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A Research Guide for Students - A Research Guide
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): expository writing (31), literature (211), persuasive writing (53), plagiarism (30), process writing (35), Research (79)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start a research project. With younger students, you may want the class to go through each step together before beginning the next step. However, let gifted students work ahead. The beauty of this site is that it is great for classroom differentiation for independent work. With older students, you may want to show them the different steps and have them start where they think they need help and share examples. Be sure to post a link to the site for students and parents to access at home.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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comSlider - eTipSis
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Have students tell a short story by adding text to pictures that they have taken or found online. Have students search for Creative Commons licensed images about topics that they are studying and record a short slideshow. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here. Create a comSlider presentation for class field trips or activities to share on your website or blog. Have students create presentations as book talks for the library/media center.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dynamic Learning Maps - Dynamic Learning Maps
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (127), disabilities (36)
In the Classroom
This site is not just for resource teachers. All teachers need to reach all of their students under their instruction, and learn to use inclusion effectively. Review ideas presented and ways to provide support for your students with disabilities. Use the search bar to view the resources for parents to find links a video and a PDF you may want to share with parents..Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A List of X (formerly Twitter) Educators by Subject Area - Alice Keeler
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): social networking (53), twitter (12)
In the Classroom
Explore the site to discover and follow educators who match your interests and needs. Read the Xs X (formerly Xs X (formerly Tweets) about what is happening in other classrooms to gain some fresh, new ideas. Looking for more ways to use X (formerly Twitter) in the classroom? If you are the only person in your building who teaches a particular subject, such as gifted or learning support, this list can help you find like minds to share ideas or to set up collaborations between your students. Read more about X (formerly Twitter) at TeachersFirst's X (formerly Twitter) for Teachers page.Comments
what a great resourceSusan, NY, Grades: 6 - 12
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ShareDrop - Cowbell Labs
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
This would be a good tool to use in a computer lab or with laptop carts, iPads, or Chromebooks where students don't have email addresses or Google Accounts for sharing work with their teachers or each other. Students and teachers simply go to the ShareDrop site. When students are ready to share their work with their teachers, they can drag it into the ShareDrop page on their laptops, desktops, or tablets. For those interested in security, files are not actually uploaded to a server. Instead, ShareDrop is a peer to peer connection. Teachers can "push out" files to students quickly and easily using this tool. During curriculum development and other professional development activities, members of a specific department (or even school-wide) can share resources and documents easily to each other. This is a MUST in 1:1 and BYOD classrooms! Student groups working on projects in class can gather and share files easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tizmos - tizmos.com
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bookmarks (32), Learning Management Systems (18), Teacher Utilities (170)
In the Classroom
Create a Tizmo for classroom computers for students to easily access frequently used websites. Share a link on your class webpage or newsletter for student use at home. Since the free account only offers one page, change your page throughout the year to include links to sites corresponding to current classroom content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Finding Dulcinea Online Guides and Resources - Mark Moran
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): careers (196), cultures (245), financial literacy (90), mental health (56), news (220), newspapers (91), religions (122), sports (84)
In the Classroom
Share articles from Finding Dulcinea with students on your interactive whiteboard when discussing current events. Create a link on classroom computers for students to read on their own. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings from any article using Snappa, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoho Online Surveys - Zoho Corporation
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): polls and surveys (41)
In the Classroom
Copy/paste the link to the poll or use the embed code to place in a wiki, blog, or a site. Be sure that students use the poll appropriately and know that personal information is not acceptable in poll responses. Use polls anywhere to record quick responses to questions. Have students create a poll about their interests and allow time to analyze responses and report findings. Use this site to vote for correct answers in math class, project ideas for science or social studies, social issues in current events, and practically any other subject area. Students should be encouraged to incorporate polls during class presentations. In an elementary math class, collect quick data to show use of graphs. Share the graphs on your projector or interactive whiteboard in "real time." Provide options for students to gain confidence in generating and analyzing statistics they have created. Include a quick parent poll, on a class website, to keep the lines of communication open. An iPad app is available for easy use in mobile settings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nourishing Gifted Through Technology in Any Classroom - TeachersFirst/Melissa Henning and Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (75), gifted (64)
In the Classroom
Mark these pages in your Favorites as a reference whenever you have gifted students. These students may or may not be officially identified, but sometimes trying these strategies will save you and the student a lot of frustration. When it comes time to offer choices, share the handpicked tool collections in this article with your gifted students so they have a solid place to start. For more ideas about gifted, try the gifted tag in reviews, use a keyword search including the term "gifted," or browse for the subject "Gifted" in the TeachersFirst Subject/Grade pages.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Authors - Classroom Authors
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): creative writing (126), descriptive writing (41), ebooks (47), process writing (35), writing (307)
In the Classroom
Research proves publishing improves writing skills. Use Classroom Authors for class newsletters, an anthology of student written stories, and creating "choose your own adventure" type stories. Use this tool for research or opinion pieces in world language classes, science, math, or social studies. Some teachers have their students write novels for National Novel Writing Month, and at Classroom Authors they will be able to publish them.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Top Documentary Films - topdocumentaryfilms.com
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): advanced placement (24), animals (277), artists (88), biographies (96), drugs and alcohol (27), environment (244), evolution (84), hiv/aids (15), humor (15), media literacy (105), mental health (56), money (106), politics (119), psychology (59), religions (122), sports (84), vietnam (39)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on your interactive whiteboard, on a projector, or as a link on your class web page. Use videos to demonstrate different points of view. Then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. to compare and contrast information. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from any film using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Want to engage students WHILE they watch a video? Why not set up a virtual bulletin board using Mentimeter, reviewed here. Be sure to ask your class if there could have been any bias in the video you watch together. What film techniques influence our thinking?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TinEye Labs - Idee, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): colors (62), creative commons (26), design (72), graphic design (50), images (254), media literacy (105), psychology (59)
