Category: Interactive Whiteboard

Visuwords

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Visuwords2719 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 Lexipedia3623 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 Volcano5800 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.

NASA Images

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on NASA Images3354 views

What it is:   NASA Images is a website where you can find amazing images of the universe, solar system, earth, aeronautics and astronauts.  In addition to images, you will find video and audio collections in this easily searchable digital library.  The site has a picture timeline of spaceflight, collections of images, audio, and video, and presentations created by users.  The content on NASA images is not under copyright so it can be used without express permission.  This means that you and your students can use the high quality images, HD video, and audio in slideshows, movies, classroom websites, blogs, and interactive whiteboard notebooks.

How to integrate NASA Images into the classroom:  This is an incredible collection of resources.  Students and teachers can use them to enhance any space unit.  This site will excite students and build interest around space exploration, aeronautics, and astronomy.  Create your own planetarium or journey through space and share with an interactive whiteboard or in a slide show presentation with a projector.  Students could create a blog or wiki all about their ‘travels’ through space for other students and parents to view.  NASA Images even offers the tools to build a presentation right on the site.  Presentations can then be embedded on other websites, wikis, or blogs.

 

Tips:  NASA Images is updated regularly, check back for the newest additions.

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

Stretch Break for Kids

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Stretch Break for Kids1998 views

What it is:  As computers and one to one environments become more prevalent in schools, it is important to remember proper ergonomics.  Stretch Break is a free software that is downloadable for both Mac and PC platforms.  The software is designed to help prevent computer related strain injuries by reminding students to take breaks while using the computer.  Every 30 minutes the software asks students if they would like to stretch.  Full animated figures lead students through simple stretches.  Then the software returns students to the task they were working on.  Teachers can designate how long to wait between stretch sessions and how many stretches to lead students through in a session.  Stretch Break for Kids was designed by a team of health care professionals.  The stretches focus on the neck, arms, hands, back, legs, and wrists.  The software also includes some important eye exercises.  There are 20 stretches total, many that focus on prevention of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

How to integrate Stretch Break for Kids into the classroom:  Stretch Break for Kids is a must for every computer lab.  Any time that students are using a lab computer they should be reminded of proper ergonomics and learn how to properly stretch for health.  Load Stretch Break for Kids on classroom computers and even on the computer that is connected with the Interactive Whiteboard.  Throughout the day (you determine how often and how long) set Stretch Break to pop up and encourage students to stretch as a class.  Even if they aren’t working at the computer all day, these stretches will help them get some blood flowing and release tension that can build up while they are doing their school work.  This is a great one to download to your own computer, you need to be reminded to stretch too! 

 

Tips:   Stretch Break for Kids contains Ergo hints for healthier computing in addition to the stretches.  Spend some time teaching your kids healthy computing habits, as technology becomes more and more available in the classroom, these healthy habits become more important.  The free Stretch Break for Kids software is network compatible.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Stretch Break for Kids in your classroom.

My Story Maker

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on My Story Maker4169 views

What it is:  My Story Maker is an amazing interactive website created for the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh.  My Story Maker is an interactive story book where students are in charge of creating a story.  Students choose characters, and a genre and then begin telling a story.  The students create the story by dragging and dropping characters, objects, and backgrounds into their story.  The characters can have emotions and perform actions with the different objects and interact with each other.  As students drag different elements to the story book, a story is written for them based on what is happening in the pictures.  When they are finished, they have created an interactive book that they can read and share with friends.

How to integrate My Story Maker into the classroom:   My Story Maker is a fantastic interactive tool to get students creating a story.  What I love about this website is the way that it encourages students to create by first thinking about the elements of a story (who will it be about?, what kind of story will it be?, what happens first?, what happens next?).  This is a great tool to use to help students understand the importance of beginning, middle, and end, setting, supporting details, and dialogue.  My Story Maker would be fun to use to create a whole class story using an interactive whiteboard.  Students could take turns adding elements to the story and reading the story aloud.  As students create the class story, be sure to keep them thinking about the setting, plot, and characters.  My Story Maker can also be used individually on classroom computers or in a computer lab setting.  The written story will be very basic “Fox threw a ball to lion.”  Encourage students to embellish their stories with vivid verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.  When students are finished with their story they can download it, share it with others, preview it, or print it. 

 

Tips:  I learned about this site from Kevin Jarrett‘s excellent blog.  Check it out for great tips and inspiration for your classroom!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using My Story Maker in your classroom.

