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Teaching That Makes Sense - Steve Peha
Grades
4 to 10
6 Favorites
0 Comments
This is an exciting site for teachers because of the practical worksheets and ideas that absolutely fill it. It is geared to writing, particularly writing about what we read. While...more
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This is an exciting site for teachers because of the practical worksheets and ideas that absolutely fill it. It is geared to writing, particularly writing about what we read. While it may seem geared for intermediate and middle school students, it has a lot to offer to older students as well-- particularly ones who are not good writers and need more engaging, closer work to become better writers. In light of NCLB, this is a great site for working with slow or disabled older students or really just any students who need to become better communicators.
In the Classroom
The PDF files that are downloadable from this site are great! It is divided into 6 sections that you can use to plan, or you can use portions directly with students in a lab or on laptops. Have students do different parts of the same projects, working from the templates provided. A great exercise for older students is to go through the writing samples and evaluate them as a class. Since there are multiple examples posted, it would be an excellent lesson to work with an interactive whiteboard. The ideas are limited only by your imagination!
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TeachingEnglish - BBC
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachingEnglish provides free classroom materials, lesson plans, and activities for teaching English from primary ages through adults. Explore free teacher professional development...more
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TeachingEnglish provides free classroom materials, lesson plans, and activities for teaching English from primary ages through adults. Explore free teacher professional development and training materials in addition to articles on the facets of teaching. Any group, whether ESL/ELL or not, can use the lessons and some of the interesting activities they have for learning vocabulary and engaging in conversation. At the bottom of the home page find a huge directory categorized by Teaching Resources, Tools for Teachers, Teacher Development, Teacher Training, Specialist areas, and more. Since the site is from the UK, the vocabulary and spelling used is British.
In the Classroom
You may want to complete some of the selections with a projector or your interactive whiteboard for the whole class. You could also differentiate by having small groups of students working on various activities at their individual independent levels. Make a shortcut to the activity on your classroom computer. Share a link to this resource on your class website or blog.
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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.
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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TED - TED staff
Grades
6 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
TED is the home of the award-winning TEDTalks video site, a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. In the beginning, the TEDTalks mission was to bring together people from...more
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TED is the home of the award-winning TEDTalks video site, a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. In the beginning, the TEDTalks mission was to bring together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. However, its scope has broadened to challenge the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers to give the talk of their lives (in approximately 18 minutes or less). At the time of this review, TED.com has more than 1,100 of the best talks and performances by speakers with powerful ideas from around the world. The talks are free and the collection continues to grow. The goal of the foundation is to foster the spread of great ideas, thus it aims to provide a platform for the world's smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries, and most-inspiring teachers, so that millions of people can gain a better understanding of the biggest issues faced by the world, and a desire to help create a better future. Easily search the site by topics, disciplines, newest releases, or most favorite. TEDTalks offers subtitles in various languages which enhances the accessibility for the hearing-impaired, and for those who speak English as a second language.
In the Classroom
If you are looking for a clearinghouse that offers free inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, this ever-evolving site is perfect for engaging your students with digital videos of the global issues facing our world today. Use your projector or interactive whiteboard to project videos. Watch your students' enthusiastic reactions in science, social studies, or English classrooms as they view a TED video and then follow-up with a debate on the future or the impact of technology on society, or use them as a springboard for interesting writing prompts or to spark a discussion connected with a unit of study. Challenge students to do a compare/contrast activity using an online Venn Diagram tool (reviewed here). Most of the videos are less than twenty minutes, which makes it real doable to embed in a one-period class lesson.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TED-Ed YouTube Channel - TEDEducation
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Find unbelievably informative videos about a variety of topics on this YouTube channel. Search an extensive list of subject matter: the environment, popular science, agriculture, medicine,...more
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Find unbelievably informative videos about a variety of topics on this YouTube channel. Search an extensive list of subject matter: the environment, popular science, agriculture, medicine, engineering, and more topics of interest. Choose from popular and new videos or click the Videos tab to view them all. Subscribe to the TED-Ed YouTube channel and mark specific videos as favorites or save in your playlist. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable; be sure to look at alternatives for sharing the videos on classroom computers.
