TeachersFirst Edge
New web 2.0 tools appear each day. Many of these tools were not originally intended for classroom use, but they can be powerful learning tools for today's techno-savvy students and their more adventurous teachers. These sites appear (and frequently disappear) very quickly, launched by creative techno-geeks out there in the world.
Many of these tools require a higher-than-average set of teacher tech skills or some extra monitoring to assure student "safety." TeachersFirst Edge reviews these "tools on the Edge" carefully, and with specific ideas for using them safely and effectively in teaching and learning. Reviews point out any safety or policy concerns for the tool and offer links to management tips for each concern.
This is the world your students already know. Try teaching in their vernacular. A little adventurousness makes for powerful learning.
See General Tips for using Edge Tools - a must for first-time users
Browse the full listing of detailed safety/school policy tips or save time by reading them as needed from each tool review.
Learn about school web filtering, a critical issue with many "Edge" tools
If you try one of these tools and find it especially useful, be sure to leave a comment on it to share your students' successes with other teachers. If you know of another tool that teachers would find beneficial, please suggest it via our webmaster account, as a "suggested resource."
Here's the Edge:
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ForAllRubrics - ForAllSchools
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Data drives instruction. Managing data drives you crazy. This free tool will assess students, manage data, and analyze results to make your instruction better. Easily create rubrics....more
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Data drives instruction. Managing data drives you crazy. This free tool will assess students, manage data, and analyze results to make your instruction better. Easily create rubrics. Describe your indicators and include standards. Find rubrics in the library to copy and make your own. Print rubrics, save as a PDF, or download as a spreadsheet. Share your rubrics in the library for others to access. Does breaking down data make you break down? Analyze assessment results by individual students, class, item analysis, or standards. Email students and their families the results or download rubrics to print. Add comments to rubrics for qualitative analysis. Award badges (stickers) to reward students and provide positive feedback. An accompanying, free iPad app allows you to collect data on the fly and add it to your account. The demonstration video requires Flash, the remainder of the site does not.
tag(s): assessment (41), rubrics (19)
In the Classroom
Use the data provided to analyze students to differentiate instruction. Provide students and families the opportunity to view data online. Motivate students to learn by awarding badges. Students can analyze their own data to monitor progress. Use the data for progress reports and parent/teacher conferences. Use the data provided to analyze your instruction to make sure standards are being met and instruction is tailored for students' individual needs.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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OhLife - OhLife, Inc.
Grades
4 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Missing those memorable moments in life? OhLife is a free journaling site. Enter your email address and determine when you receive a friendly email prompt asking, "How'd your day go?"...more
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Missing those memorable moments in life? OhLife is a free journaling site. Enter your email address and determine when you receive a friendly email prompt asking, "How'd your day go?" Determine the time of day and if you want to receive posts daily or weekly. Reply and write as much as you want or simply skip it. Add one photo to each entry. Your entries are organized in a collection, and you can flip through them like a book. As time and entries gather, you'll get snippets of past entries emailed to you as well so that you can take a moment to reflect on what happened. No friend requests or posting your entries publicly. OhLife is not a social network or a blog, but a medium to remember your most memorable moments. Download an entry at anytime.
