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Technology and Reading Ebooks in Education - Drs.Cavanaugh
Grades
K to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Find a comprehensive list of sources for eBooks and ways to use them. Dr. Terry Cavanaugh has a wide variety of information dedicated to using eBooks in the classroom. Find ...more
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Find a comprehensive list of sources for eBooks and ways to use them. Dr. Terry Cavanaugh has a wide variety of information dedicated to using eBooks in the classroom. Find links for online libraries, news, blogs, history, platforms, features, accommodations, samples, and borrowing guidelines. A section entitled educational applications, features creating eBooks with PowerPoint, digital Big Books, and eBooks in higher education. Classroom lesson ideas along with reading strategies help you incorporate eBooks into your curriculum. A link to the Florida recommended eBook list is also given. Find advice on video book talks, Book trading with eBooks, and an online Book cataloging library resource tool. A section for books promoting eBooks use in the classrooms lists resources to make you proficient. Find samples for creating eBooks to fit into your own classroom needs.
tag(s): ebooks (47), reading strategies (87)
In the Classroom
Capture your student's interest in technology and reading with eBooks. Join the latest craze to promote life long reading. Join blogs to see what other teachers are doing. Use as a parent resource to help promote interest. Use as background information while writing grants or proposals for technology grants. Be sure to investigate the variety of classroom ideas for using technology and eBooks.Consider incorporating technology into your literature circles. You might want to start with a whole class novel, having students listen to certain chapters using an eBook. Have the "discussion director" for the group post questions on Canvas Free LMS, reviewed here with the understanding that they may answer the questions on Canvas, but these are "discussion starters" for the circle meeting in class.
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Respondo! - Ian Byrdseed
Grades
4 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Bring some creativity into your literature lessons using this site that goes way beyond rote answers. Choose skills from drop boxes, identify one or two stories to analyze/compare,...more
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Bring some creativity into your literature lessons using this site that goes way beyond rote answers. Choose skills from drop boxes, identify one or two stories to analyze/compare, choose your thinking skills, and decide what the final product will be. For example, "Substitute The Giver's setting for A Wrinkle In Time's setting. Dramatize how this would affect A Wrinkle In Time's plot. Create a skit," or "Rearrange Oh The Places You Will Go's plot. Analyze how this would affect its tone. Create a photo essay ." Choose whatever book(s) are relevant to your class. Experiment with different ideas easily until coming up with the perfect response question for your class or individualize easily for different student responses. The creator of this site does admit that it is a rather new site with a few kinks. His email is provided if you see any issues. Our review team noticed nothing unusual, and all options were functioning properly, at the time of this review.
tag(s): blooms taxonomy (7), characterization (18), creative fluency (3), creativity (79), critical thinking (141), debate (39), flexibility (5), literary devices (13), literature (211), plot (15), setting (5), stories and storytelling (65)
In the Classroom
Use this site to create unique lessons and literature responses that require critical thinking responses from your students. Share with students and allow them to create their own response at the end of a unit when comparing two books or reflecting on one book. Use this site as a resource for incorporating different levels of Blooms Taxonomy into your classroom and for differentiation among students. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Canva Inforgraphic Maker.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Theme Poem Generator - Read, Write, Think - International Reading Association
Grades
K to 4
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Engage students while learning about poetry with this easy to use Theme Poem Generator (formerly known as Shape Poem Generator). Type in the author's name and see an example of ...more
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Engage students while learning about poetry with this easy to use Theme Poem Generator (formerly known as Shape Poem Generator). Type in the author's name and see an example of a Theme Poem. Choices of themes include nature, school, celebrations, and sports. Each theme offers several choices of shapes. Choose a shape and then type in several words or phrases that go along with the shape. Make a title and use the words and phrases as ideas to include in the poem. When finished, read the poem, go back and edit, or print the link on the page.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce the concept of theme (shape) poems. Choose a theme and create a poem together as a class. Use as a teacher-led center and have groups of students create shape poems using this site. Print and display student-created poems on a classroom bulletin board. Enhance classroom technology use and challenge students to brainstorm words to go with chosen shapes prior to creating their poem using a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, or to create a word cloud of terms about a theme before creating poems using a tool such as Word Clouds for Kids, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Power Poetry - The Teacher's Corner
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
1 Comments
Fill in the blanks of online forms to create instant poems of many types. Even though the site looks "plain vanilla," the results are great fun! Click a poem form ...more
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Fill in the blanks of online forms to create instant poems of many types. Even though the site looks "plain vanilla," the results are great fun! Click a poem form from the ten options. The options include more traditional cinquains, haiku, and more. Once you complete the form, click to create the instant poem and display the results on the page. Keep a copy by printing or -- even better-- by copy/pasting into a document or other online tool for sharing. Make any day better with poetry! The page is very simple, but the results are inspiring.
