Website #11

LearningPlanet.com is a very cool website.  This site has online games for student’s preschool through the sixth grade.  One example of a learning game is a takeoff on the old game frogger.  The student picks what type of math word problem they would like to try (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division).  The student works the problem, makes their monster cross a busy road and river, to land in a house that hopefully has the correct answer.   If the correct answer is chosen the player receives points and moves on to the next question.  In the teacher section there are activities, games, and puzzles for several subjects.  I liked this website and thought the games were interesting, fun and would hold the attention of the students.  What I didn't like was a lot of the material or games were not accessible to non-members.  This would be fine if the membership fees were less.  The cost is $39.95 per year.  I would probably use the site for the free material but not join.


http://www.learningplanet.com/index.asp

Website #10

Starfall.com is a website dedicated to helping children learn to read phonetically.  There are four main components, ABC's, Learn to Read, It’s Fun to Read, and I'm reading.  The ABC section teaches sounds and letter recognition.  Learn to Read section you can play games that teach the child to combine or blend sounds.  There are also small books and movies that reinforce the sounds and blending.  The next section, It’s Fun to Read, incorporates fun ways to read such as tongue twisters.  The final section is I'm Reading.  This section contains different categories from which the student can choose.  Once they have chosen the category such as Fiction and Nonfiction, for example, a list of books will appear.  The student may choose the book they wish to read and begin reading.  All of the sections were bright and colorful so the children would enjoy them.  The pronunciation of the sounds and words were very clear and accurate.  I think this website would be good if used as a reinforcement of the material taught in class.


  http://www.starfall.com/

Website #9

Enchanted Learning is an online source for curriculum material.  It is mostly geared for the Kindergarten through sixth grade however there is a small section for older children up to twelfth grade.  I have actually used the Biology labeling printouts for a college Biology class.  This website is very easy to use.  The information on the site ranges from simple nursery rhymes to a diagram of the stages of an animal cell mitosis.  The printouts also provide the answers with definitions.  There are several types of dictionaries available with corresponding activities and worksheets.  You can purchase a subscription to the website for twenty dollars per year.  Once a member you will have access to much more material and the capability to enlarge the printouts before printing.  Enchanted Learning is essential tool for any teacher.


http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

Website #8

International National Children's Library is a website that provides digital books online free of charge.  The ICDL Foundation strives to have books that represent every culture and language.  There are several ways to locate a book.  First you need to pick the language in which you want to read.  Next you pick the age group.  You can choose books from many different categories.  A few of the categories include Make Believe, True books, Award Winning Books, and Fairy Tales.  Books are available from picture books all the way up to chapter books.  You can also choose a book by the color of the cover which would be helpful if you could not remember the title of a specific book.  Once you have selected the book title, you click on the title or image and begin reading.  Some of the books are available in many languages which help the reader from Germany to read a book that was originally written Italian, for example.  This website would be beneficial to enhance a multicultural lesson by giving children a look into another culture through reading.  It also provides another avenue for children to read books without purchasing them.   
  


http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

Website #7

Time For Kids is a magazine that is published by Time magazine.  The website is made to be used with the magazine.  Both the magazine and the website could be used for lessons on current events.  Lesson plans are provided on the website that follows along with the magazine. There are links to worksheets, printable quizzes and graphic organizers.   The magazine is available in four levels.  These levels are K-1, grade 2, grades 3-4, and grades 5-6.  On the website, there are links for each of these levels.  The worksheets and quizzes follow specific issues.  The magazine provides enough information for a weekly lesson.   A teacher’s guide is also provided.  Time For Kids is comparable to the Weekly Reader.  The format is very similar but the website provides added tools to reinforce the lesson.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/3-4quiz/

Website #6

 National Geographic is a name that is synonymous with education.  This website lives up to this image.  As with other websites, National Geographic does contain links to games, although they are not the main focus.  It is simply a site to learn about different animals, countries, science, and many fun facts.  You can watch and listen to unusual animals and see their habitat.  There are links to make crafts, such as a kite.  You can access recipes from different parts of the world to experience other foods.  Most of the activities are for preschool through elementary but there is a link called "Little Kids" that provides age appropriate activities.  This website is a useful learning tool.  National Geographic provides beautiful pictures and information that is easy to understand.  There is also a link to the adult version provided. 




http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

Website #5

Storyline Online is a very unique website.  It is a website sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.  The child can pick from about fifteen books that are read by famous people.  The actor and actresses range from young to old but are very recognizable.  The child puts their curser over the book they want to read and it will show you a picture and the name of the famous person who is reading the book.  Once you pick the book, a video of the actor or actress appears and they read the book to you.  Parts of the pages become animated as the story is read. There are also activity suggestions to help reinforce the storyline and an activity booklet you can download.  If you would like to purchase the book there is a link that allows you to purchase any of the books on the website.  I thought this was an interesting concept and would be a fun activity.  It is reminiscent of the show Reading Rainbow.


http://www.storylineonline.net/

Website #4

The teachers guide is actually many websites in one.  This site has lesson plans, printouts, and songs for a variety of subjects.  For the teacher it has links to sites on professional development, job search,  class management and a teacher store.  This site contains many resources to that will help reinforce lessons and develop practice skills.  There are links for every age from kindergarten to the 12th grade.  Most were links to sites that involved math , reading, and grammar.  One interesting link, was a link for interactive smartboard websites and downloadable templates.  Some of these were free others you had to purchase.  I feel this site is a good source for the teacher and the student.  It provides websites that will help the teacher and also help the student who may be having difficulty. 


http://www.theteachersguide.com/interactivesites.html

Website #3

The science toy maker website is a teacher created site that explains how to make simple inexpensive toys.  Most of the material needed is material that can be found at home or in the classroom.   They provide information on how to make everything from a simple spinning toy top to a more complex vortex in a bottle.  This website would be very helpful for a science teacher.  There are many toys or projects that could even be used for a science fair project.  This site gives step by step information on how to make each toy complete with videos.  I feel most students learn better if they can see it, touch it, and feel it.  This website provides proven methods for making science toys and is an excellent informational tool for the hands on teacher




http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/

Website #2

I have actually used this website as an aide to reinforce a preschool lesson plan on dinosaurs.  This website is an interactive website.  Although the website is mostly games and facts, it is presented in a fun educational way.  One such way is a game called the World of Miamiopia.  It is a virtual game.  The students pick their design their person and enter the world of Miamiopia.  They move their player around the board into different buildings learning and collecting coins with which to purchase things for their Miamiopian.  This is sort of like the board game Life. There is also in depth information in the areas of geology, astronomy, chemistry geography, the human body, along with the normal core subjects. This website would make a good companion to reinforce a lesson plan.



http://www.kidsknowit.com/

Website #1

Funbrain has something for every grade level ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade.  There are math, reading, and social games in the arcade section that the children can pick from according to age or grade level.  There is also a classic game section that reinforces science, grammar, math, and memory.  The students also pick their level by grade.  These games would be beneficial in reinforcing the lessons the children have learned and also as an aid to a lesson plan.  There are also web books, comics, and movies available.   The teacher section I found to be very helpful for both teachers and parents.
For the teacher there were lesson plans, printables, grade books, a curriculum guide, homework center and various other useful teaching tools.  The homework relief center had parent guides, homework tips for parents as well as standardized testing tips for the parent. 


http://www.funbrain.com/