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RADCAB - Steps for Online Information Evaluation - Karen M. Christensson

Grades
6 to 12
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RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details...more
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RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details on that topic. An excellent rubric is available for download in PDF format at the bottom of the home page. This simple site is a great resource for discussing and teaching information literacy lessons about evaluating information and sources.

tag(s): evaluating sources (28), internet safety (112), media literacy (102), Research (83), rubrics (33)

In the Classroom

Share this site and content on your interactive whiteboard or projector as you begin a project involving research. Demonstrate how to use this site before allowing students to explore on their own. Print and use the rubric available on the site. Require that students (or groups) complete the rubric on their chosen sources for research. Share a link to the site on your class website and classroom computers for easy student (and parent) reference at any time. Another idea: to enhance student learning is to assign cooperative learning groups one part of the acronym. Each group could create a presentation to share with the class about what they learned about their part of the evaluation process. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Students will LOVE finding and sharing examples of "bad" sources!
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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EngageNY Video Library - New York State Education Department

Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites 0  Comments
   
EngageNY offers a video library and pedagogical tools to aid teachers implementing Common Core. Although this site is mainly math, there are also some ELA resources/ideas. Search the...more
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EngageNY offers a video library and pedagogical tools to aid teachers implementing Common Core. Although this site is mainly math, there are also some ELA resources/ideas. Search the site using filters for content, grade level, or type of resource. Video topics include professional resources and also lesson ideas. Videos range in length from 5 to over 40 minutes.

tag(s): commoncore (75), professional development (388)

In the Classroom

This is a great site to share during professional development days. Share the parent video during your Open House or Meet The Teacher night. Bookmark and view videos to help understand implementing Common Core in your classroom. Check back frequently to see what has been added. Find ideas for specific lesson ideas.

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Community Science Workshop Network - Community Initiatives

Grades
K to 12
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Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few ...more
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Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few activities to get the idea. After registering, click on the CSW Projects and Activities tab. Search the activities by project type (e.g. projectiles, music, woodshop) or by STEM content. Workshop ideas are either video or downloaded instructions with images. Most use simple, inexpensive materials.

tag(s): engineering (117), gravity (42), inventors and inventions (71), musical instruments (45), plants (141), sound (74), STEM (259)

In the Classroom

Use these activities to create contraptions for students to manipulate in class. As students use a manipulative, collect their questions about what they observe or wonder about the contraption's motion and characteristics. Students can research the science behind the object or motion. Use class discussion to create understanding about basic scientific principles. Be sure to include a link to this site on your classroom computer or website. Students can use these activities to teach concepts to other students in their class. Many of these activities make great demonstrations as an introduction to a science concept and for uncovering student misconceptions. Expand what you ask students to do by using creative writing, reading, creating Infographics, or learning correct ways to research and report findings about the subject matter. A suggested easy to use infographic creator is Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.

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Pocket - Read It Later, Inc

Grades
K to 12
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Pocket is a bookmarking and curation application that syncs across all of your devices to save online articles or videos for later viewing. Saving is simple. Download the bookmarklet...more
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Pocket is a bookmarking and curation application that syncs across all of your devices to save online articles or videos for later viewing. Saving is simple. Download the bookmarklet on your computer or the Pocket app to your mobile device. When you see something to save for later viewing, click the share button to send to your Pocket account. View at anytime (even offline). Sort by content type such as article, video, or text. Add tags to organize content as you wish. Pocket integrates with many other online tools, such as Twitter and Flipboard. Share articles using social networking or email links to the Pocket app. Although this site is recommended for all grade levels, younger students would only be able to use this site if the collection was completed by an adult. Click to view the short introduction video to learn more.

tag(s): bookmarks (47), curation (35), DAT device agnostic tool (143)

In the Classroom

Use Pocket professionally to collect and share websites, videos, and images for lessons and units. Use Pocket to share sites with colleagues, parents, and students. Share this site with older students to use to save resources they find for research. Demonstrate how to use Pocket and share with students as a resource for collaborating on group projects. Be sure to talk about using tags to organize things so they don't end up with a giant "pocketful" of tangled "stuff."

