Teacher Tools & Resources

Teacher Tools & Resources
An Internet Hotlist on Teacher Tools for Using the Internet as a Resource

created by Sue Summerford
Lenawee Intermediate School District

Introduction
There's so much more on the web than we could ever use! In this age of abundance we can only find time to look at what is recommended! Here are some recommendations, many passed along by other educators over the years. I hope you find something useful! If you know of other sites I should add, please pass them along. Or you find any of the links broken or obsolete, please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as I can. This is an accumulation of several years of searching and compiling, I know I started this Filamentality hotlist before the 'turn of the century' (and we're almost a DECADE into the 21st Century!!!) Thanks for sharing the wealth!

sue.summerford@lisd.us
(updated 03-04-09)

The Internet Resources

CEMaT - Center for Educational Materials and Technology - Lenawee Intermediate School District's media center - look for links to educational resources, educational technology, and distance learning
Handheld Resources for K-12 Education - Sue's list of Palm/handheld resources
LISD Educational Technology Web Page - Sue's links for many content area resources including handhelds
MATR - Michigan's Assistive Technology Resource - information services, support materials, technical assistance, and training to local and intermediate school distsricts in Michigan to increase capacity to address the needs of students with disabilities for assistive technology
Midge Frazell's PD Resources for Educators - More Palm/handheld resource links
NEW! Free Technology Toolkit for UDL in All Classrooms - Free UDL tech toolkit wiki - Karen Janowski/Joyce Valenza - great links for UDL resources to support learning for ALL students!
Palm eBook Studio - Adding Graphics - Sue's handout for adding graphics to Palm eBook studio - you want to have Adobe Photoshop Elements first!
Sue's 'Web 2.0 Resources for the K-12 Classroom' - Sue's Filamentality page with the latest web 2.0 interactive resources (plus links for blogging, podcasting, digital storytelling, and more)updated 8/15/2006
Sue's FURL Page - Furl is an online social bookmarking site that categorizes bookmarked sites by tags or keywords. It also caches the pages as an archive site - great resource!
The Information Age Classroom - An Internet Hotlist on Classroom Management & Technology created by Patricia Iannacone, Long Island Educational Enterprise Zone - some online resources for use in the one-computer classroom - Search Filamentality for other 'one computer classroom' hotlists
Tony Vincent's Planet 5th Website - 'Must-see' for handheld users in K-12 education!
What Are the Benefits of WebQuests? -

Save Your Links - Bookmarking Sites

Backflip - bookmarking site for managing your favorites - organize and share
Del.icio.us - social bookmarking site - tag, mark public to share, look for the ones others have saved
Diigo - a next generation social bookmarking and annotation service that enables users to increase research productivity, readily exchange information, and connect with others who share their interests and concerns. CNet includes Diigo among its Top 10 Research Tools, and many educators found Diigo quite useful.
Filamentality - Set up your own hotlist page of links like these for your next student project
Furl - 'furl' your favorites, tag them, and share with others (caches the pages - even if the site goes away you can still have the content you bookmarked)
Ma.gnolia.com - Find web sites and build community online (human-organized bookmarking)
ikeepbookmarks - keep bookmarked sites here and organize them in folders or share with others by giving public access

K-12 Online Teacher Resources

21st Century Literacies - from Knowledge Network Explorer (SBC) - tools & resources for Information, Media, Multicultural & Visual Literacy
4Teachers.org - Many templates to make a teacher's job easier - must see rubistar.4teachers.org for quality rubrics
ACTDEN - Learn Online with ACTDEN (Digital Education Network) Tutorial format on a variety of current educational topics - updated weekly
AIMS Educational Foundation - Lesson plans for math and science from AIMS!
ASSIST Beginning Teachers - new resources created by MDE & MSU to assist new teachers and their mentors
Answers.com - See Quick Tour for more information - great interactive resource
CNETS - lesson plans integrating technology with other content areas from ISTE NETS
Citation Machine - create MLA and APA citations
Cool Stuff - Educational Resources on the Web - Categorized by subject/content area, updated regularly (Check out 'The Amazing Picture Machine')
Discovery Channel School http://discoveryschool.com/ - Search by grade level, subject level, resource type
Discovery School Lesson Plan Library - must see!
Dr. Alice Christie's Digital Media Resources - Collection of iMovie online resources
Dr. Hotlist - Your Guide to K-12 Resources - Dr. Hotlist is a comprehensive guide to Web technologies and online resources that are transforming education and K-12 schools. - See Curriculum Resources and Emerging Web Technologies for some great links!
EasyBib - quickly and easily create an MLA bibliography for free (APA - $5/yr.)
Elementary Teacher Resources from Gail Lovely (NECC 2006 PDF) - Gail Lovely lists many great teacher resources on this handout as well as at her website.
Evaluating Website Content - Proceed with caution - this site appears to have links to great resources at every level; however, there is no visible link or evidence point to the owner other than some Utah education resources (most likely a tech coordinator in a K-12 district somewhere in Utah?)
Filamentality - from Pacific Bell's Knowledge Network - Here's where you'll start with Filamentality: Introduction to Hotlist - Scrapbook - Treasure Hunt - Sampler - WebQuest - with examples of each type.
Free Federal Resources for Educational Excellence - Check out these links to free resources sponsored by ED.gov - varous content areas - worth taking a look in your teaching area
Free Resources: 20 Sensational Science Sites - from TechLearning web site
GEM - The Gateway to Educational Materials http://thegateway.org/ - One-stop access to educational resources on the Internet
Gail Lovely.com - Great teacher resources for all content areas
Gateway to 21st Century Skills (GEM) - formerly GEM, this NEA sponsored site has a database that allows you to search for lesson plan resources
Grolier Online - online access to Grolier Online including Americana, Groliers encyclopedia with multimedia, and New Book of Knowledge - must be authenticated from LISD building to gain access (or Lenawee County educations can see your local building media specialist for information on gaining access from home)
K-12 Collaborative Projects (CIESE) - many opportunities to have your students collaborate with other students from around the globe
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - Categorized list of sites for teachers
Knowledge Network - Pacific Bell's Knowledge Network Explorer - This is where you can access the Filamentality page to create a site like this one. Also, check out the Blue Web'n site, as well as other quality resources.
Kosovo Crimes - Kosovo WebQuest Example
MI CLiMB - Clarifying Language in Michigan's Benchmarks - MI CLiMB exemplar lessons - Clarifying Language in Michigan's Benchmarks
MarcoPolo (MCI WORLDCOM) - Internet Content for the Classroom - MarcoPolo is a partnership between the MCI WorldCom Foundation and leading educational organizations. Their objective is to provide high quality content and professional development free of charge and easily accessible to all educators in the country. The MarcoPolo program provides no-cost, standards-based Internet content for the K-12 teacher and classroom. Online resources include links to top sites in many disciplines, professionally developed lesson plans, and classroom activities. The six partner sites include National Geographics Xpeditions, Science NetLinks, EDSITEment, EconEdLink, Illumincations, and ARTS EDGE. These sites can be reached easily by linking from the MarcoPolo site.
Marilyn Western - Marilyn is a Michigan educational technology teacher & presenter - see 'Stuff Ya Gotta Try' for fun sites to look at!
McGraw-Hill Learning Network - set up a simple teacher web page for assignments, announcement, sharing of simple files, and links
McREL Lesson Plan Library - database - McREL standards aligned lesson plans
Meg Ormiston - TechTeachers.com -
Michigan Learnport - register and login - be sure to see the free NetTrekker d.i. (differentiated instruction) resources that are available to Michigan teachers. Site has many professional development opportunities as well with online courses offered - look for the FREE ones!
Michigan Teacher Network - See 'Learn About MTN' for brochures, flyers with more information - you can even search for resources by copying/pasting the exact 'benchmark' to find content that is aligned to Michigan's benchmarks!!!
Movie Licensing USA - Keep it legal!
Noodle Tools Bib MLA Starter - free after you register and login
NoodleTools - Suite of interactive tools designed to help students in online research
PBS - Public Broadcasting Station - great movie clips, classroom resources
Photoshop Tutorials - created by Mary Bertram's daughter! - Great step-by-step 'how-to's' for Photoshop
Pokemon Learning League - Interactive, Animated Lessons for Elementary (gr. 3-6) - aligned to Michigan Standards and with PDF activities as well as online application
Public Broadcasting Station - This is a great site for video content for students.
Rubistar - Great place to make your own rubrics - easy to customize for content areas, specific projects
S.C.O.R.E. Cyber Guides - California literature guides for language arts - all grade levels
Sirs Web Resource Center - Click on 'Teachers' - lots of resources. Some areas require login.
Teachnology - The Online Teacher Resource - at latest count: 27,000 lesson plans, Teaching tips, 6,500 FREE printable worksheets, Games and Downloads, Preformatted rubrics, 256,000 reviewed sites Printable generators Webquests
The New York Times Learning Network - must see for news in the classroom - no more stacks of paper piling up in the corner - everything's online!
The Virtual Schoolhouse - Hint: Go to the Teacher's Lounge first
USA Today Education - Interesting format - lots of education related links - ***See News Activities>Daily Lesson>Math TODAY
Unitedstreaming - outstanding video content - recently updated with still images and audio content - MUST SEE! (see your local building media specialist or call CEMaT for your one-time password to set up your own account through LISD)
Way Back Macine - Considering that Web sites have an average life span of 19 months, that frustration occurs pretty regularly for those of us who are regular users of Web resources! This site promises to banish that frustration forever, however, by making it possible to surf the more than 10 billion pages stored in its Web archive. And it really works! Remember those dead links at the real time data site above? Enter the URL of the one you were hoping to find into this site�s search engine, click Take Me Back, and watch the Way Back Machine find it for you. Even if the search is unsuccessful, this archive locator will promise to find the lost site on its next crawl through cyberspace! The Internet Archive Wayback Machine is a service that allows people to visit archived versions of Web sites. Visitors to the Wayback Machine can type in a URL, select a date range, and then begin surfing on an archived version of the Web. Imagine surfing circa 1999 and looking at all the Y2K hype, or revisiting an older version of your favorite Web site.

