Gudli

Gudli is great little site that I just discovered after reading a post over on iLearnTechnology's site. (If you haven't discovered them, you should definitely head over there.)

Gudli is designed for early education students, Pre-K-1st, but would be appropriate as a center activity for grades 2-3 as well. It is well designed, easy to navigate, and very colorful. Children will be engaged from the moment they enter the site.
"Gudli is a unique online experience for kids where they enjoy learning. With our interactive educational games children develop skills in maths, logic, memory, words, creativity and more. Gudli is free, full of fun, easy to use and the ideal learning space for preschoolers to second grade kids."

I will be posting less during the summer because I am trying to finish graduate school and prepare to change grade levels for the next school year. I hope you'll keep checking back on this little blog and please consider becoming a follower! Wishing you a fantastic summer!

Brain Nook

Brain Nook is great site that I discovered after reading back articles on the blog, iLearnTechnology. If you haven't discovered this blog, I recommend it! Brain Nook is a fun, interactive site geared for young students needing to practice math and reading skills. It is free to register, but you have limited access. Full access requires a premium membership. Even though the free access is limited, there is quite a bit for students to complete. The graphics are colorful and easy to navigate too!

I know the school year is winding down, but this would be a great resource to share with parents to help keep students active over the summer. Check out this great site!

Storyjumper

Story Jumper is great website for students to use in creative writing. This site does require JAVA and registration and you have the option to use the clipart from their site or upload your own images. Students can even purchase a hard-bound copy of their story for $24.95.
Children who struggle with writing will be engaged with the fun graphics and scaffolded support system. Story Jumper helps students write basic stories in just seven steps. This site is for all students regardless of writing proficiency. This could be a great center activity or would be a fantastic tool for a computer lab!

Sorry that I haven't been posting very much lately, but you know how it is at the end of the school year! I'm still trying to wrap everything up! Have a great evening! (And only 3 more followers needed to reach 20!....C'mon, you can do it!)

Hooda Sites

I cannot believe how much testing the state of Texas requires our little ones to complete. TPRI tests for each child, DIBELS assessments for each child, First Steps in Mathematics assessments for each child, and DRA (running records). My class and I are on overload! Here are two great sites I have found to keep the little ones working and interested.
Could be set up as a reward center, review center, etc. The content is well organized and all of the links appear to be working. Hooda Word has 24 games related to language and Hooda Brain has 14 games designed to improve memory skills. I hope these sites will help you navigate through the end of year assessment jungle!

DIBELS

It's that time of year again! Assessment! Anyone else feel like they are assessing students way more than we're teaching them? Goodness! I have pulled two resources for you to explore. This are websites that host games and review activities that correlate with DIBELS assessments. Great review strategy for students before they take their turn testing!

Take a few moments and test out the activities on both of these sites. The last time I visited them, all of the links were working. I use these activities as both whole-group activities and as a center rotation. Don't tell the kids but I use them also as a reward! :) What they don't know doesn't hurt them! Do you have any great sites to share? Please leave a comment! Don't be shy!

http://teachers.cr.k12.de.us/~galgano/dibel2.htm

http://www.amphi.com/departments/technology/assess/dibels.html

QR Codes

Know what this is? This is the QR code for my blog! Many of us have QR readers installed on our smartphones. Kaywa is a site that gives you the ability to create QR codes for yourself. What is the application for education? Well, that depends on your creativity!

A coworker of mine has created a QR code and posted it on her weekly newsletter. The QR code links parents to her classroom website. I have also seen educators use QR codes to create review sheets for students. You would have to have the available technology for your students, but it creates an interesting twist for students!

Here is a fantastic post from "Free Technology for Teachers" that explains more! Have fun!

http://qrcode.kaywa.com

Learning A-Z

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Now, I love the homemade cards and signs, but every so often there's a true present that shows how much teachers are appreciated. Interested?
Learning A-Z hosts a family of sites that you may already use in your classroom. If you already use these sites, then you know that they are subscription sites. Well for one day each week, Learning A-Z is opening one of their sites for FREE!! Did you hear that? FREE!!

