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    Here's a teacher tool you're guaranteed to like... ForAllRubrics  is FREE teacher software available both online and offline via you...
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    Tween Tribune is a great website that provides non-fiction current event articles written in a context that middle schoolers can understand...
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Technology in Every Classroom

NoRedInk.com is a web-based learning platform that helps K-8 (and beyond) students improve their grammar and writing skills. NoRedInk offers:
  • High-interest Content: The first time a student logs into NoRedInk, they have the opportunity to choose their favorite celebrities, hobbies, TV shows, and personal friends. Content is then generated using this information so that students remain engaged in the task.
  • Adaptive Learning: NoRedInk provides differentiated instruction, adjusting questions based on what each individual student masters. When a student gets stuck on a concept, there are tutorials that help them correct their mistakes and keep going.
  • Practice Exercises/Quizzes/Assignments: Students can create exercises on their own or teachers can give assignments and quizzes. All questions are uniquely generated according to each student's indicated interests.
  • Progress-tracking Features: A color-coded "heat map" allows teachers, students, and administrators to track progress easily and adapt instruction as needed.
The Teacher Dashboard on NoRedInk.com provides easy one-click access to  everything the teacher does.
The Student Dashboard on NoRedInk.com shows pending quizzes and assignments. Students can also create a practice themselves.

Right now, the site offers help with apostrophes, subject-verb agreement, comma issues, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and commonly confused words. Plans are in the works for pronoun agreement, capitalization and several other categories.

Give NoRedInk a try and let me know what you think. Just add your comments below.
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Here is a fun opportunity that promotes creative writing! Storybird.com is a website that provides "visual storytelling for everyone." Storybird reverses visual storytelling by starting with the image and "unlocking" the story inside.

There are hundreds of illustrations to spark your creativity.

To put it simply, students log into a personal account on www.storybird.com and search for artwork based on a personal interest or a pre-defined topic. Once they have selected the artwork style, students begin to create a digital story using the FREE art as their inspiration. Artwork is added to their story using a drag-and-drop method; text is added by typing the story directly into text boxes. Stories can be as long or as short as the writer wishes.

Working within Storybird is as easy as drag-and-drop.


Teachers are encouraged to create an account through which you can create a Storybird class. A class is a private learning space on the Storybird platform that lets you:

  • create student accounts without needing an email address,
  • issue assignments,
  • host online discussions, and
  • easily track and manage the activity of your students.
In short, it's a place for you and your students to enjoy writing and reading stories. Creating a Forever Free account allows up to 75 students in a maximum of three classrooms. Subscription-based accounts offer more.

Students stories are automatically published to your Storybird class library as they are completed. Note, student stories are private and not included in the public library. However, students can find, read, and comment on each other's stories since they're linked together within the classroom account. You also have the option to embed student stories on public blogs, wikis, etc.

Parents can to log into their child's account to see what they have been working on. Another great option is the ability to purchase their child's book in a soft cover, hard cover or premium hardcover format. Defined as a "Fundraiser", the school receives $5 per order to use as they see fit.

Try out Storybird in your classroom today. Beyond traditional writing lessons, consider using Storybird in your religion, social studies or even world languages class... there are so many ways to try it out! Let me know if you do and what you think by commenting below.
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Tween Tribune is a great website that provides non-fiction current event articles written in a context that middle schoolers can understand. The site is broken into four sections: Grades K-4, Grades 5-8, Grades 9-12 and Spanish.

Teachers can create an account to manage classrooms, add students, create assignments, provide instruction and keep track of their students' activity. Student accounts do not require an email address ~ consider using their school login. Passwords will be provided.

Two types of quizzes are available for students on Tween Tribune:

  • Daily Quiz consists of three multiple-choice questions that test vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking from three different stories on the site. Students can access the Daily Quiz when they log in.
  • Story Quiz consists of three multiple-choice questions that test vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking from one story on the homepage. Students can access the Story Quiz from the "Take Quiz" link that appears beneath the stories on the homepage.



www.tweentribune.com

Tween Tribune also offers teachers a list of "20 CCSS lesson plans that teach and engage, no matter which text a student selects". These lesson plans may be used over and over again because the stories always change; the answers will reflect the current content on the site. Here is an example of one of these lessons:
Explaining the 21st century: The world has changed a lot since the 20th century ended in the year 2000. Your are the first generation of the 21st century. Find a story that could not have happened before the year 2000, and explain why it could have only happened in the 21st century – your century. Answer in the form of complete sentences with correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

CCSS R1 | R7 | R9 | W1 | W2 | W3 | W6 | W8 | W9 | L1 | L2

Tween Tribune can be used in our Lab, on the laptops and even on the iPads. As CCSS requires an increased use of technology, even by our youngest students, Tween Tribune offers an easy and effective way to help develop a strong familiarity with these tools and a greater comfort with taking quizzes online as well as producing digital text. Introduce Tween Tribune to your classroom. Let me know what you think by adding your comments below.

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