From spyware to phishing to identity theft- OnGuard Online explains it all. Cyber safety questions (and answers) are presented in a series of interesting interactive games.

 

You don’t need to be a CSI to explore forensic analysis!  But you can play one online at CSI: The Experience. Register for free and then hone your forensic skills. There are three interactive cases with characters from the TV show. There are also additional online activities.

Inundated by countless videos available online?  Exhausted  serving as a filter?  Worn out looking for content?

Now there is a solution.  WatchKnow (think you watch and then you know) has partnered with Teacher Tube, YouTube, National Geographic, School Tube and other video providers to gather videos prepared for students (ages 3-18).  This site does not produce content but can help you efficiently locate videos.

 

f you want to teach high school science by inquiry, then consider the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (hosted by the State University of New York at Buffalo). There are dozens of cases (grouped by content from anatomy to psychology).   Each case is divided into sections with reflection questions at the end of each section to help prompt critical thinking.  These are geared to grades 9 and above.

Classroom newsletters are an excellent way to keep parents informed.  So how would a monthly video newsletter work?  April Magistro is using animoto to summarize the month’s activities and share the experiences with her first grade parents.

What do parents think?   ”Watching the video make us feel like part of your class.” and “Cannot wait until November’s video mail comes!”

Think of how you could use this as part of an end of year presentation as well! If you need an animoto account (or if your account has expired), please email www.animoto.com/education and apply for a teacher account.

What is going on in this photo?  Visit Mapping our World  (a site from Oxfam in Great Britain) and have your students transform a globe into a map (see the photo above). There are two other interactive lessons with projections and how our location shapes our view point.  I saw this site on a SMART Board blog– if you have SMARTboad access, you might want to scan this blog for ideas (I did like the Smarter than a 5^th grader one! I did get an access warning in the district- but I was able to play the site. I think the blocked content is an advertisement.)

Teaching astronomy or physics topics?  comPADRE is a digital library containing lesson plans, simulations, and more for grades k-12.  This site is sponsored by several national science organizations.  You can create a free account that will allow you keep your favorites in your own file cabinet.