Websites – Page 40 – iLearn Technology

Ollie’s World

April 8, 2010Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment3290 views

What it is: Earth Day is April 22nd, Ollie’s World is a fantastic place to begin the celebration early. Here students will learn about the 4 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink as they apply to the 5 action issues of waste, water, energy, air, and biodiversity. The site is packed full of games, puzzles, information and projects. Students can create web pages using a free (downloadable) version of WebEasy. The information section has kid-friendly reading about the 4 R’s and 5 action issues. In Ollie’s clubhouse, students can play games and work on puzzles. Students can also watch the Mis-adventures of Ollie, 3 animated videos about Ollie and his friends, dealing with issues of sustainability (currently there is only 1 video available). In the movie section, students can watch short flash movies about important environmental issues. This site is loaded with information, games, and video.

How to integrate Ollie’s World into the classroom: Ollie’s World is a nice introduction for students learning about their ecological footprint. Starting out in info, students can read about the 4 R’s and how they apply to the 5 action issues. Students can watch videos and play games that reinforce the lessons they are learning. You can use the videos as discussion starters in your classroom. Download WebEasy to your classroom computers where students can build a webpage about their new learning.

Tips: Check out the educators section of Ollie’s World for professional development opportunities, lesson ideas, and project instructions.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Ollie’s World in your classroom.

We Are the People We’ve Been Waiting For

April 7, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments3174 views

What it is: We Are the People We’ve Been Waiting For is an inspiring documentary film that explores education in the UK and challenges us to dream of something more. Big names (Sir Richard Branson, Germaine Greer, Henry Winkler, Bill Bryson, and Sir Ken Robinson) share their experiences with education and offer new ideas for how education can be done. If you are in the UK, take advantage of the free DVD offer and get the full documentary to share with your students. Those of us not in the UK can enjoy clips of the film on the We Are the People We’ve Been Waiting For website. There are several clips from the documentary and each of them will leave you inspired and thinking about how education can be transformed. The site also features some excellent games for students to play. The first game is called “The Test You Can’t Fail”. This little quiz asks students a variety of questions and gives them creative career paths to consider based on their interests. Many of these your students may not have considered and will give them insight into the places they shine. The second game is called “Future Me”, it is a Bebo App that lets students predict their friends future.

How to integrate We Are the People We’ve Been Waiting For into the classroom: If you can get the documentary for your classroom, do so. Be inspired by the documentary as a teacher, but also share it with your students. They need some inspiration for their education and future. This film is sure to offer plenty. If you aren’t in the UK, share the webisite clips with your students. Challenge them to think differently about education. At first, they may struggle with this task (the way my students did), they expect that there is one right answer. This is a sad statement about what education has been up to this point, we have primed them to believe that there is only one right answer with a myraid of tests and worksheets that have told them it is so. Have your students take “The Test You Can’t Fail” quiz, it leads them through a variety of questions and activities. Students tell what their favorite subject is, swat or save a fly, order grocery items in order of price, connect a video game to the Internet and TV, choose what to do when they get lost, design a t-shirt, memorize a phone number, and arrange a computer desktop. When students are finished they are given a list of things they are good at, some surprises (things students may not know about themselves), and thoughts about possible career paths. It seems to work well, my results were education, computers and IT. 🙂 So I guess I am on the right track! Talk with students about their results. Do they agree/disagree? Were their items on their list that they hadn’t considered? It is good to dream with students, it gives them aspirations and goals for the future and lets them know that they aren’t the only ones dreaming.

Tips: In the “About the Film” Section, students can watch videos and read bios of the students that star in the documentary.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using the We Are The People We’ve Been Waiting For in your classroom.