tag(s): creative writing (102), journals (13)
In the Classroom
OhLife is a great site to motivate your students to write more. It can be a journal of their learning experiences, their life, or both. Daily email prompts can be sent to the students at the end of the day for WILT: What I Learned Today. Use a classroom account and have students take turns reflecting on the school day. If registering students individually, read tips for safely managing email registrations here. Provide students a private opportunity to reflect on their day. Students can share individual posts or create a summary of their reflections when comfortable. Have students "dig" back through their entries to write personal memoirs. Posts are always private, but you can share the text on a blog or social networking site with the download option. Create a class "book" highlighting some favorite lessons, funny stories, field trips, photos, and more. Share the book with the class at the end of the year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sound Bible - SoundBible.com
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Find or upload sound clips in wav or MP3 format -- with clear information about digital rights -- at Sound Bible. Thousands of files are available for easy download. Use ...more
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Find or upload sound clips in wav or MP3 format -- with clear information about digital rights -- at Sound Bible. Thousands of files are available for easy download. Use the search bar to locate a specific sound or browse through sound effects or royalty free sounds available on the site. Click the arrow to hear the sound clip, then click on the name to go to the download section. Choose from wav, mp3, or zip file, and click to download. Share your own sounds using the link provided along with a short description of your sound file. The sound file information includes licensing information for the sound. If you search solely in Royalty Free sounds, you are safe to use them, but follow the attribution requirements as explained on the lower portion of the "Royalty Free sounds" page.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use Sound Bible to find short sound clips for use in presentations, videos, or interactive whiteboard lessons. In primary grades, play sounds as cues for classroom management, such as bird sounds to gather "at the nest" for circle time. Use sound clips as story or journal starter ideas. Play a clip and have students create a story that incorporates that sound. Take your students on an audio tour of the rainforest as you learn about the various animals and sounds. Use this site during units about weather to share sounds from storms, wind, thunder, and more. Explore ocean sounds, animals sounds, etc. Use in world language classes to spark conversations and build vocabulary. Play background sounds during creative writing class. Challenge students to write about how the sounds make them feel. Challenge gifted or digitally-clever students to use these sounds to create an all-audio story to accompany a drawing or image. Use a tool such as Brainshark, -reviewed here.
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Map Tales - hackfarm
Grades
2 to 12
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0 Comments
Create and share map-based stories that will easily embed into your website, blog, or wiki using Map Tales. Click to begin. Add a title, author, and short description. For each ...more
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Create and share map-based stories that will easily embed into your website, blog, or wiki using Map Tales. Click to begin. Add a title, author, and short description. For each portion of the story create a title, add a place, and include information about events in that location and an optional date. Add as many events as desired, then click "done editing." Save the url provided to return and edit as desired. Share using the view and share link. Embed in your website or blog using the code provided.
tag(s): digital storytelling (68), map skills (47), maps (197), timelines (46)
In the Classroom
Create map-based stories in social studies class, showing different places, teaching geography and history together. Assign students in math or family consumer science the role of travel agents to plan vacations, including the costs of the trip. Create stories about historical sites in your local area, including images taken with digital cameras, artifacts from your local historical society, links to newspaper articles, or video/audio interviews of older residents telling about old times. As you study community or landforms in your elementary class, create map-based stories with annotations of a local map, showing examples of landforms and local community landmarks with digital pictures. Allow older students to use the site independently or in small groups. Map-stories are also ideal as a product for individual research projects. Have world language students create maps explaining cultural aspects of the language or the origins of the language. Have students plot a trip or write an imaginary story of their dream trip to Spain, Mexico, France, Germany, etc.. Literature settings can take on new meaning when your students annotate them on a map. Have students map a story using the landmarks of an author's life and/or the locations in his/her novels. Trace the path of a famous person's biography or annotate a famous painter's works, using links to the images from the places shown in landscapes. The "story" of a work of art can include critical analysis, as well. Create a story from anything that has a place. Have students map family trips or important places in family history. Share the maps with parents!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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JogLab - JogLab
Grades
5 to 12
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0 Comments
Create and learn about mnemonics and acrostic poems easily with this tool. Use JogLab to create a catchy slogan to help you remember terms and ideas. You can browse the ...more
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Create and learn about mnemonics and acrostic poems easily with this tool. Use JogLab to create a catchy slogan to help you remember terms and ideas. You can browse the ready-made mnemonics, but there do not seem to be many. To explore the keywords of a topic and build you own mnemonic, click the topic History, (for example), then the actual concept, such as Bill of Rights. The keywords will be listed. Click "Create your own mnemonic for Bill of Rights" to generate a mnemonic from this list of keywords. Despite the many windows and scroll bars, the word finder is an easy tool to use. For each letter of the mnemonic, follow the site suggestions of words that can string together into a phrase. Use the part-of-speech sorter to narrow the suggested words to your specification of noun, verb, adjective, etc. These will reinforce parts of speech in the context of sentence making. There are links to advertising and off-site (NOT school friendly) content, so familiarize yourself with the tool before showing it to students to avoid these areas.
