Monday, February 21, 2011

Technology Tools Livebinder Part 2

Technology Tools Livebinder Part 1

Predictive Writing from Google

There's always something new! Predictive writing software is a great tool that can help writers think of words, choose between words, and spell so that writing becomes simpler and less stressful. It also can help reduce keystrokes so that writing can be faster. Some schools have purchased predictive writing software for their computers, but for those who don't have it, try out Scribe.Google.com. You type your text (English or Spanish) and select suggested words as appropriate. You can then copy and paste the text into a document for final formatting. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, it's a great option.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Reading Level in Google Results

At the December meeting, we talked about how to use the Google advanced search features as well as using Kids Click.org when you are interested in approximate reading levels. Well now Google has stepped up too and added Reading Level to their advanced search feature. You can choose from beginner, intermediate, or advanced. The results aren't perfect, but they are a start.

Google Earth - Presidents and History Videos+

Here are a couple of new resources I just learned about that you may find useful.  The first is Google Earth - Presidents. Here you can view lots of information about U.S. Presidents using the powerful format of Google Earth. I was able to get Google Earth downloaded on my classroom computers via tech request. The second resource is Have Fun with History.com. There are plenty of resources here, but of special interest is the video section. You may be able to use various resources on this site to present lessons or your students may be able to use information from it in their presentations and reports. Enjoy!