Thursday, March 26, 2020

Top 20 Safe Search Engines

No site is really 100% safe even when dealing w/ filtered search engines, but keeping that in mind these are a good place to start in dealing w/ students or searching from home...

*This list is in alphabetical order.

Top 20 Safe Search Engines
  1. Choosito - A very popular safe way to search the web as well as library resources.
  2. Classhook - A wonderful site for students to find educational videos through TV shows and movies.
  3. Cybersleuth Kids - A older search engine that is great for finding educational games, activities, clip art, and more.
  4. DinoSearch - A nice safe search engine for kids that uses three different filters to block inappropriate search results.
  5. DOGOnews - DOGOnews is an excellent site for finding Reading material/assignments for grades K-8 that can then be integrated into Google Classroom.  This is done through their curated safe (COPA compliant) educational database/search engine that provides assessment and language/speech features.
  6. Famhoo - A family friendly search engine that filters all content.
  7. Google (safe search) - Google has a nice safe search setting which can be locked into place at the browser level for those that use Firefox.
  8. History Engine - An amazing way for students to search through different events throughout history.
  9. Kiddle - One of the most popular safe visual search engines for kids.
  10. Kidtopia - A nice safe COPPA/CIPA compliant search engine for kids/students.
  11. Kid Rex - Is a wonderful search engine designed around Google's safe search. Also, it has a very nice visual appeal for kids.
  12. Lesson Planet - A great search engine for teachers looking for lessons and other resources that they can share w/ their students.
  13. Lumos Edsearch - A excellent site for for finding educational resources, videos, apps, and more.
  14. Nettrekker - A great paid site for searching the web not only for students but for teachers as well.
  15. Photos for Class - The easiest way to find safe Creative Common licensed photos for the classroom and home that are cited appropriately.
  16. Refseek - A wonderful academic search engine that indexes through documents, encyclopedias,  web pages, and books.
  17. Springo Kids - A fun visual search engine for kids where results are given in thumbnails.
  18. Sweet Search - A group of experts (that includes librarians & teachers) evaluate all content from this search engine.
  19. Symbolab - A innovative scientific search engine that is great for solving Math and Science problems.
  20. Top Marks - A great site developed in the UK by teachers who approved everything on this site.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

30hands Pro

30hands Pro is the excellent iOS app for project based learning, flipping a classroom, and digital storytelling.  Educators are using 30hands to integrate technology in a easy and seamless way.

• New Features in Pro:
— Enhanced Drawing with Editing, Adding Images to canvas, Layering Images, more! (Basic Drawing is still there, too)
— Share-a-Slide to create a single slide video
— Stop Motion is easier with settings and Enhanced Drawing
— Storyboarding is faster and easier
• New icons from Font Awesome and ION
• added support for iOS 9
• fixed some bugs

• Pro has 2 Drawing Modes: Enhanced and Basic
— Enhanced Drawing is vector based which is huge!
— Add images + photos to a drawing
— Edit a drawing after saving
— Drawing lines are crisper
— Text can be on multiple lines
— Resized and stretched text can still be edited!
• Pro has Share-a-Slide to create a single slide video
— Share a single narrated drawing or image to parents, teachers or friends
— Share-a-Slide allows for better collaboration
— Add video slides from multiple students into a central presentation
• Pro has easy Stop Motion settings
— Stop Motion slides can be within a normal presentation
• Easier Storyboarding in Starter and Pro
— New + icon to add a drawing from slide preview/record screen removes extra steps

For more information on 30hands Pro, or 30hands Web click here!!!

*30hands is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

WordsTool

WordsTool is one of the best flashcard sites to come around in awhile.  What sets WordsTool apart from other flashcard creators is the mass amounts of robust features, such as the ability to add: the word, definition, image, pronunciation (audio), translation, and more.  Also, there are 5 different types of exercises (i.e. matching, dictation, etc.) to help a student learn a word.  Best of all, the educational portal allows teachers to track and monitor student progress making it easy to differentiate instruction.

