Featured 5-22-2014: The Math Open Reference Project

 

The Math Open Reference Project is free, interactive math textbook on the web covering high-school geometry.

 

 

The Math Open Reference Project has the goal of providing high-quality digital content free of charge to the end user, while providing numerous benefits over paper textbooks:

• Accessible anywhere, any time.
• Interactive, interesting experience.
• Hyperlinks promote exploration and easy lookup.
• Use the search to look up a word or term.
• Interactive quizzes with instant feedback.
• Lower cost.
• Less weight.

Using interactive tools and compelling animations, The Math Open Reference Project provides an engaging way to learn and explore the subject. A vast library of virtual manipulatives can be used to demonstrate concepts using a computer, projector, and whiteboard. Students can use the same manipulatives themselves outside the classroom.

 

 

The Math Open Reference Project meets the NCTM standards for content and is aligned with the Common Core standards, but also has the potential to adapt to and comply with the standards for every state.

 

The Math Open Reference Project will work with most popular browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. The interactive illustrations use Java and/or Flash, so these plug-ins must be installed on the user's computer.

 

The copyright and license agreement permit any printing for non-commercial use, useful for class handouts.

 

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

Featured 4-9-2014: Today’s Document Mobile App

The National Archives has released their first mobile application called Today’s Document  based on the Today’s Document website from the US National Archives.

 

The Today’s Document app (available for both Android and iOS) is an interactive gallery that allows you to explore the holdings of the  National Archives through a collection of 365 documents and photographs from throughout history. Find out what significant event happened on any date, search the documents by keyword, or browse the full collection.

 

Featured documents have included popular documents like the Declaration of Independence and Emancipation Proclamation as well as lesser known documents like the Zimmerman Telegram, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 Farewell address, and a handwritten draft of President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural Address.

 

 

You can zoom in on the high resolution images to get a closer look, use the calendar feature to select a specific date, or select 'Surprise Me' to show a document at random. Learn more by tapping the Info icon to get background information on the document and links to related websites. Share documents by email, Facebook, and Twitter. Add documents to your list of favorites.

 

 See a demonstration of Today’s Document

 

The Today’s Document mobile app is currently available free in the Android Marketplace and the Apple iTunes Store.

 

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

Featured 3-25-2014: SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge!

SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge! is a game-based learning and assessment tool designed to engage middle school students with a high-quality game experience in which they can develop real-world problem-solving skills.

 

 

Playing the role of mayor, students are challenged to address environmental impact while balancing the employment needs and the happiness of the city’s citizens.

 

SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge! was designed in partnership with assessment experts from Educational Testing Service and Pearson. As well as helping students learn about the factors affecting the environment in a modern city, the game also provides formative assessment information about students’ ability to problem solve, explain the relationships in complex systems, and read informational texts and diagrams.

 

SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge! consists of six different missions centered on the theme of environmental impact. In each mission, students are required to solve increasingly complex problems.

 

 

 Watch SimCityEDU: Engaging 21st Century Learners

SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge! addresses such 21st century skills as critical thinking and problem solving. It also aligns with several Common Core standards such as citing specific textual evidence to support conclusions, integrating information from texts and diagrams, reading and understanding text and making logical inferences from it.

 

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

Featured: 1-27-2014 The BioDigital Human

The BioDigital Human is a virtual 3-D body that brings thousands of accurate anatomy objects and health conditions to life in an interactive online platform.

 

Students now have a powerful new tool to learn anatomy and health conditions using the latest in 3-D technology.

 

 

Quickly understand the most complex anatomy concepts through the BioDigital Human interactive visuals that make learning fun and intuitive:

• Students engage with materials that are information-rich and highly compelling.
• Difficult concepts are made easier by exceeding the limitations of illustration and video to interact with the human body.
• Customize state-of-the-art 3-D lessons, share them with a few clicks of the mouse, and collaborate with peers.

 

There is no need to download or install anything. An automatic  compatibility test will run when you first visit the site to let you know if the BioDigital Human is supported by your computer. 

 

The virtual body is completely free to explore, over 5,000 anatomical objects and animations are openly available. There is a paid version, which provides access to a suite of interactive tools, including saving and sharing functions.

 Watch a video overview of the BioDigital Human

 

The free BioDigital Human iPad app is available through the iTunes App Store. It does not include all of the features found on the web app, but it does include bookmarking, the snapshot tool, and other unique features.

 

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

Featured: 1-22-2014 StrataLogica

StrataLogica brings maps, globes, atlases, and charts to life in an environment where teachers and students can "actively engage with our multi-layered world and easily share content and collaborate in ways never before imagined."