Kid-Friendly Tools

50 States - facts represented on this site for all 50 states
A Visit to Copyright Bay - fun, self-guided tour of copyright issues, updated with streaming video
AskJeeves for Kids - Ask questions and find answers - lots of great study tools as well
Awesome Library - organizes the Web with 31,000 carefully reviewed resources
Classroom Treasures - resources for the classroom in various content areas - page from K12IMC.org site
Copyright Kids - easy to navigate
Encyclopedia Brittanica -
Fact Monster - from Information Please
Fishing For New Ideas---Lesson Plans and Projects (from k12imc.org) - sites that post new projects curriculum and lessons regularly
Funbrain.com - math games, reading activities - fun site - curriculum guide & standards finder based on McREL standards
Gale Student Resource Center Gold - local logins only - Must link from an LISD school for direct access (see your building media specialist for information on remote access from your home)
Gee Guides - bringing the worlds of art, technology and fun together - animated hands-on arat exploration & creation
IN TIME - Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education - Find video in various content areas showing how master teachers integrate technologies into classroom activities
Integrating Technology into Your School's Curriculum - links at this site offer advice about integrating technology into your school's curriculum.
K-12 Instructional Media Center - sponsored by ISTE - over 1,900 carefully selected and annotated resources for the 21st century classroom
Kids.Net - Australian search engine directory for childreen & educators (references Dmoz.org and Wikipedia.org
KidsClick! - Web search for kids by librarians
Little Explorer Picture Dictionary - Picture dictionary with links - Visit Enchanted Learning for other great teacher resources also
National Geographic for Kids - world news relevant to childrens' interests
PBS Kids - see Parent & Teacher resources
Sports Illustrated for Kids - very appealing to sports fans
SurfMonkey - Web browser for kids - must have Parent login
Tech4Learning - My T4L - must see 'Tools' - great Citation Maker, Graphic Organizer Maker, and Rubric Maker
ThinkQuest Internet Challenge Library - The library contains unique educational web sites that have been created through ThinkQuest competitions and programs. The library currently contains more than 5,000 web sites to search and surf. Built by kids for kids to use and learn. It is also a great place to get ideas for your own project in one of our many programs around the world.
TimeforKids - Discover the world with TIME for kids - homework helper and many other magazine features
Wordsmyth Children's Dictionary-Thesaurus - Web-based dictionary-thesaurus for kids
Yahooligans - Web Guide for Kids

