Looking for Something Different? Here's a website that leads you to contests

Teachers,

We know there are plenty of contests out there that the children can use to showcase their talents and you can use to reinforce lessons. There is a website that catalogs contests and offers other types of entertaining ways to use contests in the classroom.

Try the website, http://teachingwithcontests.com/ - Teaching with contests. Right now is a contest for saving animals represented by St. Francis for the Animal Society. Contest ends April 15th so look it up quickly!

Use Verizon's "Thinkfinity" to find lessons on everything from A to Z

Verizon Foundation has long ago created a website that can verify content on any subject and provide availability and verification in one site. This free service is available to educators, students and parents. Since today is an important day in history, I went onto http://thinkfinity.org" and looked up "inauguration." It offered several sites by reputatable companies such as EdSitement and Smithsonian History by grade level, state standards, interactivity, lesson plans, etc. Here's what I found interesting today:


Celebrating Inaugurations

George Washington (1789-1797)
gave the shortest inaugural address, 135 words, at his second inauguration.

James Madison (1809-1817)
held the first official inaugural ball in 1809.

William Henry Harrison (1841)
gave the longest inaugural address--8,445 words.

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
was the only president to use the words "I affirm" as he took the oath of office, rather than "I swear."

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
wore a ring to his 1905 inauguration that held a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair, cut off after Lincoln was shot.

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
was sworn in using his nickname, Jimmy, instead of his given name, James Earl.



Why not start incorporating this site into your lessons? Have your students look for information on ThinkFinity and have them site the sources and reliability? Happy hunting!

Start the Year off right - use Google Earth to add to any lesson

New Year - Renewed Ideas!

Have you every used Google Earth to highlight an area that is of interest in your curriculum? It's not just for Geography or Social Studies - use it for Language Arts, Science, Art, Music, etc. Discussing Edgar Allen Poe? Log into Google Earth and bring the students to his Philadelphia quarters.




Click on the link and it was take you to more information regarding the hours to visit and website information.



Think of the possibilities - look up the birthplace of anyone - Barack Obama perhaps? Tour the White House this month when discussing the Inauguration. Have the students use Google Earth to determine how long far in distance to fly from your school to the Vatican. And the best part? IT'S FREE!!!

Download the program today and try looking for your school or house:

http://earth.google.com

Great content available for you to use FREE from iTunes University!

Did you know that there are many videos and podcasts available free for educators on iTunes? Even if you don't have an ipod you can still use the content free! All you have to do is download iTunes on your computer and then download the video or audio you wish to view.

If you download iTunes on your school computer you will be able to use a projector and share the content with the students - its that simple! There are free lectures from Universities, free lectures from writers (I've seen Randy Pausch, Tom Friedman-The World is Flat author, and Discovery Channel episodes), and even math and language arts content from teachers in New Jersey (Perth Amboy in our area.) Take advantage of this free tool - you can even upload podcasts created by your class when you are comfortable.

Here's the link: http://www.apple.com/support/itunes_u to learn more about iTune University.

A free way to use a "student response system"

Teachers,

There are many types of "student response systems" available for use. Most of them are "clickers" that allow the software to show responses on a screen from a projection device. There is a simple and free way to take these types of "polls" with your students. Using the website http://pollanywhere.com you can create a poll with real time results for free with up to 30 responses. Responses can come from the Internet from a website or can be answered by cell phone. This might be a way you can get feedback on a homework assignment if the students are using their home computers or in a computer lab. Try it, take my poll:

Replace audience response hardware with Poll Everywhere

Digital StoryTelling

Stories are wonderful - especially when children can create them to share their knowledge and excitement for a particular topic. In all areas of Core Curriculum Content Standards, whether its Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, etc., students can use digital storytelling to share information and receive feedback. As we become more involved with integrating technology standards 8.1 and 8.2 within the CCCS for each discipline, we allow the students to use their skills to embrace learning of the present and future.

Here's a site to get you started - Scratch.mit.edu. This site is free and you can view projects already uploaded on the system. Here's some points to help you get started:

7 elements of digital storytelling


*Point of view – What? Who? Why? What is the story only you can tell?

*Dramatic Question – What makes a good story – what hooks us?

*Emotional Content - Is it engaging to me – the reader?

*Voice - Who is telling the story?

*Soundtrack – optional – watch copyright violations

*Economy - how many panels to get the point across? No more than 3 minutes.

*Pacing – need to allow time to reflect and should vary. Pauses are important.