3D Printers

3D printers are so cool! I can't wait to try one out. I have watched video demonstrations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QP73uTJApw&noredirect=1 and read articles about how they are used in schools: http://www.dimensionprinting.com/successstories/successstoryview.aspx?view=57&title=Southview+Middle+School+Gets+a+Grip+on+Design+with+Dimension+3D+Printing The more you start thinking about it, the more ideas you come up with for students and creativity. The Mattesson Public Library (http://www.mattesonpubliclibrary.org/) in Matteson, IL does have one and I intend to head over there in the near future to try it out. According to this web site: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/26/form-1-delivers-high-end-3d-printing-for-an-affordable-price/, they can be obtained at afforable prices as well. What a cool addition to a school computer lab!

iPads in the Classroom

Lucky enough to have iPads in the classroom? This site has 50 great ideas for using the iPads with your students. Many of the app ideas are free. Enjoy exploring! http://edudemic.com/2011/04/ipads-in-school/

Titanic

April 15 was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and kids are still fascinated with it! Here are some interesting and interactive sites for you to explore with you students. www.titanicuniverse.com http://www.history.com/interactives/titanic-interactive http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/t/titanic/index.html

Dr. Seuss

I know I am late for Dr. Seuss's birthday this year, but for next year, keep this site in mind: http://www.seussville.com/ It is filled with lots of fun activities for kids.

Books for Kids

This web site: http://www.kidsreads.com/index.asp is a great reading resource. It provides book reviews, information about the various authors, what books are coming soon, podcasts, trivia games, word scrambles, and more. It also includes a link for a list of great books for boys. It even has book club information including how to start a book club, how to run it and how to choose which books to read.

Safe Searching

Here is a safe search engine for kids: http://www.onekey.com/ This is great for kids to use for school research projects. They can find useful and relevant information without the finding inappropriate sites popping up.