I love PD where you can take an idea and plug it right into your classroom. I am at the Curriculum21 Conference with Heidi Hayes Jacobs at Southeast Polk right now. Fabulous.

So many ideas on how to engage our students.

I know it is summer, but many teachers will spend some time this summer upgrading their lessons!

Check out some of these tools:

  • http://www.curriculum21.com/clearinghouse
    • So many resources!
  • http://www.appmakr.com/
    • Create an App or even better - have students create an App
  • Have students create a facebook page about a certain person, place, or thing.
    • Example (Create a facebook page like you are Abraham Lincoln - pics, info, etc...)
    • I know we don't have facebook access... SO engaging though...
  • Go to http://www.igoogle.com/ (Create your google account if you don't have one already)
    • Search something... anything!
    • In the lefthand column click on:
      • Wonderwheel
      • Timeline
    • Did you know you could search that way?? I didn't!
  • http://prezi.com/
    • Better than Power Point!
  • http://todaysmeet.com/
    • A great way to have a conversation online with your students!
  • Every laptop at Hoyt has a WEBCAM!
    • Go to http://www.skype.com/
    • Download Skype!
    • Tell someone else who has a webcam to download Skype... and CHAT!
    • Think about how you could make your classroom more global.
  • http://typewith.me/
    • We have used this already at Hoyt.
    • Again, how can you use it in your classroom!
  • http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
    • Try this!
    • Also scroll down on this webpage and click on vocabgrabber

Certainly more to come! Let's become a 21st Century School!