The Wednesday Web was a blog I created for my faculty when I first left the classroom. It is from the early 2000's so many links may be inactive.
Literature Circles
Laura Candler is a teacher who has created hundreds of activities for her classroom and placed them on-line for everyone to use. You can spend hours on this site. To find the literature circle items click on “file cabinet” on the home page. Next scroll down and click on the “literary lessons” file cabinet. The second link is “literature circles”. Click there. Under the “blackline masters” link you will find tons of printable activities to try with your students. ALL of these can be used outside of literature circles as well, in a regular reading program.
http://www.allamericareads.org/
From their website: All America Reads is a national reading and literacy program produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. The ongoing program is designed to encourage reading and discussion of novels with broad appeal and accessible themes. The project selects a new novel every other year for use in classrooms across the nation.
If you click on the “lesson plans” tab you will see additional links to before, during, and after reading strategies, along with vocabulary ideas. Although the activities are linked to specific novels, they can be modified.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/litcircles_more.htm
This page hosted by Scholastic books features literature circle guides for teachers and lit circle questions for students for tons of books. If you type “literature circles” in the search box on the same page Scholastic provides over 300 more links- some with lesson plans and step by steps on how to start literature circles in your room.
http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/lang_lit_circles.htm
This Canadian site does the work for you by gathering a list of literature circle sites that you can browse through.
I have a few books (and tons of activities) from my 4th grade lit. circles. If you are interested in seeing any of it, stop by room 107.
Poetry
http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetclass/performpoetry.htmThis is a great site. Two of my favorite sections were "poetry theatre" (a link on the left side) that includes short poetry plays. The homepage also features a section for "school poems".
http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htmInstant poetry forms is a great "station" for your classroom, especially for students that work a little slower than the rest. Choose from a variety of poetry forms along the left side. After students pull up the form they simply add their words to the template. Instant poem!
http://www.poetry4kids.com/Tons of kid friendly poems to inspire your students
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/Giggle poetry is very similar to Poetry Teachers (same set up- they even link to each other’s pages). One cool feature are the author interviews (links found on the home page)
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/printable-worksheets/make-your-own/word-search/word-search.php?list_id=54Generate your own poetry word search, or use the premade one available here.
http://www.shelsilverstein.com/pdf/poetry.pdfThis pdf uses some of Shel Silverstein’s poems to teach rhyme and poetry. One of the 8 pages has a word search, another has a list of terms, and a third has a list of words for students to cut out and make a free verse poem.
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/language_arts/poetry/Poetry lesson plans
http://southjerseyacademy.com/academy/interactive_poetry_tools_and_les.htmInteractive poetry tools
Spelling Centers
http://www.gamequarium.com/spelling.html
There are 5 games that you can input spelling words of your own. The "spelling wizard" game allows you to make a word search with your words. For general spelling practice there are 2 "100 most misspelled words battleship" games. There is also a cool "300 most frequently used words" hangman activity.
I haven’t had any experience with Spelling City but my twins use it in 2nd grade. You can enter your own words and then have three options for those words: test me, teach me, or play a game. Up to 15 words can be listed. There is also a screencast video that will show you how to use Spelling City. View it at http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/spell/index.html
KidsSpell claims to have over 6,600 words to practice spelling with. As with the other sites, you can select a premade spelling list or customize your own list. The "Spellasaurus" has a really cute interface and looks like it would be appropriate for 1st or 2nd grade.
http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/hanglist.html
Although this site is basically a writing site it has some spelling games. There are hangman word games that focus on days of the week, dolch words, number words, animal words, and more. "Room 108 Word Safari Game" allows you to play the game using your own word list.
