Ideas and Resources for Substitutes from TeachersFirst
This collection of ideas and reviewed resources is selected to help both substitute teachers and regular teachers leaving instructions for a substitute. The list includes useful time-fillers for when plans are not a perfect fit as well as teacher-friendly suggestions to make subbing a positive learning experience for all. Be sure to check "In the classroom" suggestions for practical tips and ways to use these offerings.
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Powtoon - powtoon.com
Grades
K to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
PowToon is an amazing, free, animated presentation tool. Choose from one of many templates available to edit, or start from scratch. Then start making magic! Label your title and description....more
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PowToon is an amazing, free, animated presentation tool. Choose from one of many templates available to edit, or start from scratch. Then start making magic! Label your title and description. Modify slides by changing text, font, image holders, and props. Preview your creation at any time with the play button. Stop and make changes as needed. Change styles easily by choosing a different style within the program. Select from the royalty free music options offered by Powtoon to enhance your presentation. Share the finished presentation via social media buttons on your page to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other popular pages or export to YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then using YouTube may not be your best option. Use the embed code provided to easily embed in your website or blog -- or simply share your Powtoon using the URL provided. Exports are not included with the free membership plan. Email is required to register and use Powtoon.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animation (61), digital storytelling (154), movies (71), multimedia (62), slides (68)
In the Classroom
Challenge older students to create their own PowToons. Students can use PowToon to share their ideas or to "prototype" an idea. Students can create videos to show math processes, explanations of complex concepts, review new learning, teach others, explain scientific processes, tell stories, or present research. The possibilities are really endless, and students will come up with hundreds more uses. Flip your classroom using PowToon presentations. Use PowToon to create teacher-authored animations for students in ANY grade. This is a great way to present new information or ideas for discussion. It is an easy way to share information with the class when a substitute is in your classroom. Embed your PowToon creations on your website or blog for students to review at home. Use a PowToon on the first day of school to explain class rules or give an exciting introduction to the year ahead. Use PowToon to create movies or presentations for back to school night or conference nights to display on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Teacher-librarians can ask students to create PowToon book reviews to share kiosk style in the library/media center.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Teachable Moments - Walch Education
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Find several "teachable moments" lesson plans based on articles and current topics, ready for download in PDF format. There are a variety of topics such as Pluto is no Longer ...more
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Find several "teachable moments" lesson plans based on articles and current topics, ready for download in PDF format. There are a variety of topics such as Pluto is no Longer a Planet, Vending Machine Bans in Schools, and Is the Internet Making us Dumber? Click to download and view each lesson including background information, standards, worksheets, and options for use. The lesson plans are quite thorough and include links to related articles. They encourage "close reading" a la CCSS with engaging material in science, social studies, and other subjects. You can ignore the ads for purchase of "related materials."
tag(s): canada (31), civil rights (120), differentiation (46), energy (210), planets (129), poetry (221), politics (98), population (65), recycling (58), slavery (67), sports (99)
In the Classroom
These interesting, topical lessons would make a great resource for days when a substitute will be in your classroom or may fit perfectly in your regular curriculum. The Internet plan is well suited for digital citizenship and/or research curriculum. Save in your sub folder for a ready-to-go class activity. Print and use lessons as part of class debates and projects. Use a tool like Zoho Show (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free) - reviewed here, for students to present results.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Math @Work - Scholastic
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Math@Work is a web series designed to combine classroom learning with career aspirations. (If the page does not open correctly, try Refreshing/reloading so it jumps directly to the...more
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Math@Work is a web series designed to combine classroom learning with career aspirations. (If the page does not open correctly, try Refreshing/reloading so it jumps directly to the Math@Work section!) The premier episode features Tim Gunn and Project Runway to showcase lessons in short videos in scale, budget, percent, and more. Discover math@work in the fashion industry! Download lessons already correlated to Common Core Standards for each video. Lessons include all materials needed, along with possible student responses. At the time of this review, they are adding new episodes frequently, so be sure to check back often. Be sure to click the full screen option to see the videos without clutter.