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Timeline JS - Northwestern University Knight Lab

Grades
K to 12
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Create beautiful interactive timelines quickly and easily. Begin with a Google spreadsheet from the template provided. Add from a variety of media sources such as Twitter, Google Maps,...more
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Create beautiful interactive timelines quickly and easily. Begin with a Google spreadsheet from the template provided. Add from a variety of media sources such as Twitter, Google Maps, YouTube, and much more. When finished, publish to the web, and share using links or embed code. Be sure to check out the example link for suggestions and ideas for use. The tutorial video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, it may not be viewable.

tag(s): digital storytelling (142), timelines (47)

In the Classroom

Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share timelines about historical events, research literature, learn about different decades and events throughout the world, and more. Transform student technology use by having them create timelines for research projects. Use a whole class Google account or individual Google apps accounts if you have them. Use this tool to make a timeline of your school year. Create author biographies, animal life cycles, or timelines of events and causes of wars. Challenge students to create a timeline of the plot of a novel, interspersed with the ways themes appear throughout the novel. If you teach chemistry, have students create illustrated sequences explaining oxidation or reduction (or both). Have elementary students interview grandparents and create a class timeline about their grandparents for Grandparents' Day. Why not create a timeline highlighting students' family events for a special gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or other holidays? You may need to assign students to do some investigative work first (years of births, marriages, vacations, etc.). In world language classes, have students create a timeline of their family in the language to master with vocabulary about relatives, jobs, and more (and verb tenses!). Students learn about photo selection, detail writing, chronological order, and photo digitization while creating the timelines of their choice. Making a timeline is also a good way to review the history and cultural developments.

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Jimdo - Christian Springub

Grades
K to 12
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Create a free website in just minutes with Jimdo. Use the drag and drop feature to insert and move content easily. Toolbars offer editing options such as adding images from ...more
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Create a free website in just minutes with Jimdo. Use the drag and drop feature to insert and move content easily. Toolbars offer editing options such as adding images from Flickr, including YouTube videos, files, Google Maps, and formatting your text. Add share buttons to connect your site using social networking. Changes save and publish automatically. Although there are paid options, the free site offers 500mb of storage along with many features useful for the casual website builder.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): communication (136), portfolios (22), social networking (68)

In the Classroom

Possible uses are only limited by your imagination! Create your own website for parents and students to stay updated on classroom happenings. Include links for students to submit assignments, your contact information, and anything else you might want to include. Try using Jimdo for: "visual essays;" digital biodiversity logs (with digital pictures students take); online literary magazines; or personal reflections in images and text. Use this tool for research project presentations. Create comparisons of online content, such as political candidates' sites or content sites used in research (compared for bias). Create science sites to document experiments or illustrate concepts, such as the water cycle. Use this site for "visual" lab reports. Have students create digital scrapbooks using images from the public domain and video and audio clips from a time in history - - such as the Roaring Twenties. Use it for local history interactive stories or 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 "web pages" as a new way of assessing understanding. You provide the digital pictures, and they sequence, caption, and write about them (younger students). With older students, you can provide the steps in a project as a template, and they can insert the actual content of their own. After a first project where you provide "building blocks," the sky is the limit on what students can create. The free account does limit the amount of file storage, so you may want to create several class accounts for small groups to use. Even the very young can make suggestions as you "create" a whole-class product together using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Consider making a new project for each unit you teach so students can "recap" long after the unit ends. Use as an online portfolio for high schools students to include with college or job applications.

