Fireworks

Are you getting ready for the 4th of July. Click on the title of this post or go here to make your own fireworks display. Just the thing to keep neighbors from complaining...no trips to the emergency room...and no loud noises to scare the pets! Enjoy some fun!

My Search Story

Finally...a search story. I've been wanting to play with this for a long time and today was the day!!
Now you try it by heading over to YouTube

Math In A Minute

Here's a great gadget shared on Twitter this morning by @Skipz from @DougPete. Actually I ended up finding the gadget on a great website, My Math Site. Then I searched a bit and found the gadget was made by Jan Gombert.Enjoy the skill builders and be sure to share them with your students.

MeeGenius Library

Oh my, I love this site and if you work with younger students, you will love this site, too! The MeeGenius Library has books with audio. As the words are read, they are highlighted for the students. Right now they have a small collection of books however I am sure they will continue to add to the library. Check it out by clicking on the title of the post or clicking here.

Let's Make Some Interactives!

Find Ten!

Jeopardy

Speed Match Quiz Game

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Board Game Review

Word Mix

Interesting Videos

I love Ted Talks and I have blogged about this site before. Today I learned about some similar sites thanks to Jim Gates and thought you might be interested. You could use some of the videos in the classroom but these sites are really for you. Some of the videos are inspiring, some are educational, some are fascinating, and all will teach you something new.

Click here for Ted Talks.

Click here for PopTech.

Click here for ForaTV.

Enjoy!

Resources

These are listings of sites where you might find interactives to align with your CSOs.

e-Learning for Kids

Calculation Nation

Thinfinity

Kindersay

Math Games

Math in Action Videos

Math is Fun

Math Zone

Math TV

Elementary Math Games

Vector Kids

Active Maths

Math Live

Teacher Led

The Interactive Math Classroom

Fuel the Brain

Learning Games for Kids

Math and Reading Help for kids

Learn with Math Games

Primary Games

Math/Science Nucleus

Story Cove-Great story videos and associated resources

Science Up Close

Build Your own Volcano

Quia-Go to Shared Activities

My Story Maker

Here's a new site I just found this morning thanks to @skipz on Twitter. Carnegie Mellon Library has put together a wonderful story maker for students. It is complete with characters, settings, actions, emotions, and scenery. It starts writing the story but asks students questions to help them expand the sentences. This looks like something kids would love to use and a great way to work on their writing.

Students may preview their story, print it or publish it to the Carnegie Mellon Library website. I don't see a way to embed it in a blog but I'll keep looking for that and let you know when I find it.

The What-if Question Genie

This is a great site to help with ideas for writing. The genie helps come up with a what if question. Students read the question and write. If they don't like the question, all they need do is click on the genie to get a new what if question.

Here are some of the questions listed. Cute and fun!

What if an opera singer was saved by a huge kid?
What if a monkey tackled a recipe?
What if a millionaire lost a job because of a school?

CNN Student News

Direct from the site...
"CNN Student News is a ten-minute, commercial-free, daily news program for middle and high school students produced by the journalists and educators at CNN. This award-winning show and its companion Web site are available free of charge throughout the school year.

At CNNStudentNews.com, you'll find a wealth of teacher materials presented free of charge, including Daily Transcripts for each show, Daily Discussion questions, the Media Literacy Question of the Day, in-depth Learning Activities, downloadable Maps and additional support materials to help students understand the news.

In addition, the educators at CNN offer Discussion Guides for CNN documentaries and initiatives, including Black in America, Latino in America and CNN Heroes."

Check this out for the most recent news video.

The Week in Rap Special

In honor of graduating seniors, the Week in Rap team has put together a video of the last 18 years in rap. Watch and remember...

The Last 18 Years In Rap from Week in Rap on Vimeo.

Jonathan Bird's Blue World

Jonathan Bird's Blue World is a wonderful site that explores the oceans. You'll find webisodes, study guides, sea stories and links. Check out the videos on sharks, sea cows, shipwrecks and killer clams. You'll find loads of videos and support materials to extend your study of the ocean.

Fire Mountain

Enjoy a West VIrginia foltale retold by some of our students!

