Featured: 2-11-2014 Quandary Game

Quandary is a free, online, award-winning game for players aged 8 to 14, that engages students in ethical decision-making and develops skills that will help them manage challenging ethical issues in their own lives.

 

 

Quandary presents situations relative to building a new colony on the planet Braxos. Players must make decisions in situations that have no clear right or wrong answers but do lead to consequences for themselves, others in the colony, and to the planet Braxos. Players must consider facts, opinions, and solutions as they interact with other settlers in the colony, 

 

Playing Quandary can help participants develop such skills as critical thinking, perspective-taking, and decision-making. The game provides a structure for approaching ethical decision-making without telling players what to think. 

 

 

Quandary is a digital card-based game with three scenarios. Each takes about 10-30 minutes to complete, depending on the speed of the player. 

 

 See a video showing how teachers and students can use Quandary in the classroom

 

 Read a PDF that shows how Quandary correlates to the CCSS for English Arts

 

The game and supporting materials are all free. Quandary will work on any web browser with the latest version of the Flash player plug-in. 

  Quandary is also available as a standalone app for Android and iOS tablet devices.

 

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 2-3-2014 Grapher

Grapher is a free tool bundled with Mac OS X (10.4+) that enables graphing and analyzing implicit and explicit equations in two or three dimensions. The results can be visualized as an animation or image. 

 

Grapher is a graphing calculator, capable of creating both 2-D graphs including classic (linear-linear), polar coordinates, linear-logarithmic, log-log, and polar log as well as 3-D graphs including standard system, cylindrical system, and spherical system.

 

 

You can find Grapher in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder. The easiest way to launch Grapher, though, is using Spotlight.

 

 

To use Grapher, first choose the type of graph you want to create. You can select from a variety of 2-D and 3-D templates. Choose New Equation to create your own equation, or choose New Equation From Template to add parametric equations, differential equations, vector field equations, or series from templates. Select an equation in the equations list to edit or delete the equation.

 

 

Grapher supports multiple equations in one graph, exporting equations to LaTeX format, and includes several pre-made equation examples. It is capable of easily exporting vector art for use in printed documents. QuickTime animation of graphs is also supported in both 2-D and 3-D. 

 View Using Macintosh OS X Grapher Program to plot 3D points 

Grapher’s equation menu includes functions for evaluating equations, performing integration, and finding intersections. You can click any point of an equation to view its evaluation or find an approximate intersection.

 

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 1-28-2014 MathDisk

Create your own worksheets to visualize, interact with, and explore mathematics with MathDisk online.

 

MathDisk lets teachers and students explore mathematics in an engaging and interactive way with Natural Math notation, so students can simply type the expressions as they see them in their textbooks. 

 

MathDisk features:

• Type textbook expressions without any need for specialized syntax.
• Use drag-and-drop expressions to easily build 2-D and 3-D graphs.
• Enrich your math worksheet with rich multimedia, such as image effects and videos.
• Explore and correlate math and physics.
• Use step-by-step animation with narration to explain complex concepts.
• Easily share or embed worksheets online.

 

 

MiBook - Math Interactive Book runs on your desktop and is intended for offline use. It incorporates all the features of the online version of MathDisk along with built-in ebook features to customize your products. Create and organize your worksheets into pages, chapters, and books. Import worksheets from web into your local MiBook application. Browse your worksheets offline, edit them, and create new ones anytime.

 

Experience interactive math on tablets incorporating rich user interface elements and high definition mathematical graphs that capitalize on cutting edge 3-D capabilities. The MiBook Explorer apps are available for both Android and iOS.

 

 See an introduction to MathDisk 3.0 

 

MathDisk is a small, self-funded, start-up company which began with a passion for mathematics and an "idea that high-end mathematical software tools should be simple for novice users-like educators and students-to create content, collaborate, and learn effectively."