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Listly - Shyam Subramanyan and Boomy Labs

Grades
9 to 12
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Listly is an online application for creating, curating, and sharing "social" lists. You are able to view lists without any login or account. Create an account on Listly to start ...more
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Listly is an online application for creating, curating, and sharing "social" lists. You are able to view lists without any login or account. Create an account on Listly to start your own list following the simple instructions, using your online dashboard. Edit features include tags, description, and options for comments and guest participation. Allow others to add to your list or move items up and down in rank. Use the code to embed a list into your website/blog or share by URL. Add the bookmarklet to your browser's toolbar to easily add any web page to a list. Not ready to create your own lists? Use the search bar to find lists already created on any subject.

tag(s): bookmarks (47), curation (35), organizational skills (90), polls and surveys (46)

In the Classroom

Listly is useful for polling students for their suggestions and votes on any topic: MOST important reason why the colonists revolted, BEST example of a sonnet, best book for science lovers, etc. School library/media centers can share lists of favorite books or best places to learn about a specific topic and allow students or classes to edit/re-rank the lists. Listly requires individual logins to vote. The best solution to greenhouse gasses? Favorite math site? The best resource for learning about pollution... best anything! Create a list to collect parental input on field trip ideas, class t-shirts, or many other topics.

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Next Vista for Learning - Rushton Hurley

Grades
3 to 12
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Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos...more
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Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos are made by teachers and/or students. Search by three main topics: Light Bulbs, Global View, or Seeing Service. Better yet, use the right sidebar to search by topic: Math, Science, World Languages, History & Culture, Performing Arts, and more.Next Vista offers an extensive collection of career videos to use as a resource for exploring and discovering career opportunities. View videos directly on site or share using the link or embed code provided. Throughout the school year, Next Vista hosts video creation contests for students and teachers. Submit your own videos less than 5 minutes in length using directions provided. They even offer small prizes for winners.

tag(s): africa (137), asia (68), careers (139), computers (105), europe (75), literature (217), musical instruments (45), musical notation (35), north america (14), parts of speech (40), poetry (188), shakespeare (93), south america (36), speech (66), video (256)

In the Classroom

Explore the various topics to share with your students. In the math section, share the "How to Show Your Work" video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. There are useful videos in all sections, offered at a variety of levels. Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year for student and teacher created videos. Challenge students to create a video to submit for one of the site's contests; who knows, they may win!

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TeachersFirst's BYOD Dream Tools: Free Tools that Work on ANY device! - TeachersFirst

Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed tools from TeachersFirst includes apps that are available for FREE on iOS (iPad, iPhone), Android, and web devices. Ideal for BYOD classrooms or 1:1 computer/tablet...more
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This collection of reviewed tools from TeachersFirst includes apps that are available for FREE on iOS (iPad, iPhone), Android, and web devices. Ideal for BYOD classrooms or 1:1 computer/tablet programs, these reviewed tools allow users to create and access projects using the same app, no matter what kind of device they have.

tag(s): classroom management (128), DAT device agnostic tool (143)

In the Classroom

Mark this page in your Favorites to use when choosing or recommending tools for your students (or their parents). Be sure to read the "Edge Features" list at the end of each review to know whether you need to create individual accounts, how products can be shared, and other tips on using these DATs safely and within school policies. This is a must-have list for students collaborating on projects using different types of devices! If you teach gifted students working on advanced projects or have students all working on different projects all at the same time, use this collection of tools as a trusted starting point for students to create their products on any device they may bring to class (or work on from home).

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Fractions of a Second: An Olympic Musical - The New York Times

Grades
3 to 12
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This very interesting site offers a musical look at the amount of time between finishers in several different Olympic events such as Alpine Skiing and Bobsledding. View each event and...more
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This very interesting site offers a musical look at the amount of time between finishers in several different Olympic events such as Alpine Skiing and Bobsledding. View each event and the winning time along with dots on a timeline representing the next finisher's times. Click the play icon to hear a tone representing each contestant crossing the finish line. This is an excellent visual and audio display of how close some events really are!
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): olympics (40), sports (78)

In the Classroom

View this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector and listen together to the different spacings of finishes by event. Challenge students to create timelines of finishes for other Olympic events (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.

