Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/7/14

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!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

How Things Fly – “What makes an airplane fly? How does a spacecraft stay in orbit? Why does a balloon float in the air?What are you waiting for? Come and find out!” (L:G; SA:S)

Your Life on Earth – “Explore BBC Earth's unique interactive, personalised just to you.Find out how, since the date of your birth, your life has progressed; including how many times your heart has beaten, and how far you have travelled through space.Investigate how the world around you has changed since you've been alive; from the amount the sea has risen, and the tectonic plates have moved, to the number of earthquakes and volcanoes that have erupted.Grasp the impact we've had on the planet in your lifetime; from how much fuel and food we've used to the species we've discovered and endangered. (L:G; SA:A)

Comprehension Units – “These research-based units facilitate close reading, precise questioning based on evidence in the text, and focused discussion to enable comprehension of the entire text. Read-aloud and paired text lessons embody the most effective research-proven instructional practices to support student comprehension. Units are based on superb, carefully selected leveled books, with authentic paired passages. The easy-to-use alignment tool allows you to see how each lesson aligns with Common Core and state standards.” (L:E; SA:LA)

Nature Sound Map – “A group of professional nature recordists from around the globe have collaborated to develop Nature Soundmap, an enjoyable and interactive way of exploring the natural sounds of our planet. Combining high-quality field recordings with the latest satellite imagery, the project brings together some of nature’s most beautiful, interesting and inspiring sounds.” (L:G; SA:A)

PhotoMath – a windows and iphone app (android app is coming out in 2015); “PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical expressions by using the camera of your mobile device in real time. It makes math easy and simple by educating users how to solve math problems.” (L:G; SA:M)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley