TeachersFirst: Resources on College and Career Planning for Parents

Resources on College and Career Planning for Parents

Share these web resources on your teacher web page or copy the printables to encourage parent involvement and help them know how best to support their students.

21 record(s) found - search again

Survival Guide for New Teachers Grade K to 12 - US Dept of Ed- 7596

This comprehensive guide provides ideas and positive support for all aspects of your fledgling teaching career: from parents to college loan debt. College faculty may also want to share it with prospective teachers and student teachers.

2020Green Grade 9 to 12 - Aetna- 1758

Aetna Financial created this site to help students, parents, and teachers understand the financial issues and planning that are important when starting a career. The site offers three separate tracks that lead through interviewing, getting a job, and managing the money you're earning.

Preparing Your Child for College Grade 6 to 12 - Met Life Foundation- 1514

In the Classroom:
Basic college planning information for parents, with good coverage of financial issues.

Carbonmade: Your Online Portfolio Grade 8 to 12 - nterface- 7819

TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for slightly adventurous technology users. This is one fabulous way for art or photography students to create a FREE online portfolio to share work in your class, share with each other, or submit as an online collection for competitions or college admissions. The users agreement specifies no "group" accounts or users under 13 years old. The free version is limited to 5 projects and 35 images (no videos in the free version), but this is enough to show your "best of the best." You can even choose the actual URL for the portfolio within Carbonmade. The home page has a Flash demo so you can see how the site works.

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: join the site (free), browse for files and upload to site, label with captions, project information, other information, and decide about viewing options. Works best with Internet Explorer 6+ or Safari. No special html skills needed. A teenager will figure this one out in one minute. A techno-comfortable teacher will take no more than four minutes! The only challenge is figuring out how to change settings on a project within your portfolio and have them SAVE. Watch the demo.

Share portfolios among neighboring schools or through art teacher associations to inspire your students and help them develop the critical skills to choose their best work and articulate their reasons (Use the "notes" space on each image to tell about it).

Be sure that you adhere to school policies regarding posting of student work. Have students create their accounts ONLY with written parent permission, especially since there is space for a "profile" (which teachers should require students to leave BLANK for safety reasons. Use your teacher email account so there is no danger of having outsiders contact your students. After graduation students may change the settings and use the site in budding art careers! Avoid including any personally identifiable information in descriptions or images. Personally identifiable information can always be shared with potential colleges, etc. via email or letter, rather than posting it to the web.

First In The Family Grade 6 to 12 - TeachersAndFamilies- 7629

This article is basically a college preparation guide for parents who did not attend college. Many topics are addressed (including advantages of a 4-year school, financial aid, admissions timelines and more).

In the Classroom:
This article may be a useful reference for some of your parents. Share the link on your teacher web page or in a newsletter or note sent home.

Study Skills and Strategies Grade 2 to 12 - TeachersandFamilies: By Lisa Kilanowski-Press, M.S., CAS- 6949

This article on the importance of study skills and ways to encourage children to develop good study habits is especially useful for parents. There are sections on time management, encouraging your child, organization, study tools, and more. The skills apply to all students and would be especially helpful for learning support students even earlier in their academic careers.

In the Classroom:
Share this link with parents at open house or conferences. Publish it in your classroom newsletter or on your teacher web page. You might even print out one section at a time as a series of mini-help sheets for parents. Middle school students could use it in class as a discussion starter to help themselves develop independence with their school work.

High School Journalism Grade 9 to 12 - American Society of Newspaper Editors- 5421

Teen journalists and their advisors will find loads of helpful information on this site. Features include a "What is that?" glossary of journalistic lingo, an "Ask the Pro" career information link, and a national database of high school newspapers. Advisors will want to investigate the "Teaching Tips" section for practical advice on how to run student publications and deal with the issues from administrators, students and parents.