 

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 8-14-2013 Hopscotch / Daisy the Dinosaur

Hopscotch and Daisy the Dinosaur are two free iPad apps designed to help young children begin to learn to code.

 

Hopscotch is a free, visually appealing, easy-to-use programming language that allows kids to unleash their creativity and create their own games and animations.

 

 

Drag and drop method blocks into scripts, then press 'Play' to see your code in action. As the student becomes more advanced, add more objects and use custom events, such as shaking and tilting the iPad, to run the code. 

 

 See a video about Hopscotch

 

Hopscotch requires iOS 5.0 or later.

 

---

 

Daisy the Dinosaur is a free, fun app with an easy drag-and-drop interface that kids of all ages can use. Students learn the basics of computer programming by animating Daisy to dance across the screen. 

 

 

Kids will intuitively grasp the basics of objects, sequencing, loops and events by solving this app's challenges. After playing Daisy, kids can choose to download a kit to program their own computer game.

 

 Watch a video about Daisy the Dinosaur

 

Daisy the Dinosaur requires iOS 3.2 or later.

 

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0 

Featured: 6-3-2013 Empressr

Empressr is a free online visual storytelling and presentation application that lets you create, manage, and share rich media presentations.

You can upload your own media such as video, audio, images, and animations to your Empressr media library, import them directly from other sites like Flickr, Google, and Photobucket, or link to digital content from elsewhere on the web.

Empressr supports many popular file formats, including: jpg, gif, bmp, png, mov, flv, avi, swf, and mp3. The size of uploaded items is limited to 10MB.

You can upload a PowerPoint file to Empressr and use each of its slides as a picture or use it as a fully editable presentation (with some loss, however).

Your presentations can be shared in several ways. You can make a presentation public on the Empressr site, email the link, use the share button to get an embed code, or choose to auto-embed into a number of social network sites like Facebook, Blogger, or WordPress, or place it on your own site. 

 Watch an Empressr tutorial

The Empressr team is located in New York and San Francisco. Empressr was developed to give users the ability to include more dynamic content like streaming video and Flash in presentations.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 5-28-2013 Scratch [Programming]

Scratch, first noted on EDge21 in January 2010, is a simple programming language for kids that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art and share them on the web. 

Working with Scratch helps kids aged 8-16 learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively, essential 21st century skills.

MIT has just released a new version of Scratch that runs within a browser window with no downloads or installs required. Note: Scratch does require Flash.

Find out more about learning with Scratch by visiting the ScratchEd online community where Scratch educators share stories, exchange resources, and ask questions.

 Watch a video introduction to Scratch

Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Scratch is provided free of charge and is available in more than 40 languages.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 4-9-2013 Making the Modern World [History]

Making the Modern World delivers powerful stories about science and invention from the 18th century to today to explain the development and spread of modern industrial society and all its effects on the lives of people.

Making the Modern World extends the permanent landmark gallery at the Science Museum, using the Web and multimedia to go  beyond the capabilities of a static exhibition.

Features of Making the Modern World:

• Animated scenes explore historical episodes, explain landmark discoveries, and take you to special places like the Apollo cockpit and James Watt’s workshop.

• The story timeline runs from the scientific Enlightenment of the 18th century, through the age of coal and steam, and right to the modern world of science and skepticism.

• Icons of Invention displays over a hundred amazing 'firsts' in the Science Museum, from the Rocket locomotive to DNA, that mark some of the biggest steps in science and invention.

• Linked closely to the stories, the learning modules support A level and vocational students in their studies and offer a deeper understanding of a wide variety of subjects to all interested users.

• Eight dynamic guided tours help you follow stories and paths linked across time.

• Technology is woven into everything we touch. Explore the everyday life objects used at home, at work, and at play.

Making the Modern World is sponsored by the ISB fund of the Treasury and the Cabinet Office, and is produced in partnership with mwr and Peter Symonds College, Winchester.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 10/16/2012 - LearnersTV [Video]

LearnersTV provides thousands of free downloadable lectures in biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, medicine, management and accounting, and many more fields.

