I-Nudge

Are you a music tinkerer, doodler? Inudge is a music tool that will allow you to add notes, play to hear what it sounds like, make modifications, and keep listening. (note, it may take a couple minutes to load).

Click squares and listen to changes in your tune. Deselect squares if you don't want them anymore. Choose different Sound Patterns and create your own mix of musical tones to make and share.

What do different geometric shapes sound like? For instance a square, rectangle, triangle?

Yes it is addicting, so be careful.

Top 5 Safe Search Engines for Kids

Here is a link to an article by Jonathan Wylie recapping his list of the Top 5 Safe Search Engines for Kids. This list includes Safe Search, Fact Monster, Ask Kids, Quintura for Kids, and Go Gooligans.

Quintura for Kids also has an app for you IPod Touch and IPad users.

Squidoo - Interactive Math Sites

A nice collection of Interactive Math Games can be found at this Squidoo page. Upon arriving at the website, you'll read about the overall vision of the selected interactives, then just scroll down a bit to find the table of contents. From there choose an interactive and explore, or better yet allow you students to choose interactives and explore.

The author provides a quick overview of each highlighted resource, along with a link.

Simple CC Flickr Search

Often times I'm working with teachers wanting students to find images online regarding a project of some type. Sure, many of us migrate to Google Images, but I always say "you can't necessarily use those if you plan to post your projects online".

Simple CC flickr Search is a nice search engine that searches for creative commons flick photos, with a list of CC licenses that apply by each image. There are almost 1400 pages plum full of nearly 70,000 images. A nice addition when teaching students about proper etiquette regarding images and copyright materials.

Plant Life Cycle

Here is a nice online interactive displaying the many different stages of the lifecycle of a plant. Great for a online visuals, and includes a nice online plant identification interactive.

Flubaroo

Do you want to know an easy add-on that will grade your Google forms when used as student quizzes or tests? Check out Flubaroo. Install a script (install menu in Google Spreadsheet and choose "education" "flubaroo") and allow Flubaroo to assist your grading. You take the Google form quiz yourself to set the key, and Flubaroo does the rest.

Click here and watch a 3 minute video and see for yourself. A can't miss if you are a Google Forms user.

Loving To Learn

Loving to Learn is a new early Elementary Website full of many resources like "Read me a story", "Reading lessons", "Multiplication", "ABC fun", and so much more.

One categorization of resources is by Ages and Stages beginning from Blossoming Babies up through 3rd grade. Or you can search by Super Subject which includes Reading, Writing, Math, Arts, Fitness, Music, and more. There is a pull down menu for Books which includes resources to read me a story, create your own book, rhymes and songs, and blab about books. Finally there is an Activities area for games, holidays, videos, and crafts.

This site also offers a Goals and Check-Up areas, which tries to align content with age appropriate readiness. They've also done a good job finding online interactives that align with their Goals.

This could be a good resource for parents to use with their children, as well as teachers looking to find a particular activity or idea. Click on Loving to Learn and start exploring.

Google Image SlideShow

Do you need a quick slide show, in a hurry, but don't have time to put it together? Or want to view several photos pertaining to a topic of classroom interest? Try Google Image Slide Show. Type in your search, be patient, and your slide show will begin shortly with full screen, clear, images.

Seems as though simple searches worked fine, as I tried Tiger and got, well, just tigers. Nope, I did not get Detroit Tigers, Tiger Woods, or other Tiger related content. Be sure to check out Advanced search for more options. And as always with images, recommended to test before displaying if you are unsure.