US Speller has a messy website, but contains good content. Some of the features include having the words pronounced by the computer. There are also definitions and sentences available for the word selection. The "Introduction to US Speller" has a good tutorial to get you started. Activities are listed separately from kindergarten through sixth grade.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/games/index.shtml
This United Kingdom website has a series of number games designed for kids 4-11 years old.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/addem/index.shtml
Addem’s Number Movies: there are 10 animated movies based around word problems. Again, great for 4-11 year olds.
http://www.funbrain.com/tictactoe/index.html
FunBrain has been around forever, with engaging interactive activities for students. This site will take you to a tic-tac-toe game where you need to answer a math problem in order to place an x or o. There are 4 difficulty levels to help differentiate your math games!
http://funschool.kaboose.com/formula-fusion/games/game_paint_brush_math.html
Paint Brush Math is a picture with math problems (like a color by number picture). However on this site students need to solve math problems in order to paint the picture. This game would be good for kindergarten and 1st grade, but the website contains many others as well.
http://superkids.com/aweb/tools/math/
From their website: Have you ever wondered where to find math drill worksheets? Make your own here at SuperKids for free! Simply select the type of problem, the maximum and minimum numbers to be used in the problems, then click on the button! A worksheet will be created to your specifications, ready to be printed for use.
http://www.earthday.net/ Background information on this Earth friendly day
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915?gclid=CMaQzeKf85kCFSQMDQodRA98SA 10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green
http://www.theteachersguide.com/earthdaylessonplans.htm This site has games, wordsearches, and ideas for celebrating Earth Day with your students
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson260.shtml Tons of lessons, including "101 Amazing Earth Facts" which is a jeopardy game played through power point
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth.html Earth Day games and printables for little ones
http://www.climateclassroom.org/ Climate Classroom focuses on educating 4-6 grade students on the effects of global warming
Earth Hour 2009….What will you be doing??Wednesday Web #29
This Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM is Earth Hour. It is billed as “a vote between Earth and Global Warming.” The objective is to turn off your lights for 1 hour to conserve energy. Over 83 countries around the world will take part, including the United States (and Chicago). The goal this year is to reach 1 billion “votes” globally. Please make your students aware.
http://www.earthhour.org/home/Get the kids involved: http://www.earthhourkids.org/See how Chicago is involved: http://www.earthhourus.org/chicago/chicago.phpEarth Hour Lesson Plans for K-2: http://www.earthhouramericas.org/content/toolkit_teachers/K-2%20Earth%20Hour%20Lesson%20Plan.pdfEarth Hour Lesson Plan for 3-6: http://www.mna.org/mna-resources/129-MNA/version/default/part/AttachmentData/data/LessonPlans3-6.pdfEarth Hour Lesson Plan for 6-8: http://earthhourkids.org/6-8_20Earth_20Hour_20Lesson_20Plan.pdfEarth Hour Activities: http://www.classbrain.com/artholiday/publish/earth-hour.shtml
Election Projects
Wednesday Web Week #7
With the election being so close I thought it might be cool to have some classrooms work on election projects. If you need any help in regards to incorporating technology let me know. Remember, digital cameras are available to document your progress, and every First Class account (both teachers and students) have web page creation capabilities.The Wednesday Web consists of a short list this week, but each site has a multitude of information.
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/elections/teacher-resources/6615.html?detoured=1
Teacher Vision has tons of printables surrounding the election, links to each candidate, history resources, and lesson plans. Seriously- you could stay on this site for hours. It is a great place to start if you are interested in teaching about the election. It includes more information about a national mock election as well (http://www.nationalmockelection.org/ ).
http://www.blogher.com/teaching-kids-about-presidential-election
This is a blog, so make note of that (a blog is essentially an on-line diary). The topic is teaching kids about the presidential election. Although the web author is referring to her own children (and not a classroom) I still thought she had some very good advice.
This topic fascinates me. I’ve known people who are die-hard politicos (either republican or democrat) that push their views on their kids. I always cringe when I hear 9 year olds spewing hate about an adult because of what they have heard at home. Personally I’ve seen this creep in a little with my twins. They’ll come home from school and tell me who their teacher’s husband is voting for and why he doesn’t like the other candidate. It bugs me because both parties aren’t being discussed objectively, and I don’t want my children to have the bias of others. So….good blog for tips.
http://www.illinoisstudentvote.org/
Haven’t researched this site, but the title makes it sound appropriate!
