Start
the school year using exciting technology resources!
Involve your students and stimulate minds!
In
just a few short minutes each day or in more involved
projects, you can use technology
resources to encourage and inspire
your students as well as yourself!
Enjoy learning!
 Back
To School --- Fresh
Ideas for Opening Day (from Education World)
They're
B-A-C-K!!! (from ProTeacher)
Links to those activities,
icebreakers, year long ideas, classroom management
tips, clip art, and more to help you get back in the groove!
Bulletin
Board Ideas! Links to pages with examples
for various subject areas and grade levels
Writing
Bug: First Day of School -
Take advantage of writing prompts provided by EducationWorld
during the school year! Wouldn't you
love to hear what students would do If
They Were the Teacher?
August
Themes from EducationPlace - K-8 Activities especially for
the month of August!
MS
Excel - Vacation
Graph What
location did you and your students visit this summer? Do
a class survey and use MS Excel to
collect and graph responses. A simple, quick, yet effective
way to learn more about your students and teach data analysis
skills!
Google
Earth (free
download) An amazing way to explore the world! Look
up places your students have traveled or want to visit as well
as places you study during the school year!
NetSmartz - Internet Safety Presentations
The NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational
safety resource to teach kids and teens how to stay safer on the
Internet. NetSmartz
combines the newest technologies available and the most current
information to create high-impact educational activities that are
well received by even the most tech-savvy kids.
Parents,
guardians, educators, and law enforcement also have access to
resources for learning and teaching about
the
dangers
children may face online. NetSmartz was created by the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).
Thinkfinity - Search
for high quality, standards-based and research-based educational
and literacy resources for
teachers,
instructors
and students. (Content Partners include ReadWriteThink
(Language Arts), Illuminations (Math), Xpeditions (Geography),
Science Netlinks, ArtsEdge, and more!)
A
Natural State - (from Knowitall.org) Explore
how artists express a love for nature by shaping, twisting, carving,
and weaving materials collected from the landscape. "Natural" artists
across the five landforms of the state - the blue ridge, piedmont,
sandhills, coastal plain, and coastal zone are featured!
Salute
to Seuss! An Online Collaborative Project (Aug. - Dec.
2007)
Join students from all around the world to showcase a favorite author - "Dr.
Seuss!" Use various technology and internet tools to gather and share
information ... a WIKI will serve as the main portal! Register
now! O.R.E.O.
2007 - Our Really Exciting Online Project! (Sept.
17 to Oct. 12, 2007)
Join this online project and use Oreos to teach Math, Language, Science, and
more! This project is open to classrooms of any grade in any
location! You can find worksheets, games, fun links, trivia, lesson
ideas, and more to bring FUN into your classroom! Registration
is soon!
Many other
online projects are available from Technospud.com throughout
the year. Check the Technospud
Project Calendar to see!
Collaborative projects are an exciting way to integrate technology, connect
your students to the world, meet a variety of standards, and increase student
learning!
Journey
North (South)! Participate in this
global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change!
K-12
students
share
field observations with classmates across North America.
A variety of opportunities are available - Plant a tulip
garden, send a symbolic Monarch to Mexico (postmark deadline
Oct.12,
2007),
track the Monarch butterflies or whooping cranes journey
south, discover Mystery Classes by photoperiod clues, and
more!
Lucky
Ladybugs! A collaborative project for
K-5 Students
Essential
Question: Why are ladybugs considered to be good luck? Be sure
to look at the many curriculum resources, project blog, and student
showcase! (Ends Nov. 2007)
Tooth
Tally Project - Enjoy this wonderful
phase in your students’ life. This collaborative
project usually begins in January each year, but you
can make this a yearlong activity!
Using MS Excel, your class can chart the number of
teeth lost each month during the school year. Students
compare tooth loss by month using the spreadsheet and
chart. An easy activity your kindergarten or first
grade children will always remember!
(Tooth Loss
Excel file)
Web
2.0 - What is it? Sharing & Collaborating! The
future brings Web
3.0! Use some of these applications in your classroom
this year!
Edublogs -
Create a classroom blog for your upcoming students. A
wonderful way to encourage collaboration and publish
student writing! You can also post classroom podcasts
to your blog -- cool!!
Del.icio.us * Diigo -
Keep your favorite bookmarks online and share! You can
access your favorite web sites from any computer at school,
home, or any location with Internet access.
Google
Docs & Spreadsheets - The online way to keep
your files - Create, Edit, Share - Free!
GCast -
Podcast from your cell phone! Make your voice heard...
Google
Video - Search, upload, and share videos online -
Education category
Flickr -
Manage & share your photos
Box.net -
Free Online File Storage (1 GB free), Internet File Sharing,
RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files
Wikipedia -
A collaborative encyclopedia under a Wiki platform that
is written and maintained by volunteers.
Incorporating Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom
Web
2.0 Portal -
All the web 2.0 tools you could ever want!
Trees
- Do They Always Look the Same?
Develop an appreciation of nature along with observation, writing, and technology
skills! Students select a tree in August to observe throughout the
year. They take digital pictures and write about how their tree changes
with the seasons. Information is collected in a class book or Power Point show.
