Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Site of the Week: April 30th

Site of the Week 4/30

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/map-puzzles.htm

This website helps students with developing map skills. Students can choose online map puzzles to complete for the following countries/ continents: United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada, Southeast Asia and Australia and North, South and Central America.

One of the biggest benefits to using this websites is that the difficulty level can be changed. For example, if students choose to do the United States map they will be given three options: states with outlines, states without outlines and/or capitals. I would say about 90% of my 5th and 6th graders need to use the states with out lines category. In this game students are given a map of the United States with each state being outlined but not filled in. They are then given just the outline of a state and its name where they are supposed to drag and drop it in the correct spot on the map.

STATE GOAL 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.

A. Locate, describe and explain places, regions and features on the Earth.
17.A.1b Identify the characteristics and pur­poses of geographic representations including maps, globes, graphs, photographs, software, digital images and be able to locate specific places using each.
17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information about people, places and environments.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Evidence Based Posting 4/23

Evidence Based Posting 4/23

I believe that virtual worlds such as Second Life will create a new world of opportunity for companies and retailers to advertise and in turn, build profit. Think about this: in October, 2006, Second Life welcomed its millionth resident. Now there are almost 6,000,000 users with 1,683,013 logging in, in just the last 60 days. The increase is astounding! If the amount of users logging in stayed the same, in one year there would be over 15,000,000 users.

As I walked through Second Life I’m astounded by the possibilities and opportunities businesses and individuals have to market towards avatars. For example, did anyone notice the Barack Obama sign outside of Dewey’s house? With the national election coming up I expect to see many more individuals promoting the candidate of their choice for president. And why not? There are over 5,000,000 people you can reach at the present time.

Right now in Second Life there are several companies making a presence there including: Nisson, Toyota, IBM, Adidas, Sun Microsystems etc. Dell even has its own island where avatars can purchase PCs for their real life or virtual PCs for their Second Life. Businesses can create quite a nice place in second life for practically no money at all. Making it a wise business decision, in terms of budget. Getting your message across to possibly millions of people for very little money at all seems like a no-brainer to me.

I am anxious to see what the future holds for marketing in Second Life.

Evidence:

Tom Krazit “Dell Opens Virtual Outpost in Second Life” 15 November 2006, <http://hardware.silicon.com/desktops/0,39024645,39164083,00.htm?r=1> (16 April, 2007)

Jo Best “How Second Life changes Customer Service” 10 April, 2007,
<http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2007/gb20070410_481047.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business> (17 April, 2007)

Thursday, April 12, 2007

HOTLIST

Hotlist of useful Internet Websites


For the Teacher:

http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html Filled with tools for teachers to create their own materials such as worksheets, puzzles and quizzes.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php An excellent tool for creating rubrics quickly and efficiently. You decide the subject and wording for your rubric.
http://www.education-world.com/tools_templates/index.shtml Tons of resources for teachers that include: awards and certificates, posters, holiday worksheets, bulletin board resources, etc.
http://suelebeau.com/freetools.htm A teacher names Sue Lebeau was kind enough to create this website to share and organize the internet resources she uses often. This website has many links to different useful websites. Resources on this website include: quiz generators, worksheets, flashcards, certificates, etc.
http://42explore.com/ This website has many different subject areas, from health and fitness to calligraphy! 4 websites are given for you to explore (hence the name of the website) to gather information.
http://home.att.net/~teaching/filecab.htm This is a website created by teacher, Laura Candler. She gathered many of the teaching materials that she’s created in all subject areas and shared them on this website. You can find worksheets, quizzes, center ideas etc.
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com Offers tips on successful classroom management, many unit, theme and lesson ideas, school graphics, free worksheets, etc.

For the Student:
Geography

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geospy The student is an “agent in training” for the Geospy Agency. They can choose from different games: continents, countries and/or states and provinces. Students are timed for each game and are given a place to find depending on the game.
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/map-puzzles.htm Free online map puzzles. I especially love the United States puzzle. It’s excellent for children learning the location of each state and their capitals.
http://www.mapquest.com We all know mapquest by now. I find it useful for my students as well when discussing locations and distance.
http://earth.google.com My students are amazed that they can pin point any place with an address on the planet using google earth.
http://wildernessclassroom.com/amazon A small team of explorers travel to South America on an educational journey down the Amazon River. The explorers keep students informed on their journey throughout the entire trip by updating their website. The explorers post a daily dilemma that students will help them solve. There are mystery photos and a rainforest library with an abundance of information.

