To Summer Blog or Not

As the end of the school year approaches summer is on my mind. If you have a second please let me know if you will use this blog over the summer. The Digital Scoop will stay up all summer as will this blog...I just don't know how much I'll update it.

Art Resource

The Harcourt School Art Glossary is a nice reference site. Students can have the definitions read to them and on many see an animated example.

Finding the Real Nemo!

Over the past several classes my 4th grade students have enjoyed learning about coral reefs. They visited several sites, researched an animal of their choice, and made simple PowerPoint slide shows to demonstrate what they learned. Here are the sites they explored:
Enchanted Learning: Coral Reefs
What does a fish look like?
Aquatic Safari
Finding Nemo Underwater Classroom

Have fun exploring!

Online CSI Adventure

The HHMI Virtual Bacterial ID Lab is your interactive window into dna testing and more. I had fun going through the bacterial identification process. This site would be best for upper grades.

New Comic Life Idea

I recently added an alphabet page lesson idea for the program Comic Life. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the lesson page to see it. I would use this lesson with 1st or 2nd grade students. It would pair well with the pics4learning web site which offers free digital images.

Java Anyone?

I LOVE the program Photoshop Elements. I am constantly on the look out for new tips and ideas to spark creative uses for the program. The Photoshop Cafe web site provides both. I have my 5th graders create cereal box covers in Elements and I discovered a contest the Cafe had which provided some awesome examples. This site is worth a look so grab a mug and stay a while.

Animal Site

My 2nd grade students were creating animals in Switch Zoo today and I decided to check out their company web site. I was pleased to find an interactive endangered animal activity. Students can click on a state and find out information about the endangered animals there. Check it out.

A Hoppin' Site

Travel with Zeke and Zoey to the jungles of Costa Rica to discover the Mystery of the Poison Dart Frog. Students will learn about museums, artifacts, rain forests, and the poison dart frog. There is quite a bit of reading involved so the site would work best with upper elementary students.

New Photoshop Elements Lesson

I recently taught a workshop on classroom projects for Photoshop Elements. I am in the process of adding these lessons to The Digital Scoop. The first new addition is a lesson based on the children's picture book Look Once Look Twice by Janet Marshall. I designed this lesson so each student's project would be placed in a class book. You could also have them use techniques in the lesson create titles for projects.

Free Clip Art

Need clip art for a project? Check out Canon's Free World Clip Art site. The art is created by illustrators from around the world. I have also used the Clipsahoy site for several student projects.

I would love to hear of other free resources for clip art or digital images on the web. Leave a comment if you know of one.
Thanks!

New PBS Blog

I received an e-mail today announcing the Learning Now blog. I am excited to see how technology and education are highlighted each week. The first article brings up the debate about blogging and school web filters. Very thought provoking.

Fur and Feather Fun!

Your mission should you choose to accept it. . . Visit the F.F.F.B.I. The Fur, Fin, and Feather Bureau of Investigation is your ticket to learning and adventure. Become a detective and solve the latest mystery, listen to the latest radio drama, or just check out the crazy cast of characters.

NETA Presentation

I would love to hear from anyone who attended either the Quick and Easy Curriculum Connections presentation or my Photoshop Elements Projects workshop at the NETA conference. I hope you find both informative and inspiring. I would enjoy hearing how others are using technology with kids.

Interactive Animation

Here's a great interactive animation from PBS on plate tectonics. Use your mouse to click and drag the plates. You'll see earthquakes and volcanoes!

Current Events

I was excited to find a reference to the site Kids News Room on a fellow teachers blog. This site provides current events in an easy to read manor. The site also has a variety of games. I could see 3rd-5th graders really enjoying this site.

Musical Find

The New York Philharmonic Kids Page is a fun resource. Students can learn about many aspecs of the orchestra. Check it out!

Excellent Math Site

I was surfing the NCS-Tech blog and found a link to the Rain Forest Maths site. I thought the rainforest site looked familiar. It was created by an Australian teacher who also created A Maths Dictionary For Kids. Be sure to check out these fabulous, content rich sites.

Finally a new post!

It is amazing how time can get away from you! I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. I recently found Inkless Tales. This early education web site would be great for preschool to kindergarten students. I really liked the animated alphabet along with the stories, poems, and simple games.

Nutrition Site

Several grade levels at my school are studying nutrition right now. I happened to stumble across the site that directly correlates to their studies. The Nutrition Explorations site has Activities, Nutrition information, recipes and more. The several of the Activities are online flash games which reinforce classroom activities.

Updated Site Find

Wow! I was just looking for lesson ideas and found out the Create A Graph site has some great new improvements. I love the new layout and ways you can download your graphs. Can't wait to use this with my students.