Thing 22: LiveBinder

WHERE WAS THIS WHEN I WAS CREATING MY UNIT PLAN???  Seriously, I created a binder called Social Studies Lessons and there was an option to automatically fill the binder by a Google search.  So I decided to click on it just to see what it would turn up.  I didn't really expect much, because you never know what you're going to get with Google.  So I typed in "2nd grade social studies lessons" in the search box and clicked create binder.  It came up with 8, did you see that? 8 tabs of GREAT websites of social studies lessons.  Instantly.  I seriously stared at the page in amazement for about 30 seconds.  Because whenever I was trying to create my unit plan for 3070, I tried to use Google, but usually came up empty-handed.  So I don't know if LiveBinder and Google have a special arrangement or what, but I really wish I had known about this wonderful resource about three weeks ago.  I guess that's what I get for procrastinating.  Ha!  Here is my wonderful binder of resources that I will definitely be using in creating my lesson plans:

Social Studies Lessons

For my other binders, I decided to be more creative and choose something fun.  I named my second binder, Games for Students.  Again, I used the Google search, because in two seconds it can find more websites than I could probably find in two hours and all of them are good.  I simply typed "educational games 2nd grade" in the search box and found 7 websites with fun educational games for students.  Every now and then, its nice to break up the monotony of instruction and get the students involved with a game.  They won't even realize they're learning.

Games for Students

For my third binder, I decided to research current educational "hot topics".  We have to have a folder in my 3070 class that includes articles about educational trends, so I figured I would kill two birds with one stone.  This will also help me in my classroom because it is important to be knowledgeable about what is going on with the teaching profession. 

Educational Hot Topics

This website is one of my favorites that we have covered in these discovery activities.  I will definitely continue to use this website during my college career and also when I enter into the classroom.  This would be a great way to bundle websites together that are acceptable for students to use for research.  Or you could have each student create a binder of their personal work throughout the year.  The possibilities are endless and I really wish I had known about this invaluable resource earlier.

KBearden:]