Virtual Field Trips

Some of my most favorite memories about elementary school were the field trips. It was always the best when were able to take a day off of school and go somewhere new. Unfortunately, many schools today do not budget for field trips, which is really disappointing. However, thanks to technology, teachers can bring their students on virtual field trips! Teachers can choose where they want to go and take their students on a tour via video chat! One of the sites that is really useful for this is 'Google Connected Classrooms.' On this site, teachers can see upcoming field trips and take their students on an adventure! I could definitely see myself using a site like this to make learning more fun and engaging! I posted the link for the site under 'Other Websites,' so if you are a teacher looking for a way to explore the world with your students, take a look at it!

First Day of School

The first day of school is one of the most exciting and nerve wrecking days of the year. As the summer comes to a close, teachers are preparing to meet a new group of students. As a teacher, it is very important to create a fun and open atmosphere for the students. One of the ways to do this is to do ice-breakers with the new students. A really cool website that I found is called Playmeo, which provides a whole bunch of beginning of the year activities! There are a bunch of ice- breakers, team building, and trust exercises that will make every students welcome!

Here is the link for the website and it is also posted under 'Other Websites' on the side of my blog. 

http://www.playmeo.com/

Blogs

There are so many teacher blogs on the internet that can provide valuable resources for teachers. One of the websites that my cousin recommended to me is by Laura Candler. On her personal website, Laura provides resources for all elementary school teachers! Here is the link if you want to check it out! 

http://www.lauracandler.com/

Reading and Writing

Elemetary school is a critical time to encourage creative writing and reading. Students learn the basics about what makes a good essay and also learn to ask meaningful questions. Below are a few websites for reading and writing that every elementary school teacher can use! 

http://www.101qs.com/

This is a great website to help prompt students to ask questions. The student will be shown a picture and are asked what the first question that comes to their mind is. It is a really useful website to help students ask meaningful questions and can help, especially with creative writing. 

http://readingandwritingproject.org/resources

This website provides reading and writing resources for students in all grades K-8. Looking through the content, I noticed that there are even videos to model how different lessons can be taught. I can imagine myself using this and watching the videos in order to get a better idea of how to teaching reading and writing in my own classroom. 

http://www.scholastic.com/stacks

This is a really cool website that I found where students can read and post book reviews, play games on different units, and watch videos about the author of different books. It looks like it would be something students can relate to and can share their thoughts about their reading material. 

http://www.readingrockets.org 

This website provides a bunch of reading resources for teachers and parents. Teachers can find different reading strategies to use in the classroom, as well as suggestions for read aloud books. 

All of these websites can be found on the side of my blog under 'Reading and Writing Websites.' :)

Math Websites

There are a few math websites that my cousin recommended. Here is the list for you!

http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/
This site has a whole bunch of math worksheets, activities, books, and games for students K-5. All of the resources on the site are aligned with the Common Core Standards and it looks very easy to navigate!

http://www.thinkingblocks.com/
This site has a whole bunch of virtual math word problems. The apps can be used on the Smart Board or an iPad. Technology is becoming so important to implement into schools today, so this site definitely seems useful in the classroom!

http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/Math-Anchor-Charts.html
This provides examples of math anchor charts, which are basically visual aids for the students to be hung around the classroom. I could see myself using this when I become more familiar with the students in my class and see what their strengths/weaknesses are in math.

http://wmh3acts.weebly.com/3-act-math.html
This site has a whole bunch of math problems that are solved in "three steps." Each problem has a lesson plan and additional resources that you can download. It seems like there are a lot of topics for each type of problem so it would be really beneficial to find out what the students in your class like/dislike for this site.

I posted all of these sites on the side of my blog under "Math Websites" :)

Upcoming List

I was having a problem deciding which resources online are actually effective in the classroom since I have not been in a classroom by myself before. So, I decided it would be best if I reached out to my cousin who is an elementary school teacher about which sites she uses in her classroom. She was able to give me a whole list so I will be posting them over the next few days!

New Teachers

I was seaching the web for some websites for new teachers and I came across a really helpful site called Teacher's Network. On the home page, there a links to many pages, including videos about how to set up a classroomand curriculum, strategies for managing a classroom, lesson plans, and a bunch of links to 'how to' articles. One of things that I am most nervous about when I start teaching is that I am going to have no clue how to structure a lesson or how to manage my classroom. It's a little scary to think that I will be in charge of a classroom of 25 students and I am the one responsible for teaching them the material that needs to be covered. This site seems like something I can definitely use to help me get over some of these fears! I'm sure I will certainly rely on some of these articles, especially during my first few years of teaching when I am trying to get the hang of things :)

I've posted this link on the side under "New Teacher Links." 

Animoto

A really fun site that I found is called Animoto. Basically, it takes whatever pictures and text you want, and makes it into a professional slideshow. You can even add music to make the video a bit more interesting! It's really simple to use and it definitely adds a little more 'flare' to the typical powerpoint presentation. Children learn best when the material is interesting to them..so why not make boring material into a fun and exciting video? It's a perfect way to make the content a little more engaging! I can't wait to use this site when I am in my own classroom!

Brain Pop

A really good supplementary site for teachers is BrainPop. The site includes an assortment of videos with relevant content that teachers can use as a resource for their students. While I don't think BrainPop should be used by itself because many of the videos are very simple, I think it is a great tool to use alongside a lesson. It is especially helpful for students who may be better visual learners. The link is posted in useful links on the side of my page so check it out if you're looking for something fun to incorporate in your lesson!

Pintrest...my favorite site!

I really love Pintrest and I think it has so many creative things to do! There have been many times that I come across some really cute things for teaching and I often try to picture myself using these things in my own classroom. I have decided to create a teaching board with some of the things I have found and hopefully I can use them when I start teaching next year! Here is the link to my board if you want to check it out:
https://www.pinterest.com/mmckenna1213/teaching/

Edmodo

One site that is really helpful to use in the classroom is Edmodo. It is basically like an educational Facebook that allows students in the class to connect with each other. Teachers can post assignments, grades, and notices for the students to view, comment, and share. I remember using this site in my elementary school and thinking it was so fun because it felt like I was allowed to use Facebook in class. It provides a fun way to interact with students that is safe and relatable!The link is posted on the side of my blog under 'Other Websites'.

Hello Blog Readers!

Hi! My name is Maureen and I am currently in the process of receiving my masters degree in Special Education and Elementary Education. I created this blog to post teaching resources that I find on the internet in hopes that I can use them when I have my own classroom. Hope you enjoy it! :)