I've been reading a lot of "top 10" lists lately and decided that I would do a few this week.

The first top 10 list I'm doing is "My Top 10 Free Web Resources for Teachers." These are resources that I use quite often and I truly believe that they help me be a better educator. They are in no specific order of preference. Click on the links for more information about each one and it's use in education.

1. Evernote - Evernote is one of those services and apps that I can't live without any more. I use it for organizing my lesson plans, notes, web clippings, and so much more.

2. Twitter - Twitter is an excellent resource for educators. I use Tweetdeck to access Twitter on my computers and Twee on my Palm Pre+. I get to connect with educators from around the world and share, learn, collaborate, and teach with them. If Twitter is blocked at your school (like at mine), you can use Twitter Gadget in iGoogle or Tweetdeck and still access your Twitter account. Twitter in Education.

3. Blogger - Blogger is a great, free, easy tool that you use to create blogs. I use Blogger for this blog, but I also use it to set up class blogs for each of the classes I teach. These blogs allow me to have a resource for my students that is easy to create and update. I have links and resources on them, and then update them with their assignments, due date reminders, helpful links and resources, and much more. My students all subscribe to their class blog and get an email whenever I post something.

4. Google Sites - Besides the class blogs listed above, I also maintain a website for my students and colleagues. I use the site, which is very easy to create and update in Sites, as a place to put up more static items like the class policies and procedures, class description, and I also post files that they can download. I use it for my students and I also post resources for educators on it.

How I use Sites and Blogs with my Classes 

5. Discovery Education - Discovery Education is a great resource for educators. They have a huge amount of resources for educators, many free, in addition to their fee-based offerings. The Discovery Educator Network is community of educators who use Discovery Education resources and is another great resource.

6. Google Chrome browser - Google's Chrome browser is a fast, secure, stable web browser that I love using. It works great with all of Google's services that I use (like Blogger, Calendar etc.) and has some great extensions, like "Clip to Evernote", that make my workday easier.

7. Dropbox - Dropbox is a file sync and storage system that allows you to keep files in sync across multiple computers and backed up on their servers. There is a free account available and ways to increase your free storage. You can even select which directories and files to sync on which computers. I keep a large number of directories on my home computer in sync and backed up. At school, for security and ease of access, I sync   a select set of directories to my school network drive. It has a limited amount of space, so I just sync the files I use the most. Dropbox is a great resource and can help keep your files safe in the event of a computer crash. You can also access your files from any web browser and mobile device.

8. Google Calendar - While I use Evernote (see above) to organize my lesson plans, I use Google Calendar to organize the rest of my life. I have appointments, due dates, meetings, school calendar days, and more all in my Google Calendar. It syncs with my Palm Pre+ through Palm's Synergy system so I have access to it anywhere. I can have it send me reminders via email or text message, can attach documents to events, add notes, and even share events or my calendar with others. It is a great way to stay organized and great for teachers.

9. Aviary - Aviary offers a suite of graphics tools, online, for free. These include screen capture and editing, photo editing, and much more. They even have an educational section to provide a safe and secure environment for students. I use it for taking screen shots and modifying them to use in this blog, as well as with my students.

10. My Personal Learning Network - while not a web resource or app per se, my PLN is a huge source of information, resources, advice, and comeraderie. Every teacher needs a PLN.


Related Articles:
Free Stuff - summary of free things I use to save money at school
Getting Started with Educational Technology
Technology I use on a Daily Basis
iGoolge as Educational Tool 
Get Organized
Palm Pre and webOS

Another science website found by my wife: KS3 Science.

KS3 Science has educational activities for Biology, Chemistry and Physics for grades 7, 8, and 9.

The resources are sorted by grade and topic. They are mainly fill-in the blank with drop down multiple choice selections, but can be used for review, reinforcement of content. They can also be given as assignments for students to do on their own. The students can even check their answers and see how they did.

Definitely a site worth checking out if you teach science.

