MUSIC

I want to share this neat website I learned about in my Performing and Visual Arts course. I remember having a music class in high school, but I never took that class myself. So I never really learned anything that has to do with music. This semester I learned an overview of music history and it was very interesting. I never remember that music class exists, not because it isn't important but because I was simply never had an opportunity to take that class. Now that I have a course on performing and visual arts I have learned about DSO kids.  

On the site you can listen by composer, by instrument or by music theory. This is a really nice aspect of the website for someone like me. I know little to nothing about music or how most instruments sound. The site lets you listen so you can easily hear the difference between instruments. It also gives you descriptions on the scales. 

DSO also has games you can play, along with activities to do at home. I think this is a great website to use if you are going to introduce music to smaller students, even older students too! Take a look at it and enjoy! 

Pin it !

  

If you have ever wanted to make a specific dish or entrée from your favorite restaurant or wanted to learn how to crochet something using your arms rather than hooks, then Pinterest is the place for you. This social media app allows you to look up just about anything you can think of. Not only will it direct you to the original website, but it will also give you systematic instructions, ingredient lists and other suggestions on similar projects. This app is completely free to use and you can create your own boards by “pinning” it. You can also follow others, chat and get ideas from other pintresters.

As a mother of three, I am constantly looking for different ways to cook meals and construct projects for low cost. This site is a huge help when it comes to helping me save time and money on different ideas and ways to do things as well as using substitutes for items I may not have or are a little pricey. So if you are ever in the mood to try something new check out this and get creative.

 I have included a link to the website or you can download the app on your smartphones or tablets.

https://www.pinterest.com/

SimBio

Simbio is and educational software programs that can be used to enhance the way you can teach and learn biology by using interactive simulations that can be manipulated by the students to simulate real world biology experiments. By using this product students become engaged and have control over the different aspects of the experiments. This product can be used in K-12 as well as college.

I have had first-hand experience with this software and I really enjoyed using it. I used it in my Biology 101 class a few years ago. By using this software, it helped to understand the concepts a lot better by being able to see it and have control over what was happening in the experiments. I ember doing the Darwinian snails and how natural selections actually worked, along with how other things can play a role in evolution. Not only was it an interesting way to see this in progress, but it was great to be able to play around with different ideas and see what happened. This is a product I would use in future classes I may teach. 

Look at the links below and check it out for yourself. I have included a link for a demo video from YouTube, as well as the link to the simbio website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoPm7oTV4uY

http://simbio.com/

Interactive Body

Everyone has had a biology, or anatomy and physiology class. If your experience was anything like mine, you probably memorized the definitions and forgot them as soon as the class was over. Personally, I can memorize facts satisfactorily. I obtained great grades because of this, but not as much knowledge as I should have. The textbook pictures just did not do it justice. Recently, I found a website that has an interactive body. You can look at the organs, skeleton, nervous system, and muscles.

The interactive body is a free website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/3djigsaw_02/index.shtml?skeleton. When you go to the website, you can choose male or female. Then you choose the system. If you choose the skeleton, for example, you can then choose a bone. The bone will appear, and you have to drag and drop it, to its location. If you do not know the answer, there is a hint box that will help. If you get the correct answer, an information box will appear with more facts about the bone. Also, the bone will appear in the corner of the screen, and you can control the movement of the bone, to see how it operates.

This website is a helpful tool for children and adults, whether they are learning or reviewing. When students learn about the human body, they are usually seeing a two dimension figure. This leaves many unanswered questions. With this tool, the user can explore a three dimension figure. The parts of the body will move and operate, just like they would inside the human body. The interactive body takes the users eye on an authentic journey throughout the human body.

BrainPop

BrainPop is an interactive website where it has various core subjects for students and teachers to choose from. The site provides you with numerous videos on specific subjects, quizzes, an informational section, and even activities to go along with the video or subject. Although some of BrainPop's features are free, there are six different types of subscriptions. There are the classroom, school, district, family, homeschool and virtual school subscriptions. All subscriptions are based on an annual or monthly subscription. All of the subscriptions are different, but the one I would definitely consider if I was a school would be the school subscription because it allows students and teachers to use it at home 24/7.

BrainPop is very easy to sign up for. It asks you whether you are using it at home, in a classroom or school-wide. What I do not like is that it is rather expensive. BrainPop charges you depending on the features and purposes you are using it for. For the original BrainPop features, it totals you up to one hundred and fifteen dollars for one year, at home subscription. I would say stick to free online version although it is very limited. BrainPop is a great source, although I would use it just for an enhancement. Some of the subjects they offer are, Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Health, Arts and Music, and Engineering and Technology.

Pawtoon

Powtoon.com is a website like what we have been talking about in class. It’s a new way of presenting information. You can create animated videos and presentation. Creating a Powtoon is as simple as creating a power point. You can record voiceovers and add visuals and even create your own characters. They offer tutorial videos and have a cool blog that offers insight on other multimedia tool such as free animation/PowerPoint software and new teaching methods. It’s used by major companies such as Starbucks, Ebay and Cisco and now even in the classroom. You can sign up for free, go pro or get the business plan. The free plan allows you to create a video up to 5 minutes. I would like to see more options for their free members. Compared to the paid memberships, the free membership doesn’t have many choices. It was also odd to me how it’s 3x’s more expensive to purchase a monthly service fee than a yearly service fee.