Resource type – Page 82 – iLearn Technology

Inauguration Speech Generator

January 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely3 Comments3068 views

What it is: With President Obama’s Inauguration speech looming on the horizon, this site is worth a look. Inauguration Speech Generator is like a mad lib, fill in the blank that generates a speech for President Obama to say. 🙂 Students enter words in the blanks according to the part of speech that is requested and then read the speech they have written for our soon to be president.

How to integrate Inauguration Speech Generator into the classroom: This is a great lead in to teach students about the Inauguration of President Obama. It is also a fun way to practice those parts of speech! Students can fill in the blanks individually and share with a partner, or a speech can be generated as a whole class. This would be a fun thing to do right before the inauguration. Save the students version of the speech. They can compare and contrast their speech with the actual inauguration speech after viewing it.

Tips: The inauguration is supposed to be live on CNN, it would be fun to watch live but I suspect that Internet may be slow that day! Those of you with cable in the classroom take advantage!!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Inauguration Speech Generator in your classroom.

Science Museum: Launch Ball

January 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3792 views

What it is: Here is another one I found thanks to @kjarrett. Science Museum features a game called Launch ball. Students are given a series of challenges to get a ball from one point to another through an obstacle course. The trick is they have to build the obstacle course so that the ball naturally flows to the goal after dropping into the play zone.

How to integrate Science Museum Launch Ball into the classroom: This is a great puzzle/game site to use with your students to get them to approach problems creatively and work through solutions with trial and error. The game is addicting and will have your students solving problems and thinking logically about how different objects interact with one another. I love using these mind benders with students, they are elated when they solve a puzzle! Each time students complete a level, they will learn fun science facts. After your students have all of the levels down, they can create their own obstacle courses for other students to solve.

Tips: This is a great game to introduce in science class. I also love using this site with students on indoor recess days!

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

Myths and Legends

January 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely1 Comment4227 views

What it is: Myths and Legends is an awesome, free, online digital story telling website. I heard about the website through @kjarrett. The story creator lets students combine pictures that they compose with clip art or images that they upload, sound, and words to create a digital story. The stories can be saved, printed, and shared. Students can record themselves reading the story aloud and even add video! The website is pretty comprehensive as far as online digital storytelling tools go, I am impressed!

How to integrate Myths and Legends into the classroom: Myths and Legends is a great way to get your students interested and eager to write. The digital story telling format gives students a unique opportunity to express themselves creatively. Many of your reluctant writers will jump at the chance to create a story in this manner because it doesn’t “feel” like writing. They don’t get stuck looking at that blank piece of paper and feeling overwhelmed by the task ahead of them. I have found that students write more, and the quality of work is better when they create digital stories that are shared later with the whole class. In the one or two computer classroom you can set up a digital storytelling writing center that students can work at, in the lab setting whole classes can create at the same time, and as a whole class with an interactive whiteboard or projector, the entire class can create a story together.

Tips: Each student should sign up and register for a free account so that they can save their work. As a teacher you can also sign up for a school account where you can login and review all of your students work online.

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

Literactive

January 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely4 Comments4823 views

What it is: Literactive is an outstanding website for reading material for pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade. The program is made up of leveled guided readers, comprehensive phonics activities, and supplemental reading material that is aimed at developing reading skills in a sequential, motivating manner. To use and view the site is free. To download material you are required to register but registration is also free. The guided readers are fully animated and each comes with a breakdown of every word in the stories. The Road to Reading is an interactive journey for students that moves them sequentially though pre-reading activities, alphabet awareness, letter sounds, short vowels, CVC word blending, initial blends, long vowels, and various phonic activities. There are over one hundred learning activities that can be used for individual or whole class use that can be downloaded for free. Worksheets are available in pdf format that correlate with each reading skill. An ESL version is offered for each guided reader, stories can be translated with the click of a mouse. E-picture books tell traditional tales for early readers and e poetry is a collection of interactive poetry including poems by Rober Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Edward Lear, and more. The Literactive website is packed full with reading activities for primary students that will have them on the road to reading!

