Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Spelling Bees allows up to four players to practice spelling by building a beehive with correctly spelled words. Begin by using the site-generated user name or typing your own; then join a game or create your own. Use private game settings to create a private game with a password so only known users will join. When a game is full, play begins. Listen to each word and click or type letters to spell the word. After spelling the word correctly, the game continues until time runs out. At the end of the game, view your position in the finished game along with percentage correct and correct spelling for any missed words.

tag(s): spelling (97)

Twiddla is an online meeting space and collaboration tool that is like having a whiteboard skin placed over any website or image so you can draw and more. Discover options available in the practice area named the Sandbox. Choose options for collaboration such as a url, uploaded image or document, or collaborate together on a blank screen. Use the Invite button to share the collaboration url via email or copy/paste. Take a snapshot of your session at any time and export as an image. Pro Accounts offer additional features, such as screen captures and password protection. Receive these services free as an educator, find the directions in the FAQ.
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tag(s): design (79), editing (93), iwb (31), note taking (36)

Diamonds are forever, and so are diamante poems created on this free site. Find a great tool to shape up your poets through the structure of a seven lined diamante poem. Learn about the diamond-shaped poems that use specific types of words for each line. Rhyming isn't needed, but needn't be impeded. Describe a central topic or two opposing topics like night and day. View the examples before creating your poem. Each screen provides an organizer for any poet to complete. Click on the parts of speech for definitions while composing poems. Edit your poem, if needed, before printing, downloading it as a PDF, or sharing through email. Save your draft to continue at a later date. This site is a must during poetry month in April.

tag(s): antonyms (12), firstday (22), parts of speech (39), poetry (193), rhymes (22), synonyms (15)

PreKinders offers printables and teaching ideas for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers. Explore the learning areas to find quick and easy activities for literacy, math, and more. Choose from themes such as fairy tales and families. Search through the many printables in all subject areas as well as classroom management checklists, assessments, and posters.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), back to school (55), classroom management (120), colors (63), counting (60), magnetism (36), musical instruments (52), numbers (120), nursery rhymes (9), preK (270), songs (46), sounds (43), weather (160)

Find "ready to use" lessons, thematic units, classroom management ideas, and much more at this one-stop resource for elementary teachers. Explore the reproducibles section to find templates for science observation, an excellent Problems with Dice activity, and an Internet usage survey. After choosing a reproducible, be sure to look on the right side of the page for other reproducibles not listed on the main page. The Innovative Classroom also contains an extensive list of center activity ideas, class certificates, and bulletin board suggestions. Be prepared to spend a lot of time here finding and saving ideas!
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tag(s): bulletin boards (15), classroom management (120), counting (60), density (17), fractions (160), gettysburg address (12), heat (14), holidays (187), human body (93), map skills (63), martin luther king (45), olympics (45), painting (54), place value (34)

Use Google Keep to save notes directly to your Google Drive account. This tool requires that you have a Google account. Unlike some similar services, such as Evernote, reviewed here, notes kept in Google Keep are saved to your Google Drive account. Use Google Keep for notes, voice notes, lists, and photos. Access these on any web enabled mobile device. Keep works best with Chrome browsers (there is an extension for Chrome, also) and Android phones, but our editors had no issues using other browsers as well. Google Keep can also be also used with any school's Google Apps account. Keep is colorful, which is part of the design. Be sure to use the colors as an organizational tool. Keep has a low learning curve and is very simple to use. The quick note feature is invaluable: just type your notes in the text box without logging in or switching screens. To leave a voice note, tap the microphone icon and speak. Archive items easily when you are done. Though Keep is a more generic, basic tool, its value is in its simplicity and ease of use.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), note taking (36), organizational skills (88)

Captivate and challenge students while maintaining quiet times in your classroom with Bouncy Balls! Turn on the microphone to capture sound; the quieter your environment is, the more settled the balls remain. If there is more noise, the balls start flying and jumping around the screen. In addition to bouncy balls, choose from bubbles, eyeballs, and smiley face icons. There is also a full screen option. Our editors had some trouble trying to figure out HOW to enable the microphones. Here are some tips that we learned. If you are using Firefox or Chrome, you must allow pop-ups. You should get a message in the narrow band below the address bar asking you to "Allow Microphone" for this site. At the time of this review, this site was not working properly on the Safari browser. Even so, this is still one site you will want to explore and "have a ball." Unfortunately, this site does not work on mobile devices.
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tag(s): classroom management (120), preK (270), sound (72), Teacher Utilities (197)

Take the road less traveled by and check out these 14 wild, weird, and wacky street signs that were finalists for a Today Show contest. You will find humor, irony, and signs that require a law degree to comprehend among the entries. Ignore the advertising on the site; the signs are worth it. Be aware of the content: some may not be suitable for middle school classrooms.
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tag(s): creative writing (124), figurative language (17)

Choose from almost 300 courses to take for free at Saylor. Topics range from general education to computer science and professional development. There is a K-12 area that includes Common Core information (for teachers or parents), test prep, and English lessons. Explore a specific area of study to find courses or choose the course list to view all offerings. Some courses include a full textbook and/or a full set of video lectures and are listed on the content matrix. Each course lists learning outcomes, course requirements, and a course overview. Create your own eportfolio to enroll in courses, track progress, download transcripts, and engage with the online community. Pass the final exam of each course to receive a certificate of completion.