The lesson is adaptable for younger and older student.
All
About Me - Use Inspiration or OpenMind to let students
complete a web-style graphic organizer about themselves. A
perfect way to build community at
the beginning of the year! Students use
a digital camera to take and insert a picture into the organizer. Then
add facts about themselves to complete the organizer. This
can also be used weekly for recognition of student of the
week or a printed version would make an excellent display
for open
house. When completed, the documents can be exported as images
to Power Point for presentation in the classroom or at an
open house.
 Hurricanes! -
August and September are the peak months of hurricane season!
This hurricane theme page will provide links to resources that
provide interesting information about these powerful storms.
In addition, there are special Internet research activities
for use with your students. Your
students would also enjoy making a graph of the most costly
storms throughout the years. Enjoy
learning more about hurricanes!
 Unitedstreaming videos
about hurricanes are available!
National
Hurricane Center - Tropical Prediction Center - Follow hurricanes like
Charley or Frances from their origins near the African coast across the
Atlantic Ocean. This is a wonderful way to teach longitude and latitude
without a worksheet. Give your class a real life lessons on how these skills
are used!
(Click Maps & Charts or Satellite Imagery)
FEMA
for Kids: Hurricanes
Free
Online Games & Quizzes! - Terrific
online educational games to improve skills - Geography,
Animals, Chemistry, Vocabulary - Use them with a whiteboard,
computer lab, classroom learning station, or at home!
It's
Financial Football Season! Students learn financial
concepts in this fast-paced, quiz-style game. Compete
by answering finance-themed questions to earn yardage
and score touchdowns.
Practical
Money Skills for Life - Lesson plans (for all
ages), Interactive Calculators (Save A Million, Travel
Wizard, Gift Log, & more), Games, Banking Tutor,
and other excellent resources to help students practice
better money management for life.
Center
for History and New Media - Since 1994,
the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
has used digital media and computer technology to democratize
history—to incorporate multiple voices, reach diverse audiences,
and encourage popular participation in presenting and preserving
the past. They sponsor more than a dozen digital history projects
(History Matters, Exploring US History, World History Matters,
etc.) and offer free
tools (survey builder, timeliner, poll builder, etc.) and
resources for historians.
Dinosphere
- Now You're In THEIR World! (Children's
Museum of Indianapolis) Students love dinosaurs!
Treat them
to a virtual tour and imagine life 65 million
years ago during the Cretaceous Period when
dinosaurs ruled
the earth. There are free standards-based online
activities, web quests, and unit lesson plans
in English or Spanish available as well! (K-8)
A
Tale To Be Told! - A Web Quest for those who
are curious, want to explore, can't resist a good
riddle,
and are
creative & expressive!
Explore folk tales of cultures throughout the world
and write your own!
Exploratorium:
Science of Music - Why do some songs get
stuck in my head? Why does some music give me goose bumps?
Why does my singing sound so great in the shower?? Exhibits,
Questions, and movies your students will love!
Exploratorium
Home Page - Discover more about the Science
of Gardening, the Science
of Cycling, see living mouse stem cells at the Microscope
Imaging Station, check Space
Weather Research, create a Space-age
Ant Farm, and even Explore
the Origins of Matter, the Universe, and Life!
Do take a look!
America
Dreams ... through the Decades - What is the American
Dream? Is it the same for all Americans? Is
it a myth? Is it simply a quest for a better life?
What
is
your dream? This Web Quest provides students a
look through the eyes of those who lived before
us and
an opportunity
to share their interpretation of the "American
Dream."
Ology! (from
the American Museum of Natural History) "Ology" means
"the study of". This web resource contains
interactive content in archaeology, astronomy,
biodiversity, genetics,
marine
biology, paleontology,
and physical
science - makes science learning rich and engaging!
(List
of all topics.)
Dog
Days of Summer - When is this most sultry period of summer?
Dog
Days - How did this term originate?
Tonight's
Sky -
Learn more about stars, planets, and the moon -
view the night sky! Perfect after a hot day!
Dog
Days of Summer Crossword - A challenge for the
upper grade students Dog
Days Trivia - Test your knowledge of all things canine!
1. Dogs can only sweat from
one part of their bodies. Where is that?
2. Which favorite human food is poisonous to dogs?
3. What is the real name of the canine who plays Eddie on the TV sitcom Frasier?
4. What color are Dalmatians when they are born?
5. True or false: Larger dogs generally live longer than smaller dogs.
6. How do you know when a dog has a fever?
7. The Lhasa Apso is named after the Tibetan city Lhasa. What does "Apso" mean?
8. How many domesticated breeds of dogs are there?
9. Which is the king of the terriers?
10. What famous person invented the pet door?
ANSWERS
(trivia from "RiverWalk News & Views", Sevierville, TN)
August
August
was named for the Roman Emperor Augustus in 8 BC.
The month
was formerly known as Sextilis.
Flower: Gladiolus
Stone: Peridot (A lively
lime green color stone that was originally mined on St. John's Island in the
Red Sea. Egyptian kings favored these gems. Today, the most important source
of peridot in the world is the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation near Gloke,
Arizona.)