tag(s): careers (144), division (160), fashion (10), financial literacy (90), percent (81), ratios (64)
In the Classroom
Click Common Core Lessons to find information or click the link WAY up at the top of the page. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back for new additions as more information is frequently added. These lessons make a great addition to your substitute folder for an easy and fun way to practice math. Include lessons with your career unit or with any math topic contained in the webinars. Post a link to the video on your class website for use as a model and challenge students to create their own math lessons corresponding to different careers. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos and share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Free Math Worksheets - Pre-Algebra through Calculus - Kuta Software
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Find and print many worksheets for upper level math skills. Worksheets are divided by subject and content at this easy to navigate site. Subjects include Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra...more
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Find and print many worksheets for upper level math skills. Worksheets are divided by subject and content at this easy to navigate site. Subjects include Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Calculus. Choose your course then topic area to find a problem set. Click to print. View answers on a copy of the worksheet included.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): area (73), equations (154), exponents (44), factoring (30), factors (40), geometric shapes (174), inequalities (26), polynomials (28), quadratics (31), ratios (64), transformations (18), volume (54)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year. Quickly download and print worksheets for review. Use with a substitute or for extra student practice. Share a link to the site on your class website for students to access at home for review and practice of concepts.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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EZVid - ezvid.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
EZVid is a video screencasting tool that captures everything that appears on your Windows computer screen. Once recorded, you can edit videos, add voice, add text, draw directly on...more
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EZVid is a video screencasting tool that captures everything that appears on your Windows computer screen. Once recorded, you can edit videos, add voice, add text, draw directly on the screen image, or control playback speed. Be sure to watch the video tutorial for all features. Upload finished videos directly to YouTube. Once uploaded, share using social networking links. At the time of this review, this tool was not compatible with a MAC. The website does offer some suggestions to MAC users (such as using Bootcamp). If your school blocks YouTube, you will not be able to use this site while at school.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): video (278)
In the Classroom
Use EZVid to record instructions for using websites. Share how to perform problems, step by step directions for any project, and much more. Leave a video message for your substitute teacher or even your class! Create a video message to share with parents about current projects, clips from field trips, and more. Share on your class website for students to view at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Creativity Games - Ryan Chadwick
Grades
5 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Creativity Games offers challenges, games, and puzzles to encourage creative thinking. Find new activities each week such as random word identification, code breakers, or creative challenges....more
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Creativity Games offers challenges, games, and puzzles to encourage creative thinking. Find new activities each week such as random word identification, code breakers, or creative challenges. Choose the Random Word Generator link to generate a set of random words to use in creative writing, or choose a preset creativity game from the drop-down box provided. Read several great creative writing tips in the creative writing prompts section of the site. This site also features blog entries on a variety of topics related to creativity and education.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (167), creativity (118), logic (249), poetry (221), puzzles (205), substitutes (18), writing prompts (92)
In the Classroom
Use any of the challenges on this site as a brain warm-up as students trickle into class or before the homeroom bell rings. Display the Random Word Generator on your interactive word (or projector). Choose a link to provide a set of random words to use in poetry or creative writing assignments. Use logic games to warm up brains in math class. Assign weekly games for students to complete in free time or for use with gifted students. Read through the creative writing tips together as a class then add you own ideas. Post your ideas in your classroom using an online poster creator, such as Padlet, (reviewed here). Teacher-librarians can post a weekly brain challenge to inspire students who visit the media center. Any teacher will want to include this link on your class web page for students to access from home or during study periods. Substitutes will want to mak this one in favorites to always have something ready to go when the lesson plans go missing!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daily Starters - Scholastic
Grades
K to 8
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Daily Starters offers a different opening idea each day for 4 different age bands from Pre-K to grade 8. Subjects include language arts, math, and history, as well as fun ...more
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Daily Starters offers a different opening idea each day for 4 different age bands from Pre-K to grade 8. Subjects include language arts, math, and history, as well as fun facts that relate to the day or month. In addition to a challenging question or idea, the site offers a Teacher's Guide that explains different ways to use the site. It includes the background and vocabulary students need to understand and use the site optimally. Some specific topics include grammar, word usage, mechanics, word study, basic operations, algebraic thinking, measurement, fraction, geometry, word problems, and more. Clicking on the Reveal the Answer tab shows the correct solution to each question. Please note: These daily starters are only updated during the school year. New daily starters begin again every August.