How to integrate Literactive into the classroom: Literactive is a complete reading program that should be included in any primary classroom. I am amazed at the comprehensive list of activities, stories, and scope and sequence of this program. Because activities are downloaded, after having downloaded them your computer does not need an Internet connection to use them. Use Literactive as a daily reading center, individually in the computer lab setting, or for whole class instruction and reading. The activities on Literactive are highly motivating and provide an excellent foundation for reading.

Tips: Register for free today and transform your classroom into a reading-rich environment for your beginning readers! Thank you to @annemarie80 who sent a Tweet about this site!

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

Soshiku

January 16, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment16797 views

In an effort to clear out some bookmarks (I am up to about 890) I am going to do a marathon of posts today. I don’t usually like to load you up with too many in one day because I know how busy you teachers are, and I want you to have time to really look at the cool tool I have found. My hope is that with the 3 day weekend you will get a chance to shuffle through these!

What it is: Soshiku is a web tool for students that helps them manage their assignments. Soshiku keeps track of when assignments are due and can notify them by email or SMS. With each assignment students can save notes, manage tasks, attach files, and share messages with assignment partners. Soshiku is perfect for partnered assignments because it gives students a place to share files, chat, and more.

How to integrate Soshiku into the classroom: I think that organization is one of those important life skills that we don’t teach enough of in schools. Introduce your students to Soshiku as a method of school orginization. The email and text messaging features to notify them when assignments are due will appeal to your students. If you have younger students, secondary elementary or middle school, encourage parents to be there Soshiku partner to help them keep track of assignments.

Tips: Use a day in the computer lab to sign students up for Soshiku and teach them how to enter assignments, add notes, attach files, and share messages with a partner. Your students are on their way to a more organized school life!

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

Wordly Wise 3000

January 15, 2009January 15, 2009Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3014 views

What it is: Wordly Wise 3000 is a vocabulary curriculum that can be purchased, any time I see a website mentioned as part of curriculum, I always take a look. While the Wordly Wise 3000 curriculum costs, the website activities are free! Students are told to choose their vocabulary book (I just choose the appropriate grade level). Students can go through a word list that says each word, gives a picture, the part of speech, the definition, and a sentence using the word. They can read this information or have it read to them. Then they review the word with a mini quiz review. The audio from the website can be downloaded and saved on a CD to be used in class without computers. After students have learned the words, they can play games that reinforce the vocabulary learned. Games include concentration, flashcards, hangman, matching synonyms, and word searches. Wordly Wise 3000 has vocabulary units for second through twelfth grade.

How to integrate Wordly Wise 3000 into the classroom: Wordly Wise 3000 is a great site for your auditory learners to learn vocabulary. It is also a great addition to ESL and ELL classrooms, the written and auditory output is a nice feature. The site combines auditory, visual, pictures, and hands on games making differentiated instruction for vocabulary easy. Wordly Wise 3000 can be used individually by students, as a vocabulary reading center, or for whole class instruction with a projector or interactive whiteboard. Wordly Wise 3000 can help build a vocabulary base for your struggling readers. This would be a great site to use for learning a new word or two each day as a class. Studies show that students who have a solid vocabulary base to pull from are better readers.

Tips: I have not seen the actual Wordly Wise 3000 curriculum but based on their web activities, it looks like it may be a good one to check out.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Wordly Wise 3000 in your classroom.

Pic Lits

January 14, 2009Kelly Tenkely6 Comments6450 views

What it is: Pic Lits is a really neat creative writing site that provides pictures and a word bank for students to create a enriched sentence or sentences about the picture. “The object is to put the right words in the right place and the right order to capture the essence, story, and meaning of the picture.” Students can choose to only drag words from the word bank to create their sentence or compose a sentence freestyle.

