This online tool allows you to assess student work by creating an original rubric. Users are able to enter up to 10 skills. Each of the skills is scored on a 5-point scale (5: Proficient, 4: Capable, 3: Satisfactory, 2: Emerging, and 1: Beginning). This is an excellent tool to individualize and differentiate instruction. Parents will be pleased to see specific areas of strength and areas of need. The Rubric Maker could be used with any grade level and in any subject area.
In the Classroom: Use this FREE online tool to create individualized or leveled rubrics for your class assignments in any subject.
Your busy life needs a manager. Now you have one: RememberTheMilk.com (also known as RTM). Don’t worry about missing a date; any or all of these applications or programs will remind you: email, SMS, and instant messenger (AIM, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype and Yahoo) are all supported. Set up a free account in minutes. Secondary students will embrace this tool to remind them of tests or assignments or sporting events. List making has made it to a whole new level.
In the Classroom: This is a Beta site, so beware of possible glitches. Read the Blog at this site to learn many cool ways to interact with your personal computer using RTM. Learning support teachers and teachers of disorganized gifted students may want to “model” using such an online tool to help middle and high school students learn better personal organization. Make a demo account for a “mythical” student and organize him/her together so students can see how it works. You will have to check school policies and access to some of the messaging tools, however, since some may be prohibited in your school. Learning support and gifted teachers will welcome this online tool as an engaging way for students to become better-organized. Give students a tech tool, and they just might try it!
Despite text messaging, the formal letter still has its place in our world. Students write either a business or friendly letter through the prompts of this interactive tool. While generating their letter, they also learn the five parts of the letter and punctuation clues. Along the process, prompts ask for the needed information. When finished, print a well-formed letter. The online tool supplies the format; the student still must supply the words.
In the Classroom: Note: the tool does NOT save letters, so allow enough time to complete the activity and print before closing the site. Teachers, you may want to print out the ‘addressing an envelope’ tip sheet. This activity would work well in a letter writing computer center on a single classroom computer or cluster, or as a whole class activity in the computer lab. High school teachers, don’t be shy to use this online tool for a refresher course on the rudiments of letter writing, perhaps to thank teachers for recommendation letters! Even though it may be geared for upper elementary use, your students will benefit from generating letters through prompts.
This online tool provides teachers with a multitude of "ready to personalize" rubrics. Teachers simply fill in their name, school name, and the name of the project - and a personalized rubric appears. You may think that sounds too "generic", but there is more. The broad topics include basic reading skills, behavior, class participation, handwriting, lab reports, maps, oral expression, persuasive writing, science projects, and many more! There is also a feature to create your own rubrics from scratch (you personalize and customize the entire document). The website does have additional features for a fee, but the use of the rubrics is free!
In the Classroom: Use this online tool to create original rubrics before introducing a new project. Be sure to review the rubric with your students on a projector or interactive whiteboard, to be certain that they understand your expectations. As you approach project deadlines, consider collaboratively "evaluating" a sample project with students by displaying the rubric on an interactive whiteboard and marking/highlighting the rubric using the pens.
TF Edge Tool: for the moderately adventurous technology user. Create collaborative mind maps (graphic organizers) using this online tool. See an example created by our editors. The example gives some ideas for uses of this online graphic organizer tool. The tool requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
NOTE: There is an advertising area at the right side of the screen on this free tool. TeachersFirst has been in communication with the Mindomo creators to assure that the ad content will not be alluring or inappropriate in the classroom. They are extremely responsive and interested in making their online tool practical for teachers.
In the Classroom: The site requires membership (basic level is free). Have students create graphic organizers in cooperative groups as a study guide for unit content, to collect information for a group research project, or show examples of an important concept. Share and compare the organizers on an interactive whiteboard or projector in class and allow classmates to suggest changes. Skills needed: join the site, practice with the tools (don't miss the notes feature!). Save up to 7 "private" maps and an unlimited number of "shared" maps.
Make a map available online by saving and clicking "yes" for sharing, then clicking the Save by URL icon. This will copy the URL onto your computer's clipboard so you can paste it into a word doc or even your teacher web page. Imagine sharing several student made "study guides" in the days before the unit test.
Note that maps that are shared can be seen by the public, but not altered. You specify members who may collaborate and make alterations. For students to collaborate using this tool they must have individual memberships, requiring an email account. These memberships must be activated from their email. So, if students do not have email that is accessible from school, classroom use BY STUDENTS will be severely limited. Editor's note: we asked the Mindomo folks about spell check and student safety issues. They are still developing this tool, so they MIGHT address these issues at a later date.
Have you ever wanted to save a document as a .pdf or make changes on .pdf documents? This online tool allows you to convert files to different formats, including conversion of .pdf files to Word documents and Word to .pdfs. You can also convert music, video, and photo files to different formats of your choice. This is a VERY useful tool. Select the file to import, the change to be made, and receive a file in the new format at your email address after registration. The documents are editable after conversion. Images will not be as "editable" as text. The text comes in within a text box, but can be edited.
Be aware: there are MANY advertisements at this site, so this many not be a site that you want students to explore independently. Also, the site mentions having to register. You do not need to register to use most of the features.
In the Classroom: Share this site with fellow teachers. Be aware that many school email systems block certain file attachments. You may want to send the converted files to a home email address and bring them to school "on a stick."
Teachers should model ethical use of electronic resources (other people's work) for students. Making a "derivative work" from someone else's pdf handout should include a printed credit within the new document, giving credit for the original source, Ex. "Adapted from a handout by xxx available at www.theoriginalhandout.pdf." Such derivative use should only be done when the original copyright permits it, such as using materials that grant permission for classroom use.
Have you been pining to include pertinent webquests in your curriculum? This site allows you to view already created webquests and/or use their online tool to create your own webquest without HTML code or web editor software. This site walks you through a tutorial on creating your own webquest for the parameters YOU want. The tutorial includes planning, building, and getting your webquest published. Best of all-- it is free. This site also includes ready-made webquests in nearly every subject area (math, art, music, social studies, science, etc.) submitted by others like you. There are webquests for all grade level. The webquests are free to use and many include reviews by other educators. An easy to follow webquest matrix is available, with all of the subjects and grade levels. You are also able to do a webquest search for a specific topic. Nearly all of the webquests are in English, but a few are in other languages. Note: the quality of webquests is completely determined by others using the site to create webquests, so PREVIEW before using any webquest in class.
In the Classroom: Search the multitude of webquests that are “ready to go” at this site. If you are looking for a more personal touch, you can create your own webquest for each class, tailored to what you want to cover or want students to research. This site also provides a place to post a personal portfolio of your work (if you choose to include any student work, you must have written permission to do so from the student and his or her parent). You might also want students to create webquests as final products of group research projects. Be sure to provide a meaningful rubric for the essential features.
This online tool allows users to draw on an electronic drawing board using drawing tools, stamps, text, and typical tools that show in drawing programs. While it may appear to be pure "fun," it can actually allow students or classes to collaboratively plan or discuss, especially visual thinkers who communicate by saying, "Let me draw you a picture." A drawing can be "saved" by sending the URL to yourself or another person's email address. When the recipient clicks on the link, the site plays the full drawing process of the drawing being "built." The recipient can then draw more and change the original sending it on to another or simply saving it. This tool would work well for small groups planning collaborative projects, such as students designing a display or collaborating from home on a project. Single users can draw out their ideas (and add text) then share them via email with others or invite others to collaborate. Need to design a science fair display? Prioritize or order the points for a small group presentation? This tool may prove the most effective for your group. The site requires Flash.
In the Classroom: This site will operate beautifully on an interactive whiteboard for whole class "drawing." Want students to show you that they understand the steps in a process? Give them the option to DRAW their answer and email it to you. You can "play" their drawing sequence to assess their understanding. Art teachers can ask students to show their understanding of design elements by creating simple drawings. Teach students to design logos using the simplest of tools. Teachers sharing study skills and discussing learning styles to help students determine what works best for them will want to share this as a visual option. Make this tool available along with other types of graphic organizers when you assign a project. Offer it as a visual pre-writing option for visual-spatial students. Don't forget to debrief to find out how students used the tools and who found it most effective. Note that the collaboration features require email or IM accounts, so younger students will not be able to use it from home. If your school prohibits accessing student email, allow them to send the completed drawings to your whole class email account (an extra teacher email account you make just for this type of use).
This lesson uses a bilingual (Spanish-English) picture book to increase comprehension and reading skills in ESL students by having them retell the story in a variety of ways. Many non-ESL/ELL students would benefit from the same skills.They make vocabulary lists, make diagrams, retell the story, and rewrite the book using their own words. Teachers can generalize the knowledge gained after using this lesson plan to incorporating other bilingual books while teaching ESL students. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Allow ESL/ELL or other students to work on the various online tools included in this lesson on their regular classroom computer or cluster, printing the products and sharing them in partner-reading or other activities with non-ESL/ELL students. Learning support students would also benefit from the comprehension strategies involved.
This site offers an easy to use online tool to create brochures or flyers in minutes. Choose a theme, customize with your photos and add text. Brochure printing directions are included. Print or save the brochure to print at a later date. Saving requires a valid email address. You could use the teacher email to protect student safety, if students do not have their own email. Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker so you can “see” all the site content. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
Note from TF editors: this site seems to be subject to high traffic that slows it to a snail's pace. You might want to try it at "off peak" hours (NOT U.S. EST between 11 and 3). We hope they will upgrade their servers soon, since this slow speed may make it impossible for you to use in your classroom. Stay tuned!
In the Classroom: This site would work well for an individual or pairs of students to create a brochure or flyer on a state, country, health topic, and more. Then share using a projector or interactive whiteboard as students act as "tour guides" or health experts. Teachers can also make brochures about their classrooms to hand out at back to school nights or to new parents throughout the year.
Note: the emails generated by this site MAY be blocked by spam filters in your school. Test it first before assigning students to cretae and save work!
Use this online tool to create eye-catching newsletters for your classroom, for students to write for their families, or for your student club. Follow the easy step by step directions to pick a fall or winter theme, add text, photos and borders. Most likely, the themes change over the course of the year, so check back again in spring. Save the newsletter on the site or email to share the latest news. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: This site would work well for an individual or pairs of students to create a newsletter on a class topic or theme. Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker so you can “see” all the site content. The content available is seasonal, but the options allow plenty of flexibility. At Thanksgiving, elementary teachers will appreciate this tool as a way students can create Thankful lists. Note that the program does NOT save your work, so allow enough time to complete and print the newsletters in one sitting.
This handy online tool allows you to create customized rubrics "on the fly" for any subject or project. You can print the rubrics directly from the website. You choose the age level (primary, elementary, middle, or high school) and input the name of your rubric. Then a blank rubric appears for you to fill in the details. The blank rubric includes space for the criteria, plus a range to rate (gradations) the quality of the students' work. There are also ready-made rubrics you can print out. The website provides explicit direction about how to use the website (they are in PDF).
In the Classroom: Use these free rubrics with any grade level and any subject area. Note that in the free version you LOSE your work when you close the page, so make sure you have printed first!
TeachersFirst Edge Tool: For SLIGHTLY adventurous technology users. Most teachers can figure this one out very easily. Only the sharing and group capabilities make it an "Edge" entry. This online tool allows you or your students to enter vocabulary terms and definitions to create electronic flashcards and quizzes to enhance word study in any language or a content area. Students may choose to create electronic tests, or the networking page allows them to interact and learn with other users who have the same words. Teacher or students can create groups to share word lists. As wonderful this technology is, the coolest thing about Quizlet might be in its history--its creator is presently a high school senior (2007-2008)who tells his inspiring story and shares his blog through links at his site. See a sample matching activity about TeachersFirst created by our editors to show a variation on using this online tool for simple words/definitions.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free). Membership asks for an email, but our editors discovered that a "pretend" email address also works. Email allows you to notify others that you want to share a word list or activity with them, however. If your school does not permit student email accounts, use a mythical account and KEEP A LIST of students usernames (non identifying) and passwords. They WILL forget them!
Explore, follow directions, or watch the (SLOW to download) demo to get the idea of how the site works. Save your "sets" and decide whether you want them to be completely public, just for you personally, or shared with a "group." Create your own groups for each class or subject. Be sure to note the fact that you can upload vocabulary lists by copy/pasting from various formats--- a real time saver!
How to use this? Content and English teachers may set up their personal network of users. Learning support teachers will want their students to create their own quizlet sets and help learn them in the process! Teachers may create your own sets of words, or let students do the work for themselves and each other. Use the interactive white board for quick flashcard or electronic testing using your sets. Foreign language and ESL/ELL teachers will find many word sets already built and ready to use at this site. Helping students study for the SAT vocabulary test? Check out the QuizMarklet feature that is explained in the blog section. QuickTime is needed to view the 'how-to-use' video (SLOW to load!!!). If you team teach with others at your grade level, take turns making the online Quizlets to accompany your science or social studies chapters. Be SURE to share this tool on your teacher web page for students to use at home.
Teachers can generate their own personalized word wall worksheet, customized to the words they enter. This online tool allows you to generate word shape worksheets with the word list at the top of the page and the word shapes below. Students then fill in the appropriate word from their word list.
In the Classroom: Special education teachers, ESL teachers, or regular teachers with students who are dysgraphically- or dyslexically-challenged will find this a valuable tool. Any student who learns visually would find this helpful in learning their spelling words. This tool generates the worksheet quickly.
This online tool and vocabulary site creates up to thirteen games, puzzles, and worksheets from a word list the teacher inputs on the home page. The working database contains about 2000 English singular words, but doesn't include abstract nouns. There are some ready-made activities already done for you as examples: body parts, Christmas, family, feelings, foods, and more. Typical activities include findaword, matching, multiple choice quizzes, memory, word scrambles, and labeling. There is a charge for subscription to the services, but users who recommend someone to this site receive a one-year subscription free. One caution: set the speed to "tortoise" on the "STOP" game. Even adults can't click the mouse fast enough above that speed!page. This site requires QuickTime to hear the audio. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox. .
In the Classroom: Use this for a center with vocabulary review activities in any primary classroom or with speech and language or special ed students for vocabulary development. Using it in ESL classes will also be great, even on an interactive whiteboard with a small group. Students can also use the games on their own to practice vocabulary outside of class, so be sure to include the link on your teacher web page.
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: For very comfortable technology users who need more sophisticated capabilities than your TeachersFirst home page. This online tool creates a highly visual "home page" that can incorporate multiple elements simply by dragging and dropping them in place. Not unlike Google's personalized homepage, the elements look like little sticky notes or boxes, but there is far greater flexibility and a wider variety of content readily available. You can also make the page local (simply use it as the "home" on your classroom computer), shared by a select group (passworded), or completely public. You can easily make a theme or unit page for quick access of resources, complete with directions.
In the Classroom: How would you use this in your teaching? Create a set of RSS feeds for current events or a specific curriculum topic such as weather and make them available for an in-class activity, complete with directions. World language, world cultures, or geography teachers can profile a location on the globe, complete with local weather and news. Make separate tabs for separate activities. Students can access them by password or publicly from outside of class, as well. For primary grades, make simple instructions right on the desktop for a computer center activity. Use color coding of the instructions to differentiate for different children (Sam, I want you to do the yellow one). If your school permits students to set up accounts on web services, have groups make Protopages on an assigned topic, collecting and organizing resources, images, and information: "A Protopage Guide to Cells" or "Shakespeare's Times." Gifted and highly-able students will go crazy!
Skills needed: Join (free). Check out the Intro, Overview, and Quickstart to see how it works. Play to your heart's content, including making tabs. Learn about RSS feeds and other Widgets-- including sticky notes. Share the URL with those you wish to have use it. Note: this works on Internet Explorer 6 and higher and on Firefox. If your users are on older web browsers, the developers recommend upgrading. This may be a problem for some. Check with your end-user computers before you spend too much time making the perfect Protopage!
If you allow students to create their own Protopage, you will need to have very specific rules about content, since there are non-educational elements available.
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for technology users who like math and like to "play." This online tool lets you create(or "share" someone else's existing) online calculations/spreadsheets. You can also display instant graphs of the spreadsheet contents. The spreadsheets are displayed in terms that ordinary people can understand and allow you to "plug in" numbers to see instant results. Some of the shared calculators already online are surface area and volume of geometric solids, interest calculators, body mass index, and more sophisticated business functions. The best way to see how the site works is to read through their "tour" then click to browse through the examples, especially the shared ones. Even if you never create your own, this tool is great!
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Visit the site and observe how the shared examples work. If you find one you like, you can get the link (try the little disk icon) to go directly to it. If you are feeling more adventurous, try creating one of your own, perhaps for calculating the class average on a test. Your web-savvy students will love this tool for collaborative lab reports or graphs of statistics. For safety's sake do not use any student names or information if you share calcs online.
TeachersFirst Edge Tool: For more adventurous technology users-- and those who are willing to take the time to learn the tool. This fabulous, FREE online tool allows you to create your own interactive "books" to help young readers learn reading strategies to build comprehension. The tool allows you to enter your own text, images, and hints. The finished product is a very polished-looking book in a form that you can save on your computer or burn to a CD and use over and over and over with students for years to come.
Be sure to try the model books and read the tips for writers and illustrators. Click to see a sample we made for you and placed on our site.
In the Classroom: Skills required: joining the site (free), locating or writing your own copyright-free text, locating or creating images for which you have the rights to make more than one copy (Fair Use does not apply!), copy/paste the text and resize/upload the images--following simple directions to create the pages and accompanying hints. Be sure to learn about the three interactive characters who teach the strategies! Publish and download the files of the finished "books" and save on your computer. Extract the zipped files and save locally, on your network, or burn to CD so your students can access them directly.
The uses of this one are endless. If you take the time to get permission from the publisher to use text from some of your textbooks or reading books, you could create interactive versions to use in your classroom or with special ed students. More simply, use student-written stories and artwork (scanned -- or created in Paint)to create the "book." Imagine creating a class "book" at the end of a unit on Communities or Animals, and including images you take with your digital camera. If you copy the CD's, students could sign out the "book" and read it to relatives using their home computer. You can keep the "library" of past books to help future classes. Or ask your middle/high school or gifted students to create books as writing/service project for struggling readers to use.
Use this set of simple online tools to generate worksheets for everything from magic squares to converting fractions, decimals, and percents. You set the requirements for the worksheet, add a title and directions, and the generator "makes" the sheet, ready for you to print and copy for classroom use. Topics include: premade sheets from Gr 1-4, flashcards, math bingo, metric conversion, multiplication charts, Least Common Multiple,Greatest Common Factor, Exponents, and more. Teachers from Gr 1 to pre-algebra can use this one!
In the Classroom: After you print the worksheet and before you close the page, be sure you click to generate the answer sheet! Share this link on your teacher web page for parents and students to make practice activities for at-home review. Be sure to include directions on your web page for what settings students should use (number of decimal places, for example).
Younger students will love "playing teacher" and making sheets at home for their parents or for each other at school. If they check the answers manually, they will practice, too! Suggest this idea to elementary parents at conferences and give your students some stickers to "correct" their parents work!
This handy online tool lets you create customized graphic organizers "on the fly" and print them from the web site. There is a paid version of the site, but this FREE tool lets you choose the type of organizer you want, customize the Title and Directions, and print. Organizer types include Venn diagrams, KWL, scientific method, and many more. Learning support teachers will want to use this for students to create study materials.
In the Classroom: Use these printed organizers as study support for any content area topic. Many are excellent options for reinforcing reading skills in the content areas, even for senior high students. Include this on your teacher web page so students can create their own organizers to study for tests or prepare presentations.
