Technology in Your Classroom : Hot Websites :
Hot Websites October 2006
By Linda Lindroth
Start your school year with these games and research topics for kids of all ages
Use these great web resources to enrich your classroom's celebration of Computer Learning Month. Whether you decide to have a breakfast party complete with honey pots or challenge the class next door – or across the globe – to a geography bee, I know your students will love using these resources for reinforcing core content.
Celebrate with Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Disney's Winnie the Pooh
www.disney.go.com/characters/pooh/index.html
This one opens with the new song, "With a Friend," playing in the background. Students of all ages will find a friend in this collection of fun games and activities from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Play areas include The Friendship Spot, Merry Meadows, The Funny Hunny Tree and Adventurific. The Friendship Spot lets students learn more about each of Pooh's friends, download wallpaper for the class computer or play learning games. Adventurific features Piglet's Tales, a personalized adventure story. Younger students will enjoy the Counting Hide 'N Seek, Tigger Trot and Grab the Carrot games in Merry Meadows.
Magic Artist Online. Be sure to click back to Character Gallery to use Disney Magic Artist Online. Print or complete coloring pages online, create cards for Pooh's 80th birthday and print the full-color, four-page cards, complete with a cut-and-fold coordinating envelope. You can even create a thank-you card for your school tech support team or a congratulations card for students for the first grading period.
Geography Zone
www.geographyzone.com
What a great way to generate enthusiasm for skills mastery in geography! The free geography resources include Geography Challenge.
Geography Challenge. Sign up your class for the world's largest geography quiz with nearly 1.5 million participants in 192 countries. Teachers can register their class, assign competition deadlines and monitor student points.
Current quizzes include countries and capitals worldwide or by continent. New quizzes will include mountain ranges, bodies of water and rivers. Each 10-question quiz can earn points for your class and your country. At the end of each quiz, an analysis chart shows the questions and what answer was given by the student. A bonus for learning – click on the country and link to the correct answer on the world map.
www.earth.google.com
Google Earth is a free 3D map/satellite image program. Download the software to your Mac or PC and let the streaming begin. This is a product that will motivate students to take mapping skills to a new level of mastery.
Satellite and aerial images combine to create awesome details of your own town for a K-2 study of the community or an intermediate grade project showing tourist or historical landmarks. For a more global study, type in a city or country to find out more about that geographic location.
Use the 3D earth view to get local restaurants, points of interest, parks and other attractions. Whether you need driving directions, a phone number or hours of operation and detailed information, it's all in the balloon window in your 3D image. Create city maps with 3D buildings or show the terrain with mountains and valleys. There is even a Measure tool to chart distance for a math or social studies graph.
Turn by turn or "fly by." Print or save turn-by-turn directions – even e-mail the JPEG image with the directions or send a KMZ (placemark) to another Google Earth user. You can even layer selections, click multiple placemarks and hit play for a fly-by visit of the selected landmarks. Zoom into Earth at any point or tilt and rotate the view in 3D.
Upgrade to Google Earth Plus (for Windows only) for even more mapping options. $20.
NOVA 5000-- Tech Spotlight
The Nova5000 from Fourier Systems is a portable computer that is only 9.3" x 7.3" x 1.7" and weighs 2.4 lbs. It operates with Windows CE 5.0 and offers full Internet access using Ethernet or WiFi, e-mail and web browsing access. The 7" touch screen uses a stylus to recognize handwriting and will support a mouse, keyboard and printer. Additional memory can be obtained using the CompactFlash slot or USB ports.
Licensed software includes SoftMaker Software Suite with word processing, spreadsheets and presentation tools. MultiLab software is included to allow the Nova5000 to interface with Fourier Systems sensor probes for data logging and analysis. Also included: Inspiration, NetTrekker (web) and Portrait 4 software programs.
For more information, visit www.fourier-sys.com or call 877-266-4066.
Linda K. Lindroth is Technology Editor and Web Coordinator for Teaching K-8. She is also a Technology Resource Teacher in a K-5 computer lab in Lexington, KY.
