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What it is:  ABC Mouse is a complete online curriculum for pre-k and kindergarten students that provides a step-by-step learning path.  There are six academic levels that include curriculum that includes over 350 interactive lessons and more than 2000 learning activities. 

This is a comprehensive, well put together site that is FREE to public schools in the United States and Canada.  It is a wonderful addition to the kindergarten classroom!

How to integrate ABC Mouse into the classroom:  ABC Mouse is a fun website.  Activities in ABC Mouse are fantastic for center use in a one-two computer classroom (or more).  The activities and games are short enough for a center activity that students can cycle through.

What it is: BBC Bitesize consistently has wonderful games and activities for the classroom.  The Converting Fractions into Decimals activity isn’t one I have come across in the past, but it is a winner none the less.  This is a great place for students to gain some practice with fraction to decimal conversion.  The activity is set up like a secret mission.  Students get their briefing on the mission (including a short description of how the conversion is performed) and must solve a series of problems to unlock secret doors and compartments.

Using an iPod Touch in the Primary Classroom Posted by Mrs Kathleen Morris on Monday, August 8th 2011      2011 is the fourth year I’ve been using an iPod Touch in my classroom. My students enjoy using these hand held devices and they can be used to enhance student learning in many different areas. In this post I will describe how we set up our iPod Touches and how we use them. Funding In 2008, I was successful in applying for a DEECD Emerging Technologies Trial Grant. We purchase 8 iPod Touches and some professional development time. Since then, our school has budgeted to purchase a small number of iPod Touches. We generally buy our iPod Touches from BigW and get the lowest memory model. More than half of the classes at our large primary school now have an iPod Touch in their room (we also have a small number of iPads that we’re beginning to trial). Equipment A headphone splitter was purchased for each iPod Touch which allow the device to be used by a group of five students at one time.

A headphone splitter was purchased for each iPod Touch which allow the device to be used by a group of five students at one time.

While our headphone splitter works well to share one iPod between 5 students when they are listening to stories, podcast or videos, activities that involve apps are better in a 1:1 or 1:2 situation. We have found one way to get around this. If a group of students were playing an app, they might take it in turns to have a go with the app while also engaged in another related activity. For example, students could be taking it in turns to play the app Wurdle, while other students play the Boggle board game.

Introduction to copyright, fair use and using images in blog posts You can’t just use any image you like in a blog post. Why?  Because unless stated otherwise, the law automatically grants full “copyright” over any creative work a person makes.

I’m sure you’re probably thinking it is okay because as educators, we have a few more flexible rules, called “Fair Use”, to play by.  Fair use, in some cases, if an image, text, video, etc. is being used for educational purposes, means you may have more flexible copyright rules. The trouble is, most of the laws and rules that cover fair use and education were written well before the invention of the web.  They don’t apply to use of copyright material on the Internet.  Using copyright material leaves you open to copyright infringement. So what does this mean? You need to: Learn what images you are and aren’t allowed to use, and why. Learn how to attribute images you are allowed to use. Educate your students that you can’t just use any images off the Internet in their blog posts, show them how to source and attribute images they are allowed to use. Understanding digital copyright is an essential skill we need to understand and teach our students.  This post focuses on use of images.

Need help creating a Science Fair at your school? Click “How to do a Science Fair Project” for helpful tips. Want to help your students brainstorm their topics? Use the brainstorming tool to get their creative juices flowing. The first 1,000 entries receive a fabulous, free Kids’ Science Challenge Kit  in the mail. The Kit is filled with give-aways and activities for hours of science fun.

The Kids' Science Challenge is a free nationwide competition for 3rd to 6th graders to submit ideas and experiments for scientists and engineers to solve. Play science games, watch videos, do fun activities and enter to win awesome prizes and trips!

Listen and Read has fantastic online reading activities for early learners.  There are 54 nonfiction read-along books that include words, images and sound.  You can sort books by subject including: Community, American History, Animals, Civics and Government, Environmental Studies, Plants and Flowers, Science and Social Studies.  You can also sort books by level (A or B). How to integrate Listen and Read into your curriculum: Non-fiction can be hard to read in the early years.  It often includes unfamiliar words and vocabulary and concepts that students don’t have a lot of prior knowledge of.  Scholastic’s Listen and Read is fantastic because it helps students navigate their way through non-fiction with the support of a read-aloud, sounds and images.  These interactive books help students better comprehend content because they aren’t focused on the words they are stumbling through.  At the end of the book students can click on the unfamiliar new vocabulary to hear the word said again.  This follow-up exposure reinforces word recognition, vocabulary and ideas.

Super Math World isn’t a totally free site but it does have a LOT of free content that kids can access. 

Free topics include: adding, measures, number patterns, percentages, place value, area, estimating, fractions, negative numbers, set theory, venn diagrams, and series.  The kids will enjoy the arcade-like practice area.

How to integrate Super Math World into the classroom:  Super Math World makes a great computer center activity during math.  The games are quick-enough that students can filter through classroom computers for their turn over a few periods.  The games would also make fun whole-class interactive whiteboard games.  These are intended to be one player, so you can split your students into teams and have them take turns at the board.