Around the world with 80 schools!

I enjoyed visiting the site Around the World with 80 Schools Project because it had lots of information on how to integrate technology in the classroom.  I could use this site to teach my students how to set up a blog, use digital storytelling, and work on podcasts.  One class in Florida decided that they are going to try to connect with 80 schools around the world using Skype to call them.  After they connect with the school, they will keep track of it using  Google Maps.  My students are fascinated with these Internet tools.  I like the idea that this class had and I think I can use something similar in my classroom too!

My Bookr book!

Fun with Poetry

I found a site with lots of Printable Poetry for kids.  The site has poems that are written about almost every holiday!  Poetry is an important writing genre that many teachers don't use enough.  Poems can additionally be used as an extension to a science or social studies lesson.  Some of the words in the website's poems may be a bit challenging for English language learners.  Teachers should really help the students break down the poems down into lines or stanzas.

eToolBox is about as cool as Sima...

I really enjoyed reading Wissahickon School District's eToolBox that I found on the website full of edublog awards.  The site is full of resources for integrating technology in the classroom.  One particular link lists the Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners and it discusses blogs and wikis.  I think both of these are wonderful tools for elementary classrooms.  They can be useful for all subject areas and language learners.

Beautiful...

Thumbnail Trophy Hunters
Originally uploaded by jasontheaker

I love the beach!

Virtual Evolution

When reading Elissa Hoffman's AP Biology class blog Endless Forms Most Beautiful, I found a cool post!  There is a video on YouTube titled Tree of Life that gives the viewer a virtual trip through 3.9 billion years of evolution.  I watched the short video and thought it was informative.  This would be a video good for older learners.

Peachey Ideas

I found several interesting posts on Nik Peachey's Learning Blog.  He writes about lots of diverse topics.

Community:

I was interested in creating an online classroom and I visited the post.  Peachey discusses the Nicenet Classroom Assistant which lets teachers create virtual learning environments.  They were cool to read about because I did not know much about them before.  The site seems safe and reliable.

Music:

In a post about music, Peachey writes about RedKaraoke which has its own social network.  Singers can upload videos of themselves singing.  Lyrics are included to help sing the words.  Musical learners will love this site and I think it could be great to help English language learners learn the language with music.

Writing:

There's a website with a collection of images that you can customize and add writing to.  Students can create talking animals!  Some examples for uses with ELLs include:  expressing opinions, writing short stories, and creating advertisements.