Help With Fractions

Over the summer I spend time with my boys reviewing some basic skills they learned in their previous school year. This summer, my former sixth grader is working with fractions. Math does not come easily for him so I was looking for help online to explain some of the processes he needed to go through. I found the website Help With Fractions which did help us! At the site you will help with the following topics:

• Math Homework Help
• Adding Fractions
• Subtracting Fractions
• Multiplying Fractions
• Dividing Fractions
• Least Common Multiple
• Least Common Denominator
• Greatest Common Factor
• Equivalent Fractions
• Simplifying Fractions
• Reducing Fractions
• Understanding Fractions
• Prime Numbers
• Fraction Calculator

We worked through the Least Common Denominator section that got us on track. There is a Prime Numbers chart that may be helpful to students. Check it out - it might be just what you were looking for.

ISTE Connects website

Wishing I was in Denver at ISTE 2010 . . . I saw a post on my Facebook page with a link to ISTE Connects at http://www.isteconnects.org/ and visited the site. According to the site, "ISTE Connects is your source for content related to technology in education. We create podcasts, videos, and presentations about ed tech." Take some time to browse this site and learn more about educational technology. ISTE Conference News can be found here for those of us unable to attend this technology rich conference.

Another ISTE site is ISTE Learning located at http://istelearning.org/. "ISTE Learning is an anytime, anywhere online community for professional development where educators can sample free concepts, buy cool resources and exchange creative ideas. This space provides relevant learning experiences in multiple formats to strengthen the teaching experience and grow digital literacy."

Find information about National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), Web 2.0 technologies (blogging, wikis, RSS, podcasting), Project-based learning and more. ISTE is a leader in educational technology. Stop by this site frequently to keep up with what's happening in the world of technology and apply it in your classroom.

Internet Safety Resources

Internet Safety is a hot topic today. Many schools are in the midst of creating a scope and sequence to teach all students how to be safe on the Internet. Following are some resources that might be helpful to parents, students and educators.

NetSmartz is a website with many resources for all groups. NetSmartz characters appeal to the younger children while age-appropriate videos are available for older children. Parents will find resources to use as they create a conversation with their child about safety issues. Visit http://www.netsmartz.org

Nancy Willard's Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use. Nancy Willard is the executive director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use and is a recognized authority on issues related to the safe and responsible use of the Internet. She has written two books, Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats, and Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens. There are a number of professional resources at this site. Visit http://csriu.org/

The Cyberbullying Research Site is directed by Dr. Sameer Hinduja (Florida Atlantic University) and Dr. Justin Patchin (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire). They have been studying cyberbullying since 2002 and first launched this web site in 2005. They founded the Cyberbullying Research Center as a means to further their mission of bringing sound research about cyberbullying to those who can benefit most from it. Their 2008 book Bullying beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying is available from Amazon and other bookstores. Visit http://www.cyberbullying.us/