tag(s): fractions (230), geometric shapes (174), grammar (210), measurement (180), numbers (196), substitutes (18), word study (78)
In the Classroom
Display each day's Daily Starters on your projector or whiteboard for students to do first thing in the morning. Or arrange for the classroom computers to open with the Daily Starter page. Have students work alone or collaboratively with a group. Allow students to share questions and responses via their own blogs or your class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through. Challenge students to create their own questions and use them for a class discussion about each idea brought up. Display the ideas from history tidbits and fun facts in a creative way on your class bulletin board. Keep the Daily Starter handy as an activity for substitute or for parent volunteers to use with students during free time or indoor recess.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Phrase.it - phrase.it
Grades
3 to 12
12 Favorites
0 Comments
Add cartoon speech bubbles to any photo in seconds using Phrase.it. NO membership required! Choose a photo from your Facebook feed, computer, or from the site's random stock photo collection....more
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Add cartoon speech bubbles to any photo in seconds using Phrase.it. NO membership required! Choose a photo from your Facebook feed, computer, or from the site's random stock photo collection. Pick one of the 5 different types of speech bubbles, drag to any part of the image, and type in text. Change fonts by clicking the text box until satisfied Change your image by applying one of the optional filters or leave it as is. When finished, click on the Save button and add your email if you want to receive a download link. You are also able to mark your photo PRIVATE. Once the image is saved and rendered, you can simply copy its url, share via email, Facebook, or Twitter, or download to your computer.
tag(s): bulletin boards (19), comics and cartoons (62), images (284)
In the Classroom
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Teach parts of speech and grammar by having students write captions using colorful adjectives, adverbs, or specific sentence structures on a random photo. Make classroom signs and reminders. Caption the homework directions on your teacher web page. Ask your students to create captions for class photos for all sorts of reasons. Use this site for back to school fun. Post a photo of yourself with a caption on your class website introducing yourself to the class during the summer. Challenge each student to find/share a photo of themselves either the first week of school (or even prior to school). You will want parental permission before posting any student photos on your class website. Use photos or digital drawings from your classroom, such as pictures taken during any hands-on activity. Have students draw in a paint program, save the file, and then add a caption. Spice up research projects about historic figures or important scientists. Have literary characters "talk" as part of a project. In a government class, add captions to photos explaining politicians' major platform planks during election campaigns. Caption the steps for math problem solving. Even elementary grades can make captions of an animal talking about his habitat or a "community helper" talking about his/her role, though you may have to do it together as a class to upload the image. Make visual vocabulary/terminology sentences with an appropriate character using the term in context (a beaker explaining how it is different from a flask?). Students could also take pictures of themselves doing a lab and then caption the pictures to explain the concepts. Share the class captions on your class web page or wiki. Leave directions to your class (for when a substitute is there). Use at back to school night to grab parent attention to important announcements. Have students make talking photos of themselves as a visual tour of their new classroom for parents attending back to school night. World language classes can create images explaining and using new vocabulary. Use the site's random photo offerings for clever caption contests in your new language. Have gifted students create PhaseIt pictures to explain new knowledge they gain in going beyond the basics. For example, as the class studies plate tectonics, they could make a collection of volcano images "explaining" their own history or describing the Ring of Fire. Gifted students of all ages can make simple Phrase It images to share their own thought provoking questions about curriculum content, such as "Which figure of speech would Shakespeare be willing to give up?" Be sure to include these thought provokers on a class wiki or blog for others to respond! (No need to single out the "thinker" by mentioning who created it if it would cause ridicule.)Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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English Lessons on American Presidents - Sean Banville
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This American Presidents website contains lesson plans for teaching about each of the US presidents all the way through Barack Obama. The site uses the informational text about each...more
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This American Presidents website contains lesson plans for teaching about each of the US presidents all the way through Barack Obama. The site uses the informational text about each president to teach, reinforce, and review English language concepts. The site is directly geared toward ESL/ELL students. However, all users will benefit from materials provided. Choose any president to view a short biography. There are also language lessons such as fill in the blank and writing activities. Choose from links at the top of the page to print the lesson in PDF format, hear the article read in mp3 format, and view additional activities such as flash cards and word jumbles. Although heavy in advertising, this site is worth a look as a resource for activities and lessons about US presidents.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): jefferson (20), kennedy (25), lincoln (84), presidents (123), reading comprehension (127), washington (29)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource to accompany US presidents units or to supplement current materials used in teaching about the presidents. This is a great tool to use in English/language arts class for nonfiction readings. If you want to remove distracting advertisements, use a tool such as Readability (reviewed here). Print activities and biographies about several different presidents to add to your substitute folder. Share this site with ESL/ELL and Special Education teachers as a resource for materials.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Famous People Lessons - Sean Banville
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This collection of over 150 lessons provides biographies and profiles of well known personalities for ESL/ELL (and other) students. The famous people range from 50 Cent to Walt Disney....more
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This collection of over 150 lessons provides biographies and profiles of well known personalities for ESL/ELL (and other) students. The famous people range from 50 Cent to Walt Disney. Scroll through the list of names. The main page shows each person's profession (or claim to fame), nationality, birthdate and date of death (when appropriate). Choose a name to go to the lesson. Lessons include a short biography (7-8th grade level reading) and activities to accompany it. Examples of activities include synonym match, cloze activities, spelling, and discussion questions.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): biographies (92), fluency (25), parts of speech (67), reading comprehension (127), spelling (167), summarizing (17), word choice (28)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site to use as part of a biography unit to match biographies to individual student interests. Allow students to choose a person, then print activities for them to complete. Use this site to practice reading fluency, informational texts, and comprehension with any student, Use this site in your substitute folder. Choose several biographies and print accompanying activities for students to complete. Have students create an annotated image of a biographical character including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Share with learning support teachers as well as ESL/ELL teachers to use as a high interest activity for older students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Centers and Games - Shari Sloane
Grades
K to 4
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Find directions and printables for elementary math games. Scroll down the page to view directions for games such as "Shake and Share" and "Make a Train Race." Most activities use ...more
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Find directions and printables for elementary math games. Scroll down the page to view directions for games such as "Shake and Share" and "Make a Train Race." Most activities use items already available in classrooms such as dice, cubes, or money. Print worksheets using the link to the PDF printable, if needed.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (226), money (187), preK (286), probability (141), substitutes (18), subtraction (186)
In the Classroom
Use ideas provided on the site for math centers in your classroom. Share this link (or specific activities) on your class website). Choose a game or two to included in your substitute folder for an easy math activity while you are gone.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Art Lessons and Lesson Plans - Ken Rohrer
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Find an extensive collection of art and drama lesson plans for use in all grade levels. Choose a grade level from categories on the left side of the page. Pick ...more
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Find an extensive collection of art and drama lesson plans for use in all grade levels. Choose a grade level from categories on the left side of the page. Pick from sub-categories such as type of medium, art period, or artist. One particularly useful category is by integration: ideas you can choose for lessons in subjects such as health, science, or language arts. Once you choose a lesson title, specific details include materials used, appropriate age levels, instructions, and images of projects. Many, but not all lessons also include correlation to national standards. Click on the printer friendly link to print lessons without all the clutter on the page.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (321), artists (80), colors (79), geometric shapes (174), insects (72), japan (60), native americans (80), origami (16), painting (66), preK (286), recycling (58), symmetry (51)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for art projects throughout the year, especially if budget cuts have taken away your art teacher! Be sure to check out the link to Sub Lessons. Print and save a couple of these to have in your substitute folder for use if necessary. Share with your art teacher (if you have one) as a resource.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mrs. Meacham's Classroom Snapshots - Jessica Meacham
Grades
K to 4
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Come to Mrs. (Jessica) Meacham's Classroom Snapshots to find elementary ideas and materials that are organized and ready to share! Choose from many downloads and teaching ideas all...more
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Come to Mrs. (Jessica) Meacham's Classroom Snapshots to find elementary ideas and materials that are organized and ready to share! Choose from many downloads and teaching ideas all organized by alphabetical order. Sample topics include: assessment, classroom management, organization, graphing, 100th Day, and many more. Learn about math tubs, download files, print emergent reader books, and so much more! Visit Jessica's page/site on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and other social media and/or organization sites.
