Where To Search For Educational Stuff?

A good search engine lets you filter any content that may be offensive and inappropriate. This is a new feature that seems to be catching on and is proving to be effective. It can help you find high quality sites, relevant to what you are searching for.

Often we start browsing by entering any keyword at the provided box of a 'search engine'. Result is related to the words or terms we seek from the world wide web, but most of the site links don't provide reliable and FREE stuff. In case of educational or teachers stuff, it is my experience that I had to spend hours in search of the information I needed. Initial purpose of this personal blog was to place the information and links at one place for an easy access, but gradually I realized that there are lot of parents or teachers who are in the same situation and can't find the information easily from the world wide web. This post would help you search at the specific search engines offering the links and free resources for teachers, students and parents.

These are the posts which provide a full review of the search engines for educational stuff. At the bottom of the post there are links to other search engines or sites where you can search for the educational information.

* "Free search engine tutorial" - a short and easy guide to Web searching, search engines and directories. This little crash course will teach you how to explore the Net more efficiently.
A short and easy search engine tutorial By Pandia Search Engine

* "Ask Jeeves for Kids" is an educational based search engine. 'Ask for Kids' allows kids to ask questions and perform web searches, such as "When did Hawaii become a state?" etc.

Read more: Search at "Ask for KIDS" for educational stuff!

* "Kinder Search" is a directory plus search engine, which is focused on children 0-7 years on the net. It is the largest and most popular indexed directory and search engine for kids.

Read the review: Search for the kids sites at "Kinder Start"

* "Study Sphere.com" is a search engine based learning portal for students, families and teachers. It provides fast, easy and free access to a wide variety of research-quality child-safe websites organized for education online from home, school, study abroad and home school.

Read the review: "Study Sphere"- providing learning resources!

* "Child and family web guide" is a directory of the sites rated by experts from "Tufts University" which is one of the premimier universities in the United States. The goal of the WebGuide is to give the public easy access to the best child development information on the Web.

Read more: A "Child and Family Web Guide" about child development sites

* Teacher Tap is a free, professional development resource that helps educators and librarians address common questions about the use of technology in teaching and learning.

- Search Tools for Kids, Teens, and Teachers

* A list of education search engines from "Search Engine Guide"

* Kids.net.au Search engine with the option to search for web sites, encyclopedia, dictionary or thesaurus.

* How to find and use the Invisible Web and Meta Search Engines at the Educational CyberPlayGround.
- Edu-cyber PG.com

* How to choose a seach engine or directory?

"Reading Rocket"- helping kids learn to read

Reading Rocket is a comprehensive and daily updated web site that includes reading news headlines, research-based articles, tips for parents and educators, video interviews with top children's book authors, a monthly e-newsletter, national and local resources, an online store, and much more.

"Reading Rocket" is a national multimedia project that offers research-based and best-practice information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle. It is an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that one in five children has serious difficulties learning to read. These children are potentially among the most troubled kids in society. With early identification and a lot of help, however, children who struggle to read can flourish; without it they are at risk for failure in school and in life.

ReadingRockets.org

Since 1965, the federal government has invested more than $100 million to find out why so many children have problems learning to read and what can be done. Thanks to that research, we now know how to identify children at risk and how to help them before they fail. Reading Rockets' mission is to take that research-based and best-practice information and make it available to as many people as possible through the power and reach of television and the Internet.

Mission:
Reading Rockets aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, administrators, and others who touch the life of a child by providing accurate, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle.

- The project is guided by an advisory panel made up of leading researchers and experts in the field of reading. They produce and distribute research-based PBS television programs, online services, and professional development opportunities, which are available at no cost.

* Teachers page gives you information that's research-based on how to teach reading effectively.
- Strategies to Help Kids Who Struggle

Sign up for free newsletters to receive news and information about key issues in reading, learning disabilities, and other areas of learning.

* Free print guides created for parents, teachers, and others who want to improve the reading achievement of children. You're welcome to download and print these guides for your own use.
Link: Reading Guides

- Download link of the guides: Guides from Reading Rockets
- These are many of our favorite guides, published by organizations devoted to reading and literacy issues: Guides from Other Organizations

Learn origami at the internet!

