Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Explore statistics and data about what it takes to be happy in different locations. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you have the best life? Of course, it all depends on what you think contributes to a better life. The OECD presents the opportunity to choose from among 11 indices related to happiness. Rank them in order of importance to you, and then see graphically which countries in the world have the best quality of life based on those considerations. Want to have a high income? Then the United States ranks first in that category. Is the cost and quality of available housing what matters? Norway ranks first in that category. Other indices include Environment, Education, Safety, Work-Life Balance, Health, and Jobs. A slider bar on each index allows you to select your priorities and then watch as the countries realign themselves according to your preferences.

tag(s): communities (36), cross cultural understanding (157), environment (240), politics (112), safety (71)

Draw geometric constructions with the help of Robocompass's animated features. View ideas from the example list to understand how the site works. Choose one of the examples (such as Bisect an Angle) then click the "Play All" button to follow the step-by-step procedure in action. Stop the animation at any point and resume play when ready. In addition to using examples provided, create your own constructions using commands found in the "How to" link. Robocompass interfaces with Google memberships, allowing you to SAVE animations! For a good overview of the site, choose "Take the Tour." (The tour button only shows AFTER you have clicked a sample file or "Open Robocompass.") This option offers a video overview and explanation. If your district blocks YouTube, "Take the Tour" may not be viewable. The tool states it operates best in Chrome and requires WebGL. You need to enable Web GL to use it in Safari. See directions how in this blog post. iOS and Android apps are "coming soon." Imagine this one on a tablet! Note: This site uses significant bandwidth to load the animations and the tour video. Be patient.

tag(s): angles (51), charts and graphs (169), geometric shapes (136), transformations (12)

Get lost in the world of Mathigon - a visually beautiful, interactive online library of math animations, games, illustrations, and more. Choose to begin with the World of Mathematics e-book or explore one of several slideshows, movies, and explorations. The Mathematical Origami and Panorama math applications sections are fabulous, though a little text-heavy. Take a trip with Alice in FractalLand using Disney clips to learn about sequencing, fractals, and triangles. Explore Mathigon Ideas containing short video explanations of important math ideas using only graphics and animations. There is much to explore and see on this interesting and colorful site. Be sure to allow plenty of time to find it all! Check back often as new explorations are currently under development. If your district blocks YouTube, then parts of this site may not be viewable. The site operates well on any mobile browser, too!

tag(s): charts and graphs (169), fractions (159), geometric shapes (136), origami (15), probability (96), problem solving (226), tangrams (8)

Oppia is a wonderfully interesting tool for creative learning explorations. The goal of Oppia is to create a one-on-one learning situation similar to that found in a learning dialogue. As you proceed through each Oppia and enter responses, feedback stimulates thinking without providing answers. Browse the gallery to begin exploring math, languages, science, art, social sciences, and programming options. Be sure to choose the "Show beta explorations" option to find many more activities with topics from "Art" to "Welcome to Oppia." The activities offer an exploration of the background and use of the website. If you feel comfortable with technology, try to create and add your own Oppia to the site.

tag(s): coding (88), computational thinking (42), cooking (30), electricity (60), equations (119), fractions (159), homonyms (8), homophones (6), india (25), latin (22), light (52), logic (164), politics (112), puzzles (143), quadratics (26), ratios (47), statistics (114), STEM (263), Teacher Utilities (146)

Think you know about food and the food system responsible for growing, processing, and getting it to your table? Begin with the quiz to see what you really know. Along with the right answers, you will receive background information and some shocking statistics. View the Get The Facts tab to access an assortment of Infographics about what is in the grocery aisles.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): nutrition (134)

Use this simple, online collaborative writing editor with up to 32 people! No registration is required. Create a free meeting room, and share the link with others or send an invitation email. Use the chat space along the right to comment to one another, perhaps explaining why you made the changes you made to the text. Save versions, view and revert to earlier versions, import/export, and use simple editing tools. Be sure to use or edit at least once per week, if you intend to keep your project. The site is clear on its intention to be a real-time collaboration tool among up to 32 people, not meant for long-term storage. "Pads" may be deleted if they haven't been edited in more than seven days. Be sure to mark the url for your pad as a Favorite or send it to yourself so you can find it again (before the seven days run out).

tag(s): editing (89), proofreading (21), writing (315)