1. Toss the lecture notes; Engage the learners Ruth D
Toss the lecture notes; Engage the learners Ruth D. Chang Middlesex County ETTC
NJEA Convention
November, 2011 1

2. Engage the learners!

3. What is Verizon Thinkfinity?
The website ( contains thousands of free lesson plans and student materials for every core subject, designed by the leading educational organizations in the United States.
Tens of thousands of FREE educational resources
Accessible from school or home!
A partnership between the Verizon Foundation and the nation’s leading educational organizations
FREE professional development
What is Verizon Thinkfinity? Verizon Thinkfinity.org is a Web site that offers free professional development and tens of thousands of free Web-based educational resources, created or reviewed by Content Partners, including lesson plans and student materials.
It is a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and leading educational and literacy organizations who are often the standards setting organization for their discipline.

4. Verizon Thinkfinity is affiliated with these organizations:
ISTE 100 Alliance
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
State Educational Technology Directors Association
National Education Association
Council of Chief State School Officers
We are pleased to share that the Verizon Foundation is a member of the ISTE 100 Alliance, and is affiliated with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the State Educational Technology Directors Association, the National Education Association and the Council for Chief State School Officers.

5. Thinkfinity Content Partners
Feel free to delete this slide if desired. It includes hyperlinks to each of the Content Partner websites via their respective logos.
The Verizon Thinkfinity Content Partners are recognized as the leading educational organizations within their content areas. There is a comprehensive approach to providing materials that are both specific and interdisciplinary in nature, as you can see in this chart and will experience as we explore the sites. The addition of the National Center for Family Literacy allows us to extend our resources to promote literacy skills.
Note: Click on the icon for each Content Partner to go to its web site. 5

6. What Does Thinkfinity Provide?
Lesson Plans

7. What Does Thinkfinity Provide?
Free Educational Resources
Standards-based lesson plans
Student & Teacher Materials
Online
Interactive
Offline (printable)
Partner-reviewed Web links
Free Literacy Resources
For literacy instructors
For literacy program staff
For community members
For adults and early childhood learners
Standards

8. What Does Thinkfinity Provide?
Free Educational Resources
Standards-based lesson plans
Student & Teacher Materials
Online
Interactive
Offline (printable)
Partner-reviewed Web links
Free Literacy Resources
For literacy instructors
For literacy program staff
For community members
For adults and early childhood learners
Worksheets

9. What Does Thinkfinity Provide?
Free Educational Resources
Standards-based lesson plans
Student & Teacher Materials
Online
Interactive
Offline (printable)
Partner-reviewed Web links
Free Literacy Resources
For literacy instructors
For literacy program staff
For community members
For adults and early childhood learners
WebLinks

10. What Does Thinkfinity Provide?
Video Clips
Interactives
Web sites
Games
E-Sheets
Primary Source Documents
Graphic Organizers
Quizzes
Online Manipulatives
Rubrics
Printable Maps
A wide variety of available resources is available through Thinkfinity.org to enhance classroom instruction. The choice is dependant on available technology, time, and teacher objective.
Be sure to take some time emphasizing that each of these types of resources is considered a “Learning Object.”
Photographs
Podcasts
Virtual Museums
Worksheets
Audio Clips

11. Is this a fun way to learn?
How did you become aware of energy issues?
Blah, blah, blah, fossil fuels, blah, blah, blah, oil reserves …..
Huh?
Zzzzz…
?!?!?!
Think about the way you were taught about sources of energy, specifically what they are and how they are tapped. Does this look familiar? I’m sure you know of some teachers in your school who teach every lesson this way, through lecture, textbooks and other teacher-centered activities. All of these methods have their place in the classroom structure, but we feel that teachers can extend the repertoire of methods using Thinkfinity resources.
I’d like to show you how one Thinkfinity resource involves students in their own learning (student-centered) and encourages critical thinking, rather than memorizing formulas and definitions. It involves problem-solving and collaboration, while helping students understand the complexities of energy resources, where they come from and what impact they have on the environment.

12. Differentiated Learning
with Thinkfinity Interactives
Ruth D Chang
Certified Thinkfinity Trainer 12

13. Learning Objects: Interactives
For which grade levels?
Learning Objects: Interactives
A wide variety of available resources is available through Thinkfinity.org to enhance classroom instruction. The choice is dependant on available technology, time, and teacher objective.
Be sure to take some time emphasizing that each of these types of resources is considered a “Learning Object.”

14. Learning Objects: Interactives
For which grade levels?
Learning Objects: Interactives

15. Where to Save One’s Favorite Resources

16. Understanding preventive physical and mental health measures,
Engage the learners!
Understanding preventive physical and mental health measures,
including proper diet, nutrition, exercise, risk avoidance and stress reduction

17. Explore Favorite Interactives
[Teacher can use Verizon’s Thinkfinity to help students can understand perimeter, fractions, factors, angles and symmetry while playing against others from around the US and Canada in real-time, 24/7.
Calculation Nation™ uses the power of the Web to let students challenge opponents from anywhere in the world. At the same time, students are able to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and practicing fundamental skills. Challenge yourself or others

18. Explore Favorite Interactives
[Teacher can use Verizon’s Thinkfinity to help students can understand perimeter, fractions, factors, angles and symmetry while playing against others from around the US and Canada in real-time, 24/7.
Calculation Nation™ uses the power of the Web to let students challenge opponents from anywhere in the world. At the same time, students are able to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and practicing fundamental skills. Challenge yourself or others

19. How to Share

20. Why join the community?
Personal Learning Network
Access in school
Education based

21. Adding a favorite
Add Notes
Add Tags

22. Then save!

23. Et voilà!

24. Where to find it

25. SIGN UP NOW! Thinkfinity is available in school
But I use Facebook and twitter
Thinkfinity is available in school
SIGN UP NOW!

27. Thank you for your time! Any questions? Suggestions for Thinkfinity?
Karen Warner ( ) or your local ETTC.
Thank you for your time!