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Twelve Ideas for Teaching with QR Codes - Andrew Miller

Grades
K to 12
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This short article provides some quick tips for using QR (Quick Response) codes in the classroom. Most ideas are easy to use immediately in a classroom setting. For example, use ...more
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This short article provides some quick tips for using QR (Quick Response) codes in the classroom. Most ideas are easy to use immediately in a classroom setting. For example, use QR codes to link to exemplars to provide examples of quality work for students or use codes to make learning stations that link to online content. If you are interested in using QR codes in your classroom, this article will help you get started. Be sure to read the comments from others for some additional ideas for using QR codes in the classroom.

tag(s): qr codes (17)

In the Classroom

Choose one of the ideas suggested in the article as a starting point for using QR codes in your classroom; then try additional ideas a little at a time. Share the article with other teachers and split up the ideas for each to become an "expert" in one of the strategies. Share your experiences as you learn together, perhaps in a staff meeting.

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Writing Prompts - Luke Neff

Grades
4 to 12
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These writing prompts are not as boring as the title sounds. Luke Neff has put together images and prompts that will truly inspire you and make you think. There are ...more
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These writing prompts are not as boring as the title sounds. Luke Neff has put together images and prompts that will truly inspire you and make you think. There are 57 pages full of creative, interesting ideas to explore. Click archive in the upper right to see a page of thumbnails of writing prompts by month. This allows you to view more prompts in less time.

tag(s): creative writing (122), expository writing (31), persuasive writing (55), writers workshop (31), writing (315), writing prompts (57)

In the Classroom

These prompts are perfect for writing in journals as quick writes or having your students develop into a full story or essay. There are plenty of unusual ideas to get even the most reluctant writer moving. Once completed, have students submit their story to the class using Google Docs, reviewed here. The class can then collaborate by proof reading and suggesting ideas for others' stories. Just because these are "writing" prompts does not mean you can't use them for ENL/ELL or speech/language students to prompt them to TALK and use oral language. World language teachers can also use these to promote conversation/oral language. To get started, project one in class; after that make the link available on your class web page.

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PBS Video Online - PBS

Grades
3 to 12
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Watch full episodes of your favorite PBS shows without having to record them. Videos may be searched by show name or by subject. Use the subscribe button to automatically subscribe...more
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Watch full episodes of your favorite PBS shows without having to record them. Videos may be searched by show name or by subject. Use the subscribe button to automatically subscribe to the show so you will never miss a new episode again.

tag(s): video (256)

In the Classroom

Teachers you can now access videos from PBS without having to record them. Use the subject search to find videos relevant to a unit of study. Display videos with your projector or add a link to your class website so students can watch at home.

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Zilladog - Zilladog

Grades
1 to 7
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Zilladog is the safe, monitored way of providing email addresses to students. Need a way to provide emails for a pen pal project? Need to help kids work on a ...more
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Zilladog is the safe, monitored way of providing email addresses to students. Need a way to provide emails for a pen pal project? Need to help kids work on a group project at home? Are parents asking you for a safe way to offer emails for their children? With Zilladog, a parent or teacher signs up to register a child. Parents enable the buddy list, and the only way a child can receive or send an email is with an approved buddy. Select to have parents copied on all communications. Zilladog has a teacher service, with an administrator function to set up student emails, and kids can only send and receive with approved buddies. The premium paid service offers more features.

tag(s): classroom management (128), digital citizenship (83)

In the Classroom

As with all student communications on the Internet, please check with school policies and parents. If permitted, set up the email accounts the first week of school to help students prepare for a great (organized) year! Zilladog provides students with an email of their own. Send messages to home for extra reinforcement or questions you had on an assignment. Make more personal contact acknowledging noteworthy behavior or successes. Group projects at home are possible with instant emails and sharing links or documents. Encourage communication between students doing study groups through email. At school, students can email parents questions or reminders for important times, dates, or assignments. Before use do a unit on Internet safety, email etiquette, and cyber bullying.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Teaching Kids News - Teaching Kids News