El'Rabo

Enjoy our West Virgina folktale, El'Rabo

My Practice Pop-Up Book

Remember ZooBurst? Well I decided to give it a try today and made my first pop-up book. It's not really a book. It's just one page but I had fun trying it out. I've tried to edit the html code so it will fit but I have had some trouble with that. Check it out below and move the book slightly so you can see all three objects and their speech bubbles. I'll keep trying to make changes so it fits correctly!

Flash Mobs

I don't know about you but I love this flash mob thing that I've watched on YouTube. I have great hopes that someday I will be someplace and I will see a live flash mob! Maybe I'll even join them! Watch this video and I am sure you will be smiling. Don't forget to keep reading this post though because I have something else to share about this video!



TeacherHub shares videos with suggested writing prompts to use in the classroom. Unfortunately the videos are usually from YouTube which is blocked at our school but the concept is so great I wanted to share the video and the prompts. Copied directly from their site, here are the prompts:

Sound of Music Dance Writing Prompts

Grades K-2: Describe Dancing List 3 adjectives to describe how dancing makes you feel (optional: in complete sentences). Bonus: Draw a picture of someone dancing!

Grades 3-5: Contageous Rhythm If you were in the train station, would you have joined the dancers? Why do you think so many different kinds of people (young & old, boys & girls) joined in?

Grades 6-8: Ballroom Brainstorm There are many different kinds of dances. Brainstorm as many forms of dancing as you can. What do all of those dances have in common?

Grades 9-12: Compare Performances Is this surprise performance more entertaining than a scheduled dance recital at at theater? Why or why not?

I've posted about TeacherHub before but if you haven't checked it out and signed up for their e-newsletter you can click here to do that.

The New Thinkfinity

I've posted about Thinkfinity in the past and I hope you are using it for teaching resources. You can get to the site by clicking on the title of this post.

Thinkfinity has been redesigned and has some new features. You can now search by West Virginia Content Standard and you can bookmark your favorite finds. You can also share what you've found with other teachers. Watch this video to hear about all the changes on Thinkfinity. Just click here to go to the WVDE site to watch the video.

The Number System

Want some neat games for kids? The Game Classroom has lots of interactive games for grades K-6. Click here to go to The Game Classroom. Check out this 3rd grade game targeting place value. Sorry that I couldn't make it larger for you but you can find this game by going to The Game Classroom and clicking on Grade 3.

ZooBurst

The world is abuzz these days with news of a new Web2.0 tool. ZooBurst is an online digital storytelling tool. You can make a 3D pop-up book! To go to ZooBurst just click on the title of this posting or click here. You will need to sign up for the site and request a log-in.

Diamante Poems

This is our first swipe at using VoiceThread. We had a great time and can't wait to use it again.

Enjoy 5th Grade's Voice Thread with their pictures and poems!

Grade 4 Projects

Mrs. Flesher's students just did some great projects. Check this out. Turn on the sound and enjoy!

fillanypdf

I spent lots of money several years ago to get a program that allows me to upload a PDF and fill it in right on my computer. I was thrilled to finally have a tool that saved me from printing out the form, filling it in by hand and then faxing it to the recipient. BUT...it costs lots of money. fillanypdf is a free web 2.0 tool that does the same thing and did I say it is free, free, free! Here's a quote directly from their site:

"FillAnyPDF.com is a website where you upload your PDF form and link to it so other people can fill it out and sign it online. No software is needed. Any PDF form can be used, even if it's not "interactive", so you can get started right away. You can even invite a group to fill out your forms and track the results. Anyone that collects signatures or filled out forms will find FillAnyPDF.com to be a valuable time-saving resource."

Try is out by clicking here. I think you'll find it very useful.

reBlog from Dkapuler: Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

I found this fascinating quote today:

Explore is an excellent site for getting great educational videos. This site reminds me a lot of United Streaming but free. Once a person finds a video they are interested in they can either download it to their computer or view it on the web. These videos fall into different categories such as: environmental, human rights, health, philosophy, etc etc. Another great feature is that the films are broken down by grade level and there is a great photo area as well!!Dkapuler, Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero, Apr 2010

You should read the whole article.

