SpellingCity

Learning to spell doesn’t have to be boring when there are websites like SpellingCity.com.  This free resource allows teachers to create and save their own spelling lists.  Then, students are offered a variety of ways to learn and practice their spelling words and then even take a quiz.  It makes the teaching and learning of spelling fun!

In the Teachers section , you will find information about how to get started and a link to training videos.  You can use the games in SpellingCity with an interactive whiteboard or have the students independently practice their words with the online games (at home or at school). You can print worksheets to practice spelling and vocabulary.  Put a link to SpellingCity on your classroom website so it is easily accessible to your students.  (At my school it has been added to the Language Arts container on the App Launcher.) Teachers can print out a parent letter explaining how they can help their children use SpellingCity at home to look up their teacher’s lists, practice words, and get ready for tests. It is also available in Spanish.  The Teachers Forum is also a good place to look for ideas on how to use SpellingCity.  Be sure to sign up for their monthly newsletter to be kept advised of new developments.  This site frequently adds improvements and is responsive to suggestions and comments about occasional problems.

After creating a spelling list, teachers can save it for future use.  The lists can also be edited.  If you   plan to use the same spelling lists another year, you’ll love this time-saving feature.

When students access your spelling list, they can begin with ‘Teach Me’  and hear each word, see it spelled letter by letter, and hear it used in a sentence.  After this introduction to the words, they can choose to progress to the Learning Activities and Games.  There are 11 activities from which to choose including MatchIt, Word Search, Crossword Puzzle, HangMouse, and Alphabetize.  You can make any of these activities full screen and then use it as a whole group activity using an interactive whiteboard.  To prepare for your spelling test, the student can use the ‘Test Me’ part of the program.  Students click to hear each word spoken and then type in the word.  Students can choose to print their results.  Students can always return to the Learning Activities and Games if more practice is needed.

One other terrific feature of SpellingCity are the premade found in Resources.  Choose from curriculum content such as Geography (States C]apitals, countries, etc.) and Language Arts (compound words, contractions, sight words, etc.).  There are also Literature Based Word Lists!

SpellingCity.com is a great website that will fit nicely in you ensemble of resources.  It continues to get better and better as it offers more ways to make learning spelling FUN!

Scribble Maps

Scribble Maps is the quick and easy way to rapidly make and share maps!  Once you begin exploring this application, you will think of many ways you can incorporate it in your classroom.

Scribble Maps‘ simple-to-use online map allows you to draw shapes, place markers and text,  link to a graphic, and ‘scribble’ on them as well.  You are also able to create a custom widget that can be embedded in your website or blog. 

Similar in style to Google Maps, you can zoom in and out showing the desired area you want to work with.  You have four view modes:  map, terrain, hybrid, and satellite.  Then, using the tools, you can map out (draw) a route, mark and identify locations.  With the shapes tools you can draw a circle or square around a specific area and even control the opacity of the shape.

Registration for ScribbleMaps is free.  Upgrading to ScribbleMaps Pro (also free) gives you account management, additional tools, and other features.

View the Scribble Maps Wiki for information on how to manager, edit and use your maps.  The Scribble Maps Blog has video tutorials that demonstrates some of the key functionalities.

This resource would work very will with an interactive whiteboard.

Ways to use in the K-5 Classroom:

• Plot the route you will take on a field trip.  The distance of each segment of a drawn route will appear when you hover over the line segment.  Add these distances up to find total distance.
• Mark locations on a map that represent:
  • Where students are born
  • Where students have traveled
  • Where goods are made
• Use map along with a history lesson.  Outline routes taken.  Plot locations events occurred. 
• While reading a book, plot locations in story or trace a route taken.
• Measure distance school bus takes along its daily route.  How many miles in a week, month, school year? 

Please share with us ways you can think to use Scribble Maps in your classroom.

Kubbu

Many websites offer teachers the capability of creating games and quizzes, but not many allow you to add your students and create groups AND view and analyze results. Kubbu does!

Kubbu is an e-learning tool designed to facilitate teachers’  work and enhance the learning process. 

Setup:
Teachers register (for free!) and then can create up to 30 student accounts.  Each student will login with the teacher’s username and the student’s password.  Students can be treated individually or assigned to groups.  If you create groups, you have the option of students creating their own accounts.

Create:
With Kubbu you create activities, crosswords, and quizzes for online practice, revision and examination.  With the free account, you are able to create up to 15 activities at one time.  Activities may be accessed online or may be printed out in paper form (with answer keys).  If created for online use, you can choose to set a time for which the activity must be completed. 
Categories of activities include:

• Match - extended form of the classic matching exercise.  It is ideal for language practice.  It helps assimilate new words, idioms, meanings, synonyms, etc.
• Divide - used when some notions, terms, concepts or definitions must be classified into categories or groups.
• Slider – a type of dynamic quiz. Its three activities include single and multiple choice questions, as well as a unique ‘climb up’ quiz.
• Composer - great for those who want to create their own concept of a quiz. You have the option of single and multiple choice questions, true or false questions, and fill in short answers.  You can even upload and add graphics and audio files making it  a multimedia interactive activity.
• Crossword – create puzzles with your own list of words

Visit the Samples page to see ways Kubbu can be used.

Track Progress:
After students have used the activities you created, you can track individual or group progress using the results database.  You can compare and sort results by different criteria and check on their results history.  Results are stored for 30 days.

Communicate & Share:
Using the built-in mail module you can email students inviting them to visit your page and to check out any new activities you have created.

You can create an online group space (class page) from which you can post messages and share files and materials with groups.

Teachers may share activities with other teachers by adding them to the Shared Activities catalogue.  You are able to import activities into your account and customize them if needed.  Use the search tool to find and use something that has already been created by another teacher.

Using the HTML code provided in the FAQs, you can provide a link on your website to the student account login page.

A couple notes: 
Inactive accounts will be deleted if they have been inactive for 60 days.
Use the ‘go back’ link within the program (top right corner) to go back.  Don’t use the back button on the browser.
You can upgrade your account by purchasing individual or group licenses which increases the number of student accounts, activities,  and storage space, as well as some other options.

This is a powerful online tool that you will find easy to use, students will enjoy using, and provides you with excellent data.