Monday, February 18, 2013

Look What You Can Learn in Sixty Minutes!


I recently watched this amazing video:
http://www.isteconference.org/ISTE/2011/program/search_results_details.php?sessionid=60716586&selection_id=82458334&rownumber=1&max=54&gopage=  (Actually, to be honest, the video has two minor technical issues. I had problems with watching it on the site, so I just downloaded the whole thing—bulky, but VERY worth it. Also, they made a bit of an odd error and the first 17 or so minutes are watching them set up for the presenter. Just skip it.)

In this video the presenter speaks of 60 web tools teachers can use for their classrooms or other professional purposes, and the novelty is he’s doing all of this averaging about one site per minute. This is phenomenal since not everyone is interested in the same things, so you never get stuck listening to too much information not relevant or interesting to you (or that you already know); it’s nearly impossible to get bored. He is well-researched and the sites he presents are excellent. You’re basically guaranteed to find something in there that you’ll want to use immediately.

The video is a couple of years old, so some links no longer work; nevertheless, I found myself constantly pausing the video to try things out, as well as to forward ideas to other teachers at my school. I learned about one site in particular that I need to share with anyone willing to listen. It’s called Free Rice: http://freerice.com/category  The site is loaded with all sorts of review activities in tons of basic subjects. The novelty: Someone’s donating grains of rice to third world countries based on the number of questions you answer correctly. You need to check it out. It’s fun and educational, and the whole time you feel like you’re making a difference in the world.

This is just one of the many treasures hiding in plain sight for those who take the time to watch this video.

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