A Travelers Guide to the Planets

The Educational Technology Guy shared a great science resource today from National Geographic. A Travelers Guide to the planet is an interactive resource that allows you and your students to study any of the planets. Pluto is still included however Earth is not listed. Click on the title of this post or here to go to the site. It takes a few seconds to load so be patient. The first screen will open with Mercury. Here you may learn more about that planet by clicking on visit or any of the buttons near the bottom. To check out another planet click on the symbols below the picture. Make sure you find the forward button near the bottom so the info can be read aloud. I am impressed and plan to use this right away with a 4th grade classroom.

Lightning Bug

Lightning Bug looks like a neat site to use for writing. The tag line says it all..."Your writing partner, helping you write a story from beginning to the end." First click on the title of the post to go to Lightning Bug. Take some time to explore this site by clicking on headings on the home page. Scroll to the bottom and find some other links that target writing. Great resource!

BrainPop Jr.

I love BrainPop and BrainPop Jr.. Both are great sites with engaging videos for students. The problem is that there is a cost for membership. If you haven't ever looked at these sites, take a peek today. Notice that they have a trial subscription so you can look at it for a week to decide if you want to purchase a subscription. I feel the price is reasonable for the product however I usually don't share sites that cost. What I want you to do is click here or go to the title of this post. Find Free Stuff on the home page of BrainPop Jr. and click on that. You'll find some great resources to use in the classroom. I was interested in the Internet Safety video and the other one on Bullying. Then I decided to go over and visit BrainPop. Not only do they have the trial subscription but they have free stuff there too! If you keep looking there is a free page of resources for educators. I'm saving up for a classroom subscription for next year but in the meantime, I'll use the free resources available to all teachers. Lots there! Enjoy!

Chalkboard Paint

I've been reading a lot about using chalkboard paint and was thinking I might like to paint a table using it. That's an idea I got from Instructables. As I was reading the directions, there was a link to Lisa Stewart's blog, Creative Goddess. She has a great video explaining how to make your own chalkboard paint with any color paint. Think about a blue or red wall in your classroom...one you can write on with a piece of chalk! And then you can erase it! WOW!

I'm adding Lisa's video here but it is on youTube so you will need to watch it at home. Thanks to Lisa Stewart for her great directions on making chalkboard paint! Don't forget that you click on the title of the post or click here to go directly to Lisa's blog.

Writing Fun

Jenny Eather has put together a great website to help students with their writing. Jenny gives lots of info and support for the writing process with on-line writing, downloads and printables. She has text organizers for all types of writing. I was expecially interested in the poetry section and I was impressed with the many types of poetry. The email section gives an explanation and lots of samples. Every type of writing is included from informational to descriptive to persuasive and more. Check it out to see if you agree that this is one of the best writing sites around.

When you open the site by clicking on the title of the post or here, you will be directed to the home page. Make sure you spend a bit of time reading over the directions for using the site. Once you move to another section, the menu will be on the right side, small and in the middle. Click there to return to the home page.

I'm adding this site to the pages for grades 4/5 and 6/7/8 but check it out if you teach younger students. I think you'll find lots to use here.

Worlds’ Fastest and Slowest Land Animals

Worlds’ Fastest and Slowest Land Animals

Michael, Michael, Go Recycle!

Michael, Michael Go Recycle !

Online Games

Wolfram Alpha

I've shared this site before but I think you will appreciate this 14 minute video which explains this knowledge engine. Wolfram Alpha is not the typical search engine. Instead of giving you tons of links for continued research, it actually gives you the information. The site developer shares how to use the site in the video. All you have to do is click on the title of this post to go to the video. It will start automatically but you can go to the bottom to stop and start the video. Just for fun, after you watch the video, go here to the site. Type in your birth date and see what information you get. Check back soon to learn more about Wolfram Alpha and their education site.

Teacher Zone

Now this is exciting for grades 3-10 teachers of math. This site has a huge collection of videos which teach math skills. Here's what is so exciting. The YouTube videos listed on the site may be viewed in an alternate program. So with YouTube blocked at our school, we have no worries about being able to use them. There is a simple button to click right above the screen. Now that is EXCITING...well at least it is to me!!

You have to register for the site however that took me less than 1 minute. They sent me a password and I was searching for videos and watching one on elapsed time in less than 5 minutes!

Click on the title to sign up or go here for Teacher Zone and get started today!!

10 Tiny Turtles

Watch this neat animation and then check out the link at the bottom to see more videos.



Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at Aniboom

Happy Holidays from Edinburgh

I hope you are all enjoying a spring holiday. Kip and I are having a great time in Scotland and you can follow our travels at http://mountaintoptechie.blogspot.com/ I won't be adding much content here but I will be busy with the Travels with the Boones' blog. Join me there for the next week!

Comic Maker

I just love Read, Write, Think! Have I ever mentioned that??? Here's an interactive to use for making comics. Just click right here! It even starts off with a giggle. Try it and let me know what you think.

More Poetry Sites

Enjoy writing poetry with your students using these sites.

Poetry Splatter is simple to use. First you choose a poem title from the list. When the poem opens, you will have to fill in the blanks with words that are splattered onto the screen. All age groups are included.

Acrostic Poem is from Read, Write, Think. Keep in mind that you have to complete this in one sitting. You are not given the option to save but you may print it. Looks like there will be space for students to draw a picture after it is printed.

Diamante Poem is also from Read, Write, Think. Same info as above pertains to this interactive.

Another resource from Read, Write, Think is Shape Poem. Use this link here for tips and more information about how to use the Shape Poem interactive.

Off the Charts is a neat site from PBS. It allows you to write a poem and turn it into a song. PBS provides the music. Looks like fun to me!

Poetry

Grade 6-8 have finished the WestTest On-Line writing. Please keep writing with the students though! Have a little fun with poetry now and head over to these two sites to help you and your students write poems.

Poetry4Kids
Giggle Poetry

Don't forget that WestTest Language always has a lengthy poem for students to read and then questions about the selection. Students have difficulty understanding poetry and a little review within the classroom will go a long way to helping them on their tests. Here are several sites to find poems to use.

Famous Poets and Poems
Poets.org allows you to search for poems but you may also sign up for a poem a day (in April) to be sent to your email.

In honor of the vernal equinoz, here's a short poem to share.

Daffodowndilly
by A.A. Milne

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
"Winter is dead."

I found this poem at DLTK. You can follow the link by clicking on DLTK. Go to Spring on the left side and scroll down to the poetry section. When you find this partciular poem, you may listen to it and print out a coloring sheet. Some of the other poems have activity sheets to go with them.

Don't Forget!!

Most of the time you click on the title of the posting to go to the site!

The Human Alphabet

Click on the title to link to the human alphabet. Check out this letter!

Scholar Ladies

Just saw this on the news! Watch students motivating students. It's another youTube video that you will need to watch at home but it is well worth the 2 minutes of your time.

Help with Google

Watch this neat Prezi about tips for using Google. Just click on the screen or the forward button to move from area to area. Prezi, by the way, is a presentation tool that has the world buzzing. It may replace PowerPoint!

Google Search Tricks on Prezi

Adora Svitak

This is one amazing young lady. I attended a webcast on Saturday and she presented 20 Web 2.0 tools she thinks every teacher should use. It was outstanding! Yes...I know, another youTube video that you have to watch at home. Honestly, it is worth the 5 minutes of your weekend or evening!

Sweet Search

Try out this new search engine just for students. I learned about this last weekend and have only just started using it. I attended a webinar and the creator of this site was the presenter. He is working hard to assure that the site is safe for students. Try it out. I think you'll like it too. I am adding this site to the student weebly sites so they can use it directly from those locations.

In addition to the search engine, you'll also find biographies on the SweetSearch ste. Just scroll down slightly and click on the Sweet Search Biographies. Consider using this site when you have your students write biographies. There is advice on writing them included. When you go to the Sweet Search Biography site, look to the right for the Happy Birthday section. Each day they post an article about someone who was born on that day in history. Now look to the right on this blog and see the findingDulcinea widget where you will also see the birthday articles. This widget does have ads but you can click the x to close most of them. Be careful when you scroll to read the article. Right at the bottom, you will find another ad. To avoid this ad, I have to pay a subscription to the widget company OR you can just slide the bar down to see more of the article.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Unfortunately this is a YouTube video and you can only watch it at home. It is worth taking the time to watch it!

