Author: Jacqui
Edublog Nominee
The 2014 Edublog Awards is a community based initiative started in 2004 in response to concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were blocking access to educational blog sites. The purpose of the Edublog awards is promote and demonstrate the educational values of these. Once a year, about this time of year, we bloggers get ten days to nominate our favorites in categories that include:
- Individual Blog
- Group Blog
- New Blog
- Class Blog
- Student Blog
- EdTech Blog
- Teacher Blog
- Library/Librarian Blog
- Administrator Blog
- Influential Post
- Individual Tweeter
- Twitter Hashtag
- Free Web Tool
- Video/Podcasts
- Educational Wiki
- Best Open PD
- Social Network
- Mobile App
- Lifetime Achievement
22 Reading Websites
These cover elementary school through high school (sites like Open Library and Gutenberg Press where students can get free copies of books they need for class):
Read Stories
- Aesop Fables—no ads
- Aesop’s Fables
- Audio stories
- Childhood Stories
- Classic Fairy Tales
- Edutainment games and stories
- Fables—Aesop—nicely done
- Fairy Tales and Fables
- Project Gutenberg
- Listen/read–Free non-fic audio books
- Magic Keys–stories for youngers
- Mighty Book
- Open Library
- RAZ Kids–wide variety of reading levels, age groups, with teacher dashboards
- Starfall
- Stories read by actors
- Stories to read–II
- Stories to read—International Library
- Story time–visual
- Teach your monster to read (free)
- Tumblebooks (fee)
- Ziggity Zoom Stories
The Power of Symbols–What does ‘Turkey’ mean?
Here’s an authentic use of technology to support discussion on math, language standards, and the holidays. As a summation to your discussion with students on symbols, idiomatic expressions, geography, farms, or another topic, post this on your Smartscreen. The poll includes lots of definitions for the word ‘turkey’–from objective to idiomatic. Have each student come up some time during the day (or class) and make their choice.
[polldaddy poll=7398424]
Did your students come up with other definitions I didn’t list?
Today we Honor Veterans
In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLa0jm-NQ4k&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLjOP-tITak&w=420&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K65CRWTaE8s&w=420&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxipGYkYuy8&w=420&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s8Z4DspcO0&w=420&h=315]
How Do You Grade Tech? I Have 14 Ideas
It used to be simple to post grades. Add up test scores and see what the student earned. Very defensible. Everyone understood.
It’s not that way anymore. Now we’re looking for understanding, transfer of knowledge, scaffolding for future learning, habits of mind, depth of knowledge, and a general preparedness for college and/or career. Here are factors I consider when I’m determining grades:
- Does s/he remember skills from prior lessons as they complete current lessons?
- Does s/he show evidence of learning by using tech class knowledge in classroom or home?
- Does s/he participate in class discussions?
- Does s/he complete daily goals (a project, visit a website, watch a tutorial, etc.)?
- Does s/he save to their digital portfolio?
16 Thanksgiving Sites For Your Students
Need a few websites to fill in sponge time? Here are Thanksgiving sites that will keep students busy and still teach them:
- Canadian Thanksgiving
- Online/Offline Thanksgiving activities
- Plimoth Plantation–a field trip of a Pilgrim’s life. Included on this real-life site is a video of the Pilgrim’s crossing to the New World.
- Starfall–Silly Turkey
- Thanksgiving edu-websites–CybraryMan
- Thanksgiving Games
- Thanksgiving games–Quia
- Thanksgiving information–history, more
- Thanksgiving Jigsaw
- Thanksgiving Jigsaw II
- Thanksgiving Lesson Plans
- Thanksgiving puzzle–by Digipuzzle
- Thanksgiving Tic-tac-toe
- Thanksgiving video–Brainpop
- Thanksgiving Wordsearch
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice reviewer, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today and TeachHUB, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
updated 12-23-18
A Holiday Flier in Publisher
This is the only project that’s easier than the holiday card in Publisher I shared on Monday. There’s no folding and the templates are bright, colorful and exciting for kids as young as second grade: (more…)
3 education tools you don’t want to miss
Here are three tools that work-around problems you have every week–maybe every day–in your classes. Sit down with a cuppa and be prepared to be wowed.
Need a Halloween Costume? I have that
Every year, I struggle with a Halloween costume. The teams of grade-level teachers always have themed looks—the Three Bears or Eeenie Meenie Minie and Moe–but I don’t have a team. I also don’t have kids at home to inspire me into painting my hair pink or my nails black.
A few years ago, I found the solution, and now–no worries. Even if it slips by my consciousness until I arrive at school on our Halloween Parade Day to the sight of goblins, Dr Who’s and other fantasies, I’m ready. Here’s my costume:
47 Visual Learning Options for your PBL
Here’s a wide variety of visual learning options for your students, from graphs to infographics,
Google Voice
Price: Free
Rating: 5/5
Overview
Google Voice is a web-based phone service that works through your current phone or your computer. It’s free, and available through a Google account (if you have Gmail, you’re eligible). Incoming calls can be forwarded to your cell or landline (or both) or ring through your computer-based Google Voice account. Voicemails and text messages are transcribed and sent to your Gmail address. Outgoing calls can be made through the website or by calling your handset (smartphone or landline) first, then it calls the number you entered. Here’s what the dashboard looks like (intentionally blurred in spots):
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