Free Multimedia Activities for Middle School

On march 23, 2009 Eschool News website published an article about a new section on the Teacher's Domain, a library of free digital resources and fee-based professional development courses developed by Boston public television station WGBH.

According to the article,

"the new section called “Inspiring Middle School Literacy: Reading and Writing in Science and History.” These self-paced classroom activities are designed to enhance the literacy skills of struggling readers in grades 5-12. Teachers choose a science or history topic, then have students proceed through reading passages, videos, and interactive activities, using a glossary to build vocabulary and a note-taking area to submit writing assignments."

''Science topics include continental drift, transitional fossils, and behavioral adaptations for surviving winter; history topics include Mayan civilization, resisting slavery, and building the Eerie Canal. ''

Essay Map

Essay Map tool can be used by students to map their informational essay. This tool is brought to you by the "Read, Write and Think" website.

How To Do Research?

I'm always in search of great resources. For this to happen I read and follow lots of wonderful blogs and Silvia Tolisano's Langwitches Blog is one of them.

How To Do Research is part of the Kentucky Virtual Library, for introducing and supporting research skills in elementary age students.

The site guides your students through the process of researching. It includes media, such as books, magazines & newspaper articles as well as websites.

Speakaboos

Beloved characters and treasured stories are given new life through amazing celebrity performances, beautiful illustrations, and original music. At Speakaboos, children develop literacy skills while learning about technology in a safe and fun environment.

Children can listen and watch animated versions of their favorite stories for free.

Celibrity readers include Kevin Bacon, Tom Arnold, Lisa DiSimone and more.

Also, you can take the storybook videos and embed them on your own website, blog, or social media profile on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/user/speakaboos

Writing Fun by Jenny Eather

I found this resource shared on digg and is to assist students with the writing process. It can be use in a power point and a projector.

21rst Century Reading

I read a post about Freedom of Read in the Infinite Thinking Machine Blog written by Lucie deLaBruere were she talks about the limiting of children's access to 21st century reading and the importance of technology integration into the classroom during literacy time.

"When I suggest strategies for integrating technology into classroom literacy time, some teachers question whether these strategies would be "approved" activities. Many of the research based materials were developed around teaching students to read using print media. We need literacy specialists offering professional development in schools to also include strategies that integrate reading digital media."

Luci also mentioned a reading specialist Julie Coiro, her website on Literacy, Information and Technology in Education (LITE) is a training and support for teachers integrating technology in their curriculum's. I think her website is just wonderful even though its from the year 2000 but I think it could be an interesting guide for those teachers just starting with technology.

She recommends to

''Try allowing the computer stations in your room to be a
choice during sustained silent reading time. Here are a few sites to get you
started.''

1. http://storylineonline.net/The Screen
Actors Guild Foundation reads stories aloud to children. This site includes
videos,related activities and downloadable activities guide. What a great
listening center activity.

2. http://www.starfall.com/n/level-c/fiction-nonfiction/play.htm?fGive
students access to some online fiction and nonfiction books with pictures for
younger readers to read online from Starfall- a site full of reading resources
targeted for early readers.

3. http://www.roythezebra.com/Roy the
Zebra.com includes guided reading stories, interactive whiteboard reading
activities, literacy lessons, and resources that have been developed to help
emerging readers learn to read.

4. http://www.biguniverse.com/Big Universe
is a web community devoted to beautiful children's picture books. READ hundreds
of offerings from today's best children's book publishers, CREATE e-books with
the help of an easy-to-use Author Tool, and CONNECT with other Big Universe
members to share your creations and to learn what books they have read, created,
or recommend. Parents, teachers, kids, authors, and others can share and learn
while they enjoy this educational and entertaining website.

5. http://www.gutenberg.org/Have you tried
giving students print and audio access to books in the public domain?Project
Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books,
or eBooks. Look for Huckleberry Finn, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes… and
many many more. For sites that offer audio versions of some of these books check
out: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_ProjectOr
how about having your students record themselves reading aloud and contribute to
the project itself.

Engage your students to be 21rst century readers!