In the Classroom
Show videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector to your class as an introduction to a new unit or class discussion. Flip your lesson and assign videos for students to view at home or in the computer lab and discuss questions at the next class meeting. Enhance classroom technology and replace paper by adding your own questions and comments before students see the video using a program such as EdPuzzle, reviewed here. Use the videos as a springboard for engaging writing prompts or to spark a discussion connected with a unit of study. Show your students an inspirational video or two from TED, reviewed here. TED-Ed lessons also has longer videos that include accompanying questions, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Testmoz - testmoz.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this very simple site to create a test that's accessible on the Internet. Create an automatically graded test easily and for free! You can even include audio and video ...more
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Use this very simple site to create a test that's accessible on the Internet. Create an automatically graded test easily and for free! You can even include audio and video if you have an HTML embed code. Registration is not required to use or to take the created tests. Simply click "Create a test," enter the test name, and create a password. Note: Be sure to remember the password somewhere because it is not possible to recover it. Read the directions on the Test Control Panel to adjust settings, add questions, and publish the test. Bookmark the URL of the finished test you make so you can find it later. After publishing, copy and paste the URL of the test into a wiki, blog, or site, for student access. View reports when students are done with the test.
In the Classroom
Skills required: Be sure to remember the password for your tests, as well as the unique URL. It would be wise to copy/paste them into a document you keep somewhere for reference. Users are unable to access the tests without the URL. Be sure to not share this ahead of time. Items in Testmoz are not made public.Use where automatically graded tests are required, such as for formative assessments to check student understanding. Use as a "ticket out the door" to see what students know at the end of class. Be sure that this is the medium you want to use for testing. Be flexible with students who find it difficult to take online testing. Entering all the material ahead of time can be time consuming, so this may not be the best format for long tests. Use this quiz application to create study quizzes for review for students to complete as homework (or during class time). Have students rotate to create daily check quizzes for their peers (earning a grade for test-creation). Learning support students and others who need a little extra review might like to make quizzes to challenge each other or themselves. Have students who are preparing to give oral presentations in any subject prepare a short Testmoz for their peers to take at the end.
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Text 2 Speech - text2speech.org
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
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Just as the title implies, this site converts text to speech. Enter any text up to 4000 characters, select a voice and speed, name the file, then choose "Start." After ...more
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Just as the title implies, this site converts text to speech. Enter any text up to 4000 characters, select a voice and speed, name the file, then choose "Start." After processing, click play to listen or choose from download options as an mp3 or wav file.
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In the Classroom
Type or copy and paste what you'd like to hear into the Text 2 Speech box. Use speed options to slow down speech for ENL/ELL students. Mark this site on your teacher web page for your ENL/ELL students to hear something read or pronounced both in an outside of class. Use Text 2 Speech with students who have difficulty reading, especially when working with more difficult passages and text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Text Compactor - Knowledge by Design Inc.
Grades
7 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
This simple, free tool can shorten or summarize an otherwise long passage or text. Simply copy and paste the text passage into the text box. Specify the percentage of summarization...more
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This simple, free tool can shorten or summarize an otherwise long passage or text. Simply copy and paste the text passage into the text box. Specify the percentage of summarization (there is a slider you can drag to the percentage that you want). Text Compactor produces a shortened version below the original. Summarization of text is now easy and fast. Be sure to mention to any student using this site the importance of not plagiarizing and using only original writing. To learn more about how the tool works (and possibly consider some of its "short" comings), see "About."