Celebrate Black History Month
Wednesday Web #23
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/black-history-month/teacher-resources/6602.html
Black history month teacher resources from TeacherVision
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/01-1/lp221_06.shtml
Awesome lesson plan where students can create a calendar of 365 days of black history
http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/ll/curriculumsupport/aastudies/afr-lsns-merr-afr.html
This lesson plan is submitted by a school district in Philadelphia, geared for 4-6 grade students. It explores African American Myths and Stereotypes in the Media
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/biopoems.html
Why not have the students create a biopoem about themselves this month? Students can create their poems, then personalize them through glogster.com (note: check glogster first yourself before letting the kids on)
http://inventors.about.com/library/blblackinventors.htm
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/black.shtml
The three sites listed above are great sites for learning about African American inventors and inventions.
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=626dbef11e97fedc56f6 TeacherTube video on the Underground Railroad
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=a220745ba2e9c7193ee3
A second grade alphabet movie on black history month- very cool!
Halloween
Wednesday Web #10
With only two days left here are some short video clips and lesson plans to make your Friday more enjoyable. Happy Haunting!
This video is pumpkin carving itself using stop animation (and no, I don’t know how to do it!)
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=de0c95f799368a0cde29
Good for kindergarten and first grade, listen to 5 spooky ghosts playing tricks at school
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9006ee60c1b9c2806b78
This has no narration, but is a series of approximately 5-8 Halloween images. Challenge your students to remember the order...or to write a story incorporating some of the pictures. Be creative!
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=f8c7835251fa4c63a499
All things Halloween!!
Halloween lesson plans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Halloween.htm
Wednesday Web #36
All Things Google
http://www.google.com/educators/index.html
Google for Educators is packed full of resources for your classroom. They have classroom activities broken down by grade levels (k-5, 6-12, and all grade levels) along with several posters you can print off for your classroom. By clicking on the “tools for your classroom” link you can see all the features they have to offer, such as book search, blogger, and custom search engine.
Be a Google guinea pig!! From their site: Google labs showcases a few of our favorite ideas that aren't quite ready for prime time. Your feedback can help us improve them. Please play with these prototypes and send your comments directly to the Googlers who developed them.
Surely everyone knows about Google Earth and its cool, yet creepy features. If not, check out how they describe it: Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings and even explore galaxies in the sky. There’s even a tutorial for the part that is free.
http://translate.google.com/translate_t#
Google has a special feature where it can translate text into 23 different languages. Simply put in the text, select the languages, and click “translate”. What a great way to teach our students how the world has more than one language. Imagine putting in the words peace, respect, love, etc. and see how we can say these in new ways.
Can’t keep up with the latest news/weather/sports/gossip?? Sign up for Google Alerts. You determine the content and frequency that you want your information bundled in and Google will send you an email that fits your query.
Happy Googling!
Wednesday Web #17
This week’s Wednesday Web focuses on one website: __http://www.animoto.com__
Sign up for a free account to make 30 second videos using your own photos. Soooooooo simple. Upload your pictures, choose a song, hit create. For a little more ($3 per video, or $30 unlimited videos for a year) you can showcase your students while looking tech savvy!
Practice over vacation, using your family photos or student photos. Let me know if you make any so I can take a look!
These were made from the winter assembly today….
The first one was turned into a "holiday greeting" http://animoto.com/play/BK99mwj7H5iTIWu9211iSA/greetings/holidays2008
The second one has some dark images, but I’m still learning….http://animoto.com/play/0NmTA0NBy8XnNouIgZNEAA
Online Survey Tools
Wednesday Web #15
This week’s Wednesday Web focuses on surveys that can be given to students on-line. If you decide to try this with your kids, be sure to let me know!
SurveyMonkey- the most popular online survey tool, there is a free portion you can sign up for (otherwise it’s $19.95 a month). There are some restrictions to the free site, such as only being able to receive 100 responses and having a maximum question limit of 10. Even so, this is a great way to incorporate technology and survey your students on things they are learning or reflecting on a specific topic, such as a book or a teaching style. This link will take you to the "features" page so you can see what is available.http://www.surveymonkey.com/Home_FeaturesDesign.aspx
PollDaddy- some of our staff members have started blogs or wikis with their students (yeah for you guys!). PollDaddy allows you to gather feedback on your blogs, etc. What’s different about this site is it features polls and surveys (although I haven’t explored the difference). What’s cool about this site is they have a section called "polldaddy answers" that allows you to look at over 400,000 polls already given. http://www.polldaddy.com/
Fo.reca.st- Another free site. This one isn’t as "pretty" as the first tool, but it offers a little more flexibility. Check out the FAQ area for specifics. http://fo.reca.st/surveys/home
Poll Junkie- by far the simplest interface, Poll Junkie allows you to begin your poll on the homepage! No registration required! If you are a little nervous about starting surveys with students, this may be the place to begin.