There are many sites, which provide you step up step tutorials or lesson to learn origami which is called paper folding.

1- Origami club is a free site where you learn origami.

Origami club belongs to City plan.co.,Ltd and is a resource site to learn origami for FREE. There are lot of origami projects which can be made and even you can take a print out of those easy instruction based diagrams.
Few pages:

* fun origami
* fruits and vegetables
There are 2 ways to learn origami, first is animated way and second is diagram of step by step instructions.

These are few of the pages, you may find artwork for cloths, furniture,

Site is updated monthly and several new origami artworkds are produced, so better to keep checking for it.

2- Various articles on different aspects of origami and related subjects Joseph Wu Origami

3- Folding paper toys that you can make yourself at: The toy maker

4- Learn about the history of origami, how it relates to math, and about Eric's work with origami; as well as, order books and learn to fold insects, dinosaurs, and other objects.
- Eric's Origami Page
- Diagrams on paper folding
- Origami organizations
- Personal origami pages

5- A site created by Melissa Johnson. These links provide information for the origami enthusiast or the beginner.Origami Sources on the Web
* This page provides links to web sites and pages dedicated
to using Origami in the classroom.
- Origami in the Classroom
6- Best Paper Airplanes .com is a free site that illustrates how to make unique folded Paper Planes that you'll find nowhere else - because these ten paper airpcraft models are original, copyrighted designs. Some are easy to bulid, some are flying origami as well as paperairplanes, but all are fun to fold and fly.
- Best airplanes.com
7- George Ho gives information about the benefits of origami.
- Origami & Mental Therapy

8- Formerly "Jasper's Guide to Paperfolding Instructions on the Web"
If you follow along with these handy guides, you can make your own beautiful models in just a few minutes
- Folds.net

9- You may find diagrams, puzzles, resources and news about origami.
- Origami-usa.org

"Parents Centre"- helping parents to help their child

Upto now I have been reviewing many sites which were for students, teachers and parents. But "Parents Center" is specially for parents. As a parent I found this site really useful, easy to navigate, infromative and specific.
In short- A must visit site for parents!

ParentsCentre is an official Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF, web site for parents and carers.
ParentsCentre has been running since June 2003. It provides =Information and support for parents on how to help with your child's learning, including advice on choosing a school and finding childcare.

What is DCSF?
"www.dcsf.gov.uk" or "The Department for Children, Schools and Families" -leads work across Government to ensure that all children and young people:

- stay healthy and safe, secure an excellent education and the highest possible, standards of achievement, enjoy their childhood, make a positive contribution to society and the economy, have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty.

Mission of the site:
ParentsCentre has links to numerous relevant websites, both Governmental and non-Governmental. And they act as a reference book about education system, directig parents to sources of information and advice.

Start browsing the site from this link:
First time user

They suggest you to participate at the forums:

- Whether it's dyslexia, bullying, nursery education grants, choosing a school or antisocial teenagers, you're sure to find other users willing to add an opinion or offer advice.
Link to the forum: Parent's Views Forum

What you can get at the site?

- 1- This section helps you by providing article and links towards doing research for school and homework, gaming, online safety, and lot more.
Link: Using computers and the internet

- 2- "Education and learning" includes information and support on issues including choosing a school, types of school, curriculum and assessment, home education, reports and parents evenings, special educational needs (SEN), bullying, truancy and your rights and responsibilities.

The section includes a number of useful links to further information and organisations providing support.
Link: Education and learning

- 3- Links for age-specific information on:

Childcare - your options explained
Helping your child to learn - what you can do to prepare your child for school and build upon what they learn at school
Curriculum - what and how your child learns, as well as the choices they will have to have to make
Qualifications - the tests they will take and the certificates and diplomas they can achieve

Link: For age group

- 4- Behaviour and discipline: you'll find information about how schools deal with issues such as bullying, drugs and alcohol, truancy and disruptive behaviour.

You'll also find information on what your rights and responsibilities are as a parent or carer, with sections covering exclusions, parenting contracts, parenting orders and penalty notices.

Link: Behaviour and discipline

- 5- Worried about...Information, support and advice in dealing with some of the major issues affecting parents and their children for example bullying, sex, alcohol, drugs, anorexia, dylexia etc.

