Saturday, July 9, 2011

16 Sites to Find Humor for Teachers

21 Ways to Obtain Information on Grants and Grant Writing

Money is being cut from school budgets and we are scrambling to provide our students with the necessary tools to get a good education. Things are the same whether you are teaching in New Jersey or Oregon. Most teachers shell out lots of their own personal dollars to purchase things for their classrooms. Now that it is summer break for most of us, I put together a list of resources on where and how to apply for grant money. Competition is tougher than ever for these dollars, so get a head start now:

The Chronicle of Philanthropy- the newspaper of the nonprofit world

Classwish- teachers create their own wish lists for classroom supplies; donors assist in the purchase

Digital Wish- currently 50 grants available

DonorsChoose- submit your request and donors can choose your school and contribute to your project

Donors Forum- tips on fundraising and more; free webinars

Education Funding Watch

GivingGetting- donors are linked with school in need 


Grant Gopher -free and $$ for services

Grant Information:Resources to Get You Started- from Edutopia

Grant Writing Resources -from About.com


The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation- designated for instrumental music education in schools.

Target Field Trip Grants-  since 2007 they have awarded $9.76 million dollars in grants!


Writing a Grant Proposal- extensive information from Columbia University

Friday, July 8, 2011

Great New Resource From PBS

With over 14,000 resources (documents, audio, video, images, interactives) PBS Learning Media has loads to offer all grade levels and subject areas.

The Mission US Multimedia Project

Here's a great site which showcases periods in American History through interactive games. Produced by Thirteen and the Center for Public Broadcasting, Mission US currently has a few missions, with new ones to be added in the future. Grades 5-8 will really enjoy the multimedia experience and teachers will find the online classroom guides very helpful. Registration is free. Thanks to Dodie Ainslie for posting on Twitter!

38 Online Encyclopedias

Academic Kids Online Encyclopedia

ArtCylopedia- art

The Cambridge History of English & American Literature- from Bartleby.com

Classic Encyclopedia- based on the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britanica

The Columbia Encyclopedia - 50,000 entries

Cooking Encyclopedia- covers thousands of ingredients & herbs

The Costume Gallery Encyclopedia

Educypedia- "the educational encyclopedia"; covers scientific and educational material

Encyclopedia.com - more than 14,000 articles

Encyclopedia Mythica-mythology, folklore and religion

Encyclopedia of New Jersey- limited preview of the book from Google Books

Encyclopedia Titanica- all about the Titanic

Home Improvement Encyclopedia- Better Homes & Gardens

Infoplease Encyclopedia and Dictionary-more than 57,000 articles

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy- "peer-reviewed academic resource"

Internet Mental Health-online encyclopedia of mental health contains descriptions of illnesses, medications; click on "glossary" for definitions

LookLex Encyclopaedia - covers North Africa & the Middle East

Mashpedia- multi-source encyclopedia

Plant Encyclopedia- from Better Homes & Gardens

TechEncyclopedia -over 20,000 IT terms

Toonopedia- find all your favorite cartoon characters here

Wikipedia -free encyclopedia

Wolfram Mathworld- over 13,000 entries


37 Resources For Special Education Teachers

Ability Hub-assistive technology solutions

ADD/ADHD Basics

ADD in School- resources for teachers of ADHD students

Are Learning Disabilities Preventable?

Art Therapy and Autism

Auditory Processing Disorders in Children

Autism4Teachers

Autism Classroom

Autism Resources Links

Cerebral Palsy Causes- from Cerebral Palsy Guidance's website

Classroom Adaptations for Students with Cerebral Palsy

ADD Resources -sites for Attention Deficit Disorder

Free Text-to-Speech Sites

General Resources for Special Education Needs

Inclusion in the Classroom: The Teaching Methods

Internet Special Education Resources

LD Online -Learning Disabilities

Mark's Special Education Page- lesson plans, educational resources; very extensive

Muscular Dystrophy Facts and Teaching Strategies-special ed wiki

National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education Through Technology, Media and Materials (NCIP)

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHY)

An Open Special Education Contract

Reading Resources for Special Needs

Special Education Chatboard- from Teachers.net; share thoughts, lesson plans and more with other special ed. teachers.

Special Education and Smartboards

Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI)

Strategies for Teaching Students with Motor/Orthopedic Impairments

Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Disorder

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

Tips for Setting Up a Classroom for a Child with Autism

Tips for Teaching Students with Down Syndrome

What is ADHD?- video explanation

Thursday, July 7, 2011

20 Resources for Using Digital Video in the Classroom

4 Ways Flip Cameras are Better Than Digital Video Cameras

10 Great Ways to Use Digital Video Cameras in the Classroom- from Tech and Learning Magazine.

20+ Ways to Use Flip Cameras in the Classroom- a wonderful presentation by the readers of Free Technology For Teachers.

44 Interesting Ways to Use Your Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom- written by Tom Barrett; created with Google docs.

100 Ways to Use Digital Cameras- from Scholastic; list is mainly for still cameras, but there are video ideas as well.

Celtx- media pre-production system; free download, $$ for other stuff including online storage

K-12 Students Using Video in the Classroom- Dr. Alice Christie's site; sample student video projects and tips/tutorials.

