Science Sites for Junior High Collaboration

Gravity Launch

Interactive Science Simulations

Birmingham Grid of Learning

Zooniverse

Shape it Up!

Chem Collective

Edheads

Science Museum

Great Science Sites Blog for K-12

October Tech PD Offerings

October Tech Offerings

Ways to Build Custom Maps Without Having a Google Account

Animaps 

Animaps extends the My Maps feature of Google Maps by letting you create maps with markers that move, images and text that pop up on cue, and lines and shapes that change over time.

When you send your Animap to friends it appears like a video - they can play, pause, slow and speed up the action Weaving History is a promising website for history students and teachers. The purpose of Weaving History is to enable users to create timelines matched to maps. There are two basic functions that you need to know about in Weaving History; Factlets and Threads. Factlets are where you create short summaries about an event. Factlets include dates, places, names, and other relevant information. Threads are where you string together a series of Factlets. In the Threads view you can choose between "chrono view" and "geochrono view." Chrono view displays threads in a traditional timeline style with a list of Factlets below the timeline. The Geochrono view displays threads as placemarks on a map with timeline below. Tripline  is a cool new way to create animated maps that you can embed on your site. UMapper What is UMapper? UMapper makes it easy to create, manage, distribute and monetize online maps. With UMapper you can: • Create interactive maps and geogames • Distribute across multiple destinaions • Track detailed usage • Make money with displaying advertisement



7 Resources for Teaching and Learning Vocabulary

Vocab Ahead is a groundbreaking method and interface to learn SAT Vocabulary words. Fun and entertaining cartoon illustrations summarizing a short story-like situation. High School English teachers may want to have their students check out this site.

Wordia is under construction now, but it will be a free online dictionary with video examples from comedians, celebrities, sports- stars - and you! Your life, your words, your dictionary.

Word Stash tauts itself as... Half flashcard, half dictionary, and full awesome!It is a good study tool to create online digital flashcards as well as play games to build a better vocabulary.

Knoword is a game of quick thinking, smart decisions and great words. It focuses on teaching and advocating proper spelling habits, as well as good observational, analytical and typing skills. What makes Knoword different from all the other fun word games out there is that it's actually fun! With its fast-paced, addictive gameplay and a competitive and comprehensive player ranking system , Knoword pushes the limits on contemporary puzzle games and provides its players with a truly rewarding experience. Works best in Google Chrome or Internet Explorer 9

Snappy Words  is a free visual English dictionary and thesaurus that lets you search the meaning of words and other associated words.

My Vocabulary.com is a good site for junior high and high school. It a free resource used in over 24,000 schools to enhance vocabulary mastery & written/verbal skills with Latin & Greek roots. The site has lesson plans for teachers, word lists, puzzles and test prep sections for ideas and activities.

NEW Resources Located on the Technology Resources Page

New SMART lessons for Fall and Halloween have been added to the Technology Integration Specialist Page within the Technology tab of School Fusion. They are now leveled in folders for lower elementary and grades 4 and up. So, if you are looking for Math lessons, Reading, or just fun Fall and Halloween activities, check out the folders on the Tech Page!!

Have a Spooky Time!
Tracy

RCET Technology Workshop Offerings for October

October Workshop Listing s8hsdg

Nixa Community Foundation Grant Announcement and Application

Grant Announcement and Application for 2011

SMART Board Certification Reminder

If you are interested in becoming SMART certified, you will want to put these dates on the calendar!! I know there are some of you throughout the district who may have attended a few of Lori's training sessions last year, and may be one or two meetings short of being certified. There may be some of who did not go to any training, but want to become familiar with SMART and want to be certified. What a better way to complete the certification then by coming to SMART training.

SMART board Part One Training Dates:
September 29th
October 27th
November 17th

ALL meetings will be held in the Tech Center Training Lab from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

SMART board Part Two Training Dates:
February 2nd
March 1st
March 22nd


ALL meetings will be held in the Tech Center Training Lab from 4:30-6:30 p.m.


If you have any questions about the meeting dates or if you have been to some and need to complete one or two, please call me at the Tech Office, 449-3281 or email me at tracyharris@nixaschools.net

eInstruction Classroom Maker Video Contest

Gather your students and create your own music video. Write a song, roll camera, submit your video, and enter to win a $75,000 USD grand-prize classroom-technology makeover.

