Mr. Chris Carter

Overview
NewseumEd is the website for the Newseum, the museum dedicated to news-history, located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. I’ve passed it many a time on my trips to the District of Colombia with my students who were participating in the National History Day competition but the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum has always won the museum elections. NewseumEd is supported by the National Council for the Social Sciences because Newseum does an amazing job of connecting history and the news. Newseum proves the old saw that those who fail to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them … repeat them … repeat them …
The site has a distinct Web 2.0 look/feel, being clean, smooth, and logically organized. A link takes you to the resources page that contains hundreds of standards-aligned lesson plans and artifacts (PSDs, interviews, etc.) Information on free workshops for both students and teachers support actual and virtual visits to the Newseum. Professional development for teachers is also available here. Additionally, NewseumEd hosts an EdCommunity where teachers can share ideas and lesson plans

Concerns
Zero concerns. This site needs to be used.

Sample Uses
This site works perfectly for MS & HS history and government classes. Journalism classes will benefit as well.

Do I plan to use it?
Yes! For both in-class and National History Day research, NewseumEd is a great resource!

Commitment and Learning Curve
Low. Just take time to explore.

Best for ES MS or HS?
MS, HS, Teachers

Cost:
Free!

Website Link:
https://newseumed.org/

Overview
Understood is a web resource that explains through experience the frustrations that our children who are challenged academically face every day. The site helps us understand our kids in a three-step process. First, we hear from a child who is challenged in a particular area, and then an expert. Next we experience a simulation tied to the challenge that is, believe me, always frustrating. Finally, the expert returns with targeted advice on how to relate with the child.
If this were all that the site did I would deem it a success. But it goes so much farther! Common Sense Media follows up with teacher-reviewed suggestions for EdTech apps and services that relate specifically to the challenge being addressed. Not only does the user grow more knowledgeable of challenges faced and more empathetic to the child, but that knowledge and empathy can be turned immediately into effective action to support the child

Concerns
None

Sample Uses
Understood is impressive for teacher professional development sessions dedicated to supporting teachers who work with academically challenged kids. It is actually “fun” and frustrating at the same time. Understood is just as effective in helping parents understand their child’s frustrations.

Do I plan to use it?
I already have. Every school has kids who are challenged to function effectively within the structure of our K-12 system.

Commitment and Learning Curve
None

Best for ES MS or HS?
All

Cost:
Free!

Website Link:
https://www.understood.org/en

Overview
Coffitivity is a productivity app available on the web or for smart device download for both iOS and Android devices. Simple, mono-functional, and effective, Coffitivity is nothing more that an ambient sound streamer that offers coffee shop sounds to boost productivity. Many of us find grading papers or cruising the web to be more enjoyable (less onerous?) when we are not alone. We tend to find ourselves in coffee shops, where we can work for hours. While this is not for everyone, many of us are more productive around people and the hustle and bustle of life. It really works! The light background of conversation murmurs and coffee cup clinks really add to the energy of what would otherwise be library-quiet activities.

Concerns
None

Sample Uses
When kids are busy studying, doing sustained silent reading, or otherwise prone to fatigue the energy-inducing ambient noises have a noticeable, positive effect on moods and productivity. There is a reason that so many of us take our work to coffee shops. Life happens there!

Do I plan to use it?
I do!

Commitment and Learning Curve
Zero, ziltch, nada. If you can click on a link, you can use this service

Best for ES MS or HS?
MS, HS, Teachers

Cost:
Free for three sound loops (this level is fine by itself!!!)
$9 for three additional ambient coffee shop sound-loops

I tried it out for my purposes and found the Beedocs 3D Timeline and the HSTRY timeline tool both work better for me. That being said, Timeline JS3 definitely has its place in specific situations. If you want a robust, impressive-looking timeline and you have the skills, this timeline is for you.

Overview
Digizen is a UK-based web service that supplies abundant resources focusing on digital citizenship, grouped by teachers, parents/care givers, and kids. These resources focus on social networking and cyber-bullying. This service reminds me of Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship resources, though the latter appears to be more streamlined and packaged for use in the classroom or in homes. Refreshingly, the service includes aspects of gamification to make the learning of digital citizenship more interactive and appealing to students. I must say, the British accent is still as charming as ever.

Concerns
No concerns

Sample Uses
Parents and teachers can construct focused lessons from the materials here. I can see refresher/reinforcement lessons stemming from this service, to bolster materials and lessons already implemented.

Do I plan to use it?
No. I use Common Sense Media’s materials. That being said, this service has fine resources. Had I discovered Digizen prior to finding Common Sense Media, perhaps I would use these resources instead.

Commitment and Learning Curve
Medium. You need to have solid idea of what you want before this site’s use can be maximized.

Best for ES MS or HS?
Teachers and parents of K-12 kids will find materials here.

Cost:
Free!

Website Link:
http://www.digizen.org/

Overview
HSTRY is a timeline builder website that is unlike any other that I have ever seen. Rather than focus on building a single timeline, like B Docs 3D timeline (a superb resource, BTW), HSTRY chooses to tap the power of the Internet to create individual web pages for each event in a potential timeline. The user builds the timeline by creating pages for specific events and/or linking to events already created on the site. In this way, a series of links becomes a unique timeline.

Concerns
HSTRY and I have been talking. As of this writing I still cannot link my class in a way that allows all of the students in my class to view other students’ timelines. This means that I cannot use the service in the way that I wish to, having my kids demonstrate content mastery by creating individual timelines for each section of a unit, then linking the sectional timelines together into an entire “unit” of timelines that will take the whole class through the content. The developers promise that this feature will be added, perhaps within the week (review completed 24 June, 2015). Also, calling this tool a timeline is a bit misleading. The service allows you to build information rich web pages concerning events in history. The timeline portion is really up to the user linking various web pages together. That being said, the site is slick, easy to navigate, and flat-out fun to use!

Sample Uses
This site screams to be used for educational purposes. MS and HS students can use this service individually to display mastery of a given topic, or link their pages together to form a timeline of an era under study (planned for release shortly). Teachers can do the same. Really, there are many possibilities here. It is just so easy to pull together audio and video components that result is a rich, engaging learning experience.

Do I plan to use it?
Yes! This resource is perfect for student-generated history unit timelines of key events, concepts, and characters. It is also just plain fun to play with.

Commitment and Learning Curve
Easy. I know, learning how to create a content-rich web page should be harder, but there it is! I am impressed with just how easy it was to create an account, follow the tutorial, and build my first page. I accomplished all of these things in under 40 minutes. The result is here: https://edu.hstry.co/timeline/12296. Intelligently, the creators of HSTRY created the tutorial in such a way that you can actually build your first site simply by using the tutorial.

Best for ES MS or HS?
MS and HS students will enjoy using this service, and teachers of these students will also find building this “timeline” both interesting and fun.

Cost
Free! Wow, the HSTRY people may need to find a way to monetize this site, but it is free for now.

Website Link: https://edu.hstry.co/

You can catch a 3-minute audio review at: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/21st-century-learning-international/21cl-radio/e/hstry-content-curation-and-fun-in-one-easy-package-tech-tools-37637445