I highly recommend checking out WordsTool by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

TeachVid

TeachVid is an amazing online tool for learning foreign languages that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  TeachVid reminds me a tad like EDpuzzle where educators use interactive videos to assess student's learning.  Also, educators can create a "virtual" classroom and create assignments that contain: videos, worksheets, etc.  Finally, TeachVid makes it easy to flip a classroom or lesson and let student's learn at their own pace.

I highly recommend checking out TeachVid by clicking here!!!

*TeachVid is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Hatch

Hatch is a wonderful educational iOS app that combines game based learning w/ studying/reading/homework to help increase a student's love of learning.  The way this works is once Hatch is launched a student selects between 5 - 120 min to read/study/homework.  As the student stays in the app "working" they gain "focus energy".  This energy is in-game currency that students use to unlock/hatch a creature.  Any session that lasts more 25 min or more guarantees them a "rare' species.  Hatch kind of reminds me of a Pokemon Go w/ out the searching for Pokemon but hatching as many creatures as you can.

I highly recommend checking out Hatch by clicking here!!!

DOGONews

DOGOnews is an excellent site for creating Reading assignments for grades K-8 that can then be integrated into Google Classroom.  This is done through 1000s of curated educated articles in a wide variety of subjects (i.e. Science, History, Current Events, etc.) where educators can then select lesson plans, create assignments, and help students increase their Reading and Vocabulary skills.

Below is a brief demo...





I highly recommend checking out DOGOnews for teachers by clicking here!!!

*DOGOnews is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Timixi

Timixi is an excellent site for finding or creating timelines w/ lots of robust features.  For example. a user can create a timeline by adding a detailed description w/ images, switch between a detailed view and general overview, and much much more.  Finally, a student can test their learning through a quiz or educational game.

I highly recommend checking out Timixi by clicking here!!!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

15 Tools for Self Paced Learning

"Self-paced instruction or learning is any kind of instruction that proceeds based on learner response. The content itself can be curriculum, corporate training, technical tutorials, or any other subject that does not require the immediate response of an instructor.  Self-paced instruction is constructed in such a way that the learner proceeds from one topic or segment to the next at their own speed.  This type of instruction is becoming increasingly popular as the education world shifts from the classroom to the internet (Wikipedia)."

Self-paced learning is an excellent way for students or educators to learn material at their own pace.  Also, this is ideal to help users retain information in a low pressure place as well as supplement different learning styles.  Finally, Self-paced learning is becoming more and more prevalent in schools w/ the integration of BYOD (bring your own device) or mobile learning.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

15 Tools for Self-Paced Learning

  1. Brain Pop & Brain Pop Jr. - One of the most popular sites around for self-paced learning where students can watch animated movies w/ the robot Moby then answer questions regarding the subject.
  2. Education Galaxy - A new site for grades K-6 that uses Game Based Learning to help students in a wide variety of subject.  Also, Education Galaxy is great for assessing student's needs and to help integrate Self Paced Learning.
  3. Gimkit - A wonderful game based learning solution where students can create the games and use for self paced learning.
  4. GrammarFlip - A excellent site for students to practice their grammar by watching educational videos and then completing interactive exercises.
  5. Kialo Edu - A unique learning tool that provides a platform for educators to gauge student understanding and differentiate instruction, through collaborative discussions.  Students can use this for self paced learning and to get their points across in a clear precise way.
  6. Knoword - A excellent Vocabulary game w/ teacher portal where educators can create their own "word" packs and track student's progress.
  7. Makerdemy - A great site for learning how to program/code in a wide variety of languages (i.e. Raspberry Pi, Google Assistant, etc) at your own pace.
  8. Mathigon - An innovative interactive textbook that lets acts as personal tutor for students that provides instant real-time feedback.
  9. Milestone Math - An interesting iOS app that uses self paced learning to help students w/ their Math skills.
  10. Outwhiz - A nice site or app for Math and English grades K-8th.  Also, Outwhiz tracks student's progress and lets them learn at their own.
  11. PBS Learning Media - A wonderful site w/ educational portal for students to learn a wide range of subjects at their own pace w/ resources (i.e. videos, lessons) aligned to state-standards.
  12. Splash Math - A K-5 Math curriculum and iPad w/ individual self learning game based programs for students.
  13. UMU - A fantastic site and mobile app (iOS/Android) that can be used for any subject any even professional development.
  14. VocApp - A great free mobile app that uses flashcards to help users learn at their own pace and differentiate instruction.
  15. Vocab Victor - A wonderful free mobile app for students who want to work on their Vocabulary skills at their own pace.  Best of all, Vocab Victor assess and adapts to student's vocabulary level in real-time.

