January Features from Internet 4 Classrooms

January Blog | App of The Month | What's Happening |
New- Online Practice | New- Printables | New- Answer Keys |
Teacher Resources | Parent Resources | Technology Tips |
Other Areas of Interest | Common Core |
SAT and ACT Test Preparation

January brings National Staying Healthy Month, MLK Day, National Puzzle Day, and much more. Visit our monthly newsletter to see all the details.

January Blog: 5 Tips on Developing Handwriting Skills

5 Tips on Developing Handwriting Skills

This month's blog is 5 Tips on Developing Handwriting Skills.

If you cannot understand your kid's handwriting, you're not alone. Many parents have a hard time trying to figure out what their children try to write, and many teachers agree that modern children's handwriting skills are significantly worse than those of children from previous generations.

Fortunately, you can use some practices to help your child develop handwriting skills. This month's blog contains some tips that might help you. Some of them may even be appreciated by adults who want to improve their handwriting.

Guest Blogger Tina Pitts is an English teacher, blogger, freelance writer and an assistant professor. She writes articles on homeschooling, academic writing and teaching.

App of the Month

Every month we are going to feature a different, and hopefully FREE, iPad/iPod/iPhone/Android educational application. Visit our ever-changing app page.

The App of the Month for January is Edmodo by Edmodo, Inc. ( iOS and Android ).

Edmodo gives teachers the tools to share engaging lessons, keep parents updated, and build a vibrant classroom community.

The all-new Edmodo app has been redesigned from the ground up to focus on how YOU communicate with your students, parents, and fellow teachers.

TOOLS THAT TEACHERS NEED

A home stream for following and discovering resources from teachers across the globe.

All your classes and assignments organized in one place.

Send messages directly to students and parents.

Discover content that empowers your students and encourages mindfulness.

ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS

With Edmodo, you can reach every student in your class. Students can login and participate from any phone, tablet, or computer. Facilitate discussions with your entire class or check in individually with direct messages. Help your students stay organized with an automatically-updated planner.

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Share and discover new lessons and resources from across your school, district, or a global community. Edmodo makes it easy for you to explore professional content and teacher trends. And the improved home stream means you can find dozens of educational resources for your classroom all at once.

EdTech Digest Award Winner – Best Product

“Students love the app and...they always keep updated with new posts and notes.” —Alessandra Pallavicini, EFL teacher, Italy

“Edmodo continues to be my ‘go to’ place for learning, sharing and collaborating with educators.” —Sandy McConnell, Teacher, United States

“All my students are on Edmodo and now I cannot think of any other way I could teach, there are so many advantages compared to my previous teaching style! I use the platform to communicate with students, share resources, assign tasks and then annotate them and send them back to students.” —Lucia Bartolotti, EFL Teacher, Italy

“As a classroom teacher, I find that education can sometimes be isolating even though I work with approximately 75 other teachers. I am so happy that I am able to collaborate with other teachers who are also using Edmodo, as this really helps me feel connected.” —Shelby Place, Teacher, China

“The ability to connect with international educators and share that experience with my students is a major perk.” —Lacey, Teacher, United States

“I've used different products but I stick with Edmodo because it is easy to use, appealing to my students, and most of all, it's packed with features!” —Anna Lyn Lumibao, Teacher

For more information, visit www.edmodo.com.

Edmodo is available for Apple and Android devices.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 11.0 or later on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android version 5.0 and up on your Android device.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

Here are some of the January events that you can celebrate or make note of this month:

1. National Staying Healthy Month
   
   We're in the midst of cold and flu season - keep your students and yourself healthy! Here are some great tips for you to share to your classroom! Make sure to emphasize the importance of washing your hands and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough!


2. Betsy Ross (1/1/1752)
   
   Did you know that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag of the United States? I4C has printables and other resources to help students learn about the evolution of flag of the United States of America.










3. Louis Braille (1/4/1809)
   
   Did you know that Louis Braille was blinded in a childhood accident and created the braille system when he was fifteen? I4C has resources for the visually impaired, including Braille and audio resources. Be sure to check out I4C's other Assistive Technology resources.


4. Benjamin Franklin's Birthday (1/17/1706)
   
   Did you know that Ben Franklin invented the first American instrument, the glass armonica? Find out about other things that Franklin invented and contributed to from the Franklin Institute. Check out this great book recommendation for 6th grade about Ben Franklin. Lasalle University has a great Ben Franklin lesson plan for middle schoolers and Scholastic has a ton of Ben Franklin themed resources and lesson plans for all grade levels.


5. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1/18)
   
   Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in your classroom today! Learn about his life and his accomplishments, read and watch his 'I Have a Dream' speech, and learn about the Civil Rights Movement on our Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resource page







6. National Handwriting Day (1/23)
   
   I4C has tons of handwriting resources for you to use in your classroom! We have a page for kindergartners with tons of handwriting worksheets. Help your students with uppercase and lowercase letters. We also have resources for your students to practice manuscript and cursive and handwriting help for students with ADHD.


