Tech Toolkit

FREE Social Studies Resource: iCivics

apcoker — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:58:58 +0000

Yesterday I learned about a new (free!) social studies resource that will be a great addition to your toolbox. It is called iCivics and was founded by Sandra Day O’Connor to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in U.S. democracy. There are plenty of activities for students that would be perfect for the SMART Board as a whole group or useful as a center on classroom computers. There is also a standards correlation for teachers in grades 6-12 that will match the activities to your standards. Go check it our yourself or keep reading to find out more about what’s there.

Games and interactive activities include:
1. Citizenship and Participation – Activate, Cast Your Vote, Immigration Nation, and Responsibility Launcher
2. Separation of Powers – Branches of Power
3. The Constitution and Bill and Rights – Argument Wars and Do I Have a Right?
4. The Judicial Branch – Argument Wars, Court Quest, Do I Have a Right?, and Supreme Decision
5. The Executive Branch – Executive Command and Win the White House
6. The Legislative Branch – LawCraft and Represent Me!
7. Budgeting – Counties Work and People’s Pie
8. Foreign Policy and National Defense – Crisis of Nations

Check this resource out and bookmark it for your kids!

Paige

Tripline – My Favorite New Teaching Tool!

apcoker — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:38:39 +0000

Maybe I am behind, but today I discovered a cool Web 2.0 wonder-tool (a new term I just coined!) called Tripline. They describe the product best:

“Tripline is a way for you communicate by putting places on a map. That’s a very human activity that has been happening for thousands of years. It’s also a way for you to easily ask and answer questions about your favorite places and topics and the best way to tell your travel stories. And just like in the movies, the Tripline player gives you an animated line moving across the map with a soundtrack. That’s appropriate, because our journeys are our own epic tales of discovery and adventure…”

Can you see the educational application here? I can! Students could make a tripline of an historic or current event, follow a virtual tour through a foreign country, travel along with a book character’s adventures, create a dynamic biography of a famous person’s life, or even create their own autobiography. Check out one Tripline user’s interpretation of Paul Revere’s midnight ride to get an idea of how it works. (Tip: Be sure to click Full Screen in the bottom right corner of the application to get the full benefit.)

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

I hope you’ll try out Tripline for yourself. If you create or discover a cool Tripline, be sure to share it with us.

Happy tripping,

Paige

DocsTeach: Bring history to life for your students!

apcoker — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:46:40 +0000

DocsTeach, a project of the National Archives Experience, is a repository for over 3,000 primary sources, online activities, and ready-to-use tools for teaching with documents in the classroom. Designed to help students think critically while learning about history, DocsTeach focuses on five historical thinking skills, including:

While working on a DocsTeach activity, students refine important skills such as interpreting data, identifying main idea/details, mapping, weighing the evidence, and making connections in the context of history. Ready-made activities exist; in addition, teachers and students can build and share their own bank of activities. This site is definitely one to check out!

Paige

The Week in Rap: It’s What’s Up in This Week’s News!

apcoker — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:38:41 +0000

Do you teach Current Events or History? You can use The Week in Rap, a weekly hip hop/rap song produced by Flocabulary, to jumpstart conversations about current events or review happenings in recent history. These high-impact, cutting edge videos are sure to grab your students’ attention and help them visualize what’s happening in the world around them. A new video and accompanying rap is produced every Friday. Check out the May 6th, 2011 Week in Rap production by clicking on the link below.
May 6, 2011 Week in Rap

Paige

geoGreeting – Letters Around the World!

apcoker — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:28:59 +0000

I stumbled upon this totally cool website called geoGreeting and found it to be definitely share-worthy! geoGreeting harnesses the power of Google Earth by pinpointing overhead imagery of buildings and natural features that are in the shape of letters. Users who wish to spell out a sentence, word, greeting, name, etc. simply type the letters into a box one at a time. The letters are displayed in a call out box on the map, along with a link to the location of the item being used to represent that letter. There are all kinds of educational applications here – chiefly in spelling, geography/social studies, and creative design.

You know you want to go try spelling your name out – go ahead! I just did! Kind of gives a new twist to Dr. Suess’ book title, “Oh the Places You’ll Go!”

Happy travels!

Paige

Back in the saddle!

apcoker — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:25:01 +0000

After a few months away from the blog, I am officially back in the saddle… GIDDY-UP! Stay tuned for some more fantastic technology integration resources headed your way. My job responsibilities have shifted somewhat in the past few months, which is why no new information has been posted recently. To reflect my current job responsibilities, you will notice that Internet2, English/Language Arts, Reading, Writing, Grammar, and Social Studies themed resources will be more prominently featured. Hang on to your hats, because HERE WE GO!

