22- Web 2.0 sites

Padlet * -A blank wall where you can type anything you want and students can log in and comment. This would be helpful to get student input on certain topics. Stormboard -You can have questions and the students can vote on if they like the comment or not. They can also answer the questions. You have to get a code and log in first. This seems like it could be useful, but you may have a problem with everyone getting the codes. Kidtopia -Contains different libraries for different subjects and provides you with resources to help with each one. This would be helpful to gather information about certain topics and to allow the students to explore the topics themselves. instagrok * -Combination of a concept map and a search engine. Gives you a concept map with key facts and reference websites it also has quizzes on the various topics. This would be helpful to give the students to use for a research project. slimekids -a directory for a bunch of different search engines for kids. Gives academic information on topics that you choose. Contains an authors page where you can go to certain authors' websites and learn more about them. This would be helpful when teaching how to search for appropriate information on the internet. wikisummarizer * -Provides summaries to articles on Wikipedia. Gives a concept map that can also be viewed in tree view. You can edit the maps. This would be good to use to help students navigate Wikipedia since they're going to use it anyway. pearltrees * -A combination of Pinterest and a concept map. Combining your thoughts into a "pearl tree". This seems very interesting. You could have the students compile a pearl tree on an educational subject. netvibes -Kinda like pearl trees, a combination of Pinterest and a Google search. You can sign up for free, but there are limits. This would be good to use for the same stuff as pearltree. Glogster * -A place to make online poster boards. You can also make timelines. This would be helpful for students trying to get all of their information in one place. It also provides them with templates for different things. Audacity - You can record speeches, videos, audio, etc. It is difficult to use because you have to have certain download capabilities. You could record your classes and give it to students that have trouble paying attention in class. Vimeo -Create and share videos, almost like Youtube. Maybe you could use it to create videos of your class and let the parents see them (with permission, of course), or let the students create their own videos of a certain project. wordpress.com -It is a blog site. You can create blogs, share blogs, follow friends, explore topics, etc. This would maybe be a good idea to use to have students create their own blogs and do projects, as well as follow some educational blogs. evernote * -You can take notes on it while in class and search any document that you already have. It would be easy to organize and keep up with notes. This would be good to use in a school where students all have electronics if they prefer to take notes on their computers. compfight -Almost like Google Images, used for locating images, research, etc. It seems to give a better selection. This might be good to use to find certain things that you may not want students to search on Google. diigo -Build a library and build a cloud of links, ideas, notes, etc.This would be good to use to share things with other teachers. blabberize -insert images and construct a mouth that says the words you give it to say. You could use it for your classroom to grab students' attention, or assign it as a project and have the students teach a lesson to the class using it. easel.ly * -make charts or concept maps or diagrams. Students can use them to make charts or teachers can use them to present ideas. animoto -upload pictures and audio and make your own videos or add backgrounds to pictures. The free version only allows for up to like 30 seconds. This is kind of like Vine, it seems. This would be an interesting way to get children to learn to use technology, and a small project that could be used at the beginning of the year to get students interested in technology. bookbuilder -read books, create and share books, etc. You can filter books by grade level and change the languages. This would be good to use to make a book for your students or to have them make their own books. weebly * -a website that helps you make your own websites. They come with cool backgrounds and templates, and you can use audio and video, easy to use. This would be a good site to use to make a webpage for your class or to have students make their own websites. storyboard generator (acmi) - gives a lot of educational videos that you can use in your classroom, you can also create your own... maybe. It seems like a slide show type thing. tagul * -This is like Wordle but not as restricted. You can use different designs and things. This would be fun to use for a class project or to find the students' overall feelings on a certain topic. edmodo * -This is like Facebook for teachers. You can ask other educators questions and get resources on different topics. This would be good to use to stay connected to other teachers.You can create a classroom and have your students make student profiles and keep them updated on stuff. socrative * -teachers can use it to make quizzes and games for students. This site is free and easy for the class to join. This would be a good way to involve the students in technology in the classroom. podbean -like iTunes Podcast. You could post your lessons or lectures for your students to have access to, but only a certain amount is free. pixton -make your own comic strips. You could use this to make comics for your students or have students make their own. iCloud * -You can look through and create documents and spreadsheets that can be used as grade books. This could help keep all of your class items organized and in one place.

21-Let's Be Safe! Kids

https://sites.google.com/site/letsbesafekids/

20- Response to "Common Core in Action..."

This article, "Common Core in Action: How Two Science Teachers are Implementing Common Core", is about two science teachers in New York that are trying to find methods to use to teach science while also meeting the standards of the Common Core. They decided to experiment using LDC (Literacy Design Collaborative). They gave their students academic articles about certain topics that they wanted them to learn about and then got them to write an essay answering a prompt. The prompt asked the students to compare two different sources of energy and tell which ones were the best or which ones are easier to use in certain situations and populations. They decided to use this method because of their struggles making sure the standards for science are met. These standards are geared more towards writing and gathering information, things that are easier to teach in a language arts or social studies classroom. I found this article to be interesting. I liked that the teachers were going outside of the norm and willing to change their teaching skills to do what needed to be done. If I decided to teach middle to upper grades, I would teach English, which is a subject that should be fairly easy to teach and also meet standards. I imagine that it would be a little harder to meet the science standards if they are based on reading and writing. I like that these teachers are taking a proactive role in trying to ensure their students succeed.