Thursday, May 16, 2013

Hot Links - Delicious websites to feed hungry young minds.

The left margin of this blog is entitled "Internet Integration in the Classroom" and it is composed of a number of great educational websites. The problem is there are so many links, the type face is small and its not easy to understand how the entries have been organized. To help you find what you are looking for, I am going to list the very best of my suggestions here, with a brief description of what you and your child will find at the websites. By the way, you might find some sites require you to update your Flash or Shockwave software, its free, safe and worth doing. Once installed the updates enhances how the activities perform and your child's enjoyment of them. One final thought, the younger the student the more assistance you will need to provide.
Have a great year!!


Mr. Moul's - Hot Links
(A work in progress)
Best Educational Portal for Parents & Teachers -
Internet for Classrooms
A portal is a starting place or entrance, if you have a specific content area you want to work on with your child this is a good place to begin. The content areas are aligned with standards for the different grade levels allowing you focus on specific skills to practice or investigate. By the way parents, if you feel you want to brush up on your computer skills you might want to have a look at the on-line tutorials.


Most Popular Student Math Site -


Arcademic
When mathematics drills are fun they take on the energy of a game. This website offers activities that foster mastery of fundamental math facts. They also have a number of great language arts activities as well.
A GREAT WEBSITE
21st Century Creativity -
Art Pad
Interactive painting site that is easy to navigate, save, email and use. The site incorporates a feature that allows the artist to frame their work and observe it along side the works of other artists, which is really cool.


Best Keyboarding Site -
Dance Mat Typing
Its Free, its Fun and it really helps students learn how to type. There are many keyboarding alternatives on the internet, which you'll find in older posts. In the meantime, after students have mastered the basics, they can have fun testing their new found skills at FREE TYPING GAMES. 


Best Interactive Science Review Site -
BBC Science Clips
This is a well designed site for the student who is interested in science but doesn't have a specific area they want to research. The site puts fourth basic concepts using interactive activities which include sound. You enter the site through ages 5-6 or 7-8 and then you have choices listed in the right hand margin that are appropriate for older students.
Most requested MATH GAME Site
Cool Math Games
Logic, spatial relationships, brain twisters and BLOXORZ
students can't seem to get enough of this site.
 


Popular Math Activity Site - Goofy Smart Kids
Had this site not been blocked by the SMMUSD internet filters, it probably would have been the most popular student math site. The site has games in its description, so students couldn't get to it at school. The site has links to some Oswego Games, Fun Brain, Learning Planet , iknowthat and many others. It is worth a visit as they suggest other sites in other subject areas as well.


Best Math Practice - Oswego Games
Props to Fayetteville Intermediate School for putting all these well designed activities on one page. Students through out the school year have demonstrated great enthusiasm about the activities found on this page. The activities support teaching as well as practice and address the needs of grades 1 -5.
Two other alternatives you might want to consider are:
Hooda Math
and opening a FREE account @

Best Geography Suggestion - GOOGLE EARTH
If you don't have this program on your computer, download it now for free!
Google Earth allows your child to explore both the earth, the sky and the sea. It isn't the easiest program to use at first (unless you view the tutorial) , primarily because of its many features, but the more you explore the easier it gets. Try using it to plan a vacation, visit friends in foreign places (does that include Big Fork, Mt?) or just find out more about our spectacular state. If you choose not to down load the program you can always use Google Maps.


Best Geography Game (is now harder to find, follow this link)   - GEOSPY
If a student is going to have to spend time learning their states, not to mention the continents, then they should have fun doing so and this National Geographic Kids encourages them to do just that.


Learn Another Language - BBC Languages
A third grade, Spanish speaking student, asked me to locate a website that might help her learn another language. I assumed she meant English, which she speaks, writes and reads rather well, so I suggested Pumarosa, but I was wrong. She wants to learn another language and having used the BBC for Math, Typing and Science I am confident they will handle language in a similar manner, hence my recommendation.


Most Creative Options at One Site -
Whatever your taste in fine art, be it classical to modern, realism or abstract, this site has an activity that will engage your child. Well worth a visit.



Survey the World of Classical Music - Classics For Kids
As someone who is not schooled in classical music, I was excited to find a site that could enrich my understanding and appreciation. I believe parents and children alike will appreciate what they'll uncover on this website.



Most Popular Student Portal -
 All My Faves/ Kids


The developers of this site call it "the Amusement Park on the Web" and it lives up to the hype. Your child can find links to many of the most popular kids sites on the internet all at one location (ie: Neopets, Club Penguin, Webkinz). While at the same time, there are links to some worthwhile educational fun sites including Discovery Kids, Professor Garfield, BBC's Bitesize Revision, Fun School as well as MANY others.

Text - to - Movie -Xtranormal
This site was not created for elementary age students,it contains work that might offend some people's sensibilities, younger students should be accompanied by an adult. Having said that, if a student can type they can make movies, this site encourages writing in a way few other sites can.


Animators in Training - ANIBOOM
This site was not created for elementary age students,it contains work that might offend some people's sensibilities and takes some time to master. Understanding that, this site gives the student the ability to create animated shorts and work in a 21st century medium. I have been amazed at the work of our students on this site.


Game Designers in Training - Scratch
I'm told this site is a collaboration between M.I.T. and U.C.L.A., resulting in a playground for future game designers, your kids. Students have an opportunity to create their own schemes and try the work of others. Once again, another site that takes some time to master but, it is worth the effort. The site gives adults a chance to see the future of gaming through the eyes of students.