Happy surfing!

Paige

Amazing Web 2.0 Projects – Yes, YOU CAN DO IT!

apcoker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:35:53 +0000

So you want to plunge into the somewhat murky waters of Web 2.0, but you’re not sure where to start? Here comes Terry Freedman (and 94 other educators from around the world) to the rescue.

Don’t miss this brand new FREE ebook from Terry Freedman called Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book. (Click the title to access the ebook text directly.) In it, he gives “practical ideas about the kinds of things you can do with Web 2.0 technology” and discusses both the benefits and challenges of using Web 2.0 applications. The projects, contributed by educators who have “been there and done that”, are arranged according to the age range they address. It is well worth your time to peruse the entire book, as many of the 87 suggested projects can be tweaked for other grade levels or subjects. Perhaps what is most beneficial is the voice of experience from knowledgeable educators who share how they implemented the projects and dealt with any issues that arose, as well as what they would recommend to others who tackle the projects. Additionally, Freedman discusses 52 Web 2.0 applications 10 additional resources that you can begin using in your classroom today!

(Click the image above to visit Terry’s website, where you can read more about Educational Technology.)

Thanks for making this wonderful resource available, Terry!

Paige

Learn Your Tables

apcoker — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:21:32 +0000

Any math teacher can tell you that students must know their basic facts in order to be successful in higher level math. Yet this is an area in which students often struggle. If you have a student who is struggling with learning his multiplication tables, why not let Learn Your Tables help?

Learn Your Tables is a flash-based interactive resource that works perfectly on an interactive whiteboard or at an individual computer station and provides practice in mastering times tables 2 through 10. There are three ways to use Learn Your Tables. In Drag and Drop mode, students match a math problem with its solution by dragging the problem on top of the answer. In Enter the Answer mode, students use a special keypad to respond to the multiplication question. In Assessment mode, students are quizzed on either one times table or a mixture of several times table as they aim to become fast and accurate in responding to the questions. Additionally students can use all three modes in either Single Tables, focusing on one number family, or Mixed Tables, which combines several number families.

Whether used in a group review setting or as a tutoring tool for a small group or individual student, Learn Your Tables will be a valuable tool to add to your collection of resources.

Note: Some British spellings on website.

Paige

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

apcoker — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:44:25 +0000

Here’s a unique way to bring the world’s news right to your classroom – for free! Hop on over to the Newseum’s online interactive display of over 827 (and counting!) front page images of newspapers from around the world. What is the Newseum, you ask? It is Washington, DC’s premier interactive museum boasting a collection including five centuries of news history coupled with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. If you’re ever in DC, stop by! It was a hit with a group of 8th graders I escorted to DC last year.

The Newseum’s front pages are updated every morning, so you can be sure you are seeing the very latest coverage. How can you use the front pages in your classroom? Why not have students compare the point of view from which a particular event is covered from various regions and/or countries and then discuss how point of view affects the readers’ reaction to the story. Or use the newspapers to compare and discuss mood and tone from one article to the next. If you Google “using a newspaper in the classroom”, you will find a wealth of information on how newspapers can enhance the curriculum across all subject areas. And best of all, you can be environmentally friendly by using an online version of the newspaper!

Be sure to check out the newspaper archives for a collection of front pages covering important news stories such as the 9/11 attacks, President Obama’s first State of the Union Address, and Hurricane Katrina coverage, just to name a few.

Happy reading,

Paige

Speakaboos

apcoker — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:32:29 +0000

As a former reading teacher, I am thrilled to share with you an engaging, beautifully-rendered website resource called Speakaboos. According to the Speakaboos website, “Speakaboos brings classic children’s entertainment into a digital world. Beloved characters and treasured stories are given new life through amazing celebrity performances, beautiful illustrations, and original music. At Speakaboos, children develop literacy skills while learning about technology in a safe and fun environment.”

Child-friendly illustrated fables, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, folk tales, and songs are narrated by celebrity guest readers and can be played directly from the website or downloaded and burned to a CD. The best part about the Speakaboos website is that it is available for FREE, making the price right for cash-strapped teachers and school systems.

Check out Speakaboos today… you won’t be disappointed!

Happy memories of your favorite childhood stories,

Paige