March Features from Internet 4 Classrooms

March Blog | App of The Month | What's Happening |
New- Online Practice | New- Printables | New- Answer Keys |
Teacher Resources | Parent Resources | Technology Tips |
Other Areas of Interest | Common Core |
SAT and ACT Test Preparation

March brings Music in Our Schools Month, Women's History Month, Daylight Savings Time, Pi Day, St Patricks's Day, First Day of Spring, Passover, and much more. Visit our monthly newsletter to see all the details.

March Blog: Creative Incentives for Online Learning

Creative Incentives for Online Learning

This month's blog is Creative Incentives for Online Learning.

On the first day of lockdown, learning from home was a fun and exciting challenge for everybody. Fast-forward several months and I think it is safe to say that we have all got a little bit tired of this new routine. It can be especially hard for students for stay motivated to keep giving their best effort during this time, particularly with uncertainty surrounding their normal study goals such as exams to aim for.

While teachers may not be able to physically give out their usual gold stars for good work, or hold their special lunch-time pizza party as an end of term reward, there are still lots of ideas you can use for rewarding good behavior, creative ideas and hard work while staying safe and virtual.

Guest Blogger Lauren Groff writes regularly about educational issues at Big Assignments. Her current topic of choice focuses on exploring the possibilities for virtual reward systems in online classrooms.

App of the Month

Every month we are going to feature a different, and hopefully FREE, iPad/iPod/iPhone/Android educational application. Visit our ever-changing app page.

The App of the Month for March is Busy Shapes and Colors by Edoki Academy ( iOS and Android ).

The best color & shape app for toddlers!

A fun, motivating, and highly intuitive playground to learn the names of 11 shapes and 11 colors, specially designed for toddlers and preschoolers. Surprise! our cute penguins entertain children as they progress through the levels.

What's more, as teachers we know that some children need more time to learn so we've built in a unique "practice mode" enabling parents and teachers to select only one shape or one color to focus on.

Busy Shapes & Colors' game play is simple, perfectly adapted to toddlers, it is specifically designed to sharpen their fine motor skills. Also, as children progress through the levels, they encounter new challenges, maintaining their level of interest and engagement. For instance, fun effects on the shapes increase the level of rapidity and dexterity needed.

Based on the Award-winning Busy Shapes app, this game is 100% intuitive, making it ideal preschoolers. From the onset, children can choose to focus on colors or shapes or mix them together. No matter which path they choose, they will regularly discover a cute penguin animation, keeping them motivated to go further.

The free version includes 10 levels of each game. The Full version (in-app purchase) features:

• 150 seamless incremental levels
  
  
• Multitouch play
  
  
• 4 play modes: colors, shapes, colors & shapes, "focus"
  
  
• 11 shapes, 11 colors = 121 combinations
  
  
• Unique shape and color "makers"
  
  
• Fun effects on the shapes: moving shapes, disappearing shapes...
  
  
• Cute penguin animations
  
  
• 15 languages
  

About EDOKI ACADEMY

We founded EDOKI ACADEMY to bring our classroom experience with hundreds of children to the Digital world of tablets. As certified teachers, our aim is to develop a range of truly educational as well as beautiful apps based on the Montessori Method. All our apps can be used at home or in class. They can also be used by speech therapists. We are proud winners of several Awards from the Parent's Choice Foundation and Common Sense Media. For any support, please contact us on support@edokiacademy.com.

Busy Shapes and Colors is available for Apple and Android devices.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 8.0 or later on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android version 4.4 and up on your Android device.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

Here are some of the March events that you can celebrate or make note of this month:

1. Music in Our Schools Month
   
   Celebrate and enjoy music in your classroom this month. Make your own instruments, play with virtual instruments, and learn about different genres of music with on our Music Resources page. We also have Music and Dance resources for Kindergarten and Pre-K aged children.


2. Women's History Month
   
   Did you know that March is National Women's History Month? You can learn about Women in World History and Women in American History. Learn about how March became the month to celebrate the accomplishments and influence of women in history, find a list of honorees for 2021, and other resources from the National Women’s History Alliance.



3. Dr. Seuss" Birthday (3/2)
   
   Fun fact: Green Eggs and Ham was written with a mere 50 words. Dr. Seuss is a staple in children's literature. Celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with lesson plans and activities all correlating with his books. Learn about his life. Find activities for all of Dr. Seuss' books. Here are some Dr. Seuss themed great printables and resources. Also check out our Online Stories page for more classroom reading resources.



4. Daylight Savings Time Begins (3/14)
   
   Remember to set your clocks an hour ahead today. Learn about the history of Daylight Savings Time and why we "spring forward" an hour today. Work on time telling skills with these resources for First, Second, and Third Grade.



5. Pi Day (3/14)
   
   Happy Pi Day. Learn about the history of Pi. Apply Pi in your math lesson today. Check out these ways these teachers have celebrated Pi Day in their classroom. Learn about Pi through this "irrational" webquest. For high schoolers, try the Pi Day Challenge, a series of logic based puzzles all about Pi.