tag(s): professional development (385)

Need a way to get a quick understanding of Common Core or explain the basics to parents? Be prepared with this all in one site. Find explanatory videos, documents, and more.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Share your screen instantly and easily to any device with a browser using ScreenLeap. Choose Start Now to begin and follow simple start-up directions. Once connected, send the link via email or text or provide the access code to anyone else to begin sharing. Choices include sharing the entire screen or just what is within the box. Directions include options for just audio sharing. Free account access offers up to 2 hours of screen sharing time per day.
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tag(s): editing (93), homework (29), parent conferences (21)

Create many educational multimedia activities in one place using Educaplay. Create interactive maps, riddles, slide shows, fill in the blanks, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles, jumbled word, jumbled sentence, dictation, or create a collection of several of these based on a theme. Registration is required. Your results will be consistent and professional looking. Also, browse and use activities and collections others have created. Download and print the activities or complete them online by embedding them on your website or sharing the URL. Results can be registered in your learning management system (online grade book). Though originally a Flash program, Educaplay converted to HTML5 and should work on any computer.

tag(s): crosswords (19), multimedia (53), puzzles (149), quizzes (90), slides (43), word study (59), worksheets (69)

View visual guidelines for proper email etiquette. We all need to develop e-mail writing skills for an academic setting with classmates, teachers, administrators, and members of the community in the 21st century. Download the PDF visual guidelines to guide you and your students on the manners and responsibilities associated with communicating through email. Be sure to provide credit to the author in your classroom, website, or blog if you post the PDF.

tag(s): digital citizenship (85), writing (324)

Find a colorful, creative Infographic for just about any topic on this sharing site. Use one of the forty-plus categories or type your keyword in a search box. There are so many cool Infographics at this site that you won't have to create one of your own. But if you do, you can upload it and have it displayed on Infographics Only. What is an Infographic? Learn more about Infographics here. Be sure to take time to preview the Infographics on this site as some may not be suitable for young people. It would be best to link directly to the Infographic you want to share.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (171), data (151), graphic design (49), infographics (56)

Find free elementary printables and teaching resources at PaperZip. Items include writing paper, calendars, post cards, and templates. Search by specific topics such as literacy, numeracy, or seasonal to find available offerings. After choosing a resource, read a short description as well as view the file size, type, and age suitability. Download using the button provided. Click tags in red boxes under item descriptions to find similar downloads. The Classroom menu has useful templates for organization and rewards.This site was created in the United Kingdom. American English speakers may notice some differences in the pronunciations and spellings from those in American English. Be aware that some of the ads appear to be part of the site, but are not.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), christmas (38), halloween (32), multiplication (122), numbers (120), preK (270), printables (36), seasons (37), spelling (97)

Coggle is an online, collaborative mind mapping program. Sign in using your Google account or other email to begin. Click "create" to begin a new diagram. Click to edit text, or choose the + icon to add a new branch. Drag elements anywhere on your screen to rearrange. Invite others to view, add, or edit your Coggle using the share button. Allow other users read-only access or read-and-edit access. Download finished Coggles as a PDF file or a PNG image. The introduction/explanation video is hosted on YouTube. If YouTube is blocked at your school, you may want to view the video and familiarize yourself with the website from your home computer.

tag(s): brainstorming (18), charts and graphs (171), collaboration (93), graphic organizers (48), mind map (27)

The World Digital Library makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy digitized cultural treasures from around the world. Resources include manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings. Browse by place, time, topic, type of item, and contributing institution, or use the open-ended search available in many languages. Information included with items includes a description, place of event or item, date, location of the item, and tags for viewing items similar in nature or topic. Move the timeline to view items for specific time periods.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), africa (148), asia (116), australia (28), china (81), cross cultural understanding (173), europe (84), images (263), north america (15), south america (47)

If famous people from long ago had inboxes, what would be in them? Famous Inboxes takes that concept and creates inboxes for characters in literature, entertainment, and history. Choose from artists, musicians, great leaders, authors, and many more categories. Each inbox contains a screenshot of the person's email (mythical) inbox including the subject of the email and the sender. This is an entertaining and provocative site sure to inspire lots of ideas for your own use! Be sure to preview before you share as some of the topics (or "texting" language) may not be appropriate for the classroom.

tag(s): creative writing (124), digital storytelling (154), gamification (83), social networking (61)

Doorway Online provides several early elementary level learning activities in the areas of literacy, math, typing, and memory games. Choose one of the categories to view game titles, then click to play. Some games offer learning or testing modes as an option for play while others provide several options for differentiating activities. Created in Scotland, this site uses British spellings and currencies.

tag(s): addition (129), alphabet (53), counting (60), keyboarding (28), Online Learning (36), phonics (51), preK (270), sounds (43), spelling (97), subtraction (110), time (91)

Skype as a Learning Call is a PDF loaded with information on using Skype calls in your classroom. Different pages include information such as what to do before, during, and after a call for both you and your students. Also included are student handouts to record information from calls. Be sure to check this out as an excellent resource for getting the most of your Skype learning experiences!

tag(s): skype (2), webcams (19)