TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Aug 25, 2013

Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive

 

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Twiddla - twiddla.com

Grades
3 to 12
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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 ...more
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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 (82), editing (93), iwb (31), note taking (34)

In the Classroom

Use Twiddla to explore and save information from any website. Display any website on your interactive whiteboard using Twiddla. Add text, highlight information, and mark up the site as you wish. Take a screenshot and add to your classroom webpage for students to view at home for review. Have a flipped classroom? Create a lesson from any image, document, or website using Twiddla then share the image for student use. Art teachers can have students annotate a web-based image to emphasize design elements. Teach notetaking by having students mark up important ideas on a web page (perhaps evidence found in informational texts?) Hold an online conference with students about their web-based projects using Twiddla. Use Twiddla with your bring your own device (byod) classroom or in the computer lab to highlight and share information from documents, images, and websites.

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MFL Ideas Factory - Eleanor Gordon

Grades
6 to 12
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Visit the MFL Ideas Factory blog to find language teaching ideas to use in your classroom. Developed by teachers of world languages, each post is an activity that is context-free ...more
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Visit the MFL Ideas Factory blog to find language teaching ideas to use in your classroom. Developed by teachers of world languages, each post is an activity that is context-free so you can adapt to your planning. Tags accompany each activity to make your search more efficient. Sample tags are "Will it take long?" or "Does this require photocopying?" Various search options make it easy to navigate the MFL Ideas Factory. The search box on the right side of the page will search all text in the entire blog. Filter the activities by category in the box on the left side of the page or click on the tag that interests you. Click on "vocabulary" to find all the vocabulary activities posted. Some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English because the site administrator resides in the UK.

tag(s): french (73), italian (28), russian (24), spanish (104), vocabulary (235)

In the Classroom

Search the archive of ideas for your language teaching techniques and activities. Find great ideas to introduce or conclude lessons. Search by categories or tags to find the best activities to meet your needs. Share this site with your world language teaching colleagues or ESL/ELL teachers. Adapt the activities for learning support students.

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Green Vegetation - NOAA

Grades
8 to 12
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See an amazingly detailed map of the vegetation found on the Earth. Data for the interactive is collected by a satellite every week so the image is up to date. ...more
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See an amazingly detailed map of the vegetation found on the Earth. Data for the interactive is collected by a satellite every week so the image is up to date. Use tools to rotate or zoom in/out. Allow a few second for the zoomed in view to fully load and for the image to get "sharp."

tag(s): forests (28), plants (141), producers (6)

In the Classroom

Look at the map on an Interactive Whiteboard (or projector) to look at the different colors and determine what they represent. Zoom in to the Nile region to view the stark contrast between the Nile River delta and the desert that surrounds it. Brainstorm how vegetation changes can indicate potential forest fires or drought and how weather is predicted based upon vegetation, humidity, runoff, and surface temperature. Compare the locations of high vegetation to those with low or no vegetation. What factors change the locations of these areas? Watch this interactive over a period of time (possibly the whole school year) to identify changes in areas around the world. Create a presentation about the changes in vegetation including research as to why it is very important. Find great tools on TeachersFirst for creating presentations or Infographics. Tie discussion of this map into economics, political policy, our food system, health statistics, and more.

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The Incredible Power of Concentration - Miyoko Shida

Grades
5 to 12
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This video is an unbelievable example demonstrating the center of mass and balance in Physics during a stage performance. The video is hosted on YouTube and only about 7 minutes ...more
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This video is an unbelievable example demonstrating the center of mass and balance in Physics during a stage performance. The video is hosted on YouTube and only about 7 minutes long. If your school blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.
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tag(s): forces (37), gravity (42), newton (20)

In the Classroom

First show this video on an Interactive Whiteboard (and projector) during a unit on Newton's laws and gravity and ask the students to identify how she does it. What do students notice and infer about the skill involved. Ask students to brainstorm where this example occurs in nature (students can bring in vacation photos or videos) or find images and other examples online. Encourage students to make their own demonstrations of center of gravity, recording them on video to share on the class website. Share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.

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Color in my Piano - Joy Morin

Grades
K to 12
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Color in my Piano is a piano teacher's blog for exchanging and finding resources. Scrolling down the page gives an overview of the most popular articles, teaching tips, and resources...more
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Color in my Piano is a piano teacher's blog for exchanging and finding resources. Scrolling down the page gives an overview of the most popular articles, teaching tips, and resources offered. Explore the large printables portion of the site to view and download worksheets, games, lesson plans, sheet music, and more. Search through an extensive reading list of articles and resources for teachers, parents, and students. Don't miss Wednesday's Words of Wisdom, featuring inspirational quotes for all. If piano music interests you, this site is a must-see! Note: some of the materials mentioned are for sale, but there is plenty for free.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): music theory (45), musical instruments (45), musical notation (35)

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans and worksheets for music classroom use. Search the Reading Lists for articles to share with students. Share (and discuss) Wednesday's Words of Wisdom. Use this site to differentiate for music students of all levels.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Innovative Classroom - Innovative Classroom

Grades
K to 5
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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...more
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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 (14), classroom management (128), counting (60), density (18), fractions (159), gettysburg address (11), heat (15), holidays (159), human body (93), map skills (56), martin luther king (43), olympics (40), painting (55), place value (34)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site for use throughout the year. Explore the center activities to use in your classroom. Search lessons for ideas to incorporate. Print behavior and classroom management ideas for use with students.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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