Shorten & Share | bit.ly | a simple URL shortener

Now you can shorten and bundle URLs with Shorten & Share | bit.ly | a simple URL shortener. This can be very helpful in teaching. Students won't need to transcribe long confusing web addresses. Plus they won't be turned loose on the world wide web, so it's less likely they'll get lost or wander into undesirable sites.

Free Technology for Teachers: Five Free Resources for Developing Typing Skills

Typing Web is one of those tutorials that provides instant feedback after every free typing lesson. Typing Web offers beginner through advanced typing lessons for free. You can register to track your progress or you can use Typing Web without registering.

Free Technology for Teachers: Five Free Resources for Developing Typing Skills

Wild on Math - Play the Game

Plain. Simple. Easy to use. No distractions.

This math facts-practice site just does its job.

What a welcome reprieve!

Wild on Math - Play the Game

MAKE BELIEFS COMIX! Online Educational Comic Generator for Kids of All Ages

Students can summarize a story, display a thought graphically, explain vocabulary or a concept through a comic frame or strip. Make Beliefs Comix makes the task easy. The results can be printed. Or to address yet another technology TEKS teachers can have students "hand in" their assignment via email. They don't have to have an email account.

MAKE BELIEFS COMIX! Online Educational Comic Generator for Kids of All Ages

Smart.fm - The World's Sharpest Learning Tool.

Last night I stayed up passed 1Am. It wasn't to turn back the clocks. Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn to learning. I can't help it! Smart.fm trains your brain. The computer uses complicated timing algorithms based on scientific memory research. Choose vocabulary in French, Spanish, Japanese, SAT words, prefixes and suffixes, and more. Free. Internet based.

Smart.fm - The World's Sharpest Learning Tool

Homemade Spacecraft on Vimeo

What a fantastic project for a class! Students would remember and talk about THIS for the rest of their lives!

Homemade Spacecraft on Vimeo

FutureMessage.org | Send Emails, Texts, and Tweets into the Future!

Future Message hopes to make your life a lot easier. Just type in a message you want to send. Then specify when you want to send it.
Future Message even lets you select how you want to send your message. You can pick from e-mail, text message or Twitter.
You can send yourself reminders for future events. Or write birthday letters for friends weeks in advance. Write a message right when you think about it. Future Message will handle the delivery date!
FutureMessage.org | Send Emails, Texts, and Tweets into the Future!

What's Your Learning Style? Quiz

We know students have different learning styles, but do you know what YOUR learning style is? Find out. Chances are, that strongly influences your teaching style.
What's Your Learning Style? | Edutopia

Home-to-School Connections Guide: Tips, Tech Tools, and Strategies for Improving Family-to-School Communication | Edutopia

A student's parents are their first teachers. It is important to acknowledge their dominant role in the growth and development of the student. Effective communication between home and school can resolve conflict and possibly avert confrontation altogether. Edutopia offers a free guide to improve that connection.
Home-to-School Connections Guide: Tips, Tech Tools, and Strategies for Improving Family-to-School Communication | Edutopia

Kerpoof Scholastics™

Its been around for a while. I heard about it two years ago at the TCEA Convention in Austin, TX.
Kerpoof's multimedia software is used by kids worldwide to create original artwork, animated movies, stories, greeting cards and more. The site is meant to be fun, but we're serious about its educational value. Elementary and middle school teachers can use Kerpoof in many ways to enhance classroom activities while meeting a range of educational standards. Watch this video to get some ideas.
Kerpoof Scholastics™

Yacapaca! - Home

You can create online quizzes, surveys, e-portfolios for free with just a few mouse clicks. Take a look at this short introductory video.
Yacapaca! - Home

The Problem Site: Problem Solving and Educational Games

At The Problem Site teachers can guide students to train their brain on the many exercises. This would be great for classrooms with interactive boards, but a teacher could also display the problem and the fun on the wall using a computer and projector. There are plenty of games for young or older. Try a few and pass on the word to your peers, parents, and students.
The Problem Site: Problem Solving and Educational Games

TodaysMeet

In faculty meetings and trainings I am annoyed by teachers side-bar chatting while I try to learn or teach. But I encourage conversation that is on-topic. We've all been in classes and meetings where the talk is dominated by few. Some folks are less comfortable with attention, and so they withhold their input. That's a shame, because there have been many times when someone quiet, maybe even shy shared an idea or point of view that was needed. Today's site is TodaysMeet. It allows everyone involved to give input.
Educational Value: Teachers create a space for students to post feedback and pose questions. Lessons can become more engaging and differentiated for and by the audience.
TodaysMeet

Cacoo - Create diagrams online Real time collaboration

Cacoo, a collaborative diagramming tool, has now left beta. Cacoo changed their pricing structure while leaving beta, but the good news is that they still have a free version and the free version offers plenty of functionality for most classroom uses. The free version allows for 15 collaborators on a diagram and up to 25 diagrams per account.

