Category: Middle/High School

Smithsonian Virtual Museum

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Smithsonian Virtual Museum2487 views

Smithsonian virtual museum

What it is: I learn about great websites for the classroom from a variety of sources, I heard about the Smithsonian Virtual Museum from my dad.  This is the most amazing virtual look at a museum I have seen.  Students can take a self guided tour through the whole museum.  They can navigate room by room using their mouse to “walk” through the museum, or  navigate by clicking on the room or exhibit they would like to visit on the museum map.  Camera icons throughout the museum show students hotspots where students can get close to an object or exhibit panel.  This is a truly amazing way for students to learn about natural history.  Students can explore the ocean hall, ancient seas, dinosaurs, early life, fossils and plants, mammals, African cultures, ice age, western cultures, reptiles, insects, butterflies, plants, bones, geology, gems, minerals, and the hope diamond.  As students explore the museum, the map will show which exhibits have been visited and which have yet to be visited.  I am completely amazed by this site and could spend hours going through the exhibits myself, students will love it!  THIS is what virtual field trips should be!

How to integrate Smithsonian Virtual Museum into the classroom: Not all schools have the luxury or the funds to take a field trip to the museum.  Not all cities have great natural history museums like the Smithsonian.  This virtual tour is the next best thing to taking an actual field trip.  The museum can be viewed full screen which would be outstanding for an interactive whiteboard or projector.  The museum and exhibits will be life size for students to explore.  Allow students to guide the tour using the map and navigation tools.  As you “walk” from exhibit to exhibit take the time to stop and discuss what students are seeing and how it relates to what they are learning in class.  Students can also explore the Smithsonian individually on student computers.

It would be a neat assignment for a group of students to study the different exhibits in the museum.  The groups could explore and research the exhibit and then give classmates a ‘tour’ of their exhibit acting as exhibit guide with an interactive whiteboard or projector.

This is an incredible FREE resource that every classroom should use.  Even if you have access to a natural history museum for field trips, this site is still incredibly useful.  Prepare for the field trip before hand by visiting the Smithsonian Virtual Museum or follow a field trip with the site.  Compare and contrast your local natural history museum with the Smithsonian.

Tips: Make sure that you have all the appropriate plugins required for this site before using with students.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Smithsonian Virtual Museum in your classroom.

Planet in Action

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Planet in Action2241 views

 

What it is:    I just learned about this site from @jdornberg on Twitter; even though I have a long list of sites waiting for a post, I had to write one on Planet in Action right now.  This is an incredible site that uses Google Earth as a basis for interactive journeys around the earth.  Students can take a virtual helicopter ride above the Grand Canyon, explore Mount St. Helen, sail a virtual ship in Port of Rotterdam, take a helicopter tour of Manhattan, or Disneyland Paris.  As students explore, they can grab a snapshot and create their own virtual post card.

 

How to integrate Planet in Action into the classroom:   Virtual field trips just got a lot more realistic thanks to Planet in Action!  Planet in Action will take students on a tour of the different virtual places or students can take control and explore on their own.  This is an amazing site to use when studying famous landmarks or places.  Use this site with an interactive whiteboard or a projector-connected-computer.  Take your whole class on a virtual field trip to places that they are studying in class.  This is an outstanding way to bring some life to lessons.  Watch the recorded tour and discuss different landmarks as you see them.  Then ‘hire’ a helicopter ‘pilot’ who can navigate the trip for the class.  Allow students to play tour guide and explore.  Create postcards and virtual tours that can be saved and re-played.  In the computer lab setting, each student can create a virtual tour that can be shared with classmates (complete with a postcard greeting!).  In addition to the virtual tour, students can navigate by using a Google Map to see exactly where they are in the virtual tour.  In the Port of Rotterdam instead of flying using a virtual helicopter, students will actually sail a ship.  Students can choose their ship, blow the whistle, and navigate from port to port seeing actual images from Google Earth.  Your students will want to spend hours learning and exploring here!  Integrate Planet in Action into other learning opportunities, after exploring the world virtually, students could create a brochure for the place they visisted, write a postcard, or even create a short travel video.