Make a short, creative music video demonstrating how you and your
students use technology to enhance learning in the classroom.

Entries are due by Noon October 25, 2011. Start creating today.

A great way to get technology for your buildings! Check out the link at eInstruction.

Ologyworld makes all things "ology" in Fantasy Come Alive!

Ologyworld.com  is the official site for the best-selling Ology book range and brand, includes, Dragonology, Egyptology, Wizardology, Pirateology, Monsterology, and Mythology. Students who love this genre of reading will love this interactive site where they can view a video clip, play a game, or just cruise around the gallery.

Word Tamer: An Interactive Reading Experience!

Word Tamer  is a neat site for learning the process of developing characters, settings, and plots in creative writing. Word Tamer is set up as an interactive journey through a carnival of literary devices. As students move through the carnival they develop characters, develop a setting, and develop a plot for their stories. At each stop in the Word Tamer carnival students can print out the words they have written. Along the way there are videos to help students understand the roles of characters, settings, and plot development in crafting a good story. Great site to reinforce the Elements of Fiction as well! Check it out if you Dare!!!

Some Great Tools for the Classroom

Hope you can check out these sites for some additional tools for your classroom.

Super Teacher Tools  has many free classroom review games and classroom management tools, including Flash Jeopardy.

SuperTeacherTools.com is dedicated to providing technology tools for teaching that are quick and easy to download, learn, and start using in your classroom. In the site, you will find a variety of review games, classroom management software, and other miscellaneous tools for educators.

Page Flip-Flap Transform your doc, pdf, word, movie in an interactive flipbook. It's very easy: upload your file and you will receive an email with the url to your creation. I believe you can even take a power point and turn it into an interactive flipbook. It could bring new life to a simple document!

Owl and Mouse has just a little bit of everything for the elementary classroom when thinking about reading and social studies! Early reading software—phonics software, alphabet games, and Dolch sight words in a fairy tale story.  All of it FREE!  Free online USA maps, world maps, map of Europe, map puzzles of the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, and many more.  You can build your own castle and coat of arms—free downloads.

The Extra Reading Company

This is a great site I came across last week looking for additional Reading activities. The Extra Reading Company provides original Language Arts Printables and Worksheets for Intermediate Elementary School Teachers, high interest Short Stories and Assessments, and Test Prep Exercises. There are a ton of freebies, so bypass the paid account!

Tech Make and Take This Thursday: Making Presentations with Prezi

Join me this Thursday, September 22nd, for the first Tech "Make and Take" of the year! This month's focus is "Making Presentations Using Prezi." So, if you have been wanting to use Prezi, but haven't had time or need a little help getting starting, come to the Tech Center Lab and bring a lesson! I will have an easy "How To" handout and you will have time to create a Prezi to use in your classroom. You can come at one of two times: 3:00-4:00 p.m. or 4:00-5:00 p.m. OR come for the whole two hours! Hope to see you there!

Great Sites to Use in the Classroom

Page Flip Flap- Transform your doc, pdf, word, movie in an interactive flipbook. It's very easy: upload your file and you will receive an email with the url to your creation.

Extra Reading.com- reading site for high interest fiction and nonfiction stories. There are some Freebies but it is a site that does have a subscription.

Super Teacher Tools-  free classroom review games and classroom management tools, including Flash Jeopardy.

Avatar Generators for Profile Pictures and More

Wee Me - Create a mini version of yourself, add accessories. There’s plenty of scope for customisation of your avatar.
HeroMachine 2.5- Turn yourself into a super hero character. This would also be great as a part of a digital storytelling resource  or story starter.

Avitarize Yourself- take a picture of yourself and turn yourself into a Na'vi from Avatar

Make Yourself a Lego- Produce a lego character that looks like you. Or turn yourself into a Stormtrooper wizard. Is up to you!

Clay Yourself- Clay Yourself lets you create a version of yourself in modelling clay. Lots of choice.

Become an M&M- This lets you recreate yourself as an M and M sweet from the adverts.

District Technology PD Opportunities Next Week!