tag(s): creative writing (126), figurative language (19), poetry (190), writing (307)
In the Classroom
Share this page with students during a unit on poetry or to inspire a poetic look at content in any class: maybe science or even math! Allow students to choose from all the poetry forms or from a selection of options. Use poetry as a way for students with verbal-linguistic strengths to explain challenging concepts and terms. In elementary classes, the simple "about me" and basic figure of speech poems will introduce students to poetry and figurative language. Be sure to keep electronic copies of the results, not just paper print outs. Copy/paste the poems students create into an online class literary magazine (on a wiki or blog) or have students illustrate and read poems.Have students use Flipsnack, reviewed here, to turn their PDFs into an online book, There is even a page-turning effect! If you only have a word doc or image use CutePDF, reviewed here, to convert them to PDF format.This is a perfect activity for Poetry Month!Comments
For the phobic poet, this should grease the wheels!Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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YouTube Teachers - Learn. Teach. Share - YouTube EDU
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
YouTube Teachers and the related YouTube EDU form an education-oriented area of YouTube that categorizes videos into subjects for easy retrieval. YouTube is a vast online video library....more
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YouTube Teachers and the related YouTube EDU form an education-oriented area of YouTube that categorizes videos into subjects for easy retrieval. YouTube is a vast online video library. You upload, view, share, and comment on content found on the site. Videos found on the full YouTube range from commercial to educational content. YouTube often has questionable content so is blocked in many schools. Some schools block YouTube simply because streaming video "hogs" network resources. If inappropriate content is your administration's main concern, YouTube offers a way your tech department can configure a limited access channel. See the explanation video and related information to share with the tech department.
YouTube is very valuable to educators looking for great educational content. There are videos for early elementary concepts like safety up through college-level courses. YouTube has the ability to stream content into channels based upon your viewing preferences, and videos are easily marked as "favorites" to find in your history. It offers suggested channels based on your watching history including trending and popular videos. Parents can filter out objectionable content and comments using Safety Mode -- which is often disabled.
Create a YouTube channel to collect videos for easy access by students. Upload teacher-created videos for your class to your channel. Do you know a great video not featured on YouTube EDU? Suggest it for the EDU collection.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use YouTube Teachers/EDU to create a channel of appropriate videos for your class. Consider creating your own videos of content that can be uploaded to your YouTube channel. Use videos to introduce topics, dig deeper into the content, and review for exams. You may even want to try "flipping" you class so students view the video information as homework and practice with concepts in class the next day. Students can be given the task of finding suitable videos that take the content deeper for better understanding. Create video guides that go with the videos or quizzes that can be given at the end. Assign videos for students to view and give them time to use the information to create a presentation for the rest of the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Duck Duck Go - ddg.gg
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Try Duck Duck Go, an open source search engine that protects your privacy by not tracking your search habits. Without tracking, you get true search results not tied to your ...more
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Try Duck Duck Go, an open source search engine that protects your privacy by not tracking your search habits. Without tracking, you get true search results not tied to your personality or search habits. Duck Duck Go shows search results in a unique way. The site is very clean and uncluttered. Results of your search term can provide a definition or other general information, labels on links that are an official site, and more. On the right side, find additional search ideas. Clicking on terms will add that term to your original search term and generate new results. Go to the settings page to change privacy settings. Change result settings, color settings, look and feel of the search results page, and interface settings also. Search for calculations, dates and events, and more. Be sure to click on Goodies under the search box to find an easy way to enter search terms. Instead of copying and pasting these search strings, change the information you need to alter in the box and press Go! An unbelievably easy way to search!