Tips:  This site takes a few minutest to load, be patient, it is well worth it!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Planet in Action in your classroom.

Welcome to the Web

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Welcome to the Web5240 views

What it is: Welcome to the Web is an interactive website that teaches students all about the Internet through challenges and activities.  There are seven sections of activities and learning on Welcome to the Web. The first section teaches students how to use the site.  Section 2 teaches students about the basic concepts involved in the Internet, it also gives some valuable practice navigating and visiting websites.  Section 3 is all about staying safe online by following SMART rules, student understanding is tested using interactive activities and fun quizzes.  Section 4 helps students learn more about their web browser and its features.  In section 5 students will learn how to search effectively and safely in search engines.  Section 6 helps students understand copyright.  The last section invites students to compete in a challenge that requires them to use all of the skills they learned to catch the creator of a computer virus.  When the challenge has been completed, students can print out a certificate of completion.  Each section of this site comes with accompanying worksheets to be used with the site.  These don’t have to be used in order to use the site effectively.  Throughout the site, students can ‘hover’ the mouse over an underlined word and a definition will pop up.

How to integrate Welcome to the Web into the classroom: Welcome to the Web is an excellent road map to the Internet.  Every computer lab should use Welcome to the Web to help students understand the Internet and use it effectively.  The way the site is broken down into sections is extremelly helpful for a computer lab setting where students may not be able to get through the entire site in one day.  Start each class for 7 periods with Welcome to the Web. If you don’t have a computer lab, students can learn about the web as a class using an interactive whiteboard or projector.  Encourage all students to participate on the journey.  Make a big deal of completing all of the sections on this site.  I like to make my students an Internet Driver’s licenses when they have shown their understanding of Internet safety rules.  This would be a great site to tie into other computer lessons!

Tips: Welcome to the Web is part of Mark Warner’s excellent site Teaching Ideas.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Welcome to the Web in your classroom.

Dweeber

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Dweeber2339 views

 

What it is: Dweeber is a social networking site for students that encourages kids to get their homework done faster and with more understanding by working with their school friends online.  Dweeber was created to help students understand their strengths and talents, and help them work together more effectively with parents, mentors, and each other.  The goal is to get students working together to help them learn, study and do research.  Working together collaboratively this way is an important 21st century skill that we should be fostering in our classrooms.  Students can invite each other to study sessions where they can work in a collaborative whiteboard type space, chat with fellow students, post successes, and send friends thank you cards for helping out.  Students can learn about their unique learning style and will receive tips for working more effectively (SMART profile) these profiles can be shared among friends.  Students can also earn ‘guru’ points by sharing and voting on favorite websites, helping others get homework done, and pointing out successes of other students.

 

How to integrate Dweeber into the classroom:   I really like the idea behind Dweeber.  This site helps students to understand their own learning, and support fellow students in their learning.  I love the way in encourages students to work collaboratively outside the classroom and celebrate each other’s successes.  This site is easy to use and will make homework less painful.  It has the added bonus of preparing students for the real world where they won’t always be able to work with others face to face.  Encourage the use of this site in your classroom.  Using a site like Dweeber will build a community of learners in your classroom.  Students will support each other in learning and each will be able to shine in their areas of expertise.  Statistically, homework doesn’t generally increase learning.  Often it is a mindless practice that is easy for those who get it and painful for those who don’t.  Those who understood the concept probably didn’t need hours of extra practice and those who didn’t get it just practiced the wrong way for hours.  Why not allow students to collaborate and truly learn the material?  This is a great way to keep learning and discussions going outside of the classroom. 

 

Tips:  Dweeber is designed for students ages 13 to 18.  Students must be at least 13 according to the Dweeber terms of use to sign up for the service.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Dweeber in your classroom.