Mobile Permissions

Mobile Permissions is a fantastic new free tool for educators to virtual send parents permissions slips.     Mobile Permissions makes it easy for teachers to send any type of permission slip form to a parents/guardians phone or mobile device.  They can then electronically sign and submit payment while educators can track/monitor to it all from their teacher portal.  Finally, they can reuse already created slips for future periods or classes.

I highly recommend checking out Mobile Permissions by clicking here!!!

*Mobile Permissions is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Wooclap

Wooclap is an excellent learning tool that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog that is ideal for Distance Learning.  Wooclap is a tool that reminds me a lot of Kahoot, where a teacher can create a poll/quiz and students can respond in real-time from their mobile device.  Best of all, Wooclap has lots of robust features that set it apart from their competition such as: 20+ ways to interact w/ their audience, integrates w/ most LMS, Keynote, PPT, Google Slides, etc, free for education, and much much more.  This is a great tool for educators to assess student learning and differentiate instruction.

below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Wooclap by clicking here!!!

For a more detailed review click here.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Make Beliefs Comix for Remote Learning


*Be sure to checkout how Make Beliefs Comix can work for you for Remote Learning during school closures!!!

Make Beliefs Comix is a excellent site that educators around the world are using for digital storytelling, project based learning, reinforcing vocabulary, and more.  Also, Make Beliefs Comix has an abundance of lesson plans, the ability to translate comics into other languages, and recently launched story starters/writing prompts to help get the student's creative juices flowing.

I highly recommend checking out Make Beliefs Comix by clicking here!!!

Newlearn.io

Newlearn.io is a excellent new social network for finding educational resources.  Newlearn.io curates their resources by common core standards and allows users to share (download/upload) files such as: videos, documents, PDFs, and more.  Best of all, the social networking aspects makes it easy to rate, comment, and collaborate w/ other educators to engage in best teaching resources and strategies.

Recently Newlearn.io announced a sweepstakes for members to share their ideas on how they stay busy during the virus out break and they can win a $20 gift card.  To enter is simple just read below...


  • Date 3-16 - 3-19 Mon - Thur
  • Winner Announcement 3-20 - Fri
  • Prize - $20 Gift Card
  • Winners - Random two teachers who share the best ideas
  • For more info click here
Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Newlearn.io by clicking here!!!

I Know It & Super Teacher Worksheets for Online Teaching

Two of my favorite sites for finding educational games, actives, worksheets, and more, has just recently made their sites free for educators/students during school closures.  More info from their following press release...

I Know It (iknowit.com) is a popular math practice site for students in grades K through 5.  IKI features over 500 Common Core aligned math lessons.  Normally it's a subscription service for schools, but it's being offered for free to teachers and schools during the COVID-19 outbreak.

More information, and to sign up for free access:  
https://www.iknowit.com/

AND

Super Teacher Worksheets has over 16,000 printable resources for students in grades K through 5.  STW is offering temporary, full access via shared account to teachers affected by virus-related closures. 

