In this post I have outlined five websites that will provide excellent assistance to students in a math classroom and many other subjects. It's generally a good idea to have numerous resources available to you when it comes to surfing the web. The search engines I've listed below provide a safe environment for students to research in and a unique way of searching for materials. Granted these are only a few of many search engines, but the five below provide a safe environment to collect and learn new material for both teachers and students. Under each of the headings below I've provided a basic over view of the uses and unique searching manner for each site. Click on the headings to check out each unique engine.
Info Trek:
Info Trek is a custom search sponsored by Google, specifically with students in mind. This search engine is a safe search and keeps students clear of any inappropriate materials as they research. Info trek has many notable features and is very user friendly. On Info Trek’s startup page there are several icons to help narrow down the student’s topic. From that topic info trek displays more icons to further narrow down the search. For my students, I believe you'll find the mathematics page most helpful, as info trek suggests topics and word choices to better enhance your search. As an educator I will definitely point my students towards this engine for basic research.
InstaGrok:
This innovative search engine provides results in concept maps instead of lists. This useful tool allows you to go right to the heart of what you are looking for. Simply type in your query and click on the area you need to expand. Another useful aspect of this search engine is the ability to take notes on material as you find it. InstaGrok would be very useful in researching scientific methods or historical events. Every map you click on displays a number of key facts about that subject. Furthermore you can visit the websites that these facts come from, watch videos on the subject, or search images. Instagrok is very user friendly and endeavors to create connections between material in a unique way.
Goofram:
Try out this wacky search engine for twice the results in one search! Goofram combines the listed results from Google with the facts of wolfram. For example entering algebra in Goofram pulls up Googles numerous website results on the left and wolframs examples and definitions on the right. This clever search engine provides students with an efficient means of looking for sites and gaining basic knowledge at the same time. As a math educator I would suggest that my students use this engine when looking up solutions to difficult math problems. Google is a great tool, but having a working knowledge is also key to making the proper search and Goofram provides both efficiently.
Refdesk:
While it may not be the prettiest website out there, Refdesk has much to offer in the way of student resources. Refdesk provides students with a plentitude of resources and information in just one page. Students can scroll down the page to find anything from games, to recent news, to fun facts, or a link to almost every newspaper on the web. As an educator I especially like this website for it’s ask the experts page. Students can get connected to experts in many areas of expertise. I would encourage my advanced math students to check out Dr. Math’s page and get detailed solutions and explanations when I am not available to assist them.
GoGooligans:
This search engine is another site safe for kids of all ages. With the safe search enabled Go Gooligans is designed for kids and teens and even caters to disabled students with a pop up keyboard. Search results for this site greatly resemble Googles results, complete with a pictures option. I personally really like this engine for the number of good sites that it suggest on the first page alone. Go Googlians will search any topic and provide succinct results. I would suggest this for my math students and especially for my advanced math students as Go Googlians suggests many sites that can be found on my top 15 and I trust many more excellent sources to be found here.
From my days as a student and educator, I have compiled a list of websites that provide fun and engaging ways to train your "math brain". Check out the top 15 at my website. You'll find websites for students, parents and teachers.
For students, check out FunBrain for exciting and engaging games to help improve your mental math skills on the basic concepts. For those of you in my more advanced classes try out Zone Land and wolfram for help with your homework. Also explore S.O.S Math for review material on more advanced math.
Parents, there is nothing more frustrating than your child bringing home math you can't help them with. The websites I've provided will help you change that with reviews in advanced math and basic math quizzes to get you sharp and ready for your students homework. On another note take a look at the scholastic link for articles on your child's behavior and academics. Learn why Billy does what he does and how to help him. In conjunction read some articles from Inspire My Kids to inspire your kids to achieve their fullest potential.
Finally to my fellow teachers. The links I provided on my website provide interesting ideas to help spark ideas for fun math lessons. I would heartily suggest trying out MathCaching, from Mathbits, with your class. One of my favorite links is the statistics problem generator that provides statistics story problems for when you've run out of scenarios. Before you leave make sure to look at Teachers pay Teachers. Perhaps one of your lesson plans is worth more than you know?
I put together this list to assist and engage the brains of students and parents with review lessons and flash games. And for the teachers, a small respite from lesson plan writing and scenario generating. Enjoy!
A screencast video is a computer recording of your screen as you perform instructional tasks. Most commonly these types of videos can be found in instructional videos and video game walkthroughs. There are a variety of materials out there to assist you in making a screencast. Some examples are Screencast.com, Screencast-O matic, Jing, Capturer, and Screen Record Utility Lite. Screencast can be used for a variety instructional videos, including math app tutorials, Word tutorials, Programing tutorials, etc... The useful aspect of a screencast is that the user watching the video can see every step you take to achieve your goal and carefully watch your mouse move as you do so.
In my screencast I used Screencast-O matic, which is a free software online that allows you to record up to 15 minutes of video. In this video I explained how to locate your computers system properties, specifically focusing on the type of operating system and version, processor speed, RAM, and the total size of the hard-drive. My video is specifically designed for PC users running Windows 8 and may not be compatible with previous versions. All of this information may seem easy to locate, but having a proficient knowledge of where to find system properties is always a good idea.
A photo story is a collection of photos and videos that tell a story or convey a message in a digital format. In the creation of the photo story below I used Photo Story 3, which is a great little program that is free to download off the web. Photo story 3 allows you to customize every aspect of your video without having to mess around with a theme. An interesting feature is the ability to create your own music based off a selection of choices. In the photo story I mainly use the Funk option with several twists. Photo stories have many uses in the classroom. Using photo story 3 students could design videos to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject or to teach the class a new topic. They are also useful for teachers to teach their kids in a fun digital way.
This photo story would be used in a middle school class to attach a fun idea to a dull topic. In the photo story I follow two stick men that run into each other, accidentally squaring themselves. I like to think of it as two clones becoming one. In the end of the photo story the stick men enter the square root and exit as a stick man. The idea behind the video is to teach squaring and square roots in an easy and fun way to learn.