To make a new organizer, simply click "new," write title and directions, and print the small "print" icon. It may be easiest to take their default directions and change them for your purposes. Note that you LOSE your work when you close the page, so make sure you have printed first!
Use this handy online tool to generate tests using a variety of formats - multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true and false, short answers, and more. Just complete a free registration, then start creating and customizing your assessment. Follow the prompts to select font size and style, choose a format, enter each question and answer, and print the test and answer key. Your tests are saved online and can be easily accessed or edited from anywhere.
Browse the themes of the interactive history map by the British Museum to learn about ancient civilizations. Choose "Cities," "Religions," "Technology," "Trade," "Writing," or "Buildings." Click on the map to see places for more information. Click on the clock along the bottom to open a timeline. Open a list of ancient civilizations by clicking on the globe. Access the main menu of themes by clicking on the museum picture. Additional links are found by clicking on "Other related sites." Teachers can find other resources and information by clicking on "Staff Room."
In the Classroom: Divide students into groups to peruse a given theme or an ancient civilization. Student groups can ask additional questions to begin a search for even more information and present their findings to the class. Discuss parallels among ancient civilizations through the discussion of these themes as well as comparisons and contrasts with present society. Create a visual display of life in these societies or share food and traditions that might have existed. Try some multimedia projects like a Venn Diagram comparing a certain theme of ancient civilization to present society using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the themes. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).
Think GreenGrade K to 12
- Waste Management- 10133
Looking for great information on living green and saving the environment? Find great resources here on "Transforming Waste" and "Case Studies." Read posts from professionals in "Points of View." View videos in the "Resources" section. Look under "Classroom Tools" to view student resources by grade and teacher resources by grade, topic, and resources. Caution: the beginning of the site sometimes asks you to participate in a survey. You can hit the “no thanks” button to pass this section.
In the Classroom: Use this site for lesson plans, videos, and other resources for teaching environmental issues to students of all ages. Share videos with younger students on a projector or as a center. Stay up to date with points of views from professionals. Have students review resources and determine points of views of other articles and resources on the web. Students can create individual, group, or class projects to increase awareness of environmental issues. Why not have students create age-appropriate multi-media presentations demonstrating what they learned? Have students create posters on paper or do it together as a class using an online tool such as Project Poster (reviewed here or PicLits (reviewed here. Have cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have students create commercials and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube
This online tool allows students to generate clear and easy to use "2 circle" Venn Diagrams. The opening page asks you to name the project and then label the two circles in the Venn Diagram. When you click NEXT a professional looking Venn Diagram will be created based on your project and labels. The interactive Venn Diagram allows you to generate concepts (type words) and place them in circle 1 or circle 2 by clicking and dragging the word. You are able to place the word in either circle, or the overlapping area. When inputting a concept word a text box is provided to type in a detailed description. There is also a demonstration video that shows how to type concept words and descriptions and how to drag and place the concepts onto the Venn Diagram. The program allows you to edit and print (but not SAVE!) the finished Venn Diagrams. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Use this handy tool to guide your students through the process of organizing information in Venn diagram form. View the demonstration video together on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Complete a Venn Diagram as a class activity. Then have students work on individual computers to create their own Venn Diagrams to correlate with a language arts, social studies, or interdisciplinary lesson. Have students print out their Venn Diagrams and share them with the class. Once they have mastered this skill and underlying concepts, allow them to create even more colorful Venn diagrams using colorful Autoshapes circles, clip art, and text boxes on PowerPoint slides or using Inspiration software. Show them how to use color as a way to communicate meaning by color-coding, as well.
This handy online tool (Windows only--sorry) makes any computer screen into a "teleprompter" (scrolling screen with the text YOU paste in). No membership or log in is required. Just open the site and copy/paste in the text from a word doc (or type it in, but there is no way to SAVE it on the site). We recommend keeping your text ready-to-copy/paste and saved in another program. Set the font size and screen size to large or small. When you are ready to "speak," click the "start prompter" button. The speed controls are at the top of the screen. Remember that F11 will make any web page full screen without menus and toolbars. If you are fortunate enough to have a rear projection screen, the text can even be reversed. Anyone who wants scrolling text can just paste and go. The maximum text length is 2000 characters, but you could always have a second window ready and switch mid-speech. See System Requirements if you cannot get it to work.
In the Classroom: Why bother with this one? Lots of reasons! Once they see it, your students are sure to come up with more, but here is a start: Try making a sample dialog for students to follow out loud as your project it in a foreign language or ESL/ELL class. Be sure to write in script format so they know who is speaking! Or share this tool with students who need help getting their nose out of their notes in presenting speeches. They can run it on a laptop only they can see and look out at the audience past the prompter. The comfort of having their text right there will ease many butterflies.
An alternate use: build reading fluency by having students read aloud from this tech-tool. They will be FAR more motivated to read up to speed! Speech clinicians may want to try it for articulation practice, as well.
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for adventurous technology users. This amazing tool allows users to create web pages and full web sites without any special software, using online drag-and-drop tools. The resulting pages are polished and professional far beyond what you would expect from an online tool. The free version allows you to create single pages or full sites, including uploaded files, and save them. Viewers can access them online (via a unique URL you request) or from downloaded files you can easily create. See a sample our editors made here. The sample includes many ideas for ways to use this tool with your students. For better examples of the visual possibilities, look at the gallery of examples trIntuition workBench offers. They are superb! You and your students can access the tool from any online computer that has the necessary version of Flash: both Mac and Windows. A premium level of membership provides the ability to set up groups and collaborate, but it does cost money. The free version is still quite impressive. One distinct advantage of the ability to download a finished product is the fact that OFFline projects using copyrighted materials can still fall under Fair Use, assuming you limit the number of actual copies. You can also avoid any school policy concerns about posting student work online by keeping it within your school or network. To be able to use ALL tools, be sure you have Flash 9 or higher. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. If you are not allowed to install software, fear not. All but a very few tools and all finished products work in Flash 7. If you can see the TeachersFirst "What's New" on our home page, you can use the workBench!
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free). We recommend that you tour the examples, then start a new project and/or view the tutorials accessible through a question mark in the top left corner. Make sure you spot the ways to SAVE your project, view and use the site map that is generated for you automatically, and obtain both a URL and a downloaded copy of your project. Projects do NOT save automatically! Safety and logistics issues: all users must set up an account with an email address. One email address is permitted to have multiple user names and passwords associated with it. If your students do not have school email (and most do not), you have three options:
1. Create a single, whole-class account using an "extra" email account of your own. Note that you do not need to be able to access the email from school to get started (no confirmation routine). This works fine for a few projects or a whole-class project.
2. Create multiple username accounts (one for each student or group), all using your "extra" email account as their email. This will send the username/password reminders to your email for record-keeping. Remember that in the free version, each account is separate , so you cannot "share" images, etc. without uploading them to EACH account.
3. Create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. If you teach multiple sections, use numbers and have each class period use the same set of numbers. There are "sabotage" risks. See the second page of our editor's trIntuition example for solutions to that. Such Gmail subaccounts will come in handy for just about any web 2.0 tool you use in class, so the effort is worth it. Just keep a record of WHO is using which account!
Possible uses for trIntuition workBench? Portfolios; college application "visual essays;" digital biodiversity logs (with digital pictures students take); online literary magazines; personal reflections in images and text; research project presentations; comparisons of online content, such as political candidates' sites or content sites used in research (compared for bias); science sites documenting experiments or illustrating concepts, such as the water cycle; "Visual" lab reports; Digital scrapbooks using images from the public domain and video and audio clips from a time in history -- such as the Roaring Twenties; Local history interactive stories; Visual interpretations of major concepts, such as a "visual" U.S. Constitution. Imagine building your own online library of raw materials for your students to create their own "webscreens" as a new way of assessing understanding: you provide the digital pictures, and they sequence, caption, and write about them (younger students) or you provide the steps in a project as a template, and they insert the actual content of their own. After a first project where you provide "building blocks," the sky is the limit on what they can do. Even the very young can make suggestions as you "create" a whole-class product together using an interactive whiteboard. Consider making a new project for each unit you teach so students can "recap" long after the unit ends.
Enter a search term or click the pulldown of science topics to see a graphical representation of how standards-based math and science concepts fit together and interrelate, then click on a single standards to find web resources and lesson plans specifically for that concept. Seeing the concepts organized in a hierarchy from K to grade 12 and "connected" to the precursors and following standards makes it much easier to see where your students have been and where they are headed in science before and after you teach them. The best part is that you can find exactly the resources you need to get them where they need to go.
In the Classroom: Mark this in your Favorites on TeachersFirst to access it every time you start a new science topic or unit. Consider sharing a simpler version of the same map, created in Inspiration or using an online tool such as Gliffy (our review here) or Mindomo (see review )to show your students how the content in your science classes fit with their prior knowledge and connect from unit to unit. About a month before the year ends, challenge them to work in small groups and create their OWN annotated concept maps of the "big ideas" studied during the school year.
This site offers 16 interactive activities that involve words for kids: from rebuses to word searches. Although geared for intermediate students, this is a fun site for up to 9th graders for a break in the activity and spark a creative project. It has the trademark Superman comics and is specifically for getting students actively involved in thinking and writing. The site may load a little slowly because it is actually an "archived" resource of the USDOE.
In the Classroom: If you have access to a lab, assign small groups of students to different activities and then put them all together into one package for the kids to share. After practicing with the pages on the web, students can continue the activity by making up their own rebuses, word scrambles, or writing the dialog. Use online tools such as ToonDoo to create comics from digital pictures or create digital rebus puzzles on PowerPoint slides using current vocabulary words.
Create ready-to-go notetaking sheets for your students or have them create their own using this online tool that generates pdf (Acrobat Reader) files to your specifications. Once you choose the options you want under Create Your Personal Notepaper (blank, ruled, etc), click Submit to see your "perfect notetaking sheet" in Acrobat Reader. Click "Save a copy" to keep it or simply print it out on the spot. Results require Acrobat Reader. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
This resource was featured in a recent New Teacher Hotline Podcast as one of the Tech Toolbox resources. Hear more about it on the podcast .
In the Classroom: If you require a notebook for your course, this is the perfect tool. Share the link from your teacher web page so students can create their own, customized sheets. Be sure to demonstrate how it works, then "write" a sample set of Cornell-style notes by sharing it on your interactive whiteboard so students can see how to use them! Learning support and study skills teachers will love this one. Middle school science and social studies teachers should encourage a consistent note-taking system like this so all students can find what works for them. Perhaps try different variations until students figure out which is best.
This site offers an easy to use online tool to create a photo album in minutes. Choose a theme and customize with your photos. Print, email or save the brochure to print at a later date. Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker so you can “see” all the site content. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: This site would work well for an individual or pairs of students. Take digital pictures of a science experiment or other class activity, write captions for each picture and create an album page. Combine the pages into a class book. This would be a great way to "collect" nature specimens or document biodiversity in the school yard without disturbing any flora or fauna. Special ed, ESL, ELL, speech/language, or world language teachers teachers would also like the options for student-created or personalized, illustrated vocabulary guides. Create one together with your students or assign them to make one as an assessment. Elementary teachers will love the possibilities for Mother's Day gifts!
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for moderately adventurous technology users. This simple-to-use online tool allows any user to create a "recording" of a drawing without without narration. Simply draw on a "whiteboard" space on the computer screen (and, if you wish, record yourself talking as you draw). The finished product is available as a mini-video (recorded in Flash) that can be shared via URL or embedded in a blog or wiki, much the same way people share YouTube videos. See a sample created by the Edge editorial team with some ideas for ways to use a Sketchcast. Requires FLASH.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free). Membership requires an email address, but appears to work just fine with a "made up" address (warning: email notifications for forgotten passwords will not work if you pretend!). Watch the sample sketchcast, if you wish. Create a sketchcast (be sure to plug in a mike and check "with voice" if you want sound. When finished, name it, and publish it. You can copy/paste the URL from the page that shows the Sketchcast to share it, click to email it to someone, or copy/paste the code they provide to embed it in your blog. Edit or delete from the My Account page.
Some concerns: there is no way to keep your sketchcast private. Any visitor to the Sketchcast site can see it or link to it. They can also COMMENT on it--possibly a problem as you try to protect students. Also, your students can see any Sketchcast that has been made on the site, so content may NOT be appropriate to all classrooms. (Stick figures can be suggestive or scary, too!). There is a link to report any abuse of the site. The Edge team recommends some combination of a student-user agreement, signed by parents as well or close monitoring if you choose to use this in class. The safest way to SHARE Sketchcasts you make for students is to embed them in your blog so they will not "see" the rest of the Sketchcast site. NEVER allow students to create user names or Sketchcasts that are identifiable by unscrupulous outsiders. One other limitation is the difficulty of drawing with a mouse. If you have access to graphics tablets, these would really help. You might also try "drawing" with your finger with the site open on an interactive whiteboard!
Ideas to use Sketchcast: allow students to submit assessment quizzes using sketchcast instead of written essays (especially those with writing disabilities); create teacher-made explanations of concepts or math processes for students to access and play from your blog for review; Allow young ones to draw and talk about animals they have learned about (on the interactive whiteboard, then embed their videos in the class blog; have students talk about musical notes or symbols as you draw them and record for later review; allow students to do prewriting for assignments in Sketchcast; challenge students to create a visual explanation of an abstract concept, such as democracy or energy. The options are endless.
This online tool creates checklists for your class projects. Oral presentations, writing, multimedia, or science projects will become a cinch to grade when you have exact guidelines generated by this site. Not only will it be easier for you to assess, but it gives students exact knowledge on what is needed. Just choose a grade level, then choose from a list of project guidelines (or add your own), and make a checklist with the touch of a button. You may even personalize your checklist to your own specific criteria.
In the Classroom: If you do not want to figure out the math and relative weights of a scored rubric, these checklists share project expectations in a simple list form. You must save the web page URL for your checklist in order to view it later. Include a completed project checklist link on your teacher web page for students and parents to refer to as they work on projects at home. Note: There is no database of other teacher-generated checklists. With very young students, you will want to use the "add your own" option to write very simple text for a checklist that they can read.
This online tool gives teachers an easy way to find and create rubrics to fit any project. Join for free, then browse existing rubrics made by others or create your own, starting from scratch or from a template provided. You can even make rubrics in Spanish. Search rubrics by keyword or by subject. Choose "permanent rubric" if you wish to save your rubric on the site for more than a week. You can use one of your previous rubrics as the basis for a new one, simply by choosing to "duplicate" it (then make changes). This site receives funding through the U.S. Dept of Ed, so they do "track" use by zip code. There is also a tool to analyze your rubric scores for a project, though it seems a bit cumbersome.
In the Classroom: Use this tool to create rubrics in advance for any project you assign and share them with students. If you realize that you need to make changes before the final projects are turned it, it is easy to do so from the saved rubric.
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Once your students are completely familiar with the rubric process, consider allowing them to have input into designing a rubric to evaluate something: new inventions, the best way to solve an engineering problem, best mystery, the best design for a bridge, etc. Then use this tool together as you design a class rubric on an interactive whiteboard or projector. What a great way to develop higher order thinking skills!
sketchfuGrade 6 to 12
- Matt Rubens and Andrew Chen- 8553
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. Create simple drawings (or elaborate ones) and share them in animated form using this online tool. The VERY simple drawing tool space records your drawing actions, allows you to replay to see it in quick motion, and "publishes" the result on a web page. The site is designed as a social drawing space where you can view others' work and share your own, but students could use it just for class--and so could you. See a silly sample diagram made by our editors. This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free). They say it requires email, but it works with a "nonsense" address, so students COULD set up a quick account. We recommend using a single class account with the teacher's email so you can monitor content. It appears that multiple computers can log into the same account at the same time. Once on the site, SKIP the profile info (not required) and friends, and go right to "draw something." Use very simply tools to diagram a process (photosynthesis?), build an art drawing to show how simple geometric shapes can interact as the basis for complex drawings, or illustrate a simple allegorical story with basic shapes (The Dot Meets the Line?). Use Replay to watch it.
When you are ready, click "publish" and copy the URL they provide (skip the email part) so you can show the animation on your interactive whiteboard or place the link in other presentations. You can also DOWNLOAD the still image.
Safety concerns: Since the site has drawings by anyone, we do not recommend allowing students to browse freely. You never know what people might "draw"! Share the site on a supervised computer or an interactive whiteboard or projector to avoid adventurous curiosity in class. Let the students do that at home under someone else's supervision. The site policies state that content should be rated "PG."
How would you use this? Challenge students to use the tool to explain complex processes in simple graphic terms. Since text is very difficult, you may want them to narrate their animations themselves. Art teachers will want to browse some of the beautiful drawings done by others on this site and share the animations to show techniques of building color, shape, cross-hatching ,etc. to make an image. (There is an opacity variation tool, but you have to "earn" it---our reviewers did not get that far).
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. Create your own one to three panel comic strips or --even better- have your students create them using this simple online tool. The libraries include many cartoon figures, voice bubbles, and more. You can also upload your own photos using the Imaginr(or pieces from them) and create your own characters using the Traitr. For a longer story, make a TOONBOOK instead of a single TOONDOO strip. See a sample made by our techno-savvy editors in just a few minutes. The "published" products can be shared online with the world, shared with a limited audience (probably the safest for students), or kept completely private (visible only to you when logged in).
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Register(free). Registration asks for an email address, but abc@123 works just fine. There is no email validation process. Log right in. Play with the "Create Your Own" tools to make a TOONDOO or TOONBOOK, including locating characters, resizing, re-ordering, entering text, etc. IF you are feeling adventurous, try upload an image to include. When you are ready, publish the product, publicly by sharing the URL or to opt for a limited audience.
Potential safety concerns: If you are having students create their own TOONDOOS, you will want to prohibit their accessing the links to "popular" TOONDOOS and others available to the public, since the site is open for anyone's idea of "funny" content. Our editors did not see anything objectionable, but you never know.
How can you use this in the classroom? Once you have laid the ground rules, have students create strips with characters explaining a science concept. Or show the steps in a process or procedure, such as the water cycle. Older students can create political satire cartoons. If you have students work from your account, you can provide the "raw materials" of some digital pictures for them to make cartoon explanations of lab safety procedures or nature species. Even little ones can write sentences. Have them work with a partner---and LIMIT their choices to 3 character options so they do not keep changing their minds!
BibMe is a one-stop source for all kinds of bibliography needs. It is a great online tool for bibliographies--and more. It even has a function for those students who don’t remember all the information for the source you cited. BibMe allows you to search from a database of millions of entries to find your source and autofill in the information. If you have the source in front of you, you can enter your entries manually. BibMe also offers resources to help you cite your work properly in the ‘Citation Guide’ section. It offers examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago formatting, making it useful for a wide variety of schools.
In the Classroom: This is a great tool for students who are both learning to cite correctly and as a helpful tool for those who forget some of the "little" things that count when writing a bibliography. It offers a great example, too, of the difference between what is in a "Works Cited" page and what actually appears in the text as a citation. Teachers can use this on a Smartboard or simply through a computer lab or projector to demonstrate the correct way to cite as well as mistakes to avoid. Be sure to include the link on your teacher web page for students finishing reports in the wee hours of the morning on the due date.
There is a free membership available (requests an email address but allows you in without using it--try a bogus one?). Set up a free account for yourself so you can "save" example bibliographies. Your school policies may not allow individual student accounts, though it is worth asking your administration, since the tools are quite useful and definitely education-oriented. Be sure to keep a receord of student usernames (NOT their real names, please) and passwords in your TEACHER plan or grade book for those who "forget."