Grades
2 to 8
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Teaching Kids News is an excellent, visual newspaper for kids grades 2 through 8. Set up in a typical newspaper format, articles contain interesting images and easy to read text. ...more
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Teaching Kids News is an excellent, visual newspaper for kids grades 2 through 8. Set up in a typical newspaper format, articles contain interesting images and easy to read text. Use curriculum connections included with every article for an instant lesson plan or discussion starter. View by choosing category selections such as news, entertainment, science, politics, and more. One interesting and helpful feature is the use of tags with each article. Choose from clearly labeled tags to find other articles with similar topics. Included on the right side of the site are tags used most often on the entire site. Larger and bolder text indicates most widely used tags. Share articles easily using social media links included to most common sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Read the How to Use This Site page for ideas on how to make the most of this site with students.

tag(s): literacy (106), news (229), newspapers (91)

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for interactive whiteboards or projectors. Display the site on your whiteboard when discussing current events. Use as a learning center for students to read and journal. Practice with Main Idea or summarizing using these interesting informational texts. ESL/ELL learners can also find accessible news stories here. Provide this link for students to use at home to keep up with current events. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain or summarize any article on the site. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here.

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iPiccy - iPiccy.com

Grades
4 to 12
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This tool is a terrific online photo editing and paint app. No account or registration is necessary. Upload a picture or find the URL of a photo from online or ...more
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This tool is a terrific online photo editing and paint app. No account or registration is necessary. Upload a picture or find the URL of a photo from online or Facebook. Re-size, flip, rotate, crop, or alter the exposure, saturation, and contrast. Use additional features such as fix image, smart blur, and reflections. Use even more effects such as a cartoonizer, artistic painting, or wanted photo. You will love the retouch section which features the standard red-eye and blemish fix, along with teeth whitening. Add captions or text to the pictures with a wide selection of fonts. You can also create collages, but you must enable local storage of images on your computer. The Painter section includes standard pen, brush, erase with a sponge, and burn effects to allow for drawings on the pictures. Once completed, download the finished picture to a computer, post on Facebook, share by url, or upload to Flickr. Here is a sampleof adding text to an online image without even creating an account.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): images (270), photography (131)

In the Classroom

Use this tool anytime that photos need to be edited for use on class blogs, wikis, or sites. Encourage students to use on images for projects or presentations. Use the editor to edit pictures to fit styles of pictures when doing historical reports or to set a mood. Use caption bubbles for the photos themselves to tell the stories. Have students annotate or label Creative Commons online images of cells, structures of an animal, and much more, sharing the results (with an image credit) on your class wiki.

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Edsitement - EdSitement

Grades
K to 12
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Find lesson ideas and more for literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, history and social studies at the reworked site that was once part of MarcoPolo. Book...more
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Find lesson ideas and more for literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, history and social studies at the reworked site that was once part of MarcoPolo. Book articles, data bases, educational gaming, professional development events, sound, film, video resources, and resource website lists all aid teachers and learners. A calendar keeps you up to date with famous dates in history.

tag(s): art history (85), cultures (132), Juneteenth (22), literacy (106)

In the Classroom

Use Edsitement for lesson ideas in language, history, literature, and cultures. Find multiple sources to give a deeper comprehension on the subject matter. In history classes, keep the ongoing calendar in your favorites to celebrate an important historical day every day. Lesson plans cover multiple grade levels in many different subject areas. Resources can enrich, or even to give further explanation to current topics of study.

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What Speed Do you Read? - Staples.com

Grades
3 to 12
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Speed read your way into an easy to use speed reading test. In just a few minutes, read and take a short comprehension quiz; discover your time and how you ...more
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Speed read your way into an easy to use speed reading test. In just a few minutes, read and take a short comprehension quiz; discover your time and how you compare nationally. Next, discover how long it would take you to read War and Peace, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Lord of the Rings, Catch 22, and 1984.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): independent reading (85), reading comprehension (142)

In the Classroom

Race to read, with Staples simple Speed reading test. Offer your students and parents an easy way to track reading fluency. Use this tool to open discussion about the reasons why we sometimes need to slow down and how practice can build fluency. Offer contests, use in portfolios, or just plain have fun reading! Begin by using on the interactive whiteboard and reading aloud and modeling good reading behaviors. Help students discover the skills of great comprehension. Have students graph the family results. Test your principal and other teachers. Use this website to prove reading takes practice. For another reading speed builder, try Easy Prompter, reviewed here.