tag(s): alphabet (86), behavior (45), copyright (48), dr seuss (10), graphic organizers (40), guided reading (47), handwriting (16), iwb (32), literature circles (5), organizational skills (121), preK (286), professional development (162)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and use this site throughout the year for downloads and classroom ideas. Explore the site for ideas that can be modified and used in your classroom. This site is ideal for a new teacher, substitute, or seasoned professional.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Planboard - Lesson Planning Organizer - Vetica
Grades
K to 12
13 Favorites
1 Comments
Plan and view your academic year using this online lesson plan organizer. Integrate standards by choosing from Common Core, Ontario Curriculums, or your own custom-created standards...more
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Plan and view your academic year using this online lesson plan organizer. Integrate standards by choosing from Common Core, Ontario Curriculums, or your own custom-created standards (or IEP goals?). Select your own schedule by choosing days of the week and time periods. The site also supports custom rotations up to an eight-day length. Attach files, edit, set off days, or share schedules easily with links in the software. Print finished plans or save as a PDF. You can also email plans at any time. The free version of this application supports up to 100 lesson plans and 25 MB of storage.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (155)
In the Classroom
Create your lesson plans using this application easily from anywhere you have computer access. Share lesson plans with other teachers when team planning. If you need a printed copy of lesson plans, easily print them in PDF format upon completion of planning. Use this tool to email "last-minute" substitute lesson plans into school.Edge Features:
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Comments
david, TX, Grades: 9 - 12
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HHMI - BioInteractive - Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Grades
8 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
HHMI's BioInteractive five lab collection allows you to explore genetics, heart diseases, nerve cells, and the immune system without any mess to clean or supplies to buy! Learn about...more
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HHMI's BioInteractive five lab collection allows you to explore genetics, heart diseases, nerve cells, and the immune system without any mess to clean or supplies to buy! Learn about changing fly DNA or play the role of a doctor's intern to better understand how heart disease works. These activities have interactive lab areas with learning objectives, a notebooking area, quizzes, extra resources, and a help area. They are complete with teaching suggestions and learning objectives. The bacterial identification lab and immunology lab are even available as apps for your mobile devices. Some areas of this site require Shockwave.
tag(s): bacteria (30), body systems (57), flips (6), genetics (88), heart (41), human body (132)
In the Classroom
Spice up your life science or biology curriculum with these activities. Use them as dry labs prior to the hands-on or classroom "wet lab." Alternatively, they could be used as a substitute laboratory when supplies are low, if students are learning online or from a distance, or if students have ethical objections to using live specimens. Thinking about blended learning or flipping your classroom even just a little? These activities are great because they can take some of the practice typically done in class to the home setting, allowing you to further delve into student driven experiments and inquiry in the classroom.
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Snapguide - Heavy Bits
Grades
2 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Looking for an easy to use "how to" guide? You must visit Snapguide! Find various topics: Sports & Fitness, Technology, Cooking, Music, Arts & Crafts, Gardening, and countless others....more
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Looking for an easy to use "how to" guide? You must visit Snapguide! Find various topics: Sports & Fitness, Technology, Cooking, Music, Arts & Crafts, Gardening, and countless others. You can view all of the content of this site without joining. Create your own "how to" guide on any topic. It's a "snap" to create the directions with pictures. Use your computer or iOS device to create a guide. Download the app onto your iPhone or iPad to create a guide for explaining anything! Each page contains a picture and text to explain the parts for your guide.
tag(s): computers (101), crafts (39), directions (19), fitness (49), makerspace (13), photography (158), sequencing (29), speeches (19)
In the Classroom
Share the ready-made snapguides in various classes: family and consumer science, music, art, photography, science, computer, and more! Create your own snapguides to share with your class on any subject matter. ESL/ELL and other special needs students will learn better seeing the photos along with the instructions. Use Snapguide to explain a lesson or a project that has multiple directions. Use Snapguide for directions for parents. Create a snapguide for your students when leaving plans for a substitute teacher. Students can also create their own snapguides to use as presentations and even for sequencing practice. These are the perfect prompts for writing and giving informative, how-to speeches. Students can explore the guides available and follow directions or even evaluate their effectiveness. Have cooperative learning groups create their own snapguides to share a new topic with the class. Encourage students to use Snapguide to illustrate their math solutions, discuss the completion and science behind a lab experiment, or show cause an effect.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Requires download/installation of software
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Portfoliogen - Create a Free Teacher Portfolio Webpage - CG Solutions LLC
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
PortfolioGen is a platform where teachers and pre-service teachers can build simple webpages to highlight their professional portfolios. Write "about me" pages, highlight certifications,...more