This is a time-saving online tool for any subject. Reinforce concepts and spelling with your own customized word searches. This tool allows for a variety of options for the placement of the words or even the shape of the grid puzzle. Teachers can personalize the font styles and sizes as well.
In the Classroom: Read the home page carefully for directions on setting your browser for a more customized look. Landscape mode works best for most puzzles. Make sure you take their suggestion of copying your word list onto your clipboard just in case you lose the word search. For younger students, consider sharing a word search on an interactive whiteboard and letting them "highlight" the words with a finger in different colors.
vixy.net (beta)Grade K to 12
- The Vixy project: Takuma Mori- 8177
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: For the most adventurous technology users. This online tool can convert online videos such as the ones you find on YouTube into a portable format you can play at school when filtering blocks access to the regular video site. You will likely have to do the conversion on a home computer and bring the file to school on a USB storage device or CD. With the rapid growth of YouTube as a participant forum, the content is most always blocked by school filtering, yet SELECTED videos may have real usefulness in the classroom or even in professional development settings.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: locate the online video and copy the URL. Open the Vixy site and paste the URL into the converter. Click to convert to AVI for windows or Mpeg4 for Mac, then download the file. Save the file to your local computer, then transfer to your portable device (USB or CD). The complication: Windows will require the DivX plug-in to play as an offline video file, such as in Windows Media Player. There is a link from Vixy to download it, but you may not be allowed to install it on your school machine. You could bring the install file to school on CD and ask your tech department to install it for you, if your machine does not already have it.
Why bother? YouTube and similar sites provide videos that are powerful tools in political campaigns and social commentary. Such videos may be worth the effort for your American Government or history class. YouTube also hosts artistic films and examples of literary genres applicable in the English classroom, as well. Sharing these videos, licensed under Creative Commons Share and Share Alike Licensing, is LEGAL, especially for your classroom use.
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for moderately adventurous technology users. Create simple audio podcasts using this online tool and the free space they provide. Simply put, this tool lets you create and place sound recordings online for people to listen to and/or download from a web site. There are MANY free podcasts in a variety of subject areas (art, health, technology, music, business, and more). The site itself is a "web 2.0," social networking style site, so some schools may have it blocked. Ask about unblocking just YOUR teacher account so you can have students access it while at school and under your supervision.
What can it do? You can record sound directly with the microphone built or plugged into your computer and make it available for people to listen to online or download to their MP3 player. See and hear a sample we made for you.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free); Membership requires email. Then attach a mike or use your built-in computer mike; create the podcast by clicking a record button,(you may have to tell your computer to "allow" nonsecure items over and over). Choose a background for your podcast page. Share it with others using one of several sharing options on the "My Podcast" tab, including copying the link to paste in an email or newsletter or embedding the podcast in your class web page or wiki.
Safety/Security: Podomatic does not allow memberships for those under 13. Teachers using this tool with younger students should do so under supervision and with a teacher-controlled account. The site is a "general public" site, so the home page has links to recent podcasts that may not be appropriate for the classroom. Discuss this possibility and tell students NOT to click on other's work or simply avoid sending students into the site on their own. Be sure you have parent permission and check school policies before allowing students to post work online. Carefully select or SKIP many sharing mechanisms for safety's sake. Limit any identifiable information within the podcasts. You may want to share the links to class podcasts only with your students and parents. If you have students record podcasts as assignments, you may need multiple accounts because the free accounts have limited file space. An elementary teacher might have enough space for 25 students to keep a limited number of products on his/her own account, depending upon length. The site will tell you how much space each podcast takes and how much you have left. Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to create these subaccounts for use in joining any web-tool site.
Possible uses: You could record your homework assignments or directions; you can record story time or a reading excerpt for younger ones to listen to at a computer center AND from home! Have better readers record selected passages for your non-readers (perhaps older buddies). Launch a service project for your fifth or sixth graders to record stories for the kindergarten to use in their reading and listening center. Have students create "you are there" recordings as "eyewitnesses" to historical or current events; make a weekly class podcast, with students taking turns writing and sharing the "Class News;" have students create radio advertisements for concepts studied in class (Buy Dynamic DNA!); have students write and record their own stories or poetry in dramatic readings; language students or beginning readers could record their fluency by reading passages; allow parents to hear their child's progress reading aloud, etc. Compare world language, speech articulation, or reading fluency at two points during the year. Have your Shakespeare students record a soliloquy! Write and record a poem for Father's or Mother's Day (or other special events) and send the URL as a gift to that special person.
Looking for an alternative to a quiz or an assignment of boring vocabulary definitions written on notebook paper? Trying to find a way to prompt students to write even short passages? Trying to teach simple dialog to ESL/ELL students? Working on appropriate language and interpersonal skills with emotional support students? Looking for a creative way to make clever newsletter additions, bulletin board items, or class rules? Use this great online tool for both students and teachers to create web-based or printed comic strips from a selection of characters and voice bubbles-- and with your OWN text! Our editors made a sample for you to see.
This site also features writing prompts. To find the writing prompts, click to Enter The Site and then scroll to the bottom of the page. The link for Writer Prompts can be found on the bottom right side of the site. The Writer Prompts link will lead you to the creator's blog, with many writing prompts (with new prompts added often). This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: This one is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector. Demonstrate the tool on the whiteboard or projector and allow the class to create a strip together before you share the link on your teacher web page. Have students create strips as a quiz or other assignment and email the links to you. No more papers to carry around and grade! Build a collection of comics on different curriculum topics to use as anticipatory sets/activators or to spark discussion. Have younger students make comic strip greeting cards for Mother's Day. The possibilities are endless.
The site creators tell us that Makebeliefscomix accepts accent marks and characters from Spanish, French, Italian, German, Latin, Portuguese, in addition to English, they hope soon to add Chinese and Japanese.
Use the writing prompts to excite reluctant writers. Visit often, as new prompts are added weekly.
This online tool provides teachers with a wealth of mathematical word problems and other challenges. Some examples of topics include mental math, graphing, addition squares, basic multiplication and more. Many of the pages require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
In the Classroom: This site has a great variety of math activities (most are not interactive). Use a projector to challenge your students daily with a new mathematical word problem as a "warm up."
Use this terrific online tool for your students to create posters or short reports in a poster format. Create lessons, worksheets, or class pages and instantly publish them online using this free Web Poster Wizard. The teacher sets up an account (for free), and follows simple directions so students can upload images and write about their project or pictures. The site even includes management tools so you can keep separate classes of students and see their work by class.
Plan to spend some time reading through the directions and trying out this tool before you assign it to students. Teachers and students must register and login each time they use this tool. Students can share the URL for their posters with grandparents or parents to show off their good work!
Students will need to know how to locate and upload a file for an image (such as a digital picture) to place it in their poster. If you allow them to use images from the web, the tool asks them to give information on their image source, as well (hooray for ethical use of the Internet!). If you use digital pictures of students, be SURE that you do NOT use full names on the site. You should get parent permission for uploading any student images, even if anonymous.
In the Classroom: Some uses for this simple tool: book reports (take a digital photo of the book cover), biographical posters of famous people (images from the web), "all about me" posters, posters about community members such as veterans of World War II whom students interview and photograph, author posters, fictitious character studies, science posters on processes or terms with accompanying digital pictures to illustrate, etc. The possibilities are endless. Once students know the tool, they can use it over and over.
Teachers, make sure you select the archive option to keep student projects live online for more than a month. Use the Teacher Feature option to create one web page of your class’ archived projects. You will want to put your created web page link prominently on your class homepage.
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for the moderately curious technology user. Research verifies the power of graphic organizers in promoting strong thinking skills and comprehension for all ages. Gliffy is a FREE online tool for creating graphic organizers without purchasing ANY software. Individuals or groups can create the organizers or the class can create them together, such as in a brainstorming session on a projector. You can assign students to "map" out a chapter or story or assign groups to create study guides using this tool collaboratively. Your students are certain to enjoy this tool and be forced to THINK in the process. You can export the graphic organizers to a blog or "publish" them on the web -- all for free. See an example of a published diagram/organizer made by our editors for more ideas.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: join the Gliffy site (free), play with the tools and toolbars to create diagrams, access help and FAQ to collaborate, publish, or embed diagrams in your blog or other web page. Easy to medium difficulty. Note: collaborators need individual email accounts to gain access. If your students do NOT have personal email, you may want to create group email accounts on Yahoo or GMail for which only YOU know the password and can log in for groups to work in class in order to avoid the safety and school filtering issues of student email access. This would also be a great tool for group projects in YOUR grad classes!
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for the more adventurous technology user. Tabblo allows you to make very professional-looking posters, brochures, photo layouts using an online tool. Join the site for free and use photos you "borrow" from Flickr, other Tabblo users, or uploaded from your own digital image collection. The hitch: you cannot PRINT OUT the finished Tabblo results from the web page. You CAN share it online (they'll give you the link) or pay to have it printed. Why bother? Primary teachers may want to use this site as a way to share images of a classroom special event with parents (by email invitation to view it online). Since you can designate your images and finished Tabblo as PRIVATE, there is no safety concern. Older students can actually make Tabblos of their own from images you provide or images they take with a digital camera. Our editors made a sample for you to view online. We used their sample images, so the content does not really "make sense." Be sure to read the TEXT of the sample Tabblo for more ideas on how to use the tool in the classroom.
In the Classroom: Use Tabblos for professional-looking, student-made projects (perhaps pay to print the BEST one?) to illustrate concepts, show steps in a process, document a lab experiment,
Tech skills needed: ability to upload pictures (for which you OWN the rights), Tagging photos and finished Tabblos, reading step-by-step directions and Help to master simple drag and drop, template selection, text editing, etc involved in making the Tabblo, copy/paste of URL to share a Tabblo, careful reading of sharing options.
Our advice: start small and think about management issues if you are allowing students to upload photos. It might be easiest to provide a set, tagged with your class name, for the first time you use this tool. The students are guaranteed to ask for another Tabblo activity!
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for the more adventurous technology user. Create printable, downloadable, emailable, or online versions of photo collages in a stained glass style using this free online tool. You must join (free) to make an account. You can upload digital pictures or transfer them from Flickr (see TeachersFirst Edge for more info on Flickr). The products can have all sorts of uses or simply be an artistic project. Be sure to read About Stained Glass Collage for tech info and ideas.
In the Classroom: Upload photos to a teacher account and allow students to create "stained glass" collages from your collection. You can document a field trip, illustrate a concept or process, such as "autumn," "healthy eating," or photosynthesis. Demonstrate first on a projector or interactive whiteboard, if available. Some other ideas to illustrate: lab safety, food groups, mammals, acceleration, branches of government, etc. The only limit is your imagination! You can also make great collages for an open house PowerPoint show or for your web site (assuming you OWN the rights to the images).
This free, online tool was created by a veteran teacher for you to be able to create your own rubrics. Search for rubrics already made by others using the keyword search. Ex. enter "persuasive" to find loads of persuasive writing rubrics. You can create an account for free, then access rubrics made by other teachers ("clone" them to edit and use one that is close to what you need). You can also start from scratch. The rubric generator creates a printable version you can come back and get every time you need it. More techno-savvy users can also copy the html code for their finished rubric to put on another website.
In the Classroom: When you first arrive, you won't see much without joining, though you can use the search feature to see examples. Once you join the site, mark it in your Favorites and include the "access code" you made for yourself as part of the notes for the Favorite, so you will remember what you used! You can share rubrics with teacher-colleagues and save lots of time! You can also edit them after use, if you discover that you need to change scoring or wording.
Here's an online tool that lets users compare the tracks of different hurricanes from a listing of more than 30 years' data. It's a great tool that can be used to illustrate the variety of paths these storms take. Try comparing different years, different periods of the year, etc. to see the variations.
In the Classroom: This site is a great interactive "hypothesis testing" tool for student "hurrican predictors. Note that it requires a speedy connection, and the results will take a few seconds to appear.
The next time a research project is assigned, lead your students to this helpful site that provides useful tips, printable worksheets, and links to online tools that can help build information literacy skills. Includes hints on developing a focus, choosing a source, organizing notes, avoiding plagiarism, and more.
This online tool lets you create a timeline of an individual's life using dates from 1000 AD to the present year. Enter the person's name and dates, add events (historic or personal) and their beginning/ending dates, and click the "generate" button.
This online tool gently guides students through each step of the writing process - pre-writing, writing, organizing, editing, rewriting, and publishing - and provides helpful tips along the way. The goal is to create a basic paragraph based on a prompt generated by the site. Completed paragraphs can be copied and pasted into a word processing program for final editing. Be aware: this site does sell software but teachers can use this portion of the site for free.
This is an online tool that lets users experiment with lines, fills, and color to create their own kaleidoscope. There are lots of possible imaging, color, and mathematical connections that one might draw from this one. It’s also just plain fun to try. This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
The Council of American Hebrew Congregations offers a brief explanation of this high holy day at the start of Jewish the new year, along with a description of customary holiday observances.
In the Classroom: Share this information for students to use in comparing religious traditions in different cultures. Create a comparison/contrast "map" to promote cross-cultural understanding using a free online tool such as bubbl.us, reviewed here. Student groups can make their own maps or work together as a class on interactive whiteboard.
Though the title is probably misleading, this site's collection of information about the presidencies of our nation's leaders has plenty of facts, but little context. One of the more interesting features are the links to historical documents from different presidencies. This one's useful for very basic research, but it lacks the "who did what" aspects that can make history really interesting.
In the Classroom: Because this is a very organized presentation of the presidents, it would be extremely easy to compare presidents about very specific points. This would be useful in a class discussion of political party differences, campaign spending & finance, and legislation decisions. For comparison purposes, we recommend using an online Venn Diagram to be used on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
Learn about rubrics and essentials for authentic assessment using rubrics from this article.
In the Classroom: The links to various online rubric generators provide some examples and tools for you to try creating your own rubrics (or use some ready-made ones).
TeachersFirst expains the essentials of rubrics: What are they, why use them, types of rubrics, and ideas forinvolving students in creating rubrics. The article includes links to online tools for creating rubrics or to find ready-made rubrics, ready for download. Teachers old and new will like the succinct explanations and ready tools for authentic assessment.
In the Classroom: Mark this resource as a Favorite for quick access to everything you need when preparing to give a project-based learning assignment.
This site has archives of lists of books, organized by theme and displayed pictorially. Specific subjects feature books divided into two or three levels, including picture books, books for independent readers, and YA books. Featured books are not annotated, but bibliographic information is included. There are many widely varied themes, from the classical to the offbeat (Something from Nothing, and In Praise of Bad Books). The themes are too numerous to mention them all: Adventures on the High Seas Booklist, Africa Booklist, American Military Stories Booklist, Building Things Booklist, Children Putting on Plays Booklist, Exploration Booklist, First Day of School Booklist, Inventors and Inventions Booklist, Mother Goose Booklist, and countless others. A search feature allows teachers and students to search by many different criteria: Type of Child, Title, Author/Illustrator, ISBN, Genre, Subject, Series, Format, Fiction or Non-Fiction, Reading Level, Grade Level, Lexile, Setting, Author and Illustrator Demographics, Personal issues, and other categories. A free login allows users to submit reviews, tag books, or create wishlists (suggest other themes). Registration does require an email address, but it is free. You do not need to register to access the booklists.
In the Classroom: Turn to this comprehensive list if you are searching for books on a certain theme. These books are a perfect addition to units on the various topics presented. Share the link with your students if they want other books about subjects that have interested them. Keep these booklists handy for students seeking independent reading. If you use a list in conjunction with a curriculum unit, be sure to invite students to "review" the books by putting the list on a class wiki or in a spreadsheet where they can enter comments and indicate that which books they have read. This will allow other students to choose books based on what a fellow student with similar taste recommends. Google Docs Spreadsheets reviewed hereare an easy online tool for students to collaborate and comment. The teacher can create one that is editable publicly and link to it from the class web page. You may want to provide this link on your class website for families to access at home.
See a visual timeline of the worldwide economic crisis beginning in 2008, from the point of view of a non-U.S. source. Reuters shares 365 days of upheaval beginning in fall, 2008 via pictures, captions, videos, articles, facts, and more in a highly interactive timeline.
In the Classroom: Explore the timeline on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a class or ask students or groups to explore it on their own, looking for key points and terms that help them better understand this complex crisis. Ask student "guides" to trace and elaborate on trends they find or to highlight key moments as they explain orally to the class. Have students respond to a single image using an online tool to narrate an image such as Voicethread reviewed here or in a blog post. Find an event to which they can connect from their own personal or family perspective. Compare these vignettes with others from the Great Depression photos of great photographers. Keep the link to this interactive timeline on your class web page or wiki as a reference or as a venue for sharing students responses.
Teachersfirst Edge Entry: for anyone who can click and type! Trailfire is an online tool for making "trails" for others to follow on the Internet. You can also find "trails" created by others willing to share their work. Simply by clicking the various "stops" along your guided trail, you can add notes telling people who should stop here or what they should do, comment on the pages' content, etc. Click "explore" to browse or search (by tag or keyword) the many trails already available. Click "Learn" in the tag cloud to see examples of "how to" trails. There is even one on how to make lesson plans! Navigate the "trail" with small blue arrows at the very top and read the creator's comments as little pop-ups that look like sticky notes. As with any public site, there are topics NOT suitable for the classroom, so preview, preview, and preview. Buried among the trails are some created by teachers, such as the Great Pumpkin Adventure or this sample trail by the TeachersFirst review team. Trails YOU make can be shared by URL or kept private to share with your selected viewers. NOTE: the site seems a bit sluggish at times, so resist the urge to click into "mouse panic."
In the Classroom: Skills Needed: NO skills are needed to view and use trails created by others. Explore, find, and save the URL for the trail you want your students to use. To be able to create trails, join the site (email required, but no waiting for verification email). Download the Trailfire toolbar (you will be prompted to do this when you register). You do NOT need this toolbar to FOLLOW trails, only to create them or "see" marks left behind by others on the web. Note that any computer equipped with the Trailfire plug-in installed will also "see" any public "marks" left on pages by other Trailfire users. If your school computer does not allow downloads, you can create trails at home for use by students.
Getting started: Once you join and download the plug-in simply click the Trailfire "mark page" button on your toolbar whenever you visit a site on which you would like to comment. The sidebar (which you can keep open or close with the x) offers hints as you learn to use Trailfire. If you are preparing a trail for students to follow,
Add "marks" (like sticky notes) to each web page on your trail. These can include comments, directions, etc. To share your trail, go to "My stuff" and get the trail URL (tiny orange text!)
Safety/security concerns: If you are only USING trails or creating them for your students to use, there are no safety issues. If you are having students create trails they will need to log in and work on computers with the Trailfire download installed. You might want to consider using a whole-class account with your own (extra) email as the log in or setting up a GMail account with sub-accounts. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Since the Trailfire site offers Recent, Popular, and Hot trails on the home page, teachers allowing students to create trails will want to have strict policies about avoiding these areas where the general public could create topics for trails inappropriate for the classroom.
Possible Uses:
Have students create visual bibliographies of sites they used for a project and what they learned there, or create student trails of different types of volcanoes (explaining them in markers). Challenge students to create trails of examples of the bill of rights in operation or the three branches of government in real life, or student commentary on web page bias, or even student explanations of grammatical errors they find---with markers explaining the CORRECTIONS! Teacher-created trails for students doing project-based learning, including notes on which sites might be more challenging reading or include a good introduction, key terms and definitions in markers on a page with challenging reading, purpose-setting "markers" for reading comprehension practice using web articles. What other ideas can YOU add?
