Internet Tool #3: Kids.LearnOutLoud

Kids.LearnOutLoud is an educational site for kids and teens.  The site is a feature off the LearnOutLoud site geared more towards adults, and provides both audio and video resources to assist in student learning. The site provides kids Audio Books, Free Learning Resources, MP3 Audio Book Downloads, and Podcasts for Kids.

Upon entering the site, you will notice that it is a pretty well organized site.  The site is categorized by pages. There is a search box available for you to search for a specific subject or content.  You also have the option to browse by age or interested subjects.  Some of the subjects are to include, Science, Literature and Technology. 

As you navigate through the site, you can either look through their Kids Catalogs page, the Audio Books page, Downloads and their Free Stuff page. Although most of the resources provided have to be paid for, they do have some really interesting Free audio and video links.  You can also become a member for a fee of either $12.95/month to $19.95/month. 

The site offers specific content for learners all around.  TeachOutLoud provides titles provided by authors, BlogOutLoud provides highlights of the best contents avaliable, LearnOutLoud E-Magazine Archive allows you to view past published newsletters and LearnOutLoud E-Magazine provides up to date information about the site.

Overall, this is a great resource for all teachers and students, especially for the audio/visual learners.  

Information and Image source: http://kids.learnoutloud.com/

Internet Tool #2: Google Earth

Google Earth is a completely FREE geo-mapping tool that anyone with internet connection can access.  It uses a mass collection of imagery sources and satellite imagery to bring the world right to your screen.  As soon as you download the latest version, you have access to basically anywhere in the world.

Being that I'm a teacher, I will focus more on the educational aspect of the site.  Google Earth for Educators actually contains resources for teachers and students alike.  The site contains resources such as lesson plans, tips on how to use Google Earth, a teacher forum to gather more ideas for the classroom, and many tutorials to help get started.  Google Earth can be used for just about any subject you can think of.  From Geography to Oceanography, from Media to Astronomy, its uses are endless.  With anyone who logs on with access to help "add" to the site, Google Earth is a source that continuously grows.

For educators, the site's classroom resources page provides ideas on how to use the site. The page also contains a link to their lesson plan library.  If teachers would like to contribute to the site, they have the opportunity to submit lesson plans for review.  As I perused through the site, I found that Google Earth also features Google Maps and Google Sky, added features of Google Earth.  I would love to incorporate Google Sky into my Solar System unit.

With an endless amount of features tied to Google Earth, my main recommendation would be to explore Google Earth for yourself.  I am sure you would find many uses for the site, be them personal or educational.  Have fun exploring!

Informational sources: http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/
Image Sources: http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzA5LzdmL2dvb2dsZV9lYXJ0LjJhMGYxLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4NjI3IwplCWpwZw/13328605/a5a/google_earth.jpg

http://sites.duke.edu/tlge/files/2009/11/hi.jpg

Internet Tool #1: Wordle.net

Wordle (http://www.wordle.net) is an internet word cloud generator.  It is a free site and anyone can access it and create word clouds.  The only requirement is Java. Wordle is a very simple site.  Upon entering the site, you are given a brief description of the site and then a CREATE button to start your own Wordle. Once you click the button, the "text box" is in plain site to start creating your Wordle.  The directions are simple as well.  The more times you enter a word, the larger it becomes as opposed to those words entered only once or twice.  You may paste or type in your words into the top text box, or copy a URL into the bottom box. Once you are ready, click the "submit" button and there you go, your Wordle is created and you can view it in the Wordle Applet screen. From there, you are given the opportunity to "play" with your Wordle and change the font, color scheme and direction of your text.  

This is a nice and simple site to infuse into any classroom.  Students can have the opportunity to create outstanding and meaningful word clouds that they can either print or add to the Wordle public gallery.  According to the author of the site, word clouds are able to be saved into a PDF or SVG format if you have software such as Adobe Acrobat or Windows SVGMaker.

Here is a simple word cloud I created.   

If there is time in the school year to fit this in, maybe student created word clouds will become future 5th grade t-shirts for us.  Just a thought.  Have fun creating!!!