Log in with the information below:
 
username:  temporaryaccess

password: stayhealthy

url:  superteacherworksheets.com

*Super Teacher Worksheets and I Know It are advertisers of Technology Tidbits.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

MonkeyLearn

MonkeyLearn is an excellent site for creating a word cloud that reminds me a lot of Wordle.  All a user has to do is copy/paste in some text and hit generate word cloud.  That's it, MonkeyLearn generates the cloud and even analyzes the text for keywords and sentiment analysis.

I highly recommend checking out MonkeyLearn by clicking here!!

For a more detailed review check out Richard Byrne's wonderful blog.

Storyboard That for Remote Learning

Storyboard That the wonderful resource that educators everywhere are using for a variety of educational purposes (i.e. timelines, digital storytelling, project based learning, etc), has just announced they will offer 5 weeks free of all their online resources (i.e. unlimited teachers and students) to help w/ remote learning during school closures.

Storyboard That is an excellent learning tool w/ educational portal, where teachers can manage, track, and assess student accounts in a safe environment.  This easy-to-use site has an abundance of teacher guides and lesson plans, that makes it easy to integrate into any classroom or curriculum.

I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That by clicking here!!!

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Actively Learn

Actively Learn is a site I've covered many times in the past and is excellent for comprehension/reading where educators can take a text and make it their "own" by adding questions, assessments, polls, to assess a student's learning and differentiate instruction.

Recently, Actively Learn announced they will help w/ online learning during school closures by making their learning platform free through the end of the summer.  More from their press release...

Actively Learn can help. We’re offering our platform for free through the summer to make remote learning as strong as possible, without you needing to start from scratch. Our curriculum platform promotes student and teacher collaboration — at school and at home — with: 
  • Access to engaging content through any device (including smartphone)
  • A way for teachers to import content to use the assignments they’ve already planned for
  • Supports for all types of learners 
  • Ability to collaborate with peers and teachers
  • Easy progress monitoring and ways to provide feedback and grades
I highly recommend checking out Actively Learn by clicking here!!!

Socrates Free for Rest of the Year

Many schools are now realizing they do not have the tools in place so kids can continue to learn while schools are closed.  Socrates personalized learning for the students so they are progressing automatically, and provides teachers with tools to monitor progress and assign topics.  Teachers can control the learning remotely or just allow Socrates to adjust automatically - making it a perfect tool for teachers with closed classrooms.  

The CEO announced that Socrates will be free to all impacted communities and they are setting up schools and classrooms within 24 hours.  No training is necessary for the teachers or students.  Take advantage of this great offer here:  https://withsocrates.com/coronavirus/

Socrates is an innovate new site where educators can seamlessly differentiate instruction for each student through a unique game based learning system.  This is done through fun and engaging learning games w/ educational portal where teachers can track and monitor student progress, assign educational videos, use a digital badge system, testing, benchmarking, and much much more.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Socrates by clicking here!!!

*Socrates is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Projector Screen

Projector Screen is a great site for educators or parents looking to find screens, projectors, cables, and more for home or their classroom.  Also, this is an ideal place to find good deals and other resources such as: how to build a home theater or how a green screen works.

I highly recommend checking out Projector Screen by clicking here!!!

*Projector Screen is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Top Learning Tools when School is Closed

As with almost everything technology-based, remote teaching and learning has been on a steady increase in recent years. That is until the Coronavirus emerged and changed everything! 

With the rapid spread of the virus forcing more and more schools around the United States and the world to close, many teachers are now having to rely solely on technology to deliver instruction (preferably effective) to their remote students.

Here is a list of suggested tools that can be used to keep the learning happening when schools are closed:

*This Lists is in alphabetical order

Top Learning Tools when School is Closed

  1. ABCmouse - A very popular online curriculum for ages 2-8 on subjects such as: Math, Reading, Science, and more.
  2. Adventure Academy - Similar to ABCmouse, this online curriculum is for ages 8-13 in Math, Reading, and Science.
  3. Answer PadIs a free visual and student based response system that educators use to blend learning and flip classrooms in real-time on browser based devices.  The mobility of Answer Pad lets students use at home to interact w/ teacher created resources.
  4. BoomWriter - This free site has always been a favorite of mine, and teachers and students love it! With BoomWriter, teachers can easily create student accounts before then directing them to super engaging fiction, nonfiction and/or vocabulary-focused personalized writing activities in any subject. Enter instructions (with or w/o vocabulary) upload resources (also optional) and then share with your students. If you need to teach remotely, you'll want to check out BoomWriter! 
  5. BrainPop & BrainPop Jr - One of the most popular educational sites around for learning a wide range of subjects through animated videos then taking a short assessment/quiz.
  6. Buncee - One of the most versatile learning tools around that provides a digital canvas for all sorts educational needs.  Buncee's "Ideas Lab" is a great place to find educational resources to be used/viewed at home.
  7. Classhook - A wonderful site for educators to find educational videos/playlists and assign them to students to view at home.
  8. DOGOnewsDOGOnews is an excellent site for creating Reading assignments for grades K-8 that can then be integrated into Google Classroom.  This is done through their curated safe (COPA compliant) educational database that provides assessment and language/speech features.
  9. EDpuzzle - One of the world's most popular sites for flipping a classroom/lesson where educational videos can then be viewed at home and students can take assessments to gauge learning.
  10. EducationCity - A excellent online platform for grades PreK-6th for finding educational games, resources, and activities.
  11. Edulastic is an online K12 digital assessment platform. It allows teachers to make their own assessments and assignments or choose from over 35,000 pre-made assessments. 
  12. Explania - A great site for finding educational and instructional animated videos. 
  13. Glogster EDU - An "oldie" but good, Glogster's "Glogpedia" is a great place to find animated posters on a wide range of topics.
  14. iKnowIt - A wonderful place to find interactive Math practice for grades K-5 that tracks student data.
  15. Kahoot - A fun way to learn at home w/ Kahoot's game based learning system.
  16. KnowordA excellent Vocabulary game w/ teacher portal where educators can create their own "word" packs and track student's progress.
  17. Nearpod - One of the most popular mobile learning tools around, that recently released a blog post on how to use Nearpod at home w/ school closures happening around the world.
  18. NeoK12One of the best places to find educational videos, lessons, and games.
  19. RoomRecess - A great place to find over a 100 games on a wide range of subjects such as: Math, Reading, Literacy, Typing, and more.
  20. SocratesA great new site where educators can asses students and differentiate instruction through a unique Game Based Learning system.
  21. SuperTeacherWorksheets - A wonderful place where teachers and parents can find educational worksheets/activities to print out for use at home.
  22. TeachVid - An amazing learning tool for ESL and Foreign Language teachers, where they can flip a lesson and have students do them at home through educational videos/activities.
  23. Vocab Victor - A wonderful free mobile app for students want to work on their Vocabulary skills.  Best of all, Vocab Victor assess and adapts to student's vocabulary level in real-time.
  24. VoiceThread - A great learning tool that has stood the "test of time" and lets students express their creativity through interactive digital stories/presentations.
  25. WatchKnowLearnA great free site similar to Discovery Streaming for finding educational K-12 videos.
  26. YouTube TeachersYouTube offers a educational portal for teachers for finding educational videos.



Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Answerables

Answerables the innovative educational tool that combines the best features of game based learning w/ a learning management system has just released their free iPad app.  Answerables is being used by educators in a variety of ways from collaborating w/ other classes, to browsing the web, all in a secure 3D virtual environment.

Answerables is used as a:

• Virtual classroom 
• Lesson planner
• Learning manager 
• Quest creator
• Resource manager 
• Web browser (managed)
• Social Network
• Student portfolio
• Presentation space

Features include:

• Multiplayer game environment
• Learning management system
• Quests and badges
• Assessment tools
• Analytics
• Resource/Content management system
• Web browser
• Secure audio/video streaming

I highly recommend checking out Answerables by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



For another detailed review check out Monica Burn's excellent blog by clicking here!!!

