3 Must-Know Sites for Teachers: Edmodo, iCivics, & National Geographic Kids

             This posting introduces three web sites that teachers should know and use in order to carry out effective and efficient learning: Edmodo, iCivics, and National Geographic Kids.


(1) Edmodo (https://www.edmodo.com/)

Edmodo is a classroom management site that offers teachers ways to create groups in which teachers can invite students, post discussion topics, upload assignments, implement polls, and post alerts. These features can enable teachers and students to form an effective learning community. On top of these in-class managing services, Edmodo has various interests groups in which teachers are encouraged to share ideas, resources, and materials via communicating with other teachers. For example, I am a member of an interest group called "Language Arts," which means all of the messages the group members post are automatically alerted to me. In order to effectively manage classes and share critical ideas, teachers should know and use Edmodo.

Edmodo

(2) iCivics (http://www.icivics.org/)

iCivics is a government-operating website that teach civics to users through fun games. Students can learn citizen rights, election procedures, and what the courts do via abundant games that include action, question-answer, and role-play games. All the graphics are colorful and cartoon character based, therefore students will be motivated to use the site as much as they enjoy other game sites. In addition, teachers can have a teacher account that will enable them to guide students within the site. Teaching civics or political science is essential for learners to grow up to be responsible and dependable citizens. Therefore, teachers should know and use iCivics in order to guide students to not only learn knowledge, but also grow as a citizen.

iCivics

(3) National Geographic Kids (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/)

National Geographic Kids is a website that teachers must know because it contains abundant high quality materials. Even though it is easy to think that National Geographic is mostly specialized in science only, the topics include: science, animals, language, history, anthropology, and social science. Teachers with any subjects can use the materials on the site, which are professionally designed and created by directors with expertise. Along with a number of video clips, there are corresponding reading passages for each video clip. Teachers can use these aural, visual, and literacy-based materials for many topics, which will effectively stimulate learners' multiple intelligence. Therefore, teachers should use this site as their resource in order to access fun, authentic, and effective learning content.

National Geographic Kids