tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17300859665535860152012-01-26T07:13:46.851-08:00Reviews of the best K-12 interactive games and education sites for kids, parents and teachersAvid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-76452105648657787972011-07-31T07:56:00.000-07:002011-07-31T07:56:43.167-07:00

1001 Money Lesson Plans The country's finances are in poor shape and personal finances for the majority of Americans are equally dismal, especially for our youth.  Surveys show... 40 to 60 percent of our kids, the future financial leaders of our country, will graduate and not pay their bills on time and accumulate less than $10,000 in net worth during their lifetimes.  Most do not pay off their

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-45929639462327945442011-03-27T13:11:00.000-07:002011-04-18T12:43:56.986-07:00

FlexBooks Free Downloadable Textbooks Finally!  Free electronic textbooks for middle and high school students.  FlexBooks, from the cK-12 Foundation, offers textbooks in science, technology, engineering and mathematics - STEM - that students can download and teachers can customize for individual classes. I've seen a small variety of free textbooks available online, but none of them match the

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-25059925115615210922011-03-25T14:19:00.000-07:002011-03-25T14:19:06.205-07:00

Google Historical Voyages and Events While researching various social studies project ideas, I came across a very creative community history project - Google Historical Voyages and Events.  Carol LaRow, a Google certified teacher and Smithsonian Laureate, is the site administrator.  She invites teachers to submit projects that include historic events, explorers, and voyages tied to their local

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-1635480945091456412011-02-18T06:20:00.000-08:002011-02-18T06:20:09.158-08:00

Pocket Change from Armor Games My campaign continues to do away with worksheets - in this case, counting money worksheets.  Many free counting money interactive games are online to help kids practice counting coins and bills.  I've described several of them in my Squidoo post, Counting Coins Interactive Games.  There's even a free money counting app for the i-world.  The post also describes

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-43500249356597364112011-02-08T10:12:00.000-08:002011-02-09T09:49:58.868-08:00

Music and the Brain Podcasts A series of Music and the Brain podcasts from the Library of Congress can be an inspiration for science music PBL - project-based learning - lessons.  These podcasts focus on the study of neuroscience and music, specifically how music can alleviate depression and grief, improve memory retention, treat illness, and even prevent crime. The podcasts brought me back to

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-32685004273325012412011-02-01T07:14:00.000-08:002011-02-01T07:14:15.124-08:00

Tinker Ball Simple Machine Interactive Game The Tinker Ball game is one of a growing number of simple machine interactives to help kids understand how simple machines work and how they're used in inventions.  Tinker Ball is an invention at play from the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, through the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  The object of the Tinkerball

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-3262828945047279962011-01-27T10:29:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:29:39.132-08:00

If your student or child is struggling with a dreaded math word problem, there are tools to help him reach the solution on his own.  Some of my favorite are on Math Playground, a website with problems,  problem-solving tools, and math games for grades 1-12.  Math Playground was designed by Colleen King, a math teacher and researcher who is continually looking for ways to use technology to

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-3901812020745497272011-01-21T11:20:00.000-08:002011-01-21T18:36:51.428-08:00

BBC Maths is a British interactive math website designed to help kids learn and practice K-12 math skills.  No, I did not misspell "Maths".  That is the British word for "math".  Whatever way you say it - math or maths - it's still one of the best comprehensive websites out there for students of any country to review (or "revise", as the British say) math concepts.  There are four parts to BBC

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-73888858177000682522011-01-17T16:21:00.000-08:002011-06-24T07:08:06.273-07:00

Continuing on with PBL lesson ideas, here are links to dozens of language arts projects from websites that specialize in PBL.  In previous posts, I provided links to math projects, PBL science lesson ideas, and social studies projects.  I would suggest taking a look at the projects in these other subjects as well, because virtually all of them include language arts elements. The projects listed

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-28312893162220152392011-01-15T17:38:00.000-08:002011-06-24T07:10:19.760-07:00

 SLICE Service Learning Toolkit   Building on my previous blog posts of PBL examples of science projects and math projects, today I'll provide some links to websites with social studies project ideas.  Project-based learning in social studies is often integrated with math, science, visual and performing arts and, of course, language arts. When using these PBL examples to create your

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-55285430211610683652011-01-14T10:09:00.000-08:002011-03-03T18:06:47.050-08:00