 

Recently redesigned with one-of-a-kind content creation and collaborative features, web-based, and powered by Google Earth, StrataLogica is designed for use on computers, projectors, and interactive whiteboards. It has been used by thousands and has been well-reviewed by both educators and students. 

 

StrataLogica for the iPad is a free app where students can learning about our world with a tap or pinch of their fingers. Version 2.0 brings powerful features for creating content, collaborating, and sharing from the desktop to the iPad.

 

StrataLogica for the iPad features: 

• Tools (marker, symbols, text labels and pushpins) to add your own content onto geography, history, and earth science layers.
• Save and share custom views or presentations with school or district students or colleagues.
• Share content with anyone in the world via Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail.
• Teachers can initiate dynamic collaborative projects with students.
• Access e-book atlases and related student activities.

StrataLogica delivers a unique educational experience. Even without a school account, you can experience a sampling of StrataLogica's interactive layers for free.

 

 See a video overview of StrataLogica for iPad

 

The web version of StrataLogica is supported on all major browsers and operating systems. To view maps in 3D you need the Google Earth Plugin. The StrataLogica app is free and is compatible with iPads using iOS 6.0 or later.

 

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

Featured: 9-23-2013 Virtual Experiments

Virtual Experiments are multi-dimensional nonlinear movies of real experiments available on the web in any modern browser.

Virtual Experiments are not simulations. The user has full control of various parameters in the experiments so that he/she can carry out the experiment in their browser* just as if they were remotely controlling the real experiment. No physics or other science is coded into a VE, and whatever may be discovered in the real experiment can also be discovered in the VE.

Virtual Experiments are not intended to replace the real hands-on laboratory, but they can offer value as warm-ups to the real thing, or when equipment is scarce, dangerous, or expensive. They can be repeated as often as you like, and can't be broken.

Virtual Experiments are developed at the University of Reading (UK) Department of Physics for student levels from GCSE through to final-year university using a well equipped photographic studio and staff who contribute to their design, production, and programming.

*Does not appear to work on iOS devices

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

Catch of the Day - Myklassroom - 6/24/2011

Myklassroom is a social learning platform intended to use the social web and virtual classrooms to connect the world of education.

The Myklassroom interface is designed for interaction and engagement of students in a collaborative environment. Students using Myklassroom will be able to:

• collaborate with their peers beyond brick-and-mortar boundaries
• monitor and improve their own performance
• express themselves openly and creatively
• form social connections with their institutions and peers

Myklassroom maps the student’s profile with available online educational content including lectures from top-ranking institutions. Access the materials created by other instructors in the network. Create and share your own content as well.

Myklassroom can make it possible for teachers to spend less time evaluating class data and facilitate class planning to improve the student performance. Tools include a dashboard, a calendar, polls, performance analysis, attendance tracking, and more.

Watch a video demo of Myklassroom

Myklassroom offers tracking and analyzing of student information at an affordable cost to institutionswith both a feature-rich free version and a paid version with a few more capabilities.

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

Catch of the Day - CSI: Web Adventures - 11/29/2010

CSI: Web Adventures enables your students to learn something about forensic science and apply their knowledge of science in an entertaining and engaging environment.

Inspired by the popular CBS television series, CSI: Web Adventures presents three interactive "cases" to students, one at the beginner, one at the intermediate, and one at the advanced level. Each case is designed to be played in one sitting of approximately 30-45 minutes. Registered users can save and resume a game in progress.

CSI: Web Adventures put you in the shoes of a rookie crime scene investigator. You will need the help of fellow CSI agents. Navigating the virtual CSI world takes many different forms, inlcuding interacting with lab equipment, talking with the characters, and making choices as to how you will proceed.

CSI: Web Adventures is Flash-based and runs in most browsers on both Mac and Windows. CSI: Web Adventures is also available in Spanish and German.

CSI: Web Adventures is a multi-organization effort, including Rice University and CBS, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

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

Catch of the Day - Mapwing - May 20, 2010

Mapwing is a web tool that lets users build, share, and explore virtual tours for free.

With Mapwing you can use your digital photos to create virtual tours that include interactive maps, images, and comments.

Your virtual tours can be shared with students, colleagues, friends, or the entire world.

The Mapwing basic service lets you build an unlimited number of virtual tours for free. Basic Mapwing virtual tours can include up to 20 points per tour, an interactive map, and a comment area. You can link to your virtual tours and chat with other Mapwing users. Mapwing Pro gives you additional features to build the highest quality virtual tours: 50 location points, no advertisements, customizable tour pages, download tours, and customer support. The cost of Mapwing Pro is $15 (US) a tour ($195 for unlimited tours)

At Mapwing you can browse a gallery of virtual tours from around the globe and connect with a growing network of users.

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