Here's some great info from Google for Teachers (and for students)

Hello educators and happy new year!
Did you know that 2011 is the international year of chemistry (http://www.chemistry2011.org)? Google's getting ready to celebrate andpromote educational achievements in science - and all of STEM -  withseveral events and programs planned throughout the year. This month wekicked off the first online science fair and opened applications forthe CS4HS program. We're excited and ready to be inspired by a newgeneration of scientists!
If you're attending the the ASCD Annual conference in San Franciscothis March - stop by our booth #1223 to say hi and learn some tips andtricks for using Google Apps and other Google products in yourclassrooms.
We look forward to sharing more in the months to come.
In this newsletter:- Google Science Fair- Google Teacher Academy in Sydney- CS4HS Applications- Upcoming Google Apps for Education Professional Development webinars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GOOGLE SCIENCE FAIR-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Introducing the world’s first online global science competition, theGoogle Science Fair! Google has partnered with CERN, The LEGO Group,National Geographic and Scientific American to create a new kind ofonline science competition that is more global, open and inclusivethan ever before. Students aged 13 - 18 from around the world areinvited to enter and compete for awesome once-a-lifetime experiences,scholarships and real-life work opportunities. Sign up today atgoogle.com/sciencefair.
We hope you are as excited about this upcoming competition as we areare!
For tips on how to get started helping your students prepare for theScience Fair, register for this webinar on February 8, 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET: Embrace your inner Einstein: Using Google Apps for theGoogle Science Fair Online - https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=961203885

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UPDATE ON GOOGLE TEACHER ACADEMY IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The first Google Teacher Academy of 2011 will be held at the Googleoffice in Sydney, Australia. The date for the GTA has changed and willnow be held on April 20th (with an optional half day unconference onApril 21st).
There's still time to apply! We are accepting applications from  allover the world, so polish up your writing and video skills and applyby 11:59 PM PST (UTC/GMT -8) on 27 January 2011.  For moreinformation, please visit our  site:  http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CS4HS APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Applications for Computer Science for High School (CS4HS) 2011workshop grants are open now until February 18, 2010! CS4HS is aworkshop for high school and middle school computer science teachersthat introduces new and exciting concepts in computing and how toteach them.  Any University, Community College, or Technical School inthe US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Asia are welcome to apply.
To submit an application and for more information about the CS4HSprogram please visit www.cs4hs.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GOOGLE APPS FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINAR SERIES-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Learn how to use Google Apps in the classroom with a new bi-weeklywebinar series lead by Google Apps for Education Certified Trainers.Webinars will be held weekly on Tuesdays, 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET and willalso be recorded and archived.
Future webinar topics for this series include:- Jan 25: Introduction to Forms in Google Docs -https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=969555359- Feb 1: Advanced forms in Google Docs -https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=968743187- Feb 8: Embrace your inner Einstein: Using Google Apps for the GoogleScience Fair Online - https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=961203885- Feb 15: Managing Google Docs with your classroom -https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=961914912- Feb 22: Building a class site with Google Sites -https://google.webex.com/google/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=962684060
For more resources, check out the Google Apps for Education OnlineTraining center at edutraining.googleapps.com. View recorded webinarsin the Google Apps for Education Resource Center:http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/resource_center.html
To have someone come and deliver customized professional developmentat your school, contact a localGoogle Apps for Education CertifiedTrainer: http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/trainer_directory.html

Here's another great science resource found by my wife. Biology Junction is a site created by a Biology teacher that has a HUGE amount of resources on Biology. The site has stuff related to the creator's classes, but also has a plethora of resources for all teachers and students.

This is one of those sites you have to explore yourself because you just keep finding more and more things.

The site has resource broken down by Biology subtopic, class, and type. There are class openers, games, lesson plans, labs and activities, information, links and so much more. There are study help guides, science fair help, teacher help, presentations, templates, test prep, notebook help, teacher resources, and the list keeps on going.

If you are a Biology Teacher or Student, you need to check out this site.

Science Monster is a cool new site I learned about from @shannonmmiller today. (Twitter and my PLN are a great thing!).

Science Monster has information, resources, and even some cool games for science topics such as Solar System, Earth Science, Plants, Physics, Technology and more. Animals, Chemistry, Human Life, and Genetics are all coming soon.

What I like about Science Monster is that the material is easy to understand. I also like that the launch page is pictures instead of just menu text links. There is even a section entitled "I Just Discovered" with news and current events in science. There are animations and games to help the students learn.

In the Physics section, it currently only has information on Gravity and Inertia. More topics are coming. But, the topic is explained well and the game is fun to play and does reinforce what the student just learned.

This is a great resource for science teachers and students. Keep checking back as they add more sections to it.

