As the year winds down, well for year round, as the year winds down then starts back up the next week! You start to plan out for next school year. We had an amazing PD this school year and a lot of our teachers stepped up and led each of these sessions. We also had a great Tech Team that led our technology PD too. Their PD, using twitter as a resource, and having discussions with teachers from their EOY Evals, made me think that it would be beneficial to start "Tech Tuesdays" or "Tech Thursdays". Myself and Mr. Jones, our fourth grade teacher, are starting small Tech Days.
During the course of the school year, we are going to demonstrate additional resources that we think teachers would like using in their classroom. At this time, teachers will have the option to learn about useful technology platforms. A lot of technology can be overwhelming, so we want to offer the option to learn about programs that will help make life easier in the classroom! It is not mandatory and teachers can come out and see the programs that they want. We started with a survey to gain understanding of what technology teachers need extra help with or just need to tinker with a little more. We might be leading a tech day, but our teachers will also lead these tech days to share and learn from each other. We have a great group of teachers that want to learn and want to learn from their colleagues. To say the least, I am excited for what's ahead. Below is a list I compiled from twitter educators I follow. The sites below are just a small example of the things we will be sharing, enjoy : )
1. Google Art Project
Explore this database of paintings, artifacts, and sculptures. Create your gallery, compare and contrast paintings, and go on a virtual eld trip.
> Web: www.googleartproject.com
> iOS: goo.gl/vhEEM2
Pro Tip: Use Street View to explore in 360
2. World Wonders
Journey through the wonders of the world via pictures, videos, and get to ground level with street view.
3. Digital version of building with LEGOs.
Check out the academy, and sign in to locate your builds.
4. CS First
Coding club content and resources. You don’t need to know how to program to teach it, learn it or use it.
5. Docs Story Builder
A web tool for creating stories with friends; add music and text only. Great for writing assignments!
> Web: docsstorybuilder.appspot.com
Pro Tip: Save your link if you don’t log in.
6. NIK Collection
Photo editing plug-ins for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture. Use these tools to make adjustments
to the color and tonality of images.
> Web: www.google.com/nikcollection
Reading
Use this site when you have a very specific amount of time to fill. ReadWriteThink has ideas that range in length from 5-minute writing prompts that can kick off an assignment to multi-week units. The calendar activities section is packed with ways to tie your reading and writing lessons to seasons, notable people, and multicultural holidays.
Have a question about teaching reading and writing? You can probably find a well-researched answer to it on the Reading Rockets site. Spend some time watching professional development videos by education experts, and gather tips to better serve children with disabilities and English Language Learners. You will also find book lists, author interviews, and lesson ideas.
Browse thousands of lesson plans by grade level and subject. Many of the reading and language arts lessons tie into other subject areas as well. The Book Wizard is a brilliant tool for finding titles for hard-to-please readers and students who are above or below grade level. Check the Top Teaching blog for a mix of fresh ideas from teachers in the field.
This is a good resource when you have readers who are difficult to reach. Find lists of kid-friendly comics and books that address diversity, or find an interview with a student’s favorite author. The site also provides news about education research, policy, and more.
Research
Diigo
Math
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provides this site with lesson plans, online games, and brainteasers. The lesson plans include Common Core standards, assessments, and links to related lessons. Fair warning: If you start reading the brainteasers, you might find it hard to stop.
Check out the “problems of the month” section for questions meant to get students to think deeply about math. There are also assessments for second through fifth grades, all tied to Common Core standards. The site offers teaching support with example videos of successful classroom lessons.
You will find hundreds of math games and activities here that are ready to be printed for your students. This site shines in explaining the many ways you can integrate math in your classroom, with sections on math journals, math centers, and mental math.
You will find material on all of the core subjects here, including a comprehensive math section. The math worksheets are organized by topic and can be printed. Students can use the free games without registration.
Welcome to Addition and Subtraction Math Flashcard Match, a set of energetic and common core compliant math challenges designed by teachers to motivate and build confidence in kids learning addition and subtraction!’
Other
Need some fresh ideas quickly? Discovery Education offers free lesson plans in every core subject area. The plans come with an activity, evaluation tools, a list of vocabulary words, and links to academic standards. Sign up for one of the virtual field trips, which allow your students to see new places and hear expert speakers via video.
You’re probably aware of the dozens of education shows on PBS. Now you can easily find clips from those shows to share with students, along with support activities and links to academic standards. You can search by grade and subject matter.
This is a great site for teachers who want to dig deeply into a subject. Find lesson plans in all of the core subjects, along with historical documents and photographs. Your students can even watch interviews with researchers who work for the Smithsonian. Check out the “field trips” tab for ways to enrich off-campus journeys.
The New York Times produces this blog that offers lesson plans tied to stories in the news. Categories include the core subjects, along with topics such as economics, health, and journalism. Check for age-appropriateness because the blog offers content for students from third grade through high school. And, yes, there are crossword puzzles.
This single player board game offers online skill training with no power source required. There are 60 logic puzzles to solve as the player navigates a variety of difficulty levels. It’s all about figuring out the coding sequence to reach the next level. While touted as a single player game, pairs or groups could take turns or work together to enter the next fantasy world. With the non-tech price tag, multiple sets could be used in a classroom, and this is the perfect solution for teaching coding when the Internet is not available!
Gaming
Specials
This site, associated with The Kennedy Center, shows how art, music, dance, and history can be incorporated in classroom lessons. The site includes thorough lesson plans with links to videos.
The museum provides lesson plans based on art from its collection. Search for ideas by grade level, culture, and skill. Many of the lessons include videos and links to other learning resources.
If you need breadth, this is the website for you. Teachnology has lesson plans, worksheets, and a bundle of other resources on a range of subjects, including music, physical education, art, and drama.
Compose Yourself — This system is tech savvy music to our ears. Produced by Think Fun, this interactive music composition set has kids of all ages creating their own musical stylings. The music cards contain a variety of notes and tempos. Cards are arranged in any chosen order, and when card codes are inputted on the website, the masterpiece plays. Kids can then lengthen, shorten, or rearrange a piece to their liking and even add lyrics. This one gets an A for taking STEM to STEAM!
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