Tween Tribune

TweenTribune for Grades 5-8 

This is a great website for students to read high-interest nonfiction articles of their choice.
 
The daily news sites for kids, tweens and teens – where you'll find the most compelling, relevant and interesting news for 55 million kids in K-12 and their 3.5 million teachers.

As a teacher you can sign up for a FREE account. 

What do you get with this account? 

• High-interest articles
• Leveled text for K-12
• Self-scoring quizzes (All quiz scores are delivered automatically to teachers)
• Lesson plans
• Critical thinking questions

Also available: 
TweenTribune Español
TweenTribune Junior for Grades K-4
TeenTribune for Grades 9-12

Please let me know if you would like to set this up for use with your students. 


Note:  You DO NOT need to enter your home (personal) email.  You can just enter your work email twice.

Common Core Explorer

Common Sense Media's Graphite is designed to help preK-12 educators discover, use, and share the best apps, games, websites, and digital curricula for their students by providing unbiased, rigorous ratings and practical insights from anactive community of teachers.

They have just rolled out Common Core Explorer.  With Common Core Explorer, you can "find the best digital products for your curriculum by using intuitive filters that quickly guide you through the Common Core State Standards and surface products."

Common Core Explorer can be found at: http://www.graphite.org/standards/common-core

Formative Assessment and Google Drive

Using tools expedite the process of finding out if your students "get" it. Makes your life easier.

Educators learn some handy tips and tricks for using Google Drive (Docs, Spreadsheets, Forms and more) to receive formative feedback from your students! This session is for anyone who loves feedback and uses Google in your school!
Topics discussed:

• Conditional Formatting 
• Flubaroo 
• Concept Mapping/Graphic Organizers with Google DrawingUsing a Google Form to go to question based on answer of a previous question
•  Exit tickets

Please let me know if you would like to further explore any of these items or if you have any questions.

Fake Tweet Builder

I recently came across Fake Tweet Builder.  This website allows user to create Twitter conversations between users without actually using Twitter.   Conversations can then be downloaded and shared. 

So, what is Twitter?  Twitter is a way for instant communication and information sharing.  These text messages are limited to 140 characters.

How to make a Fake Tweet:

What are some ways to use Fake Tweet Builder in your classroom?

• Math:  Students could explain how to solve a math problem.  Each step of the solution could be 140 characters or less.  Students could create conversations between students on solving that problem.  
• Social Studies:  Students could "be" a person from a student era, i.e. Civil War, and record their experiences and in 140-characters or less.  Students could create an ongoing dialogue between 2 historical figures.   (One Teacher asked students, "If Twitter was available in the 1930's, what do you think Hitler and Stalin would tweet?")
• Science:  Students could explain a science experiment.  Students could have a conversation with a famous scientist. 
• ELA:  Students could be challeneged to tell a story in 140-charcter segments.  Students could create a dialogue between two characters from different books.  
• Foreign Langauge: Practice writing conversations in Spanish or French.

What other ways might you use Fake Tweet Builder in your class?   

Google Drive Basics

This morning, I took part in a Google+ Hangout with Dan Rezac and Elizabeth Greene from Northbrook/Glenview School District 30.  During this hangout we shared Tips on the Basics of Google Drive.

Some things that were discussed:

• The Black Bar Removal -where's your stuff?
• How to get back to your Drive list, when you're in a Doc.
• Folder Organization
• Searching for a Document
• Using the Research Tool
• Using the Paint Formatting Tool
• Using the Define Tool

Malala Yousafzai

"At 16, Malala Yousafzai would have become the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, if she had been awarded it Friday. In addition, she would have been the youngest winner ever of a Nobel Prize in any category.  (From Michelle: She did not win the prize, but her story and message is worth sharing/discussing.)
The activist from Pakistan, who has stood defiant against the Taliban in the face of death since age 11, has become a global figurehead for a girl's right to an education. A year a go, an Islamist militant shot her in the head. It looked like she would die." (From CNN article)

Malala was on the Daily Show...she actually left Jon Stewart speechless at one point....

 

This blog post has the the segment divided in to 3 parts...
http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2013/10/malala.html

While there are ads at the beginning of the segment, you can blow it up full screen.  I have not been able to find the segments so I can download them.  I will let you know if I end up finding them.

Newsela

During the summer PD class I led on Technology Integration to Support the Common Core, I shared Newsela
 

What is Newsela?

• Newsela is an innovative way for students to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that's always relevant: daily news. 
• Newsela builds close reading and critical thinking skills. Give your students a new way to climb the staircase of nonfiction reading comprehension, from fourth grade to college-ready.
• Articles written at multiple levels of text complexity.
  Newsela automatically gives each student the version of an article that's just right for his or her reading ability.
• Articles are accompanied by Common Core-aligned quizzes to provide quick and powerful feedback.

Where do I find Newsela?

http://www.newsela.com/

How much does it cost?

Newsela is FREE...