Best Site Blog - Academic Learning Coach

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App Alert! Desmos Graphing Calculator

2/19/2018

Desmos

Elegant graphing calculator and math simulations promote collaboration

Pros: Free and easy-to-use tool that gives students a visual way to understand expressions.
Cons: Without significant help, less experienced students might struggle when things gets complicated.
Bottom Line: Innovative calculator and simulations are a standout graphing option for inquiry-driven math.

Newsela for Current Events

2/19/2018

Newsela

Absorbing daily news stories offer kids just-right learning content

Pros: A best-in-class library of high-interest, cross-curricular, adjustable nonfiction texts.
Cons: Expanded search and recommendation features could help students connect with articles tailored even more to their interests and reading level.
Bottom Line: Up-to-date, high-interest articles meet students right at their level: Use this robust tool to bolster students' nonfiction reading practice.

Tea Box

SYMMETRY Jigsaw Puzzles

2/19/2018

It's National Puzzle Day on the 29th. Learn about spatial relationships and boost your understanding of numbers by customizing and assembling these cool jigsaw puzzles that display symmetry.

App Alert! The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

2/11/2018

Pros: Tons of images, audio, and video bring primary source documents and expert perspectives to your classroom.
Cons: More accessibility features -- like better text-to-speech integration and video captions -- would improve usability for a broader range of users.
Bottom Line: In class, a good resource for U.S. history; beyond, a great website for free teacher PD and some great in-depth exploration of primary sources.

Tween Tribune Current Events for the Classroom

2/11/2018

Pros: Kids will find the articles interesting, and teachers can track student quiz and comment activity to facilitate progress.
Cons: Articles on fluff topics like a pageant shoe parade don't offer much useful information; the topic listings and tags could be more clearly defined.
Bottom Line: TweenTribune's questions, quizzes, and educator tools can help kids follow and understand the news; its content may work best with younger users.

Antonym Word Game

2/11/2018

The opposite of everything is celebrated on the 25th for Opposite Day. Check out this word game exploring antonyms then create an original story about them. For ideas click the nouns and opposites buttons until the opposites you want to write about appear.

Zizo Wireless

App Alert! NASA Global Climate Change - Vital Signs of the Planet

2/3/2018

Tons of climate change info from expert sources in one easy place

Pros: Fantastic content, beautiful (and sobering) imagery, actionable resources, and clear citations, all on a site that's easy to navigate.

Cons: Overwhelming amounts of info not always easily searchable by topic, occasionally written with a disgruntled edge against climate change deniers.

Bottom Line: This is a one-stop shop for climate change info, from basic intro content to practical guides and raw data; good for middle schoolers and up.

Permacharts

Try Now Comment

2/3/2018

NowComment makes it easy to have rich, engaging discussions of online documents no matter how large (or small) your class or collaboration group.

Pros: Tons of comment options including restricted dates, sorting, and multiple threads.

Cons: Though multiple file types are supported, the site claims that there are sometimes difficulties with PDFs.

Bottom Line: It's a versatile discussion platform for teaching, peer reviewing, and fostering active reading, and offers much more than traditional word processors.

Komodo Dragon

2/3/2018

Celebrate dragons in real life rather than on Game of Thrones on the 16th for Dragon Appreciation Day. Check out National Geographic's coverage of the formidable Komodo Dragon.

Zizo Wireless