Cool+Tools

toc Please edit this page to add tool by content area.

=__**English**__= >
 * NCTE [|21st Century Literacies]
 * AnswerGarden: "a minimum tool for maximum feedback"; allows for quick feedback/polling/brainstorming (no student log in needed)
 * Classtools.net has several different tools that teachers of ALL subjects can use. For English, I've used Twister (fake Twitter page for characters), Fakebook (fake Facebook), random name generator, and arcade games
 * Online sticky notes for collaborative work: Edistorm
 * Tagul - create interactive word clouds with tag links
 * [|Geoffrey Chaucer]
 * [|Interactive Folio] - Romeo and Juliet
 * [|Open Source Shakespeare]-search the texts
 * [|Shakespeare Online] - all of the bard's plays & sonnets + many extras! This will come in very handy especially since the new Common Core requires that all levels of high school English include one of his plays (in part or whole).
 * [|Shakespeare's Comic Characters]
 * [|Introduction to World Literature]


 * Mythology**
 * [|The Olympians]
 * [|Winged Sandals]


 * Writing**
 * [|Boomwriter]


 * Study guides and teacher resources**
 * [|60 Second Recap]
 * [|Shmoop] - literature, poetry, Shakespeare, teacher resources
 * Copyright/Fair Use wiki

=__**Math**__=
 * [|Interactivate]
 * __Number and Operations__ • Geometry • Algebra • Probability • Statistics • Modeling • Discrete • Trigonometry • Calculus • Other
 * [|Geogebra]
 * [|Geometry]
 * [|Get the Math]
 * //Get the Math// is a multimedia project about algebra in the real world. See how professionals working in fashion, videogame design, and music production use algebraic thinking.
 * [|Math Pickle] videos
 * [|BrightStorm] - free math and science videos

=__**Science**__= >
 * National STEM Centre - haven't explored this much, but have pulled a few videos off of this website
 * DNA Extraction Experiment - this experiment worked like gangbusters, awesome DNA extraction on the cheap!
 * CellCraft - pretty cool game exploring some of the basics (and not so basics) of the inner workings of the a living cell. This is downloadable- I posted the file to my Moodle page and had my students install it on their computers. If your laptops are frozen, it's also available on kongregate.com for free.
 * [|Virtual Cell Animations]
 * [|Science360] videos
 * [|Science Interactives] - Life, Earth, Physical
 * __[|Science Resources] - a LiveBinder of Science Resources__
 * NCLark.net - tons of science resources for chemistry and biology, broken down into various topics and separated into different categories of materials.
 *  [|SciRefGuides]
 * How Science Works [|Science 101]
 * Create a Graph
 * [|Virtual Compound Microscope]
 * An animation that teaches students how to use a compound light microscope. Includes slide samples like the basic letter "e", teaches how to adjust the ocular, the objectives, how to use coarse and fine adjustment, and so on. Really precursor to doing the real thing in class.
 * My [|Science Box] The "teaching box" is an organizational tool used by teachers around the world. It's the accumulation of ideas, materials, and lessons around a particular topic that you can pull off a shelf and find everything you need to teach about that topic. In the non-virtual classroom, a teaching box takes the form of a cardboard box full of materials and papers. Sometimes it takes the form of a binder crammed with notes, ideas, and lesson plans. The teaching boxes you'll find at My Science Box hopefully provide you with everything you need to teach a unit: lesson plans, assessments, field trip planning materials, resources and tips.
 * Careers in Science **
 * Resources for grades 6-12: One of the hidden gems of Teachers' Domain is its career profiles, especially for science. TheCareers in Science Lesson Planfeatures 7 professionals, including a conservationist, a science teacher, an environmental biologist, and a geologist. Students get a personal perspective on these fields and the paths that they might take. The profiles offer a compelling, first-hand experience with careers students might be hearing about for the first time. For more resources like these check out:
 * Careers in Biotechnology
 * Career Gates: Healthcare
 * Careers in Educational Technologies
 * Girls Explore IT Careers
 * Biology **
 * [|ARKive]
 * Wildlife films and photos are vital weapons in the battle to save the world's endangered species from the brink of extinction.
 * So with the help of the world’s best filmmakers, photographers, conservationists and scientists, ARKive is creating the ultimate multimedia guide to the world's endangered animals, plants and fungi.
 * [|Practical Biology]
 * [|Biology]
 * [|Biological Animations]
 * [|Coral Reef Interactive]
 * [|Virtual Museum of Bacteria]


 * Chemistry and Physics **
 * [|Interactive Simulations]
 * [|Chemistry Games]
 * [|NBC Learn Chemistry Now] - videos
 * [|Science of the NFL] - videos from NBC Learn

[|Encyclopedia of Earth]
 * Earth**


 * Other**
 * [|DNA Tube] - scientific video site
 * [|NOVA Teacher Videos]
 * [|Science 360]
 * [|Science TV]

=**__Social Studies__**=


 * Civics **
 * [|icivics.org]


 * Geography **
 * [|geography of Europe]
 * [|Historical Maps Mashup]

**US History**
 * American History blog [|Almost a Chosen People]
 * [|Do History] A site that shows you how to piece together the past from the fragments that have survived.

