Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Here's every parent or teacher's dream: a site that helps you make your own puzzles, word games, and math puzzlers. There is a selection of almost a dozen different formats, each of which can be customized to meet your specific needs. Choose the puzzle type you want from the drop-down menu. Both adults and learners can create games!

tag(s): crosswords (21), puzzles (163)

Looking for an easy to use free jeopardy game? Look no further than this site. Download the application for free or create the activity to be played online. View and try activities already created online. If you like your project you can save it to a folder on your computer. There is a short video in the "How To" section that will walk you through the process of making, saving, and playing a Flash Jeopardy game. Those of you who have used the PowerPoint Jeopardy will find this flash version much less time consuming to create and to recreate new Jeopardy games.
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tag(s): grammar review (33), matching (8)

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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tag(s): creative writing (123), digital storytelling (166), writing (309)

This VERY simple tool lets you or your students make simple, folded small booklets that fit in a pocket. You choose what will appear on each page: from blank space to lines to calendars or checklists. Then print the single sheet (and run copies!) for a student "organizer" useful for homework assignments, long-term project deadlines, checklists, even student-made study guides. Students use the booklets the old fashioned way: by WRITING in them; but the clever, customizable format lets you teach organizational skills in a way that works.

See a sample PocketMod checklist, notes, and calendar booklet (with a separate page of folding directions) and one made from a PDF of the Pennsylvania Science and Technology Standards, converted using the free downloadable software.
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tag(s): organizational skills (89)

Preceden is a free service that allows you to create timelines with multi-layers for overlapping events. The different layers are visually interesting and allow you to easily see the sequence of events in several different ways. You can input your own time increments such as by day, week, month, year, decade, etc. In addition, you can create your own labels for events. You need to create a FREE account to make a timeline. Timelines can be embedded on your blog, shared by URL, or download as a PDF.

tag(s): timelines (60)

This activity begins building that foundation by working with 5's. Several different options are offered such as identifying the number of items in the 5 frame, identifying the number of items missing in the frame, building the given number, and adding items to fill the frame. Also available is a lesson plan for focusing on the number 2.

tag(s): counting (66), numbers (120)

Create simple audio podcasts using this online tool and the free space it provides. Simply put, this tool lets you create and host sound recordings online for people to listen to and/or download. There are MANY free podcasts in a variety of subject areas (art, health, technology, music, business, and more). We have linked this review directly to the K-12 area within the site. The site includes social networking tools, which some schools may block. The site is a "general public" site, so the home page has links to recent podcasts that may not be appropriate for young people. Find the home page by clicking the logo "podOmatic" to find directions for creating a podOmatic podcast. Essentially, you will attach a mike or use your built-in computer mike; create the podcast by clicking the record button (you may have to tell your computer to "allow" the site to access your mike). Choose a background for your podcast page. Share it with others using one of several sharing options on the "My Podcast" tab, including copying the link. Listeners can listen to it online or download it to their MP3 player. You can also create a "minicast" by simply uploading images and audio, which converts your photos into a short video. Transitions are also available for your minicast. Share through a blog, on X (formerly Twitter), a link or directly to Facebook. There are limits to the amount of file storage for free accounts. The site will tell you how much space each podcast takes and how much you have left. PodOmatic does not allow memberships for those under 13. podOmatic has free iOS and Android apps.

tag(s): communication (121), DAT device agnostic tool (129), digital storytelling (166), podcasts (163)

Read the Words is a site that allows students to submit almost any text material and HEAR it read aloud. The languages offered include English, Spanish, and French. You can select the speed at which the text will be read and use a wide variety of formats including Microsoft Word, PDF, a website URL, anything copied and pasted, or from RSS feeds. Likewise, students can listen to the oral text online, download it to the desktop or MP3 players, post readings online in several forms, and even create podcasts with the selected material. Users can even modify the reading avatar's appearance by selecting from those available, both male and female. Beware: inappropriate words will not be filtered, and anything typed is pronounced. There is a limited free version (only 50 recordings can be saved and more extensive paid versions with more options and recordings.
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tag(s): listening (117), podcasts (163), text to speech (23)

