Tech Tools
by: Hannah Falke
6 Technology Websites for the Classroom!
Students love the opportunities to learn online. All of these websites enhance student learning in many ways. They range from a variety of subjects and include games, assignments, and research.
NewsELA
NewsELA is a great resource for reading articles on current or past events. The articles are tailored to students. You can set reading levels for each article. There is also the option to have the articles read aloud, which is great for younger or struggling readers! You can find or create text sets, which are collections of similar articles all in one place. Students love getting to read current events that are topics they are interested in.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a great study tool! You can create lists of words and definitions. Then, you or your students can study using flashcards. Students can practice writing, spelling, and quizzing all on their own! Games are also available. My students love Quizlet live to study for tests. Students get put into teams and have to work together to match words to definitions. They compete with each other and have fun. There are many study options on Quizlet!
GregTangMath
GregTangMath.com is full of math games for all levels. Kindergarten and beyond can find exciting games to play to practice all kinds of math skills. There are video directions for most games. Teachers and parents can also find links to Greg Tang's books and math PD opportunities. They even come out with challenges for students for different times of the year. My students loved "March Mathness" and the Springtime Challenge this year.
KidRex
KidRex is a link to all things! It is the student-friendly version of Google. Although there are still ads, most articles are appropriate for younger ages. There are tips for parents about online safety and all about KidRex. They even have a fun link for students to see pictures or drawings created by other kids. Use this for any research being done in the classroom!
Mystery Doug
Mystery Doug is a wonderful resource for those interested in science! Students can send in questions for Doug to answer in (almost) weekly videos! Episodes cover a wide range of topics. You can find the answer to many silly and brilliant questions!
Waggle
Waggle is a district provided resource. It does require a district account but the students love it! Many times, my students would get on Waggle when they had free time. You can assign "Learning Targets" and "Skill Boosts" for the students to work on. It is wonderful because you can track their progress and see who needs help and with what specific objective they need help on. This can be a quick, formative assessment or a fun activity. There are also games to play which the students love! The goal is to travel across the sky and earn pigs with each correct answer! The more distance you travel, the more pigs you earn! Students love earning flocks of pigs and everyone wants to get to the Golden Flock!