180 Technology Tips is an excellent site for free computer lessons that I found out about from the wonderful blog, Educational Technology Guy. This site offers 15 hrs of free training in 180 lessons. The lessons focus on a variety of subjects such as: MS Office Suite, computer hardware, etc etc.
I highly recommend checking out 180 Technology Tips by clicking here!!
For my top 10 sites for self help technology click here.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Smart Apps for Kids
Smart Apps for Kids, is one dad's quest to find the best educational apps for the iPad and iPhone (no joke it says it right there on the site 8-). This is an excellent site for finding apps by different age levels. Best of all is how easy it is to use and the star rating system is top notch.I highly recommend checking out Smart Apps for Kids by clicking here!!!
For other great app finding sites check out Mind Leap and Appitic.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Documentary Tube
Documentary Tube is a wonderful place to find online documentaries. Also, it can be searched by themes and then a user can create a playlist and save it.I recommend checking out Documentary Tube by clicking here!!!
For a more detailed review check out Free Technology 4 Teachers.
For another site for finding documentaries check out John Locker.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Schoolit
Schoolit is an ambitious site that I just found out about from a promotional email. This is a site dedicated to fundraising for schools in the NY area.Here is more info, "Schoolit is a unique deal website that aims to help schools raise funds, which we accomplish by donating 50% of our remaining proceeds directly to public schools in NYC. Free for schools to participate, Schoolit's innovative program has proven to generate passive income for schools and also reduce the seasonality factor of fundraising. Schoolit is also developing an application for the iPhone which is scheduled to be released in three months."
I recommend checking out their by clicking here.
ABC Mouse
I highly recommend checking out ABC Mouse by clicking here!!!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Read Cube
I recommend checking out Read Cube by clicking here!!
Friday, November 25, 2011
DADapp
For those people looking for an alternative to Facebook or Google+, DADapp might be the solution. This is a free app for a MAC/PC that allows users to share items w/ others in a very secure and private way. This application is very easy to use w/ a drag-n-drop interface and great for sharing, photos, videos, files, etc. Also, there are some other nice features such as cataloging and the ability to create collections.I recommend checking out DADapp by clicking here!!!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Top 100 Sites of 2011
The time is finally here for my annual list of my top favorite sites of the year. This year I decided to up my post to the top 100 instead of 25 due to the number of sites that I reviewed and due to the popularity of the post. I tried to cover a wide range of sites from flash card creators, to digital storytelling, and of course social networks which really shined in 2011. I hope everybody enjoys the read and has as much fun reading it as I did creating it!!!Top 100 Sites of 2011
- Conduit Mobile - W/out a doubt the coolest most innovative site I came across this year. This is ideal for bloggers, web designers, or schools in a 1 to 1 environment who are looking to create a great looking mobile app for free (could be a great way to share news/homework in a mobile environment).
- Gnowledge - One of the best collaborative quiz/test creation sites around. This excellent looking site should be a mainstay for years to come.
- Google+ - A great social network and alternative to Facebook. Google+ really shines w/ its control and visually stunning video chat (hangouts) features.
- Watch Know - An excellent place to find free educational videos for students. This is a very easy site to navigate around as everything is categorized by subject and rated for age appropriate levels.
- Muvee Cloud - Is a redesign of the popular video/presentation site Shwup. This site is very easy to use and has a nice polished look and great for creating projects w/ photos and videos. Best of all Muvee Cloud is free for educators and students.
- StudyBlue - Is a great site for making flashcards and notes. Also, w/ its newly designed mobile app it makes studying a treat w/ the ability to study anywhere or anytime.
- YouTube Teachers - A wonderful site designed to help teachers use educational videos in the classroom.
- Primary Wall - Is a site similar to Wall Wisher w/ an educational portal. A paid account filters those "walls" (interactive bulletin boards) which are very easy to create. Also, there are lots of free educational resources to be found for lesson plans and ideas.
- Skype in the Classroom - Designed specifically for education this site brings teachers, projects and resources together from all around the world. Also, this is a free site designed for video conferencing and global learning.
- TXTNLRN - A very innovative site that teaches through the use of text messaging. All enrollment is done via a text message and great for those wanting to learn at their own pace and try something new.
- Webspiration Classroom - A wonderful site by the creators of Inspiration designed for grades 5 thru 12. An ideal site for collaborating, brainstorming, and creating outlines w/ a web 2.0 interface.
- PikiFriends - This is a great site for online pen pals to teach web 2.0 skills to students in a safe filtered environment. Teachers have lots of control over student accounts and an abundance of resources to show how to implement PikiFriends into their curriculum.
- Boom Writer - A unique site for students to collaboratively write online in a safe environment.
- Sophia - Is a new (beta) social network for education. Lots of great features can be found here such as: free lesson plans, private group (study) creation, and online tutoring.
- Planbook EDU - A great site/app for creating lesson plans on the web. More features are available w/ a paid account, such as attaching files and embedding into a site.
- Little Bird Tales - Is a site that has been getting quite a bit of press lately for digital storytelling. This is a great site for elementary students looking to create a story, add their art work, and even record their voice.
- Sound Cloud - An innovative site for creating, recording, and sharing audio/sounds for free. This is an ideal way to share, embed, and document lessons and lectures.
- Springo Kids - Is a fun visual search engine for kids where results are given in thumbnails.