GeoEdu

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on GeoEdu15913 views

 

What it is:  GeoEdu is a free software download for both Macs and PC’s.  The software contains two parts, the first is an atlas with interactive maps and details for each country including the capital, flag, land and water borders, length of the coasts, the population, official languages, internet and country code, currency, international organization membership, and more.  The second part of the software is a game offering more than 100,000 geography questions about worldwide geography.  The game lets players give an answer or choose to answer with clues or multiple choice.  After answering a question, students can view their score and look at detailed data for the territory.

 

How to integrate GeoEdu into the classroom:   I’m not sure why school supply stores still sell the pull down atlas, with all of the amazing atlas and map tools available for free, buying a map seems so last century!  GeoEdu is a bright and colorful interactive atlas with great details for each country.  This free software is perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard or projector.  The game included is a great way to increase student geography knowledge.  Play the game as a class during geography or any time you have a few extra minutes.  Keep a running score going throughout the year that can be added to easily.  GeoEdu is also a great download for classroom and library computers.  Use GeoEdu as a geography/atlas center where students can stop by and interact with maps and play the game.

 

Tips:   This site does require a download so be sure to add it to your wish list before the start of school.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using GeoEdu in your classroom.

Number Nut

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Number Nut2122 views

 

What it is:  Number Nut is a site all about math.  I love their  catch phrase: “enough math can make anyone nutty”.  This site certainly has enough math for that!  Topics on Number Nut include: shapes and colors, numbers and counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, order of operations, dates and times, fractions, decimals, percent values, estimation and rounding, ratios, and money math.  There is something for every math class here!  Each topic gives an overview of the math concept (kind of like the break down students would find at the beginning of a new math chapter).  This is followed by two interactives where students can practice their new found knowledge. Number Nut is standard aligned and has a great math glossary.

 

How to integrate Number Nut into the classroom:   Number Nut is truly like an interactive math textbook, there are multiple pages for each concept and each page is followed by two interactive practice areas.  I love this as an alternative to math textbooks because students get immediate feedback as they work.  They know whether they have mastered the concept or need to keep working at it.  With traditional math textbooks, a student doesn’t know if they understand a concept until they turn in their math worksheet and get it back a few days later full of red marks.  Number Nut is good for teaching new math concepts on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector.  Students can read along as you explain and demonstrate new math concepts.  Then, students can practice on their own.  Ideally, Number Nut would be used in a computer lab setting where every student is using a computer.  This would allow students to work at their own pace and on the skills they need the most practice on.  Number Nut could also be used as a math center where students take turns visiting and solving problems.

 

Tips:   I learned about Number Nut from a tweet by @kellyhines she is full of great classroom resources and one of my favorite education follows!  Number Nut does require flash so make sure that you have the appropriate flash plugins before using this site with your class.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Number Nut in your classroom.

3D Vinci

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on 3D Vinci16166 views

What it is: 3-D Vinci is a math website that has a great free resources page for math teachers.  The site has downloadable pdf lesson plans for using Google’s SketchUp to teach math concepts using designs such as tessilations.  For students in grades k-12 3D Vinci has puzzles and mosaics that can be printed and solved.  3D Vinci has a YouTube channel where students can watch several ModelMetricks projects.

How to integrate 3D Vinci into the classroom:   3D concepts can be hard to grasp through 2D methods of instruction.  Textbooks are especially difficult to learn 3D concepts in because there is no interaction.  3D Vinci is a great website for bringing 3D concepts to life for students.  Not only can they print and interact with math in 3D, they can also learn how to create in 3D using Google’s Sketchup.  This is a great way to grab students attention and excite them about math.  Using Google Sketchup gives students a real-world connection to math concepts that you are teaching in class.

 

Tips:   The site is set to add more resources sometime in June and will be co-managed with one of the leading online communities for math teachers.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using 3D Vinci in your classroom.

