DB Learning Commons News to Use
November 2013
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE
PBS Learning Media
Click the link below to sample interactive resources for 3-5. While you're at it, take a look at the freebies available to educators at Big Deal Media. And check out the free video writing prompts at Teacher.hub . Not all are suitable for every grade level.
Let me know if you'd like any of these links added to the Teacher Resources Symbaloo on the Learning Commons web page.
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Big 6 PowerPoint Presentation
Keyboarding Resources
New content until January 1, 2014
Great source for Informational Text and/or Current Events
Newsela
"Read closely. Think critically. Be worldly. Newsela is an innovative way for students to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that's always relevant: daily news. It's easy and amazing. Register now or learn more about the impact Newsela can have on your classroom. " From Web Site
Thank you and Welcome
And check out the VLC (virtual learning commons webpages) to see the archived ShutterCals from our Learning Commons. October is already there, and November will be posted soon. Click on any thumbnail photo to enlarge and read the caption. ShutterCal is free, and so easy to use! Register with just an email and a password. Use it to document all the cool things happening in your classroom, or use it to document student learning. Wouldn't it be a cool way for students to document change in an experiment? Record the incubation and hatching of eggs. Document a caterpillar's journey into a butterfly. Show a seed sprout and become a plant. Let me know what ideas you have!
A Whole New Way to Search
instaGrok is a search engine with a visual interface. "instaGrok presents each topic as an interactive visual interface, allowing the user to quickly grasp important concepts, key facts and relationships." Also has a difficulty slider to adjust the difficulty of the material.
Try this one for yourself and then with your students. I'll add it to the Research and Information Symbaloo. Let me know if you'd like it added to your grade level resources Symbaloo as well.
Click this link to see a sample. http://www.instagrok.com/grok/?query=tornadoes
Click the title above to view the instaGrok brochure.
Click this link to try it out: