Identifying+Similarities+and+Differences+S17


 * Nikki Stone**
 * Identifying Similarities and Differences**
 * Resources:** Kidspiration
 * Rating:** 9/10
 * Description:** Kidspiration helps students create graphic organizers. The software comes with models and templates to help visually organize items throughout the lesson. Students can create charts, venn diagrams, flow charts, timelines, and other layouts based on the outcome desired. Additionally, the software comes with a library of graphics and symbols, which can be used to show the different ideas instead of just using words. The Symbol Maker tool is included in Kidspiration so students can create custom symbols if the desired symbol is not available.
 * Alignment with strategy:** Kidspiration comes with models and templates to help visually organize items when classifying or comparing concepts. It can be used both at the beginning of a unit to refresh prior knowledge, during the unit to organize ideas, and at the end of a unit to extend the thinking process.

Jenna Hough Identifying Similarities and Differences **Resource:** Mind42 **Description:** Mind42 is a website with a mind mapping application. You are able to take a base idea and create a map that can be used to sort out ideas or make comparisons/link ideas about a topic. Mind42 allows for detailed mind mapping that can become as complex as you need; demonstrated in examples (https://mind42.com/mindmaps). **Alignment w/ Strategy:** It relates to the strategy because you are able to place all your ideas within a map and color-code, arrange, and compare them. The nodes have the ability to include pictures, text, icons, hyperlinks, etc. which can allow you to examine the topic and subtopics more closely for better understanding and making connections.
 * Rating: ** 8/10


 * Leanne Colvin**
 * Identifying Similarities and Differences**
 * Resource:** Wordle (Website)
 * Rating:** 8/10
 * Description:** Wordle is a word cloud generator that allows the user to see the language they´ve used in different shapes and colors. Words that are used more often in the user´s source text appear bigger, and words that are used less often appear smaller. The user can change the layout of the word cloud, mess with colors, and fonts.
 * Alignment with Strategy:** This website could be used for identifying similarities and differences if two users uploaded their source texts to create separate word clouds, or one user uploaded two source texts. Then the two word clouds could be compared for similarities and differences in main-use words. This would allow the users to identify underlying similarities or differences and could be a great conversation starter. This website gets 8/10 because it requires a little more effort on the part of the user to identify the similarities and differences, rather than the format being made specifically for those purposes.

**Resource:** Google [|Sheets] App or Web **Description:** Google sheets is similar to Microsoft Excel. It can be used on iPad's as an app or just as a website through google drive. Google Sheets can be used to analyze data through creating spreadsheets, tables, and plots. A great feature with Google Sheets is that it can be used in live time and multiple people can view it or be working on it.
 * Jaclyn Trahan **
 * Rating: 9/10 **
 * Alignment with Strategy: **Google sheets can be used to identify similarities and differences when looking at tables or graphs representing information taught in class. Students may need guidance in how to identify the similarities and differences if they've never used Google Sheets before.

**Resource: [|Fuel the Brain]** **Description:** Fuel the Brain is an interactive website where students are able to go in and create a venn-diagram. This website is kid-friendly, full of color, and easy to use. Students are able to create one diagram at a time and then save their work. One aspect I liked about this website was students can look up previously made diagrams by other users. I also like how user-friendly this website is.
 * Sarah Kemmer **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Rating: **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">8/10
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Alignment with Strategy: **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Fuel the Brain aligns with the strategy of identifying similarities and differences by allowing students to compare/contrast two different topics. By providing a visual, students are able to conceptualize what they are comparing.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Dawn Weller <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Identifying Similarities and Differences <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Pilter, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver, CO: McRel. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Simulations, E. (2009, July 31). Real Lives. Retrieved from Educational Simulations: http://www.educationalsimulations.com/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Resource: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;"> Real Lives Software
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Source: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;"> Educational Simulations (http://www.educationalsimulations.com/)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Rating: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;"> 6 out of 10
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Brief description: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;"> Real Lives is a downloadable software that allows students to play a interactive life simulation game. This game gives students a simulated software experience of living different lives in any country of the world. This software allows students to identify similarities and differences for the students.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Instructional strategy alignmen **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">t: This software aligns with the instructions strategy by providing the students with the ability to compare similarities and differences from the simulations and their own lives using the software’s comparison matrix.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">References **

