Category: Teacher Resources

Secrets @ Sea

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What it is: Secrets @ Sea is the worlds first online ocean adventure learning game. This curriculum based adventure story is targeted for 4th through 7th grade students. The engaging website game complements ocean-theme units of study and enhances students learning experiences using the Internet. Student play the starring role of “Ace”, assistant investigator to Paula Pacific, who is assigned to examine unusual behaviors noticed in killer whale populations in the Alanamorris Strait. As Ace progress through the story, s(he) must successfully complete a number of ocean-related learning activities. The knowledge gained from completing these activities leads the student to the solution of the case.

How to integrate Secrets @ Sea into the classroom: There are four main ocean themes to complement units of study, marine mammals and food webs; salmon, herring and plankton; tides, oceans and mapping; and features of the ocean floor, currents. Individual sections can be completed during a typical classroom computer lab session (30-45 minutes), or all sections can be played together in a longer session. Students can work through the site individually or with the entire class, in partners, or in small groups.

Tips: Visit the Teachers Guide for an overview, introduction, important features, a break down of chapters, learning outcomes, technical specs, extension activities, and engaging science.

 

 

Student Treasures

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What it is: Student Treasures is a free publisher that will publish student work into bound books. This program is highly motivating for students because they see their work result in a 4-color, hard bound, professionally published book.

How to integrate Student Treasures into the classroom: Use Student Treasures as a motivational tool. Students can write individual or class stories to be published. Use a word processor for the final copy that will be published. This is a great tool for teaching writing as students will have to go through each step of the writing process and learn how to use a word processor proficiently.

Tips: If you do not have a word processor, see the Archives for free tools.

 

 

Inspired Learning

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What it is: Inspired learning is a collection of lesson plans and ideas for using visual software such as Inspiration, and Kidspiration in the classroom.

How to integrate Inspired Learning into your curriculum: Use Inspired Learning for ideas and lessons to integrate visual software into the classroom. If you don’t already have visual, mind mapping software, you can download Free Mind open source (free) software to use with the lessons and ideas.

Tips: Click on the Educators Resource page on Inspired Learning for a free trial version of Inspiration and Kidspiration.

 

 

Podcast

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What it is: A podcast is a digital media recording that can be saved on and distributed over the Internet.

How to use Podcasting in your classroom: Use a podcast to record students reading. This can be used for reading records, for pronunciation, and reading fluency. Students, teachers, and parents can listen to reading records recorded over the course of the school year for fluency and progress made. Podcasts can also be used to share news with students and families, guest speakers, student presentations, student produced podcasts, lessons, assessment, digital stories, motivation, auditory learners, celebrating student work, interactive media center, a tool to help struggling students, to provide a “window” to your classroom for parents, and to show student growth at parent teacher conferences.

Tips: Podcasts can be created using several programs such as Apple’s Garageband (this application comes standard on Macintosh computers), Audacity which is a free open source software for recording and editing sounds, and My Podcast where podcasts can be recorded and hosted for free.

Spelling Wizard

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What it is: The Spelling Wizard gives students two cool ways to memorize their spelling words. First students type in 10 spelling words, then they choose between two fun games. In Spelling Scramble students unscramble letters to practice their spelling words. In Make a Word Search students hunt for their spelling words in a word search to practice their words.

How to integrate Spelling Wizard into the classroom: Set up computers as a study center where students can practice their spelling words. This site would be great for use as an “I’m finished, now what?” activity.

Tips: Remind students that the words HAVE to be spelled correctly, otherwise they will practice their words incorrectly.

 

 

Pod’s Mission

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What it is: Pod’s Mission is dedicated to teaching kids science in a fun, interactive environment. Topics include bones, electricity, and solids and liquids.

How to integrate Pod’s Mission into your science classroom: Set up classroom computers during science time as an interactive learning center. Students can begin a unit by exploring on Pod’s Mission, as practice during a unit, or as a culminating activity at the end of the unit.

Tips: Visit the teacher guide for a site overview, curriculum relevance, lesson plans (online and offline), classroom activities, and printable worksheets.

 

 

Bite Size Reading

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What it is: Bite Size Reading is part of BBC Schools. Bite Size Reading includes online deduction, dictionary, non-fiction, and poetry activities and quizzes.

How to integrate Bite Size Reading into your reading curriculum: Use the corresponding online lessons and worksheets during your reading time. Set up the Bite Size Reading site as a center that students visit as part of their reading lesson.

Tips: You can embed activities right on your website or blog with the code provided!

 

 

Spellits

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What it is: Spellits is designed for 7-11 year olds, this website offers interactive activities and printable resources which teach spelling strategies, rules, and patterns. The spelling activities are integrated into three games, making spelling practice and learning fun.

How to integrate Spellits into your language arts curriculum: Use Spellits to improve student spelling. Students will easily be able to work independently through the activities, there are support functions built right into the site such as a dictionary and clue list. Set up Spellits as a center during literacy or spelling time. Students can use Spellits to help build a word wall in the classroom.

Tips: This is a British site so some of the words are spelled slightly differently (ex. colour).

 

 

Graphic Organizers

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What it is: Graphic Organizers by Houghton Mifflin is a collection of 33 free, printable graphic organizers for use in the classroom.

How to integrate Graphic Organizers into the classroom: Integrating technology isn’t just about the students using computers, it is also about making your life easier! This is a site you will return to over and over again for great graphic organizers. Use these graphic organizers to guide student learning as they are exploring other educational websites.

Tips: Graphic Organizers include clock, cluster/word web, describing wheel, fact-and-opinion chart, five w’s chart, flow chart, four column chart, garden gate, ice-cream cone, idea wheel, inverted triangle, ISP chart, KWL chart, KWS, chart, ladder, observation chart, persuasion map, planning chart, problem-solution chart, sandwich, sense chart, sequence chart, spider map, step-by-step chart, story map, T-chart, ticktacktoe, time-order chart, and tree chart.

 

 

Power Proofreading

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What it is: Power Proofreading is a fun, interactive site by Houghton Mifflin that builds students proofreading skills. Students are introduced into a real-world situation where proofreading skills are needed. HME-TV’s power has gone out and they need students help to fix TV scripts, memos, and other writings at the station. Students proofread level appropriate material by selecting their grade level before the game begins.

How to integrate Power Proofreading into the classroom: Mix up the proofreading practice and use this site in place of standard DOL worksheets. Students will appreciate the interactivity and ease of use of this site.

Tips: Instead of bookmarking the home page of this site, bookmark the correct grade level.