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Educational entertainment
Although playing games might not be viewed as the most educational way to spend free time, companies such as Grockit and Vocab Sushi aim to change that belief.
Grockit (www.grockit.com) offers students in grades 8–12 test prep services and online tutoring for language arts and a variety of math classes. Members of the site can study on their own or with peers; expert help is also available through individualized study plans, games and live chats.
Vocab Sushi (www.vocabsushi.com) promotes test preparation and learning through real-life examples and adaptive technology. The website allows members to play definition-matching games, study a list of vocabulary words, read actual newspaper articles to see words used in context and more.
Fringe science
Prepare your students for all possible futures by teaching them the facts behind episodes of the science-fiction television show
Fringe. Visit www.fox.com/fringe/fringe-science/season-2 for lesson plans on a variety of topics, including remote sensing, energy conversion, the scientific method, fingerprint forensics, bioelectricity, time, cancer, nonverbal communication and earthquakes.
The lesson plan on time shows students how keeping accurate time is essential to science, covers different forms of timekeeping devices, and educates on the roles of astronomy and physics in the science of time.
Lesson plans are provided by the Science Olympiad, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving science education.
Show—don’t tell—with digital storytelling
Take “What I did during my summer vacation” into the 21st century by making such essays digital. Microsoft’s Digital Storytelling Teacher Guide, which can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/digital_storytelling.aspx, assists educators in helping their students tell stories through movies or interactive slideshows.
Digital storytelling encourages research and creativity, helps students with writing, fosters critical thinking skills and gives students a platform to make their voices heard. The Teacher Guide expands on the benefits of digital storytelling projects and explains how students can create stories on their own and through peer collaboration. Also featured in the guide are project ideas and information about Microsoft’s free software tools.
Visit the site for the PDF and links to a digital storytelling community where educators share ideas and storyboarding templates for student use.
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