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Winter Olympics: Sport by Sport - ESPN

Grades
7 to 12
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Learn about Olympic winter sports with this interesting guide from ESPN. Although geared toward the 2010 games, this site contains valuable information for any Winter Olympics competition....more
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Learn about Olympic winter sports with this interesting guide from ESPN. Although geared toward the 2010 games, this site contains valuable information for any Winter Olympics competition. Choose a sport to view basic facts, important dates, and information on stars of the sport. Choose the history link to learn about previous Winter Olympics with information such as dates, key moments, and medal winners.

tag(s): olympics (40), sports (78)

In the Classroom

Share this site with students to provide an overview of Winter Olympic sports, the history, and some of the key figures in each event. Have groups of students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage reviewed here.

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2014 Sochi Olympics Fast Facts - CNN

Grades
7 to 12
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Prepare for the 2014 Olympics with these fast facts about Sochi, Russia. Information includes a short background on the city of Sochi. There is also background on controversies surrounding...more
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Prepare for the 2014 Olympics with these fast facts about Sochi, Russia. Information includes a short background on the city of Sochi. There is also background on controversies surrounding the choice of a Russian city for the Winter Olympics. Explore an interesting timeline beginning with the choice of Sochi for the 2014 Olympics through November 2013 with the Olympic torch's involvement with a spacewalk as part of the Olympic torch relay.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): olympics (40), sports (78)

In the Classroom

Share information from this article as part of your preparation for the Winter Olympics. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.

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Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics - Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games

Grades
3 to 12
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Welcome to the official home of the 2014 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games. Explore the site to learn about Olympic events, the culture of Sochi, and view schedules for all ...more
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Welcome to the official home of the 2014 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games. Explore the site to learn about Olympic events, the culture of Sochi, and view schedules for all events. Choose the mascots link to learn more about the Olympic mascots and their place within the Olympic games. Some portions of the site may appear in Russian, choose the link at the top of the page to view in English.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): olympics (40), sports (78)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site to use as a resource during the Olympic games to find information on scheduled events and venues. Share the Paralympics portion of the site as part of your unit on disabilities. Have students create timelines of the Olympic Games (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Have students use facts from this site to make Bingo cards, or board games for small groups to enjoy. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on values on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation about teamwork. Have students make a mash-up using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge Tools reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the Olympic athletes past or present.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Medium - Ev Williams

Grades
10 to 12
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Medium is a site for sharing personal writing and stories. The focus is on the actual writing, rather than the extras like images, widgets, and other website clutter. You can ...more
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Medium is a site for sharing personal writing and stories. The focus is on the actual writing, rather than the extras like images, widgets, and other website clutter. You can use images to illustrate your point; however, the focus remains on the words. Upload your writing, and then link with other similar ideas to become more collaborative. One unique feature is the "get help before you publish" button. This allows others to engage and offer suggestions before publishing your work. If using the site for reading, options include following writers and finding articles with similar content through the use of tags. At the time of this review, a Twitter account is required to sign up for a Medium account. This tool is intended as a community for sharing among serious authors, not as a "school tool," so adult supervision is recommended. Not all topics are appropriate for the classroom. So be sure to PREVIEW.

tag(s): creative writing (122), persuasive writing (55), writers workshop (31)

In the Classroom

Medium is similar to an ever changing and updating magazine. Talk about the etiquette of interacting as authentic writers, not "just a student." Use Medium to find and share interesting pieces of writing with students for independent reading or class discussions. Each article shows a suggested reading time, making it easy to choose a length that is appropriate for your needs. Have students create and share their writing using Medium as a resource for finding a broader reading audience. Have students locate and read articles of interest on Medium and write and post a response of their own. Common Core requires teens (grades 10-12) to write, respond, and revise based on input from a digital audience, and Medium could be an ideal tool for such interaction. Are you new to Twitter or looking for more ways to use Twitter in the classroom? Read more about Twitter at TeachersFirst's Twitter for Teachers page.

