Clean Print

I generally do NOT print things from the internet. I save interesting sites, blog posts, recipes, etc. into my Google bookmarks or I copy the information into OneNote. However, from time to time, I do need to print something. Clean Print is a free browser add-on for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari that can help you save toner and paper when printing. I learned about this new tool on one of my favorite bloggers, Richard Byrne (Free Technology for Teachers).

This short video explains how to use Clean Print:

What I like the best about Clean Print:

• It's FREE
• It works on any of the internet browsers I typically use (including Safari on my iPad!)
• Instead of printing to actual paper, I can use Clean Print to save the "cleaned up" version as a PDF on my computer or email it to a friend
• I can decrease the font size to save toner and paper OR, I can increase the font size to print something for a student
• I can even add my own text on the document before saving or printing it

Please Explain!

Are you looking for ways to help your students understand basic (or even complex!) concepts? I've recently come across a couple of sites that create and publish animated explanations of all sorts of topics.

C.G.P. Grey is a YouTube video creator. He is known for creating witty and entertaining educational videos. His tagline is "Complex things explained." He has created and shared many videos like Daylight Saving Time Explained, Are Daddy Longlegs Spiders (8 Animal Misconceptions Rundown), and Copyright: Forever Less One Day. Be warned: he's a fast talker, and sometimes his humor might be a little confusing for our younger students. Be sure to watch the video completely first and be sure it's appropriate for your students.

The first video I ever saw from this YouTube channel absolutely fascinated this good ole Texas girl ... check it out!

Explania provides hundreds of animated explanations, interactive tutorials, and instructional videos for a variety of topics including health, money, sports, and even TECHNOLOGY! (Can you guess which subject I've spent the most time exploring?) Some of my favorites are What is Twitter?, How to Choose a Safe Password, and How Does Cloud Computing Work?

What do you think? Do you think some of these explanations would be helpful to you or your students? And seriously, did you know all of that about Texas? Fascinating! =)

Crickweb - Free Online Education Resources & Games

Looking for ways to get your kids excited about learning? Crickweb is a fantastic collection of educational interactive teaching resources and activities. If you have an Interactive Whiteboard or Projector, let the kids take the controls and watch them learn. If you do not have an Interactive device, no problem! The activities and games are just as fun and beneficial when using a computer mouse!

Their resources are organized into Early Years (PK-K), Key Stage 1 (1st-2nd grades), and Key Stage 2 (3rd-6th grades).

 

Don't forget to check out the Fun Games and Links sections of the site. Be sure to check the activity first because of the terms this site uses aren't exactly the same ones we use on this side of the pond, and some activities might be confusing. 

What's your favorite Crickweb activity?