Tip of the Week

Tech Tools for the English Classroom

2010-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T05:58:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T06:28:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

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.

Worksheet Works

2009-12-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

I love sites that make teaching easier! Worksheet Works is a site that generates educational worksheets based on your specifications. The worksheets are created in a PDF format that can be projected and used with the SMARTBoard! Check it out at http://worksheetworks.com/

Sheppard Software

2009-12-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Sheppard offers everything from early math to pre-algebra. The lessons include interactive activities to practice concepts. Students can shoot fruit, pop balloons, and even play math man (the math version of pac man!). Fractions, place value, money, and basic operations are some of the areas that are covered. Check it out at http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm.

See more from Sheppard Software by clicking the links at the top of the page to view additional content areas.

Online Graphs and Charts

2009-11-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

ChartTool is a quick and easy site for creating all kinds of graphs. You can create bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, scatter plots, and more. Use the tabs at the top of the site to put your graph together. The site creates a wonderful graph that can be downloaded as a picture or PDF document. Check it out at http://www.onlinecharttool.com/graph.php

Classroom Instruction That Works

2009-11-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

We have done many studies on Marzano's nine strategies for enhancing student achievement. Now, let's take it a step farther and look at integrating technology with Marzano's instructional strategies. http://gets.gc.k12.va.us/VSTE/2008/index.htm includes specific examples of technology tools that correlate with each strategy. I think you will be amazed at everything this site has to offer!

Animoto

2009-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Animoto is an incredible way to change your flip videos and still pictures from boring to amazing in minutes! How does it work? Select your pictures or video, choose your own music or music from their site and voila! Animoto automatically puts the entire video together for you, including fun animations. Students can quickly and easily create videos relating to vocabulary words and much more! See an example at http://animoto.com/

Halloween Hollow

2009-10-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner and Halloween Hollow contains a collection of many activities to get you in the spirit! There are word searches, crossword puzzles and tic-tac-toe. Students can even carve a virtual pumpkin to practice those computer skills! Need more ideas? Check out the links for lesson plan ideas! http://www.vickiblackwell.com/halloween.html

Also, check out the Mystery Cube through Thinkfinity! http://www.thinkfinity.org/halloweenFeature.aspx

Tar Heel Reader

2009-10-15T09:30:00.001-07:00

Tar Heel Reader contains a collection of books for beginning readers of all ages. Books can be read-aloud to students and they can even create their own books with text and pictures. Check it out at http://tarheelreader.org/

Scribble Maps

2009-10-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Do you teach map skills? Scribble Maps allows you to draw on Google Maps and operates just like Google Earth! What makes Scribble Maps better? Students can use the pen tools to draw on the map and even add images. Imagine teaching the Explorers unit and having students illustrate the routes and add pictures of the Explorers!

KidRex

2009-10-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

KidRex is a free alternative to Nettrekker! Students can use KidRex to perform safe Internet searches. This site was even designed by kids! Sites are filtered through Google SafeSearch and maintained by KidRex to keep students safe. Give it a try at http://www.kidrex.org/

e-Learning

2009-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

e-Learning for kids has great courses in Math, Language Arts, Science, Computer Skills, Health and Life Skills, and English Language. The games are fun, interactive and self-checking for students. Below is a suggestion of at least one course for your grade level!

PK/K - Learning Letters
1 - States of Matter
2 - Magic Math Market
3 - Prefix/Suffix
4 - Lunar Cycle
5 - Exploring Fossils

Check out the site for more! http://www.e-learningforkids.org/courses.html

Atomic Learning

2009-09-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Atomic Learning is screen movie software that offers training tutorials on all major technology applications. Want to learn more about SMARTBoard or Movie Maker? Just type it in the search engine and you will instantly have TONS of videos that demonstrate step-by-step instructions.

http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/home/

SMARTBoard Lessons

2009-09-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/smartboard.htm

Another great resource with TONS of pre-made SMARTBoard lessons!