Imagination Cafe Online Magazine Grade 2 to 6 - Rosanne Tolin- 9092

Can’t afford classroom magazine subscriptions? Check into this original online magazine for children ages 7-12. As its name implies, the articles, games, tunes, recipes, career center, and much more-- feed the imagination of youth. The feel of the magazine is positive, such as the celebrity interviews, articles on careers, contests, and quirky quizzes. The magazine has lively colors and easy access the different sections. It’s all free. One note of caution: This magazine has a bulletin board for “dishing.” Sign-in, with password, is required for its use, and may need monitoring. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Include this site on your class web page or newsletter. Use selected articles in class to teach main idea or reading strategies on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Parents would appreciate knowing about this engaging place on the ‘net for their children. Students are invited to submit articles or comments in several places in the magazine. Encourage your students to participate in online publication possibilities at this site -- with written parent permission, of course!

Kidlink Grade 3 to 12 - Kidlink- 8885

This website provides an online connection to students from various areas of the world. There are links provided for students, families, and teachers. The website is available in various languages - English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. Students can share stories, artwork, and more. The educational content includes life planning skills (careers), social studies (geography, government, history, etc.), writing, and many other academic areas. Free registration is required for each student and teacher. All content is monitored by volunteer moderators. What a fabulous resource to use in geography or language arts class. This website doesn't just teach students about countries throughout the world, but also allows students to interact with students of various cultures as they write and respond to each other in this safe environment.

In the Classroom:
Students need not have their own email to use this site. Kidlink explains that they are permitted to use the teacher's email address (which allows you to monitor their activities, as well). You might want to use your "extra" email account. Set up accounts for your students to communicate in your world language class or as part of your study of other continents. With younger students, you may want to communicate as a whole-class activity, composing on a projector or interactive whiteboard.

If your school policies limit your ability to use such a site, see the FAQ information and ready-to-go presentation explaining Kidlink. Share it with your principal and parents. ALWAYS get written parent permission when sharing student work/ideas online.

Virtual Microscope Grade 6 to 12 - Imaging Tech Group/NASA- 9132

Open the microscopic world of science to your students with NASA’s virtual microscope. The free software (Win, OSX, Linux) comes with access to over 90 multi-dimensional, high-resolution image datasets, training animations, and videos that teach the basics of microscopy. Students can explore and annotate pre-prepared images as if they were using real instruments in real-time. This resource-rich site is one of NASA's career outreach programs and offers loads of information for students and teachers. Subscribe to the RSS feed to be alerted as new data is added every week. This website requires Java and Quick-Time. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Consider having the entire science department request the download and installation of this exciting free software. If you are the lone science teacher, ask your principal to request installation of the software on computers of your choice. Be sure to download the datasets in advance, as file sizes are large. Use a projector or interactive whiteboard to show the microscope view for whole-class discussion. Load the software on student computers for small-group activities.

Be sure to provide this link on your teacher web page. Parents can install the software at home for homework assignments.

Planet Science Grade K to 12 - NESTA- 8920

This MUST SEE interactive science website features eight specific areas. The "News" section includes weekly news updates and features. "Wired" has challenging interactive games for grades 4-12. "Sci-Teach" provides countless resources for teachers of all grades. "Out There" takes you to the "back garden of science delights," including inventors, sound, vampires, and the flu. "Parents" has useful ideas - even science experiments for children's parties. "Under 11s" is geared for younger students, an excellent collection!. The activities teach traditional science topics using new multimedia. The "Next Steps" link challenges students to think about their future careers (both science and non-science). There are printable pages and interactive activities for elementary, middle, and high school students. The "Library" link features countless online science resources.

Nearly every one of the activities requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Nearly all of the activities are ideal for interactive whiteboards (or projectors). This site is so rich it may be overwhelming. If you are an elementary teacher, start at the "Under 11s" link. Otherwise, visit the "Sci-Teach" link first for some excellent ideas, resources, and science fun. Preview this site before starting any science unit to find related activites and extensions.