tag(s): search engines (42), search strategies (17)
In the Classroom
Provide a link to Duck Duck Go on your class website or as a start page on a classroom computer. Use Duck Duck Go to teach about search strategies and help students think of search terms. When discussing searching in class, compare Duck Duck Go to other search engines, noticing the differences between the search experience and results between the various search engines. Be sure to discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and reliability of the search results with each of the various search engines. Be sure to point out the additional search terms and how these terms can provide more targeted search results. Try a game where students predict what other terms might show up from a given starting search. This will teach the mental flexibility to realize what else the search engine might "think" you mean. For example, if we enter "apple," what other terms might we see?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poster My Wall - 250 Mills LCC
Grades
4 to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Poster My Wall is a simple online tool to create posters and videos. Make and download simple posters for free and without registration. Note that free downloads are not high-quality...more
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Poster My Wall is a simple online tool to create posters and videos. Make and download simple posters for free and without registration. Note that free downloads are not high-quality print resolution, so they may appear "fuzzy" if printed in large formats. The simple tools look and feel like a computer program. Choose or upload photos, backgrounds, Flickr photos, and clip-art. You can move and re-size using the floating symbols and add multimedia. Register to be able to email products to friends. (Registration requires email, but there is no waiting for a confirmation.) Obtain the poster or video URL by emailing to yourself. (In the email, click "view larger" to get the link). Check out the reviewer. Enjoy the free teacher accounts where students don't need to register.
In the Classroom
Have students create posters to demonstrate understanding. After an assigned reading, have them create a poster to explain the text. Have students email their finished product to you as an informal assessment. Create a quick presentation of the best posters to share with the class when discussing the reading the next day. Offer posters as one of several options for students to share what they know with you and their peers. Of course, you will want to require proper credit for any images students use in their posters. Use student-made posters to reinforce class rules at the start of the year or to visually display concepts such as branches of government or story elements.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Many Books.net - Manybooks.net
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Many Book.net is a free web site offering eBooks from Project Gutenburg, The Human Genome Project, and creative commons works. Using author, title, genre, language, and recommended...more
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Many Book.net is a free web site offering eBooks from Project Gutenburg, The Human Genome Project, and creative commons works. Using author, title, genre, language, and recommended eBooks, find your favorite reads. Join an RSS feed or X (formerly Twitter) to receive updates of the latest eBooks. Submit your work for consideration and possibly to be added to the selections. Register to create your own bookshelf with eBooks you have read. Keep it private, share as an embedded URL, or share on the actual site. Find conversion tools to help with any formats required. Explore the devices available to read the eBooks.
tag(s): book lists (153), ebooks (47), independent reading (81)
In the Classroom
Fill your classroom library with all the ebooks from the classics. Encourage your students to keep bookshelves of the books they read, while you make your bookshelf available to use for assignment choices or options. Encourage the continual exploration of author, time period, subject matter, and genre. Enchant your voracious and gifted readers alike!
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Word Hippo - Wordhippo.com
Grades
2 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Word Hippo is a word study tool for synonyms, antonyms, and more. Look for rhyming words, opposites, translations to a variety of languages, plurals, definitions and uses for the word,...more
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Word Hippo is a word study tool for synonyms, antonyms, and more. Look for rhyming words, opposites, translations to a variety of languages, plurals, definitions and uses for the word, etc. The site also makes suggestions for other words in case you might have made a typo or do not know the spelling. As with any other reference, students should be cautioned to be sure these are accurate definitions needed for the context in which they are studying the words. You will want to spell out consequences and/or supervise to be sure students are not searching for inappropriate words, but the most egregious words of bad taste do not appear to be available for search at this site.