Story Starters

2009-09-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Scholastic is always full of great ideas! Students will quickly be engaged and excited to write with the Story Starters slot machine. The topics are also broken down by grade level!

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/storystarters/storystarter1.htm

Award Maker

2009-08-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

Award maker is a fun, easy way to recognize your students for all their hard work! There are tons of educational templates that simply require typing in a student's name and printing! http://www.myawardmaker.com/templates/education.html

Website Links for Kids

2009-05-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Today's tip is coming from Valley View Elementary! There are several great resources that can be found on this website. The site is organized by grade level and covers many different content areas.

http://vves.rocklin.k12.ca.us/kidlinks.htm

Write Rhymes

2009-05-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

Write rhymes is a great site to use for the creation of poetry. Need ideas for words that rhyme with your sentence? Simply click on the word and a list of rhyming words is provided! Creating poetry has never been so easy!

http://www.writerhymes.com/

Word Sift

2009-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you like Wordle, you are going to love WordSift! WordSift works the same way as Wordle and creates a word cloud displaying relative frequency by text size. The difference with WordSift is it also offers a Thesaurus and Dictionary feature! When you click on a word in the cloud, a word web is displayed with antonyms and synonyms. WordSift also includes a read aloud and multiple language feature! Check out more at www. wordsift.com

Skillswise

2009-04-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

BBC offers many great educational sites! http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/ will take you to a compilation of elementary math sites to use in the classroom!

Math-a-Rama

2009-04-23T07:12:00.001-07:00

Houghton Mifflin offers a wonderful site with math activities for each SOL strand. The activities also provide instant feedback to the students and a score upon completion. Check it out at http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/

PowerPoint Games

2009-04-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

Are you smarter than a 5th grader? I bet your students would love to play! Visit this site to find lots of fun games created in PowerPoint. Choose from Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, 20 Questions, and more! Download the games and modify the templates to fit your curriculum needs. http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/PPT-games/

Do you have other games to share? Please let us know by posting to the blog!

Skype

2009-04-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you have asked for a list of people currently using Skype. How about a list including classrooms from all over the world? This website has everything you need to establish global connectivity in your classroom. You can add your classroom to the directory and begin searching for another classroom to talk with your students. The site also includes ideas for using Skype!

http://skypeinschools.pbwiki.com/

Visit http://voipcallrecording.com/ for a free download that will allow you to record your Skype conversations!

TimeToast

2009-03-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

TimeToast is a great site for creating timelines! Students can add pictures and descriptions to the timeline. Best of all, students can save their work and collaborate on the same timeline! Create your account at http://www.timetoast.com/

Kidspiration/Inspiration

2009-03-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Do you like using Kidspiration or Inspiration? Wouldn't you love to have tons of lessons that are already created for you? Join the Inspired Learning Community to find lessons that are created by educators. Use the search tool on the right to find exactly what you need!

http://www.inspiredlearningcommunity.com/lessons-and-ideas

Letter Generator

2009-03-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Writing a friendly letter can be a difficult task for students. Letter Generator is a fun website that outlines the parts of a friendly letter and walks students through each step in creating a letter!

http://readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/

Fridge Magnet

2009-03-04T08:17:00.001-08:00

If your students complete making words or word study activities in your classroom, then this tip is perfect for you! Look in the gallery in Smart Notebook for this interactive tool that allows students to make words with fridge magnets. Even if you don't have a SmartBoard, you can still use this activity on the computer. Just type in the word "fridge" in the gallery and you are ready to go!

SMART Lessons

2009-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for some great SmartBoard lessons to use in your classroom? Need an easy way to find lessons applicable to your content? Try browsing by the exact SOL you are looking for! This site will provide you with TONS of great activities based on the specific SOL.

http://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+activities/Find+Curriculum+Standards.htm

Time for Time

2009-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have difficulty getting the hands on your clock to show the hour and minute exactly? This site allows you to create a worksheet with clocks to print and use for assessment. This site is teacher friendly and extremely easy to use. Simply type in the time and choose analog or digital clocks. http://www.time-for-time.com/worksheets.htm

http://www.time-for-time.com/swf/myclox.swf This site displays a large clock that is great to use for whole group instruction with the SmartBoard.