Write Source: Writing Topics Grade 1 to 12 - Houghton Mifflin Co.- 8884

Getting students involved in writing sometimes takes the right motivation. This site can provide that through a multitude of prompts and models for the students to see. The site is offered by the Houghton Mifflin Co. in conjunction with a writing textbook. Even on its own, this is a great site to find student topics and show models of good writing. The topics are divided by grade level in elementary and intermediate, then grouped as 9-12 for high school. Each section includes a number of writing prompt --enough to whet the appetite of almost any student -- as well as links to different parts of the Houghton textbooks. The student models are shown by type (creative writing, persuasive, academic, workplace, etc.) and the links at the top of each page access MLA and APA styles as well as samples and information on how to do multimedia reports for college or the workplace. The upper levels of this site, such as persuasive writing or multimedia reports, open the door to higher level thinking.

In the Classroom:
Have the students choose their own prompt from the list and then share their writing within a small group, with the class, or on their own blogs. Use the models and anonymous sharing on an interactive whiteboard to create a "safe" way for students to share writing as process and hear how others do it. Use the option of PUBLISHING student models on the site as a motivator. Be sure to get parent permission!

I was wondering Grade 5 to 10 - National Science Academies- 8728

This site encourages young women (especially middle school age) to become scientists by celebrating the lives and contributions of 10 female scientists, sharing hands-on, "sharable" science activities and including games that make science fun. Book suggestions and amazing links associated with the women scientists' fields complete the offerings of this site designed to dispel the myth that girls can't do science.

In the Classroom:
The topics range from robots to subatomic particles, from biology to astronomy to social science. Use this site as a jumping off point to for scientist biographies and study of science careers in a variety of areas. Many of the links make excellent curriculum resources, as well. Be sure to make this site available from your teacher web page and encourage students to try some of the hands-on activities at home. Most are designed to be "social events" where students can invite friends to join in. Mention this to parents, as well, so they can encourage their young scientists with science parties!

A+ Research & Writing Step-by-Step Grade 9 to 12 - Kathryn L. Schwartz - 8623

Do you want to appeal to those students who are afraid of the whole research and writing process? How about those who just don't know how to pick a topic, or narrow the focus? Are you dreading walking your students through the citation part? This site enables students to go through the process of writing a research paper from choosing a topic through writing the paper, revising, proofreading, and final submission. What makes this site appealing is the use of great graphics and the very simple, one-step-at-a-time approach that makes paper writing less daunting. Links take students to college-specific sites for interactive organizational tools such as mapping and outlining.

In the Classroom:
This site helps you help your students and them students to work at their own pace through the pieces that are difficult for them. Use the entire site as a guide for you research process or select different pieces of this site as models when you teach research papers so students can practice right then and there "how to do it." Be sure to include the link on your teacher web page so parents can support students as they approach deadline-panic (and you know some will procrastinate, no matter what you do).

Scribd Grade 9 to 12 - Trip Adler , Jared Friedman, Tikhon Bernstam - 8605

TeachersFirst Edge tool: for moderately adventurous technology users. This online file storage and sharing space allows you to upload Word documents, Excel files, pdfs, PowerPoint files, and other formats and keep them in a place where others (or just you) can access them. Scribed provides tools to convert between file types, for example to make a Word document into a pdf (readable in Acrobat Reader on most computers)or even to convert it into a SOUND file (MP3). The sound conversion apparently takes some time, as our editors found when uploading a sample. The default set-up makes files public when you upload, so you are , in effect, "publishing" them to the web, but you also have options to make them "private," i.e. limited access via a private URL for that document, or to make them only available to a certain "group." You can create or join groups, as well. Our editors made a sample that is "private," but available via this link. The site uses FLASH, so be sure you have the plug-in.

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: Join (free). Email address is optional. Determine whether you have the copyright to the file(s) you wish to upload. You may ONLY upload files to which you hold the rights. Locate files on your computer and upload them. (Read FAQ for file types that are permissible). Choose options for that file: tags, private/public, etc. Create groups, such as for your class or group projects. Determine rights of the groups---who uploads? Who administers the group? You can also bulk upload. There is also a "collections" feature within your account, possible for different types of work, different student authors, etc. If you have a class log, click "more options" at the left of a document display to copy code and embed the actual Scribd file in your blog---a SAFE way to share it without sending students to Scribd.