Making Internet Use Safe & Age-Appropriate

American Library Association - Great Sites for Kids - ALA Service to Children
GetNetWise - Make informed decisions about your familiy's Internet use
Internet Advocate - Web-based Resource Guide for Librarians and Educators Interested in Providing Youth Access to the Net
LookSmart Kids Directory (Net Nanny) - online safety tips for parents to teach safe surfing, awareness of online predators, etc.
Nine Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning from ALA - Information Power from the American Library Association - Nine Standards for Information Literacy, Independent Lrng., & Social Responsibility
Parents Guide to the Internet - from the U. S. Department of Education
RADKids.org - Personal Empowerment Safety Education - Ed Smart supports RADKids to empower kids to be aware of their own safety and surroundings and how to deal with dangers (not so much Internet related, but another good site for teachers and kids to have as a resource)
SafeKids.Com Home Page - Tips, Advice, & suggestions to make family online experiences safe and fun.
Safety Net for the Internet: A Parent's Guide - from the New York Public Library
Specialized Search Engines & Directories - More tips on selecting a search engine or directory (from Bernie Dodge - WebQuests)
iSAFE America Inc. - non-profit Internet safety foundation - free program to raise Internet safety awareness

Internet Search Strategies/Search Engine Tips

Blue Web'n -
Four Nets for Better Searching -
International Society for Technology in Education -
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Critical Evaluation Survey - Teach students how to critically evaluate websites for authenticity, accuracy, content, usefulness, etc.
Kathy Schrock's Web Site Evaluation Guides - Critial Evaluation Surveys by Grade Level for students to use
LISD Educational Technology WebPage -
Librarians' Index to the Internet -
Library Spot -
Michigan Electronic Library - for teacher resousrces click on MeL Internet>Education>Mathematics Education or other content area
NoodleQuest -
Refdesk.com - This site is awesome! Hundreds of reference sites listed alphabetically! A 'must see!'
Step Zero: What to do Before Searching -
Teach for Tomorrow -
Teaching WEB Evaluation - from Jim Kapoun's 'Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction.' C&RL News (July/August 1998): 522-523.
The Web: Teaching Zack to Think - This article is a 'must-read' if you're going to work with kids and the Internet!
Tips for Internet Searches - Here's a handout you might use with older students for quick review of search strategies & popular search engines.
University of Wisconsin-Madison-Steenbock Memorial Library - World Wide Web Search Strategies - You may have to click the link at the top of the page to redirect.
Verifying Sources: How to Map a Link - Verify the source of web information - see who else is linking to a site.
Windweaver's Search Guide - Basic search information and tips for using the best directories and search engines

WebQuests

A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests - This rubric will help you pinpoint the ways in which your WebQuest isn't doing everything it could do.
An Insect's Perspective WebQuest - Process/Resources Example
Building Blocks of a WebQuest - Learn more about the components to put together a WebQuest: Introduction, Task, Process, Resources, Evaluation, and Conclusion.
Family of Nations WebQuest - Evaluation Example
Junge Mode WebQuest - Webquest on designing a clothing catalog for teens in German by Teresa Wallace, Lone Oak High School
Matrix of Examples by Grade Levels - Sample WebQuests from different content areas and grade levels - In the left frame click on 'Top,' 'Middling,' or 'New' to find WebQuests in your grade level/content area.
Muckraker Magazine WebQuest - Task Example
Rubrics for Web Lessons - WebQuest Tutorial - The Case for Authentic Assessment and more
Scaffolding: Process Guides for Students - guides to processes that allow students to become more efficient - includes brainstorming, building consensus, evaluating web page content, using primary source documents, viewing a photograph, and interview techniques
The WebQuest Page - This is the mother lode of all WebQuest information. Make this your own professional development project!
Tuskegee Tragedy WebQuest - Process/Resources Example
WebQuest Design Patterns - List of paterns derived from existing WebQuests that are instructionally solid.
WebQuest Portal - visit QuestGarden to set up your own WebQuest using their template or to see some of the 14,000+ other recently created WebQuests (since 2004)!
WebQuest Taxonomy: A Taxonomy of Tasks - This list includes definitions and tips for twelve types of WebQuest tasks that focus on what learners will do. Visit exemplar WebQuest sites from this page to explore each of the 12 types of tasks.
Wesward Ho, Shall We Go? WebQuest - Introduction Example
What Are The Essential Parts of a WebQuest? - Concept to Classroom - thirteen ed online workshop resources
What Is a WebQuest? - Concept to Classroom - thirteen ed online workshop resources
What Would Dewey Do? WebQuest - Process/Resources Example
Women of the Century: An Education World WebQuest - Ideas for adapting the WebQuest across the grades, plus a simple rubric for grading students' efforts and a database of online resources. (This site is a link from USA Today's 'Teacher's Place.')

Content by Sue Summerford, sue.summerford@lisd.us
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listteachers.html
Last revised Wed Mar 4 9:35:37 US/Pacific 2009