Part #3: Guide for new teachers to start using HIVES

This is a list of useful sites to begin with. It is accompanied by some thoughts on how to manage classes in computer labs while using HIVES.

List of Sites I Use or Know

Each site has been selected after personal use or study of its usage

Mega sites, sites that have many choices:

http://www.factmonster.com/

Amazing mega site with many interactive games and graphic tutorials on many content areas. Mostly for grades 3-9, there is some material appropriate for older and younger!

http://www.learner.org/interactives/index.html

Thisa site is called “interactives”. It is a site of interactive reading, computer graphics and quizzes for grades 5-12. It has many content areas. It is mostly for grades 9-12, but there are some middle school items.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/European_Geography.htm

Mega site with geography quizzes, math games, language games, pre k and k, and more!

http://www.primarygames.com/

Mega site with many categories of learning games, but also links to virtual worlds for kids and games not specified for school content

http://www.funbrain.com/

Learning focused mega site that has classic games that are not flash player based and flash player games.

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/

A comprehensive internet interactive site with many activities and an amazing amount of links and listings of links.

More specific topic sites

Language Arts

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm

These are not colorful or graphic quizzes on many language arts and composition elements. Sentence parts, run on sentences, grammar and more. These were designed for high school use, many of the easier quizzes can be done by young middle school students.

http://wps.ablongman.com/long_licklider_vocabulary_2/6/1631/417669.cw/index.html

The Longman Vocabulary Site is part of an entire ESL site with many features. This page is “easily confused words”. Easy ones are easy hard ones are really hard. 4-12 grade level.

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/

Study Zone is a simple reading comprehension and writing site for grades 3-12. The exersizes are good, but not flashy.

http://english-zone.com/index.php

The English Zone is a not flashy but highly competent interactive language site. It focuses on grammar, reading writing, dictionary skills and more. It has little quizzes with almost every lesson, making it interactive that much more. Interactive exersizes are there for many items.

http://www.spellingcity.com/

Great spelling site that teaches with games, good for 5-8^th grade level.

Math

http://www.coolmath-games.com/

Math focused site with math tutorials, algebra tutorials, math games , logic games, and mouse games.

http://www.mathplayground.com/index.html

A math game site that has many serious math games, logic puzzles and more! Fun, but focused on math.

http://www.ixl.com/math/

A math site for k-6^th grade. Very graphic, high interaction level and highly competent.

http://www.mathisfun.com/

This site has a tight focus on math with games, tutorials and other teaching tools. This site is fun and nice looking.

http://www.visualfractions.com/

A nice visual exploration of fractions appropriate for 5- 9^th grade

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/math5.html#

Math Live! Math videos for 5-8^th grade math content. Interactive and valuable.

Science

http://www.amnh.org/ology/

Oology: a science and natural history site with videos and short quizzes. Flashy and fun.

Other

http://www.allterrainbrain.org/ATBHome.aspx

All Terrain Brain: Entepreneurial spirit language and other exercisizes for 8-12

http://www.studystack.com/

Study Stack: A site of flashcards you make or find already made. Play hangman, or matching or crossword if flashcards is not your style.

http://www.ourcourts.org/flashgames/dihar/index.html

This game is called "Have I got a right?". It is a graphic game that lets you practice consitutional law at the middle school level. Well designed and student liked.

Sites that list HIVES

http://ilearntechnology.com/

This technology blog is the most comprehensive and well thought listing of interactive sites. 64 pages of sites are explored.

Blog Sites (Sites for you to run a blog of your own on)

http://wordpress.com/

The dashboard is a bit sophisticated, but these sites are great for teacher led blogs or blogs from teacher to student with assignments. Easy to upload files, images and links and looks professional.

https://www.blogger.com/start

Another popular free blog site more suited to be a teacher assignment platform that a student interactive blog/

http://edublogs.org/

These blogs are good for using when having students write the blog, instead of being a teacher assignment platform.

http://kidblog.org/home.php

These sites are really good for having young students lead a blog.

A site on many blogging tips

http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/07/21/50-useful-blogging-tools-for-teachers/

Site for teachers, a list of Blogging tools and tips

My Blog Sites

http://littclass0910.wordpress.com

http://littclass4thgrade.wordpress.com

Thoughts on Basic Management of Classes in Computer Labs while Using HIVES:

The environments, values and methods on classroom management is going to vary to a large degree between schools and districts around the U.S. As with the regular classroom the computer lab teacher can benefit from some basic best practices in the form of :

Routines

Simple rules

Positive rewards

Routines:

Assigning students to a seating chart when in a computer lab is important. It allows accountability for damage by knowing who sat at a particular station and allows the teacher to control social elements of the class. It communicates to the students that you have behavior expectations. Some kind of starting routine where the students engage in a busy activity as soon as they sit down is a good way to set the stage for good management. Having an exit routine where students clean up their station, get checked off to leave after is a good way to account for lab equipment and communicate behavior expectations.

Simple rules:

A number of education mentors have stated that classrooms should not have more than three rules posted, that any beyond that are often not read or observed. The same is for computer lab time. The simplest of rules like remain in seats unless given permission, keep hands to your keyboard only and take hands off of mouse and keyboard when given a clear signal can help keep inappropriate behaviors at a minimum. Often inappropriate behavior will escalate from simple actions that can be avoided with the right expectations.

Positive rewards:

The computer lab is a situation that can greatly benefit from having a reward activity at the end of a project to motivate good behavior. A teacher can find a number of links to learning games and fun activities appropriate for school, easily. Students can earn 10 minutes reward time at the end of a class or at the end of a unit after a few classes, depending on the need. Teachers can have alternate activities ready that are not games or more desired activities to put students on who have not earned the reward. Positive rewards can shape classes that are difficult to manage in a short period of time if done consistently and correctly.