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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

The Stock Market Game

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What it is:  The Stock Market Game gives students the chance to practice hands on real-world math.  Each student gets the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio.  While playing the game, students learn economic and financial concepts that they will use the rest of their lives.   The Stock Market Game is intended for students in 4-12 grades.  Teachers can register teams of 3 to 5 students.  Teachers can register for a FREE team, teachers who want to test out the game before using with their students can register for a FREE teacher team.  The cost for actually participating is $10 per team.  When teams register they will receive all game materials, state standards that are reached with the Stock Market Game, The math behind the market (units covering math concepts using the Stock Market Game), standards-based lesson plans using the local newspaper, two newspapers per team (Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday), daily accessiblity and support to the Stock Market Game coordinator and staff, an online learning resource center with teaching activities for various grade levels, and a free teacher team.  If you do decide to register students as a team, that $10 stretches far!

How to integrate Stock Market Game into the classroom:  Students constantly question how they will use math concepts in real life.  The Stock Market Game will give them a window into real-life use of mathematics.  Students will also gain valuable life skills that they can use outside of school, I wish that I had learned the basics of the stock market in the safety of the classroom using virtual money instead of actual money my first go round! 

 

Tips:   Prizes are awarded for winning teams, be sure to look into this soon if you plan on using in your classroom…there is some pre-preparation required.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Stock Market Game in your classroom.

Stretch Break for Kids

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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

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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.

James Patterson’s Read Kiddo Read

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on James Patterson’s Read Kiddo Read1798 views

What it is:  James Patterson’s Read Kiddo Read is a website dedicated to making kids readers for life.  This site has a wealth of good information and resources that will help you foster a love of reading in your classroom.  Read Kiddo Read has outstanding book lists for every age group.  These are tried and true favorites kids books.  In addition, Read Kiddo Read has some outstanding features such as a can’t miss reading list just for boys, and an “if your kid likes…” that matches up popular kids toys and movies with books that they may enjoy.  There is a great book-based lesson plan exchange that uses popular kids books as the basis for lessons.  Read Kiddo Read has some audio interviews with favorite children’s authors complete with a written transcript.

How to integrate Read Kiddo Read into the classroom:   I’m sure that you have encountered at least one student who was dead set against reading.  You make suggestions, walk the library together, ask about interests but just can’t seem to find the book that hooks them.  Read Kiddo Read is a site that will help you to crack the code for those students who just aren’t interested in reading.  Search books by age, books just for boys, and books matched to other interests, movies, and toys that a student enjoys.  You are bound to find something that they love.  Use the author interviews as an introduction to reading or writing.  Students will be inspired to write when they listen to stories of how the ‘pros’ do it.  Be sure to check out the outstanding library of lesson plans based on popular children’s books.  Read Kiddo Read is a great place to get inspired and put some excitement in your reading classroom.

 

Tips:  Be sure to register for free on the Read Kiddo Read website, you will become part of a great community of teachers and parents passionate about creating life long readers.

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

The Why Files

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on The Why Files1628 views

         

What it is:  Colorado has had some extreme weather conditions in the past week.  With tornadoes, rain, rainbows, and hail, The Why Files seemed like a fitting site to highlight today.  The Why Files bring science to life virtually.  Students can make rainbows, control a tornado, play with lightning, and build a snowflake.  If only the real weather was this easy to control!  The Why Files begin each interactive with a brief “why” of how the weather occurrence works, students can read all about the occurrence and even get a link where they can learn more.  The fun starts when the students enter the interactive where they can control the weather.

How to integrate The Why Files into the classroom:  The Why Files are amazing interactives that will help your students to better understand the science behind weather.  This is a great site to use with an interactive whiteboard, invite students to take turns interacting with the weather.  Read the paragraph before the interactive as a class.  After the students have ‘controlled’ the weather, go back to the information page and follow the link to additional information.  Your students will want to know more after playing with the interactive!  The Why Files makes a great science center on classroom comupters while students are learning the science behind weather.  Students can visit the center in teams and take notes in an observation journal recording their experiences about controlling the weather. 

 

Tips:  Check out some of the other goodies on the site: “The Why Files produces a new story each week, alternating longer features with shorter shorties. We also post a series of interactive science animations, the ever-popular “Cool Science Images,” and a series of Teacher Activity Pages linked to the national science teaching standards. Eager to explain the science behind the news, our home page reprises older stories that become relevant to the headlines.”

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Why Files in your classroom.