TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Mar 27, 2016
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
Journeys in Film - Journeys in Film and USC Rossier School of Education
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), holocaust (41), journalism (72), movies (51), sustainability (44), video (258), women (137)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans for your classroom. These resources and videos are extremely flexible for classroom use. Use the film clips for current events, and to highlight events from the past. Use a video segment to get students thinking about their understanding of issues, solutions, and whether today's environment has changed from that of the past. View a variety of clips from one theme and discuss events in the clip or use a writing assignment to provide time to process the events. Discuss in what ways these clips are similar and other societal, economic, and political factors that affected them. Be sure to brainstorm how different people, in other areas of the world, would view these issues. Research these issues using resources from other areas of the world. Use Today's Front Pages, reviewed here, to see editorials and news clippings that are not of American origin. If you'd like to to create your own clips from these films try using a tool like EDPuzzle, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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New York Times Spanish Edition - New York Times
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): journalism (72), multilingual (66), news (229), newspapers (91), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for advanced Spanish language learners for current events projects or for ENL/ESL students to stay up to date on current events- assign students different weeks throughout the semester in which they are to be the class news reporter, keeping their peers up to date and informed. Have students research what's going on via this news site, and present a short presentation at the beginning of class every day during their week. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to create their own news videos using a tool like Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Introducing Formal Analysis: Still Life - Getty Museum
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): artists (77), colors (64), geometric shapes (136)
In the Classroom
Share this video using a projector or interactive whiteboard for a quick lesson on comparing and contrasting artwork. Use the information included to create your own class discussions comparing artwork, literature, or any two items. Print out the student handout with elements of art descriptions for students to keep in their art journals or notebooks. Be sure to share this site with your school's art teacher.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Archive of Public Broadcasting - Library of Congress & WGBH
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1900s (73), earth (185), radio (20), religions (75), sports (77), video (258), women (137), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
Bookmark the American Archive of Public Broadcasting for use as primary source material for classroom lessons. Browse by topic or keywords to find videos to share on your interactive whiteboard or share a link on your class website for students to view at home. Enhance students' learning and have them use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about an important figure from America's recent past. Transform student learning by having students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here, to demonstrate what they learned from one of the radio programs, videos, or exhibits.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoom - Eric Yuan
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), parent conferences (24), video (258)
In the Classroom
Use Zoom to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the same location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work. Connect whole classrooms across the country for book clubs. Collaborate with experts such as authors and scientists with classrooms of children. Create connected learning experiences with other students, especially those in older grades. Connect world language classes to classes in other countries. Teachers can hold "office hours" for homework help and asking questions. Create a collaborative space for homework help before or after school or on snow days. Students can meet whenever help is needed or teachers can create a session that can be accessed on any device easily by those who need it. Consider using a tool such as Remind, reviewed here, to alert parents and students when your sessions are open. Use Zoom for group work - no more excuses about not being able to meet for cooperative learning projects! Buildings can collaborate and share professional development with others in their own district and beyond!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mindset Kit - The Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS)
Grades
K to 12tag(s): brain (54), learning styles (18), professional development (395), social and emotional learning (81)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lessons and ideas on this site in your classroom and when working with parents. These tools are especially useful for times when a student (or parent) claims that they were never good in a particular subject. Share ideas with your peers as part of your ongoing professional development, discuss ideas from this site and how they can be incorporated as part of a school-wide action. Take advantage of the many ideas featured in the Popular Practices section to learn how to use ideas in any classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OneNote - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), Microsoft (84), organizational skills (90), Storage (6)
In the Classroom
Use OneNote for all notes, ideas, and photographs in all aspects of your busy life. Keep your file system with you all of the time! Instruct students in the use of OneNote for notetaking needs. Share outlines and study guides with students. All members can collaborate and add thoughts. Offer as a way to improve organizational skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Great Expectations - National Braille Press
Grades
K to 5tag(s): adaptations (14), preK (255), reading comprehension (143), stories and storytelling (40)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans when reading stories to your class. These books and activities are not only good to use with visually impaired students; any student will love the different activities. These activities will help ENL/ESL students understand some of the language employed in the books. In your regular or inclusive classroom, you may want to consider making centers for a featured book using some of the activities listed here. Challenge older students to use the ideas developed for these books with their favorite childhood book for a younger sibling or "buddy."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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