Illuminations Resources for Teaching Math

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Illuminations Resources for Teaching Math4153 views

What it is: Illuminations Resources for Teaching Math is a gold mine of interactive activities for the math classroom. The site has over 100 interactive math activities for teaching and practicing math in kindergarten through twelfth grades.  These are high quality games, interactives, and simulations for the math classroom.  You are sure to find something to use in your math class that will increase understanding!

How to integrate Illuminations Resources for Teaching Math into the classroom:  This site is ideal for use with an interactive whiteboard in the math classroom.  The activities help students understand concepts that can be difficult by inviting them to interact with the concept.  If you don’t have access to an interactive whiteboard, you can demonstrate math concepts from a teacher computer connected to a projector.  Students can practice and interact with concepts on classroom computers set up as a math center or individually in the computer lab setting.  

 

Tips:  To narrow the list of activities, choose a grade level to narrow activity results.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Illuminations Resources for Teaching Math in your classroom.

Geo Greeting

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Geo Greeting2716 views

What it is: Geo Greeting is a fun little site that lets you type in a message and send it to a friend or preview the message in a separate window.  When the message is opened it is spelled out one letter at a time through pictures embedded on a map of the world.  The pictures are of buildings around the world that are the shape of letters in the alphabet.  The effect is really neat!  Each picture is accompanied by the name of the location and the name of the building.

How to integrate Geo Greeting into the classroom:  Geo Greeting would be a fun way to display a morning message to your students using an interactive whiteboard or projector.  Just type in your message and copy the URL into a browser to play the message for students.    This site is also a fun place for students to practice their spelling words.  They can type in their words and then click on the preview button to watch the word being spelled for them.  Geo Greeting is a great way to interest students in geography, type in a message and discuss the places that pop up as a result. 

 

Tips:  These greetings can be embedded as an e-card, sent as an email, or just copy and paste the link in a browser.

 

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

Newseum

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Newseum3401 views

What it is:  Newseum is a neat way for students to see the news from around the country.  Front pages of newspapers from around the US are displayed on a map.  Scroll over the map and the front page of the newspaper pops up.  Click on a different country to display newspapers from around the world.

How to integrate Newseum into the classroom:  Newseum is a great site to visit for current events.  This is a great way to find out what is happening state to state or around the world that is news worthy.  Have students compare and contrast front page events around the country or around the world.  Is there a particularly news worthy subject that seems to pop up in multiple states, multiple countries?   Newseum could be a great discussion starter about newspapers, should they be saved or will they eventually be totally replaced by the Internet?  Use Newseum each morning to get an update of current events using an interactive whiteboard.   Have students choose 3 or 4 states or countries each day to check on (also great geography  practice).  This site is like a virtual field trip around the world for newspapers.  

 

Tips:  Because these are actual front pages from around the country, some material may not be appropriate fo your students.  Always preview before you let your students loose! 

 

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

Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime2244 views

What it is:   Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime is an incredible look into the life of Benjamin Franklin.  I learned about this awesome site from @kylepace on Twitter (a great educator to follow if you aren’t already).  Students can play, listen, watch, observe and have fun learning about Benjamin Franklin’s life and legacy.  Students can explore Franklin’s life by different  themes such as Franklin’s character, B. Franklin Printer, Franklin at Home, Doing Good, Franklin at Home, and World Stage.  This feature breaks Franklin’s life down into manageable pieces for students and provides a well rounded understanding of who Franklin was and why he is an important figure in American history.  As students explore the timeline, they will find quotes, stories, videos, and audio about Benjamin Franklin.  I wish there was an interactive timeline of every historical figure like this one!  History would have been so much easier for me to understand.

How to integrate Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime into the classroom:  This interactive timeline would be great for use with a whole class and Interactive whiteboard.  Students could take turns visiting the whiteboard to ‘discover’ a new fact about Benjamin Franklin.  Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime could be set up on classroom computers for students to visit as a center during a unit on Franklin.  In a computer lab setting, students could be assigned a theme or time period of Benjamin Franklin’s life to explore and share later with the class.  Make it even more fun by creating a time machine atmosphere where students can travel back in time to learn about Franklin…stamp their time travelling passports as they ‘journey’ from one period of Franklin’s life to another.  This site is an outstanding way to capture students interest in Franklin and American history. 

 

Tips:  Show students the help/tips section for a key to understanding the different symbols on Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Franklin’s Interactive Lifetime in your classroom.