Snap Poll- again, super simple interface. Snap poll surveys can be placed on your websites, even in First Class! http://snappoll.com/
Here’s a good example of a student climate survey:
http://goal.learningpt.org/winss/scs/sampques.asp?survey=E
This week’s Wednesday Web is more research based. For the newer teachers a 21st Century classroom isn’t all that different from the classrooms they were in. For more experienced teachers like myself there is a major shift. Ask any veteran teacher what initiatives were put in place when they first started teaching, and what crept up along the way. Most will be able to tell you that if they waited long enough these initiatives would fade away. 21st Century classrooms won’t be going away. The websites and articles below can help give you a greater understanding of what today’s classroom should look like. The first two articles in particular are cool because they lay out what a “future” day looks like for both student and teacher. Believe it or not, we’re almost there.
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Building%20Schools%20for%20the%20Future%20in%20Tameside.docA day in the life of a future pupil. This article contains at least 12 different types of technology that a student (or school) may used daily. Many of them we already have (or use)
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/A%20Day%20in%20the%20Life%20of%20a%20Future%20Teacher.doc A day in the life of a future teacher. There are a ton of examples of things we are able to (or already) do.http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm The two links above come from this site. About half way down the page there is a table which compares a 20th century classroom to 21st century classroom. I don’t believe that everything that happened in the 20th century classroom was bad, but it is interesting to see how time has shifted how a classroom looks.http://www.metiri.com/21/Metiri-NCREL21stSkills.pdf 21st Century Skills for 21st Century Learnershttp://www.metiri.com/21/Metiri-NCREL21stSkills.pdf The 21st Century Classroom- Resources and Tools for 21st Century Students and Teachershttp://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/21st Century Literacies
21st Century Classrooms
Blogs
Wednesday Web #27
Blog hosting sites
https://www.blogger.com (same as blogspot)
http://classblogmeister.com/ (created specifically for classroom use)
Misc. Blog Resources
http://www.masters.ab.ca/bdyck/Blog/ (a blog rubric)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial037print.shtml
(Not sure where to start? Start here- with a blogging basics tutorial)
http://learning-with-computers.blogspot.com/2006/07/pros-and-cons-of-blogs-by-illya.html (A blog on the pros and cons of blogging)
Examples of Blogs In Education
http://sarahplainandtall.blogspot.com/ (A really good example of a blog used for a book)
http://jyoungblog.blogspot.com/ (Using blogs to connect with students outside of school- in this case, over the summer)
http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/ (A 5th grade class blog from Missouri)
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=100229 (Another Classroom Blog)
Ideas for Blogging
*Book Talks *Book Clubs *Responding to Teacher Statements/Questions
*Assess student knowledge of key concepts
*Communicate about Summer (or summer assignments)
*Create a classroom blog and post pictures for parents *Role-play a point of view
*A suggestion box for a better classroom (or new topics)
*Getting to Know You activity for students
Please Remember: NO LAST NAMES
Creating Comics
Wednesday Web #21
Students today are more fortunate than many of us were when we were in elementary school. Back then the best we could do to “present” knowledge that we’ve mastered was create the occasional model (think plaster volcano) or the ever fabulous “diorama”. Today’s students can use multimedia to get their point across: videos, powerpoints, and comic creations. This week’s Wednesday Web explores comic creators for students.
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/comics/comic-book-heroes-uos.pdf
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has put together a unit of study about using comics in your classroom. There are lesson plans for kindergarten through 8th grade students.
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/ Make Beliefs Comix is a program I’ve used in the past. Students are given a choice of a 2, 3, or 4 panel comic strip. They select backgrounds, characters, word/thought bubbles, and type in their own words. There isn’t a way to save the comic, so they either have to print it or email to someone. Remember that students cannot receive email through First Class from people outside of the “cps.edu” tag, so I would suggest having them send it to your email instead of their own.
http://www.scholastic.com/goosebumpsgraphix/makeyourown/index.htm Scholastic has a comics program as well. Students select one of 10 layouts, then get to add their own characters, objects, setting, and bubbles.
