This post will link to and briefly discuss 20 educational websites for a variety of uses. Since I am an English teacher, I will be using sites that I find most appropriate for my classes, but most can be used or applied in a variety of ways.
Web 2.0 Sites - Places students and teachers can work and share together
1) blogger - the website I am using to create this blog.
The strength behind blogger (or any type of free blogging site) is that students are now able to communicate their ideas with an audience beyond those inside the classroom walls. What is important not to ignore with these sites is that blogs are for more than simple journal activities; they should be jumping off points for original ideas with links, videos, feeds and more.
2) wikispaces - a site for students and teachers to update and improve ideas together
This free site works like wikipedia or any other wiki site. Teachers can set up unique class spaces, and ask students to work together on projects. Students can create rubrics together, have chats (like we do in our class), add new researched content for class subjects that is fixed by other students, and much more. It will take a bit to set up a page for class, but this kind of technology is current and always interesting.
3) bubbl.us - a site for students to create online graphic organizers that can be shared and worked on by others as well
This free site lets students create an account and keep track of all graphic organizers they make. All organizers are in a free-form bubble format, but each bubble can be moved and connected in many ways. Like a wiki page, they can be made open to the public and can be edited by others if set up that way.
4) create debate - excellent for improving persuasive techniques.
There are many debate topics already posted, but you are free to add a new one. Students (and teachers) can log on, take a side in a debate, and add arguments or pose counter arguments to previously posted discussions. There are research centers available for the topics. Most importantly though, students must always cite sources being used in the arguments and be clear and concise with their words. You can link to new sources, videos, or other articles as well.
5) flickr - a picture site for sharing images plus more
Students can create free accounts and upload images to this yahoo supported site. What is great is that now the cell phone cameras can have a function for class. If a student sees something relevant for class, a picture can be snapped and uploaded to the site. Students can then add notations on the images about its relevance, and then anyone online can see and make comments back. Again, it's all about using the connective ideas behind the web to bring the outside world into the classroom and vice versa.
6) delicious - an online bookmarking site
This is my favorite of all sites because everyone can now save their bookmarks and have them available at all times. The power behind this site, is that now I can have students access my account, have them go to any category I wish, and ask them to do research using sites that I have found. As a teacher, I can ask students to create categories for class and add interesting sites as well. Now, students can use each other as resource centers for their work. I can even put in a term that I want links for, and links that any other user has made for that category will be shown. We can now use the power of all the users of delicious to help with research.
Writing and Research Sites - Places students can go for help with their work
7) grammar girl - a site for all your grammar questions
This site is close to a blog. It is continually updated with quick posts and podcasts about grammar issues. It is fun to use and is an excellent source to give students. It is easy to get addicted to.
8) chompchomp - another grammar helper
This site comes with handouts and online grammar exercises. What I like about this one is that it keeps things simple - the lessons are those that are most needed to truly understand grammar. Things can get more complicated, but this is a strong place to have students go to at home.
9) Guide to Grammar and Writing - more in depth and advanced than the previous site
I use this for more advanced techniques and exercises and to give students a variety of sites to go to. There is more than grammar here, and it can take a full school year to go through the material.
10) Purdue online writing lab - a comprehensive source for all things writing
This site is especially good at showing how to research appropriately, especially citing sources and helping with bibliographies.
11) easybib - free website to create bibliographies
Because bibliographies can be extremely confusing to create, easybib does the work for you and the students. All you have to do is plug in the appropriate information, and the site will create a full and perfect bibliography. The students love it. Noodletools is similar, but you need a subscription to access some of its features.
Sites for Specific Authors and Texts
12) Shakespeare/Othello Webquest - helping students with this fantastic play
I have to include one webquest here for the class. Othello comes to life a bit more through this webquest which includes scenes from the play. This tragedy requires great study of its symbols and motifs, and this webquest helps with both. It's also from PBS, so I'm confident with using it.
13) ordering a pizza - I like to start my study of George Orwell's 1984 with this... it's fascinating
This site shows just how much personal information might be readily available to anyone... a bit scary but true.
14) Persuasion Techniques - a great site to teach students about the power of persuasion
This site has a list of all types of persuasive techniques. I use it with Animal Farm and with 1984. It is quite thorough but fascinating. A site like this goes great when asking students to give speeches as well.
Before moving onto the next one, here is the famous 1984 Macintosh Commercial from YouTube. I start my teaching of 1984 with it and discuss the tactics being used by the government to break with will of the people.
15) Macbeth on TV - a complete and new version of Macbeth - free for all
Sometimes it helps when students can see multiple versions of one play. With this website, students can watch at home, on their own time. Discussions can then be had about the differences between other versions of the movie. It's on a site called Teacher TV, which is a great site for videos for teachers of any subject.
16) Strange Buildings - a youtube video of interesting and unique architecture.
This site I use when teaching The Fountainhead, an Ayn Rand novel with architecture as its backbone. I love using Youtube with students. They will access the video at home, and can add ideas to their blogs and come back with great discussion ideas for class. I could have picked any you tube video for this topic, but this one is an attention grabber.
17) Satire - using ESPN to teach Satire
This article is a great way to discuss the uses of satire in culture today. While students know much about televised satirical works, Stephen Colbert and Southpark, many do not know how to write a strong satirical piece. I will be using this as an article to read in class. We can discuss the tactics used and whether the article is effective. This is a jumping off point for their own satire in their blogs and in larger assignments. Satire is big part of Huckleberry Finn, 1984, Animal Farm, and other works we read through the year. The point of this site is to show that there are educational tools everywhere... even with the ESPN magazine.
18) Philosophy Talk - Adding philosophy is a strong way to take new looks at themes and issues from novels.
This radio show lets people listen to their saved recordings online. As the teacher, I can have students go to specific episodes and discuss their reactions on their blogs in connection with The Stranger, a deeply philosophical novel. I try to get as many types of learning styles hit throughout the year, and these radio programs definitely add to my bag of tricks. Of course, there are millions of podcasts and radio programs available. It just takes time searching for the ones you want to use.
Miscellaneous
19) Magazine covers - a website that creates covers from digital pictures
I include this one because it can be used for a wide variety of projects for a variety of classes. Students can use their own pictures to create great looking covers for online projects.
20) City Data - a census type site that allows users to access information about any town/city in the country
For me, this is a way to let students learn about the places we are reading about. With stories in Montana, New Mexico, California (to name a few) many of my students are a bit unfamiliar with the locales. This site can help me have students research about the places we read to make comparisons with. The discussions are strong after using this site appropriately.
So.... thank you for getting this far with my post. I always appreciate comments from viewers, so feel free to write back using that feature below. Thanks!
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