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WhatWasThere - Enlighten Ventures, LLC

Grades
K to 12
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Search for any place in the world and view images of "what was there" in the past using a Google Maps street view. Find your location on Google Maps, then ...more
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Search for any place in the world and view images of "what was there" in the past using a Google Maps street view. Find your location on Google Maps, then search through the list of available photographs. View the photo details or view in Google Street View (the little orange man). Photo details include date taken, title, description, and copyright information. Roll over the photo for a magnified view. In Street View, you can fade in and out through the photograph. You can upload photos, too. This tool is also available as an iPhone app.

tag(s): communities (36), images (270), local history (14), maps (208), photography (131)

In the Classroom

Use this tool to explore the changes in your local area or elsewhere. Compare medicine, education, nutrition, and more from each of the time periods. Create a campaign to showcase your local area today by cataloguing various neighborhoods with your classes. Write stories about life in each of the historical periods. Research headline news of those days, political figures, and major achievements. In elementary grades, show how towns and cities change over time by projecting the photos and maps as part of your Communities unit. In very early grades, introduce the very idea of history by showing "what was there" at familiar local sites. Have students write stories about what happened there "once upon a time."

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Endangered Languages - Alliance for Linguistic Diversity

Grades
7 to 12
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Learn about the endangered languages of the world. See samples of the languages, research about the language and culture spotlighted, or even record the language. A world map provides...more
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Learn about the endangered languages of the world. See samples of the languages, research about the language and culture spotlighted, or even record the language. A world map provides an overview of the location and status of each language under examination. The status criteria vary: at risk, endangered, severely endangered, vitality unknown. Each section of the map includes a figure indicating the number of threatened languages in the area. Find other names for the language, number and names of dialects, the number of its speakers alive today, and the location of the language. Information is available for professional linguists about how to prepare a language documentation project and about that field's research methods.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (156), word study (58)

In the Classroom

As part of a world cultures unit or study of langage origins, students ask their parents and grandparents what part of the world their ancestors came from and then explore this map to determine the number of endangered languages found where their ancestors lived. Gifted students may be fascinated by these unusual tongues. Have them explore to learn more about the culture behind the language. Compare words for the same thing across different languages to see how the languages are related.

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EngVid - engVid

Grades
5 to 12
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Explore this huge collection of Youtube videos on various aspects of teaching the English language to international students. Real teachers narrate the videos which include three levels...more
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Explore this huge collection of Youtube videos on various aspects of teaching the English language to international students. Real teachers narrate the videos which include three levels and many subject areas. Included are the normal topics like speaking and pronunciation, grammar, writing, and vocabulary, as well as other helpful topics like test prep, tips, expressions, and slang. Most have a followup quiz to see how well you understand the lesson concepts. The videos are not particularly dynamic, mostly just views of a teacher standing and explaining. Topics include material appropriate for adult learners, such as pregnancy and having a baby. K-12 teachers will wan to select for their students.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): grammar (133), grammar review (31), idioms (32), pronunciation (33), slang (15)

In the Classroom

Use video from this collection to introduce a topic or to do a quick review. Students recently mainstreamed from ESL/ELL into the traditional English or language arts classroom or students who need information presented several times in different ways may benefit from a short video lesson. Have students view lessons then create their own grammar lesson video. Share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

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pageOrama - pageOrama.com

Grades
3 to 12
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Create your own web page almost instantly with this page editor and publisher. Select a page address and title then start adding content using the site's tools. The format is ...more
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Create your own web page almost instantly with this page editor and publisher. Select a page address and title then start adding content using the site's tools. The format is similar to Word documents. Highlight text to change font, size, and colors. Include images with a URL link or upload to the site. Image descriptions, height, and borders can all be modified. Include your email before publishing your page if you want to be able to edit your pages later; however, it is not necessary.

tag(s): multimedia (43)

In the Classroom

Use this site for students to post simple projects such as stories, poems, and art projects. Collect a master list of links to student pages on your classroom website, wiki, or blog for easy access. If students are creating pages, be sure to check with your district's policy on student use of email as well as publishing of student work.