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/ ReadWriteThink’s comic creator
http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_comiccreator.html# This is a comic creator but in a different sense. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has an interactive comic creator where the students begin by giving (by multiple choice) advice to characters about making choices. They are then able to generate their own comic, but it revolves around their theme. Might be a good character building activity…
==Safe Search Engines for Kids==
Wednesday Web #34
When your students have to search for information, where do you have them look? Most of us go to Google out of habit. While I personally love all things Google, their search results aren’t always kid-friendly. Below are a few safe search engines for kids that I’ve come across or used.
http://www.lures.info/childrens_search/gogooligans.htmlGo Googligans is kid/teen friendly. It’s an educational/academic safe search engine. Further down on the home page there is a link for older teens to use which has teen friendly categories.
http://kidrex.org/KidRex has one of the coolest homepages for kids- basically a big, crayon dinosaur! Probably appropriate for up to 3rd/4th grade.
http://kidoz.net/index.htmlKido’z is a "web-environment" where students can perform searches, watch videos, and play games. This is software that needs to be downloaded, but it free.
http://ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.htmlThis last site is a very cool resource for you to bookmark or list on your Schoolnotes page. Students can conduct site-specific searches here, as well as visit select kid friendly websites.
Wednesday Web #32
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=5936Video on how to podcast using Audacity
http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/booklet.htmlAwesome guide for podcasting (I have a copy already printed if anyone wants to see if before they print it)
http://www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdfAn example of a rubric for podcasting
http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/book_talks.htmlIdeas for podcasting in the classroom
iTunes does so much more than sell music! Podcasts don’t need to be downloaded to be listened to. Below are some of the best ones I’ve seen for education found under "iTunes U" and "podcasts"….
"Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Writing Tips" Grammar Girl’s podcasts have gotten so popular that she has written a book! Her segments are very student friendly and short. (Launch iTunes, open the iTunes Store, and search for Grammar Girl Podcasts). FYI, look under the "description" tab for episode topics
If you did a search for "CNN Student News" you would see a video podcast that is great for current events!
A search for "StudyCast" yields a bunch of podcasts designed by a teacher to help his students study for tests. Clicking on "ColeyCast" gives even more examples of study-guide type podcasts listed under the description
National Geographic’s "Dangerous Encounters" video podcasts track herpetologist Brady Barr observing dangerous animals in their natural habitats
Finally, within the iTunes store, click on "podcasts" then "education" and browse at the thousands of free audio and video resources available for you!
sing PowerPoint in your Classroom
Wednesday Web #22
We’re all familiar with PowerPoint, and have been subjected to countless hours of slideshows throughout our teaching careers. But have you thought about using the tool with your students? The great thing about PowerPoint is you can go beyond your classic “slideshow” presentation. This week’s Wednesday Web will give you ideas for incorporating PowerPoint into your lessons as well as introduce you to PowerPoint “sidekicks”- templates that you can adapt for your classroom…today!
I would like to do a better job of getting a section of the website to reflect how teachers are using technology in the classroom. Please share any projects with me so I can showcase them!
Sidekicks
Powerpoint sidekicks are slide templates that can be adapted to fit your needs, or to give you ideas of how to use PowerPoint with your students. I’ve started creating a resource booklet of templates with examples. Please send me an email if you are interested in taking a look….
http://eduscapes.com/sessions/sidekicks/poison.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/Education/MultimediaStory.mspx Create a multimedia story
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search/search?keywords=Powerpoint&rating=4&gclid=CN6i9JmDwZgCFQpgswod6V6IaQ Modify these PowerPoints from Lesson Planet
http://www.animationfactory.com/en/powerpoint/index.html Download some designs from Animation Factory
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/shannon/761Webpages/panels/_themes/powerpoint/powerpoint.htm See samples of student work through PowerPoint
http://presentationsoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=presentationsoft&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hardin.k12.ky.us%2Fres_techn%2Fcountyjeopardygames.htm Jeopardy games made using PowerPoint (remember, we have a Jeopardy system available for checkout!)