The JASON Project In my last blog post, I provided links to dozens of  PBL math projects.  Today I'll provide links to PBL science lessons.  Again, there are many sources of ideas.  This list, of course, is not all-inclusive.  But the objective is to make it easier to find a project. As with math, the projects are often cross-curricular and incorporate STEM - science, technology, engineering

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-10371932633458471172011-01-12T08:36:00.000-08:002011-06-08T07:59:21.658-07:00

Designing State-of-the-Art High School The response to my previous blog on PBL lesson plans included several requests for PBL examples in a variety of subjects.  So today, I'll point teachers and homeschooling parents to several sites with math project ideas.  You can easily :) adjust them to your students' learning situation, school curriculum demands, etc. I've organized them by math topic.

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-26067164652816418092011-01-10T06:20:00.000-08:002011-01-26T07:38:04.517-08:00

Edutopia and Project-Based Learning PBL - project-based learning - is a current buzz phrase in education and the focus of a lot of discussion among classroom teachers and educators.  But parents, families, and many a teacher are asking what is PBL and what does it mean to my children? Simply put, PBL is learning in which the student produces something useful to himself and others.  You child's

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-62049950639756235622011-01-07T05:45:00.000-08:002011-01-10T08:34:02.736-08:00

iCivics - US Government Games & Lessons This week, a new Congress begins session by reading the US Constitution aloud in the House of Representatives.  It seems the ideal time to spread the word about iCivics, a website full of eye-catching games designed to immerse middle and high school students in citizenship and our government. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor conceived the

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-41954128780779527262010-12-11T10:26:00.000-08:002010-12-19T09:27:39.666-08:00

j Khan Academy Virtual School Free public virtual K-12 schools are appearing around the U.S., sponsored by individual states, and often used as a homeschooling option.  As with any public school, you usually must be a resident of the state to "attend" a state's virtual schools. State-sponsored virtual schools offer the standard state curriculum, and they follow a standard time table.  Kids are

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-65236756088512817832010-12-06T11:57:00.000-08:002010-12-06T11:57:00.222-08:00

Science Experiment Ideas using Thinking Fountain After many late nights setting up science experiments for 5th graders, I'm always looking for new ideas.  Thinking Fountain, from the Science Museum of of Minnesota, has provided my classes with lots of inspiration for science experiments for elementary students. This time of year is typically when teachers are showing kids how to experiment. 

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-81906758830058133222010-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:002011-10-13T17:04:36.261-07:00

Museum Box Virtual Shoebox Diorama Museum Box is one of the captivating new tools to help teachers integrate technology in the classroom.  I previously wrote about Glogster EDU virtual posters as another tool students can use to show what they've learned.  Museum Box is equally versatile and engaging. When picturing Museum Box, think of the diorama idea of archive boxes in a museum.  Each box

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-61474728643961015432010-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:002010-12-04T18:50:13.846-08:00

 Zotero Bibliography Generator and Reference Organizer  Zotero takes citation generation to the next level by providing tools for  organizing and sharing research resources.  This free bibliography maker can also be added to your Firefox or Mac browser, as well as Word and OpenOffice.  This integration makes it much easier to generate a citation and put it into your paper. With Zotero's

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-30729610841735544062010-12-03T06:29:00.000-08:002010-12-03T06:29:23.556-08:00

BibMe Bibliography Maker BibMe is a much-praised bibliography maker and it has become my favorite citation generator for kids to use on research papers.  As with other popular citation makers, it can generate MLA, APA, Chicago and Turabian style cites. So what makes BibMe so special?  For my students, it's the auto-fill feature.  Particularly with younger kids who haven't honed their spelling

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-13555209036338787192010-12-02T06:27:00.000-08:002010-12-02T06:27:44.558-08:00

Noodlebib NoodleTools has designed a phenomenal set of interactive research tools designed for K-12 kids and college students. They include Noodlebib, a citation generator and NoodleQuest, a tool for  finding the resources and references students need. Some of  the NoodleTools require a paid subscription. But several of them are free. Noodlebib MLA Starter is free to K-5 students, with

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-54424715783304128762010-12-01T07:14:00.000-08:002010-12-02T10:01:13.574-08:00