Kids' Vid- video production for students; covers scripting, making, editing and showtime

Using Video as a Teaching and Learning Tool- written by Brian Querry, Technology Integrator

Video Creation Resources- excellent collection provided by Richard Byrne, of Free Technology For Teachers.

Why Use Video in the Classroom?- from the National Teacher Training Institute

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

20 Sites to Assist You With Web Quests

Web Quests are a great activity for students of all grade levels. I've put together a list of resources from creation to templates and hope that you will consider using Web Quests in your classroom. No matter what subject you teach, your students will benefit from this inquiry-based online activity.


Web Quest Creation
The Design Process

Quest Garden- small fee for 2 yr. membership; takes you through the creation process step-by-step

Web Quest Resources

Web Quest Workshop- takes you through the steps of a web quest; also has resources where you can find web quest lists

Zunal Web Quest Maker- community with over 100,000 users; web-based software for web quest creation with 100 templates available

Web Quest Lists
Catawba County Schools Web Quest Listing- all grades and subjects covered

Google Scholar- searches for web quests

Kathi Mitchell- comprehensive listing for elementary

School City of Hobart Web Quest List- not in any order, but the table format allows you to seek out the subject area of your choosing

Schrock Guide to Web quests- Discovery School

Web Quests- extensive listing in alphabetical order; covers K-12

Web Quests Across the Curriculum- grades K-12; extensive listing


WEB QUEST 101 VIDEO TUTORIAL:



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

28 Resources for Twitter

Thinking about using Twitter in the classroom? Not sure where to start? Summer vacation is a great time to catch up on your reading.....so.....here are 28 resources to help you learn how to use Twitter and how to teach with Twitter.

5 Free Ways to Never Miss a Twitter @Reply- from Mashable

5 Twitter Newbie Mistakes to Avoid

The Beginner's Guide to Twitter- written by Michael Hyatt, this is a "20 minute guide to Twitter for non-techies."

Mastering Twitter in 10 Minutes...or Less- download here

A Teacher's Guide to Twitter-written by former science teacher Kate Klingensmith

Seven Ways to Find Teachers on Twitter-learn about new resources and exchange ideas about teaching





TweetDeck- manages tweets

Twibes- group of Twitter users with the same interest in a particular topic

Twishort- write more than 140 characters on Twitter

Twitter Chat Tools- list of 5

Twitter Handbook for Teachers- written by Tomaz Lasic

TwitterU- wikispace which lists some Twitter hashtags

20 Resources For Creating Comics Online

Artisan Cam- Super Action Comic Maker makes a 6-frame comic

Be Funky- change a photo into a cartoon; other cool effects

Bitstrips- choose from many emotions and facial expressions

Bubblr- create a comic strip with Flickr photos

Chogger- comic can be 3-12+ frames; draw your own picture or take a live picture to use

Comicbrush- use your own drawing or photo, their library of characters, backgrounds and balloons, then add your own text.

Comiqs- your finished comic is presented as a slide show instead of a comic strip

GoAnimate- create animated cartoon with their backgrounds, characters, voices and effects; free version is limited to 2 minutes.

Hero Machine- create the hero of your dreams

Make Beliefs Comix-dialogue can be written in English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese and Spanish; edit size of balloons, characters.

Pikikids- select a layout, upload your photo and add text in balloons.

PikiStrips- use your photos to create a comic strip

Pixton- $$, works on Mac, Windows or Linux computers; just add characters to the layout of choice and add text.

Stage'D- requires unity web player download

Strip Generator-choose how many frames you want and create a black and white comic.

Super Action Comic Maker- create a 6-frame comic

Super Hero Squad- create a 1-3 frame comic with a choice of background, characters and special effects.

ToonDoo- "just a few clicks, drag and drops..."

Witty Comics-use background templates, add characters and text.

Write Comics-registration is not needed; choose a background, characters and add your own text.

Monday, July 4, 2011

60 Famous People With Disabilities

At the end of the school year, one of our special education teachers asked if I could purchase more biographies of famous people with disabilities. This would be a great thing for our special education students, to see that it is possible to get beyond their disability and do something successful in their life. I knew that we already had several of those biographies, but decided to look into just how many we had and how many I wanted to purchase. In the fall, I will plan to display and highlight the biographies. Here's a list of those people by their disability:


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
President George Bush (both)
Tom Cruise
Bill Gates
Steven Spielberg
Sylvester Stallone
Ted Turner
Jules Verne

Asperger's Syndrome Characteristics (Autism)
Leonardo DaVinci
Peter the Great
Vincent Van Gogh
Socrates
George Washington

Asthma

Charles Dickens
Che Guevara
Bob Hope
John F. Kennedy
Elizabeth Taylor

Cerebral Palsy

Christy Brown
Stephen Hawking
Geri Jewell

Diabetes

Halle Berry
Aretha Franklin
Bret Michaels
Mary Tyler Moore
Sugar Ray Robinson
Mia Sorvino
Sonya Sotomayer

Club Foot/Feet

Gary Burghoff
Mia Hamm
Dudley Moore
Kristi Yamaguchi
Daymon Wayans

Dyslexia

Cher
Agatha Christie
Tom Cruise
Albert Einstein
Whoopi Goldberg
Bruce Jenner
Magic Johnson

Epilepsy

Richard Burton
Agatha Christie
Edgar Allen Poe
Theodore Roosevelt
Peter Tchaikovsky
Neil Young

Mood Disorders

Jim Carrey
Winston Churchill
Carrie Fisher
Billy Joel
Ben Stiller

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (O.C.D.)

