Saturday, April 23, 2011

TED videos are great, now you can find the best in one spot!

I admit it, I love TED videos. But the good news is that millions of other people do as well. They are one of the most shared videos (besides Youtube) on the web. And the best part is they are all 20 minutes long or less. Even my students have enjoyed some of the TED videos. I just wish I knew which ones were the best. Now, I do. Using this website I am posting about, you can see which TED videos are shared the most or viewed the most, which likely means they are the best of the best. I have to admit, I have seen most of the ones that have been shared because I have tried watching the "best of the best" before. But some are new and I am excited to watch those. So, what good are these videos to you? Well, mostly, they are good to watch and make you think about our world and our lives. But some are good for students too. Watch a couple and you will be addicted too. They are great short videos to watch before bed or to start the day. Have fun!


Another Great Science Site!

Exploratorium is a great catch-all science site that is a must see! It doesn't matter what science you teach or at what level, this site has everything. So much to explore and so much to learn and do. You might just want your students to try some things out and explore the site and tell you what they like. Or, as you look for a "few" educational things to do over the summer, maybe looking at this site and seeing what it can offer is a good start. Have fun!


Site for Ipod and Ipad Apps for Education

If you use Ipod Touches or IPads in the classroom or even if you use them at home, you might want to bookmark this site. This site, MFL edapps, is a collection of Apps and reviews of Applications on these devices that are good for language learners or teachers. So, it is mainly geared for students and teachers who are working on learning the English language, but I guarantee you some of the apps are great for even middle school students who currently speak and read English language, but maybe not at a high level. Who knows...there might even be some fun and educational apps for our best and brightest students too!? I haven't checked any of the apps yet, but I know I always get some good things from App collection/review sites like this. Enjoy!

SugarStacks!

Just a quick post to alert and Health and Wellness teachers who talk to students about sugar content in foods. The site is called Sugarstacks. This site has lots of visuals that are pretty eye-opening as to how much sugar basic foods and drinks have. I also found that you can see pretty quickly how to make slightly healthier choices in each category of food or drink. Have fun!


Science Teachers (and Parents) Looking for Fun Science Experiments Using Simple Supplies!

Ran across this Science site and wanted to post it simply so I could remember where to find it this summer when I am home with the kids. As a former science teacher, I wish I had a site like this to refer to. It might actually be best for a science teacher looking to run an after school science club. Any way you use the site, lots of stuff on there that looks like a lot of fun for kids. The site is named "Kitchen Pantry Science" and has all sorts of details and videos about experiments using basic supplies. Have fun!