Use this visualization tool to zoom into areas around the world and view the topography and other statistics. Use the zoom tool in the bottom left to zoom in on a specific area. Double click the map to bring up a historical player that shows population growth in that area over time (1800's to present depending upon your area.) If your area does not zoom in completely or have statistics, try areas such as Los Angeles or New York City to see amazing changes. Type a city and state into the search box in order to choose a specific area. Change the contrast with the slider in the lower right hand corner to adjust the amount of the background that you want to see. You can also use your arrows tools (or scroll) to view the lines (not labeled) for the equator, lines of latitude, and lines of longitude. Note: The data takes some time to load. Make sure you are zoomed in enough to get the “Please wait” message, then be patient. While you are waiting, form your own hypothesis of what you will see!
In the Classroom: Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this incredible tool to look at landforms such as forests and fields. Discuss suburban sprawl, use of resources, and other issues by looking at various areas. View urban areas and the placement of roads, etc. Watch your state and transportation network “grow” as part of your state history units. Bring math, drafting, and other topics to life with use of this incredible tool. View the growth in population of various areas. As the slider moves through the years, corresponding colored dots appear on the map. Pause the player at any point to really look at where population increases have occurred. Students can take a snapshot of the map (apple-shift-4 on Mac or Alt Print screen on PC) to record specific data. Theorize the scientific, historical, or geographic reasons for changes in locations of populations over time. Students can research and present development of various areas across the world. Compare societal values and changes between different countries. Have students compare data using Venn Diagrams. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
This section of Nik Peachey's Learning Technology Blog for ESL/ELL teachers offers 20 ways to use web cameras for classroom activities. There are videos, blog entries, reviews of some GREAT sites, and more. These suggestions include things such as diaries, dictation, class research, poetry, having a tip of the day, questions, guessing games, news, and student support. If you are not a techie, he has also made suggestions about which type of web cameras work and how to use them. This is a great tool to learn about some new online tools.
In the Classroom: This site would work well for world language courses and segments of classes where cultural studies and world awareness are important. Share the webcams, video clips, and more on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use these suggestions as group activities; ask your students to suggest more ideas with web cameras. Challenge students to create video commercials “advertising” their new idea. Share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.
Use this website to create simple and fast sign up sheets (online) for any classroom purpose. No account is needed. This site literally takes only 1-2 minutes to create an online sign-up sheet. Click on "Create a Sign-up sheet now" to begin. Enter the purpose of the sheet, the last date for sign-ups, your email (with an option to hide your email address from others,) and your name. Once created, use the link to post on a blog, wiki, or other site for others to sign-up. Additionally, you can send the link by email for others to use.
The online list is FREE, however if you request a downloadable XLS format, it is for a FEE ($1.00 at the time of this review).
In the Classroom: Use this site for sign-ups for projects, events, special occasions, club activities, finding students interests, field trips, and more. Use to sign up for bringing in goodies, donated items, tasks, parent volunteers.
Follow this animated story to learn about the different food chain roles and the animals of the Savannah that fill these roles. Read the words and watch the organisms move across the screen (and even listen to the sounds of a few -- so turn up the speakers). Follow the story to the end and be sure to click on the joke. Not only is there more information but a knee-slapper pun of a joke as well.
In the Classroom: Use the story prior to discussing roles in the environment. The site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector. In early grades, the teacher or an advanced reader can read the words aloud. Use the story to discuss the roles and interactions of the animals in the story. Assign students to make concept maps on paper or electronically to use the vocabulary and understand the interactions. Use an online tool such as bubbl.us (reviewed here) to create and share the concept maps. Assign groups a different ecosystem or biome. Student groups can identify organisms in that environment that fill those roles. Create a conventional or multimedia project to show information to others in the class.
Teachers First Edge Review: For the slightly adventurous. Use this free web site to create flashcards for teacher or individual student use. There is also a link to “Study Flashcards” that are already ready to go. There are literally HUNDREDS of ready to go flashcard packets: presidents, addition, algebra, music, and more.
If you are creating your own, you can add images, video, or audio. Study flashcards online or share with others in created study groups. Use flashcards to learn new information (question and answer are side by side,) study (shows the question and then the answer,) or quiz themselves by entering answers. Create a game with the flashcards by using a timer and score board on the site. Share flashcard sets with others by sending a URL address or create study groups to share. View public flashcards created by others by using their search feature.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: You can access the already created flashcards without any account, email, or age requirements. However, if you wish to create flashcards, an email and birth date is required to create an account. Users must be 13 years of age or older. Verifying email is required to create flashcards.
Using Brainflips: Use the Deck panel to enter flashcard deck title and other basic information. Use the Card panel to add, edit, and change the order of the flashcards in the deck. Create text or multiple choice answers for each flashcard and even enter alternative answers. Click "Insert" above the question field to add images, audio, and video to flashcards.
Safety/Security: Since an email and birth date are required, consider creating a class account for teacher use or for groups of students to use. Create teacher flashcards for class use by creating card decks and providing the URL for students to use. The home page of this site includes changing “featured” content contributed by the general public. Check ahead of time to be sure it is suitable for the classroom. You may want to send students to the flashcards via a direct link to the deck. You may want to prohibit or point out the links to advertising located along the top and sides of the site. Students must have individual accounts to create flashcards on their own(email required). Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.
Possible uses: Facts, spelling words, vocabulary, definitions, foreign language, root words, historical names -— all can easily be typed into this flashcard format for any subject. Plan a system of tags for sets on related material so they can be grouped. For example: tag all geography terms "geography" and all words from the same science chapter using the chapter number or topic. You can use multiple tags, too! In the computer lab, using a projector or interactive whiteboard, walk your students through making their own sets of flashcards or using teacher created flashcards for student and group use. Students or parents can then access their electronic cards at home or anywhere with a specific URL that can be placed on any teacher blog or website. No email address is needed to use the cards, only to create the cards. Include the link to your sets on your web page for students to study before tests. Collaborate with other teachers to create useful sets for all to use. Rotate responsibility each marking period among student groups in your class to create a set for each chapter/unit/week for the rest of the class to use as review. Give a special award (or bonus points) for the most creative, complete set that marking period. Learning support teachers may want to work together with small student groups to create verbal and visual card sets to accompany the chapters they are studying. Involve the students in the process so they can reinforce new content as they create their own “study materials” with color coding, images, and more.
Informative, Comical, and straight forward, this site (created by WaterAid), is full of water and sanitation information. The Adventures of Super Toilet have appeal for younger students and older students alike. Learn about proper hygiene, clean toilets, and safe drinking water. Some parts of the video clips such as "Splish, Splash, Flush" have some vivid images of actual people "poop." Viewing is not for the weak stomached viewer. Never the less, younger students should be fascinated by the content of the videos.
NOTE: Because of the nature of the videos and online comics, be sure to preview, before sharing them with your class so you can decide whether your students' maturity level can handle it. This site does have some information about fundraising and the company’s missions, but there is some real educational value here!
In the Classroom: Keep your students healthy and informed using this site! The Adventures of Super Toilet would be ideal for teaching a lesson to primary grade students (or older students) about good personal hygiene. The concepts are entertaining and create questions within the students' minds. It would help raise the students awareness of the sanitation process and the importance of being clean. This site would be especially useful during the flu season.
In the facts section of this website, you can see countries involved which would be the basis for a lesson in cultures of the world. Students could read about other countries and discuss how lives of other children are different from their own lives. Have students create a Venn Diagram, using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here), to compare their own lives (and sanitation) to another country listed at the site.
Older students would benefit from viewing video clips as part of health, family and consumer science, or even world cultures classes. Older students would grasp the humor of the comic strips (but be prepared for the laughs).
Read cartoon books online using this interactive site. Choose from one of six cartoon books. Choose to read the book in English, Spanish, or French and navigate through the pages using the left and right arrows. Use the "Start Over" button to begin again or click “Read To Me” to hear audio of the pages. Want to read another book? Click "Library" to view the choices.
In the Classroom: Introduce this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students read aloud together to practice choral reading. Use this site for D.E.A.R. reading or other free time reading (be sure to provide headsets). Allow students to choose from the books. Even non-readers can use this site! Identify information, story lines, and grammar components within the stories as groups. Create story boards that outline the telling of the stories. Use a graphic organizing (online) tool such as bubble.us (reviewed here). Compare and contrast stories or characters using an online Venn diagram creator (reviewed here). Students can re-write endings or the sequels that would follow these books. Use these books as inspiration for student-made cartoon books in world language classes. Have the class or individuals create online books to share using a site such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
Struggling to create the best objectives for your lessons? Use this free tool created by an educator to create great objectives for differentiated instruction. Based upon the new (1990s) Bloom's Taxonomy, click on the action verb; enter your content, resources to be used, final product, and group size. You will see your objective created across the top of your screen. Be aware this site does include some “click me” advertisements for contests and more. And the review team did notice one typo. However, we still felt this site would be helpful to many teachers out there “in the trenches.”
In the Classroom: For example, use a verb from Bloom' taxonomy such as "evaluate." Click on the portion of the sentence at the top to enter your content such as "patterns of environmental issues." Choose the resource to be used, final product to be made, and number of students in group from the appropriate 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 into any document or online tool. This site will give you many project ideas that you may not have thought of yourself. Although this site is deceivingly quick and simple, it could be very useful when writing detailed, powerful lesson plans.
This site presents current news stories from multiple perspectives, featuring videos and commentary from the world's top newspapers. All the video news clips offer a complete transcript (click on "transcript" just below the video window). General topics covered include the U.S., the world, the environment, culture, technology, economy, and politics. Students can see short news clips, make comments blog style, and read news articles from newspapers around the world. Anyone can view the material, but you must register to be able to make comments. Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.
In the Classroom: This site is ideal for your interactive whiteboard or projector, learning station, or on individual computers (with headsets). Use this site to keep your students up to date on current events. Have students compare the different versions of the same news stories to try and ferret out the facts and the way points of view affect reporting. Project the scripts on an interactive whiteboard to have students highlight language choices that provide a certain slant. ESL/ELL students will benefit from listening to the short news clips and being able to see the transcript of the report. Have your ESL/ELL students write their own comprehension questions and answers based on the podcast to check their own comprehension and to exchange with classmates. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare the differences in two newspapers' versions of the same news. Have ESL/ELL students present the news from a newspaper familiar to them if possible by having them prepare an introduction and questions. Learning support students can use the transcripts and videos in combination to understand and report weekly current events assignments for social studies class.
UN WaterGrade 4 to 12
- United Nations Development Programme- 10170
Water is a basic human need but also a human right. Explore the statistics, controversies, and issues concerning water use around the globe. Click on the "statistics" tab to learn important information about water resources, water uses, drinking water and sanitation, water pollution, environmental degradation, disasters, water, agriculture, and food security.
In the Classroom: Identify similarities and differences in water issues around the globe. Have cooperative learning groups create online Venn Diagrams comparing two distinct areas and their water issues. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
Students can choose an area or topic of interest either individually or as a group. Look at local water issues that many students may not be aware of including water quality and distribution. Create a campaign to increase water awareness that may or may not coincide with world water week (or day.) Have students create a video or podcast sharing their campaigns. For podcasts, use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here). If creating videos, share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.
Use these resources to determine how to help other countries in their need for clean water and how everyone can conserve.
TeachersFirst Edge review: for even slightly adventurous technology users. Ether pad is a tool for writing and collaborating in real time between up to 16 different contributors-- without erasing or overwriting each other's work! This tool starts up instantly, requiring no log-ins, tricky features or difficult tools. If you can type (and choose your favorite color), you can work on an EtherPad, a "pad" of virtual paper out in space on the Internet. The free version allows you to invite others to join you, either by sending them an email or, even easier, giving them the URL to your "pad." Here is a sample EtherPad, ready for you to add your own ideas for using EtherPad in the classroom! Unlike Google Docs, this tool does not require user accounts or email addresses, so even young students can participate in an EtherPad.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Nothing special. No log-in needed Simply click "Create a new pad" or click/paste the link for an existing one, and away you go. Enter a name for yourself in the box at the right of the pad and click the colored square to set a color for the highlighting on your typing. Type away. Delete, add, etc. To Save, click "Save revisions" and SAVE NOW. Be sure to click SHARE and copy the URL (Ctrl+C to copy), so you can keep it in your favorites or recorded somewhere. Or you can email it to yourself. It will be impossible to find your "pad" without it! Up to 16 others can work on the pad at the same time, and their work will show in their own colors. When you and your collaborators are done with your "pad," click "Export" to save it as a word doc or other option. Try looking at the different versions you can "revert" to as your group works, too!
Safety/Security Concerns:
Be sure you are within school policy to have students put work online. Have them use initials or a coded identifier instead of their real names. Each pad is public, if someone knows the URL, so outsiders could possibly add inappropriate content, but there is no display of "recent pads" or other ways someone could discover students' work. Students could also locate another student/group pad by URL and vandalize each other's work. Since changes can be reverted, all will not be lost.
Possible Uses:
Have students make multiple "pads" to comment and write on several class topics. Ex. students add responses to questions, evaluations of web links, or critiques of passages assigned for in-class perusal and discussion... create an Etherpad collaborative "study guide" for the passages. A social studies teacher could provide links to seven articles on Iran today and students respond, explaining what they think is important about each article (a "pad" for each). Use Etherpads to evaluate web site/blog authority or bias. Younger kids could write cooperative stories on the pad(s) to use vocabulary, grammar skills, practice punctuating dialog, etc. World language teachers could have students compose dialog or scenes to act out on video. In Reading class, have students collaborate to compose a "main idea" statement or summary of a written passage, including in higher level content area reading. Pass-the-pad: use the pads to "jigsaw" summaries or explanations of new content knowledge between expert groups. Keep a master list of the pad URLs so groups can access and change as they learn. Eventually publish the "final" version by exporting it. Cooperative writing groups can revise on drafts (copy/paste in from other docs) - then export the version the writer likes best. BRAINSTORM in real time or across times and places. Write cooperative lab reports. "Meet" with another class (or screenpal) using Skype to talk and Etherpad to write, making notes together of your plans for an upcoming event or working together to compose a story, letter, or script. Write cooperative stories or poems. Keep student council or club "minutes' and plans. Be sure to add your own ideas on the sample EtherPad made by our review team.
BiokidsGrade 4 to 8
- University of Michigan- 10101
Inquire about a variety of diverse species with this fantastic site. View the critter catalog of animals found primarily in Michigan. Use the field guides to identify common tracks, identify invertebrates, and learn about habitats and conservation. Download resources for setting up experiments and analyzing data about biodiversity as well as curriculum resources. This site requires Adobe acrobat. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Create your own biodiversity experiments or analyze data using the downloaded documents. Learn about organisms from the State of Michigan and find organisms from your area that fill the same niche. Compare and contrast these animals to find commonalities in the food chain and learn about the different habitats that organisms can be found in. Use an online Venn diagram tool to make your comparisons. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
Animal Characteristics Game provides five animal category bins: mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fish. Above the bins are various characteristics arranged in random order. Students drag and drop the appropriate characteristics into the corresponding bin. Once all of the characteristics are dropped in the correct bin, watch for a fun surprise! If students struggle with the characteristics or want to learn more, they can click on the Animal Classification icon to learn information for each species. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Share this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard to introduce a new unit on habitats or for review. Students could be split into two teams and keep a tally of which team gets the most characteristics correct. Have cooperative learning groups further investigate the animals at this site and create a multimedia project about their animal (or even habitat). How about comparing amphibians and reptiles using a Venn Diagram. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
E.ggTimer.comGrade K to 12
- David LeMieux and Ben Lew- 10062
This site provides an online FULL SCREEN timer. You can set the online timer to count down from any number. You simply type in the exact amount of time that you want to countdown into the white textbox. You can count by seconds, minutes, hours, days, or even years! This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: What a fabulous alternative to a traditional egg timer. Project the time on your interactive whiteboard or projector while students take a test, solve a drag and drop, practice speeches, rotate between learning centers, or during cooperative learning groups. Be sure to turn up the volume! As you teach basic concepts of time in primary grades, use this timer for students to understand the real concepts of one minute or ten seconds. Show the relationships between minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, etc. You can even use it to teach counting backwards from 60!
Teacher's First Edge Review: For serious technology users. Use this free online tool to create timelimes embedded with media that can be shared with others. Create timelines that include music, pictures and photos, video and text. Change backgrounds and customize your timeline for a personal and creative touch. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Teachers need to be able to identify material to be used in the creation of the timeline and strategies to help students be prepared for student assignments (checklists, goal sheets, or presentation planners). Click "Create" to begin making a "Capzles." Use the buttons on the left to follow the creation process and create with the following: Add titles, description, tags, content and media, set privacy, and share. Watch a video tutorial to learn steps to create a timeline. Click "Explore" along the top to view previously made timelines. Click on "Share" to send email links to others.
Safety/Security: To create an account, enter a login and password. The next screen requires personal information including email. Consider creating a class account for easier access. If students are permitted to have their own account, it is recommended that passwords and logins be maintained for those students who forget. Students must have individual accounts (email required). Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.
This site includes content contributed by the general public and may not be suitable for the classroom. You may want to send students directly to URLs for their own projects or use the site as a whole-class activity using a teacher-created capzles to spark discussion.
Classroom use: Create Capzles that introduce new topics and content for great student discussion. Students can use pieces of the capzle to brainstorm questions, initiate research, and learn more about the topic. Capzles are an interesting way for students to tell stories about a project, research, or as a class activity. Use to showcase fun items such as "what I did on my summer vacation," "the story of my dog," family, etc. Create Capzles from the point of view of a literary character or historical figure telling his/her story. Remember to teach about copyright, since using copyrighted images in a Capzle would not be “fair use” due to unlimited distribution. Look for images in the public domain or with Creative Commons licensing and model giving attribution for them.
Woices (beta)Grade 4 to 12
- Woices Enterprise, S.L.- 10000
TeachersFirst Edge Review: for moderately adventurous technology users. This site, still in beta, offers a FREE service that allows you to create and share "echoes." Echoes are words (audio recordings), left by anyone at any place, and can be played over and over by any visitors who find them. Listeners will feel as if they are really there! Echoes can be anything from personal memories, personal messages to a class, history or art related annotations of a place, music to accompany that place, or any kind of audio you can connect to a location. The audio recordings are linked to geographic locations or real-world objects (in the place where they are located). Echoes could also be fictitious accounts "placed" somewhere in the world to tell a story. Woices states that the goal of the site is to "extend reality by creating a new layer of audio information, what we call the echosphere, that will make the world a more interesting place."
You can create your own "echo" or listen to various "echoes" created by others from around the world. Click Explore to hear the echoes of the world (in every language imaginable). You do not need to join to explore and listen to others' echoes. The site uses Google Maps to share the world. Echoes are also labeled with an "e-code" for easy access by URL and listening via mobile phone. Completed echoes can be shared as an embedded device in a wiki or web page, via email, or by URL link (click Share). Here is a sample echo created by the TF Edge team. The site also includes tools for comments, blogs, forums, and other "social" aspects. This site does require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
Note: Future plans for Woices (remember, it is still in beta) include integrating it to work with GPS-enabled mobile phones, so you could "listen" to locations as you visit them without knowing or searching for the e-codes -- right on your mobile phone. Imagine touring the Gettysburg battlefields or a museum with an audio guide on your mobile phone, created by other Woices users.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: No special skills are needed to listen to echoes. Just click Explore. To create your own echoes, you must register. Registration does require an email address and activation via a link sent to your email. To create your own, visit the Create link and follow the detailed instructions. The instructions include three simple steps (Put it on the Map, Give it a Name, and Send It). Step one requires you to click your location on the map. Then click Proceed to go on to the next step. At Step Two you add the title, description, tags, your photo (optional), language, and then you RECORD. Simply use your computer's built-in microphone and the site's "record" button. You can record more elaborate mp3 files using other software for later upload as an echo. You have TEN minutes of FREE recording time. Finally, click to Send It, and your new echo is on the web. The link is visible in your computer's address bar or can be emailed by clicking Share. You can also combine echoes created by you or various members of a group to form a "walk" of related echoes. Completed echoes can also be shared as an embedded device in a wiki or web page.
Note that using music or sounds from other sources could be a copyright violation. TeachersFirst editors remind you to use copyright-free music or -- better yet -- record your own.
Safety/security concerns: This is a public site, so once an "echo" is created, any user can access the information. If you are considering having students create their own echoes, you will want to be certain to adhere to your school's Acceptable Use Policy and obtain parental permission. If you are having students register independently (which may not be the best option), why not consider creating a free Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. This will allow you to control the accounts. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
This site also includes various social features (Community section) and advertisements. This is a great opportunity to teach basic Internet Safety in the context of a productive lesson. If students are working independently, be sure to have clear expectations and consequences spelled out -- then monitor activities. And remember, anything that is posted on this site, is available to any visitor on the web. There is no way to make the "echo" private. Take advantage of the Comments feature for students to respond to each other's echoes or to invite parents and others to respond. For example, if students create a local history tour, share it with older adults in the community to comment with their memories about the sites.
Possible Uses: The possibilities at this website are endless! Even the youngest of students can use this site (with assistance). In world language classes, have students LOOK for echoes from other countries, and even make some to practice language as they narrate cultural highlights of countries where their language of study is spoken. Make echoes about places you study in geography or history class. Have students create an echo tour or your own hometown and the important local historical sites (be sure to protect the identify of yourself and your students). Make a fictional echo "story" in real settings, using a sequence of links to echoes for the events in the story. Create a teacher-made echo treasure hunt of important locations for cooperative learning groups to explore. Make echoes about environmental sites or issues. Make a literary "walk" of a poet's geographic area with readings of his/her poetry "placed" in the places they describe, such as Emerson's account of Lexington and Concord. Make a mapped, narrated "walk" of the botanical species or animal habitats in your area. Make echoes about landforms. Create whole-class "I wonder" echoes about places they begin to study, ex. narrating the pueblos and asking about the people who once dwelled there. Then add more echoes as you learn. Use this site to record directions, questions, or prompts about places they should research and links they should use; then have them access the echoes at learning stations or with a substitute. Create "Echo" audio newsletters to share on your class website, connecting to the various "places" your class has been studying. Teachers could also record echoes about locations on a map to teach about map reading skills or have ELL/ESL students record echoes about places where their primary language is spoken to share with classmates. Have the students make the echoes, of course. Have students create their own echoes as "electronic" gifts for family and close friends. Why not create one celebrating moms for Mother's Day? Use this site to celebrate dad, grandparents, and other care givers also! Be sure to list this link (and relevant safety concerns about the site) on your class website for students to use at home. Include it as long breaks approach so students can work with their families, creating echoes about places they visit during family vacations or reunions.
Wondering what Google Docs are? Check out this short video, it is under 3-minutes. Instead of attaching a document to an email, attach an email to a document. Want to learn more? Take a look at this video. There is a link provided to embed the video (perhaps on your class web page when you introduce Google Docs?) . The site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: View this video for both professional and personal use. Administration could share this video with staff during in-service, a great way to collaborate! See more info on ways to use Google Docs in the TeachersFirst review here.
This colorful site offers science comics, games (educational interactives), links for teachers, and more. Engage students with these comics, and encourage them to identify the scientific principles found in each. Follow up activities include games such as word searches and other puzzles to reinforce vocabulary. Use the "For Teachers" link to find pdf lesson plans for ideas and experiments that coordinate with the comics. This site uses Flash and Adobe reader. Get these tools here.
In the Classroom: Begin with the comic strip to introduce a concept (share on your interactive whiteboard or projector). Have students note the physical and chemical properties occurring in each frame and to identify the scientific principle being presented. Use as a class discussion and introduction to specific principle. Use the suggested experiments and activities for further inquiry and investigation. When discussing other topics in class, encourage students to create their own comic either traditionally or digitally to demonstrate their understandings of the concept. Try using an online tool for students to create comics, such as the Comic Creator (explained here).
Teacher's First Edge Review: For only slightly adventurous technology users. Few skills required! Looking to make a great jeopardy game with no fees, registration, or powerpoint slides involved? Now you can with Jeopardy Labs! Create your own Jeopardy game or browse the already created jeopardy games! Be aware: there are over 6,000 Jeopardy Templates ready to use in the classroom, beginning at kindergarten! You may notice that some of the already created Jeopardy Templates are not in “question” format. The topics include nearly everything one can imagine: European Settlement, South America, various books, specific math topics, media, aircraft, and many, MANY more.
Note that all jeopardy templates created become part of the domain and can be used by others.
In the Classroom: Use any already-created game as a quick assessment of prior knowledge or review on projector or interactive whiteboard.
Skills needed to make your own game: Nothing special. Here’s all you do:
To prevent others from editing your template you create a password when you start. Others will be unable to edit your created game without your password. After creating your password, you are taken to the familiar blue jeopardy screen. Here, enter the title at the top and the topics at the top of the columns. Click on a dollar amount under each topic to enter the clue and the What is... question in a pop-up box. Click done to enter the information. The dollar value square becomes blank to let you know it was completed. When done, click "Save." Click on Browse to view random template titles or enter a term into the search bar. On the "Build" page, follow the quick instructions and even browse tips for editing. When done, an internet link will be given for your Jeopardy game. Put this link in any website, blog, or wiki for students to click on and review information for study. This site uses Flash. Get it here.
Possible Uses: Use this as an introductory activity to uncover misconceptions. For example, prior to a unit on viruses, create a jeopardy game about myths and truths about viruses. Share the Jeopardy activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use these as a starting point for understanding concepts in the unit. Create review games for students to learn and remember content. After making one game together as a class, allow students to make their own games to challenge each other on segments of the material. This not only provides students with material to review, but the creation of a game takes thought and understanding of the material. Be sure that students understand how to create such a game and how to choose parts carefully. Check student games prior to saving. Maintain a page of Jeopardy links for review of a wide range of curricular topics.
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. So you want to meet with other teachers around the globe and your school can’t afford for you and your students to fly there? No problem. Sign up for free video conferencing through DimDim. For the free version of this web conferencing site, up to 20 conference attendees can communicate with each other. No downloads are needed. Power point presentations, graphs, pdf documents, plus more, can be shared via DimDim conferencing.
Warning—this is a commercial site, so upgrades on services are offered prominently. As with most high-tech sites, these upgrades to the premium levels are offered for a cost (DimDim Pro). DimDim Free is free. This site requires Adobe Acrobat and Flash. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: You should be comfortable exploring this website to see which features are free versus which features are offered for a fee. A fast connection for your computer is advantageous as you watch the various videos to learn about the site. After viewing the tutorials, why not experiment with friends or colleagues before embarking on a prestigious seminar. It is easy to use, however, the more you get acquainted with it, the easier it will be. You will need to impart knowledge of how to use this tool when setting up a conference with parents or colleagues.
To get started, a quick registration is necessary. We suggest that you watch the tutorial videos after signing up to learn how to use the various features. If at any point you need to talk to a DimDim service employee, click on "Talk to Us." Type in your question and you will receive instant feedback. To host a web meeting, simply click on "Host Meeting." Create a name for your “Room” (that’s the place you and your attendees will meet). Next, create a Meeting Name (that’s the name of your seminar or meeting). Type in a description of the agenda so that others will know what information will be shared. Type in the email addresses of your invited attendees and an invitation will be sent to those people. Type in the Room Key (that’s basically the password your attendees will need to enter your web conference. Now, you’re ready to talk to a group of friends or colleagues. At the appointed time, your attendees will click on a link (sent to them via email) that will send them directly into your web conference. The free version lets attendees listen to each other.
Safety/security concerns: While this site may mainly be for teacher usage, there may be occasions when older students will be using this site to conference with peers in other schools or countries. The content shared by others during the conference will need to be monitored closely.
Possible uses: Applications for this site extend through all subject areas, as you connect with classrooms all over the world, exploring a vast array of subjects, languages, and social connections. World language learners will appreciate this site to talk in real-time to other language learners. Professional development is easy when the presenter invites up to 20 attendees to learn more about various educational subjects. Offer web conferencing through DimDim for students’ parents when you need to discuss details of upcoming projects or field trips. Save time and travel expenses, by chatting via DimDim! Have students “host” a DimDim session to “teach” others at another school about local history, news, or a current unit of study. Invite parents to learn from the students, too!
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: For slightly adventurous technology users. This online drawing tool provides typical digital drawing tools to generate vector-based drawings as sophisticated as you wish to make them. Vector-based drawings use actual curves, not the pixellated little boxes that so many paint simple programs create. Queeky also hosts a community of very accomplished digital artists to learn from, even if you never lift an electronic pencil. The site allows users to draw, collaborate on a shared drawing in what they describe as "near-real time," watch a drawing played back to see how it was done, and even start from one drawing to create a new version("variate"). You have complete control of transparency, line thickness, colors (within a web palette), and much, much more. If you press "u" while drawing, you can upload an image to include in your drawing. If you are fortunate enough to have a graphics drawing tablet, using the drawing tools will be even easier! There is a full screen option to use while drawing or playing back, as well. The site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
The TeachersFirst team also found that the site wanted to install a Microsoft add-on called "MSXML 5.0" from Microsoft, but tested the site without the add-on in an effort to duplicate the limitations most school computers have on downloads. The site features worked without it, as far as the team could tell. Teachers will certainly want to pre-test this tool on school computers, anyway, since it is powerful enough to use the Internet connection heavily at times.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: To view and share drawings on a projector or interactive whiteboard with you class, you do not need to join. You can even draw and play back a drawing without saving. For full features, join the site (free). Membership requires an email address. The confirmation email is slow to arrive, so join a day or so ahead of time. We suspect that the Germany-based site has real humans checking memberships on Germany time! While you wait, you can experiment with the drawing tools or learn about them by visiting the gallery and "playing" some drawings to see how some of the tools can be set to create truly artistic images. Be sure to experiment with the tools together with your students. There is an undo tool--very important as you start out. There are no demonstration videos or help screens, so you may learn best by doing or watching what others have done. There is a forum where users discuss tools, etc. Preview before sending students here, but the advice may be very helpful. You will also want to try uploading an image (press U on your keyboard while on a drawing screen). You will need to know where the image file is saved on your computer.
Safety concerns: This is a public site, so even though the Terms of Use prohibit obscene drawings, teachers will want to preview Galleries they plan to use and have a specific policy in place for students who navigate the site on their own. The public can see any artwork you create and view your profile, so students should have parent permission before creating any online artwork of their own and should maintain an anonymous identity on the site. This site allows outsiders to comment on your projects. Many school policies prohibit such interaction, so be sure to check your school policy. You will want to discuss these features in the context of Internet Safety or establish specific written class rules and consequences for interacting with outsiders. This is a good opportunity to discuss netiquette and how to participate positively and safely in online communities. Consider using a whole-class account so you can monitor activity. Students could name their works using a coded initial system so you would know who created what.
If you want to set up individual student accounts, first check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to use these for any online tool.
Possible Uses: Art teachers will love the chance to teach about design elements in a public, hands-on environment. Assign students to use only certain tools or to "variate" on a starter drawing you provide to demonstrate both creativity and mastery of the elements. Students using the tool from home could generate an actual portfolio of drawings without expending precious art materials. Have students or groups create collections or locate artworks in the galleries that demonstrate the design elements or techniques you want them to notice. Without joining the site, play selected drawings on a projector or interactive whiteboard and have students narrate what they see the artist doing. Assign students to "variate" or annotate on an image from the gallery or one you upload. Teachers in other subjects may want to share this tool as a way to create visual explanations of science processes, book covers for literature (with explanations for the design choices, of course), visual responses to poetry, graphics or logos for "companies" they create in econ class, etc. The animated playbacks of drawings could even show how to form letters in manuscript or do calligraphy (if you can do it without making a mistake!)
Stixy (beta)Grade K to 12
- Jonas Höglund and Anders Ottoson- 9631
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. Create collaborative visual and verbal spaces where you can “post” and share ideas, images, snippits of text, sticky-notes, photos, documents, and more using Stixy. The product makes a bulletin board of items, reminders, comments—essentially everything you could throw onto the front of your refrigerator and more. You can share the stixyboard by URL. Here is an example of a Stixyboard created by the TeachersFirst Edge team. At the time of this review, Stixy was testing a calendar feature with a limited test group. Some features of Stixy appear a bit slow, but the tool still says it is in beta testing. Be patient as the pages load. (Watch the little status report in your lower left in Internet Explorer; it will tell you that things are loading.)
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join (free) using an email address. Note that you do not need to access this email to be able to log in right away (handy when some email is blocked at school!). It will help if you forget a password, though. Use your extra, memberships email account (such as Gmail). If you plan to have students create individual accounts with their individual email accounts, check school policies. Another option is to use your teacher Gmail account and set up subaccounts for up to 20 students to register (by code name or number). Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. If you plan to have students collaborate using a Stixyboard, they will need to be able to log in individually, using either a Gmail subaccount or their own email accounts. To share a board, click Options. You can find the URL for the board there, as well.
Safety/security concerns: Sharing of Stixyboards is completely controlled by the users who create the boards. If students only “share” with those within their group, there is no “contact” with outsiders. Make sure they include you as a shared member on any collaborative project so you can monitor student work. Check school policies (and obtain parent permission, if necessary) before allowing students to post any work to the web. Stixy does not promote public sharing and commenting.
Possible uses: Teachers can use Stixyboards shared by URL to assign or create web-based tasks: directions and tasks to do on the web (with links), collections of writing prompts (images AND text), or calendars. Students –even young ones – will catch on to the tools of Stixy very quickly to create their own Stixyboards. Have students “collect” quotes and images to convey a message or profile a concept or time period: a Stixyboard about the 1960’s, a writer’s journal of ideas for future writings, a collection of images that use LINE as a major design element, a board full of questions on a new curriculum topic -— a visual KWL chart that can be added to, rearranged, and edited as the unit proceeds -- almost a cognitive “journal” as learning proceeds. For example: Thoughts about Macbeth or The Great Depression. As students read a piece of literature or a challenging speech such as the Gettysburg address, they can collect, question, and comment on snippets from the text, including their own “I wonder” or “what if” notes. Have students make a Stixyboard of the water cycle or other processes, including images and notes to explain each step, then “turn in” the URL for their work or share it with others for changes and additions. (Changes are logged as part of the “list” at the left of any board.) For art classes, assign students to collect and annotate images as they prepare to create artworks of their own, just as artists collect materials in design notebooks and sketchbooks.
Some thoughts on giving credit and copyright: Since it is simple to add notes, students can easily keep track of the SOURCES of anything they collect into a Stixyboard, such as images or quotes, simply by copy/pasting URLs into a "Credits" note. Make sure you require them to do this kind of citation, especially if they use any images. Note that a password-protected (see options) Stixyboard CAN use downloaded images from the web under Fair Use, provided you limit access to that board ONLY to members of that class.
DabbleboardGrade K to 12
- Dabbleboard, Inc.- 9627
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for ANY technology user. Dabbleboard (still in beta) allows you to make whiteboard drawings and graphic organizers in an online space you can share with others. Since more than one computer can "work on" the whiteboard at a time, students in multiple locations can add to the board at the same time -- or come back to a saved board to add to it later. The whiteboard includes freehand drawing, basic shapes (some that even pop in when you come close to drawing that shape), text tools, and simple colors. You can also upload images, drag and resize anything you draw or type, etc. If used as a whole-class activity, such as on an interactive whiteboard, you can save it by clicking SHARE, copying the URL so you can put the link on a class wiki, teacher web page, or blog so students or the class can revisit and change it later. The tool requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free), but only if you wish to be able to SAVE dabbleboards. You can share them in real time without joining, but they are lost once you quit. Joining requires an email address. Use your memberships email or check school policies before allowing students to sign up using email. Another option is to create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
Once you join, watch the quick video tour or play with the tools. Be sure you can locate tools to draw, resize, delete, drag, and group/ungroup items. Try uploading an image (make sure you have the RIGHTS to use it!). Your uploaded items remain in your library for later use. Note that to add text you simply click in the whitespace and start typing. It is easier to change text size and color BEFORE typing. To keep a board, simply click NEW. The old board will become part of your library at the left of the screen.
Safety concerns: Once shared, any dabbleboard can be seen and altered by others who know the URL. You will not have any record of who makes changes, so student-to-student "vandalism" is possible. Do not make student drawings "public" unless this is within school policies. Clicking "Make public" will add that dabble board to the public library. Others can copy any "public" work. Note that sharing by URL does NOT make a board public unless you click "make public."
Ideas for using this tool: Assess prior knowledge as you start a unit by generating a class dabbleboard. Save it under your class/teacher account to re-access throughout the unit, adding new topics and content. Make the URL available from your class web page for students to use as review or for learning support teachers to reinforce what has happened in class. Have student groups map out the content of projects. Encourage visual prewriting for the students who "think in pictures." Have students create review organizers or drag and drop activities to share with classmates. Brainstorm together over time or distance by letting students add ideas from home or collaborating from another school. Save your visual notes from a faculty meeting to reopen next time. Allow students to use a dabbleboard as their visual during speeches. Map the sequence of steps in a chemical reaction. Then share the URL for absent students to "see" what happened in class. Annotate design principles directly on top of an uploaded image or have students submit their own analysis of an image by sending you the URL for their dabbleboard. Have young students use a dabbleboard to draw out ideas before they can even write entire sentences. This one has endless possibilities!
This is a simple, user-friendly, interactive web page for checking writing samples and readability levels. Type, or cut and paste, text into a specified location and watch the analysis begin. The analysis consists of several readability scores such as Flesch reading ease, Automated readability index, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Coleman-Liau index, Gunning fog index, and SMOG index. The site also provides total counts for the following items: characters, non-space characters, letters/numbers, words, complex words, syllables, sentences, characters per word, syllables per word, and words per sentence.
In the Classroom: This site can be helpful in a variety of ways. Primary and secondary classroom teachers can check students’ work or have students check their personal work by placing their own text in the box. Reading specialists, classroom teachers, ESL and ELL teachers, and special education teachers can check readability levels of various books to find the right fit for each student. E-books and on-line literature is easy to check with the cut and paste option! Note: if the text is available as a complete web page, you can also use this tool. Student word processing can also be analyzed using the Grammar tools in Word (tools menu), but these two tools yield slightly different information.
This site takes any quotation or poem and creates a "word cloud" (graphical display) of the words in a passage of text. Paste in any passage or the URL for any blog entry or web page (including newspapers online) to create a wordle of the text. If you make a Wordle, you can choose your own colors, type of display, and font. The most frequent words appear larger and darker. Students can view creations others have made (see warning above), or make their own with or without saving them to the database of clouds. You can also print creations, open them in a window without borders, or link to them from a home page (html code is provided for the link). This site requires Java. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
Important note: Since the public can enter text and create their own Wordles, some of the examples that appear on the home page for "recent" Wordles might possibly include objectionable text. Teachers should preview immediately before sharing this site with a class or use the site as a teacher-only activity. TeachersFirst's review team has not witnessed any objectionable examples, but we have heard from some teachers that some do occasionally appear. Carefully weigh the value of this tool vs any risks you may take in using it with students. In today's world, a brief lesson or honest discussion on ignoring, clicking out of, or avoiding the inappropriate on the web might be worthwhile, depending on the age and maturity of your students.