Visuwords

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Visuwords2728 views

What it is:  Another fantastic visual dictionary, Visuwords shows a graphical representation of words and word relationships.  Students can view word meanings and associations.  Search for any word and immediately get word connections, find out which words are similar, an instance of, a substance of, a part of, a member of, a verb group, an opposite, a causes, entails, and offers suggestions for other words to see.  Parts of speech are color coordinated so students can tell at a glance which part of speech the word is.  When students hover the mouse over a word the definition pops up on the word.

How to integrate Visuwords into the classroom:   Visuwords is a great way for students to learn vocabulary.  Leave Visuwords projected on an interactive whiteboard or on a projector during any whole class reading session.  As students come upon unfamiliar words, they can use Visiwords to look up the word.  Discuss the word relationships and meanings as a class.  Visuwords is a lot like Lexipedia, it may be more visually friendly for primary grades.  Set up Visuwords on classroom computers as a writing center.  During writing, students can visit the center and search for synonyms and antonyms that will enhance writing.  Visuwords can be used as an introduction to any new learning, type in key vocabulary from new learning.  Encourage students to guess what the new learning may be about based on the word connections. 

 

Tips:   Visuwords uses Prinston University’s WordNet, an opensource database.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Visuwords in your classroom.

Lexipedia

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Lexipedia3632 views

What it is:  Lexipedia is an amazing site for learning about words and word relationships.  Just type in a word to look it up on Lexipedia and in seconds you will have a web of words complete with definitions.  Lexipedia gives all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, fuzzynyms, synonyms, and antonyms for the word.  Students can choose to see all of these words at once or choose to show only one type of result.  When students hover their mouse over a word, the definition pops up over the word.  Students get an immediate visual of word relationships.

How to integrate Lexipedia into the classroom:   Lexipedia is the perfect site to use during any literacy lesson.  This site is an excellent resource to stretch and build student vocabulary.  Use Lexipedia with an interactive whiteboard or projector during reading.  When the class comes upon an unfamiliar word, invite a student to type the word into the search.  Read the definition as a class and look at the synonyms and word connections.  Bookmark Lexipedia on classroom computers for easy access.  During writing, students can use Lexipedia as a editing center where they enhance their writing with vivid verbs and adjectives.  Lexipedia is also an excellent place to start when learning a new science concept.  Type key vocabulary into Lexipedia and encourage students to guess what science concepts they will be learning based on the vocabulary and word connections.  This visual dictionary and thesaurus goes above and beyond and will increase your student’s vocabulary and word understanding exponentially! 

 

Tips:   I learned about this outstanding site from rmbyrne on his fantastic blog.  Such a great, useful find!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Lexipedia in your classroom.

Virtual Volcano

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Virtual Volcano5821 views

What it is:   Virtual Volcano is a Discovery Channel interactive where students learn about and test out volcanoes.  First students get information about plate boundaries, active volcanoes around the world, and tectonic plates.  They see all of this information on a 3-D rotating globe.  Next students can learn about the different types of volcanoes, they will discover the three most common categories and read about each categories profile and its association with types of magma.  Then students can take a journey inside the volcano.  Here they will learn about the vents and how the volcano works.  After students have learned some basic information about volcanoes, they can build their own volcano and watch it erupt.  Students can set the conditions for the volcanoes, changing the viscosity and gas.  When they are finished creating the volcano, they can test out it’s eruption.

How to integrate Virtual Volcano into the classroom:  Virtual Volcano goes beyond the vinegar and baking soda models.  This site really gives students an inside look at exactly how a volcano works.  Students can adjust the viscosity and gasses and get a real idea about what is going on when a volcano erupts.  This site would make an excellent experiment center on classroom computers while your students are learning about volcanoes.  The site is also perfect for whole class instruction with a projector or an interactive whiteboard.  Be sure to invite students up to adjust the conditions of the volcano and create their own eruption.  Discuss the type of volcano the class has created and make predictions about what the volcano will look like before erupting it. 

 

Tips:   In the upper right corner of the volcano simulator you will find a link to information about Pompeii.  Students can learn about Pompeii and take a quiz.  There is also an excellent video of a volcano eruption here.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Virtual Volcano in your classroom.