TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Dec 8, 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
Otter - Scurry Labs
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Otter is a website maker specifically designed for educators to make simple sites. Features allow for easy homework uploads. There is a class-specific classroom calendar creator, a...more
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Otter is a website maker specifically designed for educators to make simple sites. Features allow for easy homework uploads. There is a class-specific classroom calendar creator, a class announcement sender to email or text, and document storage. Register (with email) to begin creating your site. Add school information and upload a profile picture if desired. Use links to add classes to your site, homework, announcements, and more. Students may submit assignments via Twitter, Facebook, or email accounts.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (40), classroom management (128), communication (136), homework (34)
In the Classroom
If your school does not provide such a space, Otter is perfect for teachers to create a simple class page for interaction with parents and accessibility by students. Manage your classroom with this tool. Use as a class hub to manage documents, photos, and files. Be sure to share your link so students and parents can access both in and out of the classroom. Use Otter in teacher ed programs to show future teachers how a website can enhance instruction.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Talky - talky.io
Grades
7 to 12
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Talky is a chat and video sharing application that is easy to set up and use. Features include screen sharing, group video chat with up to six participants, and privacy ...more
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Talky is a chat and video sharing application that is easy to set up and use. Features include screen sharing, group video chat with up to six participants, and privacy setting options. Begin by naming your conversation. Be sure to allow access to your computer's camera and microphone when prompted. Share the link with participants to allow access to the meeting. Use links to lock the room to anyone without a password and to share your screen. Current settings only allow use of Talky with Chrome and Firefox. Screen sharing is available with Chrome only. Be sure to read the helpful information found at the bottom of the site for Chrome screen sharing settings. Best part of all... no membership or sign-up is necessary to use this tool.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), microblogging (18)
In the Classroom
Use Talky to host tutoring for small groups of students from any computer! Share with students as a resource for collaborating on group projects from home. Use Talky to set up an online interview with authors located across the country, veterans who can discuss their personal experiences with war, or experts to discuss careers in their field. Also use this site to meet up with absent students as needed. If a parent can't make a conference, meet online using Talky to share student work, progress, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NicerTube - NicerTube.com
Grades
6 to 12
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0 Comments
Share YouTube videos in a nicer, "uncluttered" way with NicerTube. Convert the usual YouTube share page into an attractive, easy to view page. Choose your design option. Enter the URL...more
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Share YouTube videos in a nicer, "uncluttered" way with NicerTube. Convert the usual YouTube share page into an attractive, easy to view page. Choose your design option. Enter the URL for any video. Choose your background from available options such as a web page, solid color, or other design. Complete your design, copy the URL, and share the link as you desire. If your district blocks YouTube, this tool may or may not work with your school filters. Test it with a sample before going to the work to make your own.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use NicerTube anytime you wish to share YouTube without all of the "clutter" or just spice up a presentation! This is great to use for your more easily distracted students! Share the link with your students for sharing their videos in presentations. Use your NicerTube created links within your classroom presentations to spice up video presentation at any time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tour Builder (Beta) - Google
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Put any story on the map using Tour Builder (by Google). A Gallery shares examples. You would be wise to preview the Gallery before sharing since these are created by ...more
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Put any story on the map using Tour Builder (by Google). A Gallery shares examples. You would be wise to preview the Gallery before sharing since these are created by the general public. To create a tour, choose locations, add text, images, and videos to create a story to share with the world. Add up to 25 items to each pinned location. Options include three different types of storylines. You can decide how others view your story/tour and how your story will progress. Linear tales move the story along a line. The hub option tells the story from a central location. You can disable lines completely so stories are not tied to a specific sequence or timeline. Finished stories default to private view. You may share privately with friends and family or make public for anyone to view. The Google Earth plugin and a Google account are required to use Tour Builder. Some of the introduction/explanation videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): digital storytelling (141), maps (207), timelines (50)
In the Classroom
Create a simple tour to share (or find one in the gallery). Share the tour on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Create tours of events from history, famous battles, scientific discoveries, biographies, and much more. The possibilities are endless. Create a timeline of famous people or a hub of locations related to a topic such as toxic waste sites or habitats for a certain animal. Tour settings for Shakespeare plays or an author's life. Tour Van Gogh's painting sites or map landforms such as glaciers. Have students who have Google accounts build a Tour of important events in their lives (or use a teacher-controlled account). In world language classes, create cultural tours in your new language. Scroll through the gallery for ideas on how others have used Tour Builder. You may just find some neat tours to share in the gallery.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Requires download/installation of software
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X (formerly ) Twitter Magnets - twittermagnets.com
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Have fun creating sentences or short messages (like tweets) using drag and drop words at X (formerly Twitter) Magnets! X (formerly Twitter) Magnets calls them poems, though the length...more
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Have fun creating sentences or short messages (like tweets) using drag and drop words at X (formerly Twitter) Magnets! X (formerly Twitter) Magnets calls them poems, though the length limit is a real challenge for poets! Choose from the words offered. Drag and drop the magnets into the message area at the bottom -- up to 120 characters. The tool keeps a character count for you. Need different words? Click the swap words link for new choices. Click submit to view your message/poem and decide whether to submit to X (formerly Twitter) Magnet's feed or not. You can also link to send from your own X (formerly Twitter) account. Note that clicking to see the Twitter Magnets feed will show you "messages" and poems created by the general public. Steer clear or preview to be sure these are appropriate in your setting.
tag(s): creative fluency (5), microblogging (18), poetry (189), Teacher Utilities (146), twitter (19), writing prompts (58)
In the Classroom
Create a message or "poem" of the day as a class to send from your class X (formerly Twitter) account. Use as a center activity or have student groups create their own messages about what you have learned today in any subject area class. Have ELL students create simple messages to reinforce language skills. If you don't have a X (formerly Twitter) account, just have students create offline messages. Take a quick screen shot, then write, illustrate, and share on your classroom bulletin board! Generate creative messages as a class to use as writing prompts. Have students tell the story (or nonfiction news account) about what caused the message. Looking for more ways to use X (formerly Twitter) in the classroom? Read more about X (formerly Twitter) at TeachersFirst's X (formerly Twitter) for Teachers page. You can also use this site as a tool to teach about digital citizenship and the etiquette of tweets.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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RADCAB - Steps for Online Information Evaluation - Karen M. Christensson
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details...more
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RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details on that topic. An excellent rubric is available for download in PDF format at the bottom of the home page. This simple site is a great resource for discussing and teaching information literacy lessons about evaluating information and sources.
tag(s): evaluating sources (28), internet safety (113), media literacy (102), Research (83), rubrics (33)
In the Classroom
Share this site and content on your interactive whiteboard or projector as you begin a project involving research. Demonstrate how to use this site before allowing students to explore on their own. Print and use the rubric available on the site. Require that students (or groups) complete the rubric on their chosen sources for research. Share a link to the site on your class website and classroom computers for easy student (and parent) reference at any time. Another idea: to enhance student learning is to assign cooperative learning groups one part of the acronym. Each group could create a presentation to share with the class about what they learned about their part of the evaluation process. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Students will LOVE finding and sharing examples of "bad" sources!
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Community Science Workshop Network - Community Initiatives
Grades
K to 12
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Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few ...more
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Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few activities to get the idea. After registering, click on the CSW Projects and Activities tab. Search the activities by project type (e.g. projectiles, music, woodshop) or by STEM content. Workshop ideas are either video or downloaded instructions with images. Most use simple, inexpensive materials.
tag(s): engineering (119), gravity (42), inventors and inventions (71), musical instruments (46), plants (145), sound (74), STEM (263)
In the Classroom
Use these activities to create contraptions for students to manipulate in class. As students use a manipulative, collect their questions about what they observe or wonder about the contraption's motion and characteristics. Students can research the science behind the object or motion. Use class discussion to create understanding about basic scientific principles. Be sure to include a link to this site on your classroom computer or website. Students can use these activities to teach concepts to other students in their class. Many of these activities make great demonstrations as an introduction to a science concept and for uncovering student misconceptions. Expand what you ask students to do by using creative writing, reading, creating Infographics, or learning correct ways to research and report findings about the subject matter. A suggested easy to use infographic creator is Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Hand-Washing Challenge - learnalberta.ca
Grades
K to 2
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0 Comments
This site demonstrates how important it is to keep hands clean before different activities. The video of a chef explaining the importance of hand washing precedes several activities....more
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This site demonstrates how important it is to keep hands clean before different activities. The video of a chef explaining the importance of hand washing precedes several activities. After each activity (no interaction here), you select the steps to hand washing.
tag(s): hygiene (9)
In the Classroom
Use this in kindergarten to show students the importance of washing hands after using the restroom or before eating. Keep your classroom healthy this flu season by making hygiene a theme of the week. This would also be good to have on a computer at a center as a reminder to primary grade students. ESL/ELL students will enjoy learning the limited vocabulary that comes with the hand washing steps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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