ATTENTION Education Majors!
Every so often I have to clean out things I've tagged as favorites because: A. I really enjoyed that site or article B. I want to go back later and look at it some more C. Websites change and it's time to clean them out!
Well, this post is a bit of a hodge-podge of all three. I realized I have quite the folder with all sorts of sites that could potentially be helpful to our soon-to-be-graduating teachers (and those still in school! some of these sites could potentially help you with your homework!)
Book Plates is a section of a website where you can print out book plates in a small, medium or large format. These would be great prizes or incentives for students, especially those participating in a reading program. There's a pretty decent variety and just black and white illustrations that you could print on colored paper.
EEK! Environment Education for Kids is a product of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Critter Corner focues on WI animals, but you can still use the information available while teaching an animal unit, or a unit that focuses the environment around us (hey, WI is close!). There's also a section for teachers where you can go to find activities that incorporate math, language arts, science and social studies. Other sections include: Our Earth, Nature Notes, Cool Stuff and Get a Job. Focus leans towards grades 4-8.
Kids Saving Energy offers games, tips and facts about energy use. Discusses how to be smart about energy in your home, also has a section for teachers and parents.
Lunar and Planetary Institute (Explore! Fun with Science) site contains video, activities and supporting resources. The explorations activities include: launching rockets (safely!), exploring space colonies, the solar system, comets, planets, ice worlds and more!
FREE: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence offers a plethora of information! Information on Arts & Music, History, Health, Language Arts, Math, Science, Time Periods and World Studies. This site will take you awhile to look through the amount of information available to you!
Google for Educators I thought about not including this one, as it is Google, but that would be a disservice to you. While I may have my issues with students using Google for homework assignments, this is potentially a very powerful tool for your classroom use. You can create a customized search (will search only the sites you pre-select), a blogging option for inter-active learning, photo software, page creators and more!
History Channel Classroom has a section on how you can use the classroom, tips for teachers, a this day in history e-mail sign-up (could be a fun timeline activity....) free resources, study guides and more!
K-12 Open Technologies new open-source options are becoming available to teachers (well, to everyone, really). What is open source technology? What do they consist of? What kind of work or set-up do they entail? This site will help you with these questions and more! I've included this because it seems many schools are trying to save money, and free, open-source technology is a great way, but it needs to be used properly and in-line with school policies.
KidsClick! was created by a group of public librarians who wanted to steer their younger patrons to age-appropriate websites. Something to keep in mind though (so you don't think you don't have to do any supervision):
Please note that KidsClick! is not an Internet filter. It does not prevent client web browsers from being used to surf any URL address that the user inputs. It is intended to guide users to good sites; not block them from "bad" sites. However, it could be used in conjunction with a filter product where law allows filters to be used. (From their About KidsClick page).
Alright, that's all for now! I don't want to totally overwhelm you! Yes, that means I do have more (but I haven't gone through them yet!)