In the Classroom: This is a terrific visual tool to share on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Paste in a passage or URL for a political speech to visualize the politician’s “message.” Analyze advertising propaganda by visualizing the language used in TV or print ads. Create wordles of historical texts of inauguration speeches as time capsules of the issues of the day. Use this site as a way to help students see and memorize text, especially visual learners. Use it also when writing poetry or reading passages of great literature to “see” themes and motifs of repeated words and images. Have students paste in their own writing to spot repeated (and monotonous) language when teaching lessons on word choice. Students will be surprised to see what words appear to be dominant. ESL and ELL students will eagerly use this site since word order will no longer be a problem for them. Have students work in groups to create word posters of vocabulary words with related meanings, such as different ways to say “walk” or “said” and decorate tour classroom with these visual reminders of the richness of language.
Another idea: use this site during the first week of school. Have students create “Wordles” about themselves and create a “Wordle” bulletin board introducing your students (and yourself). Or use Worlde for a whole-class positive statement as shown in this example. Remember that the most frequently appearing words will appear larger so plan accordingly.
Here is a Google Docs slideshow of MORE ideas for Wordle, created by Tom Barrett, a teacher in the UK:
Teacher's First Edge Review: for thoroughly adventurous or organized technology users. Ning is a tool for creating social networks. Though that may be a scary term to parents and a concept prohibited in your school, this education initiative from Ning provides advertising-free, private spaces for classroom use in K-12. Because of concerns over COPPA (federal legislation protecting children on the web), Ning specifies that the tool is for ages 13 and up. Users outside the U.S. do not need to worry about this law. There are related blog posts and debate about whether the law applies if you configure your Ning a certain way, but TeachersFirst cannot recommend circumventing the law. A Ning provides an online space for forums (threaded discussions), blogs, “friends,” groups, personal spaces for members, and more. As the administrator of your Ning, you can control the actual set-up. Assuming you can access the Ning URL at school, this tool can provide a PRIVATE online space for your classes or teaching team as an electronic home for use in and out of school.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Before you start, make sure your specific Ning URL will not be blocked by filtering on the school network. See some of the tips from the Edge team . Join Ning and set up a network, including name, URL, and description. Be sure to choose Private to limit viewing of your network to those you INVITE to join. Drag your desired features to create your Ning layout. You can always change it later. Make appearance choices. Create a “master key” (and for heaven’s sake WRITE IT DOWN somewhere secure – not on a sticky note at your classroom computer). Customize at will, but right away you will want to follow Steve Hargadon’s blog entry with detailed directions to remove the ads from your Ning for education space. The ad-free offer began in November 2007 and may not continue forever, so do it now!
Safety/security concerns: Since the Ning tool establishes profiles for each member; you will want to customize the profile settings to stay in accordance with your school policies. You will probably not want students to be able to set up groups, since they might make them “private” and lock you out. You can also change the questions they are asked as part of their profiles. The simplest way to set up student accounts may be through a teacher Gmail account with subaccounts. You could then create the accounts and passwords on your own or have students enter the information. Even though your space is private, we recommend asking for parent permission mostly to be sure that they are aware of this positive use of social networking and all the lessons about Internet safety that can grow from its use in class. A modified version of the Blogging agreement offered by TeachersFirst would work (a word doc).
Possible uses: A class social network has limitless possibilities. Engage students in discussions on current events, independent reading, literature, and more. Create groups for students to work on projects and use the space as a forum to work out tasks, scheduling, and file sharing. Get creative and ask students to play the role of a historical figure on a social network across time: Ben Franklin networks with Harry Truman to argue about the atomic bomb. Use the Ning as a forum for any simulated or real task. Invite parents to join to give their points of view on upcoming elections. Include the principal or superintendent in your class discussions of students’ rights as you study the Constitution. Your students themselves will suggest ways to use this all-too-familiar tool from their world. Imagine the “profiles” they could create as characters from fiction or inventors from history! Steve Hargadon, creator of this Ning in Education initiative invites participants to join a Ning for teachers who are using this tool. We hope you will tell them where you heard about it and send them over to check out (and suggest) more tools at the TeachersFirst Edge.
In this activity, students learn word combinations and idioms. In a ladder sequence, students find the second half of a word combo by reading its definition and adding the second word.That, in turn, becomes the first part of the next answer. The goal is to get to the 7th word combo whose second half started the game. Clickable hints assist students with the first letter missing word. You are able to click on the clues (to get more letters) as often as needed to solve the puzzle. There are new puzzles every weekday and archived puzzles from previous dates. There are two difficulty levels. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Demonstrate this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site for vocabulary enhancement and understanding of idioms. Speech and language teachers may want to use it to teach word combinations, as well. Students can easily play this game in pairs. Since teachers can also print the blank activity, you can use it for a desk activity or homework assignment. After students get used to this idea, have them make their own word ladders on the interactive whiteboard, as a sequence of animated PowerPoint slides, or collaboratively as a graphic organizer using an online tool such as Gliffy or Mindomo.
Teacher's First EDGE Review: for slightly adventurous technology users. This online tool allows you to see various cities and countries throughout the world. The site features placemarkers added by users to interactive Google Maps including stories, photos, videos, and comments and ratings from other users. Visit this "story" we made in Reston, Virginia (west of Washington, DC) for a sample placemarker full of teaching ideas left by our review team “captain.” Mapskip allows you to zoom in and out (using the arrows) and scroll across the map in any cardinal direction. You can view the entire world, or individual cities. Red hands are used to represent placemarkers created by users. There are special features available for teachers upon registration. See their blog entries for more details about these features and ways to see only content created by your students or classmates. The Mapskip blog is written by the MapSkip staff to explain new features and tools. Registered members are able to comment on any updates there, as well. The videos require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills Needed: Register (requires email and activation from confirmation email). Before you submit your registration, be sure to scroll down to request "additional features for teachers" with the checkbox near the bottom of the form. Manipulate the map as you would on Google Maps (zoom, drag, etc). Click to add a new placemarker, enter a "story," title it, and upload pictures or video. You need to know how to locate and upload files. You can also edit your profile, view places created by you or any author you choose to "follow" and more. You can "rate" placemarkers left by others, as well. Why not make our review a "Favorite"?
Safety/Security Concerns: Membership requires an email address and user name. Use your “memberships” (extra) email account for such memberships, so you don’t clutter your mailbox. Register for the "special teacher features" to enable you to establish student accounts linked to your email address. Since this site has photos, videos, and stories submitted by members, always be sure to preview what you wish to share in class. The site has a link to click if anything appears inappropriate. At the time of this review, this website and its contents appear very useful and appropriate for intermediate and secondary students. Be sure to check your district's acceptable use policy before you submit anything to a website. Use fictitious names or initials for your students (or use the teacher features!) and be sure to get parental permission if photos, videos, or any student work are included. Since others can read, comment, and "Favorite" any entry you or your students make, you may want to discuss ethical behavior and help students build a “thick skin” to outside criticism. This is a good place to learn positive interaction with the public.
Possible Uses: Even without joining, you can share PREVIEWED Mapskip entries created by others on an interactive whiteboard or projector as you study faraway places. Create Mapskip entries about historical sites in your local area, including images taken with digital cameras, artifacts from your local historical society, links to newspaper articles, or video/audio interviews of older residents telling about old times. As you study community or landforms in your elementary class, "mapskip” them with annotations of a local map, showing examples of landforms and local community landmarks with digital pictures. Allow older students to use the site independently or in small groups. Mapskips are ideal as a product for individual research projects. In world language classes, have students plot a trip or write an imaginary story of their dreamed trip to Spain or Mexico. Take your students on a whiteboard trip to the native countries where the language is spoken. Literature settings can take on new meaning when your students annotate them on a map. Have students "mapskip" the landmarks of an author's life and/or the locations in his/her novels. Trace the path of a famous person's biography or annotate a famous painter's works, using links to the images from the places shown in landscapes. The "story" of a work of art can include critical analysis, as well. Anything that has a "place" can be a mapskip. Have students map family trips or important places in family history and share the maps with parents!
Word DuckGrade K to 8
- The Dimension's Edge, Inc.- 9367
A variation of Hangman, the Dunk-a-Duck Hangman dunks the duck into the water if you can't supply the right letters for the word. Your students will appreciate the extra effort to help them spell when you put their spelling or vocabulary words on a Word Duck list. You can create your own personalized list of words after a simple, free registration. Others may use your list, and likewise, you will find many lists already created by other teachers for many curriculum areas. More word games are being developed, so be sure to save this site in your favorites. There are some advertisements at this website. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Pair students on laptops to play Word Duck or allow them to create custom wordlists for each other as review, using your teacher log-in. Add a new game as part of review for terminology tests and include the link on your class web page. Turn up the volume to hear the water splashing, the bell ringing for a right letter, and the duck quacking if you win. Or use headsets if the sounds are getting too annoying!
Big UniverseGrade K to 5
- Big Universe, Inc.- 9336
Teachers First Edge Entry: for slightly adventurous technology users and their students. Now, your students can create their own picture books with just a few clicks. Or if you want, you can read countless other books written by students. The professional illustrations and layout options offer the ultimate in publishing of students' writing.
Watch the Tips and Tricks tutorial to see how the features work. Due to the minor advertising, blogs, and internet retailing, teachers should monitor students closely or use this website as a whole-class activity. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills Needed: Join the site (free) and log in. Registration requires an email address. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Once registered, view the tutorial presentation to learn more about the website.
Safety/Security Concerns: Check your school policies on student email subaccounts (Gmail). You may want to use a teacher account and allow students to use it under your supervision. Be sure to obtain written parent permission before posting ANY student work online. Be aware that their work will “show” in “Recently published books” for others to see.
The opening page for outsiders and members shares featured and popular books, so you will want to preview for possible inappropriate books created by others. As with any site where students can create content, you will want to obtain parent permission before posting student work online.
Possible Uses: Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share the tutorial presentation and some samples of student-created books. Create a "class book" or have students create individual books. Also, sign up for the free newsletter to receive information on updates at this site.
TeachersFirst Edge Review: For ANY technology user -- an EASY way to try making your own online content for the first time! At this site, students get practice using Google Maps’ satellite technology and user-created hints to locate a place from a Place spotting “quiz,” as pictured with a Google map. A world map below the “quiz” location image allows them to explore the globe and zoom in to pinpoint the location shown in the “quiz” map. Students use hints to narrow their search area. Be aware, MOST of the hints are in English, but there are a few in other world languages.
Once students or class find the map location, they can choose to try other maps or send a map ”quiz” to others. The real power of Place Spotting is that students, teachers, and whole-class groups can also create their Own Place Spotting “quizzes” with accompanying hints using the "Create" page. Here is a sample made by the TeachersFirst review team. This site also includes a blog and search option (i.e. to find maps in specific languages).
In the Classroom: Skills Needed: this site requires few "skills" and no membership to operate. Click Create to create your own place spotting “quiz” for others to solve. The simple steps have numbered directions. Be sure to enter the security “code” and click “Store” for your quiz to be saved. Note that you may decide whether to make it “private” (invisible to others except by invitation). Share the quiz you create by copy/pasting the URL that shows after you click “store.” You can always find it again using the search tool, but knowing the URL allows you to give it to others as a link. You might want to “collect” your class Place Spotting links in a Word document (for safe keeping) or on a class wiki.
Security/Safety Concerns: The only safety concerns are if kids write questions or use places that might lure people to their school or identify themselves (their own house, for example). Check the box to make the quiz private if it is so revealing that you want to keep it only for those you know (GET THE URL and be sure the teacher keeps the list. Private ones cannot be found using the search!). Kids can use them to quiz each other if the teacher/kids shared the group of "private" ones as links on a teacher web page, class wiki, or in a word document (clickable).
Possible Uses: Use this site when studying the concept of satellite imagery and map skills. Contrast this site's technology with that of a hand held GPS device. Discuss the map skills needed to use it, including the comparison of the ZOOM tool with a map scale. This is a great activity for ESL and ELL or weaker readers since there is little language involved! Share the site on an interactive whiteboard or projector for a daily "map challenge" or as an anticipatory set/activator at the start of any place-related lesson. Choose places as a class and create your own maps, or have students work in cooperative learning groups to create their own maps about places in their community, landmarks of local history, or cultural sites of countries they study in world languages (be sure to mark private, if they are maps that reveal too much information). Classes could build a community treasure hunt of local history or a landform "find-it" on their wiki, simply by including the URLs -- even add digital pictures of the actual location with each "quiz." You will want to us the areas with higher-resolution images for landform study! Older students can put links or embed the quiz on their blogs or wikis, too. Literature lessons could include Placespotting quizzes for major sites in the stories (assuming they are real) or important places in the author’s life. You may want to list this site on your class website; families could map out vacation spots, countries of ancestry, and more.
Test Designer allows teachers to quickly and easily create multiple-choice, true or false, fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended questions for tests and worksheets. Browse through thousands of previously-created tests in subject areas such as Algebra, Earth Science, Geography, U.S. History, and Vocabulary. Test Designer also provides simple graphics that can easily be added. Teachers can e-mail tests and worksheets to students, teachers, and parents. Make sure to allow plenty of time to read directions and maneuver the site prior to creating tests. There are some minor unobtrusive advertisements at this site. The required membership is free!
In the Classroom: Use this website to create personalized quizzes and tests for your students. You could also ask students to design their own tests for each other to review using your teacher log-in or appoint a student “quizmaker” each week for the content your class has covered, making this an assignment that each student does once per semester.
Put your assignment calendar online and enhance teacher, student, and parent communication! Assign-A-Day is a free web-based calendar tool that provides an easy way to create monthly calendars for each subject area or grade level. Registration is free and takes you to your calendar manager page after you log on. Customize the calendar colors, font style, and size to make a unique look for your class. Create or edit assignments from any computer that is connected to the Internet. Add links to websites or your TeachersFirst favorites as part of an assignment. Invite colleagues to share the calendar and work collaboratively with you. Students and parents can see the calendar by visiting the web site (no log-on required) and entering the teacher name in the search box. The calendar can be printed out as a grid or a list for student and parent use at home. This website requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Consider creating a shared calendar for a grade level or subject area with your colleagues! Be sure to give your students and parents the web address to the Assign-A-Day web site. They can find your calendar using your name or calendar ID number. If you have a teacher web page, add a link to Assign-A-Day or ask your web master to add a link on the school web page. Besides assignments, use the online calendar to remind students and parents about other class-related items such as field trip forms, materials for science projects, great weekend family events, and the birthdays of historical figures. Since this is a public calendar, remember to protect your students’ safety by not including student names. Check with your Information Technology department to make sure the web site is not blocked at school so that you can add assignments during prep time.
ScratchGrade 1 to 12
- Lifelong Kindergarten Group, MIT Media Lab- 9202
Teacher's First Edge Review: for moderately adventurous technology users (and those who are allowed to download/install or request free software). Want to get in touch with your inner child? Get Scratch! Warning: The use of this application is quite fun and engaging! Scratch is a downloaded program that creates interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art. This application can be used for bringing simple ideas and projects to life. It has great use as a paint program without using the animations. Downloads/install files are available for Mac or PC. Other links include a Getting Started pdf, Help screens to show what each block controls and how to use, and a Reference Guide which provides an overview of the interface. A support page is also available for help in using the application.
Material created can only be viewed within the program. Drawings are not saved as a jpg or pic file. However, a "snapshot" of the screen can be created by using these keys in Mac: apple, shift, and 4 and click/drag to surround the portion to save. In PC use: control/print screen. These snapshots can be uploaded or used as a picture in other applications. PDF guides require Acrobat Reader. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Download and install the program or have your tech folks do this for you.
Quick start: Click stage and in the center pane, click on backgrounds. Click on paint to make a new background. Different colors, pens, and materials can be used to create the background or an image can be brought in from your computer. Objects in Scratch are called a Sprite and can be added in by choosing the folders below the screen. By clicking the script tab, blocks can be moved in to create motion, add sounds (even record your own message), and change the look of the Sprite. Blocks are linked on to each other to create a series of events. A control block dragged to the top of the blocks control which key starts the event. Advanced options include adding variables and other controls.
Safety/Permissions Concerns: Be sure to check with your Technology Department, as many districts require authorization to download or install new applications. Projects can be shared online; however an account is required. Be sure to check your district's policy for creating student accounts online and using student email for verification. Many districts require a parental permission prior to creating an account. If online accounts are desired, another alternative to entering student emails exists. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
Work is saved to the computer itself and only shared online via an account. To avoid problems concerning content made by outsiders or issues with sharing, save the work locally and either create your own gallery on a supervised class website/wiki or set up a single account where you share the "best" projects online via your own log-in. Remind students of the school's Acceptable Use Policy and consequences of violations, if you do allow them to join/share. Images used should adhere to all copyright rules. Use pictures taken in class or those with Creative Commons licensing (and provide attribution!).
Practical tips: Students quickly catch on to this program when allowed to play and easily see what they can make from it. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner.
Have students use a storyboard to write down what they will do/draw/say in their creation in order to keep tabs on what students and their creations.
Possible uses: For the lower grades, Scratch provides unlimited possibilities. Use as a new way to show vocabulary usage. Use the paint program to add information to a picture from your class field trip or science experiment. Use Scratch to help in storytelling a concept in a new and unique way, such as how rocks are formed. In the upper grades, use Scratch to show complex material in a new way. For example, students can draw DNA and show replication, etc. through their drawings and storytelling. Draw the different movements of landforms in plate tectonics. Draw or illustrate solutions to Math problems.
This simple online tool creates an artistic image from any text you enter. The text is artistically manipulated in a random pattern with colorful backgrounds and repeated "echoes" of the words or parts of words. First, allow your eyes to adjust to the pale gray, low-contrast screen. Then type your text into the small ("please enter text") space, choose your format(portrait or landscape) and click "generate." The tool will search Google for images and generate a VERY stylistic way of "looking" at your words. Be patient while the tool works. You also have options to try again, keeping selected characteristics of the first image.
Once you have an image you like, be sure to click 640 by 480 (just above the image) to get a larger version. The larger image can be copied of saved, simply by RIGHT-clicking on it and choosing "copy" or "Save image as." Once you have the image saved, you can print it full page on letter size paper, include it in a PowerPoint show, or print smaller photo-size copies to use as "flash cards" for your visual students. Printing from Windows Picture and Fax viewer or simple Mac image software allows you to choose the final image size and layout. See a sample of a simile/metaphor image (a .jpg image from "save image as" so you can see how your computer will open saved Typogenerator images). NOTE: images used as part of the generator may be subject to copyright. Do not use these images for any commercial use or on a web site.
In the Classroom: Make your own posters or bulletin boards of key terms your students are learning. Have students create their own "visualizations" of important vocabulary and print them on "flashcards,"writing their definitions on the back. Your visual learners will remember the terms better, even from these "fractured" versions, once you bring them to life with color and depth. Art teachers will love the chance to "play" with and critique the images as examples of graphic design.
Make a poster in a snap using this easy tool. Just upload your photo, slice it, and your poster size images will be downloaded to your computer--ready for printing. View the site's gallery for poster ideas. The pictures are downloaded into a PDF file. Adobe Acrobat is required. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: You could actually use this tool in any subject or grade level to create visual displays for your classroom or have students make their own (upper elementary and older). If you allow students to use this site, beware that the images in the Gallery may change frequently. What may be 'art' to some may be questionable to others. For art teachers, the use of this tool offers endless possibilities. Student artwork will take on a different air when blown up to gallery-sized prints. Teachers, think E-A-S-Y bulletin boards!
