20 great online sites for kids' education

Once again, Karen Schweitzer -- Guest Poster Extraordinaire -- is at it again! This time, she has contributed a list that can help teachers and kids who have internet access at home or nearby.

Her list is titled, "20 Online Tools and Sites to Engage Students in Learning," and without any further ado, here it is!

The Internet is loaded with tools and websites that teachers can use to engage their students in math lessons, language arts, history, art, music, and other subjects. Here are 20 online tools and sites to try throughout the school year:

Math

Numbernut.com - Rader's Numbernut.com is an excellent mathematics site with fun and interactive games, exercises, and activities. Resources are designed for students who are working with basic to advanced math concepts.

Math.com - Math.com is an online mathematics site where students can play games, practice math, use online calculators, and get homework help. This math site is a great way for students to learn about math while having a fun and engaging experience.

AplusMath.com - Developed specifically to help math students, AplusMath uses interactive games, flashcards, puzzles, and worksheets to encourage effective learning and better grades.

Gamequarium - Gamequarium offers free online tools and games that are wonderful for helping students learn math. The site provides tools for general math, calculators, and converters along with multiple interactive math games.

Language Arts

The Story Home - This site features classic and original audio stories designed for younger students. The stories can be listened to on the computer or transferred to a CD or MP3 player.

WordAhead - WordAhead provides free online vocabulary videos for college bound high school students. Users of this site can browse through the videos, watch them in the study room, and read word lists. The site also features a word of the day and useful study widgets.

Visuwords - This graphical dictionary makes it easy to see how words relate to one another. Visuwords can be used by students and teachers as an interactive dictionary and thesaurus.

Bookwink - Bookwink uses podcasting and videos to connect elementary and middle school students with books they may find interesting. The monthly updated videos take an average of three minutes to watch.

History

HyperHistory - This impressive history site features thousands of files that cover about 3,000 years of world history. HyperHistory has links for people, events, and maps. Hard copies can also be printed.

KidsPast.com - KidsPast.com has unique history games that are designed to entertain students while teaching important history facts. The site also features online history activities for reviewing previously learned facts.

History Matters - Designed for students and teachers, this history site provides innovative teaching materials, primary documents, and historical evidence guides.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - The Smithsonian Museum has several interactive tools and resources that students can use for studying natural history. Resources include lesson plans, web-based student activities, and classroom resources.

Arts and Music

Artopia - This comprehensive art site for middle school students concentrates on visual and performing arts. Artopia allows students to study imported works while taking part in activities that teach principles, styles, and processes.

Canvastic.net - Canvastic.net is a free online tool that students can use to get in touch with their creative side through drawing, painting, and writing. This mess-free site can be used without installing any software.

DSO Kids - The DSO Kids site offers games and activities that engage students in the art of music. Just a few of the games worth trying are time machine, music match, and picture paint.

Glogster - This free beta site makes it easy for students to express their creative side through mixing images, text, music, and videos.

Miscellaneous

Nota - Nota is a free collaborative web tool that can be used for collaborating, creating, and sharing online material. The site allows you to integrate text, maps, video, photos, clip art, and much more.

Bugscope - This free interactive online microscope allows K-12 students around the world to explore insects under a scanning electron microscope. Teachers wanting to sign their class up for a session need to apply six weeks in advance. However, five previous sessions can be found online.

BrainPop - BrainPop is an educational site that provides curriculum-based games for engaging students in learning. Throughout this site, you can find educational games for science, social studies, English, math, art, music, health, and technology.

Cyberbee - Cyberbee encourages students to discover educational content on the Internet through a series of treasure hunts. The site also provides teachers with curriculum ideas, postcards, research tools, web links, and web projects.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degree programs for OnlineDegreePrograms.org.