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Lots of good ideas here. 70+ Google Forms for the classroom http://t.co/r1BBlqEy - Dennis Grice (dgrice) http://twitter.com/dgrice/status/121246157627334656 RT @dgrice Lots of good ideas here. 70+ Google Forms for the classroom http://t.co/42dtPfum #PDSmem

wiki w/ bloggin in classroom, ideas on using classroom pictures, project work w/ free apps for the internet, etc

Constitution Day (September 17) is less than a month away now. Federal law requires teachers in the US to teach a lesson on the US Constitution on that day. To help you develop lessons, Sunnylands Classroom is offering a free package of teaching resources. Included in the collection is a free DVD about the 1991 case of Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Company which effectively barred race peremptory challenges during jury selections. Other resources from Sunnylands for Constitution Day include an interactive game on the First Amendment and an interactive game about the Constitutional Convention. Register here by September 5 to have the Sunnylands resources sent to you. H/T to US History Teachers Blog. Applications for Education The Constitution Day resources from Sunnylands Classroom really seem to be targeted toward a middle school and high school audience. That said, with a little adaptation you might be able to use some of the resources with 4th and 5th grade students too.

RT @web20classroom: The Ultimate Guide To Using Youtube In The Classroom: http://t.co/ZcgWQgUm - TLC (TLC_edu) http://twitter.com/TLC_edu/status/117229346887962624

Great post for starting to use skype in the classroom.  Has connections, ideas on how to incorporate, etc

 free children's ebooks that you can view online and or download to your local computer. As Children's Books Forever points out, the books are suitable for use on SmartBoards. There are books available in twelve languages including English, Spanish, German, and Japanese.  Applications for Education This is usually where I would write a suggestion or two for using Children's Books Forever in your classroom. But Kelly actually was an elementary school teacher (I've been in secondary ed my entire career) so I recommend reading Kelly's suggestions for using Children's Books Forever in your classroom.

Following the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v F.E.C., the growth of Super PACs, and the influx of negative ads this campaign season, some Americans are concerned about the influence of money on our electoral system and our democracy itself. Others point out that wealthy individuals, corporations, and labor unions have always influenced politics and point to the loopholes of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act as the origin of unlimited contributions. Does money = speech, and do any restrictions on campaign contributions violate the First Amendment?  Does money unfairly influence our political process? In this election year, help your students understand and develop their own opinions about these campaign financing issues. Watch a variety of C-SPAN video clips explaining the varying sides, read articles with opposing viewpoints, complete associated activities, and engage students in classroom deliberations.

A sixty-day experiment documenting classroom life in the Cloud: two Northfield Community School (NCS) fourth grade teachers (Mrs. Shenkus & Mrs. Gibson) explore the use of Google Chromebooks across the curriculum. 

"Where technology does have a positive impact is when it actively engages students, when it's used as a communication tool, when it's used for things like simulations or games that enable students to actively manipulate the environment."

top 3 tips: 1. keep 3-5 min, longer= lose interest; call out students names in videos, allude to class secret or secret word used during next school day 3. Storyboard plan your video 5. Hold students accountable: can't participate in class experiment/activity if haven't watch video. Give quiz at beginning of class. Use unlimited attempt online quiz to complete to 100% after watching quiz. 6. Create forum where kids can discuss video, ask questions...then assign kid to be teacher assistant to answer questions, cont discussion

I highly recommend Audrey Watter's blog in general, and this particular  blog post is essential reading for entrepeneurs and classroom teachers  alike. Do you know the answers to questions posed here?

Tour TogetherCounts.com now and see why 70+ million consumers and more than 100,000 educators are already using the resources provided by Energy Balance 101 and the Together Counts program.  Download free lesson plans to bring Energy Balance to life in your classroom. Take advantage of the school-to-home activities and encourage your students to apply what they've learned to their lives at home. Explore our At Home resources and activities that provide today's busy families with exactly what they need to have fun as they stay energy-balanced. 

Great place to spend a few minutes here and there watching videos to inspire your teaching. 

TED is famous for making widely available its incredible series of lectures  from its various conferences. They've taken these lectures a step further,  identifying TED talks that are particularly useful to classroom teachers  and enhancing them with additional animation.