The Stacks

April 6, 2010April 6, 2010Kelly Tenkely2 Comments2260 views

What it is: Scholastic has so many fantastic resources for the classroom. There is a new addition to the Scholastic website called The Stacks. The Stacks is currently in BETA but is already packed full of goodies that will have your students excited about reading. The Stacks is a place for students and their friends to connect around reading. The site is geared toward 9 to 15 year old students. Students can check out and discuss the various books that they are reading. This is a great place for students to discover new books that they may enjoy, or to connect over books that they have already read. Most of the books featured in The Stacks have an accompanying website where students can read what other students thought about the book, play related games, and take quizzes. These mini sites are very well done and so engaging. When I was in elementary and middle school, I often wished that my favorite books wouldn’t end. I remember getting toward the last pages of the book and feeling disappointment over having to say goodbye to the characters I had come to love. I would have been ecstatic over the mini websites that kept my favorite characters alive, making the book last and last. Students can also learn more about the authors of their favorite books in The Stacks. Students can play games that are related to the books they are reading. They can choose from arcade games, quizzes and polls, puzzle games, make your own games (including choose your own adventure virtual stories), writing games, ecards, and downloads that can be printed for offline play. Students can create their own profile on The Stacks, allowing them to customize their profile and background.

How to integrate The Stacks into the classroom: The Stacks will have your good readers excited to read more, and your reluctant readers enthusiastic about reading. Allow your students to use The Stacks to find new reading material, and to interact with other students about the books they are reading. Many of the activities would make nice extensions to your curriculum. The choose your own adventure game would be fun to play as a whole class on the interactive whiteboard. If you have clickers (student response systems) have your students vote on the choices throughout the story. The writing games will lead your students through a variety of writing exercises teaching them how to build a story, write a report, write journal entries, and create their own comics. The Stacks has some great offline activities for your classroom. Print out crosswords, connect the dots, coloring pages, word searches, calendars, trading cards, and more. All of the printables tie in directly to the books students are reading. This is a FUN social media site centered around reading and books. The books are familiar and popular reads for students and should create a reading buzz in your classroom.

Tips: The Stacks does not require a login unless students want to create a profile. When students register for The Stacks, they are not asked for any personal information or email, making it appropriate for even elementary students.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using The Stacks in your classroom.

Poetry Idea Machine

April 5, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment4017 views

What it is: April is national poetry month, the Poetry Idea Machine is sure to help you infuse your classroom with some inspired poetry writing. Students learn about different kinds of poetry by selecting from Haiku, Limerick, Cinquain, or Free Verse. The Poetry Idea Machine takes students through the steps of making each type of poetry. The Poetry Idea Machine makes an excellent introduction to types of poetry and will have your students writing their own in no time.

How to integrate Poetry Idea Machine into the classroom: The Poetry Idea Machine does a fantastic job of introducing students to different kinds of poetry. After students learn about the poetry, they have a chance to create their own poem with the Poetry Idea Machine interactive. In my classroom, I use the Poetry Idea Machine with the whole class using the interactive whiteboard or projector. I invite students up to create their own poems as we talk through the process. Choose one type of poetry each week so that students have an opportunity to practice writing the poems. During the week, give your students time to write their poems, allowing them access to the Poetry Idea Machine on classroom computers as an idea center. Let students work in small groups to create unique poems using the Poetry Idea Machine.

Tips: Read poems by Jack Prelutsky, Karla Kuskin, and Jean Marzollo for inspiration. Ask students to determine which type of poem each is based on what they have learned with the Idea Machine.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using the Poetry Idea Machine in your classroom.

The World of Peter Rabbit

April 2, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2695 views

What it is: Beatrix Potter has captured the imaginations of countless children with her classic Peter Rabbit tales. The World of Peter Rabbit is as enchanting as the stories, bringing Beatrix Potter’s incredible artistry to life. The whole site is fashioned into a virtual popup book where students can meet the characters, watch videos of the stories, play games, and find fun things to make and do offline. Students can play a game of find Peter (before Mr. McGregor does!), take part in an Easter egg hunt, collect snowflakes to earn special downloads, help Peter find his way through a maze, and play a vegetable picking game. Students can read character descriptions of each of Beatrix Potter’s characters and even watch video clips of Peter Rabbit. Students can also create their very own interactive Peter Rabbit puppet show. They can star in the puppet show by uploading a picture of themselves or a favorite pet.