6. St. Patrick"s Day (3/17)
   
   Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in your classroom with I4C. We have St. Patrick's Day history, games, crafts, and activities on our St. Patrick's Day resource page.




7. First Walk in Space (3/18/1965)
   
   Learn about space walks and Alexei Leonov"s experience outside of the spacecraft. You can also check out our General Astronomy page for other resources on Space.


8. First Day of Spring (3/20)
   
   Welcome to Spring. Today, learn about what causes the change of seasons. Also check out these spring themed worksheets and activities and crafts you can use in your classroom.


9. Passover Begins (3/27)
   
   Celebrate Passover while learning about this holiday's traditions. Explore these Passover activities and games.




10. First Map of the United States Published (3/31/1784)
    
    Ever wondered what the United States looked like when the nation was first created? Abel Buell"s work was the first to be submitted for copyright. Check out our Maps page for more resources on maps of the United States, interactive maps, and printables.

New- ONLINE PRACTICE AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms now offers Online Practice and Interactives, covering Kindergarten to Eighth 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.

New Online Practice Quizzes Made Available in March

We have released many new online quizzes during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest quizzes by grade.

New- COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS PRINTABLES AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms 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 Printables. More grades and subjects coming soon.

New Printables Worksheets Made Available in March

We have released thousands of new printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest worksheet sets by grade.

New- Answer Keys




New Worksheet Answer Keys Made Available in March

We have released thousands of new answer keys for our printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Remember that you can sign up for answer key access here: https://i4c.xyz/n89msyv.

Here is a list of the newest answer key sets by grade.





TEACHER RESOURCES



1. March 14th is Pi Day. Apply Pi in your math lesson today. Check out these ways these teachers have celebrated Pi Day in their classroom and have your students learn about Pi through this "irrational" webquest. Your students can also work on their math skills with our Grade Level Skill Builders, our free Online Practice quizzes, and our free Common Core Math Printables for Kindergarten to Eighth Grade.


2. Spring brings unpredictable weather. Explore these Elementary Science tools.


3. Name that tune. Celebrate Music In Our Schools Month with I4C's music lessons and resources ranging from music sheets and instruments to percussions and opera.


4. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps.


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


6. Go to our grade level help for lesson plans, activities, instructionals, and tools organized by grade and subject.



PARENT RESOURCES




1. Did you know that March is National Craft Month? Check out these Spring themed crafts you can do with your child this month. Internet4Classrooms also has Arts and Crafts Resources for Pre-K and Kindergarten aged children.


2. Read with your child this month. Here are some great reading resources just for parents. Check out our Elementary School Stories page and prep for upcoming assessments with our Reading Comprehension Practice resources.


3. March is Music in Our Schools Month. Enhance your child's music education with Internet4Classrooms. Make your own instruments, play with virtual instruments, and learn about different genres of music with your child on our Music Resources page. We also have Music and Dance resources for Kindergarten and Pre-K aged children.


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


5. You can always visit our Parent Resources page to get grade level practice sites, find online sources, and information pertaining to homework, special needs, reading help, and more.


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





TECHNOLOGY TIPS



1. How to Make Any PDF Interactive on Zoom:
   Zoom tips for teachers & teletherapists: how to screenshare PDFs on Zoom and use the annotate tool to make any printable or document interactive, without editing or changing the original PDF.
   
   Learn more in the article found: HERE


2. Classroom Tech Tools That Support Inquiry:
   Madly Learning has put together a list of five tech tools that you should consider using every day in the classroom. Not every tool listed is an app - we particularly likes the discussion of using a digitial camera to support so many activities in a classroom.
   
   Learn more by visiting: HERE.


3. Tech Tips for Teachers - Shortcuts List:
   We haven't posted a tech tip based on short cuts in quite a while, but this one is a doozy. So many good timesavers listed in one place.
   
   You can find out more: HERE.






We also have other basic instruction in Microsoft Office, including Word 2007, Excel 2007, Powerpoint 2007.





OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST



1. Resources for Educators - In this section you can find classroom resources for Exceptional Children, Smartboards, Character Education, Web 2.0 Resources and other topics.
2. Resources for Parents - Parents can find resources
   on assisting their children with homework, time management, Internet Safety, subject area resources, grade level resources and more.




Common Core State Standards at I4C




Our Common Core State Standards are 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.




Check out our Common Core Math High School Algebra Standards, Common Core Math Standards, and Common Core ELA Standards.




SAT and ACT Test Preparation

Free Online Practice Resources for ACT Tests and SAT Tests. I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Join our SAT and ACT Test Preparation program and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words or over 1000 math problems. Parents and Mentors can log in to monitor your scores - including seeing which vocabulary words that were missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.




Sign Up Here for ACT Test & SAT Test Preparation.