Problem Based Learning

Turn a Book into a Digital Classroom

December 5, 2012

Subtext is a free iPad app that allows classroom groups to exchange ideas in the pages of digital texts. When you and your students annotate a book or a document in Subtext, notes are linked to a specific passage, so there’s a built-in emphasis on the source text and close reading. In addition, Subtext allows you to layer all types of web content over texts—videos, photographs and links to articles, blog posts, maps and even locations on Google Street View. Immediate access to a variety of related information encourages students to compare and contrast different media and creates a more complete picture of a…

Help Students Become Better Searchers

December 5, 2012

Google has created a series of lessons to help teachers guide their students to use web searches meaningfully in their schoolwork and beyond. Google Search Education provides free Search Literacy Lesson Plans and “A Google a Day” Challenges. The search literacy lessons help teachers meet the new Common Core State Standards and are grouped based on level of search expertise: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. “A Google a Day” Challenges help students put their search skills to the test as they use technology to discover the world around them. The challenges are organized into the following categories: Culture, Geography, History, Science. Click Here to Access Free Search Resources…

Use Modern-Day Sleuthing Skills

November 16, 2012

Murder at the Met: An American Art Mystery is a free web-based application that guides users of smartphones and tablets through the galleries of American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art to solve a murder mystery. The fictional plot transports players back to an evening gala in 1899 and revolves around the murder of beautiful Virginie Gautreau, who was immortalized by John Singer Sargent in the portrait Madame X, one of the museum’s best-known paintings. Players use their mobile devices to travel through the galleries, where the art has come to life and everyone has secrets to share. By learning to look more closely at…

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…

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…

Hack Your School Green

November 1, 2012

Sponsored by Youth Rock the Rebuild and Architecture for Humanity, the Guerrilla Green Sustainable Showdown invites teams of middle school and high school students across the United States to submit their ideas for making their school more eco-friendly. Ideas may range from a small change in a school garden to a new, crazy window system. However, this is not just an ideas competition; it is also an implementation initiative. Winning teams will be given cash to build or organize their ideas. The competition has three rounds. In round 1, The Elite Eight (best plan) will receive $1,000; in round 2, The Final Four (best implemented…

Collaborate and Share Creative Ideas

October 17, 2012

iBrainstorm, a free brainstorming app for the iPad and the iPhone, allows users to record brainstorming sessions using a combination of free-hand drawings and sticky notes. Users can share and collaborate with up to four other users. Sharing notes and drawings between users in a local setting is a simple matter of “flicking” an item to another user. Click Here for More Information Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store This information is provided as a courtesy for BISD teachers and inclusion here does not indicate an endorsement by the district. It is important to thoroughly evaluate a website before using it with students. For help…

American Honda Foundation Grants for STEM

October 11, 2012

The American Honda Foundation focuses on the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), the environment, job training, and literacy. It engages in grant making that reflects the basic tenets, beliefs and philosophies of Honda companies, which are characterized by the following qualities: imaginative, creative, youthful, scientific, humanistic, and innovative. Nonprofit charitable organizations classified as 501(c) (3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service, or a public school district, private/public elementary and secondary schools are eligible. Organizations must provide two years of audited financial statements. Deadlines: May 1, August 1, November 1, and February 1 Awards: Grant range is from…