Huge Collection of Graphic Organizers

There are many places on the web where you can find graphic organizers but it may take searching through several sites before you find the right one. The next time you need a graphic organizer, start here at this collection of graphic organizers from the Vermilion Parish. They have collected the best organizers from around the internet into one large collection for you to use. Just about any teacher from any grade should be able to find this site useful. I'd recommend you browse this library of graphic organizers and I think you will like what you see.

Math, Science, Writing, and Great Recipes

Brain Genie is an educational site based around improving math and science knowledge and skills. The site is intended for all grade levels and has thousands of lessons, games, and videos to guide students in mastering math and science. The site is free to join and will keep track of student progress and even provides reports, assignments, a gradebook, and awards. This site is a fantastic resource for students to use and teachers to share.

Writing is hard work but it is also very rewarding and can even be fun. 750 Words is a site that recognizes all these things and wants you to start writing. The site is built around the idea that starting your day by writing is a good way to clear your thoughts and improve your thinking throughout the day. It encourages you to attempt three pages (yes pages) of writing every morning but the writing can be about anything and your writing is always private. The purpose is to cleanse your mind and start your day without mental clutter. You are awarded points for your writing to help motivate you. The site is free so there is no reason not to look it over and learn more.

It has been awhile since I shared a cooking site so I figured I was overdue. Picture the Recipe is a food site that is visually appealing and informative. The site's author, Noreen, describes herself as the "ultimate foodie" who loves experimenting with recipes and takes pictures of the food at restaurants. She turned her food passion into this great website that shares well photographed recipes as well as other tips and information. If cooking is your passion or you simply want great ideas, you should definitely head over to Picture the Recipe to see the great things Noreen has for you.

More Cool Web Finds

This week I'd like to begin with a site that is intended to make you laugh. We all have taken embarrassing pictures somewhere in our past. We are also smart enough to make sure they don't get posted on the internet. Fortunately, there are plenty of people brave (foolish?) enough to share there worst moments caught on camera. Check out awkward family photos, which is a collection of photographs that will make you smile as you say "what were they thinking?" Thank God these people decided to put them on the web for us to see.

I came across two very cool video sites this week. First there is Frequency, which is a site where you will find video collections made by people just like you. Choose the category on the left and a long list of channels appears in the middle of the page. Choose the channel and the videos appear on the left. The categories range from entertainment, to education, health, "how to", and many more. I plan on spending more time at this site in the future.

The second video site is called Video Jug. This sites videos are also sorted into categories but the focus of the site is improving your life. Do you have a home project you want to start? Perhaps you want to learn to cook a certain dish? Maybe you want to become a better golfer? This site is overflowing with tips on cooking, sports, technology, home projects, relationships, children, and the list goes on and on.

Speaking of improving your life, if improving your health is your goal then go to the Greatist where you will find tips on exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction and other health related topics.

For those of you who enjoy online shopping there is Uncommon Goods, where you can find a wide variety of unique and unusual gifts. With the holidays fast approaching, it is worth a look.

I was a comic book collector when I was younger so this site appealed to me personally. The Digital Comic Museum is a collection of comics from the "Golden Age of Comics" (1930's-1950's) that are now "public domain and have been put up on the net. There is educational value here in that they provide a snapshot into American culture of the time. They were published during World War II as well as the earliest days of the Cold War so there is plenty of propaganda to be found for the social studies teachers out there.

Finally, in the era of Twitter and other micro blogging sites there is One Sentence, where people submit stories told in only one sentence. They reject 90% of the "stories" that are submitted so this is obviously much more difficult than it looks.