 Son of Citation Machine  The bibliography for a research paper has been the dark underbelly for many K-12 students.  Several free online tools available now make writing the bibliography much easier.  K-12 students generally must use the MLA style, so the tools I review will focus on MLA citation generators. The first is Son of Citation Machine, aptly named follow-on to the

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-20116379171504475792010-09-26T10:49:00.000-07:002010-09-26T10:49:15.439-07:00

The web offers a wealth of free study tools for students of all ages.  There are games to help kids with a weekly spelling quiz.  And there are sophisticated tools with extensive databases for helping children learn multiplication tables, high schools students prep for the SAT,  or college students study anatomy.  Many of the websites have tools for students and teachers to collaborate on study

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-81848503148154869772010-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:002010-12-12T10:54:04.660-08:00

Kids can now learn to tell time faster and easier with the many free interactive teaching clocks and games on the web. I've seen what a difference 15 minutes on a game makes compared to 15 minutes on a telling time worksheet. Children are more engaged, get much more practice, and a truckload of immediate positive feedback. Their test scores improve and it does wonders for their self-confidence (

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-31793606011886081322010-04-03T22:48:00.000-07:002010-04-30T08:51:09.122-07:00

Are you looking for your state's GED requirements, preparation classes, test sites or high school equivalency diploma requirements? I answer several questions each week from teenagers and adults who want to get their GED and diploma. In the process of hunting down answers, I gathered up GED information for every state and placed it on LearningReviews.com State GED Requirements interactive map.

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-84708977475192362832010-03-01T11:09:00.000-08:002010-04-30T09:55:15.962-07:00

The NLVM was one of the first websites I discovered when finding ways to integrate online interactive technology in my math lessons. My 5th graders used the base blocks for decimals as a math center activity. I revisited NLVM recently, and found a new range of tools that are really helpful to classroom teachers. First some background. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives provides

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-78857365739192541732010-01-25T08:07:00.000-08:002011-02-05T12:38:56.363-08:00

You can make teaching kids about money easier and fun with the help of many free websites with lessons on money management for children and teens. Some sites have games and lessons for children on saving money, making money, giving it to charity and spending it wisely. Other websites have advice for parents on allowances, and ways you can help your teens and younger children build money

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-86170693758050769392009-11-30T11:57:00.000-08:002010-04-30T10:06:39.841-07:00

There are dozens of websites with free educational clipart for students and teachers. One of the most popular sites for these images listed on LearningReviews.com is Clipart for Free. Clipart for Free is a blog site with category links to a broad variety of themes. The images are free for personal use and ideal for homework projects. This is mainly children's clipart for elementary age students

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-88122110058555657572009-11-27T17:46:00.000-08:002010-04-30T10:34:15.154-07:00

Review of material for standardized testing in 5th grade can be mind-numbing and boring. The online game quiz Questionaut is designed to lift the tedium. It takes kids on a magical journey to practice their knowledge of math, science, reading, writing, health and fitness. BBC Schools in the United Kingdom hosts this interactive game for KS2, equivalent to grades 2-6 in the U.S. The questions

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-22613041810382171102009-10-25T22:25:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:37:28.984-07:00

Here's a great webware tool teachers and students didn't know they needed until they tried it. Glogster EDU does a Web 2.0 makeover of the stodgy classroom posters we were all assigned to make waaaaay back in the last century. The creativity and content of these online posters has blown me away. Upload your photos, video, audio and text to create a free interactive poster. Combine your material

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-71805014853121887512009-09-30T13:27:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:40:22.084-07:00

With a new school year well underway, many parents are asking me for spelling word study help. Those weekly spelling lists for elementary school kids have caused many a parent, as well as child, to feel the anxiety of memorizing words. In the past, I've used interactive spelling websites in my classroom computer learning center to ease the anxiety. The games have amused and excited the kids, and

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-71867816114213172312009-09-13T11:13:00.000-07:002010-04-20T13:16:44.503-07:00

Here is a treasury of 12 of the best free lesson planning websites out there - a list I wish I'd had when I started teaching. When I started out, I had a devil of a time finding lesson plans online. There were a few plans on school websites, district websites, and state sites - but not much else. The last five years, though, have seen an explosion of sites that provide free lesson plans in

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-113752711843960062009-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:46:05.653-07:00