Link: Worried about

- 6- Webchats, interviews, videos: This section contains webchats (live, online Q&A sessions in which our users ask the questions), interviews and videos featuring a diverse range of experts across the parenting spectrum.

We include transcribed versions and endeavour to provide film streamings in different speeds and formats to enable as many people as possible to access them.

Link: Web chats, interviews etc

- 7- School holidays: Provide a range of ideas to help you keep your children occupied, whatever their interests.
Link: School holidays

- 8- Publications: guide to the current brochures and leaflets from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). All leaflets and guides listed here are available free.
Link: Publications

More free interactive kindergarten resources

Crickweb.co.uk is one of those sites which offer  free interactive resources and activities for Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Subjects including: Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, R.E., D.T., I.C.T.

Explaination of key stages:

There are three education stages in the U.K. covering the following ages;
- Early Years/Foundation Stage for 4 to 5 year olds.
- Key Stage 1 for 6 to 7 year olds.
- Key Stage 2 for 8 to 11 year olds.

What this site offers?

* 156 free to use educational interactive resources for Primary Schools.
* 15 free to use fun games for children aged 4 - 11.
* 100 web links to other free interactive, image and software resources.

More page links from the site:
*14 Early Years interactive resources for Primary or Infant Schools.

"Topic Box"- A good resource for teachers!

This site is for primary school teachers. A lot of FREE resources which may help you in planning. Site also provides you with best available educational resources.

To my opinion a very easy to browse, useful and well designed resource for teachers.
You may start your search by selecting for your subject. Site links according the subject are selected very wisely and description helps to chose it for class room or teacher's personal use.

Link: browse the subjects

To get TopicBox newsletter: Subscribe link

I searched the site to see if they can help in planning for Islam subject and I was really amazed to see lot of informative material at this link. They provide a very interactive style link bos from where you can decide what topics you want to look for. You are then taken to that link or site : Religion-Islam

* Resources for foundation stage: Foundation stage
* Math links
*

"Kids Konnect"- A safe internet gateway for kids!

This is a free to use edutainment site, which was first created to fulfill the requirements of a model technology school in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. But later when this site went upto the internet, it was decided to make this site available free worldwide.

Kids Konnect.com

An interactive and entertaining, educational site for kids from a retired teacher "Jan Belzer". She has an experience of 34 years in elementary school.
Kids Konnect.com was established in 1999.

Primary goal:
To find the best sites available and provide the students with the safest and most effective way of utilizing the Internet.

The main goal behind creating the site can be divided into 4 parts:

- Allowing children to safely and effectively utilize the Internet.
- Site covers the curriculm areas taught in school, so site is also helpful in studies.
- Lots of fun site links for kids to visit.
- Keeping the site free.

Target:

For teachers, students, and parents who utilize KidsKonnect at school and at home.

Achievement: Kids Konnect receives 280,000 unique visitors each month, with an average of 700,000 pages viewed monthly with 2 pages per visit. It has over 413 pages right now, adding more pages whenever needed.

A very impressive and informative report about internet safety from the Kids Konnect.com:

I have taken a part of the article which is about "important facts to think about"

1. In a study of 4 million children between the ages of 7 and 17 who use the Internet, 29% indicated they would give out their home address and 14% would give out their email address if asked (NOP Research Group, 2002).

2. 81% of parents of online teens say that teens aren’t careful enough when giving out information about themselves online and 79% of online teens agree with this (Pew Internet & American Life Project, March 17, 2005).

3. Approximately 89% of sexual solicitations of youth were made in either chat rooms or through Instant Messaging (Pew Study reported in JAMA, 2001).

4. 1 in 5 youth ages 10 to 17 received sexual solicitation or approach in last year (Online Victimization, NCMEC, June 2000).

5. “30% of teenage girls polled by the Girl Scout Research Institute said they had been sexually harassed in a chatroom. Only 7% told their parent because they were worried that their parents would ban them from going online” (Girl Scout Research Institute, 2002).

6. "86% of the girls polled said they could chat online without their parents’ knowledge, 57% could read their parents’ e-mail, and 54% could conduct a cyber relationship” (Girl Scout Research Institute, 2002).