TV411 offers lessons and games covering math topics from calculating area to reading a pay stub. Each lesson is offered in a slide format beginning with an introduction to the activity, followed by questions to answer. Upon answering questions, feedback is provided. If the answer was incorrect, an explanation of the correct solution is provided. The site also provides several math games practicing fractions, ratio, data, and percent. Spanish and ESL/ELL teachers will want to note that there is a small sample of lessons available in Spanish on the site. Many of the topics are also applicable in Family and Consumer Science or business classes, as well.

tag(s): charts and graphs (196), financial literacy (93)

The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation offers this site as a way to explore and learn how to play. The site includes opportunities for play that develops visual thinking, problem solving, exploration, and collaboration. You can also create your own doodles to help develop creative thinking and invention. Find a multitude of ideas for students to investigate and create from designing an all-terrain wheelchair, inventing a toy, to redesigning the shopping cart or creating a solared-powered invention. Scroll down the page to find "Story Tags." There is a link to Women inventor's stories, which ncludes the stories of some male intventors, too! Read about little known and well known inventors such as Stephanie Kwolek (Kevlar) and Alexander Bell (telephone). Each story includes background on the inventor and information on how their idea developed. Several videos are included demonstrating play activities and skills developed through play and the use of common toys.

tag(s): biographies (96), collaboration (112), creativity (84), design (76), inventors and inventions (88), problem solving (275)

Autism Speaks offers many resources for parents and educators. Autism Speaks describes themselves as a "School Community Toolkit" and was designed to provide information to anyone who has or works with autistic children. The site contains downloadable resources and video clips.

tag(s): aspergers (6), autism (15), resources (80), Special Needs (46)

Weebly is an easy, free website creator with tons of features for you to choose from. The easy, "drag and drop" elements allow even novice technology users to create their own website. Besides the basic "drag and drop" features for the title, text, text with a picture, etc., the free version allows you to use cool items: photo gallery, slide show, YouTube videos, Google Maps, an assignment form, and lots more. They promise that the free service will remain 100% feature-packed.

tag(s): blogs (77), communication (121), portfolios (21), writing (309)

Post-it Teachers has a teacher page written by teachers for teachers, all using the little sticky notes that we cannot imagine our lives without. They are used in thousands of ways; they are not just for bookmarks anymore! This web site is an activity center for using Post-its in all subjects and grade levels. Each activity is complete with estimated time needed, objectives, description, easy-to-follow steps, and even assessments, at-home activities, and lesson extension ideas. Search by grade level (K-8, or ESL) and topic (art, classroom management, history, language arts, reading & writing, music, math, science, special education, learning activities & templates). Or you are able to search by teaching technique (K-W-L, cluster mapping, questioning strategy, storymap, timeline, Venn diagram, and several others).

tag(s): classroom management (135)

Sign up for this site to sing Karaoke through your computer! Be sure to click on the "Free Trial" on the registration page. This will allow you to use 50+ songs FOR FREE! Additional songs are available for a fee. A free demo makes using the song offerings easy. Preview the songs (and site) before introducing them to your class, since some songs may not be fitting for classroom use. The karaoke interaction uses speakers and a computer.

tag(s): songs (48)

Todoist is a simple, task manager. With the free account you will have access to 5 personal projects, one week activity history, integration of a built in calendar and email, and more. Set up free accounts in minutes with email. The intro and support videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): calendars (36), DAT device agnostic tool (129), organizational skills (89)

Type characters and accents in any foreign language simply by clicking them on screen using TypeIt. Especially handy for those of us who do not know the keyboard shortcuts (or ASCI codes) for accents and unlauts, this handy tool lets you compose in a text box, then simply copy/paste the text into your "destination." Now you can write text to include in the many online tools reviewed by the TeachersFirst Edge and include the accurate accents and diacritical markings vitally important to language learning. Simply keep TypeIt open in one tab and your tool of choice open in another. Prepare the text in TypeIt and copy/paste to text boxes in any tool or even in PowerPoint, Word, or interactive whiteboard software. Type It is easier to use than "insert character" in most word processing programs, as well!

tag(s): french (72), german (49), spanish (112), spelling (93)