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Tesla - Master of Lightning - PBS

Grades
4 to 12
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Flash to PBS to get a bolt of learning about Nikola Tesla. Discover a compressive view of Tesla from his early years and his coming to America. Follow his ...more
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Flash to PBS to get a bolt of learning about Nikola Tesla. Discover a compressive view of Tesla from his early years and his coming to America. Follow his accomplishments while harnessing the Niagara. Discover the true mystery about who invented the radio. Trace his inventions and accomplishments. Inside the lab, discover the AC motor, the Tesla coil, radio, remote controls, and improved lightning. Resources include a timeline of electricity and radio, Tesla's patents, and articles about Tesla. Explore discussions from experts about Tesla's life and accomplishments. There are lesson plans for teachers. Some materials are for sale.

tag(s): electricity (60), energy (131), industrial revolution (20), inventors and inventions (71), motion (49), radio (20)

In the Classroom

Add intrigue and mystery, to your science unit on electricity, motion, or inventors as you study the life and accomplishments of Nikola Tesla. Excellent lesson plans include a concrete understanding of potential energy, mechanical energy to electrical energy. Use on an interactive white board to begin your unit or create a "Who Dunnit" with electricity or radio. Follow the structure of ideas presented to create an online "famous scientist" wiki, blog or PowerPoint to add to your class website. Use a Socratic seminar to debate which scientist should get credit for the induction motor, radio, and even the Industrial Revolution. Use the readings for older students, advanced readers, or gifted students, as they are far above the reading level of elementary and early middle school students. In language arts, writing topics could include "What a shock electricity is in my life" and "Will the true inventor of electricity please stand up?" The ideas and resources are electrifying!

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Lingt Language - Lingt

Grades
4 to 12
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Lingt was developed for world language learners and teachers. You can set up listening and speaking assignments using your voice recordings, MP3 recordings, images, videos, and text....more
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Lingt was developed for world language learners and teachers. You can set up listening and speaking assignments using your voice recordings, MP3 recordings, images, videos, and text. With a free registration, you can sign up 20 students and receive a class URL where your class can record their reactions and/or oral answers to recordings and assignments. You can also save the material you have already made for use later. The free registration allows you to save ten assignments for the class you create. An upgrade does have a cost, but there is plenty of potential here for valuable, free usage. Once you have signed up, you can watch their very informative intro video. This video shows you exactly how to set up your assignments and what your choices are. The Lingt Community allows you to share your assignments and see what others have saved and used there. Students of world languages will be able to hear the real sound of a native speaker. Be sure to check out the "Product" tab to get lots of ideas for using Lingt. Free accounts offer services for 20 students and 10 assignments.

tag(s): listening (68), pronunciation (33), Teacher Utilities (146), vocabulary (235)

In the Classroom

No matter whether you are a world language teacher, an ESL/ELL teacher, or a language arts teacher who has ESL/ELL students in your class, you will love using this program. Use Lingt for reading practice, commenting on or interpreting an image or video, dictation, and anything else your students need. Students do not have to register. Give them the URL for the class; they complete the assignment and submit. They will then be asked for their name and email. For younger students, have them use an acronym, such as the first two letters of their last name and the first three letters of their first name, and a gmail account you have set up for them. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students. This link about email registration, here, explains how to do this. You can see which students have completed the assignments and view them from your home page. You can leave text or voice feedback on the assignment.

