Study Tools

Time Toast

I was working with some colleagues who were NOT going to try making a timeline using Time Toast, so I decided to give it a whirl.  I'm no longer teaching first grade, but creating a timeline was part of our Social Studies/Unit Studies curriculum.  So worst-case scenario, I could share this with former colleagues in 1st grade.

Time Toast has a wealth of searchable timelines that might be very useful to secondary teachers.  In addition, one that I found on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., also had videos linked on the timeline (e.g., "I  Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963).  One concern I would have about using another user's timeline would be the integrity of the dates and information.  If someone posts it on the internet, it must be true, right?!!!  Wrong.

I decided to create a simple timeline for our school year.  I showed the start/stop dates, holidays, I-Days, etc.   I could see adding special days (Grandparents' Day, Valentines Day) and other important dates such as field trips as well. Inputting the dates and events ("add event") was simple and user-friendly.  One thing I did NOT like is the multi-day event ("add timespan"); entering it was easy, but I don't like how it appears as just a blue blip on the timeline (vs. larger bubbles for single-day events).  I also am not crazy about how the timeline items pop out when you mouse over them -- sometimes you want to see ALL of the events in a timeline in context at once.

I did try adding Halloween and added a picture of a pumpkin as well as a fun video -- check it out.  Adding both of these elements was SUPER easy.

Overal:  B+ for this tool.  I'd give it an A if I could figure out how to make a range of dates appear as more than a blip.





Quizlet

I loved LOVED this tool and would strongly consider paying $25 to have the full subscription (or go in on it with my colleagues -- Heather?  Julie? Anyone?)  I made vocabulary flash cards for a story (The Keeping Quilt) in our Houghton Mifflin reading curriculum.  I loved how you entered the word and then you could either add the definition yourself, OR choose from several already given definitions.  You could also choose a stock definition and change it slightly if need be.  Super fast!!  Then, I went to explore the study options for the cards and loved the options for reinforcing learning the words' meanings, learning their spelling, a couple of games, and a quiz.  There is even audio to hear the word pronounced.   I do wish there was a way to insert a picture for those visual learners; I didn't see that.  NO WAIT -- I just found it!!!  You can add from stock photos or upload your own.  Now I am really sold on this tool.