Hallmark Smilebox

2009-02-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

Smilebox is a free download from Hallmark that allows you to create electronic scrap books. The templates are already created, you just have to add your pictures. There are tons of templates to choose from, including school, theater, photo journal, my class, book club, making the grade, autobiography and more. This would be a neat way for your students to put together a class project! Check it out at http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=commissionjunction.

Search Engines for Kids!

2009-02-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

This site contains a great list of search engines for kids to use! The search engines are even broken down by science, images, biographies, history, authors, and more! Consider using one of these next time you want your students to complete online research.

http://www.tekmom.com/search/index.html

BINGO

2009-02-02T06:16:00.001-08:00

www.casinosonline.co.uk

Do you need a fast and easy way to create a BINGO card? Check out this site! Just type in the words or numbers you want to appear on the card and add your free space. You can even press the shuffle button to mix up the card and make them different!

http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/bingo/5/

Easy Test Maker

2009-01-22T05:13:00.001-08:00

Check out www.easytestmaker.com! This is a great site that makes creating your tests fast and easy! You simply type in your test questions and the format is created for you. You can choose from multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, matching, or true false questions. You can even print an answer key to go with your test. Register for your free account and get started today!

Newspaper Clipping Generator

2009-01-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Instead of writing a paper, make learning engaging and have your students create a newspaper article! Students can create their own newspaper title and title of the article. Simply type in the story you want for the newspaper and click generate. Students can then print or save their newspaper. Visit http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp to get started!

Wordle

2009-01-07T05:53:00.001-08:00

Wordle is a fun tool that allows students to create a word cloud. Words that are used the most within a writing appear the largest on the screen. This is an easy tool for students to edit their own writing and eliminate words that are used repeatedly. Students can simply cut and paste their writing into wordle and a word cloud is created with the click of a button. Visit www.wordle.net to give it a try!

ePals

2008-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

ePals is a FUN, safe way for your students to collaborate with students from around the world. With this electronic penpal, you can either pair up with another classroom or allow your students to post questions to learn about different cultures. Students can even go on and read about how others celebrate holidays, discuss current events, or just share about their favorite activities and compare with others from around the world. Go to www.epals.com to learn more! Be sure to check out the student forum to see what others are already doing.

Spelling City

2008-12-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

Many of you are familiar with the great site www.spellingcity.com, but do you know about all the neat features? You can create your own account and type in weekly spelling words! Each student can then access the website and have their spelling words there and ready to go. Students can even access the site from home! Once you have the lists entered, students can take practice spelling tests, hear the words read aloud and play games using their spelling words. This is a great tool to keep learning fun!

Comic Creator

2008-12-04T12:27:00.001-08:00

Are you looking for a fun way to engage your students in writing? Consider allowing them to create a comic as a tool to tell their story. Check out Comic Creator and enjoy exploring!

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/index.html

Fruit Machine

2008-11-21T10:55:00.001-08:00

http://classtools.net/main_area/fruit_machine.htm

Need a fun way to engage your students in your lessons? Try the fruit machine! You can enter your students' names to call on them in random order.

Try using the machine with other information as well. For example, put in vocabulary from a unit you are studying. Have one student stand with their back to the machine and let others give clues about the word for the student to guess.

Have fun and please share your ideas!

Tiny URL!

2008-11-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

Do you often visit the computer lab and have a difficult time getting your students to the site you want? Try this great tool to make your URL shorter! Go to www.tinyurl.com and put in the website you are using. This will then create a new URL that will take you to the same place. For example, change http://waynesboro.va.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/sectionlist/default.php?sectiondetailid=4937&PHPSESSID=04272fcbf3aedf6d379af76dcb668b2a into http://tinyurl.com/6xth5z. That’s 148 characters changed into only 25! You can even customize what you want the new URL to be! Give it a try!