The last time they did this, I almost crashed my computer from downloading files nonstop! :) Best fun ever! So, grab a cup of coffee (and possibly an external hard drive) and dive in for great resources! I know these resources are not necessarily "integrating technology", but they are fabulous! Here's the schedule:

All week: Raz-Kids is a student-centric site where kids can practice reading online anytime and anywhere.

May 2, 2011- Reaing A-Z is a fantastic collection of printable and projectable books and resources that spans 27 reading levels.

May 3, 2011- Vocabulary A-Z has 12,000+ words that are organized by categories and give teachers the ability to create customized vocabulary lists.

May 4th, 2011- Science A-Z has science curriculum resources spanning more than 60 units, all are written to three reading levels.

May 5th, 2011- Writing A-Z has many of the resources you need to teach writing in your classroom.

May 6th, 2011- Reading tutors provides more than 400 reading resource packets that can be used for one-on-one tutoring.

Cinco de Mayo Activities

Can you believe that it's May??? I'm having a hard time understanding that it is almost time to begin those "end of the year" activities. My district will soon begin our final round of benchmarks and I will be looking for fun and relevant activities to keep my class of first graders entertained while I complete testing.....one child at a time. Don't even get me started on that! Cinco de Mayo will be this Thursday and I have found several activities for our younger students. Sorry, secondary teachers....this post is for elementary! All of these activities are for use on your IWB or computer work station. Enjoy!

Great PowerPoint activities and links to printables and games for your class!








Cute game for younger students. This is a Memory Matching game spoken in Spanish. As you match the tokens, the pinata fills and lowers to the ground. Successful rounds cause the pinata to burst and spill the candy. This game is hosted on the Scholastic site.







Hosted by TheKidzPage, this site has several games for younger students. There are also printable activities such as coloring sheets and puzzles. Watch this site though, there are several ads on the page. Teachers may need to assist students in navigating around this page.

Also...."ask and ye shall receive"! I have 10 followers! Wow! Thank you so much! I hope to build this blog into a site where you can always expect to find great ideas for integrating technology into your classroom. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you need for your classroom. I'll do my best!

TeacherLed

TeacherLed is an interactive resource for educators. This site appears to be a blog with English and Math activities for K-12 classrooms. The site does not appear to have been updated since March 29th, so I'm unsure if new content will be added.

All of the links appear to be in working order so I suggest taking a few minutes to look through the site and bookmark/download the activities you feel are most appropriate for your classroom. Personally, I think my students will enjoy the Rainbow Multiplication and Word Circle activities. I can't wait to go back and investigate the site fully, but it's definitely worth a mention! http://www.teacherled.com

I am always on the hunt for new activities, but if you need help locating resources, please comment and let me know. I'd love to try and help. Two heads are always better than one!

And on a completely unrelated note....9 followers? Thank you! I'd love to crack double-digits, so please pass this blog along to your friends! :) Happy Teaching!

Writing Fun

Writing Fun is great tool to incorporate into your Writer's Block. Perfect for visual learners. This is not an online game site, but real content for use in your classroom.

How would you implement this site? Use this site as you introduce content to the class on your IWB, use this site as a resource in the computer lab, or as a way to differentiate the process & product for your students. After you enter the site, you choose the text organizer that fits your project. Then students can view details for the text organizer and see examples. Students can type directly into the organizer and print their finished product. Writing Fun is a fantastic tool for upper elementary and middle school teachers.

Bubble Burst

Bubble Burst has to be one of the most fun (and challenging) games for your IWB! Students can use Bubble Burst to practice prime & composite numbers or odd & even numbers.

The object of the game is simple. Use the claw to burst only the bubbles with prime or odd numbers. The difficulty comes with the speed and accuracy needed! Your students are going to have a ball! What a sneaky way to encourage them to practice these skills! Shh! Don't let them know that they're studying! Keep it a secret!

http://www.teacherled.com/2008/04/02/bubble-burst/

Peter Rabbit

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends! I have time to make a quick post before heading out the door for services so I wanted to share this cute website with you.

