Top+Ten+Sites+for+IWBs+by+Keith+Schoch

Article written by Keith Schoch.

source:
[|http://www.squidoo.com/SMARTBoardSites#module44159932]

Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are a tremendous tool for instruction, but any whiteboard is only as good as the teacher and the tools he/she uses. This lens features some of the best sites for accessing interactive applications, tools, and resources which will maximize your whiteboard use. You won't find yourself seraching through dozens of dead links; these are the sites containing the most recent, popular resources for immediate use in the classroom.

While I've used many brands of IWBs, I am a committed SMARTBoard user. I'd recommend that hardware and software over any other, and I'd also highly recommend the SMART Sympodium, Senteo Response System, and the SMART Airliner (slate). These tools provide every possible option a teacher would need. That being said, the sites I've collected here will work fantastically on any interactive whiteboard on the market!

Cool Customizable Tools
[] offers a terrific library of customizable tools which are perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard. Dozens of learning objects are offered, but I particularly like the timers, the scoreboard (lets you choose how many teams are playing rather than the usual two), the various spinners, and Word Magnets and Word Mix. Unlike other sites, Triptico allows almost all parts of these learning tools to be tweaked to suit your purposes.

You'll find that the applications are offered via their site blog. It's cool to see that they're open to uses for their tools, as well as suggestions for the development of future tools.

Tons of IWB Resources!
Topmarks is a free and ever expanding collection of whiteboard resources. Not just tools, but whole tutorials complete with audio and video components in addition to the interactive bits. A perfect example is this Sequences and Patterns tutorial.

Some objects open directly online, while others download as Flash objects. This gives the teacher a good assortment of tools which work on and off line. What I also love about this site is that learning activities are categorized by both subject and age level, making it easy to find what you need among the hundreds of resources available here.

Learning Objects Unlimited
Wisc-Online is the repository for thousands of "learning objects" (short, focused slide shows and animations, often accompanied by interactive questions and reviews). These vary by subject and grade level, and are just perfect for whole-group interactive whiteboard or individual review.

Another great feature of this site is its new online GameBuilder, perfect for teachers who want to author their own games and miniquizzes for their classroom. Site tutorials make it easy to use.

You know I like it because I usually steer clear of sites that require sign-ups (even if they're free), but Wisc-Online is totally worth the trouble!

Fresh Ideas and Free Applications
The TeqSmart Blog features links for SMART Board users as well as free downloads of TeqSmart's latest original applications. These applications later become available for sale through the Teqsmart store for anywhere from one to three dollars.

Definitely get yourself signed up for the newsletter which will deliver a free application or two every month; in addition, you'll be notified of giveaways, [|contests], training events, and new products. While I love free stuff, I also can't copmplain about paying 99 cents for an application that I totally need!

117 Cool Tools from the Web
EduTechie Gal stopped blogging in summer 2009 (she jumped into the Twitterverse), but her legacy has left us with 117 awesome online tools to check out. Casey (aka EduTechie Gal) provides a short summary for each, and then leaves the link so that you can go off and check it out for yourself. Some really awesome resources here!

Want to keep up with Casey? Follow her on Twitter; she's got an awesome bunch of educators in her Professional Learning Network whom you should definitely get to know! I'm pretty awesome too, so you can follow me as well!

Absolutely NOT Rocket Science
Fun Brain Playground is a fabulous site created for the Prek and Kindergarten crowd. My five-year old was able to sit by herself at the computer for hours and play these games.

Every character you see in the screenshot is actually a different game. Each game is easy enough to understand without any directions, and playable immediately with just a mouse! No [|reading] involved!

I've used these games as a fun sponge activity when an extra minute or two was left in class, and students also played these games on the SMARTBoard when stuck indoors during inclement weather days.

Health Education that Truly Engages!
Playnormous is a colorful, professionally designed, kid and teacher friendly site that features [|health] games. Now if your first reaction was distaste or boredom, then this site was designed with you in mind. In the site's own words:


 * Playnormous isn't just for kids and their parents to learn about health the fun way. We've found that many teachers are using Playnormous as a learning tool for their students. Welcome to our site! We hope that you and your students will enjoy what we have to offer. Download our gameplay guides, classroom activities, worksheets, and student assessments.**

Cool Tools that Your Students Build!
I had an excellent experience using an exciting interactive site called Class Tools which allows you to create games, activities, and diagrams in Flash (without knowing a thing about Flash!).

While covering an eighth grade social studies class, I informed students that they would be creating review games for an upcoming test. They were less than enthusiastic (and those of you who are familiar with the typical enthusiasm level of eighth graders will know that causing them to be even //less excited// was something of a real feat).

Hoping to rescue the moment, I asked if some of them would like to create a game online. Even this was met with grudging acceptance, but they agreed (perhaps considering it at least a momentary reprieve from creating another stale board game with markers and construction paper).

Well, in about twenty minutes time, I had some very excited eighth graders on my hands. Not only were they pleased with what they produced, but one exclaimed, "Wow, I actually know this stuff now that I had to type it in to create the game."

While I can't show you what **they** created, I'll show you one of the sample files from those posted on the site (click on the link, then Start, and then Proceed).

As you can see, a Dustbin game requires you to sort words into their appropriate categories; this morning, for example, the students created a Dustbin about the Middle and Southern Colonies.

Another pair of students created an arcade game, which is playable in five formats (again, this links you to a sample at the site). I'd recommend you try several levels of the game option called Word Shoot.

In addition to the games functions, the site features several clever and adaptable utilities for creating other study aids. Teaching suggestions are provided for each, just in case you find yourself wondering, "Cool, but what can I actually **do** with this?"

Class Tools is well worth a look! Just one word of warning: **be sure to save the game you've created before you play it!** We learned that lesson the hard way.

Lights, Camera, Learning!
NeoK12 is a site which has compiled and categorized (thank you!) hundreds of educational videos for grades K-12. The site is labeled as 100% Kid Safe, as all video submission are reviewed and approved prior to posting. Definitely worth a look! You can also help build that site into a more valuable resource by referring videos which you presently use or have created yourself.

Good Looking, Hard Working Tools!
Teacher LED is another incredible site featuring totally original, professionally designed tools for use in the classroom. One of my favorites is theWorld Map, which not only moves about easily using the hand icon, but can also be marked using the virtual push pins.

The tools are web based and load quickly. The fact that they're web based make them perfect for linking from a teacher's page for student use at home. Activities are categorized by discipline, and some are quite sophisticated.

If you use any of these tools, be sure to revisit the site and provide some feedback via the comments section below each activity