Tech Tools

Watch this video by clicking on the forward arrow.

Click on the title of this post to go to my new website. Remember it's a work in progress so keep checking back to see the new things added!

Science Fair

Worried about the science Fair? Especially since we've missed so much school! Two companies are coming to your rescue. Elmer's and Scotch have websites to help you and your students get the projects completed. Check out the sites by clicking on the names of the companies. Need more info?? Just let me know! I am here to help.

ZB Spelling Connection

Even though we don't use this program for spelling, it's still a great place to go for some games that could help students (K-8)improve their spelling skills. I was particularly impressed with the proofreading game. Students read a passage and find the errors. One passage I corrected had spelling errors only. I clicked on the proofreading mark and clicked on the error. A box came up and asked me to spell the word correctly. Another passage had other errors. I was able to add words, place punctuation marks, correct spelling, use capitals and proof the entire passage. Check out the passage I proofed!

The Week in Rap

TAEP Tech Survey Removed

The survey has been removed from the site. If you have tech needs, please let me know via email or memo. Thanks!

Vocaroo

Click on this button!

WordItOut

WordItOut is a site that allows you to make a poster of words using your own text or copying someone else's text. I have copied Nixon's esignation speech and have made a poster/word cloud. I shared Wordle with you last year. This tool is the same however it allows you to embed the cloud in a website or blog.

Made with WordItOut

Snowflakes by Bentley

Enjoy this short video showing snowflakes photographed by Wilson Bentley. Snowflake Bentley started photographing snowflakes in 1885 and had a collection of over 5000 by 1931.

What Time Is It?

Click on the title to find the exact time in any location. Your time will show first however you may type in any town, city or village and you will get the time.

Maths Dictionary

This is a great math dictionary! Just click on the title to go to the site. I clicked on the letter B and then clicked on balance to get the definition with a graphic. Students could use this to help them understand math terminology.

TED Talks

I learn lots of things by watching TED talks. Here's a video about creatures in the Ocean. Although it is only 5 minutes long it is filled with amazing info. Take the time to watch it. You won't be disappointed!

Want more?? Click on the title of this post to go to the Ted site. You may find something neat to share with students but you will more likely find videos that you will enjoy.

Scholastic-Interactive Whiteboard Activities

Scholastic is just about the best site around. You can find almost anything you need right there. Recently @jtubbs tweeted about the whiteboard activities...ready-made and easy to use. Check it out by clicking on the title of this post.

MathTwo

Here's a good interactive site students could use to practice addition and multipication. The games all follow the same format...add or multiply and type the answer, however students may practice leveled problems. Lower grades may use the easy while upper grades go to the more difficult. Make sure you try this out first to make sure you have anything you need on your computer to run this program. Thanks to the blog, iLearn Technology. Remember to click on the title to go to the MathTwo site.

Time for Time

I follow Anne Marie's blog Talking Smartboards and she always has something neat to share. She posts easily accessible interactives that can be used on the whiteboard. All you have to do is take a few minutes to look at the site, turn on the whiteboard and make sure the Cat5 cable is plugged in so you have the internet.

This site is an interactive clock which gives you the current time. I especially like this site because you can change the clock using the buttons at the bottom. Think about using this clock not only to tell the current time but to talk about what time it would be in 1 minute, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour. Students find this concept difficult to understand and this interactive clock might help them!

When you go to the site, you should click on the clock to open the interactive application. Notice that on the home page you will find a student game, teacher lesson plans, worksheets and a wealth of resources to practice telling time.

Google Squared

I recently heard about Google Squared on Twitter and followed the link to find a fantastic search engine. I might call it a knowledge engine actually. If you click on the title of this post you will go to Google Squared. Type a topic in the space...I used roller coasters...and click square it. Wait a second or so and you will be amazed at what you see. Squared is part of Google Labs. This means it is in beta...or the development stage. I love anything Google especially since everything is free, free, free!

