site). Use lessons on the site to introduce new information or review before end-of-unit assessments. Create a link on your classroom website or blog for students to access the site from home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Great Inventions, Great Inventors - edinformatics.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): inventors and inventions (88)
In the Classroom
Find information for science and technology reports on this site. Allow students to view the dates of many of the inventions to determine what scientific principle was just known to push technological thinking. For younger students, create a timeline of inventions to enhance learning and determine the impact of science, economy, and society on inventions. Use a site such as Sutori, that can include images, text, and collaboration. Ask older students to choose an invention and research other forms of that model, alternatives before and after, and what we are using today. Discuss environmental impacts, how the invention changed society, and other impacts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daylight Savings Time - Web Exhibits
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cultures (290), measurement (127), sun (87), time (94)
In the Classroom
Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Have them present the different anecdotes and incidents to the class using different media such as video, booklets, etc. Challenge students to create a video and share using a site such as SchoolTube. Or create an online book using a tool such as Bookemon. In addition to the anecdotes on the site, gifted students can be challenged to find additional stories that relate to Daylight Saving Time. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use the site as a discussion starter when assigning a creative writing assignment with a topic such as, "I forget to turn my clock back and..."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cool Earth - Mark Ellingham
Grades
K to 12tag(s): carbon (15), climate (95), ecology (118), environment (253), sustainability (54)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site by sharing photos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Include this site on a list of hotlinks for students to access when researching the Rainforest, climate change, sustainability, or carbon footprints. Save this site in your favorites on classroom computers for students to view rainforest maps, ask questions, or read magazine articles. Enhance learning by asking students to visit the site and create an interactive multimedia presentation from the information they learn there using Sway, reviewed here. Register your school with Cool Earth to access their free lesson plans and resources. The ultimate experience would be to personalize student learning and sponsor a tree or organize a fundraiser to purchase an acre of land. Ask students to research their tree or the biome biodiversity characteristic of their acre. Include a link to this site on your class web page so students can access it both in and out of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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lino - Infoteria Corporation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bulletin boards (13), collaboration (113), collages (17), creative fluency (3), creativity (85), DAT device agnostic tool (129), gamification (93), noregistration (75), note taking (34)
In the Classroom
Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. Students can use this when researching alone or in groups, sharing files, videos, and pictures quickly from one computer to another. Have students write tasks for each member of the group on a sticky so that everyone has a responsibility. Show them how to copy/paste URLs for sources onto notes, too. Use lino as your virtual word wall for vocabulary development. Use a lino for students to submit and share questions or comments about assignments and tasks they are working on. Use it as a virtual graffiti wall for students to make connections between their world and curriculum content, such as "I wonder what the hall monitor would say finding Lady Macbeth washing her hands in the school restroom... and what Lady M would say back." (Of course, you will want to have a PG-13 policy for student comments!) Encourage students to maintain an idea collection lino for ideas and creative inspirations they may not have used yet but do not want to "lose." They can color code and organize ideas later or send the stickies to a new project board later. In writing or art classes, use lino as a virtual writer's journal or design a notebook to collect ideas, images, and even video clips. In science classes, encourage students to keep a lino board with (classroom appropriate) questions and "aside" thoughts about science concepts being studied and to use these ideas in later projects so their creative ideas are not 'lost" before project time. A lino board can also serve as a final online "display" for students to "show what they know" as the culmination of a research project. Add videos, images, and notes in a carefully arranged display not unlike an electronic bulletin board. This is also a great tool to help you stay "personally" organized. Use this site as a resource to share information with other teachers, parents, or students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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HistoryWorld - HistoryWorld
Grades
6 to 12Take caution when using the Google images search feature: the images that can be generated may not all be appropriate for classroom use.
tag(s): timelines (60)
In the Classroom
HistoryWorld is likely to be most useful as one of a set of resources to be included on your classroom favorites, for example, rather than for in-class use. Like Wikipedia and other broad encyclopedic references, it simply isn't deep enough to really provide more than a summary. This site would be a great place to get the basics of a topic or to use as a starting point for research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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2020 Census - US Census Bureau
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): census (12), civics (129), demographics (14), population (53)
In the Classroom
First, it's important for students to know that the US Constitution requires a census, and second, that the information gathered is used in a variety of important ways that affect them directly. The first data posted looks at how shifts in population density will change the way various geographic areas of the country are represented in the US government. Consider reading the Director's blog for further analysis of how census data is being used on a local, state, and national level. Of course, the data are perfect for using in math and civics classes for teaching graph reading and creation, and for providing real-life information to use in statistical analysis. A civics or sociology class might download a copy of the census form and consider what the questions tell us about how families live in the 21st century. What questions might students add to a future census form that would reflect how things are changing for their generation?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Egg Timer - SengaServ UG
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (135), experiments (65), preK (322)
In the Classroom
This site will be great to use with a projector or whiteboard to have a visual time reminder for students. Use the three timers to track science experiments. It is a great way to track intervals. Use the timers for clean up time, students have to be cleaned up by the time the third bell rings. Use for games or group work. Set all the timers to the same time, divide your class into three groups and give them a challenge problem. See who finishes in the fastest time. If you often use the same times, set the timers and add the page to your favorites. Now you have timers set up ready to go. Your students will probably have some creative ideas for using the timers, as well. Primary grade teachers introducing concepts of time and clocks can challenge students operate the timers themselves as a center, maybe timing how long it takes to tie a shoe or read a page, then reading the timer or writing the words for the time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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No Name-Calling Week - GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bullying (40), charactered (86), sports (88), tolerance (7)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a starting point to learn about and incorporate No Name-Calling Week into your classroom activities. Have students use Canva for Education, reviewed here to create posters with suggestions on how to address name-calling by using kindness or walking away from difficult situations. Ask students to use Free Comic Strip Maker by Adobe, reviewed here to create cartoons demonstrating how to address and defuse name-calling situations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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State of the Union Address 2011 - guardian.co.uk
