Creating Lessons Around YouTube Videos

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There is a cool tool called TED-Ed (http://ed.ted.com/lessons) that allows teachers to create and share lessons built around YouTube videos.  Within the growing TED-Ed video library, you will find carefully curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed platform. This platform also allows users to take any useful educational video, not just TED's, and easily create a customized lesson around the video. The lesson creator allows users to:

1) FIND video content through an integrated search panel
2) SELECT a video or lesson to be customized
3) FLIP a video by adding questions, notes, and content.

The TEDEd library is continually growing and is searchable and browsable by series and subject. Tip: The best lessons are curated by volunteer teachers and TEDEd and compiled under the Best Flips tab. If you're looking for teaching inspiration, look no further!

On a Quest for a Great WebQuest?

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There is a free database that contains thousands of WebQuests on a variety of topics.  A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web.  Visit www.zunal.com to access already created WebQuests or to create your own.  Free features include:

· Choose from 100 Templates
· Add Unlimited Files and Pictures
· Embed Videos from YouTube or other video websites.
· Embed Voki Presentations
· Embed Glogster Presentations
· Add Unlimited Pages
· Add Table / Rubric
· Create a Quiz
· Create an FAQ Page
· Add a Photo Gallery
· Google Map Activity
· Add a WebQuest Game: Hangman
· Add Pre-Test & Post-Test

Check out http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=4 to see an interesting WebQuest example on The Five Senses.

Love That Book!

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GCPS offers some wonderful programming that you can use to enhance teaching and learning in your classroom.  One such program is called, "Love That Book!"  In this program, storyteller and author Carmen Deedy brings books to life on location.  Carmen tells viewers about her favorite books while she visits sites related to the theme of the stories.  For example, in a recent episode entitled, "Carmen at the Library," the author discusses Bats at the Library by Brian Lies, The Library by Sarah Stewart, and Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk.  She also visits and shares information about her public library.  There are several episodes of "Love That Book" available online at http://gwinnett.k12.ga.us/lovethatbook.  Check it out!

How Can We Reduce Garbage?

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Garbology (http://www.naturebridge.org/garbology.php) is an exciting and interactive website that answers the question, "Where should my waste go?" It helps elementary-age students better understand how they can reduce trash and stop polluting. In addition to the interactive game, the “For Teachers” section includes nine lesson plans and five fact sheets.  The “For Students” section includes a waste assessment and seven useful handouts. The “For Families” section will inspire families to reduce and recycle.  You'll find lessons and activities to extend your Garbology experience, from how to pack a waste-less lunch to getting the dirt on composting. Plus, read the Trash Talk blog for stories of Garbology in practice.

Looking for High Interest Informational Text?

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There is a child-centered website called Youngzine (http://www.youngzine.org/) that provides informational articles, images, and videos about world news, science and technology, society and arts, movies, and books. School-age children are encouraged to respond to the content and may submit articles, short stories, and book reviews. All content is reviewed by Youngzine’s editors and updated every two weeks. The site is geared toward students in grades K-8.

 Tip: Do you and your students discuss current events? Use Youngzine as a springboard for these weekly or daily discussions. Students can post comments and reflections in the comments section.

Dress Up Your Lessons in a Tagxedo!

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There are some great, free word cloud Web 2.0 tools available online to enhance teaching and learning in your classroom!  My favorite at the moment is www.Tagxedo.com. Tagxedo turns words -- famous speeches, news articles, student generated lists, slogans and themes -- into a visually stunning word cloud with words individually sized appropriately to highlight the frequencies of occurrence within the body of text. What I love the most about this tool is that the user gets to choose the shape of the word cloud.

I have been using Tagxedo with all of my classes this year as a brainstorming tool.  For example, in third grade, we are doing a research project on Georgia habitats.  To kick off the unit, we brainstormed words related to Georgia habitats and created the following Tagxedo:

To use Tagxedo, the user simply clicks on create, chooses a shape, and types or copies text into the text box by clicking the load button.  Click submit, and watch the magic happen!  You can then play with font, color, and other style features to make your Tagxedo exactly what you want.

Other possible uses of Tagxedo or other word cloud tools include:

•  Brainstorm a topic or create a discussion either inside the  class or online                       
•  Teach vocabulary                                                                                               
•  Use them in reading activities to promote comprehension                                                                    
•  Students can use them to feature important ideas from a  discussion or a video content                                     
•  The entire class can use word clouds to react to a certain topic                                                           
•  Have students create word clouds that generate understanding of a concept, standards or vocabulary word.         
•  Illustrate classroom thoughts or views using a word cloud to survey students.                                              
•  Create a class word cloud that highlights class expectation                                                                

Innovative Civics Resource

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There is a valuable website available to help you teach your Civics AKS.
www.iCivics.org was founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to prepare young
Americans to become knowledgeable, engaged 21st century citizens by
creating free and innovative educational materials.  The site offers the
nation’s most comprehensive, standards-aligned civics curriculum that is
available freely on the Web.  Order in the court. Hail to the chief! Roll
call…yea or nay… iCivics is a game, activity, and resource filled website
that helps people of all ages learn about branches of government,
citizenship, separation of powers, media influences on government, the
budget, and the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Games can be accessed by
topic or playing time. In addition to games and webquests, iCivics provides
lesson plans with supporting resources for teachers. Check it out!