LearnersTV provides:

• Free video and audio lectures of entire courses conducted by faculty from reputable universities around the world.
• Free lecture notes will help the students in examination preparation and studies.
• Science animations giving students fun and innovative ways of learning.
• Free live, timed online tests with instant feedback and explanations to refine your test taking skills.

Most of the materials offered by LearnersTV are licensed by the respective institutions under a Creative Commons License.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 10/11/2012 - Study Champs [Activities]

Study Champs is a free educational website designed to provide an online resource to students in primary and middle school and their parents and teachers.

Study Champs resources cover math, English, science and social studies. The content includes educational resources such as printable worksheets and games, tutorials, interactive online games, quizzes, stories, flip books, and more . 

Kids can also enjoy fun activities like reading stories, coloring sheets, brain teasing games, and learn amazing facts, too.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0 

COD - 9/19/2012 - A+ Click [Math]

A+ Click features a huge collection of illustrated, challenging math problems for students in grades 1-12 (ages 6-17). A+ Click can help students become proficient problem solvers. 

A+ Click features a set of over 2200 problems, progressively organized from the very simple to the extremely difficult. Also included are hundreds of practical problems, as well as many brainteasers. 

A+ Click problems include a short description and an illustration to help problem solvers visualize the model. Most problems can be solved within one minute and without the use of a calculator.

The tests adapt to student ability and can be useful in delivering differentiated instruction. A student must correctly answer 5 consecutive questions to progress to the next higher level. The problems focus on understanding, spatial reasoning, and problem solving.

Watch Mr Barton's Web Whizz Video 29 - A+ Click Math

A+ Click requires no fees or registration and includes no ads. A+ Click was one of a handful of sites selected as a "2010 Great Web Sites for Kids" by the American Library Association.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0 

COD - 6/27/2012 - Physion [Physics]

Physion is a free 2D physics simulation software that can be used to easily create a wide range of interactive physics simulations and educational experiments.

Physics teachers may find Physion useful as a virtual physics laboratory which they can use to demonstrate some basic physics concepts in the classroom.

Users can create various physical objects such as circles, polygons, and gears and joints (eg. springs, pulleys, and so forth) that obey the laws of physics. Scenarios can be created which may be either simple physics experiments or complex structures or mechanisms.

Physion can also be a friendly tool for introducing students to programming. Physion allows users to execute their own JavaScript scripts/programs with the results of the commands being visualized immediately.

Watch a Physion general tutorial

Physion is available in English, Greek, Russian, Japanese, German, Spanish, and Indonesian. 

Note: Physion runs on Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Linux (x86 and x86_64) operating systems.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 6/25/2012 - Kerpoof [Creativity]

Kerpoof, a website owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company, is all about having fun, discovering things, and being creative. 

Kids worldwide are using Kerpoof's multimedia software to create original artwork, animated movies, stories, greeting cards, and more. Elementary and middle school teachers can meet a variety of educational standards while using Kerpoof to enhance classroom activities.

Here are a few things that kids can do with Kerpoof:

• Make artwork
• Make an animated movie
• Earn Koins which can be traded for things in the Kerpoof Store
• Make a printed card, t-shirt, or mug
• Tell a story
• Make a drawing
• Vote on the movies, stories, and drawings that other people have made

The teachers' area, called Kerpoof Scholastics, offers content such as teacher accounts, lesson plans, classroom ideas, educational standards, a newsletter, and FAQs. Teachers with accounts can register students and arrange them into classes. Students may chat with each other, post creations on a moderated class message board, and collaborate in real-time on projects. Kerpoof activities have been cross-referenced with related state and national standards.

View the KerpoofTeachers' Guide (PDF)

Take a video tour of Kerpoof

All basic Kerpoof content directed to in-school use is entirely free. Some optional things require a monthly membership fee.

Note: Kerpoof requires an up-to-date version of Flash.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0