How would you use this? As a productivity tool for yourself, you can make all your own files available from any computer, so you will never say, "I left it on my desktop at home." This is handy for itinerant teachers or forgetful students. Having pdf versions of handouts available with a few clicks makes it easy to share them with students via email or links on your teacher web page. As an instructional tool, you will first need to manage some safety issues. Scribd is a site for the general public, a]so the texts available can have objectionable subject matter. "Browsing" Scribd is not an option for the classroom unless they launch a Squeaky-clean education version. If more mature students want to maintain (and even share) a writing portfolio to accompany college applications or simply document their growth as a writer over time, this tool is great, It will even save "versions" of documents to show writing process. There are some other ideas in our sample document. For safety reasons, we recommend a written Scibd policy for your classroom requiring parent permission for using the site, maintaining limited access for class members of selected "collaborators," such as a partner class from another school, and strict NO BROWSING, NO COMMENTING , NO JOINING GROUPS unless they are known to the teacher. The simplest way to control this is to have all students use ONE account (that you can monitor) and create individual collections or "tag" their work with their initials or some other unique identifier. This would allow everyone to "keep" work there, so you can open drafts on a whiteboard, access writings from a few months ago for comparison side-by-side, etc.

A "possible uses" list: Share handouts or study guides (yours or student-made) Share permission forms, lab report formats, assignments, calendars, project rubrics and details, science fair documents, collaborative writing or group projects. Create an online literary magazine "dropbox." Encourage student responsibility by suggesting they maintain their own file repository on Scribd so they ALWAYS have their homework. Help students "hear" their own drafts read aloud (if the audio conversion works quickly enough). Share all lab data from a science experiment so students have a large data set to analyze. Then share their lab reports. Have students "turn in" any assignment to your group (if you and their parents think they are trustworthy on the site alone). The list goes on and on...

Learning Style Inventory Grade 5 to 12 - Brett Bixler- 8587

This visually "plain vanilla" learning style inventory, created by an instructional designer at Penn State, is simple enough to use in a middle or high school classroom without explaining elaborate personality traits and indexes to preteens and young adults. (There is one unfortunate mention of smoking, since the inventory was designed for college students. You may want to point it out and make an active disclaimer. about not promoting smoking!). This free, simplified inventory is short enough to complete and discuss during one class period. NOTE: the results of the invnetory come up in a small pop-up window. Make sure your pop-up blocker is not preventing you from seeing them. The Google and Yahoo toolbars block pop-ups! In Internet Explorer, you can temporarily turn off the blocker by RIGHT-clicking on the narrow yellow bar that appears at the top of the web page window.

In the Classroom:
Regular ed and learning support teachers from middle school up will want to share this resource with students and parents to help students find the most effective ways to study and retain knowledge. Include the link on your teacher web page (with a note about the unfortunate mention of smoking!) or plan a start-of-the year in-class time to help students get off on the right foot. Even teachers of gifted (whose students are notorious for inconsistent study methods because they have not "needed" to study) will find this resource helpful when students "hit the wall" in challenging courses. As part of a study skills unit, have students self-assess and create a single database of the class members' learning styles and subject strengths so they can find peer-tutors during study halls.

New Teacher Hotline Podcasts: Phone Conferences Grade K to 12 - Glen Moulton and Mike Kelley- 8306

Nothing is more frightening than the first time you have to call a parent. New teachers, pre-service teacher candidates, student teachers, substitutes, or any teacher seeking advice on phone conferences will enjoy the humor and practicality of these podcasts by an experienced teacher and an experienced teacher/supervisor/administrator. Those who join the site (free) can also submit questions that will be addressed in the twice-monthly podcasts spanning many new-teacher topics. Visit the site to listen on your computer or subscribe to the entire podcast series through iTunes syndication.

