Sweet Search- a Search Engine for Students

Are you tired of having to cross your fingers each and every time you have your students do an internet search, worried they're only one click away from an inappropriate site that has somehow slipped through the filter?

Direct them to SweetSearch.com and relax.

SweetSearch is a search engine in which every single web site has been evaluated and approved by a real person. The site also features a helpful web research tutorial and a special sections for Biographies and Social Studies Searches.

So have your students try it out- see how sweet a successful search can be.

Cool Tools for Schools

If you've ever tried in desperation to hammer a nail with a shoe or tighten a screw with a butter knife, you understand that the right tools can make all the difference.

Web 2.0 Cool Tools for School is perhaps the most comprehensive listing of technology tools I've seen, broken down into categories like "Music," "Writing,""Presentation," and 'Collaborative." The "Creativity" category, for example, is broken down into subcategories like Games, Simulators, Classroom Activities, Animations and even "Create-your-own-Activity."

If you've been trying to include more differentiated instruction into your classroom, these sites will prove invaluable. Your high-ability learner will find endless, challenging activities (Scratch computer programming, anyone?). Perhaps a resource student would like to see her work turned into a 3-D online book? There is also an excellent Teacher Resources page.

The only drawback is the sheer number of incredible tools available- I believe there are over 100 (!) Imaging Tools alone. The site provides an A-Z listing of the tools and links, but needs to allow a way to more easily search for what you need.

As it stands now, you'll want to allow yourself an hour (or ten?) to explore all the site has to offer. It will be time well spent.

An Introduction to Plurk

Need an excuse to "plurkratinate"?" Plurk is the newest so-called microblogging social network. Imagine Twitter but with a timeline layout and the ability to allow users to easily follow 140 character conversations and "plurk" their own updates. The service has been marketed as an alternative to Twitter and is growing in popularity in the Far East, especially Taiwan. Accounts are quick and easy to set up- just go to www.plurk.com.

A social network, Plurk is currently blocked by our filter; it's still a good idea for you to be aware of the next up- and- coming thing, though. And to know what students are talking about if you ever hear them mention that something is "plurkworthy."

Online Classroom Through Edmodo

Screenshot of our English 9 Edmodo Page

When our server went down before Christmas break, our online classroom at the high school (Sakai), also went down with it. I relied heavily on Sakai to post classroom documents, have discussions, offer online quizzes, etc. that I scrambled to find an equivalent site that I could throw together quickly. My solution: Edmodo.

Last year a colleague and friend from Lincoln Public Schools introduced me to the site. It's been an incredible tool in my classroom. It looks very similar to Facebook, so it's easier for me and the kids to navigate. And because of its resemblances to the popular social media site, the kids were excited to give it a whirl.

What can you do with Edmodo?

• Create multiple pages if you have several different classes
• Create a library with folders for individual units and then post links, documents, etc. for students to access
• Have online discussions
• Use for students to turn in assignments
• Connect parents with the class with Edmodo's parent code feature
• Create a calendar of events for students to access
• Keep track of grades
• Create a multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, or short answer quiz for students to take
• Post updates or notes to groups, classes, or individual students/parents

Edmodo is easy to use for both teachers and students, and it's not stored on the school's server...so in the event of another server crash, you could still access this site. The site also allows teachers to have a great deal of control over student access; teachers can limit individual students' access if need be. Here's a link to the help center that has many useful tools for getting started with Edmodo.