I use the internet relentlessly when planning units for my classroom. I have found some fabulously wonderful websites for using in the classroom to teach students. In no particular order, they include:
1. Pete's Powerpoint Station This website is freakin' amazing. There are so many powerpoints and teacher resources in EVERY subject area you wouldn't even believe it. I stumbled across this website sometime early last school year and have used it time and time again. It saved me a lot of time that I would have wasted creating powerpoints to use in my class.
2. VoiceThread Fran Mauney, our school's Title I Technology facilitator, introduced me to this really neat website you can use in your classroom to show slideshows. You can also have your students create their own slideshows with whatever you are doing in your classrooms!
3. RubiStar I think I came upon this website during my college field experience days but regardless of when, this site has been really helpful in making rubrics to use in my class for all different types of assessements. I don't know any teacher that doesn't like using quick and easy self made rubrics tailored to what you are doing in your class.
4. Curriculum Based Readers Theaters I have always shied away from Readers Theaters until this year. Crazy, I know! Anyhow, this website it packed full of Readers Theaters that you can use in your own classrooms.
5. Promethean Planet The great thing about promethean planet is that you don't actually have to have a promethean board. You can use this software on SMART boards as well as projectors. There is an abundance of premade flipcharts that you can use for almost every topic that you could even think to teach!
6. Busy Teacher's Cafe This is a really good resource for elementary teachers. You can find printables, themed activities, and lessons. There is also information on classroom management!
7. Internet4classrooms I love this website! You can find resources in every subject, for every grade level, and it's all FREE! It's like music to my ears.
8. Kidsknowit If you love music, you will dig this website. I have become huge on using music to teach and this site offers a bunch of free songs, videos, and other free goodies! Enjoy!
9. Teacher Tube This is truly one of my favorite websites. If you are looking for videos for your class, ideas on teaching new strategies, slideshows, etc. You can find that all here! LOVE IT!
10. Virtual Manipulatives If you have a Promethean or SMART board in your classroom, you will love using this website. Those days of trying to show your students how to use those manipulatives you gave them without a board are gone! Whew.
What websites do you use religiously to plan or to teach? Sharing is caring friends!
Ok, so I am a little bit out of my element for this post as I teach high school students, but here are my 3 top sites.
ReplyDelete1. Buck Institute for Education- www.bie.org
A great resource for PBL instruction. I have done 2 of their units- Fighting Chance and Xlandia to teach American government. There rubrics, handouts, resources, answer sheets... a lot of good stuff.
2. Youth Leadership Initiative- University of Virginia Center for Politics-www.youthleadership.net
This website is amazing, great resources for teaching concepts in U.S history, government. They organize a nation wide model congress. They combine internet and traditional instruction. My favorite part about this site is that they have power points for the lessons already done!
3. Foundation for Teaching Economics- full lessons that focus on simulations/hands on. Also, they provide workshops and videos demonstrating the lesson.
I asked one of my instructors... "what did you do for lesson ideas and strategies before the internet?"
I've used "Enchanted Learning". They're great for activities the day before holidays. I'm a substitute teacher, and they've helped me in pinch.
ReplyDeletePete's PowerPoint Station and Promethean Plant sound like my sort of thing. I will definitely check them out- thanks.
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