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tag(s): antonyms (12), dictionaries (47), noregistration (81), spelling (94), synonyms (14), vocabulary (240), vocabulary development (96), word study (57)
In the Classroom
Use this site for vocabulary development and word study assignments, such as writing sentences, paragraphs, or essays using new words. Since the site permits translation, this would be a valuable tool in world language classes, ENL/ELL classes, and more. Introduce this site on an interactive whiteboard and elicit examples to show the class how quickly it works. Have students create their own word walls with synonyms, antonyms, sentences, and more for their latest vocabulary words. Try a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, for each student to create an online "wall" with words aligned to color coded stickies for synonyms. antonyms, etc. Alternatively, have students create class challenges for their peers with color coded matching activities for the interactive whiteboard matching words to synonyms, antonyms, and an appropriate fill in the blank sentence. Share this as a favorite on your teacher public page for handy reference any time students encounter an unknown word. Even subject area teachers such as science and social studies will find this tool handy for students with weaker vocabulary levels.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rubrics for Assessment - Joan Vandervelde
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site provides many rubrics for assessing portfolios, cooperative projects, oral presentations, and much more. Quick links lead to different categories such as web 2.0 and content...more
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This site provides many rubrics for assessing portfolios, cooperative projects, oral presentations, and much more. Quick links lead to different categories such as web 2.0 and content areas of math, art, and science. Each rubric is in a table form with criteria listed vertically and rating categories are horizontal, all contain well-defined expectations and explanations of each category of scoring. Be sure to check out the section with rubrics for primary grades including a kindergarten writing rubric and rubrics for teamwork. Print any of the rubrics using the PDF link located near the top of the page.
tag(s): assessment (127), rubrics (38)
In the Classroom
Bookmark (or mark as a favorite) and save this site as a resource for assessment of class projects. Give a copy of the rubric to students before beginning projects to define expectations.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Embracing Research - Identifying Reference Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This guide in the Help I lost my library/media specialist series offers a step-by-step approach to teaching students how to use "big 5" reference materials that are available...more
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This guide in the Help I lost my library/media specialist series offers a step-by-step approach to teaching students how to use "big 5" reference materials that are available in most school libraries or classrooms to locate information. The Background Knowledge section asks you to consider whether the resource you are using is outdated; if it is, there are several suggestions for more current resources. You will also find sections for Activities and Extensions for the different resources, adaptable to most age groups.
tag(s): Research (79)
In the Classroom
Mark this Help! guide in your Favorites for use and review when planning your next research project or whenever students need to "lookup" something. The resources and ideas will help every student be successful. Adapt for weaker readers by using resources or ideas from lower grades. Don't forget to look at other resources "tagged" research here on TeachersFirst.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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IDroo Online Educational Whiteboard - idroo.com
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Teach, learn and collaborate easily with this multi-user whiteboard. Everything that is drawn or written on the whiteboard is visible to all participants in real-time. IDroo supports...more
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Teach, learn and collaborate easily with this multi-user whiteboard. Everything that is drawn or written on the whiteboard is visible to all participants in real-time. IDroo supports an unlimited number of meeting participants, the only limitations are computer power and internet connection speed. There is a professional math typing tool built-in making it easy to teach or work through math problems collaboratively. IDroo is integrated with Skype to enhance the online collaboration experience. Currently it only works on Windows systems and requires a software download.
tag(s): iwb (27), virtual field trips (129)
In the Classroom
IDroo would be great for any online collaboration session with other classrooms, teachers, or virtual classroom visitors. Use this to tutor students virtually by setting up a time for online work sessions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Eclipse Crossword Creator - Eclipse Crossword
Grades
1 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Create crossword puzzles quickly and easily with this fast and free site. Crosswords can easily be customized with settings within the program. Advanced users can fine-tune the settings...more
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Create crossword puzzles quickly and easily with this fast and free site. Crosswords can easily be customized with settings within the program. Advanced users can fine-tune the settings to the way they like them, everything from the positioning of the first few words to how important it is to have a compact puzzle. To get started, download the software and install on your computer (be sure to follow school rules regarding download and installation of software if using school computers). Next, input your list of words and clues, then create your puzzle. Once created, you can print puzzles, save it as a web page, or choose from different types of interactive pages that your visitors can play right in their web browser, without installing new software.
tag(s): crosswords (20), puzzles (148)
In the Classroom
Create puzzles for any subject or topic for review or introduction to new materials. Allow students to create puzzles for other students to solve. Add a puzzle to your classroom newsletter or blog to create interest. Share puzzles on your interactive whiteboard for students to solve together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Copyright free/Public domain images - Jen Presley
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Discover a nice collection of sources for public domain and copyright free images from around the web. This http://www.teachersfirst.com/Livebinders site features a wonderful array...more
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Discover a nice collection of sources for public domain and copyright free images from around the web. This http://www.teachersfirst.com/Livebinders site features a wonderful array of images and photos on a variety of topics.
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tag(s): images (253), photography (126)
In the Classroom
When looking for copyright free materials for use in projects or to place on websites, begin your search here. Be sure to keep a link to this site on your wiki, blog, or web page for students to use whenever they are working on a project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mr. Thorne Does Phonics - Christopher Thorne
Grades
K to 5
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Learn grammar and phonics using short video clips at this YouTube Channel. Videos are divided into categories based on phases of learning (phonics/reading levels), high-frequency words,...more
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Learn grammar and phonics using short video clips at this YouTube Channel. Videos are divided into categories based on phases of learning (phonics/reading levels), high-frequency words, and other criteria. Videos are engaging and short enough to keep students interested (most run 2-4 minutes). This site includes everything from learning the alphabet to consonant blends to pronouns and much more. Note that the speaker is not American, so the accent may be different from what young students have heard before. There are app versions of many of the activities. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): alphabet (43), alphabetical order (7), grammar (137), phonics (51), pronunciation (33), sight words (22), spelling (94), verbs (25), vowels (6)
In the Classroom
Use this site to practice word recognition, pronunciation, and phonics rules. This YouTube channel would be an excellent resource for students on classroom computers as a reading/learning center. Or share specific videos with your entire class on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Challenge your students to make their own Mr. Thorne-inspired videos for phonics or grammar. Share student-created videos on your class site or Learning Management System.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Kids Books - Red Sky Ventures
Grades
K to 6
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Free Kids Books is a growing library of unique children's books and literary resources available for download in a user-friendly PDF format. You may purchase the books, but this review...more
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Free Kids Books is a growing library of unique children's books and literary resources available for download in a user-friendly PDF format. You may purchase the books, but this review relates to the FREE PDF format. Find books by the categories: toddlers, children, and young adult. This site is growing, so keep checking back. You will also find a Garfield alphabet poster and more to fill your language arts classroom needs! Links to literacy resources, publishing sites, and author resources, children's activities, and book review sites make this a very useful site for further resources to expand your language arts program.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
If you are not a primary level teacher, be assured all the ESL/ELL, world language, theme related alphabet books are completely customizable. A great way to use the resources with older, struggling readers is to tap into their interests and have them customize the resources.Create a class book with favorite activities, rhymes, names of books, or any way you choose to create classroom community. Make a special book for your school to welcome visitors or new students. Read the PDFs on the interactive whiteboard, projector, or at a center. Post as a link on your website for students to read at home.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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QR Treasure Hunt Generator - Classtools.net
Grades
4 to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Interested in using QR codes in an engaging way? Try this Treasure Hunt Generator that uses QR codes. It's simple. Enter your questions and answers. Then click Create the QR ...more
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Interested in using QR codes in an engaging way? Try this Treasure Hunt Generator that uses QR codes. It's simple. Enter your questions and answers. Then click Create the QR Challenge. These are generated as text files which can be printed and posted wherever you want. Students use a QR reader (such as on iTouches, iPads, or phones) to scan and open the question and directions. Students then continue on by finding and answering the questions.
Note: QR code readers exist for every type of phone and are easily found on the Internet. For computers, add-ons exist for Firefox and Chrome as well as a desktop application from Adobe.
Note: QR code readers exist for every type of phone and are easily found on the Internet. For computers, add-ons exist for Firefox and Chrome as well as a desktop application from Adobe.
tag(s): game based learning (218), gamification (75), qr codes (15)
In the Classroom
Use to make any class content into a treasure hunt for knowledge. Keep students engaged by creating learning centers that have a question requiring an answer and perhaps another activity at the center before going on to the next. Have students learn and answer questions about mystery objects, art prints, or books/authors with accompanying QR codes. Identify trees by creating a QR code with a question about the tree and perhaps another link taking them to specific information. Create a scavenger hunt around the school asking questions about activities in the school or certain student projects found in showcases. (The first QR code could be printed in the school newsletter.) Create a treasure hunt with books in the library to test library search skills or to find a specific book and answer questions from the index, table of contents, etc. Use QR codes on objects in Geometry to ask questions about the shapes or solve a problem based on a physical object. Any subject area and content could find a use for this Treasure Hunt Generator. Challenge students to create their own QR treasure hunts as a way to "present" research projects. Use in social studies for the entire class to create a QR code hunt around your community to bring local history to life for all residents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching Interviewing Skills Through Story Games - Doug Lipman
Grades
4 to 12
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0 Comments
Encourage and motivate students to become better interviewers with these easy to use suggestions. This short article is divided into different sections including Why Games to Teach...more
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Encourage and motivate students to become better interviewers with these easy to use suggestions. This short article is divided into different sections including Why Games to Teach Interviewing?, Close-ended and Open-ended questions, games, and next steps. Several activities are included to demonstrate and practice proper questioning techniques. Although the author indicates he has used these techniques with grades 4-8, information on the site is appropriate for older students as well.
