Interactive Sites for Education

Technology Integration Specialist Karen Ogen, of Columbia, South Carolina, has compiled a chart of sites for teachers of Grades 1-5. The sites are divided into the following categories: Math, English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Brainteasers, Art, Music, Typing, Holidays, Teacher Tools, and Spanish. Sites are submitted to Ogen for posting, but the content of sites belongs to, and is kept current by, the respective owners of the individual sites. Ogen says that the activities on the site work well with interactive whiteboards and can also be used for whole group, small group, computer lab, at home, or individual learning.

A Look at Ed-Tech Tools of the Past

It hasn’t been that long since we used filmstrip projectors, overhead projectors, 16 mm projectors, and cassette recorders in our classrooms.  Some of us may even remember the old mimeograph machines we used for making copies of worksheets. eSchool News offers us a backward glance to the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s to see how far we’ve come with ed-tech resources in just over 40 years. 

Take yourself back to the days of Lemonade Stand and Oregon Trail to see the forerunners of today’s digital games, and to floppy disks, Nano Pets, and the search engines, “Ask Jeeves” and “Ask Jeeves for Kids.”  Younger teachers may not have heard of the popular devices and software of the past, but as we enjoy our interactive whiteboards, educational apps, and mobile technologies, it’s good to remember that not that many years ago, we were working with games that were animated with little squares put together to resemble pictures.  Maybe we don’t have all the educational tech tools we want, but at least we don’t have to struggle with broken film when showing a 16 mm movie, fighting mimeograph machines in an effort to print out decent copies, or breathing in the dust from chalkboards and dry erase boards.

iCivics by Sandra Day O’Connor

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was worried about students’ lack of knowledge about our government. Deciding to do something about it, in 2009, she founded iCivics. O’Connor says she wanted to make learning about civics motivating for students, so her company created, according to Common Sense Media, “an engaging educational site cleverly disguised as a gaming spot, with innovative games, cute animated characters, and a real-world reward component.” Topics covered include: Citizenship and Participation, Separation of Powers, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights, The Legislative Branch, The Judicial Branch, The Executive Branch, and Budgeting. You and your students can access iCivics on its Website.

Word Raider: Vocabulary Builder for Grades 2-5

Ballard & Tighe has announced its new educational Game, Word Raider: Escape. The game is designed to engage students in Grades 2-5 in rigorous vocabulary instruction. Students are introduced to words through animations that convey the meaning of the words and then practice using the words to solve puzzles. Throughout the word games, students listen, speak, read, and write in order to gain long-term memory of the words covered. Word Raider: Escape ($24 per student per year) helps students meet Common Core State Standards and is said to be excellent for students with learning difficulties, ESL, and ELL students. If you are interested in trying Word Raider: Escape, you can sign up for a trial game to pilot it with up to 20 students.

Foreign Language Dictionaries & More

Foreign Language dictionaries and sites that offer free help with learning languages are abundant online. Most offer more than the meaning of words. One of the Chinese dictionaries, for example, gives you the words you want in Mandarin Chinese, symbols for these words, and sounds that show you how to pronounce the words. At the site Chinese-Tools, you and your students can learn Mandarin Chinese in ten minutes a day and practice your skill with Chinese characters, as well.

Using Digital Dialects—Spanish, your students can practice Spanish vocabulary by playing games. There are games (with audio if needed) and learning exercises for topics such as animals, time, numbers, to be and to have, phrases/greetings, and much more.  Digital Dialects is also available in French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Chinese.

How Should Technology Be Used? Perfect Quotes from Marc Prensky

#PRENSKYPERSPECTIVE, tweets written by Marc Prensky, author of Brain Gain, Don’t Bother Me Mom—I’m Learning, and a host of other books, essays, articles, and speeches about tech and students, advises us that:

“Technology should be used POWERFULLY to expand students’ horizons, not TRIVIALLY to do old things in new ways.”

“Today’s kids hate being told, but enjoy teaching themselves. They need guidance & coaching from adults to do it best.”

“Technology gives kids power that people their age have never had. Let’s help them use it wisely.”

“Technology is now part of 21^st century humans’ minds and thinking. People now REQUIRE technology to do their best.”

“In 2013, E-books will become THE books.”

Zombie Breath

Let parents of your students know they can get Halloween-night coupons for free copies of the Plants vs. Zombies video game.  The game, from the American Dental Association and PopCap Games, combines Halloween fun with learning about dental health. The price for the game is usually $19.99, but with the coupon code and if claiming between October 30 and November 10, 2012, it is free. The “Stop Zombie Mouth” site, where the coupons are available, also features freebies such as coloring pages, wallpapers, Halloween masks, and Halloween party invites. Parents will find tips for babies, kids, and adults, and a quiz to test the quality of oral hygiene.

PBS KIDS Lab—Free For Home & School

Send Grades 2-8 students to the PBS KIDS LAB for free interactive mathematics games. The site contains the largest selection of math content games available as it helps students develop critical math skills. The cross-platform games include bilingual support for parents and caregivers, home activities, and out of school activities; making the site an excellent one to recommend for after school use. 

Parents and caregivers are given guidance in how to interest their children in mathematics and how not to be afraid to tackle math problems with their children. In addition to the games on the site, simple activities are recommended for insertion into a family’s daily routine.  The Lab features a Math Activity of the Day Calendar, Ideas to Go, and Lab News.

Math Games from Mangahigh

Mangahigh offers free math games for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. To use the games with your students, you’ll need to register your school, but that only takes a couple of minutes. Games are related to the core standards and “are designed to dynamically adapt in difficulty to the ability of the student . . . “ Games are downloaded to school computers, which usually takes three to four minutes. To use the games, school computers must have Adobe Flash Player 10 installed. You can take a look at short versions of some of the games before registering.

Apps for Special Needs Students

The TL (Technology & Learning) Advisor Blog has selected Common Core Apps for Special Needs students. Part I of the selections features Apps that meet all of the Grade One standards, and some for other grades as well. They include Explain Everything ($2.99), Popplet ($4.99), Feel Electronic (Free), MeeGenius (Free), Inspiration Lite (Free), Inspiration Maps (Free, Full Version $14.99), 1^st Fiction ($2.99), Wordweb Audio Dictionary ($3.99), Tumblebooks to go—Munsch-6 pack ($5.99), and National Geographic Kids (one free sample, individual magazines $3.99, subscription $19.99). Find out more about each of these Apps that can be put to work for Special Needs children by clicking on the TL Advisory Blog. Also make sure to look for Part II of the recommendations.