7. Jackson Pollock's Birthday (1/28/1912)
   
   Celebrate Jackson Pollock's birthday in your classroom today! Watch a short video about Pollock and read his biography. I4C also has art resources and lesson plans you can use in your classroom.


8. National Puzzle Day (1/29)
   
   Work puzzles in your lesson plans today! I4C has word search and crossword puzzle makers and tons of brain teasers!




9. FDR's Birthday (1/30/1882)
   
   Happy Birthday to President Franklin D. Roosevelt! Did you know he was the only president elected to four terms in office? Find teacher resources like curriculum guides and an interactive timeline from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and read and listen to some of his speeches and Fireside Chat radio addresses.

New- ONLINE PRACTICE AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms now offers Online Practice and Interactives, covering Kindergarten to Eighth Grade Common Core Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice quizzes tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Online Practice Quizzes. More grades and subjects coming soon.

New Online Practice Quizzes Made Available in January

We have released many new online quizzes during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest quizzes by grade.

New- COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS PRINTABLES AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms offers Printables, covering Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice worksheets tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Common Core Printables. More grades and subjects coming soon.

New Printables Worksheets Made Available in January

We have released thousands of new printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest worksheet sets by grade.

New- Answer Keys




New Worksheet Answer Keys Made Available in January

We have released thousands of new answer keys for our printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Remember that you can sign up for answer key access here: https://i4c.xyz/n89msyv.

Here is a list of the newest answer key sets by grade.





TEACHER RESOURCES



1. Many historical events happened this month which you can cover in your classroom. Check outI4C's History page for lesson plans, videos, activities, and other resources to supplement your lessons!


2. In need of project ideas for the second half of the school year? We have them: subject areas, inventors, biographies, middle/high school level projects, and countries and continents.


3. Keep your students and yourself healthy this cold and flu season! Here are some great tips to share with your students and their parents.


4. National Handwriting Day - I4C has tons of handwriting resources for you to use in your classroom! We have a page for kindergartners with tons of handwriting worksheets, help for uppercase and lowercase letters, resources for your students to practice manuscript and cursive, and handwriting help for students with ADHD.


5. Looking for lesson plans to bring in the new year? We have a whole page dedicated to lesson plans by grades and subjects.


6. Are you using our Site Map? Don't forget it's an easy and quick way to search alphabetically by topic.


7. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps.


8. Remember to visit our Teacher Tools section. This home page contains all the topics you need to use during the school year.


9. Go to our grade level help for lesson plans, activities, instructionals, and tools organized by grade and subject.



PARENT RESOURCES




1. Keep your children and yourself healthy this cold and flu season! Here are some great tips .


2. Work puzzles in to your day! I4C has word search and crossword puzzle makers and tons of brain teasers!


3. Want to reinforce a concept with your child? Check out our Grade Level Skill Help page for tons of resources in math and language arts covering a variety of topics.


4. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps for you and your child.


5. You can always visit our Parent Resources page to get grade level practice sites, find online sources, and information pertaining to homework, special needs, reading help, and more.


6. Don't forget our Technology Tutorial section in case you need refresher courses in your computer skills.





TECHNOLOGY TIPS



1. 15 Things To Do With Your Kids On Edmodo:
   This post covers fifteen things teachers and students can do with Edmodo.
   
   Learn more in the article found: HERE


2. A Handy Guide to Everything Teachers Need to Know about Edmodo:
   Edmodo is a web-based platform that provides a safe and easy way for your class to connect and collaborate, share content, and access homework, grades and school notices. It is like Facebook but in a safe and controlled environment appropriate for school. This blog provides an overview of Edmodo and links to great tutorials.
   
   Learn more by visiting: HERE.


3. Teachers visual Guide To Connecting Google Drive To Edmodo:
   Use this step by step visual guide to help you connect your Google Drive to your Edmodo account. The benefits of establishing such a connection is that it enables you to access all the documents, files and folders saved in your Drive right in your Edomodo page.
   
   You can find out more: HERE.






We also have other basic instruction in Microsoft Office, including Word 2007, Excel 2007, Powerpoint 2007.





OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST



1. Resources for Educators - In this section you can find classroom resources for Exceptional Children, Smartboards, Character Education, Web 2.0 Resources and other topics.
2. Resources for Parents - Parents can find resources
   on assisting their children with homework, time management, Internet Safety, subject area resources, grade level resources and more.




Common Core State Standards at I4C




Our Common Core State Standards are full of resources for every individual standard. Students can take control of their own learning by clicking on the page with the standard number, and choosing their own resource to practice that skill.




Check out our Common Core Math High School Algebra Standards, Common Core Math Standards, and Common Core ELA Standards.




SAT and ACT Test Preparation

Free Online Practice Resources for ACT Tests and SAT Tests. I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Join our SAT and ACT Test Preparation program and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words or over 1000 math problems. Parents and Mentors can log in to monitor your scores - including seeing which vocabulary words that were missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.




Sign Up Here for ACT Test & SAT Test Preparation.