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Word Sense - codeLily LLC

Grades
6 to 12
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Word Sense is a dictionary and thesaurus presented in a unique, interactive display. Enter your word in the search box and view the definition. Click on any of the related ...more
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Word Sense is a dictionary and thesaurus presented in a unique, interactive display. Enter your word in the search box and view the definition. Click on any of the related terms to view definitions and connections from the associated words. Use links to go directly to the definition of any associated word or term to continue exploring and understanding terms. There is a link to "Learn How it Works" to learn more about the possibilities at this site. We strongly recommend that you explore how it works first! Note: This is a full service dictionary, so ANY word is available for search, including those not appropriate at school. Use caution with less mature students searching independently. Be certain to set clear expectations and consequences for inappropriate searches.

tag(s): antonyms (14), dictionaries (48), synonyms (17), thesaurus (22), vocabulary (235), vocabulary development (90)

In the Classroom

Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site. Explore word meanings, connotations, and antonyms. Use a word cloud maker to create clouds of new words learned - WordItOut, reviewed here. Use Word Sense to understand and explore vocabulary words of the day or week. Share with students as a resource for preparing for standardized testing, such as the SAT/ACT.

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Text Compactor - Knowledge by Design Inc.

Grades
7 to 12
4 Favorites 0  Comments
This simple, free tool can shorten or summarize an otherwise long passage or text. Simply copy and paste the text passage into the text box. Specify the percentage of summarization...more
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This simple, free tool can shorten or summarize an otherwise long passage or text. Simply copy and paste the text passage into the text box. Specify the percentage of summarization (there is a slider you can drag to the percentage that you want). Text Compactor produces a shortened version below the original. Summarization of text is now easy and fast. Be sure to mention to any student using this site the importance of not plagiarizing and using only original writing. To learn more about how the tool works (and possibly consider some of its "short" comings), see "About."

tag(s): creative writing (122), descriptive writing (38), expository writing (31), multilingual (63), paragraph writing (15), process writing (38)

In the Classroom

Use this resource when reducing original passages (not plagiarized) to fit a specific number of words or characters. Use this resource when teaching summarization. Paste in a text to summarize and discuss/brainstorm what makes a great summary. Challenge students to look for ways that the tool may have actually missed an important concept through its automated process. Have the class decide whether their own summary or the one offered by this tool is best -- and why. Use this tool as one of many angles on revision during the writing process. Have students paste in their own writing to see what ideas "show" as the most important and to consider revising to emphasize what they really intended to say. If your emails get a bit too wordy, try this tool to shorten them! Shorten your assignment descriptions to make them easier for your ESL/ELL students and lower level readers to understand.

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Online-Convert - online-convert.com

Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Online-Convert is your one stop shop for converting media files from one format to another. It is similar to Zamzar, reviewed here, with one advantage....more
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Online-Convert is your one stop shop for converting media files from one format to another. It is similar to Zamzar, reviewed here, with one advantage. There is no email requirement for converting files. Choose your converter to begin: Audio, Video, Ebook, Image, Document, Archive, or Hash. Use the drop box to choose the target format for your file. Upload or add the url for conversion. Also choose from options such as image quality, size, color, and enhancements. Click convert file, then wait for completion. Online-Convert stores your file for 24 hours and up to 10 downloads.
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In the Classroom

Mark this tool in your favorites (or bookmark) for easy access and professional use, no matter what grade you teach. 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. Be sure to give proper credit for videos and other files you save locally. Have students practice giving proper credit to their converted files.
 

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NBC Sochi 2014 - NBC

Grades
3 to 12
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If you are looking for a general informational site about the 2014 Olympics, this is the site for you! Learn about the sports (alpine skiing, curling, freestyle skiing, snowboarding,...more
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If you are looking for a general informational site about the 2014 Olympics, this is the site for you! Learn about the sports (alpine skiing, curling, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and more), view video clips, watch a countdown (with days, hours, minutes and seconds), and more. Read and follow the information on athletes to watch as the games begin.
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tag(s): olympics (40), sports (78)

In the Classroom

This is a great site to use for research about the 2014 Olympics. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have individual students view different video clips and then write about what they learned on your class Olympic Wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.