How to integrate The World of Peter Rabbit into the classroom: I can’t remember the last time I was so utterly captivated by a website. The site is absolutely beautiful and true to Beatrix Potter’s classic characters. If Beatrix was still alive, I imagine this is the site she, herself, would have built. Introduce your students to the classic Peter Rabbit tales with this site. My students fell in love with the characters and were eager to hunt down the books in our library. Invite your students to star in their own puppet show, each show will be unique as students make decisions about what will happen to their characters. Allow students to view each other’s puppet shows. After reading through character descriptions, students can write their own Peter Rabbit tale, staying true to the character traits they read about on the site.

Tips: Students can learn more about Beatrix Potter by visiting “The World of Beatrix Potter“, they can even explore her home in the Lake District with an interactive map. Beatrix Potter would make an excellent subject for an author’s study.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using The World of Peter Rabbit in your classroom.

ESA Kids

April 2, 2010Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment3611 views

What it is: The European Space Agency (ESA) has a great website for kids. ESA Kids has fabulous, kid friendly information about the Universe (the story of the Universe, the sun, the planets and moons, the galaxies, comets and meteors), Life in Space (astronauts, space stations, life in space, exploration, are we alone?), Lift Off (launchers, orbits, mission control, spacecraft, new ways to space), Useful Space (TV and phone, know where you are, space spin-offs, weather, health), and Earth (climate change, natural disasters, protecting nature, water world). This site is absolutely packed full of information and awesome images. Students can “work in a lab” where they can build papercraft globes and spacecraft, try reading space maps, and learn fun space facts. Students will also enjoy the space themed games and puzzles, online coloring book, quizzes, and downloads. Each month, a new story about space is added to the News section, keeping students up to date about what is happening in space exploration.

How to integrate ESA Kids into the classroom: When I am hunting for space related websites, I usually begin with NASA. ESA Kids is being added to my must visit places for all things space. The site is organized well, very kid friendly, and has fun activities that students can take part in. Use ESA Kids for space research, when learning about the weather, climate change, and natural disasters. After students have some background knowledge about space and space exploration, have them visit the Lab and choose a papercraft spacecraft to print and build. Students can write a story about their spacecraft, including facts that they learned on the ESA Kids website. They may even write a fictional story about their visit to space that includes factual elements that they learned in the Life in Space section. Be sure to visit the Useful Space tab, I think students will be surprised at how many common items are linked to space and space exploration.

Tips: Be sure to visit this site often, the news is updated every month with current space events.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using ESA Kids in your classroom.

LEGO Smart Creativity Contest

April 1, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2291 views

What it is: LEGO Education is looking for 10,000 contestants for its 2010 LEGO Smart Creativity Contest. You can sign your classroom up to participate from now to July 2010, challenging your students to be LEGO Smart. When you sign up, you will receive a free LEGO Smart kit to use for the contest. Beginning in August 2010, your students will be challenged with a variety of activities that will encourage them to think creatively.

How to integrate LEGO Smart Creativity Contest into the classroom: Take a look at the activities from last year, there are math, geography, science, collaboration, and social studies projects. The activities are all a lot of fun. The contest is a fantastic way to get your students thinking outside the box, in new and creative ways, while working together to accomplish tasks. Your students will be working collaboratively, solving problems, and creating solutions. Students will be demonstrating their understanding of technology, math, engineering, science and math. I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t enjoy LEGOs.

Tips: For most of us, the contest won’t start until the next school year, sign up today and have some awesome activities ready for next year.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using LEGO Smart Creativity Contest in your classroom.

Common Sense with Phineas and Ferb

March 29, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments6158 views

What it is: Phineas and Ferb are popular Disney channel characters. They have a new short video to help students learn cyberspace rules and online safety tips. Disney, together with Common Sense Media, created this fun short film to get kids thinking about cyber safety. Tips in the video include: Be careful what you put online, you never know who is going to see it; just because it’s online, doesn’t mean it’s true; not everyone is who they say they are; if you wouldn’t do it in person, you shouldn’t do it online; and get outside and spend time with real friends. These are great tips, but delivered by Phineas and Ferb they will be remembered by your students.

