TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jun 20, 2021
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
OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire: Podcasting in the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12If you're looking for...more
If you're looking for an easy way to increase engagement in the classroom, look no further. Teachers can use podcasting --creating audio recordings delivered via the internet-- in all content areas to deliver instructional information or as an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned. Join us to learn how to connect your classroom to the world beyond your walls while encouraging students to improve their digital and communication skills. Understand how you can plan, produce, and publish podcasts to support your classroom goals for free. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn ways to use podcasting in the classroom; 2. Explore podcasting tools; and 3. Plan for the use of podcasting to support your classroom goals. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): podcasts (104), professional development (404)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Adobe Express Video Maker - Adobe Spark
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blended learning (36), communication (139), digital storytelling (154), multimedia (48), video (263)
In the Classroom
Consider using videos in your classroom in a variety of ways. Upload your slide presentations and add audio to create flipped and blended learning experiences for your students. Engage students and enhance their learning by asking students to create videos as an alternative to book reports or written presentations. Share videos on your class website for students to access when away from the classroom. As your students create videos, use a bookmarking site such as Padlet, reviewed here, to share and organize information for students to use when researching. Include Adobe Express Videos as part of a larger presentation using Book Creator, reviewed here. Embed your video along with images, text, drawings, and other media into your digital book creation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Notejoy - Sachin Rekhi and Ada Chen Rekhi
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (94), communication (139), note taking (36), organizational skills (89)
In the Classroom
Use Notejoy to work collaboratively with your peers. Share discussions on lesson planning, field trip preparation, and professional development sessions. Take advantage of the checklists to assign and track completion of projects. Extend classroom technology use by sharing Notejoy with older students to use when working on group projects to help plan and complete tasks on time. ENL/ESL and resource teachers can use this with teachers of students who are mainstreamed.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fake Text Message - iFakeTextMessage.com
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (123), digital storytelling (154), writing prompts (60)
In the Classroom
Use Fake Text Message to bring lessons to students through their digital world. Ask students to create made-up text messages between book characters or world leaders during a crisis. In math, have students create a conversation discussing methods for solving a difficult problem. Take advantage of the editing tools such as battery life and signal strength indicator to demonstrate urgency in different situations. Have students include images of text messages created into a Google document as part of a written report. Use a text sequence as a prompt for creative writing. Take your text messages to a different level and have students create podcasts incorporating text messages using a tool like Podcast Generator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Class123 - Choong Hee Lee
Grades
K to 6tag(s): behavior (46), classroom management (123), communication (139), DAT device agnostic tool (146), parents (60), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to communicate specific behaviors with parents - both positive and negative feedback. Share this site with students on the first day of school as you go over class expectations and your behavior plan for your classroom. Take advantage of the other tools to take attendance or rearrange your seating chart quickly and easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bloomz - Chaks Appalabattula
Grades
K to 12tag(s): calendars (37), communication (139), DAT device agnostic tool (146), images (261), parent conferences (21), parents (60), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Use Bloomz for all your communications with your classroom community. Not only that, but share important documents (field trip permission slips, a syllabus, etc.) for others to access; post photos of special projects in class or from field trips. P.E. teachers and coaches can use this tool to post what skills students are learning and action pictures of student involvement in games and activities. Parents can download the free app or receive updates via email. Currently, there are three ways to invite parents and other class members. Email, enter the information manually, or upload an Excel spreadsheet and send a bulk invitation. Create groups within your Bloomz class and invite members. These groups might be volunteers in the classroom, volunteers for driving on a field trip, and more. Then you can communicate just to that group when necessary. Introduce Bloomz to parents at Back to School Night in the fall, Open House in the spring, or during parent conferences. Encourage resource teachers and others to join your class community to see what your class is doing. Update Bloomz on the go with your mobile device!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Konstella - Elena Krasnoperova
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (123), communication (139), homework (30), microblogging (15), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all of your classes. Send homework, project, and supply reminders. Send changes to plans due to a snow day or other emergency. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to school. Don't forget to include any extracurricular activities. Use this tool to communicate with parents. Provide parents with the necessary information on your class web page. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, school spirit days, conferences, and more. Learning support teachers can promote organizational skills by having students and their parents sign up to receive reminders about tests and homework. Add messages with tips for parents to help their elementary child study. Need supply donations? Send out a request using Konstella. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures or department meetings and activities. Make a PTO/PTA School account to share resources for school-wide projects, events, or fundraisers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Slack - Slack Technologies, Inc.
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (41), communication (139), DAT device agnostic tool (146), microblogging (15), organizational skills (89), social networking (64), video (263)
In the Classroom
Share this resource with high school students working on group projects for better group communication, managing workflow, and more. Take the time during the first week of school or as group projects approach to model how to plan and manage group processes using such a tool. Use this tool with school clubs, as well. Manage professional discussions by creating channels for different departmental or grade level teams.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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SpeakPipe - Speakpipe.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blogs (65), communication (139), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
When installed on a school website, SpeakPipe provides a good way for parents to leave voicemail messages. Unless one of you shares the URL, the communication remains confidential. Download messages to your computer as a simple way for students to record their voice responses for use in a multimedia project on your classroom blog. After posting student work on your classroom website or blog, allow students to record information responding or explaining each project. Encourage emerging readers to record their own voices reading a blog post they write. Auditory learners will truly benefit from this tool. Install this on your class blog or wiki so parents who visit can leave audio comments for the class. World language teachers could post an image on a class web site and ask students to record a response in their new language. School library/media centers can invite students so comment about new books listed on the web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (41), communication (139), DAT device agnostic tool (146), microblogging (15), Teacher Utilities (174)
In 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). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. 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.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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