March Features from Internet 4 Classrooms

March 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

March brings Music in Our Schools Month, Women's History Month, Daylight Savings Time, Pi Day, St Patricks's Day, First Day of Spring, and much more.

March Blog: Thinking on Your Own – Part 4: Building Toys to Makerspaces (Activities to Build Reasoning, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills)

Thinking on Your Own – Part 4: Building Toys to Makerspaces (Activities to Build Reasoning, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills)

This month's blog is Thinking on Your Own – Part 4: Building Toys to Makerspaces (Activities to Build Reasoning, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills) .

We live in the most abundant period of human history. But that doesn’t mean our problems are all solved or that everything is easy. Every day we face a flood of information, misinformation and disinformation. And with even a moderate level of perspective we should be grateful for what we have, yet realize how much is uncertain - or simply not known. Skills that aid in navigating these waters are paramount.

This is the fourth of a five part blog series in which we're reviewing educational activities that should be introduced (and strongly emphasized) for paradigm shifting increases in reasoning, problem solving and critical thinking skills. We covered Chess and Complex Board Games in part one. We covered Speech and Debate in part two. We covered Coding - Learning to Code and Studying Computer Science in part three. In part four we're covering the benefits of progressing the continuum from Building Toys to Makerspaces.

Guest Blogger Bill Franklin, the CEO of Internet4Classrooms, is our guest blogger this month. He has been on the faculty at The George Washington University, has years of platform instructional experience, was a career Army Special Operations officer and also has decades of experience as a youth sports coach.

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 March is DIY- Do Something New Everyday by Kyt Technologies Pte. Ltd. ( iOS and Android ).

At DIY, we believe that every kid is inherently creative. That's why our mission is to give kids all over the world a safe space to build, create, and grow together!

The DIY app offers kids a safe and moderated platform to get inspired to do something new everyday! There are over 150 interests for kids to explore like art, gaming, coding, music, anime, drawing, science, fandoms, etc. For kids who want to explore new interests, we have a library of DIY videos and hands-on projects they can try to track their progress!

Our extensive safety features ensure that kids can operate the app independently and achieve their creative potential without fear of bullying, negativity, or icky content.

If you're between the ages 7 and 15, all you need to do is download the app, create an account (for free, no credit card required!) and upgrade to DIY (to become a part of the DIY community).

As a free user, you can -

• Browse other kids content
  
  
• Browse DIY Library content and challenges
  

What makes DIY safe?

• Human Moderation 24x7x 365: We've got a dedicated team of MODs working across timezones to keep DIY free of bullies, negativity, and intruders.
  
  
• AI Powered Moderation: The app has 3 layers of built in security that automatically filter out bad language, graphic content, and violence.
  
  
• Parent Powers: Every parent has access to a parent dashboard they can use to monitor their plan.
  
  
• Email Updates: Parents receive updates via email every time their kids post on DIY.
  
  
• DIY is COPPA Compliant and ad free.
  

DIY- Do Something New Everyday is available for Apple and Android devices.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 15.0 or later on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android version 6.0 and up on your Android device.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

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

1. Music in Our Schools Month
   
   Celebrate and enjoy music in your classroom this month. Make your own instruments, play with virtual instruments, and learn about different genres of music with on our Music Resources page. We also have Music and Dance resources for Kindergarten and Pre-K aged children.


2. Women's History Month
   
   Did you know that March is National Women's History Month? You can learn about Women in World History and Women in American History. Learn about how March became the month to celebrate the accomplishments and influence of women in history, find a list of honorees for 2021, and other resources from the National Women’s History Alliance.



3. Dr. Seuss" Birthday (3/2)
   
   Fun fact: Green Eggs and Ham was written with a mere 50 words. Dr. Seuss is a staple in children's literature. Celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with lesson plans and activities all correlating with his books. Learn about his life. Find activities for all of Dr. Seuss' books. Here are some Dr. Seuss themed great printables and resources. Also check out our Online Stories page for more classroom reading resources.



4. Daylight Savings Time Begins (3/10)
   
   Remember to set your clocks an hour ahead today. Learn about the history of Daylight Savings Time and why we "spring forward" an hour today. Work on time telling skills with these resources for First, Second, and Third Grade.



5. Pi Day (3/14)
   
   Happy Pi Day. Learn about the history of Pi. Apply Pi in your math lesson today. Check out these ways these teachers have celebrated Pi Day in their classroom. Learn about Pi through this "irrational" webquest. For high schoolers, try the Pi Day Challenge, a series of logic based puzzles all about Pi.



6. St. Patrick"s Day (3/17)
   
   Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in your classroom with I4C. We have St. Patrick's Day history, games, crafts, and activities on our St. Patrick's Day resource page.




7. First Walk in Space (3/18/1965)
   
   Learn about space walks and Alexei Leonov"s experience outside of the spacecraft. You can also check out our General Astronomy page for other resources on Space.


8. First Day of Spring (3/19)
   
   Welcome to Spring. Today, learn about what causes the change of seasons. Also check out these spring themed worksheets and activities and crafts you can use in your classroom.


9. First Map of the United States Published (3/31/1784)
   
   Ever wondered what the United States looked like when the nation was first created? Abel Buell"s work was the first to be submitted for copyright. Check out our Maps page for more resources on maps of the United States, interactive maps, and printables.

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 March

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 March

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 March

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. March 14th is Pi Day. Apply Pi in your math lesson today. Check out these ways these teachers have celebrated Pi Day in their classroom and have your students learn about Pi through this "irrational" webquest. Your students can also work on their math skills with our Grade Level Skill Builders, our free Online Practice quizzes, and our free Common Core Math Printables for Kindergarten to Eighth Grade.


2. Spring brings unpredictable weather. Explore these Elementary Science tools.


3. Name that tune. Celebrate Music In Our Schools Month with I4C's music lessons and resources ranging from music sheets and instruments to percussions and opera.


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


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


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



PARENT RESOURCES




1. Did you know that March is National Craft Month? Check out these Spring themed crafts you can do with your child this month. Internet4Classrooms also has Arts and Crafts Resources for Pre-K and Kindergarten aged children.


2. Read with your child this month. Here are some great reading resources just for parents. Check out our Elementary School Stories page and prep for upcoming assessments with our Reading Comprehension Practice resources.


3. March is Music in Our Schools Month. Enhance your child's music education with Internet4Classrooms. Make your own instruments, play with virtual instruments, and learn about different genres of music with your child on our Music Resources page. We also have Music and Dance resources for Kindergarten and Pre-K aged children.


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. 7 Quick Tips for Makers:
   Electromechanical Engineer "Proto G" shares seven quick tips that will make your life as a maker a bit easier.
   
   Learn more in the article found: HERE


2. 5 Makerspace Projects for Teen Tech Week:
   The American Library Association’s Teen Tech Week (3/3-9/2024) is a favorite event in many libraries. Here are 5 different makerspace projects you can do in your library for Teen Tech Week this year:.
   
   Learn more by visiting: HERE.


3. Starting Our STEM Lab & Making Our Makerspace:
   When the very first class entered their STEM lab, it was truly magical. The kids were engaged, they were learning, exploring and discovering the entire time they were in there. It was the moment for which the teachers had worked so hard when they created this innovative learning space. It was a long journey that their STEM lab teacher team took to get there and they learned a lot along the way!
   
   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.