The young adult novel Frindle by Andrew Clements is the story of a clever fifth grade student, Nick Allen, who decides to invent a new word, and the consequences of what he does and the way he does it. It is a wonderful, engaging novel that captivated all three of my sons in elementary school. The story touches on many philosophical issues, including the nature of language, the meaning of words, the social and political justifications for educating young people, and the nature of creativity. It's a perfect story to read aloud to your children or to a class, or to read along with your reader child(ren), and discuss along the way. An illustrative passage, in which Nick's teacher is speaking to him:

" 'Who says dog means dog? You do, Nicholas. You and me and everyone else in this class and this school and this town and this state and this country. We all agree. . . . But if all of us in this room decided to call that creature something else, and if everyone else did, too, then that's what it would be called, and one day it would be written in the dictionary that way. We decide what goes in that book.' And she pointed at the giant dictionary."

Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 is a free download from Microsoft. Mathematics 4.0 is a set of math tools for students to use. It helps students learn how to solve equations step by step along with learning the fundemental concepts in pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry and calculus.

It includes a graphing calculator that works just like a handheld calculator. There are also tools for evaluating triangles, converting units, and solving systems of equations.

The layout is similar to the popular handheld graphing calculators. It is easy to use and navigate, and free.

This is a great resource for math and science teachers and students.

Blackboard has released a mobile app on HP Palm's webOS. Blackboard Mobile Learn works with Blackboard’s Web-based teaching and learning software. Given all the important and secure information in your school’s Blackboard system, Blackboard Mobile Learn must be enabled by your school before the app will work on your device. 


This is great news for users of Palm's Pre and Pixi smartphones running webOS who go to school where Blackboard is used. 




Other HP/Palm webOS apps for education.


(Info from Precentral.net) 

My wife has come through again, finding two more great science resource sites.

The first is Science Index which contains links and resources for all different areas and levels of science. Topics include space, natural hazards, weather, health and nutrition, human body, environment, physics, chemistry, biology and more. The resources are grouped by subject area and include lessons and activities.

The second one is Science at PPPST which has PowerPoints, activities, games, and experiments listed by science topic.

Both sites are great resources for anyone teaching science.

Science-Class.net is a great science resource my wife found for me. She teaches high school Biology and was using it with her class. Even though it is listed as being for elementary and middle school science educators, there are great resources that can be used with high school and there are some that are categorized as high school.

The site has resources divided by topic area: astronomy, biology, chemistry, forensics, physics, and much more. There are also teacher resources like graphic organizers and lesson plans. The student resource section has study skills and other web resources. There is even a section with parent resources.

Each topic area has a variety of links and resources such as activities, labs, slideshows, graphic organizers, online quizzes, study and review notes, and much more. The resources are categorized nicely and are very good.

Science-Class.net is a great resource for all science educators and students.

I've been selected to serve on a jury here in Connecticut. The case is only supposed to run for about 5 days, so I won't be out of the classroom that long. However, I don't like missing school for any reason. So, I'm very thankful for the technology resources I have in my classroom and the fact that I have been using them with my students all along.

The case is tentatively slated to start this coming Wednesday, so I have two days in school to layout the plans for the sub and get organized. I've been working on the plans this weekend, and realized that things weren't changing much from what I would have been doing with them if I was in the class. The only real difference will be that I won't be physically in the classroom to give real-time feedback and guidance to the students and I won't be doing the short topic lectures that I usually do for each topic.

My AP Physics students are working on the unit on Sound and the Physics class is working on the unit on Universal Gravitation. The AP Physics class will be reading the chapter in the textbook and doing problem sets. Both classes will be using websites and Multimedia Science School (MSS) software to further explore and understand the topic. The websites and MSS software have self paced lessons on the topics, with problem solving practice, virtual interactive labs, videos, and demonstrations of the concepts.

I will be communicating with the students via the class blog, and will be communicating with the sub and my colleagues via email to monitor their progress and address any issues or questions. My department is very good at looking in on classes with subs and assisting with any issues. The class blog will also be used for students to submit their work, ask questions, and receive answers and help from me. Normally, I would use the blog for all of this, but I would also be in the classroom to answer questions and give guidance to the students as they work. Instead, I will have to answer questions and give guidance in a delayed time format via the blog each evening. My students all subscribe to the blog so that they get updates when I post new things or respond to comments. They also contact me via school email for questions and issues so we are able to expand their learning beyond the normal school day.

They'll also be watching some great videos on Discovery Education that relate to the topic.

