PLP 08 – Differentiation

Examine How We Use Words

November 16, 2012

A Way with Words is an upbeat and lively hour-long public radio show about language examined through history, culture and family. Cohosts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett talk with callers from around the world about slang, grammar, old sayings, word origins, regional dialects, family expressions, and speaking and writing well. They settle disputes, play word quizzes and discuss language news and controversies. You’ll hear conversation about new words from pop culture, sports, science, music and art; the language of current events; political jargon and other words in the headlines; the latest language breakthroughs; family expressions and linguistic heirlooms—old-fashioned things your grandparents and parents may have…

Separate Thanksgiving Fact from Myth

November 16, 2012

At the Plimoth Plantation’s You Are the Historian website, students become history detectives as they investigate the first Thanksgiving. (Some historians think that “The First Thanksgiving” wasn’t really a thanksgiving. They call it “The 1621 Harvest Celebration” because it was more like a harvest festival.) On this website, students use clues to try to figure out what really happened at the 1621 harvest celebration. They are guided by Dancing Hawk, a Wampanoag whose ancestors were at the harvest celebration, and by Sarah, whose ancestor, Remember Allerton, was at the celebration too. If students don’t know the meaning of a word they encounter, they…

Provide Mathematical Experiences Aligned to Standards

November 16, 2012

Illustrative Mathematics is a free resource for K–12 mathematics teachers. On the Illustrative Mathematics website, teachers can find lesson activities aligned to standards for every grade level. When appropriate, the activities include drawings and diagrams. Anyone may access the activities posted on the website. You can rate activities and share your own activities if you register for an Illustrative Mathematics account. Illustrative Mathematics is an initiative of the Institute for Mathematics & Education funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Click Here to Visit Website

Engage Students in Modern Biology-Related Scenarios

November 16, 2012

The Partnership for Biotechnology and Genomics Education (PBGE) project on theUniversity of California Davis campus involves components of secondary education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts. The components include the development and distribution of innovative 3-D virtual reality software. InSTEMware: Zombie Plague, students explore a 3-D world where they are responsible for identifying the pathogenic microorganism causing a deadly outbreak and implementing a cure. Although the symptoms of the fictional disease is zombieism, the science content embedded in the software deals with diagnosis, treatment strategies and career connections that are applicable to any disease caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. Interactions with…

Get Students Excited About Reading

November 16, 2012

Tales2Go is an award-winning children’s audiobook service that works like Pandora, giving educators and students instant and unlimited access to thousands of name-brand titles from leading publishers to play on desktops, laptops and Apple mobile devices—in the classroom and beyond. Use the audiobooks with individual students or in groups, in conjunction with printed text or for some fun listening. Click Here to Start a Free 30-Day Trial

Create Meaningful Learning Experiences with Mobile Devices

November 16, 2012

Mobile Learning Reflections is a free ebook intended for anyone interested in using mobile devices as instructional tools. The 80-page ebook is full of detailed examples of leveraging mobile devices to create meaningful learning experiences for students. You can read the ebook online or download a free copy for yourself from this Issuu website. Click Here to Visit Website Click Here to Download Free Ebook

Create a Multimedia Canvas

November 16, 2012

Edcanvas is a free web tool that allows teachers to create multimedia-rich lessons and share them with their students. These lessons may include YouTube videos, slides, files, text and images that you can download either from the web or from your computer. To start creating your lesson on Edcanvas, you will need to sign up for a free account. You can also use your Google account or Facebook account to sign in. Once logged in, click on “create a new canvas”; a short video will show you how to create your first canvas. With Edcanvas, you have the ability to arrange all lesson items in one board that…

A Look at the Life of a Typical Roman Teenager 2000 Years Ago

November 16, 2012

Take a look at this detailed lesson on the life of a typical Roman teenager 2000 years ago. A Glimpse of Teenage Life in Ancient Rome is a new TED-Ed lesson developed by Ray Laurence from the University of Kent. The video and its associated questions feature Lucius Popidius Secundus, a 17-year-old living in Rome in AD 73. His life is a typical one of arranged marriages, coming-of-age festivals and communal baths. Click Here to Access Free Video Lesson

Spread Great Educators’ Great Ideas

November 16, 2012

TED-Ed’s commitment to creating lessons worth sharing is an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas. TED-Ed’s videos aim to capture and amplify the voices of the world’s greatest educators. Within the growing TED-Ed video library, you will find carefully curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed platform. The “Flip This Video” button allows you to turn any useful educational video, not just TED’s, into a customized lesson that can be assigned to students or shared more widely. You can add context, questions and follow-up suggestions. You can distribute your…

Turn Outlines into Mind Maps

November 1, 2012

Text 2 Mind Map offers a way for users to turn typed outlines into mind maps. To create a mind map, users type an outline in the textbox and then click “Draw Mind Map” to create their map. If, after creating the mind map, they need to add more elements, users just add the information in their outline and click “Draw Mind Map” again. The mind map can be downloaded as a PDF or PNG file. The map can also be shared via email, Facebook or Twitter. Click Here to Access Free Online Mapping Tool This information is provided as…