In the Classroom
Use this resource when reducing original passages (not plagiarized) to fit a specific number of words or characters. Use this resource when teaching summarization. Paste in a text to summarize and discuss/brainstorm what makes a great summary. Challenge students to look for ways that the tool may have actually missed an important concept through its automated process. Have the class decide whether their own summary or the one offered by this tool is best -- and why. Use this tool as one of many angles on revision during the writing process. Have students paste in their own writing to see what ideas "show" as the most important and to consider revising to emphasize what they really intended to say. If your emails get a bit too wordy, try this tool to shorten them! Shorten your assignment descriptions to make them easier for your ESL/ELL students and lower level readers to understand.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Text Mode - omarr.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Text Mode is an easy-to-install extension for Chrome browsers that removes all information from web pages except text. Convert distracting, hard to follow web pages into clean black...more
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Text Mode is an easy-to-install extension for Chrome browsers that removes all information from web pages except text. Convert distracting, hard to follow web pages into clean black and white text with a click of a button. Once installed, click the "T" on your browser toolbar to turn Text Mode on or off when viewing any page.
In the Classroom
Install Text Mode on all classroom computers for use throughout the year. Turn distracting images off when sharing web pages with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to help students focus on content. Use this tool in technology training with students to share how images, videos, and ads change the look of web content. Share how adding images helps viewers understand the content. Text Mode is excellent for use with ENL/ELL and special education students as a method for focusing. Share web pages with images to help students get the big picture, then remove images to deliver and understand the content offered.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Text2VoiceOver - ResponsiveVoice
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Add a voiceover to any YouTube video or video on your computer choosing from 15 different voices and 13 languages with Text2VoiceOver. Select the "Create VoiceOver" button to begin,...more
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Add a voiceover to any YouTube video or video on your computer choosing from 15 different voices and 13 languages with Text2VoiceOver. Select the "Create VoiceOver" button to begin, then choose from options to select your video. Once the video loads, select the location for your voiceover and follow directions for adding text and choosing from voice options. Be sure to watch the tutorial video with complete instructions for using the site and generating your voiceover. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
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In the Classroom
Use Text2VoiceOver to add comments and instructions to any YouTube video (or your own video) your students view. Share specific tips, ask questions, or add additional details to content. Have students create a voiceover to share their thoughts on a video, or ask questions to clarify content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Textivate - TaskMagic
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Textivate is a simple web tool to automatically generate a range of online activities based on any text you enter (up to 500 words). Type or paste a chunk of ...more
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Textivate is a simple web tool to automatically generate a range of online activities based on any text you enter (up to 500 words). Type or paste a chunk of text into the text box on the Textivate front page and click on the "Textivate Now" button to see the available exercises that can be generated from that text. Choose from various activities based on the amount of text used such as drag and drop, sorting, or fill in the gaps. View an example on evaporation located here. Register on the site for further options such as uploading text, embedding your textivate onto a website, or share via hyperlink.
In the Classroom
Create Textivates to introduce or review any topic. Type in a summary of information and have students place chunks of sentences in order or choose the missing word option for students to insert missing words. Instantly create sequencing activities to build comprehension and vocabulary skills. Paste in a passage from a well-known text and experiment with word order. What would happen if you tried to rearrange the wording in a famous poem? Paste in text during a world language class so students can rearrange words to practice vocabulary, word order, and various skills. Use the embed feature to insert a Textivate activity for homework. Create activities for small group practice on an interactive whiteboard center. Have students create their own Textivate activities to summarize information. Share them with classmates to complete activities. Learning support teachers can have students create and swap review activities. Be sure to share this one with parents for them to use at home for review fun!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thanks for Teaching Us - T.B.D.
Grades
3 to 12
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0 Comments
Whether you have a favorite professor or elementary teacher, here is a way to thank them publicly. It's very simple. There is no registration. Click on "Submit a Story" ...more
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Whether you have a favorite professor or elementary teacher, here is a way to thank them publicly. It's very simple. There is no registration. Click on "Submit a Story" to fill in the teacher name, what you are thanking him/her for, and other details. You can include your Twitter picture. You can even email the letter to the teacher. Read the letters posted by others. This site could be used for thanking a favorite past teacher, or anyone affiliated with a school. There is a multitude of people who work in schools and are kind to children.
In the Classroom
What a nice way to teach letter writing! Teach your students how to write a friendly letter for an authentic audience. Have them put their final copy on Thanks for Teaching Us. In lower grades, work together to write letters to "community helpers" in your school. What about that favorite coach? The custodian who got the ball off the roof? The lunch lady who gave your student a lunch even though his/her account had no funds? The principal? Counselors? Avoid having students identify themselves on the Internet. Use first names only with parent permission.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Amazing Flash Card Machine - Madhu Prem
Grades
1 to 12
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0 Comments
Students or teachers can create their own flash card files. Registration is required but free and allows users to search a public access flash card set database of over 1,400,000 ...more
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Students or teachers can create their own flash card files. Registration is required but free and allows users to search a public access flash card set database of over 1,400,000 items organized by subjects.
In the Classroom
Students will love using the computer to create and save flash cards! Show your students how to use the site on a projector the first time, then have them create their own flash card sets or sets for their classmates as part of review for unit tests. Use YOUR user account for student safety. Be sure to search for card already made, but remember that others COULD have errors. Always pre-check before letting students use someone else's set.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Circle of Inclusion
Grades
1 to 12
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A site on inclusion for early childhood and primary educators and those who support them. The site tackles topics particular to inclusion among younger children, offering philosophy,...more
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A site on inclusion for early childhood and primary educators and those who support them. The site tackles topics particular to inclusion among younger children, offering philosophy, pointers for teachers, and suggestions on how to implement inclusion successfully.
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The Coincidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity
Grades
1 to 12
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This is a review of Dr. Bonnie Cramond's 1995 paper which compared ADHD behavior and creativity. The paper suggests that there may be a common temperament which is present in ...more
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This is a review of Dr. Bonnie Cramond's 1995 paper which compared ADHD behavior and creativity. The paper suggests that there may be a common temperament which is present in both. In addition to the review, the complete text of the article is also available at this site
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The Differentiator - Ian Byrd
Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Differentiating activities for all learners has become easier with this tool. Use this free Bloom's Taxonomy tool, created by an educator, to develop great objectives for differentiated...more
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Differentiating activities for all learners has become easier with this tool. Use this free Bloom's Taxonomy tool, created by an educator, to develop great objectives for differentiated instruction. Move through developing your goal on this site by choosing a level of Bloom's Taxonomy and a thinking skill. Then move on to your content, resources, finished product expected, and what kind of grouping you want. These are all tabs at the top of the page. Watch the sentence at the top of the screen change as you create your objective.
In the Classroom
As an example, use a verb from Bloom' taxonomy such as "evaluate." Click on the part of the sentence at the top, in parenthesis, to enter your content such as "patterns of environmental issues." Choose the resource you want students to use, the product you want them to make, and the number of students in a group by clicking on the tabs. Example objective: Students will evaluate the patterns of environmental issues using websites to create a news report in groups of two. Save your objective by copying and pasting it into any document or online tool. The Differentiator will give you many project ideas that you may not have thought of yourself, and serves as a welcome reminder of different activities and expectations you can use in your classroom. Take a look at this site at the beginning of the school year or when creating a new unit (or project). Find new ways to differentiate for your gifted students using this creative and powerful tool. If your gifted students test out of your current math lessons, use this site to find new material to challenge their minds. This site is deceptively quick and simple, but it could be very useful when writing detailed, powerful lesson plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The eLearning Coach - Connie Malamed
Grades
5 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Get ready to sharpen your information and visual presentations! Discover resources to make your presentations pop at The eLearning Coach. Find downloadable storyboard templates, editing...more
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Get ready to sharpen your information and visual presentations! Discover resources to make your presentations pop at The eLearning Coach. Find downloadable storyboard templates, editing tools, and examples of online learning. Included are various podcasts to support instructional design. Articles also support audio, authoring tools, graphics, video, mobile learning, and more. The site also provides support and advice. They offer many free templates, ready to go! This site contains some products for purchase. This review is for the free part of this tool.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Bring students to the next level of technology literacy. Bring the eLearning coach into your classroom to present different ideas and lessons. Begin with an article and allow exploration time. Offer as a resource when using multimedia. Use as a resource for yourself to make your presentations more professional and stand out! Be sure to share this tool with other teachers.