**Rating:** 9/10
====**Description:** iCard sort is an app which allows students to group words into "decks." Words can be rearranged by dragging them. Additionally, colors can also be changed. Just like having a stack of notecards that can be sorted, this app has the advantage of usability with an interactive whiteboard, or simply projecting the app as it is used. Additionally, decks can be "beamed" to other users on a wifi network or within bluetooth range. This allows teacher and students to collaborate and share. The only thing that keeps this app from being 10/10 is the spendy $9.99 price tag.==== ====**Alignment with strategy:** With the ability to create categories, as well as change colors, students have a number of opportunities to compare. This also allows the teacher scaffold with these colors and categories. This variety and support are both in line with recommendations for using technology to identify similarities and differences (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012, p. 184)====

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pitler, P., Hubbell, E.R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). //<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Using technology with classroom instruction that works //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shawn Peklo <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Resource: [|Popplet] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rating:10 out 10 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Description: Popplet is app that students can use anywhere in education because the main goal of the app is for the student to share their ideas with everyone. This app allows you to brainstorm ideas for projects and notes (diagrams and charts) which aligns perfectly with the strategy. It is free for the first popplet but, you can upgrade to the monthly plan for $3.00 per month which gives you many more advantages with the app. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alignment with strategy: Popplet aligns perfectly with this strategy because students can use this app to create diagrams and charts for certain projects and for homework assignments. For example, if the students are working on an essay about the similarities and differences between World War 1 and World War 2, they can use this app to do that. This app could also be used to show numbers for a specific project (Science experiment) and students will be able to see those statistics visually with the ability to create charts and diagrams that popplet allows you to do.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mark York <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Resource: [|ReadWriteThink.org] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Compare & Contrast Map <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rating: 6/10 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">description: I love the website's use of examples, definitions and means to compare and contrast. The site helps students understand graphic means to compare and contrast things. The site also has example lesson plans for teacher in different subjects and grades as well. The site is helpful for primary and secondary education. It is not a site to actually do the similarities and differences though. that is a major shortfall based on the time I spent in the website. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Allignment with strategy: This website does not align with the strategy as well as others. It is not interactive in the sense of starting from scratch, but it does offer a wealth of options to chose from to help students practice comparison and contrast.

Ronald Barranco Resource: Diffen.com (website) Rating: 8/10 Description: Diffen is a search engine that lets you query the difference between any two search terms. The website will return side by side comparison charts of similarities and differences about the two topics. For many queries, Diffen will return vital information and statistics relevant to the topics being searched. Diffen is an advertising supported website that is free to use. Alignment with strategy: Diffen could be used to compare many different types of information across a wide range of curriculum. An example use in social studies classroom would be having students use Diffen.com to compare two U.S. states, two countries, or two political candidates. Science classes can use the Diffen to compare different types of energy, or properties of different materials. Uses to make comparisons are nearly endless, however teachers should preview the types of results given for certain topics before assigning to students. One downside to Diffen is its reliance on data from Wikipedia, so teachers should encourage students to cross reference information with other sources.