In the Classroom
Use this tool when you seek specific color(s) to coordinate with a presentation or other class project. Use it to talk about the emotional impact of different colors, such as during a psychology unit on perception, a media literacy lesson on advertising color, or a discussion of color schemes in art class. Be sure to discuss the ethical use of images with proper credit, including Creative Common images. Start by having students carefully NAME files as they download and save them (include the photographer's name and a title). Remind them that they still need to give credit even if it is Creative Commons. This is a great site for looking at contrast, analogous and complementary color schemes, and other artistic expressions. Use TinEye Labs to uncover various elements of graphic design found in images. Art teachers will love the many options for demonstrating different color palettes on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the photo examples from Tineye Labs together with a tool such as Color Hunter, reviewed here, or Colour Lovers, reviewed here, to play hands-on with digital color. Share this with your gifted students who are especially interested in art or design.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OECD Better Life Index - OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): communities (37), cross cultural understanding (176), environment (244), politics (119), safety (66)
In the Classroom
A great classroom discussion starter, and perfect for displaying on an interactive whiteboard, the Better Life Index allows students to consider and debate what makes for a "better life." And once (or if) they can reach a consensus on those factors, where could that life be found in the world? Of course, once you discover that people are healthiest, for example, in Australia, what does that mean? Why are they healthy there? What community, government, and institutional factors make Australia healthy? Do they make choices other countries don't? This is a wonderful tool for guiding discussion about the public policy decisions made by citizens and governments, and how those decisions affect the quality of life. It would also provide powerful information for persuasive writing or debates. If you talk about utopias and dystopias, this is another way for students to decide what the criteria are for each. If you study world cultures, this site can provide a whole different lens to promote crosscultural understanding. Assign students to compare and contrast factors that matter most to them across multiple countries. Gifted students who are designing an "ideal civilization" can find meaningful data here to use as part of their plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities for Kids - Activities for Kids
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (89), directions (10), holidays (229), mothers day (22), parents (53)
In the Classroom
Bring great ideas to your next PTO meeting with Activities for Kids! Feature this site during parent nights, open houses, and curriculum nights. Include this link on your class website for kids to access during snow days or vacations. Encourage teachers and students to use it in after school craft clubs or after school care. In math, work with fractions using kid friendly recipes. Use the blank checks for a unit on personal finance or as a checkbook reward system. In language arts, practice personal letter writing with the thank you notes or use the how-to activity directions as an examples for following directions. During thematic units, check for ideas in the party section.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Foodista - Foodista
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Capture every student's heart (or stomach) with Foodista! Introduce on your interactive whiteboard or projector for learning how to write, read, and follow directions. This site is sure to make some stomachs grumble and some mouths water! In math class, explore or multiply fractions used in recipes. In science, Family and Consumer Science (FACS), or health class, explore the nutrition side of Foodista. Help students gain a better understanding of diabetes or food allergies. Use to create food for special celebrations of literature or in social studies as you study cultures around the world. Allow students to choose food for special class celebrations. In your FACS class, use the blog area as a weekly update for new recipe, home care, and nutrition ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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School Report Writer - School Report Writer
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (127)
In the Classroom
Avoid writers' block and embarrassing misspellings or errors by perusing through ready-made comments. Why reinvent the wheel when so many great comments are already available! If you choose to create your own comments, be sure to share them. Add your own topics, assignments, and lists to save to your free account. Save your best comments from each narrative to share with others or for years to come. Save time and sanity on report cards using this fabulous resource. You might even ask your students to suggest some positive comments they would like to see on their own report cards. If they know you have them ready to use, they may strive to achieve them!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hashify - David Chambers
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): blogs (69), communication (113), creativity (79), social networking (53)
In the Classroom
Use this minimalist tool for a student scribe to keep track of key terms during a class discussion. Share the url with classmates for them to add their thoughts, as well. When brainstorming with a class, use this simple tool for students to add ideas or make lists. It is so simple it does not take up space with lots of fancy toolbars and gadgets. It also does not offer spell checker, so it could be a useful way to have students write without all the "crutches" of grammar and spell checkers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (36), communication (113), DAT device agnostic tool (125), microblogging (14), Teacher Utilities (170)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back-to-school night). Share this site in the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back-to-school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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TeachersFirst's Editors' Choice Tools for Pretests - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (75), gifted (64)
In the Classroom
You may not always be able to pretest at the start of a new unit, and sometimes an informal assessment will tell you that a student is ready to move beyond the regular curriculum content right away. You may want to wait a day or two before offering a retest, since many truly gifted students will absorb or even seem to "intuit" the full unit of content very quickly after a short exposure. The great thing about using online pretests is that once you create them, you have them for the next year. Consider teaming up with other teachers in your subject/grade to build a library of pretests that you can share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GDP: Measuring the human side of the Canadian Economic Crisis - National Film Board of Canada
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): canada (23), media literacy (105), photography (126)
In the Classroom
This site can put a human face on the numbers for students studying current events, economics, or social studies. The site may also be useful as an example of how to tell stories related to history. Consider asking students to analyze HOW the stories are told, either using film or still photography. How can we use these media to illustrate a historical event? For students considering a History Day exhibit or documentary, these stories may provide inspiration and direction. As Common Core calls on students to engage in digital writing, showing these examples to help students plan student-made media will be more meaningful than simply talking about it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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