The Lab Dweller

Day 60 of 180

Well, I am 1/3 the way to my goal for the year.  I guess that means that the school year is 1/3 of the way over.  Where has the time gone?

Anyways, today I am going to share with all of you one of my favorite Google Earth resource sites.  It is hosted on Weebly and has tons of information for everyone, beginner to expert.  The site’s author is very knowledgeable and has spent many hours putting it together.  The web address is:  
 http://googleearthpro.weebly.com/

Go check it out! 

Day 59 of 180

Well, the folks at Google have put together another amazing resource for teachers to use!  Google has partnered with LIFE Magazine to offer their entire photo archives online.  The archives are easily searched using Google’s search engine.   The web address is:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life

Have a great day!

Day 58 of 180

While perusing the net in search of information about the latest shuttle launch I came across a very cool website from NASA.  This website has an application on it called SkyWatch 2.0.  Skywatch allows you to enter your location into the program to find out when the space station, or shuttle, will be visible above you.  There is just something amazing about watching the ISS shoot over your head in space. 

Have a great day!

Day 57 of 180

Still have my left hand incapacitated.  Short is the theme yet again.  Kids seem to enjoy this online coloring activity. 

http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/thanksgiving/games/game_thanksgiving_coloring_pages.html

Have a great Thanksgiving!!

Day 56 of 180

I’m going to keep this short due to injuring my left hand last night.  Below is a link to ABCTeach’s resources for Thanksgiving.

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/thanksgiving/

Have a great day!

Day 55 of 180

Today I am going to share two resources that are fun for Thanksgiving.  The first resource is a group of online games/activities that can be done with any grade level.  There is a coloring piece, a jigsaw, a word search, and a crossword.  This would be something you could have students do in the computer lab.

The second resource comes from Scholastic.  This is an online journey that takes place on the Mayflower.  There is a short video clip, as well as photos in each section.  The Mayflower journey is a portion of the whole section built on Scholastic’s site about the first Thanksgiving.

Have fun!

Day 54 of 180

I was looking over the different applications that I have installed on my computer, and I almost overlooked talking about the one application that I use the most.  The application is called “ZoomIt.”  ZoomIt is an add-on to Windows that allows you to zoom in anywhere on your desktop, as well as draw on it.  This works extremely well if you are using a projector and sharing something with a class.  All it takes is a quick push of two buttons and you are zooming and writing to your heart’s content. 

The best feature of ZoomIt is it’s countdown timer.  You can set a full screen timer that you can project.  When the timer hits zero, you can tell it to play any sound you would like.  It works extremely well when you are running a timer for an entire class, as everyone can see it.  You can set the timer in minute intervals, and 10-second intervals. 

This program is a must have for all Windows users.  It runs silently in the background until you need it, so go forth and grab it.

Have a great weekend!

Day 54 of 180

I was recently introduced to an awesome “free” program for generating seating charts called “termites.”  If you are like me, you have spent many an evening scratching your head trying a balance a seating chart taking into account behaviors, seating needs, and other factors.  Termites is a program that will take all of that into account for you, and generate your seating chart at the push of a button. 

All that you have to do over the course of the year is input students, and set who they can and can’t sit by.  The program will take all of that into account when it makes up the seating chart.  It is an ingenious way to save teachers a lot of time and headaches.

Have a great day!

Day 53 of 180

I was introduced to a wonderful program last night by a colleague that is an amazing piece of OpenSource software!  From the makers of Tux-Paint come Tux Typing!  Tux Typing is an Open Source program that allows students to practice their typing skills while playing games. 

I tried this program out on my 2nd and 3rd graders today, and both sets of students fell in love with it!  The games are very graphically pleasing, and are extremely easy to figure out.  It was a great way to start getting my students to really use the homerow keys, and for the younger ones, figure out where the keys are located. 

This one is definitely worth trying out at least!

Have a great day!

Day 52 of 180

Today’s interactive whiteboard resource comes from Lee’s Summit, MO Region 7.  This site contains links to over 40 resources for the SMART Board.  I was very impressed with the variety of options presented on the site, and that there aren’t any broken links.  

Have fun!