Ideas and resources for parent conferences
These reviewed resources offer information so share with parents at conferences or suggested activities to share at conference time. Read "In the Classroom" ideas to display and other creative approaches for parent conferences. Parents will appreciate your sharing of educator-reviewed resources at conferences and on your TeachersFirst public page so you can work as a team in support of their child's learning.
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Vokle - Robert Kiraz
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
This site would be perfect to use when collaborating with other classrooms, for holding an author visit, or for professional collaboration. After hosting an event, share the link with students (or parents) who could not attend or who want to watch it over again. Encourage students to host their own event with topics such as book talks, interactive discussions on solving difficult math problems, or discussions of current events. Create a Vokle for parents to view, sharing your educational philosophy, classroom procedures and expectations, and other school-related information. Create a Vokle for students who were absent from class or who may want to watch the lesson again. Even elementary classes can make a vokle under teacher supervision for special events such as Earth Day or the 100th day of school.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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KikuText - kikutext.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (15), parents (18)
In the Classroom
Send out whole-class reminders to parents of upcoming tests, project due dates, school events, and more. Use this site as an alternative to conference reminder slips (and save paper). Keep parents "in the loop" about students' behavior, achievement, and more with this tool. Imagine sending a text as you discover missing homework. Suddenly, accountability steps up a notch!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Samsung Super Hero - SAMSUNG TECHWIN AMERICA
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): famous people (12), grants (14)
In the Classroom
Explore the many examples on Samsungs Superheroes to begin presentations, autobiographical sketches, or living history museums. Sharpen the language arts skills of research, creating an organized presentation, effectively communicating, and listening while bringing in content from other subject areas. Analyze and uncover the traits of a great presentation. Introduce outlining, storyboarding, or written autobiographies in an interesting and attention catching student made video. Brainstorm with your class to uncover the important components necessary for learning goals and assessment while creating a rubric. In social studies, discover superheroes/leaders from different times or geographic areas. Include in your math classes to feature famous mathematicians. In language arts, the world of authors and speakers come alive with literary contributions. Have groups collaborate to portray the ways the character influenced the world. As a competition, choose the best in your class, grade level, or school. Share the videotaped presentations on your website, on student DVDs, or as examples of great student work at parent conferences, open houses, or PTO meetings.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Get Ready to Read - National Center for Learning Disabilities
Grades
K to 2tag(s): alphabet (56), assessment (30), literacy (101), phonics (43), preK (99), reading strategies (15), rhymes (23), sounds (52)
In the Classroom
Use the Get Ready to Read Program to screen your students' reading skills. Use this assessment to guide your reading program and help individualize instruction based on your students needs. Print out and use the 36 offline activity cards with your students as reading centers, for individual learning, or for whole class instruction. Set up your classroom computers with the Get Ready to Read online activities. Share literacy checklists and suggestions with parents during conferences, kindergarten screening, or on your classroom website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Eyejot - Eyejot, inc.
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): organizational skills (32), video (67)
In the Classroom
Have fun with this website, and make classwork more interesting for students! Create a classroom email account, and have students send short summaries of reading passages instead of writing reports. If your students have school email accounts, send a short video message each week including reminders of upcoming activities and reminders for items to bring to class. Teacher mentors can send encouraging videos to mentees with suggestions and classroom tips. Administrators can send videos to staff with reminders of staff meetings or upcoming due dates. Send a short video to parents with upcoming class information such as conferences, field trips, and testing dates. Appoint a new video master each week to record the homework reminders for the class. That is one classroom "job" elementary students will love to have, especially those who like being the center of attention.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List: Books for Tough Situationa - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): divorce (8), eating disorders (6), emotions (20), social skills (6)
In the Classroom
Build student literacy skills and help students facing personal challenges. Reading about personally meaningful topics will help students work through them. It will also build the important reading strategy of connecting what they read to what they already know. Keep this list handy in your Favorites to suggest options when a student seems to need them. Since the list includes topics for all levels of maturity, you might want to share portions of it rather than the entire list. You may also wan to tell parents about it during parent conferences or when situations arise. as always, allow students to self- select independent reading books from a list of options. Don't forget to share the list with the school and local libraries so they can bring in some of the books on interlibrary loan, if needed. Your school counselor will also appreciate this list. CurriConnects are a great help for teachers and parents who have lost school library/media specialists due to budget cuts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind 101 - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Education.com - Education.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (12), black history (33), bullying (41), child development (16), crafts (25), parent conferences (17), parents (18), psychology (28), science fairs (12)
In the Classroom
Find information on current education topics such as bullying, creative arts, and more to use in the classroom or share with parents during conferences or in classroom newsletters. Share this site with parents as a resource to help them understand academic, social, and developmental benchmarks expected with each grade level and as a resource for additional activities and worksheets to help support classroom learning. Peruse the many articles related to everything education (for both parents and teachers).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Behavior Doctor Forms and Tools - Laura A. Riffel, PHD
Grades
K to 12tag(s): behavior (31), classroom management (15), organizational skills (32), parent conferences (17), parents (18)
In the Classroom
Read about positive behavior interventions and use this site as a resource for implementing the practices that you are comfortable with. If nothing else, try some of the "100 free ways to reward children." These simple ideas can mean a lot to your students. Check out the list of Character Education books. Educate yourself using some of the special education information available here. Be sure to share useful ideas with parents by sharing this link on you class web page or i newsletters. You may want to suggest specific ideas to individual parents at conferences.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Caffein - Caffein Team, Nota, Inc.