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civics (129), presidents (153), speech (66), speeches (22)
In the Classroom
Share these word clouds on interactive whiteboard or projector to analyze the presidential agendas in a civics or government class. Have students make their own clouds of text from other speeches using WordClouds, reviewed here, or similar word cloud tools like WordArt, reviewed here, to add to the comparison options. During political campaigns, share this comparison and invite students to create ones of their own between different candidates. In English/language arts classes, use the word clouds to spark discussion of propaganda techniques, word choice, and effective speech techniques. Share this discussion in debate club, as well, to point out the importance of carefully crafted messages. Have students create and compare clouds of their own speech drafts while studying persuasive writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Webquest Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Mark this in your professional favorites for planning and finding webquests. The webquest format has been around for years and can be adapted many ways. Start from this collection and consider designing a webquest "Task" that uses a collaborative, web 2.0 tool such as those reviewed in the TeachersFirst Edge listings. Today's students will love the authentic, creative tasks and collaboration made possible by today's tools.TeachersFirst Edge reviews include ways to use the tools safely and within school policies, for a learning "win-win." You might even want to have student groups design their own webquests for classmates to try as a new twist on "jigsaw" learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hebrew Alef-Bet - Jacob Richman
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): alphabet (46), hebrew (17), holidays (283), israel (15)
In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind as a reference for students who are studying Israel, learning Hebrew, or using the Hebrew alphabet. Share the video clip on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use Google's translation tool to learn more about the meaning of Hebrew words while studying Israel, the Holocaust, or Jewish subculture within the U.S. and other countries. Have students create an annotated, narrated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Statistics: By the Numbers - Dr. Chudler
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): data (212), statistics (129)
In the Classroom
This site would be perfect to use on your interactive whiteboard or projector as an introduction to statistics. After viewing and discussing this in class, have students bring in examples found in the newspaper, Internet, or on TV to analyze. High school social studies or government classes can look at this statistical information as they follow and debunk political claims during election cycles. Have cooperative learning groups create short presentations on video demonstration what they found. Share this videos using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Show my street - showmystreet.com
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): maps (224)
In the Classroom
Have students choose any place, then post the link to it on a blog, wiki, or website, and write a description of it. Describe what they would see out of their window, create a story about what they hear or see, or describe their family and what's inside of the house. Research the history of the area to determine how it may have been different in the past. Of course you will went to avoid posting personal information on the web, but students could write fictional stories or keep personal information out of their writings. Describe the wildlife (plant or animal) that exists in their area. Describe the community of people in the area or an important neighbor and why they are important. Create a persuasive essay why their house (or school) is the best, friendliest, etc. in the area. Use tools to determine the distance between houses or to local historical places, places of interest, etc. Use the image as a powerful tool for writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg Address on PBS - Adam Gault
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (145), gbtn (12), gettysburg (14), gettysburg address (10), lincoln (67), presidents (153)
In the Classroom
For those who are not strong readers, the audio-video combination provided here may make the concepts in the Gettysburg Address more accessible. For other students, there may be deeper, more complex questions sparked by the video. Did the creator of the video capture the concepts authored by Abraham Lincoln adequately? This video could be the "jumping off place" for a variety of questions the class might consider or project ideas for individual students. How might you do it differently? What about other well-known speeches or documents? How would you illustrate them for a similar video? Challenge students to create their own video using FlexClip, reviewed here to accompany a famous speech and share the video using a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CBC Kids - Games - Kids CBC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): game based learning (304), preK (322)
In the Classroom
These interactives will be a nice addition to any elementary classroom. Use the interactives on a whiteboard or in a computer lab. These are also suitable for center work. Be sure to turn up the speakers to hear the audio for the whole class, or use headphones if using this site at a center. Why not list this link on your class website for families to explore at home?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Sites - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): wikis (15)
In the Classroom
Users must have a Google account or sign up for an account. View the controls in Google sites before creating to get an idea of usable features. Find great hints and tips about using Google sites here.Click "Create a new site" to name your site and begin the process. Choose from a variety of templates and begin building your pages. Click "Edit" on your page to bring up the editing options. Use the buttons on the editor bar to change font sizes, color, etc. Click "Insert" to view a drop down menu of a variety of content that can be included on the page. Use the other tabs such as "Format," "Table," and "Layout" to change other aspects of the page. Be sure to click the "Save" button when finished editing a page. Create a new page within the site by clicking "Create a page." Choose from a variety of pages that have different formats suited for a web page, announcements page, file cabinet, or list. Be sure to select where the page will be found such as the top level menu or as a subpage under a different page in the site. Click on "More actions" to bring up other menu items such as "Manage Site," changing page settings, moving or deleting a page, and more. Share your site with others and invite users who can also make changes on the site.
Use a Google Site to create a simple web page for communication with students and their families at any grade level. In middle and high school, use student-created site(s) as a way for students to collaborate and share with many of the same features as a wiki.
Comments
Very versatile for portfolios. Does take some work, not particularly well-documented.Frances, CT, Grades: 6 - 8
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