*Answerables is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Unsplash for Education

Unspalsh for Education is an excellent site to find images for education or for your next school project.  All images are free and curated to help make it easier for educators and students to find what they are looking for.

I highly recommend checking out Unsplash by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

NameCoach

NameCoach is a wonderful web service that educators are using to learn student's names and pronounce them correctly.  This is especially useful w/ school starting up and teachers want to learn the correct way to pronounce their student's names.  The way this works is simple as a teacher creates a name/web page and then has the student's speak their names.  The audio gets embedded into a page and a user can access them all on one page at anytime.  Also, NameCoach makes it very easy to share recordings and keep track of student's name/email.  It's easy, accurate, and 100% safe for schools to use.

I highly recommend checking out NameCoach by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



*NameCoach is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.educational resources

Monday, March 9, 2020

15 Sites for Blended Learning

What is Blended Learning?  This is a question that I frequently think about and a term that gets tossed around in education.  It's a smorgasbord of teaching strategies that uses analog and digital technologies to teach and learn.

Wikipedia says, "Blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace.[1][2] While still attending a “brick-and-mortar” school structure, face-to-face classroom methods are combined with computer-mediated activities.[3] Proponents of blending learning cite the opportunity for data collection and customization of instruction and assessment as two major benefits of this approach.[4] Schools with blended learning models may also choose to reallocate resources to boost student achievement outcomes.[5]"

That being said, I decided to curate a list of resources that can be used for Blended Learning instruction.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

15 Sites for Blended Learning

  1. Answer Pad - Is a free visual and student based response system that educators use to blend learning and assess students in real-time on browser based devices.
  2. Blended Play - A excellent site that uses "gamification" to blend learning where educators create the questions used in the games.
  3. Buncee - A fantastic and easy to use tool w/ educational portal that educators are using for blended learning, digital storytelling, project based learning, and much much more.
  4. Edmodo - A free and safe social learning environment where educators can collaborate w/ students and assess them to deliver best teaching strategies.
  5. EDpuzzle - Is one of the most popular resources on the web to flip a classroom or lesson.  This is done by taking a video editing (i.e. cut/crop) it, adding questions, and generate assessments to blend learning.  Also, it is ideal for student centered self paced learning.
  6. Eduflow - A new Learning Management System that makes it easy for educators to blend learning and integrate group discussions.
  7. FlipSnack Edu - A terrific site for creating online classrooms that can be used for flipping a classroom, blend learning, and more.
  8. GoClass - A innovative tool that uses a web interface and mobile app to allow teachers to create digital lessons, blend learning, and generate detailed reports.
  9. iCivics - A great site for learning about Civics through a wide variety of learning styles such as: game based learning, project based learning, blended learning, web quests, and more.
  10. Kahoot - Is a easy to use game based blended learning system that allows educators to assess students in a visual bar graph manner, while students take control of their learning.
  11. Khan Academy - A very popular resource for online learning where the user learns at their own pace through interactive exercises and videos.
  12. SimpleShow - A very popular site for creating beautiful looking explainer videos/slideshows, as well as to "flip" or "blend" learning.
  13. Otus - Otus is a new and innovative free learning tool designed for the iPad that allows educators to blend learning by creating a digital learning environment.  Educators, can manage and track student performance, take attendance and notes, grade, and more.
  14. Parlay - An innovative tool that educators are using to take classroom "discussions" to the next level by blending learning and differentiating instruction.
  15. Umu - A wonderful site/app that uses a wide variety of tools for professional development, such as: quizzes, polls, infographics, live broadcasts, and more.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Circly

Circly is a wonderful new graphic organizers that educators can use to brainstorm, manage tasks, create collaborative group projects, Venn diagrams and more.  Circly, is uses a drag-n-drop interface making it easy to use as well as lets the user change colors of circles to maximize data points.  Finally, the most unique feature of Circly lets users collaborate in real-time w/ built-in video caller lets user work in groups remotely.  This is a great feature for educators looking to do more group projects as well work w/ peers remotely.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Circly by clicking here!!!