Reminder

I follow WritingFix on Twitter and I am always impressed with their tweets and their website. I blogged about WritingFix last November but I wanted to remind you about this great site. Take a few minutes and click here to go to WritingFix. You will find anything you need to help you plan for writing

Plagiarism Tool

Time to talk to your students about plagiarism? 10 minutes...that's all this takes. This video type lesson is from a university but could certainly be used in middle school classes. You'll need to adapt it to fit your students and your project but it would certainly help students as they begin their research project. I'd project it and discuss each section with them so I could discuss and adapt but students could just as easily review it independently. You'll also find this on the middle school weebly site in the Language Arts section.

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt is a neat activity to use on the interactive whiteboard. Students read and follow the directions to find the treasure. It's great practice for reading and moving left, right, up and down. Whiteboard not working??? Let students use this on a computer! Click on the title to go to the site.

Human Body-Interesting Facts

Source: Online Education
Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for sharing this neat graphic.

New projectors make any wall an interactive whiteboard

New projectors make any wall an interactive whiteboard

Teacher Tools From FETC

Here's a great site for a stop watch or a countdown clock. Check it out by clicking here. Decide which tool you want to use and click on it. You will then go to the next screen where you will set the timer. Great to use full screen projecting on a screen.

We had great fun in one session when the presenter gave away prizes by flipping a coin. Try it out by clicking here. This would be great to use for a probability lesson.

Check out ClassTools. Use the template drop down menu and choose Random Name Picker. You can add your students here to have a system for randomly chosing students. Once a student has their turn they are removed from the list. I believe if you sign up for this, the list stays there! Fun!!!

This tip has nothing to do with school but it might come in handy sometime when you just can't find your cell phone but you know it's somewhere in the house. Go to WheresMyCellPhone, type in your number and this site will call your phone. Let's just hope you left it on and the battery is charged!

Google Tips from FETC

Learned lots at FETC this year and here are several Google tips!

Use Google as a dictionary. Use the search feature and type define: then a space, then your word. Click enter and you will have the definition!

Use Google as a calculator. Type the math problem in the search bar, click enter and your problem will be solved.

Use the search function in a slightly different way. Type in a topic and click enter as you have always done. Look to the left and find the words Show Options and click on that. Look at what pops up on the left. Scroll down and find Wonderwheel. Click to see what you get next. You'll have fun clicking around on the Wonderwheel! When you are finished, go back to the left side and click on Timeline and watch what happens next.

Now try the Advanced Search. Type in a topic but now click on Advanced Search. You'll get a window to fill in but just for now, go down to file type and choose PowerPoint. Your search will now take you to PowerPoints that you can view and download. Once you download, you may change the presentation to meet your CSOs. Remember, it's always appropriate to give credit to the original author!

Keep checking back for more Google Tips!

Navigating This Blog

Just in case you are having trouble navigating this blog, I thought I would give you a few tips.

1. You do not need to sign up for the blog, join it or follow it. All you need to do is type in the address just like you would for any website.

2. I usually tag or label the posts with a curriculum/subject area. If you scroll down the blog and look on the right side, you will see the labels. To see what I have posted on Math, just click on that tag and you will go to all the posts about math.

3. Links within the posts are underlined and usually a different color. All you need to do is click and you will go directly to the new site. To return to the blog, click the back button on the title of the blog.

4. Typically if the post is about a particular site, the title of the post will be the link. It has no identification that it is a link. You'll know if I have added the link by clicking on it. If the link is nowhere else, it is on the title.

5. The Archives list all the postings over the months I have been blogging. All you need to do is click on the post title and you'll go directly to that post.

6. I often change the widgets on the right side. These widgets are just fun things that I find and add. Right now I have a translator and a very cool clock. These are changed whenever I find something neat!

7. I am attempting to post at least once a day. That's a New Year's Resolution...at least one of them. That means that if you are checking the blog on occasion, you may miss something. As you look at the posts and scroll to the bottom, you will see the words older posts. Click on that to see what you may have missed.

