Shout: Social Responsibility

Microsoft Corp, the Smithsonian, and TakingITGlobal are partnering to create Shout, a global network that will challenge students to collaborate online as they try to solve environmental problems facing our world. Shout will feature project-based learning activities designed to promote social responsibility and will help teachers use technology to enhance students’ problem solving skills. Although, work on the Shout network is still in progress, you can preview content from the Environmental Education Online Conference with Smithsonian experts.

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.

Time Tech’s 50 Best Sites & Services of 2013

TIME magazine gives an annual salute to “sites and services that keep you entertained and informed, save you time and money—and maybe even change your life.” Some of the recommended sites that may be of interest to educators are:  the TWiT (This Week in Tech) network, which keeps you up-to-date with what’s happening in technology; Feedly, an RSS reader for sharing what you read/and or saving it to read at another time; MyPermissions that helps you discover what permissions you’ve allowed and lets you revoke them if you want; Office Web Apps, which may be “all the Office you need”; Pixlr, a photo editor that works with your browser; Forvo, like Wikipedia for pronunciations; Super Simple Learning with its focus on math and phonics through video and song; and Distance to Mars, which lets you and your students travel through the universe to Mars—428,000 pixels away.

Fun Finding Pi and More

The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics’ Illuminations site offers excellent resources for teaching math.  Included are over 100 activities and over 600 lessons you can use with students at all levels. One of the activities features how Archimedes calculated Pi. Even though you may have missed Pi Day on March 14^th, you can challenge your students to learn just how this Greek mathematician used circles and squares to find the answer. There are lots more like this at Illuminations.

Tech & Learning’s Top Sites and Apps of 2012

David Kapuler of Tech & Learning announces his top sites for education each year. This year he is including his favorite apps, as well. You’ll want to take a look at his 2011 list, since the top sites on that list are not repeated in this year’s list. The 2012 top ten sites/apps of the top 100 are: Mentor Mob, Pinterest, Nearpod, Edshelf, ClassBadges, FluencyFinder, PowToom, 3D Toad, SendHub, and BeeClip EDU. I think you’ll find it fun to browse through the sites and apps on Kapuler’s list to find those you want to use in your classroom. There are links to all the sites and apps on the list.

Get Organized with Edshelf

Keep track of your favorite apps, sites, and software tools by organizing them with Edshelf.  On the site, you can browse featured collections of tools for use in education or you can search for individual tools. If you click on a tool, you’ll find reviews written by parents and educators, price information, age and grade levels, and information about how to acquire the tool. Collections include groups of tools (apps, sites, software, etc.) that have been compiled by other teachers and parents. For example, some of the collections are: First Grade Apps, ESL Resources, Game-Based Learning, Story Creators/Publishers, and Fun Tools. You can create your own collections and share them with others if you want, add your ratings to the tools already rated, follow collections you like, or just browse for great ideas and information. Membership in edshelf is free. 

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.

Presidential Elections at Education World

Looking for materials on Presidential Elections? Try Education World. You’ll find links to excellent resources for K-12, including Scholastic: Election 2012, Time for Kids: Election Connection, Project Vote Smart, National Student/Parent Mock Election, PBS: Democracy Project, and Rock the Vote.  Take a look at Education World’s Election Templates, which you can use as “informational handouts” and/or make your own materials such as worksheets and quizzes using the template design. (While in the template section of Education World, you may find other materials to help you in your teaching.) 

Electric Summer

The Electric Company (TEC) Summer Learning Program aims to lessen children’s “brain drain” during the summer. To do this, the Company offers activities that feature literacy, numeracy, and the vocabulary of math. Children enjoy the story that ties the programs together as they work with lessons that feature television episodes, online gaming, and print materials. Included are 36 hours of learning content, YouTube links to 10-minute narratives, 12-levels of the Adventures of a Prankster Planet, 12 group activities, 24 skill-building sheets, and orientation training for parents and teachers. WestEd research on the program showed that students completing the lessons made significant gains in both reading and mathematics skills and that 90% of teachers using it felt that it increased motivation and confidence of their students.

Actress Takes on Middle School Math

Actress Danica McKellar of the Wonder Years and West Wing, has teamed with Pearson to create the free middle school mathematics site, myMathUniverse. McKellar has received honors from the British Journal of Physics and the New York Times “for her work in mathematics, most notably for her role as co-author of a ground-breaking mathematical physics theorem (The Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem). She put her talents in math and acting together to show students how much fun and accessible math can be. The site includes cool videos, games for skill building, and an emphasis on the development of confidence. McKellar’s work on the site supports Pearson’s online Middle School math curriculum, digits. Why not try out The Rappin Mathematician, Mangahigh, Allyoop, and Virtual Nerd?