If you are like me, you are constantly looking for new and interesting ways to engage your students on-line. I mean, no one wants to dwadle away the precious time you are given in the school computer lab. Well, then you are truly left with a few simple options:
1) Build a wiki (I use wikispaces. I have blogged multiple times about this. Educators can get the upgraded package for free!) and search for new sites. I have/ had a section titled "Explore Your World". In this area I try to find sites that allow the students to think outside the local area and mind set. What ever fits your style and needs. Once you find that beloved, useful site, then add it to the wiki in a way that is logical for you and your students. To see my wiki, click HERE. This is just one example of a way to use this wonderful free resource. As a note, I linked a seperate wiki titled "Teacher Resources" that I set up soley to store links that were wonderful and useful, but not what I want my students to see at that moment.
2) You can subscribe to e-newsletters or sites that will do all the "dirty" work of searching out sites for you. I subscribe to several, but the best one I have found so far is ClickSchooling. This site and mailing list is maintained by Diane Flynn Keith. She is very Pro-Homeschool (but I don't hold that against her- tee hee) but finds the most amazing websites that are perfect for my students. Some are not all that hot, in my opinion, but hey. if she is willing to review sites and give me the low-down, I am willing to hit delete on a few e-mails. Click HERE to see the topics (each day is a different subject area including virtual field trips). It is very easy and painless to sign-up for and you get a daily convient e-mail with some ads (for her products, of course) and then the site of the day with a complete review and age level recommendation.
3) Lastly, I would suggest finding a place (like my wiki) that someone has already created and simply "steal" their sites. It can be time consuming, but if you are a teacher like me, you usually trust other teachers to seek out relavent and trustworthy sites. So, steal away from my site (since that is how I got most of mine!- Totally check out the authors page. My students LOVE that page!).
I hope that these ideas will spark some holiday break exploring and creating.
Just Teach It...
4 comments:
I love the idea of 'borrowing' from others' sites…I just might have to do that to add a few items to my class website over the break.
By the way, if you were interested: http://classroomofchaos.com/
You're welcome to 'borrow' stuff I've found as well...
I'm glad you found the clickschooling helpful. I also belong to a teacher's mailring - called teachers.net - it basically has a general category and then has specific grades and curriculum lists as well. It is a great site for articles and other teachers needing help from teachers. Sometimes it is used to as a sounding board - more for advice on how to do something but it is a pretty good mailring. I don't comment much on the topics but you never know when the right question may come through that I may have some insight into -
There is also a writing site that I've shared with you and several others.
I also have several yahoo forums I've joined specifically to get some help with some of the things for my books but again, don't comment too often - mostly read and gain information. Remind to share with you later some of the sites I think will be helpful to you or other teachers out there - E :)
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Elysabeth Eldering
Author of the Junior Geography Detective Squad, 50-state, mystery, trivia series
Where will the adventure take you next?
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com
http://jgdsseries.weebly.com
Those are some very useful links. Thanks.
Lol, I too get the click schooling emails.
I have Many educational links on my blog. You can go there and gain hundreds of links there. Also within the many links you will find a group I belong to that share excellent links that are given each week based on one topic. I share links all the time.
Happy Link finding and sharing!
www.sprinkle-of-fun.blogspot.com
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