7. Law enforcement officials estimate that as many as 50,000 sexual predators are online at any given moment (Dateline, 2006).

8. 42% of parents do not review the content of what their teenager(s) read and/or type in chat rooms or via instant messaging (The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and NetSmartz, June 2005).

9. 95% of parents didn’t recognize common chat room lingo that teenagers use to let people they’re chatting with know that their parents are watching. Those phrases are POS (parent over shoulder), P911 (parent alert), BRB (be right back), LOL (laughing out loud) and A/S/L (age/sex/location) (The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and NetSmartz, June 2005).

10. 30% of parents allow their teenagers to use the computer in private areas of the house such as a bedroom or a home office. Parents say they are more vigilant about where their teen(s) go online if the computer is in a public area of the household (NCMEC/ Cox5/24/05).

11. Nearly three out of 10 (28%) of parents don't know or are not sure if their teens talk to strangers online (NCMEC/ Cox5/24/05).

12. One-third of youth ages 8-18 have talked about meeting someone they have only met through the Internet (Polly Klaas Foundation, December 21, 2005).

To read full report:
Internet safety for kids and parents

Search at the site, taking time as there is a lot to discover. For example I searched for "stories online and the page came up with 68 site links.

I have searched through some links and providing the page link as well for easy browsing:

* Doorway to the internet providing you with very cool links to other kids sites.
* Online encyclopedia and reference guide
* Fun sites for kids
* Word games sites
* Primary Mathe sites
* Maths sites
* Phonics sites
* Quotables

Review: "Random acts of kindness"-inspiring you to practice kindness!

The Random Acts of Kindness provides free educational and community ideas, guidance, and other resources to kindness participants.

About the foundation: As people tap into their own generous human spirit and share kindness with one another, they discover for themselves the power of kindness to effect positive change. When kindness is expressed, healthy relationships are created, community connections are nourished, and people are inspired to pass kindness on.

Established in 1995 as a nonprofit organization, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a resource for people committed to spreading kindness. We provide a wide variety of materials on our website, including activity ideas, lesson plans, project plans, teacher's guide, project planning guide, publicity guide, and workplace resources on our website at http://www.actsofkindness.org/ all free of charge.

The Foundation has no religious or organizational affiliations; we encourage the practice of kindness in all sectors of society.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is the United States delegate to the World Kindness Movement, an organization that includes various nations. People in these countries promote kindness within their countries' borders and are creating a global network of kindness and compassion.

As people from different cultures and from all walks of life are joining to spread kindness, they are creating a powerful, synergistic action throughout the world.

Download link: FREE kindness stuff

Becoming a member is easy and FREE.

Another exciting service site offers free is that you can create your own kindness site. The purpose of the site would be to share your kindness activity or project with other people.

Link to start your own kindness site, but you have to register first to do it: Start your own web site

Free resources and links to learn glass painting!

Glass painting is a popular, pleasurable art and craft. And internet provides lot of basic information and guidelines for this hobby as well. I have searched at the web to make this post useful for you. I have checked these all links and then enlisted them, but I would be updating my post, as I get more useful and free resouces.

This hobby is an amazing creative art. If you could learn basics of this art, then you can create "master pieces!".
Yes, if you love drawing and know how to create/ make innovative projects then you are going to create real professional touch pieces of art.

I could find many free resources where you can not only learn basics of "glass painting" but get ideas from free patterns. At some sites, you can download the black& white pattern and print it.

It is also called "stained glass painting", or "Reverse glass painting". Stained glass is often used in the making of windows and lampshades, but is also useful for boxes, clocks, cabinet doors, picture frames and other 3-dimensional projects.

1- Hobby craft Here at this site, you can learn the basics of glass painting, so for beginners it is a good start link.

2- A tutorial with pictures: Stain on glass and How to apply It

3- Art of stained glass This site is dedicated to providing step by step video and photo instructions, on a variety of techniques. step by step video and photo illustrations will include both original color photographs and short videoclips that are easily downloaded.
The site not only give you some guidelines for beginners but for professionals or mature artists it provides information on:
• How to cut glass - from large sheets to small pieces.
• Perfect tube hinges for stained glass boxes.
• Designing your own lampshades - panel and on mold.
• Assembling an Odyssey shade without tacky wax.
• How to build a bird feeder.
• Foiling heavily textured glass.
• Lampshade photography.
• Pricing your work.