Web 2.0 Flashcards
Wednesday Web # 30
“Use StudyStack to create banks or stacks of electronic cards that she could review online, print, or export to her pda, cell phone, or iPod. Email registration is required in order to create a Study Stack, but students can use public study stacks if they do not have an email address or if you prefer to create the cards for them ahead of time. StudyStack offers several modes of studying: each stack can be viewed in flash card mode, in match mode, as a hangman game, crossword, word find, or bug match.”
Tons of Flashcards, but….
“Flashcard DB seemed almost boring compared to StudyStack since you can only review cards or print hard copies. On a happy note however, I found that it was pretty simple to export the cards from Flashcard DB into Study Stack which saved me tons of typing time (though do be prepared to do some light editing).”
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/
“Free email registration is required to make flashcards on this site, but no registration is required to use the cards that are already posted to the site. One feature I particularly liked about the site was the study results feature. You could assign a set of cards to students while they were in the lab or during recess and then ask them to show you the study results statistics so you could view how many cards they completed as well as a simple pie chart indicating the number of right/wrong answers. The selection of public cards on this site was fantastic.”
“Another excellent little application that will help students study vocabulary words. It was developed in 2005 by Andrew Sutherland, a 15-year old who wanted to find a better way to study his 111 French animal words. The rest is history and the popularity of his site is a testament to student ingenuity. The site is free to registered users and Facebook users. Data input is fast and easy and study options include a review activity, an input-the-answer activity, a quiz yourself feature, and two game-type features. The application also includes a print function and an export feature that imported fairly easily into StudyStack. Frankly, you may want to import some StudyStack cards into this application since the activities are quite different and compliment each other.”
http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
“you can add sound and graphics to your flashcards! Free email registration gives you the opportunity to create cards that could be used by art teachers, music teachers, and assistive technology teachers. This was the only product that I came across that allowed the flashcard developer nearly complete control over content! I would highly recommend this product if you work with young or struggling readers. As you create sets of cards you can elect to keep your cards private or make them public. In addition, there is an option that allows you to direct users to a given webpage. That means that you can create a direct link to your cards from a teacher webpage or a link in a PowerPoint, etc. and your students will not have to search for your cards or sign in to use the cards! Do not overlook this humble-looking little application…it has the potential to provide differentiated opportunities to all your students!”
Source: Tech & Learning on-line article (http://www.techlearning.com/article/16896)
Concept Maps
Wednesday Web #20
Wikipedia defines a concept map as "a diagram showing the relationships among concepts". They can be used as a brainstorming tool for all subjects, although they are often seen in science and writing classes. They can be modified during different sessions, so students that begin a concept map at the beginning of a lesson can add to it throughout the unit. They are a great way to force students to problem solve and think critically. Below are some links to free concept map programs. I’ve used them recently in a grad class, so if anyone needs to see examples let me know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_map Wikipedia page on concept maps
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/conceptmap/index.html More background information on using concept maps
http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition’s concept mapping program. This is the software I’ve used to create cmaps
http://bubbl.us/ "Brainstorming Made Simple" (or so their website says!). At Bubbl.us you can create your mind map on-line/in color. They can be shared with others and saved as images. Clicking on the "features" link will take you to a nicely made concept map that outlines what they have to offer
http://www.spinscape.com/ Nice intro video about Spinscape’s features. You can get a free account, which is limited but still useful. They even throw in a 30 day free trial of their "premium" version.
http://www.2learn.ca/construct/graphicorg/concept/conceptmapindex.html If you aren’t quite ready to work on a concept map on-line (even though that’s recommended) you can print out blank forms at this site
__http://k6educators.about.com/od/classroomorganization/a/dosptconfs.htm__
__http://k6educators.about.com/od/classroomorganization/ht/htprepptconf.htm__
This one is long…but it’s from a book for First Year Teachershttp://books.google.com/books?id=Uwxqlzsca8wC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=preparing+for+conferences+with+parents&source=web&ots=z-fN6aolcc&sig=7SC_fSvKBQz0ZqctuLggo49DMaM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result
__http://teachertipstraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/preparing_for_a_parentteacher_conference__
Wednesday Web #35
Over the past few weeks I’ve done a lot of work with Creative Commons. Through the Adobe Youth Voices program I’m working with 7 students to create a youth-generated media piece. Our piece uses video footage of the students, narration by them as well, and digital photos. Because the piece will be placed on Adobe’s website we needed to make sure that we either contact the author of each image, or search for “creative commons” material. Creative commons media is royalty free- anyone can use it.