Cacoo allows you to draw shapes, type, and drag and drop elements of your diagram. One of the unique aspects of Cacoo is that you can also upload images to include in your diagrams. The collaborative aspect of Cacoo is that you can invite other people to contribute to your diagrams. Cacoo allows you to chat with your collaborators in real-time while you work on your diagrams.
Cacoo - Create diagrams online Real time collaboration

Testmoz - The Test Generator

Testmoz is a simple service for creating and administering multiple choice tests online. Testmoz provides a unique url for the tests you create. Testmoz also provides a "pass code" that test takers have to enter. As the administrator of the tests you create you can quickly see who has taken your test and how many questions they answered correctly.
Testmoz - The Test Generator

Simple private real-time sharing and collaboration by drop.io

Simple private real-time sharing and collaboration by drop.io
Last night a teacher asked how she could select research photos from the internet and somehow save them where her students (each working at different computers) could have access. She didn't want to save them to a thumb drive and then have to sit at every computer to download them. It’s easy to share photos, documents and other files with anyone online. But, if you want to keep your files easily accessible, yet private, things become more difficult.

Well, today, I have a simple solution; thanks to Kim Komando. How would you like a private site where you could upload files? And what if you could access it virtually anywhere? You can do all of this with Drop.io. To get started, you need only create a drop, or personal area. You name your Web page and upload your first file. Enter a password, if you want. There’s no registration!
After you create your drop, you’ll get several things. You’ll get the address for your drop. You can share it with anyone you choose.
You’ll also get an e-mail address and voicemail number. Send files to your drop. Or call it and leave a message. Your message will be converted to an MP3 file. There are so many cool things you can do with Drop.io. Take some time to read its blog. It will give you some great ideas!

Yellow Pages Association | Environmental

You can opt out of Yellow Pages delivery. Just visit today's Cool Site and enter your ZIP code. It tells you the appropriate companies to call or visit online. You can also find tips on recycling unwanted Yellow Pages directories.
Yellow Pages Association | Environmental

K12 Educational Publishing

K12 Educational Publishing
Teachers work so hard! Forget about 8 hour work days and three months off in the Summer. They're working all the time - grading, planning, and perpetual professional development. They create lessons, handouts, assessments and then share them freely with peers. One way be compensated for the extra time and to share with even more folks is to get published. Now in the digital age it is easier. Check out Lulu.com. You send them what you want published. They bind it and if you want them to, they'll offer it to the public. You determine how much profit you charge. You can buy your books at cost. The public pays whatever price you set. Another nice thing about Lulu - you don't have to store or ship books. You just get royalty checks.
Now, if you're like me, your mind is churning: Publish student work, Class sets bound as fundraisers, Portfolios, Personalized yearbooks, and so much more. Yes, and teachers can publish their ideas and work as personal fundraisers. Heaven knows you'll need that money to go out and buy more teaching supplies. Good luck!

Chore Chart | Online Chore Chart | My Job Chart

Chore Chart | Online Chore Chart | My Job Chart
In general, kids don't like doing chores. I know it isn't our children's favorite activity. However, chores are a good way to prepare kids for the future. Not all jobs are fun all the time—except mine! But it is important to persevere if you want to get ahead in life.
Today's Cool Site is designed to help your kids develop that mindset. It lets you create an online chore chart. Your kids log in each day to see their chores.
When they're done with a chore they can check it off. This gives them points. The points can be spent in a reward store you set up.
Rewards can range from more video game time to extra allowance. They get to decide where to spend their points. It teaches them responsibility and the value of work.

Free online invitations and announcements

I'm passing on this site that I learned about from Kim Komando. It's easy for me to envision some creative teachers using this with their students.

If you want friends and family to show up for the party, you'll need to send invitations. But forget the postage and waiting for the mail to arrive.
Creating and sending cards online is quicker and less expensive. But the quality often leaves something to be desired. That's where today's Cool Site comes in.
It lets you create and send invitations and announcements online. You can select from hundreds of well-designed templates in dozens of categories.
You can send cards to as many people as you want. For more formal events, you can send your cards via traditional mail. You'll pay a small fee for the postage.
But that's not all you can do. You can also create guest lists with RSVP tracking. A personalized Web page can be generated. And you can integrate gift and charity registries. The invites also integrate with popular social networks!
VISIT: www.pingg.com >>

Remember Everything | Evernote Corporation

Remember Everything | Evernote Corporation
What do you write your reminder notes on? Do you use Post-it notes or scraps of paper? This program is a better way. It lets you use almost anything as a reminder note. Write text notes. Save and annotate photos. Record audio reminders. You can even clip portions of Web sites you want to remember. If you like this program, check out the iPhone app.