tag(s): parts of speech (50), sentences (39)
In the Classroom
Introduce acrostic poems with this tool by building one together on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Demonstrate and use the mnemonic tool on a projector or interactive whiteboard to create an easy way for students to remember a sequence of terms or concepts. After the class has used it together, provide a link to this tool on your class website. Have students create their own mnemonics in small groups and vote on the best as a class. Learning support teachers will want to make this a routine tool for their students to use when reviewing for tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Phrase.it - phrase.it
Grades
3 to 12
4 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, rendered, you can simply copy its url, share via email, Facebook, or Twitter, or download to your computer.
tag(s): bulletin boards (13), comics and cartoons (64), images (165)
In the Classroom
The possibilities are only limited 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 show your humorous side to the parents. 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fake Convos - Fake Facebook Conversation Generator - Stueynet Inc.
Grades
8 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Create fake Facebook conversations and share with others using the Fake Convos web app. Log in using any Facebook account to begin. Click Create and choose any character to post ...more
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Create fake Facebook conversations and share with others using the Fake Convos web app. Log in using any Facebook account to begin. Click Create and choose any character to post a comment. Write the name and make a comment. Add a picture from images provided or using the url of any image. When finished, click "Add to the Stream." Now complete the same process with another character who answers your main character on the Facebook stream. Save finished conversations by providing a name and choose save. Share using the share button provided to email addresses, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media options. You can also simply take a screenshot (Command+shift +4 on a Mac or Prtscrn on Windows).
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (68), social networking (77)
In the Classroom
IF your students can access Facebook at school, have them create different characters talking to each other. The characters can be historical people, politicians, or characters from literature. Ask students to write dialogues for the characters. Challenge students to discuss a topic or try to solve a problem using this tool. You can also use this tool to teach netiquette or anti-bullying by having students model appropriate interactions. Use this tool to allow students to debate both sides of an argument or position. Create a Fake Convos dialogue and have students respond within the dialogue.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 (NO email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Opinsy: Your Opinion Counts - Opinsy.com
Grades
8 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Opinsy's goal is to become the home of debate on the web, an online platform for the sharing of opinions and a place where people can connect through their ideas ...more
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Opinsy's goal is to become the home of debate on the web, an online platform for the sharing of opinions and a place where people can connect through their ideas and beliefs. View statements accompanied by images. Choose to agree or disagree, but you must be registered to vote. Interested in seeing a discussion behind beliefs? See current results by hovering over the image to view the percentage of participants that agree or disagree. No login is required to read the opinions of others. Hover over the image and click to "view and join the debate." Create your own debate questions after registering. Be aware: Content at this site is created by the public and not moderated. So be sure to PREVIEW anything that you wish to share around young people.
tag(s): debate (29), persuasive writing (32), polls and surveys (25)
In the Classroom
Use Opinsy as a resource for questions for debate teams or debating skills. Compare your class opinions to those represented on the site. Comments in the discussions are not monitored. Review for inappropriate comments before displaying on your interactive whiteboard/projector or sharing with your class under teacher supervision. This material may be best suited for group sharing on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Share one of the "debates" on screen. Challenge students to write a blog post or persuasive writing piece defending their position. Create blogs using Instablogg ( here). Instablogg allows you to create "quick and easy" blogs to be used one time only. A unique URL is provided, and the tool is as easy as using a basic Word program!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FotoFlexer - Arbor Labs, Inc.