I also maintain a class web site that has resources, links, handouts, and more on it. I post solutions to work along with the lecture notes that I use.

Technology will keep my students learning and exploring as I am absent from the classroom and not cause the typical wasted days and busy work that many students experience when their teacher is absent from the class.

I am very excited and intellectually curious to experience our justice system 1st hand and am very happy that I can do this and still educate my students because of technology.

AP Physics Class Blog
Physics Class Blog
Class Resource Site
Multimedia Science School Software


What are your experiences with activities for your students when you are absent from school?

Understanding Science is a very cool site developed by the University of California Museum of Paleontology in collaboration with other partners, including Berkeley. 


The site describes what science is, what is science evidence, how science works, why science matters, science and society and has a science toolkit. It does a very good job of explaining science and why we need to understand science (and how to understand it).


One of the really great pages is The Real Process of Science which is a much better explanation of how to conduct science inquiry than the Scientific Method. It talks about scientific evidence, exploration and discovery, and testing ideas. This is a much better way to accurately describe how science works than the scientific method.


There is a page for Teachers, which has teaching tips, science tips, and teaching science tips for grades K-16, separated by K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and 13-16. The tips include implications for instruction, characteristics of students in each grade level, and ways to introduce and explain science. 


There is also a Resource Library, which contains articles and links on teaching science, what is science, and much more. 


This is a great site for all teachers and students, including teachers who are not "science teachers" but must teach science, such as elementary teachers. 

The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is a picture book that tells the story of Mr. Plumbean, who lives on a street where the houses are all the same, painted red with olive-colored roofs and windows with green trim. He and his neighbors all like this, characterizing their street as a "neat street."

One day, a seagull drops a can of bright orange paint on Mr. Plumbean's house, leaving a big orange splot on the house. Everyone on the street sympathizes with Mr. Plumbean, who will have to paint his house again, and that's what Mr. Plumbean plans to do. But, instead, he looks at the house for a long time. Finally, in response to his neighbors' urging, Mr. Plumbean takes out some paint and paints his house. But instead of using the house's original colors, he paints it a rainbow of colors. Over the next couple of days, he adds to his house a clock tower, palm trees, a hammock and an alligator.

Horrified, one by one the neighbors stop in to see Mr. Plumbean to talk with him about their dissatisfaction with what he's done to his home and remind him that all the houses have to be the same for their street to continue to be a "neat street." And, one by one, after each neighbor visits with Mr. Plumbean, sitting under the palm trees, drinking lemonade and talking, each neighbor repaints his or her own house to "fit his dreams."

This is a wonderful story for inspiring conversations about conformity and independence and our obligations to our communities. I talked about this story this fall with my fourth grade students from John Muir Elementary. We had a lively discussion about whether Mr. Plumbean was right to paint his house in a way different from his neighbors, when part of the community agreement was that they would keep their houses looking the same. The students were really curious about what it was that made Mr. Plumbean's decision to paint his house to "fit his dreams" so compelling to his neighbors, so that after spending time with him they all changed their minds about how their street should appear. And what if the neighbors had continued to want all the houses to look the same? The students were strongly supportive of Mr. Plumbean's right to have his house look the way he wanted it to look, even if it offended his neighbors. What if, though, he painted words expressing his hate for an ethnic group? Would that be okay? At what point does his right to make an independent choice give way to his obligations to his neighbors?

I just saw a Tweet asking for tips on helping students to get organized, so I decided to write some tips up. I am a very organized person (type A personality and was an engineer for ten years) and I used to teach organizational skills to other employees at one of my jobs. There are a ton of different organizational methods out there, but it is actually pretty easy to be organized and stay that way using some free tools.

I use a variety of tools to keep myself organized and share them with other teachers and with my students. I have some links below to other articles I've written that are similar in nature, so please read those too.

The first thing that is important is to decide what tools you are more comfortable with: paper or electronic. If a student/teacher doesn't have a smartphone or easy access to a computer, it is harder to use some of the electronic versions. However, one solution is to use the electronic versions at home/office and print out things for mobile. I used to do that before I got my first PDA. I would print a task list and calendar in Word and keep it updated and then print it out when I had to use it away from a computer. I used to also use a Franklin Covey planner before my PDA days.