STATE GOAL 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.
A. Locate, describe and explain places, regions and features on the Earth.
17.A.1a Identify physical characteristics of places, both local and global (e.g., locations, roads, regions, bodies of water).
17.A.1b Identify the characteristics and pur­poses of geographic representations including maps, globes, graphs, photographs, software, digital images and be able to locate specific places using each.
17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information about people, places and environments.


Kid Friendly Search Engines

http://www.kids.ithaki.net A meta-search engine for kids.
http://www.factmonster.com Tons of facts on almost any topic you can think of.
http://www.kidsclick.org Created by librarians, there are many topic and subtopics that make it extremely easy for students to find what they are looking for.
http://www.ipl.org/youth A wealth of information for students.

Health/Nutrition

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/activities-main.asp A favorite of my students. This website has 9 nutrition games that students absolutely love. One of them includes a game with Mungo the monster. You need to throw healthy food in his mouth and then answer a bonus question on nutrition for more time to be added so that your game will not be over.
http://exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition/sleuth/sleuth.html There are seven “victims” that are each missing an important nutrient. The student has to read that victims case book and then guess the missing nutrient.
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~cthompso You choose what food goes on your plate. You then rate it based on the food pyramid and dietary guidelines.

STATE GOAL 22: Understand principles of health promotion and the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.
B. Describe and explain the factors that influence health among individuals, groups and communities.
22.B.1 Encourage and support others in making positive health choices (e.g., eating practices, cleanliness, safety practices).



Math

http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html My first site of the week website! This website has 25 math games for students to play that include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division etc.
http://education.jlab.org/smdeluxe/index.html The computer gives you 4 digits and it’s up to the student to create an equation as quickly as possible. Can be played with a single player or against others.
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/ArithmeticFour/?version=1.5.0_06&browser=MSIE&vendor=Sun_Microsystems_Inc. Based on the classic board game Connect Four except played with math problems against an opponent. The object is to get four circles in a row while blocking your opponent from doing the same.
www.lexington1.net/Technology/instruct/ppts/mathppts/geometry/Geometry-Grade4.ppt A great interactive geometry Powerpoint that is actually a game played like jeopardy. This would be great for the teacher to use with the entire class as a review.
http://www.rainforestmaths.com Interactive math activities. You pick the grade level. Grade 6 has over 200 activities!
http://www.thinkingblocks.com/TryIt.html Gives word problems and base 10 blocks to help you solve. There is even a math tutor that helps you with every movement of the blocks.

STATE Goal 6: Demonstrate and apply a knowledge and sense of numbers, including numeration and operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), patterns, ratios and proportions.
B. Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts, operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and their properties, algorithms and relationships.
6.B.1 Solve one- and two-step problems with whole numbers using addition, subtrac­tion, multiplication and division.
6.B.2 Solve one- and two-step problems involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

C. Compute and estimate using mental mathematics, paper-and-pencil methods, calculators and computers.
6.C.1a Select and perform computational procedures to solve problems with whole numbers.
6.C.2a Select and perform computational procedures to solve problems with whole numbers, fractions and decimals.



Reading/Language Arts

http://www.starfall.com Excellent for young students learning to read. Focus is on phonics and it is interactive!
http://www.tumblebooks.com Although you do need a membership, this is a great resource. There are many of stories that are read aloud. It’s great for a listening center. I actually use one of the stories “Little Red in Cyber Space” as an introduction to the Internet for my students.
http://bookadventure.org This is a FREE motivational reading program for students. It’s run by Sylvan Learning. Students can create their own book lists, there are quizzes already made and students get sent FREE prizes upon completion of their book list!
http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/lls/library/kids/kids_booklists.html Kids reviews on all different genres of books.
http://pbskids.org/stopandgo A Fantastic websites for primary students. Students look at pictures of their favorite characters from Arthur and help to write a story based on the pictures. They can even choose to get help from one of their favorite characters.
http://www.storylineonline.net One of my personal favorites! This website has real actors and actresses such as Jason Alexander and Camryn Manheim read popular stories aloud to students.

STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
A. Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections.
1.A.1a Apply word analysis skills (e.g., phonics, word patterns) to recognize new words.
1.A.2a Read and comprehend unfamiliar words using root words, synonyms, antonyms, word origins and derivations.
1.A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials.
1.A.2b Clarify word meaning using context clues and a variety of resources including glossaries, dictionaries and thesauruses.

B. Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
1.B.1a Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas, and link text to previous experiences and knowledge.
1.B.2a Establish purposes for reading; survey materials; ask questions; make predictions; connect, clarify and extend ideas.
1.B.1b Identify genres (forms and purposes) of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and electronic literary forms.
1.B.1d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.

C. Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
1.C.1b Identify important themes and topics.

STATE GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
A. Use correct grammar, spell­ing, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3.A.1 Construct complete sentences which demon­strate subject/verb agreement; appro­priate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech.




Social Studies/ History

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/battlelines/index_good.html A truly amazing website that has actual letters to and from soldiers at war over 200 years ago. Students can choose from letters on enlisting, comforts of home, love, combat and the end of war. The letters are shown with the original handwriting and all. A great feature of this website is that when you scroll over each sentence the handwriting turns to print making it easier to read.
http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/history/inventing/interface/ch18/ch18_features.htm This website has stories from immigrants who traveled through Ellis Island. There is audio documents, posters, maps and video.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/voices/holocaust.html Holocaust survivors tell their stories about life before the holocaust, deportation, the camps, resistance and liberation.

STATE GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
B. Read and interpret a variety of literary works.
2.B.1a Respond to literary materials by connecting them to their own experience and communicate those responses to others.

STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.
A. Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.

16.A.1a Explain the difference between past, present and future time; place themselves in time.
16.A.2a Read historical stories and determine events which influenced their writing.
16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources).
16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways.


Current Events

http://www.nytimes.com/learning Current events for grades 3-12.
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK Kids love to read their weekly Time for Kids. Now they can view it online if their teacher doesn’t have a subscription. There is also a teacher section with graphic organizers, worksheets and mini-lessons.
http://kidsnewsroom.org My favorite section on this website is elections in the U.S. It has great information for kids on all of the elections going on in our country.

STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
B. Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
1.B.1d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.



Miscellaneous

http://www.unitedstreaming.com A subscription based website that has the largest K-12 video clip library available today. You can find a video on virtually any topic you can think of. My favorite part of this website is that you can show an entire video or choose to show a clip of a video.
http://www.jigzone.com Online jigsaw puzzles where you can choose the level of difficulty and the puzzle you’d like to make. I used this website when my school had a family game night. Students were showing their parents and brothers and sisters how to play. It was a definite success as it is appropriate for all age levels.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/investigate/weather_maker.htm Students can investigate how weather is made. Kids can make a blizzard or a thunder storm.
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter Students can explore liquids, solids and gases and get information on each state of matter.
http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/adventure.php Students can go on virtual fieldtrips. You can choose where you’d like to go based on grade or subject area. Many of the fieldtrips even have games to go along with them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing An introduction to typing. Kids love this website! There are funny characters that guide students along their way that the kids really enjoy.
http://askanexpert.com There are hundreds of real world experts in all different careers that will answer your questions.
http://pbskids.org/license Teaches kids Internet safety and gives students a “web license”.STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
C. Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
1.B.1d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

April 16th, Site of the Week: http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html

http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html

This website has fantastic math games for children grades 1-8. There are 25 games that focus on a variety of areas including: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.
Students need to play the games in order unless they they have passwords to move ahead. The math arcade has great graphics for kids and the games are actually fun to play.

I like to have my kids use this website in the computer lab when they finish a project.

Illinois Learning Standards
Math

State Goal 6: Demonstrate and apply a knowledge and sense of numbers, including numeration and operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), patterns, ratios and proportions.
B: Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts, operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and their properties, algorithms and relationships.
6.B.2: Solve one and two step problems involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals using fractions and decimals using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.