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Flex your photo creativity with this free tool. Transform images with scrapbook-like effects and embellishments. Begin with basic effects like cropping and contrasting. Add text, draw...more
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Flex your photo creativity with this free tool. Transform images with scrapbook-like effects and embellishments. Begin with basic effects like cropping and contrasting. Add text, draw on the photo, and add animated effects to flex your photo editing muscles. The tool is integrated with Facebook and most photosharing sites. You can also upload photos from your computer. Resave photos back to your computer, share online, or store in FotoFlexer. Flex your photos without an account or create an account to store them in FotoFlexer. Only the demonstrations require FLASH.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (165), photography (114)
In the Classroom
Stretch your students' creativity with these fun photo effects. Type sentences or definitions on photos that represent vocabulary words. Highlight geometric shapes in photos with the drawing tool to show math in everyday life or around the world. Integrate images in multimedia products. Narrate images with UtellStory (reviewed here) or other digital storytelling tools. Use the text tool to draw information on maps. Upload images from science labs for students to annotate their experiment. Upload images of student artwork and have students annotate to explain their techniques. In world languages, add the vocabulary word for actions or objects to create a picture dictionary. Enhance pictures for blogs, wikis, or classroom sites. Be sure to check district policy before using student pictures. Annotate photos for visual directions for assignments. If using pictures from the Internet, be sure to discuss copyright issues and approve pictures for student use. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Compfight, reviewed here, Wikimedia Commons, reviewed here, or PhotoPin, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Piazza - Pooja Sankar
Grades
9 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Piazza is a free service to create collaborative message boards for use in classrooms. Track student use, add multiple instructors and or teaching assistants in each course, and collaborate...more
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Piazza is a free service to create collaborative message boards for use in classrooms. Track student use, add multiple instructors and or teaching assistants in each course, and collaborate on editing messages using Piazza's features. Piazza allows you to collaborate on responses to create one cohesive response instead of several similar individual responses. Create tags to label information such as quiz 1, semester review, or grading rubrics. Choose the statistics icon to view class participation, activity peaks, and question response times. Choose Try a Demo to explore features included with Piazza in their virtual sandbox. This tool seems to be aimed at college/university level classes but can be used with students over age 13 if you are adhering to your school's policies.
tag(s): questioning (23)
In the Classroom
Consider using Piazza as a resource in your classroom to increase student interaction with materials and each other. Library/media specialists could use this tool for online book clubs. Teach on a team? Collaborate with other teachers for assignments and more using this site. Create quick questions or even a short quiz using Piazza. You can also use this tool in your graduate courses!Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Strikingly - David Chen, Dafeng Guo, and Teng Bao
Grades
6 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Strikingly allows you to make beautiful, one-page websites quickly without any coding experience. View sites on any device. Quickly connect to social media, track analytics, and add...more
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Strikingly allows you to make beautiful, one-page websites quickly without any coding experience. View sites on any device. Quickly connect to social media, track analytics, and add contact forms easily. Create an account using email and a password to begin. Choose a category from business, personal, or portfolio to choose a template and begin editing. Click each section to edit. Upload images from your computer or many other options such as Dropbox, Instagram, and Picasa. When finished, choose the Publish button to personalize your url. Share via Facebook, Twitter, or by emailing the url. Free plans allow for one page per user. However, you can earn points to access additional content by "Liking" Strikingly on Facebook or other options. There is a 5 MB limit to the monthly bandwidth (traffic) for free sites.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): portfolios (17)
In the Classroom
Use this site for students to post simple projects such as stories, poems, and art projects on a mobile friendly page. These could be shared easily on a class set of iTouches! Collect a master list of links to student pages on your classroom website, wiki, or blog for easy access. If students are creating pages, be sure to check with your district's policy on student use of email as well as publishing of student work. Create websites for many projects: back to school introductions, any subject/topic, research projects, book reports... the possibilities go on and on! Create a handy mobile-friendly page to share resources and information during field trips or outside activities. If you do a field study, make a simple page of the activities students are expected to do there so they can access it easily using their smart phones.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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JumpRope Standards Based Grading - Jesse Olsen and Justin Meyer
Grades
K to 12
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JumpRope offers an online, standards-based gradebook and lesson building program. You can also include information such as attendance, character, and standards-based performance with...more
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JumpRope offers an online, standards-based gradebook and lesson building program. You can also include information such as attendance, character, and standards-based performance with just a few easy entries. Manually enter your students' names in JumpRope or upload a spreadsheet of names to begin. Use the tabs on the dashboard to move around to different areas of the site. Write anecdotes on student behavior, assign a category and value, and more. Collaborative features between teachers appear to require a school or district level membership, and there is no information stating it is free. Based on backwards design principles, this planning tool considers learning goals before assessments or learning experiences. Assessments are aligned to one or more chosen standards. Upload as many supporting documents or resources you desire to use throughout the year and beyond.
