Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 6/25/10

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Story Cove –“ Story Cove folktales come from a variety of cultures and places. They share timeless values and simple, universal lessons. The Story Cove format enables children, families and teachers to explore these stories in a variety of ways. As a result, each child is able to develop a more personal understanding of a story while learning about the world. Children will enjoy watching the Movies and exploring the activities and games that are linked to that story. Activities are designed for one-on-one, personal play with interactive puzzles, music fun and hidden pictures. Lesson Plans extend the story elements to explore the original story with projects and activities that require interaction with adults or other members of the family away from the PC.”

Reading Rewards – “Kids accumulate 'RR' Miles on the site, which they can exchange for fun and sometimes silly things on the site: joke of the day, video of the day (always safe, kid-friendly videos our editors find), mini-games, and more. We even have an RR Store where kids can spend their miles and buy real stuff! Parents or other sponsors can contribute to the store and add their very own rewards for their kids. Teachers can set up a group for their class, and track reading progress individually or as a group. Setting a group target is a fun class motivator, and our interactive chart let's everyone see how they're doing!”

Togetherville – “Togetherville is a social online community for families where parents create safe online neighborhoods for their kids (under 10) to play and connect with the real-life friends and family they already know and trust. Best of all, it's fun and it's free.”

Make Beliefs – Create your own comic strip. You can write it in English, Spanish, French¸German, Italian, Portuguese or Latin.

ESL Basics – “At ESL Basics, we believe that real-life context is a student's best friend, not a list of terms to memorize. This is why our vocabulary is surrounded by a conversation. This fosters an environment where students aren't just learning one word, they are acquiring language. ESL Basics is structured around a philosophy of student-centered lessons, videos, and usability. We also know that everyone learns better together, so we have created the ability for students to share what they find with their peers through social networks around the globe. ESL Basics: Watch and Learn.”

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: Tools by Pat Hensley