Explore Sound - SOUND JUNCTION
Another really popular activity on the computer is creating music in Garage Band (found on most Apple computers). This site allows any student with a desire to experiment to do just that online. Though we never used this site in the classroom, it is definitely something students are interested in and a manner of creativity that will become more common place in the near future.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Thursday, March 22, 2012

An introduction to KEYBOARDING




 Practice  your keyboarding 
(if you don't hear sounds and see moving pictures go to the alternative)
You can also practice your keyboarding here

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

GREAT sites to help primary grade readers

PHONICS:







SIGHT WORDS:






Read-a-Long: 
 

 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Little People Games

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sunday, February 28, 2010

La lista corta de acoplamientos

(Important links for the ELL parents I have the privilege of teaching)
La lista corta siguiente de acoplamientos (los atajos a los websites)is proporcionaron para demostrar cómo es útil el Internet (Web mundial) puede estar a usted y a los miembros de su familia.
  1. Terra te da la mejor fuente de contenidos de internet: Noticias, Autos, Casa, Mujer, Gente Famosa, Musica, Videos, y servicios: Buscador, foros, radio http://www.terra.com/
  2. Pumarosa - ¡Aprende inglés en 28 días!
    El método de Pumarosa.com es muy sencillo.
    ¡Sólo súbele a tus bocinas y a aprender inglés se ha dicho!
    http://www.pumarosa.com
  3. Traductor en línea - http://babelfish.altavista.com/
  4. Actividades para los estudiantes de ESL - http://a4esl.org/
  5. La Biblioteca digital de ninos - http://www.storyplace.org/sp/storyplace.asp
  6. La Opinión es el diario en español más leído de Estados Unidos. La Opinión Digital le entrega toda la información local, estatal, nacional e internacional - http://www.laopinion.com/

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Internet Safety, some suggestions...

The first step in protecting your family's safety is awareness of the threats you could face. The second step is discussing these challenges with your family, followed by equipping your computer with the software solutions available for your use.

Kid Friendly Browsers
- KidZui(Free Down Load) Glubble( a Firefox addon) KidSurf (children 3-8)

Kid Friendly Search Engines:
Ask Kids
Kid Rex Quintura Kids

Parental Control / Internet Filters:
Net Nanny5.6 Cyber Patrol7.6 Safe Eyes5.0

Virus Software:
AVG Free Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 Norton Anti-Virus 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A NEW TOOL FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Smart Teachings Blog is a great resource. One of the recent entries focuses on videos found on You Tube , which regrettably is blocked by many school disticts to protect students from questionable material. There are programs that you can use to convert "YouTube" videos to downloadable formats for use in the classroom, like "vixy.net" and Media Convereter.
Otherwise, the rest of the blog is packed with useful information:
100 Tips & Tutorials
100 Essential Tips and Resources for Student Teachers
100+ Motivational Techniques to Take Learning to the Next Level
100 Awesome Classroom Videos to Learn New Teaching Techniques

Sunday, April 27, 2008

The Story of STUFF. A MUST SEE!!


Looking to create a unit that matters, here is the STUFF to construct it around. Please visit The Story of STUFF (you'll be glad you did).

Friday, December 21, 2007

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Does your Schoolhouse ROCK?

It helped a previous generation is there any reason to doubt its effectiveness in helping a new generation?



If you think it might, follow the link or search Schoolhouse Rock and cue it up for your students.

Monday, July 2, 2007

However its viewed, Separate will always be inherently unequal


The recent Supreme Court ruling was a punch in the stomach, it took the wind out of me. After sometime to digest it, it still tastes bad. I don't trust the theory that students will receive budgeting inaccordance with their needs and that money is the solution to the problem. I agree that forced integration left much to be desired and that the seperation of the races has improved little since Brown. But Brown, was an ideal worthy of striving to accomplish, not to be viewed as Chief Justice Roberts has as "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." (NY Times, 6/28/07); sounds a little bit like "Just say no".

Though there is some truth in his statement,but he and we must go further and END ALL DISCRIMINATION whether is based on CLASS, COUNTRY of ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION or any other aspect of who we are, that we use to seperates ourselves from one another.
For a much more articulate interpretation and response please read:

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Excerpts from John Taylor Gatto - The Seven Lesson Schoolteacher

The license I hold certifies that I am an instructor of English language and English literature, but that isn't what I do at all. I don't teach English, I teach school -- and I win awards doing it.
He was named New York City Teacher of the year in 1989, 1990, and 1991, and New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991

Teaching means different things in different places, but seven lessons are universally taught from Harlem to Hollywood Hills. They constitute a national curriculum you pay for in more ways than you can imagine, so you might as well know what it is. You are at liberty, of course, to regard these lessons any way you like, but believe me when I say I intend no irony in this presentation. These are the things I teach, these are the things you pay me to teach. Make of them what you will.

"Look...at the seven lessons of school teaching --
1. CONFUSION
2. CLASS POSITION

3. INDIFFERENCE
4. EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY
5. INTELLECTUAL DEPENDENCY
6. PROVISIONAL SELF-ESTEEM
7. ONE CAN'T HIDE

all of these lessons are prime training for permanent underclasses, people deprived forever of finding the center of their own special genius. And over this time the training has shaken loose from its own original logic: to regulate the poor. For since the 1920s, the growth of the school bureaucracy and the less visible growth of a horde of industries that profit from schooling exactly as it is, have enlarged this institution's original grasp to the point that it now seizes the sons and daughters of the middle class as well. "

READ: THE SEVEN LESSON SCHOOLTEACHER

Maukie - the virtual cat