The trick to being organized is to always use your system and not deviate from it. If you are using a smartphone, then always use that, don't use paper too. Take 5 min each morning, lunch, afternoon, and evening to get organized, check your schedule and task list, and make plans for the next time period. Keep your task list and schedule up to date and check it before making plans. Prioritize your task list based on what is most important or needed done 1st. Use a calendar or prompts or reminders to make sure you get things done on time.

Electronic organizing tools can be helpful because they can remind you of due dates, meetings, etc. through text messages, emails, and on-screen alerts. They can also link notes, web sites, and more together so it's easier to find things.

Here is how I stay organized: 
(I use electronic resources and can access them from anywhere)

1. I have a Palm Pre+ running on Verizon so I can access all of the tools I use at any time. That means I'm always able to take notes, create a task or calendar event, and review all of my stuff any time, anyplace. I can access all of my emails, my Google Calendar, Google Task List, and Evernote from it. I can also access all of my files via Dropbox. (and all of this is accessible from any computer and always in sync through Palm's Synergy system).

2. I use iGoogle to keep everything in one place on my computer. My calendar, Tasks, email, and Evernote notes are all available to me on one page on my computer. This means I can see everything very easily and keep myself up to date. I also have events in Google Calendar set up to send me a text message reminder.
(here's an article I wrote about using iGoogle to stay organized. )

3. I use Evernote to take notes, organize notes, organize info and web clippings, and as a lesson planning tool. I have access to this from any computer and from my Palm Pre+. I organize notes into notebooks and also have tags, making them easier to find when I need them.

4. I even have an app for my phone that will alert me when I am near a place that I have a task for (via GPS).

I tell my students about all of these, and I also share some great tools specifically for students, like Trackclass, Shoshiku, and Dweeber that can help them get organized with their classes, schedule, and notes.

Paper Planning Resources (not free)
Franklin Covey - great paper planning systems, but a little pricey for students.
Day Timer paper planners
DIY Planner - make and print your own planner pages
Planner Pads - paper planners
Day Runner - paper planners
Mead Student Planners
At-A-Glance
Student Planner USA - some nice ones on here (and not expensive)
SchoolMate Student Planners


You can also create and print out your own calendars and task lists. There are a huge number of sites that have these, and MS Word has templates for it.

There are also some great student planners that you can customize for your school, adding in school calendar and schedules. They also have some great reference pages in the back, including math, English, science, study tips, college planning and more references. Here's one we've used:  Premier Agendas for College Ed. There are a variety out there, and I don't endorse any specific one.


Electronic Planning Resources (free)
Evernote
iGoogle (and other Google Tools)
Student Planner Software (all free) (lots of good ones here to share with your students)


Organizing Resources
Online Organizing
Get Organized Now - great site with great tips and resources
Julie Morgenstern - professional organizer with some great tips and resources


The big thing to remember is that you have to use your system consistently and you have to take a time to plan out your day. You have to prioritize things and realize that free time and sleep sometimes have to take a back seat to priorities. However, if you plan things well and do things each day, you can avoid the sudden backlog and all-nighters that many students end up experiencing.

Basic Steps for being organized:
1. Plan Ahead (every day)
2. Make a ToDo (or task) list
3. Put things in your calendar (and check your calendar during your planning)
4. Students: write down your assignments and due dates in organizer
5. Students: study/work on homework a little each day to stay ahead
6. Stick to your schedule and commitments
7. Reward yourself with some free time.

Teachers and students can benefit greatly form being organized. You are more efficient, get things done on time, don't forget things, and generally have less stress.

I just learned about a site, myBrainshark.com which is a free technology tool that can be used by teachers and their students. myBrainshark lets users add their voice to PowerPoint presentations to create online videos for free. Attachments, interactivity (such as survey and quiz questions), background audio, photos and more can be incorporated, too. On top of that, it’s easy to track who viewed your presentation.

Wordstash is a web based study tool that utilizes digital flashcards and a dictionary to allow teachers and students to create flashcards. Teachers can create accounts and share lists they create with their students.

It is very easy to use and is free. You can select a theme for your flashcards, create your own flashcards, find already created flashcards, use quizzes and games, and more. The site is linked to a dictionary site, so definitions are easily found and are given in sentences to provide contextual meaning.

The site is free and easy to use. Try it out and share it with your students.

