Spotlight

If you like to have easy and quick access to a desktop calendar, visit this site to download the software. It is transparent and you can change the colors, size and marker for the day. In addition you can move it around the desktop at any time. It is a horizontal calendar. In the photo to the right, look at the link across the bottom of the screen.

Image via Wikipedia

This free site, VerbaLearn, offers different ways for you to learn sets of vocabulary words.
You can listen to the words via mp3 transfer to your iPod, make puzzles like crosswords, make and print flashcards or watch a video flash card stack.
In addition there are fill in the blanks and quizzes you can take to see how you are doing with your memory skills and the words.

Of course you can always use Wordle.com to create a visual like this one to the right.

Image via CrunchBase

If you were thinking of creating a Skype account for use in your classroom, this might be something to start with as an activity. Visit this site: Skype an Author. You can choose an author from a scrolling list of people, set the date, prepare your students and away you go. There are some free visits and some paid conversations as stated on the page. The authors have contacted this site to get in to the database for connecting with school students. Some authors have specific requests, so you may want to read through the information completely before making a connection.

Image via Wikipedia

If you live near a pond and want to help some researach for the National Wildlife Federation, sign up for FrogWatch. This is a frog and toad monitoring program that helps scientists with information from your backyard. Even if you are new to nature, there are guidelines to help you get started in FrogWatch. Basically you need to visit the site, register a location you will monitor, and learn about frogs and toads in your area. Simply monitor twice a week during mating season and enter the data online.
There are other species of wildlife your can monitor is frogs are not your thing, or you do not live in the proper location. Check out the site and start a new hobby!

To view notes on the DiscoveryEducation Pre-Conference in Silver Spring, visit my DEN Blog: Center Stage at the DEN. All I can say about DiscoveryEducation is WOW. If you have not joined the DEN, then stop now and visit the site to sign up. You can have your own online professional development anytime anywhere just by reading the blogs! There are great ideas from model teachers and the discovery team of trainers. If you are from Pennsylvania, then you have FREE unlimited access to DiscoveryStreaming. Run to the phone and call you IU and get the access code to check out all of the great resources here. Summer is a good time to see what is available. By the way, August is back to school month and DES will be having FREE webinars.

Image via Wikipedia

There are over 250 categories of books, audio files and resources to FREELY use an download here at the E-Books Directory. The resources are limited, but may include something your students could not find otherwise. Biographies include George Washington and Erwin Romel. There are technology books about programming and books like Anna Karenina along with some other great books. It is worth the search for this FREE resource. Be aware, as there are some inappropriate books for young children. You should preview the source before allowing students to search.

Become a member of the Classroom2.0 ning site and have access to many free webinars. Many of them are archived for your review. Some of the programs that have been posted include Jean-Michel Cousteau; Ocean Adventures, Looking for Lincoln, Remixing Shakespeare for 21st Century Students, and Using 21st Century Resources to enhance Math Teaching & Learning.

If you have not become a member of this ning network, you should take time to explore. There are thousands of resources you can link to on this and many other ning networks.

NOAA has a series of games to help students learn. The games are geared for students in grades 4-7 and use a series of animations to help explain a number of concepts. In the games, students learn about predators, food webs, recycling and trash clean up. They must move obstructions to make the waterway healthy and battle pollution monsters. There are 17 different simulations for students to try. For additional information, your class can follow Oscar on Twitter by clicking the link above.

Image by ehpien via Flickr

From the article: "The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies is offering a series of free online tours that invite educators, families, and students to learn about America's diverse cultural heritage by examining objects drawn from the Smithsonian's vast collections." By using these objects, the visitors can examine the information to a deeper level of information. Using art and historical objects visitors can learn more about African American and Latino history. Examine items such as Mohammed Ali's red boxing gloves, portraits of George Washington Carver and Mary Chruch Terrell. There are activities, downloadable images and standards based information within the site. To find out what educator resources are current, subscribe to their free newsletter on this page: Education Newsletter.

Image by Stuck in Customs via Flickr "The Ancient Library"

The United Nations education agency coordinated libraries from a dozen countries to put some of their ancient works into digital format for use online. The World Digital Library has documents, files and more in seven different languages. You can view maps of the New World from 1562, or a map of Ancient Arabia from Christoph Weigel from 1654. The library also contains audio tracks, video and photographs.