Saturday, March 7, 2020

EDpuzzle Update

EDpuzzle the world's most popular site to flip a classroom/lesson to make a video "their" own, has just released an update to their video editor.  The new video editor now has a new modern look that makes it look more polished and sleeker.  Also, a user can now cut multiple sections of their video, as well as add audio to their notes and create shorter voiceovers.  Don't forget EDpuzzle can be used for any subject and curriculum and makes it easy for educators to assess student learning and differentiate instruction.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out EDpuzzle by clicking here!!!

*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Unminus

Unminus is a nice little site for finding royalty free music for your projects.  Best of all, users can search from different categories such as: happy, chilled, grimy, and more...

I highly recommend checking out Unminus by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Storyboard That Infographics

Storyboard That is one of the most universal learning tools around.  This innovative site is being used in a wide variety of ways by educators such as: storyboards, digital storyboards, timelines, graphic organizers, project based learning, and much much more.  Recently, Storyboard That released templates for creating beautiful looking infographics that can be integrated into any subject or curriculum.  These infographics make it easy for students to use in a report, poster, or even a project of any kind.

Finally, almost everything w/in Storyboard That is customizable.  This means, that a user can edit the style or theme of their storyboard or even the dimensions of the cell w/in the storyboard.  This functionality separates Storyboard That from other graphic organizers that are set to specific confines.

I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That's Infographics gallery by clicking here!!!

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

TutorBin

TutorBin is an excellent online tutoring site that helps students looking for: homework help, essay writing, lab work, and more.  Best of all, tutoring can be done live and online or by uploading files and then waiting back for solutions and detailed problem walkthroughs.

I highly recommend checking out TutorBin by clicking here!!!

Sunday, March 1, 2020

15 Sites for Keyboarding/Typing

Keyboarding or Typing is one the first and most vital skills for students to learn for technology literacy.  This skill is the building block for using a computer and one that starts as early KDG if not sooner.  Also, this is a nice skill/unit to teach in using "centers or blocks", free time, or even summer school.

*This list is in alphabetical order

15 Sites for Keyboarding/Typing
  1. ABCya - A fun site/app for kids trying to learn how to type in games such as: Alpha Munchies, Cup Stack Typing, and Jump Key.
  2. AlfaTyping - A good site for typing resources as well as tutorials and walkthroughs.
  3. FreeTypingGames.net - A nice little site for practicing different skills for typing such as "home row" and "WPM" (words per minute).
  4. Learn 2 Type - A simple site to check a student's words per minute.
  5. Learning Games for Kids - A great site for educational games including over 20 games for Keyboarding.
  6. Nitro Type - An interesting site that uses a worldwide real-time competition to help students strengthen their skills.
  7. Power Typing - A nice collection of 5 online Typing games.
  8. RoomRecess - An excellent site for games for all subjects including Typing.  Some of their more popular games in Keyboarding include: Letter Bursts, Popcorn Typer, and Launch Key.
  9. TypeDojo - A wonderful site that lets students grades 1st-8th practice their keyboarding skills while printing out detailed reports/certificates. 
  10. TypeKids - An innovative game which introduces students to keyboarding/typing w/ over 30 interactive lessons.
  11. TypeTastic - One of the best sites around for learning how type w/ educational portal, that uses Game Base Learning to teach keyboarding skills.
  12. Typing.com - A very popular site to find a wide range of typing resources such as: games, tests, lessons, and more.
  13. Typing Agent - An amazing site for grades K-12 for learning how to type.  Best of all are the abundance of features that Typing Agent offers users such as: teacher dashboard to track/monitor student progress, educational games, learning how to code, and more.
  14. Typing Web - A excellent free typing tutor that has a teacher portal for student tracking.  Also, certificates can be printed out on completion of lessons.
  15. TypingClub - A fun site w/ educational portal that now only has instructional videos but unveils a unique story the more a student types.
For my Keyboarding/Typing Pinterest board click here.