tag(s): classroom management (35)
In the Classroom
If your school does not have a required gradebook program in place, consider using JumpRope as an option for grading, attendance, and lesson planning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Problem-Attic - EducAide Software
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Problem-Attic is a resource for finding and compiling the best questions from NY Regents, State Assessments, Academic Competitions, and more for classroom or individual use. Select,...more
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Problem-Attic is a resource for finding and compiling the best questions from NY Regents, State Assessments, Academic Competitions, and more for classroom or individual use. Select, arrange, and format questions as desired. Select questions by browsing topics or exams. Add items as desired to your document with the link provided. Drag and drop selections into any order such as easy to hard, all multiple choice items together, etc. Choose a template for how questions should look. Choose other options such as allowing room for students to show work and printing an answer key. Preview your document until it is complete then print in PDF format.
tag(s): assessment (41), test prep (73)
In the Classroom
Save this site as an excellent practice for end of year testing, state tests, and national tests. Use Problem-Attic to personalize learning for students. Share this tool on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom to prepare for state testing. Challenge your students to create (and print) practice tests for other students. Coaches for academic competitions can use this site for team practice. Teachers of gifted can use it for students to practice for out-of-level testing used to screen students for special gifted opportunities.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Celly - Celly, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Texting, texting... 1, 2, 3. Are you hunting for a good text messaging tool? Celly is a free mobile social network to communicate with students and parents via text message. ...more
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Texting, texting... 1, 2, 3. Are you hunting for a good text messaging tool? Celly is a free mobile social network to communicate with students and parents via text message. A simple setup process allows you to create as many cells (private texting rooms) as you like. Provide your unique code to students and parents to join your cell through their phone or the web. Members can use Celly online or through a mobile device. Require usernames or allow users to be anonymous. Members' numbers are private for safe and secure communication. Customize your cells with how you want to interact with your members. Conversation mode can be configured for one-way messaging, from the teacher to all members, or two-way group chat between all members. Multiple-choice polls allow numerous opportunities for engagement. Schedule messages to be sent at a later time. Link your cell(s) online for students and parents who do not have text messaging. An Android app is available with an iOS app coming soon. Celly is free; however, standard text message rates apply. Students ages 13-18 must have parental permission to use Celly.
tag(s): parents (28), polls and surveys (25)
In the Classroom
Celly could work in class as an instant response system if your school allows cell phones. Create a protected online environment for students to communicate with you and with each other. Students can communicate online or on a phone. Students and parents without cell phones won't be left out because they can interact online. Quickly send reminders to students and parents or promote an upcoming event or due date. No need to watch the news! Send alerts to members for weather closures and delays. Even if your students are too young, teachers can communicate with parents via Celly. Schedule messages up to 90 days in the future. Use Celly as a back channel or interactive wall during class. Students can use the @me feature for note-taking in class. Provide polls for exit slips or to activate schema. Send polls during field trips to monitor engagement and text trivia questions on the bus ride home. Send reminders to chaperones on field trips. Students and chaperones can text you throughout the trip as virtual safety checks. Real time information from the polls provides rich data. Polls are efficient and meaningful. They make the classroom feel like a larger place.You can say so much in only 140 characters. Allow students to use texting language to send responses. However, they should also have to write the message using correct conventions. Teach the difference between formal and non-formal writing. Rewrite passages in abbreviated speech through text messages. Students translate the messages to gain a better understanding of the material. Students can also rewrite work for peers to translate. Students can text thoughts as they read a selection to group members for interactive reading. Teach digital citizenship in a controlled environment. Responsibly using cell phones in the classroom teaches digital literacy skills to be successful.