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Think - Cathy Sheafor

Grades
K to 8
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This blog shares many creative activities to encourage thinking outside the box. The activities use many easy to find materials. If you want to make a sculpture out of Twinkies, ...more
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This blog shares many creative activities to encourage thinking outside the box. The activities use many easy to find materials. If you want to make a sculpture out of Twinkies, or create a one man band, then this site is for you. Find links to other creative thinking blogs, too. Promote 21st century design thinking and innovation with activities that look like pure "fun." The sidebar include links to many engineering sites and activities to connect creativity as an important aspect of design and science. Don't miss the sidebar tips to parents and teachers, as well.

tag(s): creativity (92), critical thinking (112)

In the Classroom

Use this site to create a "think outside of the box" space in your classroom. Keep the area stocked with materials and activity sheets. Use the area as a place for students to go when they finish up work. Better yet, make design thinking part of your science curriculum by tying in some of these challenges with curriculum topics such as gravity, forces, materials, and more. Set one Friday a month aside as "think outside of the box" day, and use the activities from the site. Send home an activity as extra credit homework and create a museum of student's creations. Make this link available on your class web page for parents to access during school breaks or snow days.

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about.me - Tony Conrad, Ryan Freitas, Tim Young

Grades
6 to 12
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Promote yourself for college or future jobs by creating your own "me portfolio" website. No matter your age or stage in life, in today's world you are what Google shows ...more
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Promote yourself for college or future jobs by creating your own "me portfolio" website. No matter your age or stage in life, in today's world you are what Google shows about you. Take control of your online presence to show your chosen audience what YOU want them to know. You are more than your FaceBook persona or Linked In profile. about.me allows you to create a "hub" with links to your online projects you want visitors to see. Upload a photo, write a short piece about your interests, then link to your online content and social networks. There is also an Assets page where you can download the about.me logo and colors to add to other pages and projects you have on the web so visitors will link back to the hub and discover your other projects. The Terms of Use for About.Me prohibits creating fictitious personas.

tag(s): college (45), communication (136), internet safety (112), portfolios (22), social networking (68)

In the Classroom

Counselors and teachers could work together to have high school students make about.me the place they use as a "branding" home for themselves online. Start by making your own About.me page to mange your own professional presence and use as an example. Suggest to students that they use a "me portfolio" on about.me for college apps, employment apps, etc. Using about.me is also the perfect opportunity to talk with students about their online presence and how outsiders might interpret what they decide to post on about.me or any social network. Along with that discussion you'll want to review Internet safety and privacy. Consider using Privacy and Internet Safety, reviewed here. If you teach gifted students (13+) who are working beyond your regular curriculum, start by having them create a real world presence using about.me, with parent permission of course. Use this space for them to publish links to their best work, especially projects that take on a life of their own long after the assignment ends. Have a student interested in international politics? Maybe STEM cell research? Have the share the class project that got the started along with essays about where they see themselves in ten years or portfolios of their related accomplishments, including those outside of school. This portfolio site is not something to "pile up" with everything. It is for them to present their best face to the public. Encourage them to take ownership of it.

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Lalo.li - Franz Enzenhofer

Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites 1  Comments
  
Type a message and Lalo.li will read it aloud using a voice synthesizer. Adjust message quality using the word gap, speed, amplitude, and pitch icons. Just click on the circle ...more
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Type a message and Lalo.li will read it aloud using a voice synthesizer. Adjust message quality using the word gap, speed, amplitude, and pitch icons. Just click on the circle and turn to change the quality. Copy and paste the URL to share your audio message or use links to share via social networking such as Facebook and Twitter. Here is a sample . At the time of this review, the site only worked using Firefox or Chrome.

tag(s): communication (136), text to speech (18)

In the Classroom

This would be great for ESL/ELL learners; have them type a short sentence and listen to the playback to verify that the sentence is correct. It would also be a great practice for beginning readers. Use your interactive whiteboard and have the class tell a very brief story or say a sentence. After typing the sentence into the program, user a pointer for each word as the synthesizer reads it, or have students take turns pointing out the words. Share tonight's homework on your class web page as a link to an audio reminder simply by typing or pasting in the assignment and copying the link to place it on your web page.

Comments

When I tried to use it with Safari on a new Mac in 10.7, it said I needed to use only Firefox or Chrome Too bad.

