Humble Servant of the People

Links for Teaching and Learning

WELCOME: PaTTAN or the Pa.DOE does not recommend or endorse the following links. Rather, they are posted solely as suggested resources for teaching and learning. It remains the responsibiltiy of educators using these links to preview them for offensive, objectionable, or inappropriate material. If you find any problems with these sites, please contact Bob Alexander at: ralexander@pattan.net.  In addition, if you have an excellent resource to share with other teachers, please send it our way. Thanks!


Open Office: http://www.openoffice.org/ 

OpenOffice.org 2 is a leading international force in the movement for digital inclusion - making software of the highest quality available to all, regardless of income.  Open Office provides a free program of a word processor, presentation and spreadsheet applications. Many students have access to the Microsoft Office tools at school but not at home. Now all students and computers can be equipped with word processing, spreadsheet and presentation tools free! A simple download will give you access to open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. This tool will quickly become a favorite for both students and teachers. Remember: it is free! That means you are free to download it, free to install it on as many PCs as you like, free to pass copies to as many people as you like. You may use OpenOffice.org 2 for any purpose without restriction: private, educational, public administration, commercial... Free, really free! 

 

Writing Sample Analyzer: http://www.bluecentauri.com/tools/writer/sample.php

This writing sample analyzer takes a sample of your writing and then calculates the number of sentences, words, and characters in your sample. As it is calculating these statistics, it makes estimates as to how many syllables are present in each word. Using these numbers, it then calculates the Flesch Reading Ease, Fog Scale Level, and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, which are three of the most common readability algorithms. Simply supply a sample of your writing up to 5,000 characters and then click "Analyze."


Interactive Printing Press: http://interactives.mped.org/ppress110.aspx

The Interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, flyers, and booklets. Teachers and students can choose from several templates to publish class newspapers, informational brochures, and flyers announcing class events. The tool allows for multiple pages as appropriate. Text added to the templates can be modified using a simple toolbar, which allows students to choose text features, such as font size and color. Documentation for the Printing Press includes folding and printing instructions, as well as an extensive Guide to using the tool. Customized versions of the tool, which include additional instructions and more focused choices, are included. with some lessons. A basic planning sheet is available to help students gather ideas before working at the computer. 


Create a Graph: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

The NCES Kids' Zone provides information to help you learn about schools; decide on a college; find a public library; engage in several games, quizzes and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians; and many interesting facts about education.  


Kerpoof Teacher Page: http://www.kerpoof.com/teach

You are going to love this one! The website www.kerpoof.com turns your kids into true cartoon artists. Doodle, create a movie, build your own greeting card or draw a comic strip using predesigned elements in this free multimedia software.  This software is free for educational use, and you will be amazed at the applications that students and teachers will find for this tool.  The link above will connect you to the Kerpoof teacher page where you can sign up for an account and start experimenting with uses. Once you get started, you are only limited by your (or your students’) imagination. The site says it all:

Kerpoof is meant to be fun, but we're serious about its educational value. There are many ways that ...school teachers can use Kerpoof to enhance their classroom activities and meet educational standards as well.


 The Clip Art Warehouse:  http://www.clipart.co.uk/index.shtml

At the Clip Art Warehouse, you'll find thousands of clip art images. Most are totally FREE to do with as you please !! The only thing they ask in return for the use of any of these images is a link back to this site so that more people can make use of the service. All of the images in the Icons, Animated Gifs, Lines and Balls sections are public domain. The images in the 3D Icons and Matching Sets sections are Clip Art Warehouse’s own creations. This is clearly marked throughout the site. This site is an excellent tool and resource, both for teachers and for students alike.

 

Podcasting Legal Guide, v 1.0: Rules for the Revolution:

http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide.pdf

 This guide, written by Colette Vogele, Mia Garlick, and staff from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School, Is designed to advise podcasters on Copyright Law as it pertains to podcasting. The site notes:  The purpose of this Guide is to provide you with a general roadmap of some of the legal issues specific to podcasting. EFF has produced a very practical and helpful guide for issues related to blogging generally(http://www.eff.org/bloggers/). This Guide is not intended to duplicate efforts by EFF, and in many cases refers you to that guide for where crossover issues are addressed. Our goal is to complement EFF’s Bloggers FAQ and address some of the stand alone issues that are of primary relevance to podcasters, as opposed to bloggers…Copyright law” is essential in a digital age. But it ought to be a copyright law made for a digital age. Ours is not. And this fantastic Guide for those wanting to obey the rules should be evidence enough to convince anyone of that fact.