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. This online tool lets you and your students create a collaborative "space" online in any subject, allowing as many people as you want to edit, make changes, add new content, etc. You may be familiar with wikipedia, but wikis can be so much more! A recent poll of "high tech" educators cited wikis as the one web-based tool they could not live without! If you have not tried a wiki yet, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.
If you are not sure which wiki tool is best for you, see our detailed TeachersFirst review of PBWorks (formerly PBWiki) features, pros, and cons(done as part of the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through).Ignore the persistent and pervasive suggestions that you upgrade to a fee-based membership!
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Click through the first two steps to create a free wiki, including the name (which becomes part of the wiki URL). Be sure to select "education" as the answer to "What is this wiki for?" Wait for your confirmation email (may take a while...check junk mail folder). After the email, choose whether your wiki is public or private (visible to members only or to the public). Set a "key" (password), if you wish. Bypass the offer to PAY. Use the Quickstart steps to configure the wiki just the way you want it or simply play to learn the Clickable editing toolbar. Add and edit pages, invite new members, explore the three template options and a few options for "skins." You may want to become familiar with the tool as a teacher-created site at first so you know its capabilities before turning students loose.
Safety concerns: Students need email accounts to have individual log-ins (consider using one GMail account you own, with separate sub-accounts). Note: with this wiki tool, you do not have the option of "locking" certain pages or setting different "levels" of users. You and your students have equal access to make changes, once you make them "members." There are also "plug-ins' (widgets) available from the toolbar, some of which may connect you to sites with unmonitored content. Decide ahead of time what you policies are concerning use of the "plug-ins."
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. This online tool lets you and your students (aged 13 and up, according to Wetpaint policy) create a collaborative "space" online in any subject, allowing as many people as you want to edit, make changes, add new content, etc. You may be familiar with wikipedia, but wikis can be so much more! A recent poll of "high tech" educators cited wikis as the one web-based tool they could not live without! If you have not tried a wiki yet, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Click through the 3 steps to create a free wiki, including the name (which becomes part of the wiki URL). Follow instructions to send an email requesting conversion to an ad-free space. Follow in-context help to configure the wiki just the way you want it or simply play to learn the EasyEdit toolbar. Add and edit pages using the Page Toolbox, invite new members, explore the options for "templates" and "styles," and decide how you will use the To-Do list and Discussion Forum. See the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for practical management and safety tips. Students do not need email accounts to have individual log-ins. You may want to become familiar with the tool as a teacher-created site at first so you know its capabilities before turning students loose.
Safety concerns: Decide who will be able to SEE your wiki and who will be allowed to edit it. The Discussion Forum could be problematic, if you are not pro-active in how you monitor it and how you permit it to be used. This could be a great place for students to reach consensus before making actual wiki page changes. Spell out policies about this and the use of "widgets" with your students. You may want to involve older students in generating a code of conduct for your own wiki. Make sure you are within your school's Acceptable Use Policy. We also recommend having parents and students sign a Wiki Warranty (downloadable here), spelling out wiki behavior and consequences
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. This online tool lets you and your students create a collaborative "space" online in any subject, allowing as many people as you want to edit, make changes, add new content, etc. You may be familiar with wikipedia, but wikis can be so much more! A recent poll of "high tech" educators cited wikis as the one web-based tool they could not live without! If you have not tried a wiki yet, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (free for educational wikis). Request a free "plus" membership for educators. Set up a wiki, including the name (which becomes part of the wiki URL). Follow help videos or simply play to learn the simple wiki editing toolbar. Add and edit pages, invite new members (or contact wikispaces to help you do a "mass enrollment"). See the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for practical management and safety tips. Students do not need email accounts to have individual log-ins.
Safety concerns: Decide who will be able to SEE your wiki and who will be allowed to edit it. Make sure you are within your school's Acceptable Use Policy. We also recommend having parents and students sign a Wiki Warranty (downloadable here ), spelling out wiki behavior and consequences.
Check out this easy-to-use flashcard site useful for any subject area. The Leitner System of efficiently learning facts through flashcards makes learning a breeze. This online version actually graphs the results of a study session so you can see progress. The sign-up for this free tool is ultra-quick and requires no email address. The set-up is quite user friendly. Within a few minutes of accessing this site, you have personalized flashcards to help with learning. Another cool feature: when you give your card sets the same ‘tag,’ you automatically have the ability to study those multiple sets together. After the study session, you will see the study stats for just those card sets. Flashcards couldn’t be easier!
In the Classroom: Facts, spelling words, vocabulary, definitions, you name it -— all can easily be typed into this flashcard format for any subject. Plan to tag sets for related material so they can be grouped. For example: tag all geography terms "geography" and all words from the same science chapter using the chapter number or topic. You can use multiple tags, too! In the computer lab, using a projector or interactive whiteboard, walk your students through making their own sets of flashcards. Students or parents can then access their electronic cards at home or anywhere. No email address is needed to sign-up for this free service. Include the link to your sets on your web page for students to study before tests.
Kids SpellGrade K to 6
- Kids Know It Network- 8949
Select spelling lists from over 6,600 words or create your own spelling lists to generate spelling practice for your students. Save your custom spellings lists, then link them to your own classroom website. This makes homework a special treat. Once you have generated your spelling list, students can practice the words through a variety of games by clicking the links on the right. Use of this site is free, however, if you want the ads erased, you must pay a $30 fee.
In the Classroom: Use the variety of spelling practice games for students who struggle with these skills. Spelling practice can also be used with science and social studies terms. Enter the list for the current unit and make it a center on your classroom computer or a link from your teacher web page before the test. Learning support teachers may want to allow their students to create their own individual lists to develop lasting study skills.
TeachersFirst Edge entry: For slightly adventurous technology users. This site is useful to create an interactive video (hypervideo) through the use of hyperlinking. Just like hyperlinks in a document, create hot links to notes, websites, and other material you link to from parts of the video. The links appear as little circles (hotspot markers) that are clicked to reveal the information you "attach." Add more information to your video for students to access during the playback. Easy-to-follow directions and quick tours to get you started. When the video is done, you can generate and embed a code in your blog or website. Video can also be emailed. Quicktime and FLASH are required. Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Site is free, but you must join to create your own videos. Videos must originate from YouTube or TeacherTube (see editorial comment below). You can always upload your own originals to one of these sites, if you wish to annotate a video you shot for use in class, such as a science demo. Paste the YouTube url into the search function, click on a part of the video you want to label, and add notes to, or link to a website. No special skills needed. A teenager or techno-comfortable teacher will figure this one out in one minute. The only challenge is determining what notes and links to use. Keep a second window open to copy and paste website addresses quickly. Watch the demos for quick learning of how to use this application.
Safety concern: some featured videos available on the site's home page, especially those under "Entertainment," may not be appropriate for school viewing. If your school does not have an actively-enforced student acceptable use policy with specific consequences for accessing inappropriate content, you may want to avoid this page or generate such an agreement for student and parent signatures before allowing students open access to Asterpix. You can always create products of your own and share them directly by URL or by embedding them in your blog.
Does your school block YouTube? Try creating a video using an original from TeacherTube instead. Or follow your school's technology policy to request unblocking of specific YouTube video URLs that are directly related to curriculum.
Editorial comment: Be sure to SHARE the completed examples (and student-made products) with administrators and school decision-makers to demonstrate why school policies should permit such powerful opportunities for teaching and learning. Perhaps you can advocate, at the least, quicker unblocking of specific videos (24 hours or less?) for classroom use or permission for teachers to unblock on a per-computer basis. Your efforts to respect policies while pro-actively advocating for appropriate change will benefit all teachers and students.
Possible uses for annotated videos: Use a video and have students add information to check their understanding, such as to label the actions they observe during a chemistry demo and add links to web pages that explain the underlying concepts. Create teacher-made videos to share individually or on a projector with students of ALL ages to illustrate and annotate concepts that are especially challenging or simply to help students visualize the connections between the words they read or hear and the real world examples. Shoot on-site video at the zoo or at a pond study site, then add annotations later. Use videos already available, but add the explanations using the terminology from your curriculum and allow student so access then for review or extra help. Secondary students will love using Asterpix themselves and will give a new dimension to presentations they create. Teachers can use the interactive video for extra tutorial work, explanations of topics, etc. The possibilities are endless!
What a wonderful tool to use in any classroom. This website provides an online stop watch (as the name suggests). On the home page, you have your choice of a stop watch (counting up from 0) or a countdown (for the number of minutes or seconds you choose). There is even a "large stop watch" link that makes the counting a full-screen adventure (perfect if you are using your desktop computer at a distance -- easier for students to see). The stop watch and countdown both require FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: There are many uses for this practical online tool. Get out your interactive whiteboard or projection screen (or even the classroom desktop computer) and make sure the speakers are turned up. Use this tool for students to practice speeches, or to limit time for a quiz or spelling test. Shrink the stopwatch window in the corner of your interactive whiteboard as you time different teams completing a drag-and-drop challenge. The countdown feature could also be used for timing the rotations from center to center. You can even use the timer for reading fluency exercises or physical education warm-ups! A clever classroom management tool would be to start the visible count-down on your computer screen when you want the class to settle down for directions or to transition to the next subject. Kindergarten students can practice counting along with the watch!
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. Fleck allows you to put sticky notes and other annotations onto existing web pages and share them with others. Now you can tell students exactly what you want them to do on a page, point out instances of bias or unsafe Internet practice, etc. You can put effective reading strategies right ON the text of the page. See an example here. Your students can also "fleck" to each other as they work on group projects, noting how they will use information or categorizing what they find. Fleck uses FLASH and does not work well on TOP of Flash-driven pages. The annotated pages take a few moment to load, even on a quick connection.
In the Classroom: Possible uses:
Student research projects, guided reading of web sites, comprehension questions, guiding questions, annotations for tough vocabulary with younger students, Internet safety lessons, students analyzing sites as part of information literacy lessons, art critiques by you or students, student collaboration and source-sharing, professional notes for your own reading or graduate work, etc. Assign students to "Fleck" a site as an assignment in critical thinking and turn it in by sharing with you.
Skills needed: Join the site and wait for the confirming email (our review team said it took a couple of hours). While you are waiting, click over to the HOME page and watch the "How this works" animation. Then try the link to "So why don't you give it a try." (This trial will NOT be saved!) Enter the URL of a page you wish to annotate at the top of the Fleck screen and click GO. Use the toolbar that appears with the web page to add notes, etc. and SAVE. You can also download an extension for Firefox or bookmarklet for Internet Explorer (to make a Fleck button on your toolbar). Be sure to choose public or private for Flecks you make when you SAVE (can be changed). Share your Fleck by clicking the Share button and emailing a note to your recipients-- or click the "blog" button to get a permalink you can copy/paste to share via email or other means, such as on your web page or an electronic assignment handout.
To use Fleck safely, you can have students use your login account to make their own Flecks. If students have their own email, they can also have log-ins, but you have no monitoring over what they do. For safety's sake, you might want to require all student Flecks to be private and shared ONLY with class members. Since enforcement is tough, start with the teacher-only account and make Flecks for students to SEE. Once you are comfortable with the tool, allow students to use your account. You will not know WHO made inappropriate Flecks, but you can see and delete them from one place. Of course, you will need to test whether Fleck is blocked in your school (we hope not).
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: This is a public site, and some of the "recent Flecks" that show on the HOME page are NOT school-appropriate. TeachersFirst has contacted Fleck about this concern, and they tell us they are unable to "filter" these flecks at this time. We recommend always starting students from your member home page and avoiding Fleck HOME altogether.
This very simple little tool allows you to copy a LONG URL (web address), paste it into this web page, and get back a very short URL that fits far more easily on your teacher web page, in your handouts, or on your blackboard for students to enter.
In the Classroom: If you make a map in Google Maps, an online graphic organizer, a set of online flash cards, to anything else that allows you to share my emailing or copying a URL, this tools will save you from endless errors or emails full of ten-line URLs. Be sure to show your middle and high school students how to use it, as well. This will solve the problem of URLs that get split and no longer work when the text wraps around to another line.
This website is full of templates that are ready to use, just download and print. Many templates can be customized. Topics are too numerous to list. Sample topics include ice breakers, back to school, graphic organizers and parent-teacher communication.
In the Classroom: Check out the icebreakers for the first day of school, and back to school sections for many ideas and ready to use templates. Remember that if you want to SAVE a file from a download, you should RIGHT-click the link and choose "Save Target As" to save it to your computer.
ScribdGrade 9 to 12
- Trip Adler , Jared Friedman, Tikhon Bernstam - 8605
TeachersFirst Edge tool: for moderately adventurous technology users. This online file storage and sharing space allows you to upload Word documents, Excel files, pdfs, PowerPoint files, and other formats and keep them in a place where others (or just you) can access them. Scribed provides tools to convert between file types, for example to make a Word document into a pdf (readable in Acrobat Reader on most computers)or even to convert it into a SOUND file (MP3). The sound conversion apparently takes some time, as our editors found when uploading a sample. The default set-up makes files public when you upload, so you are , in effect, "publishing" them to the web, but you also have options to make them "private," i.e. limited access via a private URL for that document, or to make them only available to a certain "group." You can create or join groups, as well. Our editors made a sample that is "private," but available via this link. The site uses FLASH, so be sure you have the plug-in.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join (free). Email address is optional. Determine whether you have the copyright to the file(s) you wish to upload. You may ONLY upload files to which you hold the rights. Locate files on your computer and upload them. (Read FAQ for file types that are permissible). Choose options for that file: tags, private/public, etc. Create groups, such as for your class or group projects. Determine rights of the groups---who uploads? Who administers the group? You can also bulk upload. There is also a "collections" feature within your account, possible for different types of work, different student authors, etc. If you have a class log, click "more options" at the left of a document display to copy code and embed the actual Scribd file in your blog---a SAFE way to share it without sending students to Scribd.
How would you use this? As a productivity tool for yourself, you can make all your own files available from any computer, so you will never say, "I left it on my desktop at home." This is handy for itinerant teachers or forgetful students. Having pdf versions of handouts available with a few clicks makes it easy to share them with students via email or links on your teacher web page.
As an instructional tool, you will first need to manage some safety issues. Scribd is a site for the general public, a]so the texts available can have objectionable subject matter. "Browsing" Scribd is not an option for the classroom unless they launch a Squeaky-clean education version. If more mature students want to maintain (and even share) a writing portfolio to accompany college applications or simply document their growth as a writer over time, this tool is great, It will even save "versions" of documents to show writing process. There are some other ideas in our sample document. For safety reasons, we recommend a written Scibd policy for your classroom requiring parent permission for using the site, maintaining limited access for class members of selected "collaborators," such as a partner class from another school, and strict NO BROWSING, NO COMMENTING , NO JOINING GROUPS unless they are known to the teacher. The simplest way to control this is to have all students use ONE account (that you can monitor) and create individual collections or "tag" their work with their initials or some other unique identifier. This would allow everyone to "keep" work there, so you can open drafts on a whiteboard, access writings from a few months ago for comparison side-by-side, etc.
A "possible uses" list:
Share handouts or study guides (yours or student-made)
Share permission forms, lab report formats, assignments, calendars, project rubrics and details, science fair documents, collaborative writing or group projects. Create an online literary magazine "dropbox." Encourage student responsibility by suggesting they maintain their own file repository on Scribd so they ALWAYS have their homework. Help students "hear" their own drafts read aloud (if the audio conversion works quickly enough). Share all lab data from a science experiment so students have a large data set to analyze. Then share their lab reports. Have students "turn in" any assignment to your group (if you and their parents think they are trustworthy on the site alone). The list goes on and on...
If you want to learn more about rubrics, find the perfect "ready to go" rubric for almost any subject or project, or create your own original rubric - you will find everything at this one-stop shop. Find the best rubrics "out there" on the web. The general topics of this website include "Student Web Page Rubrics", "Subject Specific and General Rubrics", "Multimedia Rubrics", "Rubric Builders, Generators, and Support", "Educator Technology Skills and Rubrics", and other areas of interest. There are also articles of interest to explain what a rubric is, why they are useful in the classroom, and other pertinent information.
In the Classroom: Although this website is plain vanilla (basically a list of resources). The list is phenomenal and includes an eclectic mix of many types of rubrics and assessments.
TeachersFirst Edge entry: for moderately adventurous technology users. Create and collaborate on Excel spreadsheets using this online tool. You have choices to create and edit using the actual Excel program (with macros enabled) or edit in your browser--a more secure option for those concerned about macros. A user can create or upload an excel sheet and share it with others as a read only OR editable sheet. No more need to email versions around and have multiple users adding and changing versions that become impossible to "merge." The free membership seems just fine for schools. See a sample by logging in as "tf@tf.com" with password "test." You can even add to the TF sheet to play with the tools. Or click the "demo" log in to experiment with sheets created by other curious users like you.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site--free. It requires an email address, though no validation via email is needed, so there is no "test" to be sure the email works. Our reviewers tried a "fake" address, and it worked. Create and save sheets using the browser edit mode (or Excel--see security note above). "Invite" others to work on the same sheet. Remember to SAVE. Some pros and cons: Our editors using the browser-based editor could not find out WHO made changes and no apparent way to "revert" the file if someone messes it up. The site home page says it is possible to revert to a previous version, but this may only be when using the full Excel program. You CAN also make copies (versions) manually.
How to use it? Your students can maintain a single set of lab data for analysis of an experiment repeated by several students. They can also maintain a simple flat-file database of information, such as flora and fauna observed in a plot of land at your school or facts about inventors or authors. Anything you can do in Excel, you can do in Xcellery. You can also email an invitation to "real" people to join in.
Some safety suggestions: unless your school uses student email addresses, do not allow students to set up individual accounts. Make a few "class" accounts that students can use, but make YOUR account the controlling one for all the sheets. That will allow you to change access at any time to "read only," such as when the deadline for work has passed. Be sure to demo how to use the site on a whiteboard or projector the first time for uniformity of use. Secondary students working on group projects, club fundraisers, etc. can also benefit from this tool as long as they stay within school acceptable use policies in using it. Note that this product is still in "beta," so features and pricing are subject to change.
This comprehensive database for determining the level of books is a MUST for elementary and reading teachers. Just type in the book's title, and this handy tool tells you the level for guided reading, Accelerated Reader, and/or Reading Recovery.
In the Classroom: Two warnings:
1. This site is still being developed; however, the database of books is vast.
2. This site does not give the lexile level of the books. For teachers using lexile leveling, it is disappointing. The usefulness of knowing the level of books for guided reading, AR, or RR deems the site very worthy, especially since it is so fast and easy to use. The site offers to connect you to Amazon to buy the books, but simply being able to look up books you already have is very helpful--- and free! TeachersFirst members who teach reading will certainly want to make it a Favorite.
Teachers and students in any subject can use this TeachersFirst Edge tool for slightly adventurous technology users. This online calendar maker allows users (must register---for free)to create and edit online calendars with your own events and including local events (if you wish). Save paper by publishing your classroom calendars online using this free tool! Schools and teachers can use it to share upcoming important events. Classroom teachers and students can use it to plan long-term projects. Groups working on collaborative projects can share a calendar with to-do list and deadlines telling which person is responsible. Teach organizational skills to your students by modeling the tool in class and telling both parents and students about it. Middle schoolers just beginning to take responsibility for their own time management will enjoy creating their OWN calendar instead of being told what to do.