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PortfolioGen is a platform where teachers and pre-service teachers can build simple webpages to highlight their professional portfolios. Write "about me" pages, highlight certifications, upload documents, and provide links. Use the included forms for potential employers to contact you. Create an account by choosing a username and inputting basic email and contact information. Choose from available templates or create your own using your own background image and colors. Upload documents such as resumes, lesson plans, transcripts, and more. Use of the site is free; however, the free version does have limited document uploads and file sizes.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): portfolios (31), professional development (162)
In the Classroom
Use this site to create an online portfolio even if you are not looking for a new job. Share it with your principal or administrator as part of your evaluation process. Share it with parents from a link on your class web page. Model a positive, professional online image so your students can see how important this is in the 21st century. Use this tool to create a URL for substitutes to use with pertinent information including: lesson plans, student background, websites to use for enrichment, recordings of songs sung daily, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sub Hub - Rachel Friedrich
Grades
K to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
This blog offers ideas and resources to help substitute teachers make the most out of every day. It includes practical ideas such as what to bring to school as a ...more
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This blog offers ideas and resources to help substitute teachers make the most out of every day. It includes practical ideas such as what to bring to school as a substitute (who would have thought to bring your own "teacher-friendly" pencil sharpener?). There are also free k-5 lesson plans. The best part is all of the tips, support, and stories provided for substitute teachers "in the trenches." Although geared toward elementary teachers, ideas and suggestions are appropriate for any grade level.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (155), newbies (15), substitutes (18)
In the Classroom
Regular classroom teachers might want to share this in their emergency lesson plans for subs. Substitutes, don't go into the classroom empty handed. Bookmark this useful website (or make it a TeachersFirst Favorite so you can find it anytime) and be prepared for the unexpected! New teachers and student teachers can learn from the many tips. If you are mentoring or working with a student teacher, share some of these ideas. For even more, be sure to check out Teachers First's Ideas and Resources for Substitutes here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iBioSeminars - iBioSeminars
Grades
10 to 12
2 Favorites
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iBioSeminars features lectures and videos about biology, ecology, health (and more) that begin with broad introductions and progress to specific research. Search by top picks or category....more
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iBioSeminars features lectures and videos about biology, ecology, health (and more) that begin with broad introductions and progress to specific research. Search by top picks or category. You can also try entering a biology term in the search box. Click on Teaching Tools to find related materials for use with the lectures. Many lectures are as long as an hour. Don't miss the "short clips" menu for videos more applicable in high school settings. Subtitles in English, Spanish, and French are also available. You can subscribe to the lectures using iTunesU. Thethe videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as ClipGrab, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.
tag(s): cells (100), ecology (133), energy (210), evolution (101), medicine (69)
In the Classroom
Use iBioSeminars to bring the human side of biological research to the classroom. Use the lectures as an introduction to a biology concept or when connecting the topic to students' everyday lives. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Save this in your favorites as a possible tool for substitutes to share with the class (if the topic is applicable). Use this site along with other related sites for students to pick from when assigning current events in your science class. Challenge students to familiarize themselves with a topic by watching a video and then have cooperative learning groups create a multimedia presentation to share with the class using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Story Starter, Jr. - Joel Heffner
Grades
2 to 6
3 Favorites
0 Comments
If you are looking to satisfy your appetite for creative, meaningful writing prompts to suit any young writer, this is just the place to quickly find over 700 instantly generated ...more
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If you are looking to satisfy your appetite for creative, meaningful writing prompts to suit any young writer, this is just the place to quickly find over 700 instantly generated ideas. All that you have to do is click on the "click here for your story starter" button. If you don't like the one you see, keep clicking for different story starters until you find the one that suits your fancy. Then, start writing!
tag(s): creative writing (167), writing (365), writing prompts (92)
In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites and link to it from your class webpage. For even quicker access, save this as a favorite on your Teachersfirst membership page to come back to whenever you are planning a pre or post reading/writing assignment. (If you are not already a member, join TeacherFirst for FREE.) These creative ideas are also great to file in your "emergency" lesson plan folder for a substitute teacher or when you are just looking for a spontaneous writing or journal assignment. Students may use it the traditional way by writing the story starter sentence on a piece of paper. With access to a class set of computers students could copy and paste into a word document or class wiki page and start writing their stories, poems, or journal entries. Challenge students to share their writing aloud on a podcast using a site such as PodOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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