Make the Most of Discovery Streaming

Discovery Streaming is available to Mason teachers from grades K-8. Search for content by grade and subject as well as curriculum standards. Videos are divided into segments which can be played directly or downloaded. Organize your favorite videos into folders within 'My Content' and share your video selections with others in our school or district.
But, videos are only a portion of the available resources. Images, clip art, sound effects, lesson plans, pre-made assignments and quizzes can be accessed as part of the basic search. Create your own assignments, quizzes or writing prompts related to the videos. The students do not require a log-in of their own, they simply access these resources through a generated URL.
Discovery is rapidly adding more features. The latest feature is Media Share. You can upload your own videos, images or documents and share with others or embed into powerpoint presentations or wikis. Media Share can be purchased as an add-on the Discovery Streaming, but teachers that become a Star Educator are given free access to the feature.
See more on my presentation wiki.

Lesson ideas for using Smart Notebook

Are you looking for more ideas for making better use of the Smart Notebook software? Teachers Love Smartboards and Smartboard Lessons Podcast are two blogs written by teachers about using the software in their lessons. Most lessons only require the Smart Notebook, which is available to all teachers in our district.
The primary idea of the Notebook, is to create more interactive lessons for the students. I have linked many more interactive sites here on my delicious bookmarks.

Interactive Science Websites

I recently came across The Virtual Body which is a free interactive program that allows you to explore the human brain, heart, digestive tract and skeleton. The Internet is full of free sites like these for students and teachers. Sites range from interactive period tables, virtual chemistry experiments, microscopic views of cells and telescopic views of the solar system. I also have a link to an autopsy site. These sites and many others can be found in my delicious bookmarks.

Educational Video Collections on You Tube

The collection of valuable YouTube videos is growing at a tremendous pace. Please take the time to preview some of these sites: 100 Best YouTube Videos for Teachers and YouTube Education: 80 Intelligent Video Collections. Many universities, such as MIT, are placing significant content on YouTube through the OpenCourseware initiative. Many of these sites are also easily accessed through iTunes U. It doesn't end there. The House and Senate have YouTube sites. And, believe it or not, even the Pope has a channel!
But wait there is more. I realize that YouTube may not be available for all, so here is a link to 20+ educational alternatives to YouTube. One more bit of advice, some featured videos and comments that appear alongside videos, may not be appropriate for the classroom. To limit that exposure, here is a video that shows you how to embed a YouTube video into a PowerPoint.