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Sail the Book - Sail the Book

Grades
8 to 12
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Sail the Book does what we all wish we had time to do: it pulls together works of literature--all of which are focused on maritime themes--and uses Google Earth technology ...more
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Sail the Book does what we all wish we had time to do: it pulls together works of literature--all of which are focused on maritime themes--and uses Google Earth technology to bring them to life. With so many online resources out there, it's great to encounter a truly well-integrated interdisciplinary site that draws on the strength of 21st century technology to transform classic literature. Each of six books, including Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, is presented in full text form, chapter by chapter. Each chapter is accompanied by a "tour" linked to Google Earth, and here is where the fun begins! The tours include a number of Points of Interest that open in Google Earth as well as questions and activities that link to passages within the text. Taken as a whole, this is an interdisciplinary approach at its best, combining geography, history, science, art and literature into one tidy package. If you aren't sure where to get started, visit the Video Tutorials to learn more! The video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): literature (217), marine biology (25), oceans (146)

In the Classroom

Developed by a teacher, Sail the Book is exactly what all good teachers wish they had time to do: create imaginative, integrated units that take advantage of today's technology. Sail the Book could be used in conjunction with a regular classroom study of one of the works of literature included. However, a reasonably self-directed student could undertake an independent reading of any of the books, using Sail the Book to gain further insight. Alternatively, the "tours" might help struggling readers or non-native readers get the most out of these works, helping the words come to life through more visual terms. The site seems uniquely suited to a multi-disciplinary setting like a gifted enrichment class, where students are free to pull from a variety of curricula--science, literature, geography, and history--to add value and rigor to the traditional classroom. The site is easily adaptable. Use one chapter. Use one full book. Do the tours with the activities or without the activities. And once your students have done a tour, ask them how THEY might construct a tour of their own related to some other work of literature they love. Creating their own could be an ideal unit for a gifted classroom or for gifted students going above and beyond the "regular" unit.

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Cube Creator - Read Write Think

Grades
2 to 12
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The Cube Creator offers four different options for creating and personalizing a printable cube for summarizing or story-telling: Bio Cube, Mystery Cube, Story Cube, or Create your Own...more
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The Cube Creator offers four different options for creating and personalizing a printable cube for summarizing or story-telling: Bio Cube, Mystery Cube, Story Cube, or Create your Own Cube. Follow prompts to create the cube. The planning sheets help you collect information before making the actual printable cube. Once you have entered all your information, print and follow directions to assemble the paper cube. Follow links to find lessons that use this interactive as well as suggestions for other uses. There are lessons for grades 3-4 up through grades 11-12. Note: Read Write Think has added the capability for students to save their work to continue later. In the last paragraph of the Overview, there is a link to watch the video: Saving Work With the Student Interactives.

tag(s): back to school (62), biographies (93), firstday (22), mysteries (19), printables (37), summarizing (22), word study (58)

In the Classroom

Use the Cube Creator for virtually any lesson or activity as a substitute for a paper and pen project. Try printing on heavier card stock so cubes are durable. Create a cube to practice math problems, describe habitats, outline important story events, and much more. Have students create a cube and share with other students to practice retelling, summarizing, adding synonyms, or review for tests. Have each of your students create an All About Me cube for parents to view at Open House or to get to know each other during the first week of school. Have others guess which cube belongs to which classmate. Create a cube review game where others must answer the question that comes up when you "roll" the cube. The possibilities are endless. Challenge your gifted student(s) to create a "Who Am I?" cube about a famous person they research. Use the Bio Cube option with one variation: DO NOT include the person's real name. Share the cube as a game for the rest of the class to guess (and then create their own similar cubes). Your gifted students may also come up with new ways to Create Your Own Cube that could become a class game! Invite them to try their creativity.
 
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