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 Monthly Newsletter    Issue 77

 

National Classical Music Month, 
Labor Day, 
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 2015
In This Issue
What's Happening
Teacher Resources
Parent Resources
Technology Tips
Quick Links 






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Read Our Blog
 
 

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Hello! Thanks so much for using Internet4Classrooms with your students and children. Our mission is to help you find the best educational online resources available to meet your individual needs. Our monthly newsletter focuses on sharing information, tips, and ideas on everything related to schooling inside the classroom and at home. Each month we'll be featuring resources and information on a variety of topics. We are constantly upating information on our site, and urge you to visit often!
 
Keep in Touch! 
If you need help, please email us. We answer questions about almost any subject matter/grade level.  We feel that this is a very important part of Internet4Classrooms. Internet4Classrooms is maintained and built for educators, parents, and students and this site is yours.  Comments and suggestions are appreciated and welcomed. Don't be afraid to email and ask!
 
Follow us on Twitter (internet4classr). Stay up to date with offerings and new sources/links for great educational and technology information for you, your students, and children.

 This Month's Blog


This Month's blog 7 Ways to Make Online Learning More Productive, by guest blogger Julie Petersen, gives students of all ages a few ways to keep on task and away from the endless distractions surfing the web for information can cause. If you are looking for ways to boost your productivity in online learning, this is the article for you! Check out 7 methods that will help you focus and achieve the goals you are after. Learn how to keep procrastination at bay by setting a schedule, getting rid of distractions, and using online learning tools.


 
  Things To Celebrate This Month
September brings National Classical Music Month, Labor Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, and much more. You never know what wonderful resources you can find to enrich your classroom experience. Let's get started!
  
  
Windows 10 On-Going Release- With the release of Windows 10 at the end of July, many of you are still waiting to see how well it works and if it's going to help enhance the learning experience of your students. While you're patiently waiting for the upgrades to queue up and download, here are a few blogs and articles that discuss how Windows 10 will help to enrich blended learning in the classroom:  

4 Reasons Windows 10 Makes Sense for Education     

 

Windows 10 Review - TechRadar     

 

Windows 10 Review - A comprehensive review from Trusted Reviews  

    

Microsoft Education, Windows 10 - Microsoft's main starting point on the web for educators regarding Windows 10 

  
Classical Music Month - In 1994, President Clinton proclaimed September as Classical Music Month. Check out I4C's music resource page to learn about different composers and music masterpieces and  find musical craft projects here to do this month!
 
Library Card Sign-Up Month- We cannot encourage reading enough. Even though I4C has a ton of online stories and books, we still want those children in libraries across the world. Remind students to visit their local libraries often!
 
Google Was Incorporated (9-4-98) -  Did you know that Google actually rents goats! The goats help reduce brush and weeds at Google's Headquarters. Google is the most widely used search engine arguably nationwide. There are a lot of ways to look up information online.  Explore different search engine sites here. These are specifically designed as safe websites for children. 
  
Labor Day (9/7) - Did you know that the first Labor Day was celebrated on a Tuesday, not on a Monday like we now celebrate it? In 1882, roughly 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march in honor of the working man's rights, and formed the first Labor Day parade. Learn more about the history of Labor Day and enjoy some Labor Day themed crafts and activities.
 
National Grandparents Day (9/13) - On Grandparents Day, we honor our grandparents and recognize the wonderful contributions they add to our lives. Show your appreciation for your grandparents today by creating cards and crafts for them! You can also learn about the history of Grandparents Day and how it came to be recognized in the United States. 
  
Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15) - During Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of US citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month through an interactive guide from Scholastic. Find teacher resources and activities and crafts to do this month!
 
Constitution Day (9/17) - The Constitution of the United States was adopted on this day in 1787. This Constitution Day, read the Constitution and its amendments, learn about the signers, and enjoy Constitution themed activities today.
 
First Day of Autumn (9/23) - Celebrate the beginning of fall with I4C by checking out our Fall Resource page, full of fun crafts, activities, and recipes! Cooler weather and sweaters will be here before we know it.
 
 
  
Online Practice

Internet4Classrooms now offers Online Practice Tests and Interactives, covering Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Common Core Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice quizzes tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays. 

Check out our Online Practice Quizzes More grades and subjects coming soon.
  App Of The Month
Every month we are going to feature a different, and hopefully FREE, iPad/iPod/iPhone educational application. Visit our ever-changing app page. (www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/apps_web2_tools.htm)
 



The App of the Month for September is Pocket. Sometimes you stumble across an article or video which you think might be a great addition to a lesson planned for later in the school year. When it comes time to use that resource you may have forgotten which device you saved the link and can't find it again through a web search engine. Pocket is the answer to ending those frustrations. This app allows you to save articles, videos and other web content for later in a beautiful and optimized easy-to-view experience for your phone and tablet - you can even view your content offline. With unlimited storage to keep all the articles and videos you save in one place, and wi-fi only syncing to save your data - there's no reason to not download and start using Pocket

Available for both Apple and Android devices.
 
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later for Apple devices, and OS requirements vary by device for Androids.

 

  
 Printables

Internet4Classrooms now offers printables, covering Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice worksheets tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays. 

Check out our Common Core Mathematics Printables. More grades and subjects coming soon.

NEW! We now have answer guides for our Printables. 
  Focus On:  Teacher Resources
Internet4Classrooms offers a wide variety of informative online resources, tips, tools, and tutorials regarding your classroom needs. There is always something you can utilize with your students. Each month we'll feature a few links to useful topics.  
  
