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A basic looking but useful angle measuring activity. Measure with a virtual protractor and choose the correct answer from a choice of three. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

An English, Maths and Science resource hosted by Viral Vinnie. Choose a category and answer the multiple choice questions. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Cross+Curricular

This simple addition and subtraction game is wonderful for whiteboards. The pen tool allows students to show their workings before choosing an answer from the four given. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

A great interactive multiplication and division resource from the BBC. Answer the questions to complete the robot themed missions. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

Useful multiplication square where you hover over the answer to reveal the multiples. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

A farm themed multiplication game. Get a question and catch the pig or sheep with the correct answer. Choose from a choice of tables. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

A great site full of customisable games like 'Who wants to be a Millionaire', a darts quiz and many more. Just download and change the questions and answers in the XML file. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Educational+Games

I'm seeing more information about children activating G+ accounts and putting in an age that is "too young" to have an account (under 18.) Here are the instructions for reactivating an account (which involve a credit card charge that is then removed.) As more kids move to G+ this will be a problem. I told my students to stay away from G+. Of course, having them on Google apps for domains helps you on this as the terms of service are between the school and Google and with parent permission, you are accepting the terms of behalf of the students.

Interestingly, if a stranger joins a hangout, google will kick a teen user off their own hangout. Anyone who is 13 and up can now use Google plus. "Google said Thursday that it is opening up its Google+ social network to teens 13 and over, while rolling out new protections for those teens who join."

Not exactly kicking them off, their camera will be turned off and mic muted if someone that is not in their circles joins a hangout. The teens have the choice to continue back in the hangout if they want to. Pretty powerful tool for them to have. From the Google Safety Center: Hangouts are a great way to connect with other people face to face to face. Just like in real life, you can decide which people you want to chat with. However, sometimes someone joins a conversation that you don't want to chat with (also like real life). So when someone outside your circles joins a Hangout, we'll pull you out and ask if you want to continue. This gives you a safe and easy way to leave the conversation without having to interact with the new attendee first. At the same time, this still gives you the ability to stay if the new person is someone you want to chat with, but you haven't added to circles yet. http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2409072

A multiplication game where players must match the question and answer cards to score points. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

Have you ever wondered how to create an animated picture ? If you have here is an answer for you. There are several online  tools  that allow users to create GIF animations from pictures stored on their computers. Here are some of the best free web tools that can help you create animated GIFs

This is the lead in story that tells how they are trying to solve the mystery of the silk tower. I love how they did this -- read this with your students first and then the next article for the answer. Very good writing and kudos to wired. Neat.

I got this notice from Moby Max. There are a proliferation of websites that let you check and have kids working in online spaces like this. Remember that these can be helpful, but you should and must have students programming and inventing with computers. These can be very helpful but are only one use of the computer. Below is what they sent me about the service. Please let me know if you're using this (educators only, please). "MobyMax has just released the easiest way to get your students motivated and start the year off right-a free 119 prize school contest. Within the first ten minutes of releasing the free 119 prize contest on Monday with no announcement, 22 schools signed up! Not only are the contest and 119 prizes free, but MobyMax curriculum is free as well. (You may remember that teachers can upgrade to the Pro version for just $79 per year, but the prizes, contest, and curriculum are completely free whether you upgrade or not!) We are also proud to announce our students' results from the last school year. The results from over 600,000 students showed that those who used MobyMax for 40 hours averaged more than a 1.4 grade level increase in math and a 1.5 grade level increase in language. Students answered over 1 million problems in MobyMax's new reading module released this summer."

What is going on with Mars? Certain times of the year dark streaks are appearing on the Mars surface that has scientists baffled. It isn't water. It contains iron. Join the mystery with your students as this is going to be a cool one, whatever the answer.

If you want plants to grow add rain, sunshine and warmth. The same works with children. A warm, caring environment where students and teachers have positive relationships, where they feel safe and have supports to help them succeed improves test scores. This is no surprise to good teachers. Those who put inordinate stress on teachers in ways that causes stress and harshness are likely hurting test scores and having the opposite effect, if one is to interpret this. Take a read and take action - on my blog I and many commenters have been discussing getting along with colleagues and having warm relationships with students. It isn't fluff but rather, is the stuff that test scores are made of. "It's the million-dollar question or, given the size of the California education budget, the $50-billion-dollar question: What makes extraordinarily successful schools different from other schools? The answer: school climate, according to a new study from WestEd, a San Francisco-based research agency. In recent years, the concept of school climate has gained increasing currency in education reform circles and the California Department of Education has received federal grants to evaluate school climate in 170 schools, as well as Safe and Supportive Schools grants to fund programs that enhance school climate. As defined by the WestEd study, a positive school climate includes caring relationships between teachers and students, physical and emotional safety, and academic and emotional supports that help students succeed. The goal of a positive school climate is "a sense of belonging, competence and autonomy" for both students and staff, the report said."

Must read letter over at Edweek from a mom of one child who died at Sandy Hook and one who survived... if you want to be affirmed and remember why you teach, this is the post you should share with everyone. "Your courage will support students who are left out and overlooked, like the isolated young man who killed my daughter. At some point he was a young, impressionable student, often sitting all alone at school. You will have kids facing long odds for whom your smile, your encouraging word, and your willingness to go the extra mile will provide the comfort and security they need to try again tomorrow. When you Google "hero," there should be a picture of a principal, a school lunch worker, a custodian, a reading specialist, a teacher, or a bus monitor. Real heroes don't wear capes. They work in America's schools. "When I asked my son's teacher why she returned, she responded, 'Because they are my kids.' " Being courageous requires faith. It took faith to go back to work at Sandy Hook after the shooting. Nobody had the answers or knew what would come tomorrow, but they just kept going. Every opportunity you have to create welcoming environments in our schools where parents and students feel connected counts."

This is a wonderful site for designing lesson plans and collating resources to push out to an iPad app for students to access and interact with. You can put together websites, videos, audio, documents, images and instructions. You can make quizzes for your students to answer to provide you with instant feedback about how they are doing. Your students can make their own notes about the lesson from within the app. Download the app at https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/id467088232 http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Planning+%26+Assessment

A lovely resource to learn and practise Chinese numbers by listening to the Mandarin and typing the correct answers on the keypad. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Mandarin+%26+Chinese+culture

This cool website will use your website and turn it into an app on Apple and Android. This is cool and may be a nice answer for teachers who have a website but don't have a full LMS with an app.