In addition to the animated maps (with their play commands and timelines), you’ll find descriptions of events with sources, photographs of the major players, and links to recommended books and films.
 * History Animated**
 * [|Revolutionary War Animated]
 * [|Civil War Animated]
 * [|WWII Europe Animated]
 * [|Pacific War Animated]
 * [|Image Detective] Build students' skills in analyzing historical documents.
 * [|Interactive Timeline]s
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|National Archives Digital Vault]- create posters and videos
 * [|National Jukebox]; About the [|National Jukebox]
 * The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.
 * [|Picturing America] Great art speaks powerfully, inspires fresh thinking, and connects us to our past.
 * Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country’s history and character through the study and understanding of its art.


 * World History**
 * [|The Flow of History]
 * [|History World]
 * [|The History Teachers] on YouTube


 * Other History Resources**
 * [|Shmoop] - US history, civics, economics, biographies, teacher resources
 * [|Top Documentary Films]

=__**MORE COOL TOOLS!**__=


 * [|Animoto]: Create video slideshows (see [|Animoto for Education])
 * Animoto Book Trailers
 * [|Animoto Student Accounts]
 * AnswerGarden: "a minimum tool for maximum feedback"; allows for quick feedback/polling/brainstorming (no student log in needed)
 * [|Bloom's Digital Taxonomy] Web 2.0 Tools
 * Classtools.net has several different tools that teachers of ALL subjects can use. For English, I've used Twister (fake Twitter page for characters), Fakebook (fake Facebook), random name generator, and arcade games.
 * Delicious - Social bookmarking sites allow students to research issues/topics, and share information. Students can access the bookmarks from any computer, share sites with groups, organize sites by topic. Also includes RSS feeds so students can sign up to receive information on any topic of interest.
 * EdistormOnline sticky notes for collaborative work:
 * [|Facebook] - want to see if there is access there or at least familiarity if not access; if not, is there something comparable?
 * [|Flickr] - Online photo management tool and sharing application.
 * Flip camera- The Flip camera is a video camera can fit in your pocket. It can store up to two hours' worth of footage and is easy to upload clips to a computer .The camera is perfect for capturing random moments.
 * [|Google My Maps] - A map making tool from Google that allows you to create personalized maps.
 * [|LiveBinders] - organization tool. Arrange your favorite websites in virtual binders for easy access. You can keep them private, make them public and/or collaborate with peers and students.
 * [|The English Blog] about LiveBinders.
 * [|Ning] - The New Literacies Collaborative (NLC) Ning is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and educators who promote research, professional development, and global connections around new literacies.
 * Penzu is a free web-based private journal and diary. According to the Penzu, studies have shown that keeping a journal can not only boost your “working memory” but your grades too. One of the best things about Penzu is that it's incredibly easy to use. Whatever you write is saved automatically and you can insert images if you like. You can keep your entries private or share them with others. Penzu can easily be used for class writing projects or students can access the program for keeping their own personal notes.
 * Photo Story - Bring digital photos to life with Photo Story 3 for Windows. Teachers can download Photo Story 3 for free. Teachers and students can make show-and-tell fun again as they create slideshows using your digital photos. With a single click, you can touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures.
 * Physics Projectile Motion Java Applet - Virtually run experiments online by changing variables.
 * [|Picasa] - Google's online photo management tool and sharing application.
 * [|Pixton] - Online comic making software.
 * [|Prezi] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">is a very cool online presentation tool that is a fabulous alternative to PowerPoint. Information is presented in an interactive engaging manner.
 * [|Prezi Rubrics]
 * [|Prezi for Dummies]
 * [|Scribbler Too] - This tool allows an image to be marked up (drawn and annotated) as a layer. Next, the original image can be removed. May be great for science/art/ etc.
 * Slideshare - This site allows students to upload a PowerPoint presentation, with an audio file included if the student has included an MP3/podcast. Students can upload and share their presentations with small groups or with the class.
 * Thecoolgadgets - Gadgets, Stuffs, Designs, Alternative Technologies, Mobile computings, broad topic about gadgets! Check it out.
 * [|Toondoo] is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for teachers and students. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. Represent what you learned in your inquiry process through a comic strip.
 * [|Twitter] is a dynamic microblogging tool which functions as a real-time information network powered by people all over the globe.
 * Visuwords is an online graphical dictionary.Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Learn how words associate.
 * [|Voki]is a free service that allows teachers and students to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. Let your avatar explain what you learned in your inquiry process.
 * VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish.
 * Wallwisher is a virtual interactive bulletin board. It can be a great place to post an open-ended question for your class.
 * [|Weebly] is a GREAT free Website building Tool. Literally drag and drop! A blog comes with every site! YOU will love it!
 * [|Wikispaces for Educators]: Create your own wikispace for your personal or classroom use.
 * Teach Web 2.0 Variety of tools
 * [|Teacher Training Videos] - video tutorials on a variety of tools


 * More Videos**
 * [|25 Best Sites for Free Educational Video]s
 * <span class="wiki_link_ext">[|Educational Videos] [| - many subject areas]
 * [|Snag Learning]- videos in arts and music, foreign language, history, math and science, political science, world culture and geography
 * [|Teachers' Domain] //-// a free digital media service for educational use from public broadcasting and its partners. You’ll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities.
 * 60 in 60 - We attended this session at the international technology conference in Philadelphia. This guy went over 60 web tools in 60 minutes! Tools for every subject area! Check it out.
 * [|Awesome Online Field Trips] Just because you’re online doesn’t mean that you can’t experience the world first-hand — or as close to first-hand as possible. Here are websites that feature virtual learning experiences, exposing online visitors to everything from history to geography, astronomy to anatomy, literature to government.