8. To leave a comment, just click on comment and a box will come up. You can comment anonymously if you have no other ID. It would be nice if you just put your name at the end so I know who added the comment though. You may have to type in a security code which should pop up for you.

Most all blogs work in the same way so hopefully this will help you with your blog reading experience.

The Write-n-ator

I first posted about this last September but was recently reminded of it with a Tweet. Sorry, but I just can't remember who shared this!

New Hampshire Public TV has a great writing program called the Write-n-ator. Students watch a brief video clip and take the challenge suggested in the clip. There is a space for students to submit their work but I am thinking you might just want to share the video and challenge with students and have them write on paper or with Word. I do not believe there is a print option for the completed projects. There are 20 challenges with great vocabulary mini-lessons that could supplement your writing lessons. If you check on the teacher tabs for each challenge you will see the associated NH objectives with suggested grade levels.

Flip Books

Read, Write, Think is about the best site around. You can always find something neat to add to your lessons. Here's a great activity for making flip books. Students could make their own flipbooks and print them out to share. Teachers could make a partial flip book and print it for students to finish at their desks. One of the things to remember with Read, Write, Think activities is that you are unable to save them and return to finish them later. So consider this an activity to do in one sitting. Looks like great fun to me! You have 2 links here. The title will take you to the Flip book and the Read, Write, Think link will take you to the site.

Math, Math and More Math

I recently tweeted asking for resources for math and before I knew what was happening people tweeted math, math, math!!

HotMath is a subscription site for middle and high school math. They do have some good free things to check out and the link will take you to several neat games. Explore the site and find some of the other free activities to use with your students. Thanks to Eric Sheninger-Twitter name-NMHS_Principal.

Twitterer rmbyrne, teacher from Maine shared MathTrain TV. This site has math videos made by students...kids teaching kids!! The nice thing about this site is the videos do not appear to be from YouTube so you should be able to show them in school. There is a download button so I think you can download them and share them without having to worry about the problem of streaming video.

Now sharnon007 has so many great ideas that I am overwhelmed by all her resources. She's come through with many great sites and she keeps sending more and more! Here's a few...
Smartkiddies Mathematics is from Australia. Although you have to sign-up, the site is free. I haven't looked at all the activities but what I have seen is good! Lessons go from Kindergarten to Grade 6.

Math Doodles has some interesting games. Click on Web Demos to find them. Right now I think the site is in beta. That means it is new and still being tested. Sites in Beta are typically free but may later have a fee attached to the subscription.

Students don't always need to be on the computer. Sometimes the good old worksheets come in handy. The only problem is that you need to check the papers! Mathmaster doesn't do the checking but this site can help you make customized math worksheets or provide you with premade worksheets.

MathTwo looks like a new site but it has some great games to practice skills. Click on the title to link to the home page where you will find the activities. Each will give a brief overview and then give you a choice of skill level. After you check out the games, click on Cool Links to see a list of interesting sites.

If you want me to find specific skills, just let me know and I will send you activities to align with the CSOs you are teaching.

Kidblog

Twitter has been chirping for the past few days about this site so I finally checked it out! Several post ago, I shared Sue Water's list of classroom blogs and suggested you might be interested in starting one. I still think that would be a great idea but you also might want to think about each of your students having their very own blog! If so, this is where you want to go! Kidblog is designed for teachers by teachers! They have made a secure blogging platform for classroom use. You are in control of the student blogs and you decide who sees what! Students do not need an email address and it seems a simple process to set up your class and get things going. Click on the title of this post to review the site. If you are interested in using Kidblog, just let me know. I'd be happy to work with your students to get this going!

Math Snacks

ilearn Technology shared information about Math Snacks. This is a math site..obviously...for students in grades 6-8. There are short animations, games, learner guides, and teacher guides. Presently there are just a few units available but all are very good and may be used independently or as a whole group. Each snack has a brief overview and a list of skills addressed. Just click on the title to check it out!