Teaching
with Technology!! 
In
the Spotlight! -
Review examples of using technology in
the classroom. These sample sample
lesson ideas were submitted by schools in Lexington
District One. A variety of technology applications
are incorporated!
Simple
and Effective Technology Integration Ideas
* Word
A Day -
Have a different student look up the word each day
- explain, discuss, and post them each day. At
the end of the month, use Puzzlemaker to make a crossword
puzzle with
all the words!
Other choices from Daily
Dose work as well - Brain Teasers, Question
of the Day, Quotations, Spelling Bee, Math Problem of the
Day, GeoBee Quiz, Science Braindrops, etc. Take a look!
* Astronomy
Picture of the Day - An image or photograph of the universe
with a brief explanation by a professional
astronomer you can share with students.
* Daily
Weather Report - Students can
give a daily weather report from a bookmarked
area
weather site. You
can expand this by graphing high and low temperatures
or rainfall using Excel.
* Daily
Lunch Menu - Students
read and the class can briefly discuss food
groups represented.
* Shape
Walk - Take your class on a shape walk! Use
the digital camera to record your findings and
print a booklet of the pictures with descriptions
of the shapes you found
outside or inside your school.
Many more digital camera ideas:
Smile!
Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day
Teaching with Digital Cameras
*
Internet
4 Classrooms - Helping Teachers Use the Internet
Effectively!
Share
Web Sites with Students - Research!
There
is so much wonderful information on the web! What unit/theme
are you studying? Find web sites or virtual field trips
to share with your class as a group.
Digital Information
for South Carolina Users
 Remember to take
advantage of South Carolina's Virtual
Library - an
electronic library of essential information and learning
resources for all South Carolina citizens. You will find
a wealth of information - InfoTrac Periodicals & Reference,
Biography Resource Center, Who's Who, Health & Wellness
Resource Center, What Do I Read Next?, Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge Online, Encyclopedia
Americana Online, SIRS Discoverer, SIRS Knowledge Source
- do use this wonderful resource!
DISCUS can
be accessed from school, home, or the public library!
Multimedia
Video - etvStreamlineSC - Unitedstreaming
Unitedstreaming -
Use excellent multimedia video resources to bring your
units to life! In addition to the video clips, there are
teacher
guides available, blackline masters, an image gallery,
a calendar with videos that correlate to commemorative
events, writing prompts, a teacher feature, and more. Take
advantage
of the many opportunities to show
your students appropriate "real-life" videos
correlated to South Carolina Standards.
Use
an lnteractive Whiteboard - (SMART Board)
Involve your students in learning with Interactive
Whiteboard Resources!
Collaborative
Online Projects - Web Quests
Connect
your classroom to the world. Learning about others from around
the globe! Try some of the exciting collaborative projects
that are available to you !
Check the Collaborative
Projects or Technospud
Projects for
ideas or search for your own!
* Web
Quests
These projects present students with specific objectives and tasks. Many
are available on the web and will fit with units you are studying! Writing
your own to fit your needs is also possible.
Power
Point
- Mediator - Inspiration - OpenMind
*
Design an interactive Power Point show or Mediator presentation
to introduce major units of study - S.C. History,
Ecosystems, Weather, Community Helpers, Cells,
Animals of the Sea, etc.
You can use these again and again with updates as needed.
* Power Point can also be used to design games such as "Jeopardy" or "Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire" for introducing topics or reviewing
units of study.
* Start a Power Point Library at your school! Share with others!
* View
examples of Power Point shows you can download and use!
Power
Points
to Download
Free
Power Points -
from World of Teaching
Likewise,
use Inspiration or OpenMind for
those lessons where visual aid is helpful. The branches
of government, story/character
analyzation, water
cycle, Venn diagrams, and compare/contrast activities
are examples where Inspiration can be used.
Inspiration Examples - Take time to
view examples of Inspiration files you can download and use!
Your
Computer As A Learning Center Activity
* A
Progressive Story
During their time at the computer, each
student adds a sentence to create an interesting
story. What
will happen in the end? How many characters
will there be? You can divide your class into smaller
groups and compare stories they have written or publish them
in a booklet
or on the web!
* Sentence
Elaboration
Give students a simple sentence. (The dog ran.)
During their computer time, each student adds
descriptive words to improve the original sentence. Creative
students can write/type several!
(The enormous black dog ran tirelessly after the frightened children on bicycles.)
* Internet
Research
Bookmark an internet site that has information
about a topic you are studying. Give
students a worksheet with questions pertaining to the site. The
student has to find answers using the site.
* Skill/Drill
There are many CD ROMs that enable students to practice subject related skills.
Teacher
Time, Too!
Of
course, you will want to use the computer in your classroom
for your
own personal work as well. Email, class newsletters,
class web page, lesson plans, subject area research,
IGPro gradebook,
etc. You can find lots of form letters, worksheets,
behavior checklists, etc. that could save you time.
Teaching
Tools
ANSWERS - Dog Trivia
1. The bottoms of their feet.
2. Chocolate
3. Moose
4. White
5. False
6. His ears get hot.
7. Goat like
8. More than 200
9. Airedale
10. Isaac Newton
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