Note from the editorial staff: thank you for your comment. We have added this information to the review.
Constance, RI, Grades: 0 - 12

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Interactive.I - interactive.illimitably.com

Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Interactive.i allows you to make whiteboard drawings and to "paint chat" in an online space you can share with others. Create your own space in three simple steps: choose a ...more
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Interactive.i allows you to make whiteboard drawings and to "paint chat" in an online space you can share with others. Create your own space in three simple steps: choose a font style for chat, name your room, and designate if participants can chat, draw, or both. Once in the room, share the url with all participants. Chat appears below the drawing and not in the drawing itself and does not show when you share or save the final product. Options are available for activities such as a drawing challenge and newspaper. Be aware that the newspaper may offer options such as gay marriage or other topics you may not want to address with your students. Save drawings to your computer or online. Avoid the public gallery where drawings may not be classroom appropriate.

tag(s): drawing (60)

In the Classroom

You can avoid the public galleries entirely by creating the space for your students to use. It takes only seconds, and they can join directly by url. Have students collaborate on the creation of story webs or classroom presentations. Encourage visual prewriting for the students who "think in pictures." Allow students to use this site as their visual during speeches. Have young students use a whiteboard to draw out ideas before they can even write entire sentences. If you know an artist, cartoonist or illustrator, invite him/her to visit your classroom virtually to share his/her drawing process while you class uses the chat to ask questions.

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Instant Classroom Seating Chart - Instant Classroom

Grades
K to 12
10 Favorites 0  Comments
This free site makes classroom management easier by letting you create a seating chart easily. There is also a Random Name Generator and a Classroom Group Maker. You can create ...more
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This free site makes classroom management easier by letting you create a seating chart easily. There is also a Random Name Generator and a Classroom Group Maker. You can create many groups with up to 100 students in each group.

tag(s): classroom management (128), Teacher Utilities (146)

In the Classroom

Use this site at the beginning of the year to create a seating chart for your classroom. Use the drag and drop technology to configure the desks the way you want them. Use the Random Name Generator to choose a student for an activity or to answer a question. If you need to create groups of 2, 3 or more, use the Classroom Group Maker to automatically split your class into even groups.

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ProCon - Procon.org

Grades
7 to 12
7 Favorites 2  Comments
  
Procon presents controversial issues in a non-partisan manner. Find current issues with balanced information to promote critical thinking without bias. Categories include Education,...more
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Procon presents controversial issues in a non-partisan manner. Find current issues with balanced information to promote critical thinking without bias. Categories include Education, Entertainment & Sports, Elections & Presidents, Science & Technology, and New Topics among others. Issues can include Abortion, Euthanasia, Climate Change, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Health Care Reform, Obesity, and the Death Penalty, just to name a few. Read the information on each issue in a Pro and Con format along with background information, and discussion questions. Some included video clips. Some topics are controversial, so adults using this site with young people may want to go directly to a single issue rather than having them browse openly.

tag(s): climate change (87), critical thinking (112), debate (37), difficult conversations (58), persuasive writing (55), politics (113)

In the Classroom

Using controversial topics that have more than one side is a great way to develop critical thinking and problem solving. Find issues on this site that relate to your curriculum and use them as an entry point for a new unit. Use the teaching resources found on the top menu under the Teacher's Corner. Use this site to teach how to distinguish facts from opinions, using information to write essays or create speeches, or hold a class debate. You may want to facilitate student persuasive writing by using an outline such as Persuasion Map, reviewed here, to help them organize their thinking. Help students develop flexibility in their thinking by having them take part in a difficult conversation and argue a side they do NOT agree with. This will also help students think about how to refute a point the opposition will make. Focus on critical thinking with your students to develop skills needed for life. Use as a whole class activity or for individual students to find an issue of interest to them. Gifted students often think deeply on such issues at an early age and will find these topics of great interest. Use this site to guide a deliberate discussion or debate.

Comments

I also love this site, but I don't see any advertising on there at all. The site is free. Not sure how they stay afloat but I'm glad they do. For me, it is better than Opposing Viewpoints database for its depth, ease of use, and lack of registration/passwords. I use it for student debates on current events, and my wife (an English teacher) uses it for persuasive essays and role play debates. ProCon, , Grades: 0 - 12
I've used this and it's great! Balanced, has good resources. Helps students see both sides of an issue. Frances, CT, Grades: 6 - 8

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