The classic nineteenth century fairy tale The Ugly Duckling tells the story of a duckling who, when hatched along with his brothers and sisters, is ridiculed and ostracized because they perceive him as ugly. He wanders alone through the fall and winter, and suffers from fear, loneliness, and sadness. In the spring he flies away from the marsh and meets up with a group of swans, and realizes that he too has become a beautiful swan.

The story is familiar to most students and nicely raises philosophical questions about identity and the nature of the self, the meaning of beauty and ugliness, perception, and the experience of solitude. You can read the story with your child or students and ask them questions like whether the "ugly duckling" really was ugly and, if so, what made him ugly? Did he then stop being ugly at the end of the story? What does ugly mean? Would the "ugly duckling" still be ugly if someone thought he was beautiful? How do we decide what is beautiful and what is not? Did the duckling change over the course of the story? Was he still the same duckling? Do our identities change over time? Etc.

I just saw this on http://techtoolsforschools.blogspot.com:

University of Southern Indiana has created a great page that has an image of the Bloom's Taxonomy triangle with  links to different technology tools that you can use in each area of Bloom's Taxonomy. It's really great as a way to find some new tools to use when creating lessons.

MEDtropolis is a very interesting site that I found a few years ago. The site tagline is "A webspace built for the latest health information that will educate and entertain kids and adults alike."


The site has information about different medical topics, such as bariatric surgery, diabetes and more.


But, the really cool part of the site is the Virtual Body. The Virtual Body is literally a virtual tour of the human body. You can explore the Brain, Skeleton, Heart, and Digestive tract. Each part can be explored and manipulated and some sections even have narrated tours.

SnipSnip.it is a web site that allows you to crop videos easily and share them. You enter the YouTube URL for the video and then crop it to show just the part you want. It's easy, no sign up is required, and it is great for teachers who only want a small part of a video to share with their students. Students can also use it to crop videos to use in projects for class.

Braineos is a site that students can use to create flashcards and then use them in games to study.

The site is free and very easy to use. Students can also work with their friends and challenge them.

Students can also search for sets of flash cards that have already been created about different topics and use those.

What I like about this is it makes studying a game with competition and the students won't even know they are studying.

Montage-a-Google is a cool little project that lets you create montages using Google's image search. It's fun and interesting and also can be used to create posters and pictures. It's fun and easy to use.

The web app does require Flash Player version 9 or higher.

There are examples of other montages and some tips and ideas on the site.

This could be fun to use in any classroom to create montage's of images related to a topic of study in that class. Students could create montages and other students would have to guess what the topic is based on the pictures.

Google Science Fair, a global, online science competition, is live today.

Google, in partnership with CERN, LEGO, Scientific American, and National Geographic is sponsoring this contest. Students aged 13-18 from around the world can enter singly or in groups of up to three students. Prizes include internships and scholarships and finalists will be flown to Google's Headquarters in California for the finale. Students have until April 4th, 2011 to complete their entry.

Students who enter will need to create a Google account first if they don't already have one. Students then complete the sign up form, plan our their project, conduct their experiment and write up their results. They then create either a two minute video or a 20 slide presentation giving an overview of the project and embed it in the project submission.

The Google Science Fair site has information and resources for the students and educators to help them with their projects. There are examples of the entry and project submissions to give students assistance in entering the contest.

There are some great prizes for the winners too, including a trip to the Galapagos Islands, scholarships, and goodies from the sponsors (one goody bag is a Google Chrome OS Notebook and Android phone).

You can follow the Google Science Fair on Facebook, Twitter, Buzz and Blogger also to keep up with news and information.

The Teacher Resource section has downloadable information sheets and posters, a link to request and information packet (mine came yesterday with posters, stickers and information sheets), tips for getting your students started with the project, and a variety of resources for science and science fair projects.

This is a great experience and opportunity for students to showcase their science talent and excitement. Please share this information with your colleagues, students, and parents.


Related Article:
http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/google-science-fair-is-coming.html 

UPDATED 1/10/2011
Google Science Fair will be here tomorrow. I just received my info pack which included posters, stickers and info sheets to handout to students. This is a great opportunity for your students. Go to the site and get more info for your students.

www.google.com/sciencefair




Google Science fair is a resource for Google for educators. There is not much information available yet, but the site states "If you’re an educator and you’d like to receive classroom materials (posters, stickers, bookmarks, etc.) and a registration reminder notification when GSF registration opens, click the button below to send us your contact info.".


Free materials and a science fair from Google sounds good to me though.


Go to the site and sign up to receive more information and materials.