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Some schools may block this tool. If you set up a room for currculum use, you may be able to request that specific url be unblocked. Use this tool as an easy video chat when collaborating with other students in different schools. Set up a chat space to interview older people about events in history. (You may need to have someone tech-savvy help set up the webcam at their end.) This resource would also be beneficial for students who are home for an extended illness or on vacation when discussion with group members may be necessary. Use this tool in any subject that requires collaboration and video chats. Save this link for snow days when you would like to set up a quick update chat with your students. You might even have webcam parent conferences!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sign up genius - Skylark Productions
Grades
K to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (129)
In the Classroom
The possibilities are endless. Use this for planning parties, bringing in materials for projects, and any other activity that requires coordination. If you have limited technology availability, this is a great way for teachers or students to sign up for time slots to use laptops, iPads, video cameras, or a podcast recording station. Go paperless with your signups! Organize your parent/teacher conferences. Plan student research of class projects using this resource. Help students build organizational skills by having them "plan" a mythical event such as a museum opening for their Famous Americans exhibit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Young Child - Early Parenting Foundation
Grades
K to 3tag(s): bullying (41), child development (16), literacy (101), parent conferences (17), parents (18)
In the Classroom
These short videos/audio books are perfect to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector during class meeting or lesson on honesty or other character values. Share this site on your classroom website or newsletters for students to access at home and to share reading tips with parents. Videos can be embedded on your website or blog for review. This is a winner to share at parent conferences in primary grades!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Jotform - Interlogy, LLC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): polls and surveys (12)
In the Classroom
Use in the classroom for a survey, collecting student information, or any time you are looking for feedback. Use this site for checking student knowledge quickly and easily. Use in projects, including graduation projects. Students can collect data for analysis. Teachers can collect input from parents or students, including conference concerns to know about in advance or questions students have about current curriculum topics. Students who might never speak up in class may be willing to share their questions online, especially if it is anonymous.Comments
Jotform is really easy to use! But there are some limits regarding how long and often you can use it without paying. I also use Google forms/ spreadsheets in my class to make forms. Google spreadsheets also have gadgets that let you graph the results!Elise, CO, Grades: 0 - 12
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The Explorers' Graveyard - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free and interactive lesson plan! Just be sure to save it as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Volunteer Spot - Volunteer Spot
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (17), parent conferences (17)
In the Classroom
Teachers can use this for conference night sign-ups; parents can see time slots available immediately and choose what is best for them. This is also great to use for classroom volunteer schedules, class snack sign-ups, and more. School organizations such as PTO's can use this to schedule volunteers for fundraisers, library helpers, and any other activities requiring a volunteer pool. After creating an event, be sure to post the link to the sign up on your class webpage, blog, and in class newsletters. Teachers will also love using this to organize faculty events and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cycles vs. Checklists: Fostering Creative Process in an Accountability World - TeachersFirst/Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): creativity (66)
In the Classroom
Teachers in any subject will find ideas for fostering creativity in their classroom, especially with students developmentally ready to talk about their own creative process (usually middle school and up). Make this professional information a discussion item among your teaching peers and with parents. Share it with colleagues for an informal inservice session. Use the many resources to help students discover their own creative process just as you would help them discover their learning styles. Make creative process a habit in your class assignments through electronic idea bins and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Invention at Play - Smithsonian Museum of National History
Grades
K to 6tag(s): biographies (24), inventors and inventions (89), problem solving (123)
In the Classroom
Create a link to the site on classroom computers for students to explore the games. Share the site with parents on your classroom website or blog as a resource for using play as a learning tool. Share the site at conferences or parent meetings as a resource for developing learning skills through play. Include the inventor biographies as a resource for students when researching inventors.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plugged In Parent - Sharon Miller Cindrich
Grades
K to 12tag(s): internet safety (67), safety (99)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your class website as a resource for parents to find internet safety information as well as links to academic resources. Include information from the site as short informational tidbits for parents on your weekly newsletter or with peers during staff meetings or conferences.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Togetherville - Mandeep Singh Dhillon & Rajveer
Grades
K to 5tag(s): social networking (50)
In the Classroom
Have your school sponsor a parent education night about online safety. Recommend this site to parents as way to develop digital citizenship skills with supervision. Together parent and students can practice how to communicate online with respect, interact responsibly, and enjoy the benefits of social networking. Encourage parents to use Togetherville before allowing their child to use the more popular social networking sites. As the topic of online behavior comes up during parent conferences, you may want to share this link with them in person or on your class web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Speed Grid Subtraction
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): subtraction (114)
In the Classroom
Have students try this activity as a warm up for skills practice. A great opportunity for informal assessment when used in a conference setting. Have student record the number of problems completed within the time frame given. Have students graph improvement over a set amount of time. Students can share graphs with parents. Create an online book using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here to share the class graphs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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