Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Create a "fake" Facebook-style page for anyone or anything! It's a good idea to do a little planning ahead of time, then just follow the directions on the landing page. Give your page a name and add an image from your computer. (They insert an image for you if you do not select one, however, you can change the image by clicking on it and selecting one from your computer.) Of course you will need to use a Creative Commons or other copyright-safe image. You can also add videos and links, edit the profile, and your page is almost ready. You must add at least one post and one friend to save work. Under the "Friends" block, you can add blocks such as Family, Major Speeches, etc. Choose "save" from the options on top left side of the page, enter a password, and your unique URL for your Fakebook page appears. Be sure to copy and save this link as it is the only time it is given in the setup process. If you are prepared with images and links, page creation is quick and easy with a small learning curve. Share your Fakebook page with the link to your page.
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tag(s): back to school (62), book reports (27), creative writing (119), digital storytelling (138), firstday (21), social networking (68)

This free site provides a color-coded mashup of current news headlines, clickable to see the full articles. View various sections of the news separately by clicking on the colored icons along the top. Sort into World, National, Finance, Tech, Showbiz, and Sport. To read the full article, click on the brief story (in the box). Use the drop-down feature to search news stories in a variety of other countries.

tag(s): countries (68), financial literacy (93), news (228), sports (76)

Enjoy short book trailers similar to movie trailers on the Palm Beach Schools Vodcast page. These exciting book previews make choosing a new book easy! Scroll down the bar to the right of the main video screen to view options. Each book trailer is approximately one minute in length. They are just right to inspire interest without giving away the whole book.

tag(s): book lists (151), book reports (27), guided reading (33), independent reading (84)

Get creative generating education buzzwords using this slot machine style word generator. Just click to generate buzzwords, watch the spinning words, and view the three education buzzwords that pop up! Although it is a tongue in cheek offering, this site could be useful as a reference and self-checking tool. Do you know what the terms mean? Are you over-using these terms (especially with parents)?

tag(s): newbies (14), parent conferences (21), professional development (365)

Find interesting facts and comparisons to almost anything with this site, perfect for trivia fans everywhere! Using data from public records, manufacturer websites, and public records, you can view and sort information to meet your needs. Choose from main topics including economics, education, government, and more. Choose a subcategory. Refine and sort searches using filters included with each category. Change results to sort by desired results. For example, choose job salaries then sort by job title, total employment, average annual salary, or mean hourly pay. Site registration is available but not necessary.

tag(s): countries (68), data (143), ecology (97), politics (111), sports (76), transportation (32), trivia (18)

Nourish Interactive is a great source of nutrition tips, tools, and interactives. Play interactive activities from topics including food groups, balanced meals, the food pyramid, healthy messages, and nutrition word games. Choose the teacher portion of the site to find lesson plans to accompany each of the "games." View and print many free printables on the site including holiday themed activities, gardening, calendars, and goal setting pledge sheets. Find many nutritional recipes just for kids under the "What's Cooking with Chef Solus" portion of the site. Choose from recipes broken into categories by meal type and snacks. Vegan and vegetarian recipes offer something for everyone!
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tag(s): myplate (19), nutrition (134), obesity (10), preK (247)

This tool reveals full URLs for links that have been shortened using URL shortener tools (like bit.ly, tinyurl.com and others). Many of the URLs created by the shortening sites are blocked by school content filters (because the shortener websites are actually blocked). Try un-shortening the URL with this tool to access the content and to know what you are headed for! Enter the URL and click the button. Shortened URLs can also hide undesirable content, so seeing the "real" URL can prevent embarrassment such as opening something unexpected in front of others.

tag(s): browser (6), internet safety (109)

Find many ready to go, subject specific, Common Core aligned projects free for your use. Developed by the Buck Institute for Education, who are THE experts for project based learning, the PBLU projects are designed to save you time in the project based learning process. However, each project is flexible enough to customize it to your needs. Sign up for their newsletter to stay updated about new project development. You can even suggest a project for them to create through the Community Wish List.

tag(s): problem solving (220), Project Based Learning (22), Research (79), STEM (245)