September Technology PD at the Tech Center:
September 19th 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Topic: How to Avoid the Top 5 Time Wasters in Your Classroom to Create a Safe, Learning Community

September Technology "Make and Take" at the Tech Center:
September 22nd
3:00-4:00 p.m.
4:00-5:00 p.m. (repeated session)
Topic: Using Prezi as a Presentation Tool

Make sure to bring an activity, lesson, or project that you will want to present to your class. You will be making a Prezi to use for a future lesson.

There is no need to R.S.V.P!! Hope I can see you there!
Tracy

Technology Academy Level One Resources for September

Resources from September's Tech Academy:
 Edmodo

Poll Everywhere

Eduplace Graphic Organizers

Graphic: the Graphic Organizer (These are not PDF's to download. You would have to create them on your own)

School of California Online Resources for Education 

Technology Academy Level 2 Videos from September Presentation

An Introduction to Project Based Learning

Sample of Project Based Learning Project

An Example of PBL using iPods and iPads

Technology Academy Level 2 Resources for September

Project Based Learning Resources:
Global School Net (site to see sample project based learning activities and to join one already created)

Project Based Learning for the 21st Century (under Tools is where you will find PBL teacher resources for you)

Real World Math (samples and examples of PBL activities. Some to join as well)

Edutopia PBL (seeking someone to join a PBL lesson)

Twenty Tips for Managing PBL's for Students

Other Resources:
iPad Academy

Kathy Schrock iPad Site

Constitution Day is This Week

Constitution Day is this week! Get your free resources and try the courtroom trial simulation at Scholastic. Here you will find links, lessons, student printables, and much more! Enjoy all activities for an interactive lesson on the Constitution!

Enjoy,
Tracy

SMART Certification Training is Coming!

If you are interested in becoming SMART certified, you will want to put these dates on the calendar!! I know there are some of you throughout the district who may have attended a few of Lori's training sessions last year, and may be one or two meetings short of being certified. There may be some of who did not go to any training, but want to become familiar with SMART and want to be certified. What a better way to complete the certification then by coming to SMART training.

SMART board Part One Training Dates:
September 29th
October 27th
November 17th

ALL meetings will be held in the Tech Center Training Lab from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

SMART board Part Two Training Dates:
February 2nd
March 1st
March 22nd


ALL meetings will be held in the Tech Center Training Lab from 4:30-6:30 p.m.


If you have any questions about the meeting dates or if you have been to some and need to complete one or two, please call me at the Tech Office, 449-3281 or email me at tracyharris@nixaschools.net

Junior High Encore Tech in 20

Great Sites for Projects, Practice and Fun!
Animoto for Education

Flixtime

Vocaroo

Voki for Educators

Screencast-o-matic

Spanish Sites:
Wordsteps

Forvo

FACS:
Sugar Stacks

Get the Glass

Nourish Interactive

Art and Music:
Museum of Modern Art

Smarthistory

MoOM (Museum of Online Museums)

Keeping Score

Classics for Kids

Johnny Appleseed Activities

With the crisp Fall air in the mornings this week, it reminds me of Fall Harvest Festivals and Apple Butter Makin' Days! What better way to celebrate the Fall weather by celebrating Johnny Appleseed's birthday! Below are some great sites for all things Appleseed and apples! Enjoy!

Johnny Appleseed Enchanted Learning

Johnny Appleseed and Apples Web Pages

Free Presentations in Power point

Johnny Appleseed Reader's Theatre

Recipe for Johnny Appleseed Meatballs

Wordsearch

Lesson Plans and Activities

Apple Preschool Curriculum Activities and Lessons

9/11 Remembrance Ideas

With the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Scholastic has put together a site for 9/11 Remembrance lessons and activities for the classroom. Check out Scholastic's "I Will" Tribute Movement for ways to show how your class has remembered 9/11.

Tech in 20: Intermediate Edition

Websites for Book Reviews, Trailers, Projects, and Class Celebrations
Animoto for Educators

Shwup

Flixtime

Masher

Sites for Free Supplies and Donations
Donorschoose.org

Classwish

iLoveSchools

Sonic's Limeades for Learning

Fun Sites for Reading
Build Your Wild Self

Vocab Sushi

Readkiddoread