Science Education Idea Exchange

I learned about Pocket as another tool for saving ideas, like Pinterest. I signed up for a free account to try it out.  It is an app and website that allows you to browse news articles and save them for future reference. The articles are selected from news sources around the globe, which I appreciated, as I sometimes have a hard time searching for articles. As a teacher, I would look for engaging news stories to share with my students to spark their curiosity. There were many to choose from with eye-catching titles. You can see a preview of what I saw when I chose the topic of "education". The one downside is it is not easy to search the site for specific articles. You can only search what you have saved. This could mean a lot of sifting for a busy teacher.

This is another one of those posts that I'm not sure why I have not written about it before! As a new teacher, I did not have a PLC for the first few years. There were some ideas I was able to borrow from teachers in my building, but I had to create my curriculum. That's where Pinterest became a huge time saver! How it works: Add the Chrome extension - as long as a picture is on the website you would like to save, you can create a brand-new pin. Download the app to your phone- sift through already created pins when you have downtime to get inspired. Use the website - You can create new pins like you would with a browser extension and find existing pins. It's easier to organize your pins, send pins, and add collaborators on the website (in my opinion). You can check out my science board here for some ideas I love and have been inspired by. You will also notice some of my creations as well.

I had first heard of Legends of Learning when I was on a curriculum selection committee for my school. It looked like lots of fun and they had many games for students to play to learn. Don't get me wrong, CoolMathGames is popular, but not always the high caliber learning we're looking for. I noticed recently that they have free demo games. They're easy to use and there are some gems! To get started, do a web search using their name and the subject you're looking for. (I have not found a way to search their website directly.) If you happen to figure it out, please share in the comments below. :)

As a PLC, we have created resources for students to use to practice at home in preparation for tests. The first one is Quizlet . The account is free for teachers to sign up and students do not need a login. It's great for vocabulary practice. Things your students can do with Quizlet: Take practice tests and receive immediate feedback on performance Play Scatter: version of memory where the student matches definitions to the term while a timer goes Play Gravity: answer questions before an asteroid hits the planet Flashcards: digital versions of flashcards that can include pictures and pronunciations, if you choose to add them The second is a newer option to my school district. We have begun GAFE training for our students and one of the apps you can use is Google Forms. Google Forms is great for working like a review guide because students can practice both vocabulary , labeling and processes . We have it set up so students can use a Form as many times as they desire....

ClassDojo  is free data app. You create classes that allow you to track positive and negative behaviors, along with randomly selecting students and keeping attendance. There are inspirational videos and ways to upload photos of your class to share with parents. When you select a positive behavior, your smart device/computer gives off a happy chime. When you select a negative behavior, you hear a deflating noise. You can create reports of behaviors and attendance over any period of time. This is how I use it: Attendance: I keep track of who is in my class and who is not. There are often times that my students are present at school, but not in class. This allows me to keep track of students who are present for the lesson. "Random Monster": This is what I call the random name generator. I use it to cold call my students so that everyone is accountable and no one feels picked on. It has made a huge difference in participation in my bell ringers. (Plus, then I don't have...

I discovered Plickers  after an observation of a classroom last year. I have used clickers in my classroom, but have issues with batteries and can only retrieve reports after we are done reviewing. Plickers uses a picture that can be scanned by a smart device. Depending on how the student orients their paper, they can have up to four different choices. Plickers is a free resource that you can create classes, question banks, and reports that show student percentages as well as question percentages. I use it for review. It offers real time data so you can see how your students are doing as you pose the question. I am all about free resources!

I decided to compile a list of free apps that I use in my classroom on the iPad Mini. General Classroom Use: BrainPOP: quick videos on various topics with quizzes at the end YouTube: so many videos. . .  KeyNote: PowerPoint equivalent for iPad Doceri: Drawing and notes tool Educreations: Drawing and notes tool that has a website.  Videos you create can be emailed and shared online Science 360: Current news articles and videos with an eye catching display ClassDojo: Allows teachers to track student behaviors and generate reports Earth Science: QuakeFeed: Shows current earthquakes on globe with magnitude EarthNow: Shows current statistics for the globe such as temperature and ocean surface salinity Planets: Current locations of planets and constellat...