The North Star

The North Star is a great book written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. The story is an inspiration for young and old and reminds us to follow our own dreams. I found out about this book on Twitter when dianadell tweeted a link to some fantastic motivational posters. Then I started looking around and found the home page of The North Star website with the ebook and a great personal Constellation Map Maker...both free. Just click on the title to go to the home page and next check out the posters link. There are a number of interesting resources to purchase including the book and the resource guide. The mini-posters are free and all you need to do is click on a link, enlarge the poster to 150% and print it out. Here's one I would print out for my classroom!

Classroom Blogs

I follow Sue Waters on Twitter and she always has something good to tweet. Recently she asked people to send her the link to their classroom blogs and she presently has over 200 listed. Click on the title of this post to go to her list of blogs. She has organized them for us in neat, tidy categories and all link to the listed blog. Take a few minutes to check out some of the classroom blogs and think a bit about how you might use blogging in your classroom. It is easy and quick and students can do a lot of the work. Interested?? Just let me know and I would be happy to show you how to start a blog.

Twiducate

Twitter has been growing by leaps and bounds this past year. I've enjoyed following a number of great teachers. Recently someone tweeted about a new social networking site for classrooms. I logged on to Twiducate right away, signed up to be a member and started playing with it. This site allows you to have a classroom social networking site that it just for your students and you control it! No chance of outsiders logging in with inappropriate content. The site is in beta and the teachers who are developing it are working hard to update and make it as user friendly as possible. It's been fun to watch the site develop via twitter. One tweet talked about wanting to have several classes and within a few hours that change was made to the site. As soon as they added a link section they twitted about it. Retweets spread the world across the world and people from all over have signed up and are following Twidicate on twitter. Click on the title and read a bit about this new social networking site for classrooms. Think about using it to have students respond to a question. Add a link for students to use for a particular project. Put reminders on for homework assignments. I think you'll come up with lots of ideas as you explore twitter and twidicate!

Recess Craft Ideas

DLTK always has lots of great ideas for crafts. I was remembering when I made snowflakes as a child and would spend hours trying to get the right cuts. Here is a great snowflake type of craft to try out with students. Another great idea from this site is the 3-D snowflake. Scroll all the way to the bottom to find the template.

Free Kids Crafts has directions for Snow Stars. Looks a lot like a snowflake to me! This same site has a few more great ideas. Keeping with the snowflake theme consider Q-Tip Snowflakes. Lay a sheet of wax paper on a table. Use Q-tips to make a snowflake on top of the wax paper. Squirt glue on any spot where 2 Q-tips meet. Let dry completely and peel off of wax paper. Don't forget, you don't have to use whole Q-tips, you can break them up and use pieces too! Try Pasta Snowflakes. Draw a large X on a piece of construction paper and then put a line down the middle to make a guideline for a snowflake. Use a variety of pasta shapes to glue on top of the lines and form a snowflake.

Dave's Snowflake Patterns is a great site for printing out templates for various snowflakes. He shares several patterns.

Kinderart has 8 patterns for snowflakes. When you click on the pattern you will be taken to an ad that you may click to skip. You will then be taken to the directions.

Tired of snowflakes? Check out Kaboose for winter printables. You'll find lots of neat coloring sheets for kids here. Keep looking and you'll find word puzzles, mazes and picture hunts.

Recess

I've watched the snow fall all day and know that teachers who have recess duty are wondering what to do with all those students when they can't go outside. I've been doing some searching for sites that might have some good ideas and here they are...

Family Fun always has neat ideas for anything and everything. They have page after page of games or activities. Keep in mind that this magazine/website is written for parents not teachers but I know you will find some good things to try out in your classroom. I especially liked the Chopstick Pass on the first page.

Kids Games has oodles of games listed. Many are outdoor games but if you check out the links to circle games or mental games, you may find some ideas. Seven-Up is always a hit and the directions for that are listed under favorites on the left side of the page.

How Stuff Works has links to new and exciting activities to try out with your students. I like Tag Team Art and think the kids would enjoy it.

Family Education has hundreds...well almost hundreds...of great rainu day activities. This site has organized them by category and all you need do is click on a title to get the directions. Charades caught my eye!

Indoor Games is a great pdf that you can look over and print out for your files. Most of the activities seem to be for younger students.

Hope this helps you to find some new activities to share with our students. Happy Recess!!