Peter Rabbit is a classic children's story and this website ties in beautifully! Children explore this site and play games based on Beatrix Potter's beloved characters. The cutest part is the site is designed as a children's pop-up book! Take a few moments and explore the site. This could be a great resource for a center or reward activity!

http://www.peterrabbit.com/us/index.asp

What's the Score?

Have you ever spent time designing a fun game for your students but then you ran out of creative options for keeping score? You'll love this! Curriculum Bits hosts two versions of score keeping programs for use on your IWB. You can even add sound! What a fun way to jazz up a game!

You can keep score using a two-team format:












Or a four-team format:












Make sure to check these two options out for your next review game!

EcoKids

EcoKids is a Canadian based website for Earth Day activities. There are games and activities for students that can be used on your IWB. I would not recommend these games for younger elementary students, but the activities are appropriate for upper elementary/middle school. There is also a teacher section where you can register for lesson plan ideas and printables. Just in time for Earth Day!

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm

The Lorax

For all of my elementary and middle school teachers, here is a free version of the Lorax! This video is hosted through Google and will be removed April 29, 2011. Remember it's almost Earth Day and give your kids a quick treat!

	Lorax's Save the Trees Game" align="TOP" border="0"> I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I've come here to celebrate Earth Day, so please Come join me and help spread the message I bring. Be a friend to the trees and to each living thing. Playing this game requires the latest version of Shockwave. If you do not currently have this software, you may download it by clicking on the icon below.

YouTube SearchOn

I just recently stumbled across an easy way to create videos on YouTube. Visit http://www.youtube.com/searchon and create short videos for your class. It is basically a video of an internet search. You are given six search boxes that connect with Google and you can choose to display a web search, maps, images, etc. When you are satisfied with the content, you can add music, preview and upload your video to YouTube.

How is this relevant for the classroom? Well, first of all, it's fun. It would be a fantastic way to differentiate the process or product for a classroom assignment. It is a great first step for teachers just beginning to integrate technology into the classroom. You can easily add the video to your classroom website or blog! It could even be used as a tool to aid communication with parents.

I'm very sleepy this morning since my crazy puppy woke me up at a ridiculously early time this morning. After my coffee kicks in, I plan to play with the tool more!

Sheppard Software...We Make Learning Fun!

Sheppard Software houses an enormous amount of content for your IWB. Games and activities are available for PreK-8, however the majority of the games are for elementary. There are still gems to be found for secondary teachers. Content on the site includes all of the core areas. The site is engaging and easy to navigate. While there are a few advertisements and pop-up windows, I still think site is worth using on your student computers or IWB. Some of the activities can even be differentiated for ability level. If you haven't checked this site out yet, bookmark it for future use!

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_menu.htm

"Our educational games will give your brain a workout! Learn new things and challenge yourself by advancing to higher levels."

Maths Master

You have to look at Maths Master! This is a relatively new site that has several short videos covering different math topics. The videos are short clips designed for students to use as a review tool or study aid. Great for when your students need a quick boost of their skills or while you are working with a small group. http://www.mathsmaster.org

Science Museum

Science Museum is a collection of interactive games for use on your IWB or computer workstation. These interactive Science games are designed for elementary students but could be used with middle school students as well. Games include links to support content and you can even find lesson plans written for your class!

The site is well developed and easy to navigate. There is no cost associated with the site either! Definitely go check out this site and save it to your bookmarks!

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/games.aspx

Build An Online Habitat with Switchzoo!

Anyone else going to the zoo this year? My class is going in just a few weeks and we always include a science unit on habitats. Here is a great site for you to use in your class as you discuss animals and their habitats. It's Switchzoo!

Perfect for your IWB, you simply choose an animal and then create the perfect habitat! There is a compatibility meter for your students to help them choose the correct biome, vegetation, and precipitation! Great activity!

http://switchzoo.com/games/habitat.swf