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The Exquisite Corpse Adventure - Library of Congress, Nat'l Children's Book & Literacy
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
You would never guess by the name of this site that The Exquisite Corpse Adventure opens doors to an engaging way to explore the world of reading and writing a ...more
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You would never guess by the name of this site that The Exquisite Corpse Adventure opens doors to an engaging way to explore the world of reading and writing a class or group story, book, or even a poem. This project from the Center for the Book and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance invites students to read, discover, and create fascinating characters, places, and events in a manner that might be as captivating as one of the many trendy, popular reality shows. The story takes on unexpected twists and turns because it is actually pieced together out of many parts created, put together, and expanded upon by the contributors. Anyone and everyone interested in helping kids read more, write better, and reach deeper into their own experiences, imaginations, and resources to create stories and art will become hooked. The actual original online book, Exquisite Corpse Adventure, is a recently completed, year-long project with episodes, (chapters), written by remarkable authors such as Jon Scieszka and Katherine Paterson, illustrated and posted with companion games, discussion questions, and activities every two weeks.
In the Classroom
Explore new worlds in reading by introducing your students to The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Children of all ages have played progressive story games for centuries, where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up and continues, and so on, until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. Take a look at the website to become familiar with the episodes and then put your own spin on a similar project. It can combine the tradition of oral storytelling with the written form, and even include illustrations so that you can tap into students' range of strengths and weaknesses. Whether you choose to "tighten the reigns" by setting the parameters, such as including the use of vocabulary, grammar, and literary elements you are studying, or letting it evolve spontaneously, the possibilities are endless. Best of all, the contributors get to decide what happens next. Perhaps students could be involved in creating a similar ongoing story on a class wiki (learn more about wikis at the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through). The story can continue throughout the school year and culminate with a digital story presentation created with tools from Educational Uses of Digital Story Telling reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Global Read Aloud - Pernille Ripp
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
The Global Read Aloud offers you a chance to share a book with other students from around the world. This program is in its fifth year and has had over ...more
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The Global Read Aloud offers you a chance to share a book with other students from around the world. This program is in its fifth year and has had over 200,000 participants. The Global Read Aloud is a six-week event that ends in November. Announcement of the book list and the author study selections occur each spring. Student involvement starts in the fall each year. Teachers, parents, and individual students are invited to join. Choose a book to read and sign up at the very beginning of each October. There is a Google form on the main page for registration. On this main page, you will find several suggested ways to participate: The Global Read Aloud wiki here, Flip, reviewed here, Padlet, reviewed here, and others.
In the Classroom
Start looking at The Global Read Aloud program before the school year starts. The author study can be useful for students who have difficulty reading chapter books. There are also picture books available for younger students. Choose the book early, or get your students involved once school starts. Have students vote for the book they want to read by using a program like Wheel Decide, reviewed here, or use Dotstorming, reviewed here, which allows students to write why they want to read that book. As you are reading the book, you may want to have small groups research and investigate the setting, author, inferences, references, and allusions to other books, history, and places. Researching and presenting their findings will help students with deep reading experience required by the Common Core Standards. Have students create a class wiki modeled after Book Drum, archived here, to highlight the features of the book they choose to read. The Book Drum archive takes a while to open. To learn more about using wikis in your classroom, check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Guide to Pinterest for Educators - USC Rossier/Leah Anne Levy
Grades
K to 12
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The Guide to Pinterest for Educators is an excellent resource for teachers and administrators with tips and information for managing Pinterest as a powerful learning tool. Divided into...more
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The Guide to Pinterest for Educators is an excellent resource for teachers and administrators with tips and information for managing Pinterest as a powerful learning tool. Divided into eight sections this handbook discusses the basics of pinning, organization, collaboration, and more. Each section is short and simple to read, making this an outstanding guide for using Pinterest as part of your professional planning and teaching tools.
In the Classroom
Use this resource to understand how to use Pinterest for your personal and professional use and also for student collaboration. Share ideas with other staff members to collaborate on shared interests. Discuss one section a month with your professional learning network (PLN) and reflect together how to make the most of Pinterest in your educational setting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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