Edge Features:
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)
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Citelighter - Saad Alam
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Citelighter is a browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) that enables you to select sections of webpages and save/organize them. It also automatically creates...more
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Citelighter is a browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) that enables you to select sections of webpages and save/organize them. It also automatically creates an APA, MLA, or Chicago style bibliography from items you highlight and collect. Highlight and save information from any web page after adding the extension to your browser's task bar. Add notes if desired. Share or find already highlighted information through the use of Knowledge Cards already saved and tagged. Drag and drop items to put in any order desired. Change the format using links provided. You can save desired information easily to Word or Google Docs.
tag(s): browser (5), citations (20), organizational skills (53)
In the Classroom
Share with students as a resource for saving and organizing web material. The clipping feature allows students to highlight the key information from a page so that a few days down the road they're not wondering why they bookmarked a webpage. The bibliography tools help students properly format their Works Cited pages. And searching the Knowledge Cards is like opening to the bibliography of a good book and finding out what the author used in his or her research. Use this tool to help keep your students (or even yourself) organized! Note that a clever student could essentially "grab" pieces of text from throughout the web and "write" a paper that way. Make sure you teach plagiarism lessons about paraphrasing and proper citations of sources so students use this easy tool properly!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bingo Baker - Matt Johnson
Grades
K to 8
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Whip up a batch of Bingo cards in no time with Bingo Baker! Give your card a title and start typing words into the Bingo grid, change Bingo column headings ...more
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Whip up a batch of Bingo cards in no time with Bingo Baker! Give your card a title and start typing words into the Bingo grid, change Bingo column headings if desired. Use the option to leave the center space free or not by checking the box at the bottom of the page. When finished, click Generate to produce your cards. The free option is limited to printing 8 cards at a time. This may work best for centers and small group work instead of whole class activities.
tag(s): printables (27), worksheets (32)
In the Classroom
Use Bingo Baker to create Bingo games to review any topic with small groups. Instead of telling the word that is on the Bingo card give the definition (so students must find the term) or a math problem whose answer is among those on the card. Create sight word bingo cards for younger students. This is a great review tool for science or social studies. Put a short description of a vocabulary word into the space. Tell students the name of the vocabulary word and see if they can find it on the Bingo card. Or do the reverse and write the vocabulary word on the card and read the definition to the class. Encourage students to create bingo games for each other as review or to engage the audience during oral presentations. Learning support teachers can create them together with students as an engaging way to review. World language teachers (and students) can create bingo cards to reinforce vocabulary.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Ustream - Brad Hunstable and Gyula Feher
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Stream live video from your classroom using Ustream. View current events and live streamed courses right from your classroom. Watch live streaming events in categories such as news...more
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Stream live video from your classroom using Ustream. View current events and live streamed courses right from your classroom. Watch live streaming events in categories such as news or animals and wildlife. Watch a bald eagle or view a black bear den. Can't make it to Africa to study animals? Choose the Pete's Pond cam to watch and wait for animals to arrive! Create your own channel to live stream events right from your classroom. Create an account, pick a title, category, and description of your channel. Follow a few prompts to allow access to your webcam and start recording or broadcasting. Share the unique url provided with followers through email or social networking links provided. This review is for the FREE portion of the site. The freebie includes 10 Gb video storage, manual recording, no branding, basic analytics, and HD broadcasting. Note that live streams also include an online chat that isn't monitored, so keep that in mind when viewing with students. Also, if you plan to allow students to explore on their own, be sure rules and consequences are established. Not all topics are educational or relevant for the classroom.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animal homes (20), animals (202), fashion (9), news (149), sports (65), video (114), webcams (6)
In the Classroom
This site would be a great addition to any science, social studies, or world cultures class. Select specific web cams and create shortcuts on your classroom computers. Students can "see what's happening" in a certain place as you learn about animals or events. Use animal webcams for students to observe animal behavior and keep a "lab journal" of what they see. Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Create your own live stream for parents to view student presentations, classroom visitors, or other events. Since video connections can sometimes be tricky, we suggest pretesting before planning any major events! Create a live stream to share classroom lessons with homebound students (within school policies). For a great example of a live streaming project and detailed directions on how to do it, see this visit to a school garden.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)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Muzy - Muzy
Grades
8 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Muzy is the newest in blogging and will appeal to your creative side! Muzy makes it easy to upload photos, edit them, and arrange them in different layouts (with or ...more
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Muzy is the newest in blogging and will appeal to your creative side! Muzy makes it easy to upload photos, edit them, and arrange them in different layouts (with or without text). Layouts include collage, versus, photo pile, photo box, pic monkey, and word play. Frame your pictures with one of the dozens of available backgrounds. Add unique effects to any photo. Try sepia, black and white, and a function where you can grey out an image and selectively retain color in certain areas. The word play feature displays your comments in different, random fonts and colors. The templates are all there to choose and use. Just upload your photos and share them (or not) via Twitter, Instagram, email, SMS, or Facebook.