 

Podcasting hints brought to you by Apple: 

 http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/ 

Apple has three excellent instructional videos available online that focus on using Podcasts in education. Join Jason Ediger, senior marketing manager, Apple Education, along with his guests, as he explores podcasting and its benefits for education in this free, three-part video series. In Part I, find out what podcasting is all about and how you and your students can create your own podcasts. Part II, Meeting Standards,introduces you to podcasting examples in the classroom, how podcasting workflows engage students, and the equipment used in a classroom environment. Part III, An Administrator’s View, highlights a community that has felt connected through its middle school administrator’s implementation of podcasting. The video also summarizes his path to community buy-in for this revolutionary program. What you will learn: What is podcasting? What are the tools available for podcasting? How to incorporate podcasting into teaching and learning. How podcasting has impacted students in a seventh grade classroom. How podcasting has facilitated school-to-community communication. How podcasting can make a difference in the vocabulary, writing, and leadership skills of your students.

 

Grooveshark:  http://listen.grooveshark.com/

Grooveshark is the easiest way to keep all the music you love in one easy place. Make playlists, add favorite songs and even upload music from your hard drive to listen to from any computer in the world. It a free service, and all you have to do is register to begin using the features. Grooveshark allows you to create your own music database on the web. So, wherever you are in the world, you know that your favorite music is only a click away. This application is great for students and teachers. Imagine another tool to enhance projects, presentations, demonstrations, and class instruction or just to mellow out with some good tunes. Grooveshark is the place for all those things, and so much more. Grooveshark’s goals:To improve the connection between people and music. To change the music industry in ways they seem so unwilling to consider. To have fun.!

 

The Newseum:  http://www.newseum.org/

The Newseum, located in Washington, DC, has an excellent website that has outstanding resources for teaching and learning. One source of high quality is the Daily Front Pages section. The Newseum Education Department donates sets of recent front pages on a first-come, first-served basis. Each set contains one enlarged and printed front page from every state and the District of Columbia, as well as a sampling of international newspapers.  


Teaching English with Technology: http://tewt.org/

Teaching English with Technology is dedicated to helping English & Language Arts teachers incorporate technology effectively into their classrooms and is presented by EdTechTeacher. EdTechTeacher and TEWT are led by Tom Daccord and Justin Reich, academic technology trainers, speakers, and authors.Explore TEWT.org and find inquiry-based lessons, activities, and projects. Learn about new and emerging technologies such as blogs, podcasts, wikis, and online social networks, and explore innovative ways of integrating them into the curriculum. 


Writing.Com—A Free Online Writing Portfolio:  http://www.writing.com/  

Writing.com is the Writing.Com is the online community for writers and readers of all interests and skill levels. Whether you're an enthusiastic, creative writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your writing online or a casual reader searching for a good story, Writing.Com is the website for you! Free memberships are available to everyone. Each membership includes an online writing portfolio, numerous writing tools, email services and the chance to meet and bond with fresh creative minds, just like you!  Free memberships are available to everyone. Each membership includes an online writing portfolio, numerous writing tools, email services and the chance to meet and bond with fresh creative minds, just like you!  

 

GrammarBook.comwww.grammarbook.com

GrammarBook.com is the web site of consultant, author, and publisher, Jane Straus. Jane gained fame as the author of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, which is a bestseller on Amazon.com. While the site does have a subscription option, there is a number of free tools and features that ELA teachers can utilize in their class. Most useful would be the free interactive grammar, punctuation, and capitalization quizzes, which can serve as a great assessment tool in any ELA classroom. If you are interested enough in the site’s content to consider a subscription, the prices are reasonable. You can get 500 logins for $29.00, or unlimited logins with sharing rights for $129.00. Either way, you will find some useful things there, and the site is definitely worth a look.

 Free Technology for Teachers: www.freetech4teachers.com/

In the days of budget cutbacks, or even in the days filled with milk and honey, it is always nice to get your hands on some free stuff. At Free Technology for Teachers, you can find a review of the free technology resources available as well as ideas for how teachers use them. You will also find great ideas for technology integration. Resources are divided by subject area, but just don’t limit yourself to English Language Arts. One great things on this site was the 3D panorama view from Mt. Everest! The good news is that the view in the ELA section is breathtaking as well. You will find a LONG list of free resources for teaching and learning.


 The Mortimer J. Adler Archive at www.radicalacademy.com

 http://www.radicalacademy.com/adlerdirectory.htm

The Mortimer J. Adler Archive, a part of The Radical Academy site, is necessary visit for any devotee of Paideia methodology or educational philosophy in general.  There you will find a wealth of useful information, philosophy, pedagogy, and thinking rooted in Adler’s pragmatic vision for life long learning.  The host site, The Radical Academy, is dedicated to, according to the “About” section, an analysis of the human condition as seen through the eyes of classical and contemporary thinkers in the areas of philosophy, politics, religion, science, and education. We define philosophy as the science of all things knowable to man's unaided powers, in so far as these things are studied in their deepest causes and reasons. We define politics in its widest sense to include the study of government, economics, and social theory and policy. Weather you’re into all that or not, you should take some time to discover the trove of all things “Adlerian” that can be found in  The Mortimer J. Adler Archive at www.radicalacademy.com


 The National Gallery of Writing: http://www.galleryofwriting.org/

The National Gallery of Writing is a virtual space—a website—where people who perhaps have never thought of themselves as writers—mothers, bus drivers, fathers, veterans, nurses, fire fighters, sanitation workers, stockbrokers—select and post one thing they have written that is important to them. The Gallery accommodates any composition format—from word processing to photography, audio recording to text messages—and all types of writing—from letters to lists, memoirs to memos.  Local Partner Galleries (http://www.galleryofwriting.org/start.php)are the perfect way to feature student writing and to celebrate the many roles writing plays in our lives. Creating a gallery is simple, quick, and most importantly—fun! 