Many historical events happened this month which you can cover in your classroom. Check out I4C's History page for lesson plans, videos, activities, and other resources to supplement your lessons!
  
  


Do you need Assistive Technology resources? Find links offering tools for the hearing impaired, physically disabled, vision impaired, and other  accessibility resources.

Being back in a classroom setting can be a shock to the system for some kids after a summer full of activity. Visit our  Character Education page for tips on bully prevention and overall self-development and awareness.


This September 11th, we remember those who died during the terrorist attacks fourteen years ago. It may be difficult to explain the events to students who were too young to remember or not even born yet but there are many resources available. Pearson's Online Learning Exchange has teacher guides and activities for elementary school,  middle school, and  high school aged students. Also, I4C has a September 11th page, filled with guides and activities to help your students understand the significance of the day.

Remember to visit our Teacher Tools section! This home page contains all the topics you may need to use during the school year.


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I4C OVERVIEW 
Whether you are a newcomer or an old pro, it's easy to get "lost" in everything I4C has to offer. We have subject help by grade level on almost all school topics. Don't forget to click and explore when you are looking for teacher resources. Here are a few main topics to get you started.
 
 
  
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Don't Forget: Free Online Practice for ACT Test and SAT Test Resources.  I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Become a free member and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words.Take daily practice math quizzes on over 1000 questions.  Log in to monitor your students' scores - including seeing which vocabulary words or math questions they missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.  
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Remember: One of our most clicked resources is the teacher tools page. You can access everything teachers need for the school year, including forms, planning, bulletin boards, and worksheets. 

Another popular section is our Grade Level Help. Click here for Pre-K - 8th grade level help and here for 7th - 12th grade resources. Find Skill Builders interactive sites for Language Arts and Math.  
  Common Core State Standards

Check out our Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Each Grade Level is full of resources for every individual standard. Students can take control of their own learning by clicking on the page with the standard number, and choosing their own resource to practice that skill. Click on your Grade Level to find English Language Arts Standard Resources and learning tools.
 

Also, check out our Common Core Math Standards. It's hard to find sites that have math standards examples that follow the specific criteria, but they're here. Click on your Grade Level to find Math Standard Resources and learning tools.

  

  Focus On:  Parent Resources
In addition to our teachers, parents can take advantage of our online resources as well.
 


As we reminded our teachers above, it's never too late to remind our children about respecting others. Visit our character education page for bullying prevention, conflict resolution and character development tools. 

 

Check out our interactive grade level practice. We have Skill Builders that offer online games for almost every school subject and grade. It's a great way to practice at home.

 

Are you having a hard time getting the kids to simply sit down and read? Our Reading Help page has helpful links.

 

As the school year begins, keep your kids safe when they do their schoolwork online. Check out I4C's internet safety page for tips and links to keep your children safe online!

 

Homeschool parents: I4C has helpful resources you can use too! Check out our Common Core resources, math printables, grade level help, and subject help pages.

 

This September 11th, we remember those who died during the terrorist attacks fourteen years ago. It may be difficult to explain the events to those were too young to remember or not even born yet but there are many resources available. A guide from the 9/11 Memorial has tips on explaining the day to your children and I4C has a September 11th page, filled with guides and activities to help your child understand the significance of the day.

 

 


Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps for you and your child!

Don't forget our Technology Tutorial section in case you need refresher courses in your computer skills.

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Find ACT Test and SAT Test Resources to get your children ready for the ACT and SATs! I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Become a free member and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words and practice tests in math with over 1000 questions. As a parent, you can log in to monitor your children's scores - including seeing which words or math problems they missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.

As always, if you don't see something of interest highlighted this month, we have the Parent Zone which is full of resources. You can find homework help, special needs resources, language tools, reading help, educational games and activities sorted by grade. 

        **             We Want Your Input!            **

I4C already has Free Vocabulary Quizzes and Free Math Quizzes in our ACT/SAT Test Preparation Guide. 

 

We're looking for new ideas for quizzes and informational resources that you'd feel are useful to you and your students. Please email us and let us know what you could use to make your teaching experience better. 

 

Write to:  susan.brooks@internet4classrooms.com

  Technology Tips

Tech Tip #1: 
Keep An Eye Out
Students are more tech savvy these days. Don't be fooled by just one visible internet page. You can quickly track their site whereabouts just by looking up at the multi-tabs at the top of the window. If they've got websites open that shouldn't be, you'll be able to see the page titles in each tab. Tech tutorials at I4C.
 

Tech Tip #2: Searching in Email
 
Save time when looking for old emails. Remember you can type in keywords or the name of the author in the search bar to locate archived emails quickly. Other Keyboard Shortcuts.

  
Tech Tip #3: Narrow Your Search by File Type
 
On Internet searches, you're able to narrow your search by a specific file type. For example, if you were looking for results that were PDFs, you would put fileType:pdf after your search terms. More search engine tips here.
   
Internet4classrooms.com is a free educational portal for teachers, parents, homeschoolers and students. Visitors come from around the world to find Internet resources for their educational needs. One can find resources ranging from lesson plans to worksheets, individual grade level resources to templates, and even interactive learning games.  We were very honored when one teacher called the site a "Walmart for Teachers". If you cannot find what you need for instruction on any topic, please feel free to email us and we will help you find resources to fit your needs.
 
Sincerely,

Susan Brooks
Internet4classrooms.com