tag(s): blogs (62), digital storytelling (68), images (165)
In the Classroom
You and your students can use Muzy for any presentation. Have science students display photos and information about lab work or research findings about a famous scientist. Language arts students can use this to frame the main character in a book. In literature circles the entire group can use one Muzy to present the book and its different characters. This would also be a creative way to present current events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Circuit Lab - Circuitlab.com
Grades
9 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this free tool to easily build and test circuits in your browser! Those without thorough understanding about circuitry can start with pre-made "Quick Start" circuits. The on screen...more
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Use this free tool to easily build and test circuits in your browser! Those without thorough understanding about circuitry can start with pre-made "Quick Start" circuits. The on screen build box has basic circuitry elements available to create quick circuits. Copy and paste circuit parts from other circuits (including those found in the online community) to your circuit. Share your circuit with others by URL. This tool is easy to use. There is a Getting Started video to help with the functions of the tool. Click simulate to test the circuit. Create an account to save your circuits to Your Workbench. At the time of this review, CircuitLab was supported on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. The site notes that some users have reported success with Opera and Apple Safari. Be sure to test this site in your browser before you plan to share it.
tag(s): circuits (11), electricity (66)
In the Classroom
Share how to use this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Create circuits and share with others in the class. Assign specific circuits to be built with various elements such as diodes, resistors, etc. as part of a project or in testing student knowledge. Students can research when various circuits are required or applicable in real life.
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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360Cities - 360 Cities s.r.o.
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
The 360Cities panoramas are a new way to showcase places, businesses, and events from around the world. Looking for a new virtual field trip? 360Cities will have your students spinning...more
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The 360Cities panoramas are a new way to showcase places, businesses, and events from around the world. Looking for a new virtual field trip? 360Cities will have your students spinning in circles with excitement. The pictures are out of this world! View 360 degree panoramic pictures from Mars or under the sea. Travel to snowy mountain tops and many more of the Internet's largest collection of uploaded panoramic images. 360Cities panoramic aerial shots are also available as well as navigable views of cities, natural landscapes, and more. The most popular panoramic pictures are listed for your convenience. This website has panoramic views of all Seven Wonders of the World, which include the Colosseum in Rome, The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, The Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru, Christ Redeemer in Rio, and Chichen Itza in Mexico. Are you looking for a site to showcase your own panoramic shots or do you want to learn how to take panoramic shots? 360Cities "how to" section offers tools to create and upload your own panoramic pictures. View the existing pictures for free or use an email address to create a free account to upload your own panoramic pictures. Paid upgrades are available. 360Cities also has an app for iOS devices. View the 360Cities blog linked on the site for more information.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (165), landforms (36), landmarks (18), virtual field trips (26)
In the Classroom
The 360Cities panoramic pictures provide a vivid visual experience to enhance any lesson. Students can search and view the panoramic setting of a reading passage or novel. Need to paint a picture for students about a historical topic? View the image on 360Cities. Activate schema with these vivid images. Bring Science to life as you explore the many natural wonders of our world and even space. Explore these exciting worlds through the panoramic pictures. Visit businesses and famous landmarks around the world for a free virtual tour. Looking for creative writing prompts? Use the images for poems or story starters. Teaching geometry? Have students locate geometric figures in the pictures. Provide students an image and challenge them to create a virtual tour as they explore the image. Use web 2.0 tools or the students' artistic talents to create travel brochures for the panoramic pictures. Record the tours as a screencast or present orally. Use the "how-to" section to have your students create their own panoramic pictures. Take a panoramic shot of your classroom to post on your website or blog. Use DSLR cameras or cell phones to create your panoramic pictures.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)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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