Tech Tools for the English Classroom

http://prezi.com/rjlnnyzx0tug/tech-tools-for-the-english-classroom/
This is a wonderful presentation with lots of great ideas for using technology in the classroom. Each site has interactive and engaging resources for all grade levels.

Filamentality

Filamentality is a great way to design an interactive learning environment for students. The site walks you through a step by step process for gathering your links and organizing them into your own online learning activity. This is a great site for creating webquests or just a collection of your favorite sites. Want to see what is already out there for you to use in your classroom? Try searching Filamentality by your grade level for TONS of learning environments that are already created! Check it out at http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/

Grammar Practice

This week's tip is a combination of several different interactive sites for practicing grammar. All of these sites include fun games to engage students and track their progress.

To Bee or Nottoobee - http://www.funbrain.com/verb/index.html
In this activity, students have to choose the correct verb to complete the sentences. Students practice the correct use of am, is, are, were and was.

Word Frog - http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/frog/
Help the frog find the correct fly to eat! The correct fly must have the matching synonym, antonym or homonym.

Flip A Chip - http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/flip/
Choose the correct ending for the word to correctly complete the sentence. There are six levels and each completed paragraph can be printed and checked for accuracy.

They're, Their, There - http://www.better-english.com/easier/theyre.htm
Choose the correct word for the sentence. The teacher is able to track when an incorrect answer is chosen.

Wacky Web Tales

Remember Mad Libs? Wacky Web Tales challenges students to apply their knowledge of parts of speech. Type in the words correlating to the correct parts of speech and your story is created in seconds! What a neat way to practice reading and grammar skills! Visit Wacky Web Tales at http://www.eduplace.com/tales/

Gloucester County

Gloucester County Schools has a great collection of sites for PK-5. The sites are organized by subject, including a section for SOL Review. The Resource section includes activities for art, music, PE, library, guidance and speech. Be sure to also click on the link at the bottom to view additional activities from the VSTE Conference. Visit the site at http://gets.gc.k12.va.us/elementary/

Flip Book

We are all used to creating Flip Books with paper, but now you can create and print them online! You can have up to 10 pages and choose from nine different layouts. Pictures can be added to the pages to reinforce material. The site includes many great ideas on how to use flip books in the classroom. Check out this great resource at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/flipbook/

Interactive Websites

Interactive Websites has resources for all areas of the curriculum. You will find TONS of engaging activities that correlate with the SOLs. You can find these great resources at http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interactive.htm

Story Jumper

Creating your own children's book is super easy with StoryJumper! There is a story starter that walks students through the important components of a story to create a detailed outline. Once the outline is created, students can use the provided props, scenes and text, or upload their own pictures to create a book. StoryJumper also has templates that have the beginning of a story created and students can provide the ending. There are even completed books that can be read online. Learn more at http://www.storyjumper.com/

Resources for K-5

http://www.huneycutt.biz/ is one of my favorite websites! The site contains activities for each content area, organized by K-2 and 3-5. The sites for each topic are ordered from easiest to most difficult. Many of the websites are interactive and correlate wonderfully with the SOLs!

SMART Notebook 10.6

SMART has just announced their latest upgrade to SMART Notebook! The upgrade includes several new tools, including a transparent screen, ruler, protractor, and polygons. Visit http://blog.teqsmart.org/2010/01/smart-notebook-10-6-this-may-change-everything/ to see examples of how some of the new tools are used.

To download the upgrade, follow the directions below.
1. Open SMART Notebook.
2. Click help>check for updates.
3. A SMART Product Update box will appear. Click the update box for SMART Notebook.

iPod Apps for Education

Looking for a great list of iPod apps to use in the classroom? This is a great place to start! This document includes a list of apps for reading, writing, math, music, art, assistive technology, and more! The document includes a description of the app along with a link straight to the app store.

http://speechlanguagepathologysharing.blogspot.com/2009/12/iphone-and-ipod-touch-apps-for-special.html

Business Cards

Allow your students to demonstrate content they have learned by creating business cards. Templates for the cards can be found in Microsoft Office. Once the cards are created, students can trade cards with classmates and even take them home for review.