Beginners can start from here:
Art of stained glass-begginers

4- Free and easy stain glass patterns
Lot of free patterns

5- FREE patterns at this site: Stain glass free patterns This site features only stained glass patterns for windows and panels. All patterns are absolutely and completely free.
Each stained glass pattern page features both a black and white and a colored version to give you color ideas. Just below the series of black and white versions, you will see a small, but complete, black and white version of the pattern. It looks small on your screen, but if you right-click on it, as save to your computer, you will be saving a full size stained glass pattern which you can use to resize as you please.

6- Warner-Criv.com This is a commercial site, but you can get a lot of ideas and patterns for your stained glass projects free from this site. They are offering 173 free patterns.

7- Harmoney glass
These patterns are for sale, but you can just copy the pattern.

8- Forums are a good place to discuss about the topic and get advice or tips. This forum is free to participate. And it is only for "Stain glass" topic discussion. So you can get in touch with other persons having the same hobby and interest.
Link: Stain Glass Square

9- Chickadee dee dee offers free stain glass patterns.

Learn drawing from free to offer sites!- Part 1

From my student age I love art, crafts and drawing. Now I am an art teacher for reception year class, and love working with kids, especially teaching them drawing or crafts.
I was really astonished to see that internet has a rich source of really free and quality stuff about art/crafts and drawing.
Before creating this blog, I had many sites links saved at my hard disk and often read those lessons or articles about drawing. Now this blog is providing me an opportunity to share all that stuff with the parents, teachers and of course children.

My readers would be happy to know that there are number of sites, offering free drawing lessons. So hold a pencil and paper and get ready to DRAW:

1- Artists helping children
Artists Helping Children is a Children's site dedicated to comforting children by empowering artists and others to donate artwork, donated murals, donated art supplies, donated toys and a lot of love to sick and needy children. Artists Helping Children also helps artists by giving them information on how they can help the sick and poor children by volunteering to paint murals and other art for hospitals, shelters, clinics, etc.
We also have filled this site with free coloring pages & coloring printouts for children to color with as well as 1000s of free arts and crafts projects for kids to use when they need some crafts ideas.
Link: Artists helping children

2- Learn how to draw and improve your skill in no time with the help of an online coach. Whether you're an art teacher, art student, or just a hobbyist artist you will find the step by step education that will give you the ability to bring those images in your mind into paper reality.
monthly newsletter, Just Draw It. It's delivered at the end of each month and will inform you about new info that has been added to the site. It's a great way to keep up with the latest an greatest drawing tutorials from the coach.

*Drawing techniques
*Drawing blog
subscribe to Blog to get updates.

3- free drawing lessons at Fine art education

4- KinderArt® was developed in 1997, because they think art should be an important part of any home or school curriculum, and if there are easy-to-follow lessons with readily available materials, it makes the lives of artists, teachers and parents much easier.
The goal of KinderArt® has been, to make art lessons and educational information accessible to people around the world.
In addition to the thousands of free art lesson plans, they offer printable activity pages, the art kitchen, educational links and articles, early childhood education resources and much more.
Everyone who visits KinderArt® is encouraged to share their experiences, questions, comments and ideas. The result? A wonderful variety of lesson plans and educational tips complete with an online children's art gallery.

* lot of resources at Kinder Art

* Bulletin board ideas at Kinder Art

* Art from recycled materials

5- For art teachers a must check site: Every day Art
Art Curriculum for Classroom Teachers and Homeschoolers:
On this page classroom teachers and homeschoolers can find resources for teaching art, including classroom art projects for kids and guidelines for class discussion. These children's art lessons are open ended to stimulate creativity, and are flexible enough to work with a wide range of ages and abilities.
Page link: Art Curriculum for Classroom Teachers and Homeschoolers

* What is Art?

I liked the sentence at the bottom of the page, saying "Art makes kids smart" and I took the picture of it.