How to integrate Common Sense with Phineas and Ferb into the classroom: Common Sense with Phineas and Ferb is an excellent place to get the discussion about online safety and netiquette started in your classroom. The short video gives them a great jumping off point for thinking about the time they spend online. Your students could “Laser inscribe” some additional tips in a paint or word processing program. Post your students tips for online safety and cyberspace rules on a classroom bulletin board or on a Wallwisher wall. I like how short and sweet this video is, every classroom can fit in a short lesson (or several) during the year. Below the video, you can download a question sheet for students to quiz their parents about. This extends the conversation at home and encourages parents to think about their child’s online safety.

Tips: If you have colleagues that are good sports, your students could also quiz other teachers in the building with the Phineas and Ferb Cyberspace Rules of the Road quiz.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Common Sense with Phineas and Ferb in your classroom.

My Hippo Has the Hiccups

March 27, 2010March 27, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment4042 views

What it is: In honor of national poetry month (April), Kenn Nesbitt is offering his book “My Hippo Has the Hiccups” as a free ebook. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I just opened a “happy spring” present! If you aren’t familiar with Kenn Nesbitt, he writes poetry that hooks kids and makes them instant fans of poetry. It is funny and engaging for readers of all ages. The ebook is available to view online or to download (can you believe it?!).

How to integrate My Hippo Has the Hiccups into the classroom: This ebook is a winner no matter what age group you teach. You can read the poems as a class using an interactive whiteboard or a projector connected computer. Because you can download the ebook, it would also be a wonderful addition to your classroom library on the classroom computers. Students can visit classroom computers with My Hippo Has the Hiccups as a poetry inspiration station. Invite your students to create their own silly Kenn Nesbitt inspired poetry. Make a class book of the silly poems and post them as a class ebook on Issuu.

Tips: You have to have the Zino Reader installed to view this ebook, it is a simple click and download.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using My Hippo Has the Hiccups in your classroom.

The Zimmer Twins

March 25, 2010Kelly Tenkely1 Comment5450 views

What it is: Who are the Zimmer Twins, you might ask? Edgar and Eva Zimmer are 12 year old twins who appear normal but have developed psychic powers. Strange things began to happen when the twins adopted a black cat named 13. On the Zimmer Twins website, students can create their own cartoon movie endings to a story starter or create their own animated movie from scratch. Students can create and edit movies solo or “Collab-o-write” and work together creating a collaborative movie. Zimmer Twins runs well in Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari making it easy to get to and use in any classroom setting. You will need Flash 8 (or higher) installed for the Zimmer Twins to work properly.

How to integrate Zimmer Twins into the classroom: Your students are going to love this site! They can direct and produce their very own animated movies. The easiest way to start using Zimmer Twins in the classroom, is to use it as a story starter. Students can watch a “starter” video and finish the story however they would like. The first time you introduce the site, it might be fun to complete a video as a class. Then students can take over and create their own ending to a Zimmer Twins movie. These video clips make excellent story starters for journal writing even if you can’t take the time to make it into an actual video. To use as a story starter, show the beginning of the short animation to your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector, then let students take over on classroom computers, working together, or writing a journal entry. After your students are familiar with the Zimmer Twins website, they can start a story from scratch. Students could direct “screen plays” of their writing, as a way to publish their finished work. Zimmer Twins would make an excellent alternative to the traditional book report. Students could create a movie where the main character is being interviewed, the story is being summarized, or retold. Students could also create movies about historical events, describing a science experiment or concept, in math as a story problem, to demonstrate understanding of character education or for vocabulary practice. My students have really enjoyed creating movies to show what they have learned on any topic, it is always a sure winner! Are you looking for new ways to engage your students? Why not create a Zimmer Twins original yourself to introduce a new topic. If you are looking for more great ideas for using Zimmer Twins in your classroom, be sure to check out the lesson plans on the teacher page, there are some good ones.

Tips: Students can create a movie on Zimmer Twins without registering; however, they will not be able to save their creation. Creating an account requires an email address. If this presents a problem in your classroom you can do a few things: 1. create a classroom account that every student logs into and saves their videos on. Students will need to include their first name or a class number in the title of their video to differentiate it from others in the class. 2. Set up an account for each student using your email account. You will have to check this email account to provide your students with their passwords. 3. Ask parents to set up accounts for their kids to use at school.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Zimmer Twins in your classroom.