Alex Talmadge
 * Resource**: [|Padlet] App or Web
 * Rating:** 8/10
 * Description**: Padlet is a free tool that allows students and teachers to collaborate in one space. Photos, videos, text, and links can be posted onto this board by all collaborators. Google Apps are easily integrated onto the boards for collaborators to access.
 * Alignment with strategy**: With Padlet, students can not only use text to explain similarities and differences on a topic, they can input images or link articles to websites. I'm going to be starting a Rocks and Minerals science unit soon, I could post a video on Padlet about rocks and minerals. Students could then find images online that show similarities and differences. We could even go into further detail about different types of rocks and their similarities and differences with other rocks.
 * Ryan Brown**
 * Resource**: Wolfram Alpha - Website
 * Rating**: 10/10 (once the user gets comfortable with the interface. It is like a really powerful Google.)
 * Description**: Wolfram Alpha is a powerful search engine that allows the user to research and calculate a vast array of things ranging from mathematics, sciences, and engineering to culture, art, and even shopping. A user can research nutrition of food items, facts of educational institutions and organizations, and even make informed decisions about their purchases. It also has the ability to look up facts and stats from sports teams and games. An added bonus is the ability to use this website as a tool to give step-by-step instructions on problem solving.
 * Alignment** **w/ Strategy**: Wolfram Alpha can be used as a database to research and compare multiple items at once. A user can compare nutritional information of multiple food items at a glance or compare automobile manufacturers based on specific criteria. It can also be used to compare colleges and universities to help prospective students make informed decisions. It is also an effective tool in comparing socioeconomic data from varying regions. It even can be used to collect and input data to help students identify similarities and differences in measurements or statistics.

Brittany DeRupa Resource: Venn Diagram (App) //Pro//- The app is very user friendly and free! //Con//- There is not much appeal to the app that would engage students.
 * Identifying Similarities and Differences**
 * Rating**: 6/10
 * Description:** Students can manipulate a virtual Venn diagram. It is easy to add more circles, make them bigger, and move them around. Students can easily save their Venn Diagram and multiple users are able to use the App. Although it is not the most engaging app, students won't be distracted by its simple interface.
 * Alignment with Strategy:** Venn Diagram aligns with this strategy because students can use a virtual graphic organizer to compare and contrast 2-3 things.

Kory Stevens Resource: <span style="background-image: url(">[|Starfall] Website Identifying Similarities and Differences Rating: 9/10 Description: Starfall is a website that is intended for elementary aged kids who are learning math, reading and science. There is an interactive game on Starfall called "Coin Sort" where coins are to be sorted into the correct jars based on if it is a nickel, dime or penny. This website does cost 70 dollars a year for teachers to use the full website. There is also interactive button sorting, shape sorting, and matching games that are fun for students to do on the IPAD or promethean board. Alignment with Strategy: This website aligns with the topic because this website really helps my students differentiate between different kinds of coins. The website will give them verbal prompts on which coins go in the correct jars.

Cheryl Barden
 * Resource:** [|Grafio 3- Diagrams & Ideas] (App)
 * Identifying Similarities and Differences**
 * Rating:** 7/10
 * Description:** Grafio 3 allows you to make Venn diagrams, mind maps and flow charts. In addition you can insert images, takes notes and add sketches. It is basically a graphic organizer that allows users to compare, classify, and identify patterns or relationships within the organizer. The downside to this app is the cost. At $7.99 it would be costly for each student to purchase. In addition there are many other graphic organizers available that do similar things for a much smaller price tag.
 * Alignment with Strategy:** This app aligns with the strategy of identifying similarities and differences because it is a graphic organizer and allows users to to compare and contrast ideas or images to identify patterns or relationships. This would allow the user to classify the ideas based on similarities or differences within the relationship or pattern.

Name: Chris Curry Resource: [|IHMC Concept Map Tools]. Rating: 10 Description: IHMC Concept Map Tools is a software that allows students to create their own concept maps of what they are studying. Then, after several lessons, they could add more concept maps and share with the others in the class. Using the IHMC Concept Map Tools, students can create their own concept maps of the topic/subject they are studying. After a lesson (or several lessons), students could add to their concept maps. At the end of the unit, students would share their concept maps with others in the class. All they need is: a Computer and CMAP software toolkit (free download). Alignment with strategy: The concept maps allow learners to find similarities and differences among concept maps throughout the class. They could find out that the ideas they found most important were the same or different as others in the class.
 * Identifying Similarities and Differences. **