TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Feb 23, 2020
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Audacity - Audacity
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use Audacity in a variety of ways in your classroom. Let students become familiar with creating audio files by practicing voice recordings and experimenting with Audacity's editing tools. As students become familiar with this tool, use its many features to create background audio for podcasts, to create podcasts, or to record audio instructions for lessons. Ask students to use Audacity to record interviews of parents or other family members. For example, when studying immigration, ask students to record the story of a family member who immigrated to the U.S.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Image Annotator - Class Tools
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), digital storytelling (142), images (270)
In the Classroom
Image Annotator offers an endless array of options for classroom use. Create an image with hotspots to share on your whiteboard as an introduction to any new unit of study, or start with a blank image and add hotspots throughout your unit with included links to additional information. Be sure to share the link to your interactive image on your class website. Ask students to create an interactive image as an alternative to a written assignment, have them include links to websites used for their research or to work they created online. Include an image from this site within a larger presentation such as a digital book made with Book Creator, reviewed here, or add images to an interactive timeline created with MyHistro, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tools to Create Media - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): Creating Media (5), digital storytelling (142), podcasts (72), posters (47), video (256)
In the Classroom
Find new tools to try in your classroom to create some cool media! Each review includes classroom use ideas. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will make your tasks easier to manage and engage your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zapier - Wade Foster
Grades
K to 12tag(s): calendars (40), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
Use Zapier to manage everyday online work. Have Zapier send you an email each time student blogs are updated, add documents automatically to your Google Drive as they arrive in your email, or get email reminders before upcoming calendar events. The variety of actions makes this a convenient tool for automating any number of activities to save you time and maintain the organization of your information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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boomy - Boomy Corporation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (99), music theory (45), rhythm (20), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
Offer students the option to explore their creative side with boomy. Ask students to make soothing music to play during study and quiet times, have them create audio to accompany their class presentations, or challenge students to make music that sets the mood for dramatic moments in literature. This site is an excellent way to appeal to your musically inclined students. Enhance student learning by asking them to share ideas on how to create different types of music by recording their screen using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here. Have students share tips and advice on how to create different moods by adjusting settings within music created with boomy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Anime Avatar Maker - Avachara
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creativity (92), emotions (46), faces (5)
In the Classroom
Create and use avatars similar to how you use Bitmoji, reviewed here characters. Create an avatar for use on your class website or blog. Update your avatar to reflect current lessons, holidays, or events. Use avatars to appeal to students and draw their attention to important information. Design an avatar with an unusual look to use as a creative writing prompt. Have older students (13+) take a picture of a portion of text and add an avatar to share a connection or response to the text (also known as BookSnaps).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virtual Field Trip Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): virtual field trips (80)
In the Classroom
This collection includes virtual field trips for all grades. Each review includes several classroom use ideas. Get out your projector (or interactive whiteboard) and take your students on an adventure. Have students go on a "field trip" with a partner or independently on laptops or other devices. Explore the activities suggested.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft MakeCode - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): coding (87), makerspace (41), Microsoft (84), STEM (259)
In the Classroom
Make use of the resources offered by Microsoft to share with your students as they learn how to code. Share project ideas with students and include materials for them to create their projects as part of makerspace activities. Have students take pictures of their creation and enhance their learning by using Voxer, reviewed here, to add audio to describe their creative process. Add images to your class website as part of your student work gallery. Challenge students to use Sway, reviewed here, to create an online multimedia page including images, video, and text to describe, evaluate, and share their work with coding projects. Include project ideas from the site and set up a makerspace during open house events at your school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Maps Treks - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): cultures (132), environment (238), images (270), maps (208), photography (131), virtual field trips (80)
In the Classroom
If you teach geography, this one is a must. It is also helpful for showing students WHERE a story or news event takes place. View these different places whether your content includes history, geography, literature, science, languages, and more. View places discussed in class, or in stories. Look at different cultural areas or environments in the world. Choose a trek as an inspiration for further research about the area, the inspiration for a student created poem or short story, artistic work, and many other projects. Encourage student groups to choose one of the places on this site to present to the class, highlighting various economic, recreational, historical, and cultural factors at each place. You may want students to use a tool such as Knoema, reviewed here, or Data - The World Bank, reviewed here, to make sure students get accurate information. Use this as a class "Where I visited in Google Maps" project! As students ask questions about the various places, encourage discovery in finding the answers together.Comments
Can't wait to use this after the Lit Trip session.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Free Training Tutorials - Barak Sofer
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (133), keyboarding (28), Microsoft (84), operations (72), parts of speech (40), spelling (95), spreadsheets (23), vocabulary (235)
In the Classroom
Make a shortcut to any activity on this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Train yourself on Microsoft Word or Excel using these video clips. Share the typing activities with your students to increase their speed and accuracy. Set up learning centers for the interactives available (such as nouns and verbs).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Learning Day - Alliance for Excellent Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (83), digital storytelling (142), modeling (8), preK (254)
In the Classroom
Celebrate Digital Learning Day in your school by sharing this site and ideas for digital learning both in and out of school. Suggest to your PTO/PTA that they host a family digital learning evening on or about the same date. Bookmark and save this site to find digital learning ideas throughout the year and to plan special events for a midwinter Digital Learning Day celebration. Share with colleagues as a resource.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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