Below are some of the sites that we’ve used.
End of Year Activities
Wednesday Web #37
Kiah Nolan’s post at the beginning of the month inspired this week’s Wednesday Web. Finish the year off with some fun projects. If anyone has any projects they want to showcase in the newspaper, let me know!
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/21_2nl_1.html This was the link that Kiah posted: Responsive Classroom’s “focused finish” with project ideas
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/endofyear.html This site has a ton of links for end of the year activities, including tons of graduation links.
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/EndSchool.htm Hot Chalk’s Lesson Plan Page has plenty to keep you busy including end of the year songs, writing activities and summer safety lessons
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson268.shtml Education World has put together a nice list
http://classroom-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/fun_classroom_award_categories This site had some really creative “classroom awards” categories like the “Rolex Award”: always watching the clock, and the candy bar category like “Snickers”: always making others laugh
everyblock.com
A cool way to check out what is happening in your neighborhood. The site lists comprehensive data for 9 major metropolitan areas. When you click on a city you can see information such as crimes, filmings, news, and much more. When I entered the school zip code I found news articles on a shooting nearby and CPS' new VOISE tech high school located inside the old Austin HS building. I also saw 2 real estate listings and 33 crimes. What's going on on your block?
meevee.com
Alright, you couch potatoes. Here's one for you. From MeeVee's FAQ: MeeVee is the most customizable TV listing site on the web. It tracks your favorite channels, TV shows, actors, directors, or hobbies and shows you when they'll be on TV. MeeVee's personalized RSS feeds and MeeVee TV Listings Widget let you take your schedule with you. Put your personalized TV schedule on your personal Blog, My Yahoo! homepage, Google, Netvibes, or MySpace page and have easy access to your line-ups.
You can even meet people on the site that share your viewing habits.
domystuff.com
Feeling lazy today? Have so much time on your hands that you are looking for something to do? Domystuff is for you. On this website you can post a job that you don't want to do like fix a leaky pipe or walk your dog (seriously) and people will bid on the job. Lowest bid gets to help you out. On the flip side, you can bid to do someone else's work! Ah....the web.
mezzoman.com
This site really impressed me. Meeting a friend for a bite after work and don't know where to go? Type in two cities and the type of place you would like to go (pizzeria, pub, chinese). Mezzoman will come up with a map and a list of places that's in the middle of both locations for you to meet.
beologyonline.com
Finally, for the shoppers in the crowd. Be.ology is a website that sells t-shirts with simply stated phrases such as "be.kind, be.you, be.exceptional, be.inspired (you get the idea). The idea was the concept of two friends who wanted to spread a positive vibe in the world. Sometimes simple is powerful.
Summer Activities for Kids
Wednesday Web #38
http://www.youthreadychicago.org/ Mayor Daley’s Youth Ready Chicago job opportunities
http://www.chipublib.org/eventsprog/programs/kids_sumread.php Chicago Public Libraries Summer Reading
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/ Chicago Park District’s Website
http://www.chicagokids.com/ Chicago Kids
http://chicagofun.com/summerfunguide2.html Chicago Fun
http://www.afterschoolchicago.org/locator.html After-School/Out of School Chicago Program Locator
http://mailjust4me.com/play/summer1.htm Summer crafts and art
http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/06/summer-activities-for-kids-fun-summer-things-for-kids-to-do.html Summer activities for kids
==Test Taking Tips and Activities==
Wednesday Web #25
http://www.testtakingtips.com/
http://www.charliefrench.com/test_tips.htm
http://www.mathpower.com/tip4.htm Test taking tips for math
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/teststrat.html
http://www.wordsearchfun.com/32184_Test_Taking_Strategies_wordsearch.html Test taking strategies wordsearch
http://yourteacherlinks.com/archives/70 Additional links midway down the page
http://www.graves.k12.ky.us/PowerPoints/gchs/hsalafont.ppt#1 A premade PowerPoint that tells the "10 rules of the test taking game"