Jessica Alba
David Beckham
Penelope Cruz
Cameron Diaz
Harrison Fors
Howard Hughes
Howie Mandell
Roseanne
Justin Timberlake

Job Resources for Teachers

With all the budget cuts hitting our schools, I am once again posting my comprehensive list of resources for teachers looking for a job. ( I work in N.J. so there are many links specific to our state) Good luck!

Job Interview Tips
Anatomy of a Job Interview

Job Interview Questions- covers interview questions, interview guide, after the interview, salary negotiation, second interview

Job Interview Tips- taken from the Occupational Handbook 2010-2011 edition

Job Search
Career Builder- search for all types of jobs on this site

Jobs 4 Teacher- search by city, state or zip code

K12 Jobs.com- site says they have served a million teachers and administrators in a year.......

K12 Jobspot- search by job title and state; when you pick a city it shows you how many positions from the drop-down menu; also shows the location on a map.

NJ Hire- search by job type, location or keywords

NJ.com- postings are constantly being updated

NJ School Directory- all school web sites are listed by county; check employment opportunities on each site.

NJ School Jobs- search by county, specialty, school or date

Peterson's Private School Search- covers The United States and countries

Resources for Teaching Jobs- only ten states are listed here

Teacher Jobs- join for free; search the United States for a job.

Teachers-Teachers.com- site says it lists jobs for 1775 districts and they are in partnership with the NEA.

Resumes and Cover Letters
The 25 Most Creative Designer Resumes You'll See This Year

38 More Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work
- from JobMob

Got Resume Builder- build your resume online; download as a pdf, Word doc or text file


JobMob- 36 beautiful resume ideas


Resume Help- site has examples resumes

Resume Tips and Advice- from Monster.com

Teacher Resume- from Microsoft online; you need MS Word to use this template

Teacher Resume- from Monster Worldwide, Inc.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Your Business Card Without the Card...

I was just about to take advantage of a real special price on business cards from NJEA (N.J. Education Association) when I came across this cool app called Cardcloud. Available for iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Nokia and Android phones, Cardcloud is easy to use. I went on the site and registered, then created my card. Once the app was downloaded, I was ready to share my card or email it to someone. You are also able to flip over the card and add any information you need to add. Here's a short video which shows you how to set up your Cardcloud account. (this one is for iPhones, but their site has support to help you through the process with other smartphones. Save a tree today.



77 Online Museums

Taken at the Museum of Tolerance
Here's a pretty extensive listing of museums for you to use in your curriculum. I've covered subject areas of art, culture, history, natural history, science, technology and miscellaneous. Please add any suggestions you have to the comments section.


Art and Our Culture
Art Institute of Chicago

Artsonia- world's largest art museum for young artists; this is an excellent place "to post and find student art"; all graphics are done by students.

Bling Universe- art museum in Maryland

Musee d'Orsay-very large galleries

Museo Nacional Del Prado- Madrid, Spain

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)- multimedia site

National Gallery of Art- online tours of the Washington, DC museum

National Museum of Women in the Arts- more than 3,000 works from the 16th century to the present

National Portrait Gallery: London- digital history resources

State Hermitage Museum- St. Petersburg, Russia

Tate Online- British & International Modern Art

Vatican Collections Online-virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel



History
American Memory Historical Collections

The Anne Frank Museum

The British Museum

Colonial Williamsburg Museums

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park- Indiana

The Hermitage- located in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Imperial War Museum

Museum of Tolerance

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Salem Witch Museum

The Secret Annex- Anne Frank's hiding place

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza- tribute to John F. Kennedy
Smithsonian Institution

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum


Miscellaneous
American Red Cross Museum

The Freud Museum (London)

Mathematics Museum (Japan)

National Inventors Hall of Fame



Natural History
American Museum of Natural History

The Archaeology Channel

Canadian Museum of Nature

Museum of Paleontology- Univ. of California, Berkeley

Natural History Museum- Los Angeles County- activities and programs; teacher resources

Natural History Museum of Florence University- botanical

Nature Online- Natural History Museum; London

Ology at the American Museum of Natural History- for young children

University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History-virtual tour


Science and Technology
Computer History Museum

Exploratorium- this is a hands on science museum which has online versions of some of their exhibit

The Field Museum-several permanent exhibits

IEEE Virtual Museum-the history of electronics, electricity and computers

MIT Museum- multimedia

National Air and Space Museum- Smithsonian

The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television and Radio)

Robotics- part of the Tech Museum

Science Museum of Minnesota-online activities

Try Science- virtual field trips for kids

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