Here's a few fanstastic interactive websites for science (simple machines), educational videos, and the visual and performing arts. These were recently added to LearningReviews.com. My daughter and I have enjoyed playing the Simple Machines Game, hosted by the Museum of Science of Industry in Chicago, IL. Twitch and his friend are sent on a mission at night to find some needed spare parts for a

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-13516498108039481462009-06-25T06:35:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:50:52.056-07:00

Teachers and homeschool parents often ask me about free software that can be used across the curriculum. There are many software and webware programs that provide lots of options for creativity and productivity at no cost. These programs can be used at home as well as in the classroom. They help students to collaborate worldwide with other students. There are blogs, wikis, wordprocessors,

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-75754010018419101792009-06-05T20:41:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:53:50.400-07:00

Wow, it's here! School vacation has started for many and will start in the next few weeks for many more. As you look back over the past year's lesson plans, are your looking for a way to juice up that unit on the Middle Ages? Do you need to find a replacement for the jello cell mass that bombed when the AC went out? The web provides a huge network of free lesson plans and teaching resources. So

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-18969859346760410612009-06-03T16:42:00.000-07:002010-04-30T10:56:40.629-07:00

For those who did not graduate from high school, there are many free online courses and practice tests to help you prepare for the GED. The past few weeks have been a flurry of caps, gowns, awards, and the smiling faces of teens who've successfully completed high school.  Definitely a time for celebration and hope.But not everyone who started this long journey made it to the ceremony.  I've

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-58513457008265083712009-05-26T16:37:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:01:56.916-07:00

In addition to TONS of lesson plans, themes and units, there's lots of professional development resources available to you, many of them free. Some provide web-based instruction in formats familiar to most of us. Others venture into the new world of Web 2.0, offer world-wide forums, and draw on the expertise of their students as teachers. The ones I describe below are all free. Among those in

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-57937211508012920742009-04-18T07:54:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:06:44.305-07:00

There are some fantastic websites out there to help students develop their reading, writing and speaking skills. Here's one I love that's great for any grade level (K-12). Adults can give and get a lot from it too. It's called FreeRice.com. It has two goals: Improving your English vocabulary and ending world hunger by providing rice to hungry people. For every vocabulary word you answer

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-8187951663726793332009-04-15T12:51:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:09:50.204-07:00

This week, I'm all about math.  Lesson plans for teachers.  Games for kids to hone their skills.  Online lessons and videos.  Math interactives.  Homework help.  Interactive glossaries.  And tips for parents and teachers. So I've assembled a list of websites that covers a spectrum of math subjects at all grade levels.  The authors of these websites use videos, games, written and oral

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-58120923664607266012009-04-05T21:20:00.000-07:002010-04-05T21:26:15.521-07:00

Privacy Policy Your Privacy Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-55393365660284417262009-03-25T15:44:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:11:33.626-07:00

There are so many terrific interactive learning sites to help K-12 kids learn to write, publish and enjoy reading poetry. In anticipation of National Poetry month in April. I created a Squidoo lens, Best Websites for Kids Poems, highlighting some of the best interactive websites I've found for helping kids write poetry, publish it online, and just enjoy it. Since writing about my "K-12 Top 12",

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-5137062341767810692009-02-09T07:33:00.000-08:002010-04-30T11:14:31.842-07:00

There are many helpful online tools for students doing research and writing a report, term paper, essay... you name it. I've had several questions from parents and teachers, asking about which sites are best for student research projects.  I still see a lot of students -- along with many parents and a few teachers too -- locked into Google and Wikipedia.  I did an earlier blog on research sites,

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-80031860446028864212009-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:002010-04-30T11:15:50.811-07:00

There's a wealth of free interactive science sites, and some terrific sites for science projects and experiments. My neighbor's daughter received her 20-page booklet of guidelines for submission of science fair projects in November.  Yikes.  Is it time for that already?  According to my neighbor, the guidelines go out three months in advance so students have plenty of time to submit a good

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1730085966553586015.post-88541348681397865542009-01-15T08:08:00.000-08:002010-04-30T11:17:57.488-07:00

One of the most dreaded activities by many a student is the Research Paper.  It goes by several names - Biography, Compare and Contrast, Persuasive Essay, Analysis, Argumentative, Informational... The possibilities are endless. The challenge is where to find the needed authorative sources -- especially ones your child can read and understand.  Google, Yahoo!, and MSN search engines are all a

Avid Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00699228262257394677noreply@blogger.com0