How to integrate Pic Lits into the classroom: Pic Lits is a great way to get students to think creatively and critically about writing. Students can choose any picture and then use the word list to create a sentence. Pic Lits is complete with punctuation and any word can be capatalized. Students can use Pic Lits individually on computers, as a whole class with a projector, or as a creative writing center in the one or two computer classroom. When using Pic Lits as a class, choose a picture for the day and have students write their sentences on paper using words from the word bank. Take turns sharing to hear the combination of words and the different meanings that students gathered from the picture. This is a great writing exercise to use in your classroom every day! Here in Colorado, we often have indoor recesses for bad weather. Use Pic Lits with an interactive whiteboard and invite your cooped up students to choose pictures and create sentences.

Tips: Students can sign up for a free account and save each Pic Lit they create. At the end of the year, each student can create a book of their Pic Lits to take home for creative inspiration.

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

Readicide

January 13, 2009Kelly Tenkely2 Comments2862 views

What it is: Readicide is a new ebook from Kelly Gallagher about how schools are killing the love of reading. It is being made available here Jan. 13 and 14 as a free download. I downloaded Readicide earlier today and am loving it. The ebook reminds me of what made me love reading, the times when I hated reading, and how my students feel about reading. It is inspiring and may just give you the jolt you need to shake up your reading program and make your classroom the place where students fall in love with reading again (or the very first time).

How to integrate Readicide into the classroom: Download Readicide ASAP! Then send to your administration and fellow teaching staff to read. Open up communication about your reading program at the next staff meeting, be critical. Lets start a reading revolution!!

Tips: Download today while the ebook is free 🙂 I vote “readicide” to be considered as a new word for Webster to add to the dictionary.

Leave a comment and tell us what you think of Readicide and your ideas for bring a love of reading into your classroom.

FETC Virtual Conference ’09

January 13, 2009Kelly Tenkely4 Comments7686 views

What it is: Save the date! FETC is having a free virtual conference on April 23, 2009. The virtual conference is ideal for k-12 educators and technology staff exploring the most important issues related to 21st century skills. Topics will include career and technical education, the Obama administration’s global workforce development agenda, and digital teaching methods and tools. You will learn about the latest in 21st century skills from engaging speakers. FETC Virtual Conference is offering a virtual networking lounge to expand your network of k-12 educators and technology experts, access to other participants through instant messaging, and free content downloads and presentation to go. You will also be able to virtually attend technology product and service demonstrations and Q&A sessions with technology experts! This is a completely FREE event, you can go as a staff!

How to integrate FETC Virtual Conference ’09 into the classroom: FETC is one of the leading technology conferences in the country. With budget cuts this year, you may not have the option to attend the full FETC conference. This free virtual conference is an outstanding opportunity, be sure to take advantage of it! You will learn from some of the best educators and are sure to get practical technology integration tips, tools, and ideas. See you there!

Tips: Register today at http://virtual.fetc.org.

Leave a comment and tell us if you will be attending FETC Virtual Conference.

Prezi

January 12, 2009Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3194 views

What it is: Prezi is a unique online presentation builder that seems to be popping up a lot lately all over the web. It is getting so much attention because of its new approach to online slide shows. Prezi has some unique features like zooming presentations that grab and hold viewers attention. Prezi lets you create a sort of walking path through your presentation. The finished product is engaging and impressive looking. The tools in Prezi are different from other online presentation builders but are easy to use and figure out. The tutorial will have you and your students creating in minutes.

How to integrate Prezi into the classroom: Because of Prezi’s unique zooming feature, it would be a good tool for students to use for vocabulary. Students can type in the word to be defined and then zoom in on the definition. Building vocabulary presentations would be good for review and study. Prezi would also be a neat way to explore and display information from history (display a date, place, or person in history and then zoom into facts and details that are related), timeline information (create paths from different dates in Prezi), literature (create a sort of interactive character map of any literary character), science projects (use Prezi’s path to lead through the scientific method), foreign language (type a word in another language and zoom to translate), geography (zoom into details around a map), math, and much more.

Tips: Be sure to check out the tutorial on Prezi, it will have you up and creating in no time! Check out the inspiration to see the amazing things that others have used Prezi to create.

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