See a sample (look at June, 2007). Notice that there is not a clutter of advertising.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: Join the site (requires an email address, so this is not suitable for younger children. Consider setting up accounts using the teacher's email). Check out the Help for complete directions or simply play with the tools to make calendar events, share calendars, create groups---perhaps the sections you teach or the groups for projects, publish them, add events, etc.
Get the URL for your calendar by "publishing" it. You can make the calendar shared only between certain CalendarHub members (such as students working on a project). Do not include student names, birthdays, etc. on a fully public calendar unless you use first names only and limit the amount of identifiable information about your school. If students use the CalendarHub for group projects, require them to make theirs shared but not fully public for safety reasons.
Visual thinking and verbal flexibility come together in this clever site. SEE the power of words and their multiple meanings using this simple online tool. Enter a search term, as you would in Google, and click to see a montage of images that match your term. For example, if you enter "apple," you may see pictures of the fruit, a pie, and a computer...among a montage of 20 "apple" images. Why bother? Help your students build flexible thinking by letting them SEE the many ways one word or phrase can be "read." Whether reading, writing, or listening, they will start to see language in more dimensions and be more aware of their own vocabulary. Art teachers will love the visual display of plays on words.
If you teach about effective web searching, this site will SHOW the importance of word choice quite graphically!
This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. Click "Launch Project" to start the game.
In the Classroom: Project this tool or use an interactive whiteboard to create a visual anticipatory set/activator for ANY term you plan to teach that day. As you introduce new vocabulary before reading, use this as one of your ways to build background before reading. In art class, demonstrate this tool, then ask your students to create their own drawing or photomontages for a word they think of...and ask others to guess it. Warning: this site is addictive. Make the link available on your teacher web page for student to use at every available moment, both at home and at school.
Once you are good at Montage-a-Google, try the reverse guessing game, Guess-the-Google, with your class.
Create your own handwriting worksheets--customized any way you wish. Five practice lines with dotted lettering is provided on each worksheet. Teachers choose the words, font style, paper positioning, and then create their own written instructions, for customized handwriting worksheets. Having this handwriting generator allows you to incorporate handwriting into your various units of study. If you are inept at handwriting yourself, this free technology does it for you...perfectly.
In the Classroom: Share this on your teacher web page for students and parents to practice at home with this week's spelling words. You can also project the "worksheets" onto your interactive whiteboard for a tactile approach to teaching the letters as students "magically" trace them -- with their fingers acting as the interactive whiteboard pen. For students with weak fine motor skills, this "finger" practice may help them before they can quite hold the pencil well.
TF Edge entry: If you have not heard about them, Google's online collaboration tools are a must for slightly adventurous technology users and for those in schools where students are allowed to log into their own accounts for web services. With Google Docs, users can create, edit, reformat, upload, and share documents they've created in WORD or other office applications. They can also look at their editing history. Perhaps the best feature is the ability to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets with anyone or with a selected group. Groups share editing capabilities, making collaboration much easier. Users can publish newly created, uploaded, downloaded, or revised documents and spreadsheets as well as making links to them on personal blogs. Easy directions and familiar-looking pages make exporting and importing documents simple; Google also helps users keep them organized.
In the Classroom: A "tour" and simple to understand directions make this site easy to use. Have your students set up collaborative groups for projects, lab data, and more. Or set them up yourself, giving them specific passwords to access their "space." Skills needed: join Google Docs, take the tour, experiment with collaboration tools, upload and download files.
Users are normally invited to "join" via an email message. This may be problematic in the many schools that do not permit student email access at school. Note that notifications sent by Google Docs may also land in "junk mail" folders or be blocked by spam filters. We suggest that you experiment with a small group of students to determine what will work in your particular situation. One option is to set up the groups with the teacher as a "member" but have students work from home, using their personal email addresses, for group projects. Make sure you are protecting the safety of student work and identity and are within your school's Acceptable Use Policy.
Possible uses: Anything students can do on a single computer, they can do collaboratively on Google docs, accessing their work from any online computer. See this teacher forum for just a hint of the possibilities.
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. This is one fabulous way for art or photography students to create a FREE online portfolio to share work in your class, share with each other, or submit as an online collection for competitions or college admissions. The users agreement specifies no "group" accounts or users under 13 years old. The free version is limited to 5 projects and 35 images (no videos in the free version), but this is enough to show your "best of the best." You can even choose the actual URL for the portfolio within Carbonmade. The home page has a Flash demo so you can see how the site works.
In the Classroom: Skills needed: join the site (free), browse for files and upload to site, label with captions, project information, other information, and decide about viewing options. Works best with Internet Explorer 6+ or Safari. No special html skills needed. A teenager will figure this one out in one minute. A techno-comfortable teacher will take no more than four minutes! The only challenge is figuring out how to change settings on a project within your portfolio and have them SAVE. Watch the demo.
Share portfolios among neighboring schools or through art teacher associations to inspire your students and help them develop the critical skills to choose their best work and articulate their reasons (Use the "notes" space on each image to tell about it).
Be sure that you adhere to school policies regarding posting of student work. Have students create their accounts ONLY with written parent permission, especially since there is space for a "profile" (which teachers should require students to leave BLANK for safety reasons. Use your teacher email account so there is no danger of having outsiders contact your students. After graduation students may change the settings and use the site in budding art careers! Avoid including any personally identifiable information in descriptions or images. Personally identifiable information can always be shared with potential colleges, etc. via email or letter, rather than posting it to the web.
This incredible tool makes handwriting worksheets. Users have the choice of creating basic print, D'Nealian style or cursive. The user writes in the words for the worksheet and then they can print the document.
In the Classroom: Utilize this creative tool to make customized handwriting papers for your class! Use passages from stories you have just read, sentences your class composes on science or social studies topics (maybe on your whiteboard?), or trade off poems that your own students write to make handwriting practice more meaningful in context.
This "quiz" website provides math quizzes for students of all ages. There are quick, 10-question quizzes in 20 areas (including money, triangles, algebra, basic arithmetic, calculus and more). Each individual quiz can also be set to various difficulty levels. This site would be useful in any mathematics class grades 1-12.
In the Classroom: Demonstrate this website as a group activity with an interactive whiteboard or projector, then use it for an individual activity differentiated to the many different math levels of your classes and students. Provide this link on your teacher web page for parents and learning support teachers to use with their students at home for additional practice or enrichment.
TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for slightly adventurous technology users (NOT difficult!). This VERY simple tool lets you or your students make simple, folded small booklets that fit in a pocket. You choose what will appear on each page: from blank space to lines to calendars or checklists. Then print the single sheet (and run copies!) for a student "organizer" useful for homework assignments, long-term project deadlines, checklists, even student-made study guides. Students use the booklets the old fashioned way: by WRITING in them; but the clever, customizable format lets you teach organizational skills in a way that works. REQUIRES FLASH!
In the Classroom: Skills needed: go to PocketMod and follow simple drag-and-drop visual screen to create the PocketMod from their many organizer options. Print and fold (NO Acrobat Reader required). More skilled users should consider downloading the free "PDF to PocketMod" converter that will take any pdf document and format it to the small, foldable format. If you have handouts in pdf format or can make them from your scanner/copier, you can make ANYTHING into a PocketMod. The converter assumes you have Acrobat Reader.
Possible uses: have students design their own study guides before a chapter test or maintain a project checklist to be submitted along with the completed project to build better organizational skills.
Warning: Students will quickly learn that PocketMod is a great way to make CHEAT SHEETS. Be forewarned of student cleverness!
Is there a "digital" or "e-divide"? How does the relative availability of computer technology affect progress across the globe? While US students may easily take their access to computers and other digital technology for granted, many others their age have little to no access. This well-designed site looks at physical, digital, human and socioeconomic barriers to digital technology. There are links to surveys and possible solutions, as well as some games, some nifty online tools, and ways for students to get involved in overcoming some of the barriers.
In the Classroom: This is a Thinkquest contest winner. Thinkquest sites are created by students, but the winners have been judged as exemplary in a major international competition. As could be expected, the site is easy to navigate and well designed. The information might be especially useful for students taking computer or technology courses as a way of helping them recognize how difficult access to technology can be for others in less developed countries. It could also be a great discussion-starter for an economics or social studies class considering globalization issues.
Into the BookGrade K to 6
- Wisconsin Educational Communications Board- 7236
This interactive site is a MUST-HAVE for anyone who teaches reading. To get started, simply type in your name and you will be given a user ID (for example, Melissa might be Melissa0039). *BE SURE to SAVE the user ID provided. The site saves your work and you can log-in with the user ID to go right back to where you left off! The site includes sections for both students and teachers. You can click and choose which section on the top right corner of the site.
The "Teachers Section" includes a treasure of information (see the tabs on the LEFT side). Some of the information on other sections of the Teacher Page involves an online course. But there is enough FREE stuff on the left side to make this site phenomenal: podcasts, videos, and many lesson topics. Find lesson plans, videos, teaching tips, research, and more about Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating, Synthesizing, and Using Other Strategies. The Student portion offers interactive, technology-based activities for each of the comprehension concepts. Check out the student-created Visualizing activities, including drawing pictures and adding music using the online tools. This site requires both Flash and Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Share the tools (podcasts, videos, and other interactives) on a projector or interactive whiteboard to introduce students to this site. Then have students try some of the interactives on individual computers or at a learning center! Take advantage of these ready to go lesson plans, printables, and teaching tips. What a fabulous site to integrate into your language arts classes! Have students use this site to create multimedia presentations. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).
Design your own crossword puzzle using vocabulary or concepts that you’ve covered in class. You choose the size and complexity; the online tool does the rest. After entering words and accompanying hints, users can create a printable puzzle with the click of a mouse. An online cryptogram maker, a puzzle-solver tool, and links to ready-made puzzles are also provided.
One of the more complete election sites, Vote Smart offers a wide array of 2004 campaign information at federal, state, and local levels. There are also backgrounders on the election process, the Electoral College, and election laws and voting.
Although this resource was created for the 2004 election, the background information on the election process, Electoral College, voting, and election laws are valuable for teaching about elections in general and for comparing elections as part of U.S. history.
In the Classroom: Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of representative democracy. Select a few choice politicians from your state through the "Issue Positions" section. This activity would work even better if politicians selected were representative of your local area or hometown. Seperate students into groups and have them research the politicians based on certain issues. We recommend using issues such as crime, guns, and immigration. Have students compare and contrast the politicians stance to voting records in their area, or teachers can have students vote on the issues just in their classroom to determine their own "public opinions." Have the groups compare the public opinion to the voting record of the politician via venn diagram. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Have students use their results in a class discussion of the pros and cons of a representative government. Where are potential problems? What are the benefits? This would be extremely useful in a AP Government or Civics course.
This section from the White House web site offers short histories and biographies of America’s First Ladies. These include attention to twentieth century women who made their own accomplishments while living in the White House. Elementary students may find this one useful as part of a women’s history study, or while learning about the presidency.
In the Classroom: This site would be extremely useful during an American History class. Use this site to provide students with knowledge of the too often forgotten members of the White House - our first ladies. Towards the end of the semester, use this site as a spring board for research projects on the first ladies. Students can use this site as a beginning in their quest for information.
Another use would be to show the ever-evolving role of the First Lady. Review with students the information found on one of the initial first ladies - Martha Washington is an interesting one, and have students compare her role with that of a more recent First lady. To compare the two,use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
This site offers a very eclectic sampling of publicly-submitted photographs (slideshow) from the 2009 inauguration of President Obama. Photographs include captions, personal stories, items created to celebrate the event (for example, a skateboard), ice sculptures, and MANY others. If you plan to print any pictures, be sure to check on the permission to re-use. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom: Share this slideshow on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Choose a picture to use as a writing prompt. Share this site around President's Day. Have students find (or create) their own picture or photo of President Obama. Challenge students to narrate the photo using an online tool such as VoiceThread (reviewed here).
The Council of American Hebrew Congregations offers a brief explanation of this Jewish high holy day, along with a description of customary holiday observances.
In the Classroom: Include this site as a resource as you study religious traditions and celebrations of different cultures. Have students create a holidays and celebrations wiki, with different groups explaining events in different cultures. Or try writing children's books to promote cross-cultural understanding. Make the books interactive using an online tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
The popular cable channel's women's history site provides images, content, and links to related resources.
In the Classroom: This site has plenty of relatively short videos that could easily be played in class to supplement lecture. For a unit on WWII, play the short 3 minute video about the Women Auxiliary Corp on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Short and sweet, the video addresses what the domestic front was like and addresses the issues of women's rights simultaneously. Have students watch the video, and then hold a class discussion as to the differences seen in the WAC video and videos that they might have seen concerning the mens army. After the discussion, have students create venn diagrams highlighting the differences. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
This site offers a collection of cultural, government, and economic information and resources about the Ukraine. It includes information on the roles of women, as well as a historical chronology of the nation.
In the Classroom: Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have students compare and contrast the stories they find about the Ukraine and what's predominantly showcased in American newspapers. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). This would be a great activity during a unit on post-cold war politics, and how the old USSR states have since changed.
This site offers a historical and cultural introduction to Iceland, its people, and its culture. Well illustrated, with useful information on each section. Students may need a little help with the cryptic section headings
In the Classroom: Open this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector during a world history unit. Allow students to explore the site, and then as a class compare the facts they have learned about Iceland and compare it to the United States. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). This can also be opened on the Interactive Whiteboard or projector. A site like this would be great at the end of the year so students have the knowledge to compare it to the United States.
The site calls itself the “YouTube of Quizzes.” This site allows you to create ONLINE quizzes. You MUST register to use this site. Registration does require an email address, user name, and password. Registration takes less than ten seconds, and is very simple.
Once registered, you click to create a quiz. Then you are asked to choose between a personality quiz or a scored quiz. This site offers extraordinary details. At the scored quiz, you are able to provide a title, tags, description, and choose the type of questions (multiple choice, essay, or fill in the blank). It is simple to insert images, change font styles, insert links, and even score the online quiz. You can create a pass/fail quiz, a graded quiz (with YOU determining what qualifies as an A, B, etc..). You are also able to set a time limit, issue a certificate of achievement, and fill in the possible total score.
Once students have taken the quiz, immediate feedback is provided (including a scale of all participants, the correct answers, final score, and grade). This is a fantastic tool to use to create online quizzes!
Caution: this site does include some minor advertisements. At the time of this review, all advertisements were appropriate. But it would be wise to advise students NOT to click off of the quiz onto any of the advertisements or links.
In the Classroom: Use this site to create online quizzes. Create a quiz as a review to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students take the quiz independently or in cooperative learning groups. Have students create their own quizzes to use for review or as a final project. Embed your quiz (or provide a link to it) on your class website.
bubble.usGrade K to 12
- Kirill Edelman and Levon Amelyan- 1207
TeachersFirst Edge Review: for slightly adventurous technology users. This simple and free online tool allows you to brainstorm ideas – no special software! Bubble.us features some highly interactive abilities: saving your mind map as an image, sharing (emailing) your work with a friend, printing your organizer, creating colorful mind map organizers, embedding your work into a website or blog, and working with friends. You are able to "play" at this site without registering; however registration is necessary for saving, embedding, emailing, and other features. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
Here is an example of a bubbl.us map embedded in a page. Click and drag on the background to read more, or try the zoom controls:
In the Classroom: Skills Needed: If you intend to save, email, or print your organizer you must join the site. Registration is free, simple, and requires an email address. You can start using the “membership” immediately and without confirming the email, though, which makes it quite convenient. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Experiment with the small icons on each “element” to change colors, drag, make new connections, etc.
Once registered (if you choose to do so), you will be taken to the work area. A box marked "Start Here" can be clicked on to type the subject of your mapping activity. By clicking Enter you create a new level (branch) within the map. By clicking Tab you create an additional branch on the same level as the current word. Save and set sharing (read-only or open access) in the area at the right. You can “send” a read-only link via email or copy the embed code from the Menu at lower right), but you cannot find the URL directly from your map. "Send" it to yourself via email to copy the actual URL. You may want to have your class accounts all be “friends” with you for easy sharing or simply have them "email" their finished work to you using the menu button.
Safety/Security Concerns: Check your school policies on student email subaccounts (Gmail), if you plan to have students use Bubbl.us on their own. You may want to use a teacher account and allow students to use it under your supervision. Be sure to obtain written parent permission before posting ANY student work online. Fortunately, there are no “see others’ work” links or other easy access to inappropriate content.
Possible Uses: There are countless possibilities at this mental mapping site. Demonstrate the activity on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and then allow students to try to create their own graphic organizers. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics of study. Use this site to create family trees. Have students collaborate together (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject.
Some student project ideas: Have students... organize any concepts you study; color-code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, question; map out a story, plotline, or LIFETIME; map out a step-by-step process (life cycle); map a real historical event as achoose-your-own-adventure with alternate endings(?) based on pivotal points; plan a “tour” for a “thought museum.”
Use this mapping website as an alternative to a traditional test, quiz, or homework assignment in literature or social studies: have students demonstrate their understanding by completing a graphic organizer about the main points. Be sure that they RENAME it before they start work to an individual name so you know who did it (they could EMAIL it to you!) or have them print their results to turn them in. See more ideas in the embedded example above!
On line site for one of China's prominent newspapers
In the Classroom: Use this site to explore the differences in perception and media tilt between the US and one of China's leading newspapers. Access the "Asia & World" section, sharing it on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Explain the idea of cultural perception and differences before allowing students to access the site on individual computers. Have students open both the SCMP and a popular US paper, pulling up stories on the same issue. Have students create a Venn diagram of the differences in coverage, perceptions and tilt. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
Here's every parent or teacher's dream: a site that helps you make your own puzzles, word games, and math puzzlers. There is a selection of almost a dozen different formats, each of which can be customized to meet your specific needs. Choose the puzzle type you want from the drop-down menu.
In the Classroom: Create your puzzles by following the simple directions. These can not only be used in print form. You can also creat them on-screen for use on an interactive whiteboard (students highlight the answers in different colors). If you have kinesthetic learners or those with weak fine motor skills who have trouble with pencils, the whiteboard is a real help.
Despite text messaging, the formal letter still has its place in our world. Students write either a business or friendly letter through the prompts of this interactive tool. While generating their letter, they also learn the five parts of the letter and punctuation clues. Along the process, prompts ask for the needed information. When finished, print a well-formed letter. The online tool supplies the format; the student still must supply the words. 
TF Edge Tool: for the moderately adventurous technology user. Create collaborative mind maps (graphic organizers) using this online tool. See 
This site has archives of lists of books, organized by theme and displayed pictorially. Specific subjects feature books divided into two or three levels, including picture books, books for independent readers, and YA books. Featured books are not annotated, but bibliographic information is included. There are many widely varied themes, from the classical to the offbeat (Something from Nothing, and In Praise of Bad Books). The themes are too numerous to mention them all: Adventures on the High Seas Booklist, Africa Booklist, American Military Stories Booklist, Building Things Booklist, Children Putting on Plays Booklist, Exploration Booklist, First Day of School Booklist, Inventors and Inventions Booklist, Mother Goose Booklist, and countless others. A search feature allows teachers and students to search by many different criteria: Type of Child, Title, Author/Illustrator, ISBN, Genre, Subject, Series, Format, Fiction or Non-Fiction, Reading Level, Grade Level, Lexile, Setting, Author and Illustrator Demographics, Personal issues, and other categories. A free login allows users to submit reviews, tag books, or create wishlists (suggest other themes). Registration does require an email address, but it is free. You do not need to register to access the booklists. 