tag(s): interviews (17), journalism (73), questioning (34)
In the Classroom
Practice activities on the site with student journalists, before interviewing family members for genealogy research, or as general social skills practice. This is a must for any class planning an oral history project. Before presenting information on the site, record students interviewing other classmates. Then record after learning new questioning techniques as an assessment and demonstration of skills learned. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain differences between open and closed questions or suggestions for interviews. Use a site such as Blabberize. ESL/ELL teachers may want to use techniques discussed in the article to help students become more comfortable in everyday conversations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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IndyKids - IndyKids
Grades
3 to 8
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IndyKids is an online newspaper for kids. This online version is the same as the printable version that produces 10,000 copies of each issue, reaching kids in 36 states of ...more
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IndyKids is an online newspaper for kids. This online version is the same as the printable version that produces 10,000 copies of each issue, reaching kids in 36 states of the US. Articles are written by both kids and adults, featuring topics related to current events and topics of interest to kids. Articles written by kids are noted as such and include the writer's age. At the time of this review, some of the "kid written articles" included Growing Poverty: Hard to Ignore At Home, Wasps: Do I Know You, and several others. Be sure to check out the category search on the lower right-hand portion of the site with topics such as: Kids Around the World, Culture and Activism, Education, and much more. Newspapers are archived in PDF format for easy printing and dated back several years.
tag(s): creative writing (126), expository writing (31), journalism (73), persuasive writing (53), writing (307)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students and have students choose an article to read, summarize, or expand upon. After reading articles on the site, have students choose a current topic that interests them and have them write an article as practice of informational writing. In science or social studies, study the newspaper format as students write articles reporting on scientific discoveries or famous people. Use the format of this newsletter as a resource for extending learning and creating and publishing your own classroom newsletter online. During newspapers in education month, use this site to find accessible articles for any age. Create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Wridea - Octeth Ltd.
Grades
4 to 12
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1 Comments
Wridea is an idea management, brainstorming, and collaboration tool. It's a place to organize and categorize your ideas, share them with others for input, and store them. To collaborate...more
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Wridea is an idea management, brainstorming, and collaboration tool. It's a place to organize and categorize your ideas, share them with others for input, and store them. To collaborate using this tool, you must have individual memberships (email required). Note that maps that are shared can be seen by the public, but not altered. You specify the members who may collaborate and make alterations. At this time, this site does not work properly in Internet Explorer. However, it is a great tool to use in Firefox, Safari, Chrome, or other browsers.
tag(s): brainstorming (17), concept mapping (14), graphic organizers (50), mind map (27), organizational skills (80)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate the activity on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and then allow students to create their own Wridea tool. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics. Have students collaborate together (online) to create group study guides or review charts before a test. Have students use Wridea as a study guide by brainstorming all the important concepts they remember about the unit being studied in history or science, and then have them share their Wridea with another student who will add concepts that were left out. Build student creative fluency by having them use Wridea to create categories of wonder, question, and answers for research; map out a story or plot line, or map out a step-by-step process (life cycle); map a real historical event as a choose-your-own-adventure with alternate endings based on pivotal points.Comments
This resources looks like it has a wide variety of applications suitable to upper elementary and secondary classrooms. Sign up was quick and easy, but I received a message upon completing those steps that Wridea doesn't support Internet Explorer. It "suggested" using Mozilla Firefox instead. I'm a strong advocate for being comfortable with using several browsers, so, this doesn't throw up any huge roadblocks to me, but if you do not have or use Firefox, you will need to take that extra step as well before actually making use of this tool.Rita, WA, Grades: 6 - 12
Editor's Note: the review has been updated to reflect this new information.
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