In the Classroom:
Listen to this podcast before you make that first parent call-- or afterward to find out what you could do to make the next oe better! Get together with other newbie teachers for munchies and a beverage as you listen --and maybe talk about the ideas and your related experiences. Make it a ritual to beat the isolation and frustration of being a new teacher as you relax together twice monthly with Mike, Glen, and some in-person peers for the entire podcast series. You will find the collaboration really helpful in making teaching the career you had hoped it would be. You choose the location to listen, and the podcasts will help with the rest.

Log It Grade K to 12 - PECentral- 8149

Encourage fitness for the digital natives, using a high-tech tool they will love! Log It is a site that encourages physical activity by allowing students to keep a record of the steps they walk each day. Other benefits include allowing them to participate in a virtual walk across the U.S. with other students, set up their own goals, or participate in class goals set up by the teacher. Both students themselves and their teachers can register their miles at school or from home! Though the site introducation mentions elementary and middle school students, it also says college classes and corporations are welcome to join, as well.

With this site, students become aware of their daily physical activity and also participate in group competitions within their classroom or participate in one of several competitions across the U.S. The site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Teachers must register their school and their class first before students can participate. Be sure to get parent permission before allowing students to register and plan for the logistics of letting students enter their miles. Help your students register and set individual or classroom goals. Make it a competition with the homeroom next door or throughout your school. Be sure to put this link and log-in information on your teacher web page for students, parents, and others to access outside of class.

Kerpoof Grade K to 4 - Kerpoof.com- 7759

Kerpoof is a site designed to inspire creativity among children as they interact with the pictures. They can select a scene and add items to the scene and/or adjust object sizes . The scenes are richly varied, containing fantasy as well as international items. The site promises to change often. You can also find coloring sheets to print and color. You and your students can customize your own scenes, if you join (see classroom use tips). Editor's note: in spring, 2007, this site became rather sluggish in opening. We suspect it has gained popularity, and the multiple users are slowing it down.

In the Classroom:
Use these online "scenes" for students to create their own writing prompts. Let students choose (you might want to limited their options to save time)and work individually or create a scene for the whole class on an interactive whiteboard. Then print it out and ask students to tell the story or write the paragraph about the scene. Special ed teachers and speech/language clinicians can use Kerpoof to prompt vocabulary development. Incorporate social studies and science curriculum topics by describing scenes with community workers, careers, farm animals, and more. NO reading required except to select print, save, etc.

If you "join" as a teacher, you can save the scenes your class creates and revisit them at a later date. Do NOT allow students to join unless you have parent permission. The information requested is very safe, but it would be simpler to use a whole-class account.

My Hero Grade K to 12 - My Hero Project- 7433

Looking for an online project-based interactive website that encourages literacy and cross-cultural communication? Looking for an alternative culminating project or process writing project for your secondary classes? Trying to help your high school juniors and seniors create an interesting college "essay" or portfolio piece? Join other adults and children from around the world by adding your essay, artwork or video about a hero on this non-profit, ad-free web site. You and your students can use this site with basic word processing knowledge -- or take it further if you are more technically capable.Site registration is required. Site is available in Spanish. Flash, Acrobat Reader and Quicktime are required. Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Be sure to visit the Teacher’s Resource section for helpful hints and links. Use any word processing program to type essays, then copy and paste into the My Hero class page. Provide a link to the class page on your teacher web page so students, parents, and relatives can read the essays. As always follow your district policies regarding posting student work on the Internet. It is HIGHLY advisable to get written parent permission for such a project!

Very young students could work together as a class to write their entry. Older students and those with more technology available will definitely want to try the videos! If you know iMovie or Windows Moviemaker, this is a terrific project. It is well-suited for gifted students, as well.

Understanding University Success Grade 8 to 12 - - 4400

While there’s a wealth of “common knowledge” about what it takes to succeed in higher education, specific discussions of the factors and preparation that let students succeed is harder to find. Developed by a consortium of leading universities, this online PDF reference is the sort of reading that counselors, parents, and students should have available when they begin to plan their high school careers.Remember that your computer will have to open Acrobat Reader to open the reference pages and booklet. Be patient if you are on a slower connection.

In the Classroom:
Guidance counselors will find this one especially useful.