Category: Websites

Doodle 4 Google

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Doodle 4 Google2418 views

What it is: Google is encouraging students to put their creative doodles to work and giving the opportunity to be a part of Google history. Doodle 4 Google is a contest for schools that invites kindergarten through twelfth grade students to doodle on Google’s logo and see what they come up with. The theme is centered around the question “What if…” Students can take this question and go anywhere with it…for example: What if I could live underwater, outer space, or colonial America? What if I could build any invention I wanted? What if I could see into the future? Students “doodle” their logo on an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of white paper. They can do this with any medium (as long as it isn’t 3-D) including using the computer.  The winning doodler will receive a $10,000  college scholarship and their design will take over the home page for the day.  As if that isn’t exciting enough, the winning school will also receive a $25,000 technology grant!!

How to integrate Doodle 4 Google into the classroom: This one needs to be started soon, the registration deadline is March 28, 2008 and the doodles need to be submitted by April 12, 2008. Each school can only submit 6 entries so you may have to hold a classroom vote to narrow down which doodles get sent to Google. A panel of judges will select 40 finalist doodles and the public will vote for the best. The winning doodle will be displayed on May 22, 2008 on Google’s homepage. Google provides the original artwork for the students to work from. Google has also provides some awesome lesson plans for integrating Doodle 4 Google into your curricula. This would be a fun writing/creative activity!

Tips: Google also has a section where students can learn about the original Google doodler, find out where he gets inspiration, and watch a video of him at work. They have also provided some fun posters to print out advertising the contest in your classroom.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Doodle 4 Google in your classroom. If your class is participating in this fun Google contest, be sure to share your students work with us!

Ad Decoder

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Ad Decoder2516 views

What it is: Ad Decoder is a web game created by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. The game teaches students how to decode advertisements to learn the difference between real and ideal as well as some of the tactics that advertisers use to get them to buy a product. Students flip through a virtual magazine full of advertisements and try to decode the messages the ad sends off. When students scroll over the message the true message pops up.

How to integrate Ad Decoder into the classroom: Ad Decoder is a great tool to use with students to promote a positive self image and character development. It helps them recognize advertisements and the true messages they send. It can also be used to teach students how to spot ads both on the web and in magazines. (Those advertisers are getting so sneaky…ads are starting to get really good at blending in with the good stuff!) Use the online Ad Decoder tool and as an extension activity, have the students go through other magazines and “decode” the messages in the advertisements. This should spark some very interesting discussion!

Tips: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has some other quality student activities including food and nutrition, physical activity, safety, and more. Check out the other quality activities and games on the site!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Ad Decoder in your classroom.

Viddler

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Viddler3024 views

What it is: Viddler is an AMAZING web application that lets students (or you) upload, enhance, and share digital video quickly and easily right from your web browser. I know, cool right?! The best part is, students can collaborate and comment on each other’s Viddler videos.

How to integrate Viddler into the classroom: Viddler has a million and one uses in the classroom. Record students science experiments and invite other students to comment on what was successful or what they would do differently in the experiment. Have students make a commercial about…well anything. Use your curriculum to guide the videos that your students are creating and then invite them to leave comments on other students videos. Create video tutorials for your classroom and add “secret facts” in the video in the form of comments. There is truly no limit! I often have my students create commercials because they are short and easy to record and share with others. In lieu of a book report, ask students to create a movie trailer type commercial for their book. Video adds a whole new audience for students, you will see creativity bloom. Be sure to check out the Directors Guild post below for some great uses of Viddler! After you record your videos you can embed them in your classroom blog, wiki, or website. Seriously cool huh?!

Tips: Create a class Viddler login where all class videos are recorded and saved. This will save the headache of collecting email addresses and passwords from the younger students…trust me, they will NOT remember them!

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

Digital Directors Guild

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Digital Directors Guild3168 views

What it is: “The Digital Directors Guild (http://www.ddguild.org) has been developed to provide a space in which K-16 educators can explore digital movie making, its place in the curriculum, and its impact on student learning.” This is a great place for teachers to learn about digital movie making in the classroom and see how other teachers have used it in their class. Learn the what, when, who, how, why, and where of digital movie making in the classroom. This is a really well laid out and through site about digital movie making.

How to integrate Digital Directors Guild into the classroom: The Digital Directors Guild is actually the “how to” of integrating digital movie making into the classroom. Check it out for great ideas and examples of how other classrooms are using it. Tomorrow I will be posting about a service called Viddler and suggesting ways to make digital movie making a reality in your classroom.

Tips: Digital movie making touches on a variety of learning styles, check out the “why?” page for more information!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Digital Directors Guild in your classroom.

Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters/ Numbers

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters/ Numbers2482 views

What it is: Childtopia is like 10 websites in one…they have so many cool things going on that I am going to break it down into sections so stay tuned… The Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters shows students the correct way to “draw” the letters of the alphabet. Students can learn how to print, write capital letters, and cursive. Childtopia Learn to Draw the Numbers teaches students how to correctly “draw” each number. This is a great option for your visual learners!

How to integrate Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters/ Numbers into the classroom: For students who struggle with handwriting, Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters/Numbers is a great site to use. Students watch as the Childtopia bird draws each letter or number. The site is perfect for using with your visual learners! Set up a handwriting center where students can practice forming letters with Childtopia. Provide a fun writing surface such as a small whiteboard or chalkboard where students can follow along.

Tips: This is one that you will want to bookmark for easy access!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Childtopia Learn to Draw the Letters/Numbers in your classroom.

Childtopia Listening and Reading Comprehension

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Childtopia Listening and Reading Comprehension2097 views

What it is: Childtopia is like 10 websites in one…they have so many cool things going on that I am going to break it down into sections so stay tuned… The Childtopia Listening and Reading Comprehension portion of Childtopia is hands down my favorite. Students can choose from 14 different engaging stories. They can choose to listen to story being read to them or they can read the story themselves. Throughout the story their are comprehension questions for the students to answer.

How to integrate Childtopia Listening and Reading Comprehension into the classroom: Childtopia Listening and Reading Comprehension is perfect for students who are struggling with comprehension. The site can be used with the whole class using a projector or individually for comprehension practice. The options that the site gives are wonderful. This portion of Childtopia would be well used in a remedial reading setting. This would make a fabulous reading center activity!

Tips: This is one that you will want to bookmark for easy access!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Childtopia Reading and Listening in your classroom.

Childtopia Tales

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Childtopia Tales4427 views

What it is: Childtopia is like 10 websites in one…they have so many cool things going on that I am going to break it down into sections so stay tuned… The Tales section of Childtopia has 7 books to choose from. Students can hear these books read to them in five different languages. The books are recognizable favorites such as The Ugly Duckling, and Goldie Locks and the Three Bears.

How to integrate Childtopia Tales into the classroom: Use Childtopia Tales as a listening or read along center in your classroom. The Childtopia interface is great, the pages of the book turn just like a real book and there are illustrations on each page of the story. If you teach a foreign language the books would also be wonderful because they are such recognizable stories. Invite the students to make a list of words that they know as the listen and read along with the story.

Tips: This is one that you will want to bookmark for easy access!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Childtopia Tales in your classroom.

Childtopia Games

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Childtopia Games2490 views

What it is: Childtopia is like 10 websites in one…they have so many cool things going on that I am going to break it down into sections so stay tuned… Childtopia Games is the biggest section with games that are psychologist recommended. Games include: memory games, language, math, skill, creativity, and observation. Each game is broken down by age group making it appropriate for three to nine year olds to play. Games are fun and interactive and reinforce skills that children are learning at school and at home. There are 1400+ games on this site and can be played in 5 languages! The site is completely free but they also offer a CD version available for purchase.

How to integrate Childtopia Games into the classroom: Childtopia Games are fun and interactive. With 1400 games to choose from you are bound to find one that fits the skill you are working on in any subject area. The games are truly great played individually, as a center, or at home for reinforcement. Childtopia Games are perfect for students who need remedial work. This site is easy for students to navigate and very user friendly.

Tips: This is one that you will want to bookmark for easy access!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Childtopia Games in your classroom.

Into the Book

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Into the Book3079 views

What it is: This is one of the most incredible reading websites I have come across. Into the Book “is a reading comprehension resource for K-4 students and teachers.” It focuses on eight research-based strategies: Using Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing and Synthesizing. The site has a series of 15 min. videos for students teaching and amazing interactive web resources that can be saved! Teachers have access to great lesson plans, downloads, and videos. Check out this site, you will be wowed!

How to integrate Into the Book into the classroom: In the student section, students drag a picture representing one of the eight strategies onto the book. First they watch a short video describing the strategy and how it works, then they can try it themselves. The site is an excellent introduction to key reading strategies. Students can learn about and practice reading strategy here. The interactive environment is a fun and exciting, even your most reluctant readers will enjoy this site. If you have a projector you can use the videos on this site with the whole class. In the one to two computer classroom, use the site during center time. The site is ideal in the one to one or computer lab setting. This site is a must for remedial reading classrooms!

Tips: Make sure to check out the teacher section for great downloads, teacher videos, and lesson plans.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Into the Book in your classroom.