Cost: Free
Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OSX

Why Use Google Docs?

Anytime students or adults, for that matter, have a project with a report, research, rubrics, that requires, collaborative work, this is how to do it. The old days of sending emails back and forth with attachments, reviewing MS Office docs one at a time, slowly–are the old days. Google Docs make collaboration on work as easy as doing the work yourself. Instead of printing a report, the student could be allowed to simply "share" it online with her. Set up a Google account for free. This does not mean you have to have another Email account, although I do like Gmail.

How to Make Time-Out More Effective

School is just beginning and it is so important to take time NOW to teach all aspects of classroom management to our students. Have you taken time to teach students how to go to time out? Read this article for that and other tips to make classroom discipline more effective.

Tech Training

We had fun learning about Web 2.0

ZAP Reader

Zap Reader is a speed reading program for reading text on a computer. You simply insert the text into the web based program and start reading. Zap Reader users can read up to 300% quicker without losing comprehension.

Techy Tips for not so techy teachers

As teachers prepare to begin the new year, I hope they will also consider trying something new with their new students. Since we are preparing children for the future I believe we should use innovative ways to teach and motivate. Today's site is a powerpoint presentation that include's 25 easy tips for teachers to integrate technology. Click on the link below. Use your > arrow to advance to the next slide.

Techy Tips for not so techy teachers

Free Online Chess for Kids - 100% Safe!

I've observed students learning and playing video games. They don't read the instructions. A peer may give them a few tips. They just start and learn as they go. They soon quit the games that are easy to master. They seem addicted to the ones that keep them challenged. Some students get hooked on video games to the detriment of their social skills.

Many people think of Chess as a game for nerds and geeks. Other people see it as too complicated or boring. People tend to think it has complex rules. The truth is, players only need to learn how 6 pieces move and capture. Now, the strategies are almost limitless, that's why many people find it fun.

Those factors can also make Chess a great game for kids. It teaches patience, concentration and critical thinking. And there is always room to grow. They seem to instinctively know the objective; capturing the King will win the game. In minutes they learn how the pieces move. But they can spend a lifetime trying new strategies. And through Chess, players interact with other people and can socialize.

Today's Cool Site is a Chess site geared towards kids. They can learn about chess through videos, puzzles and articles. They can also practice against a computer. Then they can play against kids from all over the world.

The Website is set up with safety in mind. You can create an account and add your child. This means you view all of your child's interactions. Chess club coaches can also create an account and add their players.
Free Online Chess for Kids - ChessKid.com - 100% Safe!

E-book Sales Surpass Hardcover Books

Monday was a day for the history books — if those will even exist in the future. Amazon.com, one of the nation’s largest booksellers, announced Monday that for the last three months, sales of books for its e-reader, the kindle outnumbered sales of hardcover books. In that time, Amazon said, it sold 143 Kindle books for every 100 hardcover books, including hardcovers for which there is no Kindle edition.

Read, Click and Win with BookAdventure!

Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by and is maintained by Sylvan Learning.

Read, Click and Win with BookAdventure!

Quintura for Kids

Today's link is a search engine for children. Quintura has an interesting twist though. It features a useful tag cloud. Kids can click on or type popular topics. Then a new tag cloud offers additional searches under that topic. Detailed searches can be made with a few clicks. Try it out and comment to let me know what you think.
Quintura for Kids

Timer Stopwatch - Online Timer - Online Stopwatch

Practically every day, as a classroom, teacher I used a timer. I found it very helpful to remind students how much time they had left. I was able to stop announcing times when I posted the timer or stopwatch on the wall.
I recommend teachers add this link to their bookmark bar so its always available on the browser screen.
Timer Stopwatch - Online Timer - Online Stopwatch

Create a timeline using MS Excel

Today's helpful link shows how how to create a timeline using MS Excel 2007.
Create a timeline using Microsoft Office Excel
I've seen teachers have 1st Grade students create simple timelines on paper. Some teachers are limiting 9-year old students to paper, too. Why not let them use technology to help them create something like that? Users can simply start Excel, play this video, pause it as they complete each step. Try it! Create a timeline of YOUR life.

Welcome to your notable world | Evernote Corporation

Welcome to your notable world | Evernote Corporation
This program lets you capture thoughts for later reference. Jot down quick notes, take photos and record audio. It's easy to use on your computer. But you can also carry it with you on an iPhone. Wherever they're taken, notes are synced to your account.

Tips and Advice for Parents and Families - The Kim Komando Radio Show

This is a quickie. The link will take you to the 10 Caommandments for Kids Online. I think I'll post this for all my students and their parents. Tips and Advice for Parents and Families - The Kim Komando Radio Show

LEGO Digital Designer : Virtual Building Software

My son, Dane, loves LEGOS. Most children love to create, tear apart, and reuse the blocks to build something new. With hundreds of block types their imagination can go wild. Now, they can design things on their computer with LEGO Digital Designer. Once done, children may choose to buy their creation. The necessary LEGO pieces will be shipped to them. They can even design the box.
LEGO Digital Designer : Virtual Building Software

MindMeister Editions - MindMeister

MindMeister Editions - MindMeister
Great online mindmap application where mind maps can be shared - any changes made generate e-mails to the original owner.

Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents

Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents
A great way to showcase your presentations and find other people's. Like Youtube for powerpoint presentations.

iCyte - What is iCyte?

iCyte - What is iCyte?
Save any webpage you like on iCyte's server, with highlights on the important text, plus notes and tags for quick reference.

Better than bookmarks
Search and retrieve your Cytes from any computer, even if the original webpages have been deleted or changed.

Share your Cytes
E-mail your Cytes, send them to Twitter or Facebook, even embed them in blogs.
(Or keep them private - viewable by your invitation only.)

Technology Integration in Education | Edutopia

Teachers, this explains why I'm passionate about my job. This is important to students' future - and thus, to OUR future. Technology Integration in Education | Edutopia

keybr.com - Take typing speed test and practice typing online

The ability to type will improve your efficiency. So, if you’re looking for a job, now is the time to learn! Even those not job hunting would do well to improve their typing.
Today’s Cool Site will help you gauge your skills. And it offers a handy way to improve your keyboarding prowess. Be sure to watch the video.

keybr.com - Take typing speed test and practice typing online

Constitution of the United States - Official

June 21st is the anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Our country struggled without it in the years between declaring independence and establishing this Constitution.
Constitution of the United States - Official

TypeNow.net Themed Fonts Download Free Movie and Music Fonts

Times New Roman and the default fonts don't add interest. TypeNow.net Themed Fonts Download Free Movie and Music Fonts has loads of fonts to jazz up writing.

Free Certificates - CertificateStreet.com

Today's site makes rewarding others easy. There are certificates for many occasions. You fill choose a template, fill it in online, and print it. Or you can print it and then fill it in by hand.
Free Certificates - CertificateStreet.com

Turn up the H.E.A.T with Film Clips « Character Educator Blog – CHARACTER COUNTS!

Our school counselor wrote this short blog about how to incorporate H.E.A.T. and Character Education. Turn up the H.E.A.T with Film Clips « Character Educator Blog – CHARACTER COUNTS!

A Clean Slate: Interactive Whiteboard Makes Lessons Snazzy | Edutopia

Teachers at Westwood are expected to "turn up the heat" in their lessons in 2010. This article gives some ideas of how to do that with an interactive slate or whiteboard: A Clean Slate: Interactive Whiteboard Makes Lessons Snazzy | Edutopia

Planning for Project Learning in Your Classroom, School, or School District | Edutopia

Project-Based Learning, or PBL, isn't really a new trend; think of the ancient saying about "teach a man to fish...". PBL is very popular buzz phrase in education reform. I've been researching the topic and trying to find ways to help teachers get started. Early this morning I found this article. It suggests what educators can do with 5 minutes, or 5 hours to spare. It goes on to think ahead to 5 days, months, and years.
Planning for Project Learning in Your Classroom, School, or School District | Edutopia

Hitachi Starboard FX 77 Duo white board gets demoed on video -- Engadget

Hitachi Starboard FX 77 Duo white board gets demoed on video -- Engadget

I am very excited about getting some of these interactive white boards into our classrooms. Our district decided to outfit the new junior high school with a different brand, but I liked the features and benefits of the Starboard:

1.No stylus to misplace - Instead users can use anything: a pointer, a ruler, their finger. If they use a long pointer (like the ones included), then shadows aren't a problem.

2.No batteries - No stopping a lesson to change batteries. No batteries in local landfills.

3.The expensive part is high on the wall, not in the children's hand (or backpack).

4.Two students can use the board simultaneously when in the board's split-screen mode.

5.Durable magnetic surface.

6.Comes with the same dynamic software as chosen by our district, and the training is included.

Time will tell if I've made the right purchase. What do YOU think?

Now, I wonder which teachers would put these boards to their best use by incorporate technology into their lessons, and having students use it.

BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free

I wish I had this site when I was writing research papers throughout grad school. If you or a friend need to cite sources and want to skip the old index card method, try this site. BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free

Brain Games & Brain Training - Lumosity

Brain Games & Brain Training - Lumosity is for those young or old who want to train their brain.