Readwirtethink.orgreadwritethink.org

The web portal readwritethink.org is an excellent gate way to all things writing. It is an outstanding starting point for students, teachers, and your everyday writing aficionado.  Portal links include: Writing a Novel, How to Write a Story, Writing a Book, Writing, Writing Class, Writing Contest, How to Write an Essay, Poetry, Creative Writing, as well as a host of other writing options, opportunities, and explorations. If you are looking for a good assignment, contest, starting point, or some suggestions for differentiating writing assignments, then check this site out.


Son of Citation: Citation Generator: http://citationmachine.net/

Citation machine is designed to help student and professional researchers to properly credit the sources used. Its primary goal is to make it so easy for student researchers to cite their information sources, that there is virtually no reason not to because...SOMEDAY THE INFORMATION THAT SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO USE -- WILL BE YOURS!

 

Freerice: Vocab and foodwww.freerice.com

We would like to think that our 21st Century students are hungry for knowledge. However, all over the world, there are many children are just plain hungry, and it is all they can do to find food to survive on any given day. What does this have to do with English Language Arts?  The answer can be found on the website www.freerice.com. This site features a vocabulary word game that is an excellent tool for instruction, extra-credit, or just to brush up on your word knowledge. However, that is just the beginning.

    According to Freerice.com, a sister site of Poverty.com, the site has two main goals:

         1.    Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.

         2.    Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

That’s right! You can help end world hunger just by increasing your vocabulary. For each word you get correct, twenty grains of rice are donated and distributed through the United Nations to starving countries all around the world. The advertisers you see at the bottom of the page during your sessions pay for the donated rice, and there are no strings attached.  There are increasing levels of difficulty for vocabulary, and you just might find you or your students addicted to this site.


Free Toolbox Portalhttp://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxfree.html

This is a portal to links with many free tools for teachers.


Natural Reader:  http://www.naturalreaders.com/

 NaturalReader is a Text to Speech software with natural sounding voices. This easy to use software can convert any written text such as MS Word, Webpage, PDF files, and Emails into spoken words. NaturalReader can also convert any written text into audio files such as MP3 or WAV for your CD player or iPod.


 Click-N-Type: http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/

 Click-N-Type is an on-screen virtual keyboard designed for anyone with a disability that prevents him or her from typing on a physical computer keyboard.  As long as the physically challenged person can control a mouse, trackball, touch screen or other pointing device, this software keyboard allows you to send keystrokes to virtually any Windows application or DOS application that can run within a window.


Gimphttp://www.gimp.org/

Gimp stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program is a free open source program for creating images, adding effects, and editing photos. Sophisticated tools for students to create images to enhance Web pages and writing projects.


 International Children’s Digital Library: http://www.childrenslibrary.org/

Access to children’s books with full color images of pages. Not all books are formatted to be read by a screen reader. Site features children friendly search with colors, types and length.  The mission of the International Children’s Digital Library Foundation is to excite and inspire the world's children to become members of the global community – children who understand the value of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online.


Book Cover Creator: http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/bookcover/

The Book Cover Creator is designed to allow users to type and illustrate front book covers, front and back covers, and full dust jackets. Students can use the tool to create new covers for books that they read as well as to create covers for books they write individually or as a class. Students can use text tools to add formatting to their titles and book notes, add shading to background areas of the cover, and draw original images to illustrate their covers and dust jackets. 


Character Trading Card: http://readwritethink.org/materials/trading_cards/

Using popular culture texts in the classroom offers students an alternative way to demonstrate their literacy knowledge and skills and to engage in meaningful literary practices. The Character Trading Cards tool allows students to create their own character cards, which they can then print off, illustrate, and trade or keep. It can be used with characters in a book students are reading or as a prewriting exercise for students who are writing narrative stories. Specific prompts ask students to describe the character, look at his or her thoughts and feelings, explore how he or she develops, identify important thoughts and actions, and make personal connections to the character. 


 Idea Generator: http://bluecentauri.com/tools/writer/idea.php

The Idea Generator creates thousands of ideas for story lines and is sure to spark your creativity. For a new idea roll the dice or refresh the page.


Online Writing Lab at Perdue: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/663/01/

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction. Included on this page is an excellent PowerPoint on conducting writing conferences that would work well for both students and teachers. 

 

Document source: NC Dept. of Public Instruction, ELA Section: http://ela.ncwiseowl.org/resources/links_for_teaching_and_learning/

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