Speed Painter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUXmIW6Bhc

3D Paper Models

Paper Models of Polyhedra - A site that has EVERY 3D shape imaginable as a PDF so your kids can print, cut, fold and glue! Even lists the number of faces, edges, and vertices

Please let me know if you have any questions and/or would like to explore the use of this website as a classroom tool and/or with students.

3 Simple Tools to Support the CCSS Academic Vocab Shift

I recently came across this blog post (3 Simple Tools to Support the CCSS Academic Vocabulary Shift) that shared 3 technology tools (websites) to assist with the the Common Core Shift to vocabulary. 

This post will explain more, but here is an overview of the tools. 

• VocabGrabber - VocabGrabber analyzes any text you're interested in, generating lists of the most useful vocabulary words and showing you how those words are used in context. Just copy text from a document and paste it into the box, and then click on the "Grab Vocabulary!" button. VocabGrabber will automatically create a list of vocabulary from your text, which you can then sort, filter, and save.
  Select any word on the list and you'll see a snapshot of the Visual Thesaurus map and definitions for that word, along with examples of the word in your text.
  
• WordSift - Place text into a box and then press sift to create a word cloud in which the most frequently used words appear larger in size. The words can be sorted by subject area or by a word list. (Similar to Wordle)
  
• Instagrok - A visual search engine and interactive learning tool collects educational content and displays it in the form of a web of related words.

Please let me know if you have any questions and/or would like to explore the use of these as a classroom tool and/or with students.

New look for the Create menu in Drive

http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2013/02/new-look-for-create-menu-in-drive.html

So why does this matter to you? 

If you use TEMPLATES these are now accessed by Creating a new Document and then going to File-New-From Template

New Layout and Features in Google Form

Google Forms has a new layout and features!

A cheat sheet:
https://sites.google.com/site/flippededu/the-latest/newlayoutandfeaturesingoogleforms#gafesummit

Please let me know if you would like to further explore Google Forms and how to use it in your classroom.

Common Core Videos for Math

I came across this resource via Twitter:

Support Videos for the Common Core State Standards in Math
From the Website:

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) videos are designed to support states, schools, and teachers in the implementation of the CCSS. The videos were created in collaboration with the states in the Southeast Comprehensive Center region based on their needs for professional development support for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on one or more specific standards and usually includes examples/illustrations geared to enhancing understanding. The intent of each content-focused video is to clarify the meaning of the individual standard rather than to be a guide on how to teach each standard, although the examples can be adapted for instructional use.