- SliderRocket EDU - A great site to creating stunning presentations for schools.
- GameUp - A fun site from the creators of Brain Pop for educational games. These games are focused on Brain Pop's highly popular animated lessons.
- APPitic - A terrific site for finding educational apps. There are over 1300 apps reviewed by Apple Distinguished Educators.
- Useful Charts - A wonderful collection of charts on any number of subjects.
- Much Enough - A excellent site for educators to teach any subject online (webcam) and charge what they want.
- iCharts - A great site for creating an online interactive chart either from scratch or a spreadsheet.
- Tabblo - A nice site for digital storytelling created by HP. The finished project can be shared w/ others or viewed in a slideshow.
- Study Ladder - One of the fastest sites growing around w/ lots of educational resources such as games, worksheets, and lesson plans.
- Story Something - A fun and great interactive storytelling site for kids. This is a great place for kids to read along w/ stories and interact w/ them.
- NBC Learn - An interesting site aligned to state standards for implementing K-12 resources, such as historic videos and current events.
- Class Parrot - A safe way for teachers to text students w/ the option to add parents as well.
- Study Stream - A wonderful site for learning a foreign language w/ the use of videos, articles, and blogs.
- Paper Rater - A free site that checks for grammar, spelling, proof reading, and plagiarism.
- WebSlides - A site powered by Diigo that turns bookmarks into a interactive slideshow.
- Kideos - A great site to find safe videos for kids that are organized by age level and abide by COPPA compliance.
- WhoTeaches - Is a new (beta) network designed to bring students, parents, and educators together. This is done through collaboration w/ the ability to share documents and create groups. Also, this site offers high level education for online learners looking for tutors or to study.
- Weaving History - A new site that is great for making timelines based on History.
- Lesson Writer - A nice site for teachers to create a lesson and save them online.
- ProProfs - A great "all in one" site for education that allows users to create quizzes, flashcards, polls, etc.
- Slime Kids - A fun site that has lots to offer elementary students such as: book reviews, games, trailers, etc.
- Quicklyst - A cool site for taking notes and studying on a mobile device.
- Embed Plus - An innovative way to edit YouTube videos. It's like having DVD controls right at your finger tips.
- Better Lesson - Is a free social network that is ideal for educators. 1000's of resources can be found here as well as collaborating w/ other educators to find out what teaching strategies work best.
- Knovio - A great site for making slideshows by syncing audio to a powerpoint. This is ideal for those that like to create Pecha Kucha presentations.
- Word Hippo - An excellent online dictionary and translator as well.
- Concept Board - An ideal site for creating an interactive whiteboard w/ many features, such as screen capture, mobility, etc.
- Mind Leap- A great site for finding and reviewing educational apps on a 5 star system for grades PreK - MS.
- Big Marker - Is a free web conferencing community that is ideal for educators and students. This is a great place to create a private room for collaboration and document sharing.
- PikiKids - A fun site for creating online digital comics.
- Quizilla - A terrific site for kids ages 13 on up for creating and sharing quizzes, stories, poems, and polls.
- Study Shuffle - A wonderful site for creating flashcards that allows for student tracking.
- Diipo - A wonderful new (beta) social network that is similar to Moodle and Gaggle. This network prides itself on being social networking for "your" class. This allows for teachers and students to not only collaborate w/ themselves online through texting and blogging but collaborate w/ others as well.
- Tutor Hub - A community where students can find an online tutor who sets their own rates.
- Frabroom - A free online museum w/ lots of nice features such as interactive books and games.
- Jellycam - A free download for a Mac or PC for making stop motion animation.
- Study Stack - A excellent site for creating flashcards and studying w/ educational games. Study Stack has a nice mobile app as well.
- aMap - An interesting site for creating a visual debate and then embedding into a site.
- Everloop - Is an excellent social network that is designed to teach students how to network appropriately. Also, this site is ideal for education as it is being monitored by parents and supported by such organizations such as iSafe.
- PhotoShow - Create stunning slideshows w/ this very easy to use site.
- We Video - A great site for creating collaborative videos.
- LearnBoost - An excellent free online gradebook that is similar to Powerschool. Not only can a teacher do grades online, but there is student tracking, Google Apps integration, lesson plan creation, and more.
- Class Dojo - Bring old school verbal feedback to the 21st Century w/ this nice online behavior management system.
- 19 Pencils - An ideal site for creating quizzes and websites w/ student tracking.
- Popplet - A graphic organizer that is great for brainstorming, creating mindmaps, outlines, etc.
- Study Boost - A great way to study w/ others using a mobile device.
- VuSafe - This site is a wonderful way to show pre-approved videos in a safe environment. Also, this site works nice on mobile devices and is CIPA compliant.
- Huffduffer - Is a great site for creating podcasts from audio links from around the web.
- Yaca Paca - An interesting site that is free for students and teachers. This is an ideal site for online assessments and allows teachers to create quizzes, surveys, and more.
- Slidestaxx - Is an excellent site for creating beautiful social media slideshows.
- Fresh Brain - This is a neat site for educators and students for creating technology projects such as a game or YouTube video.
- Watch2gether - A great way to watch YouTube videos w/ others via a text chat.
- iGrade Plus - A nice online gradebook w/ lots of features such as: attendance, grade management, parent notifications, etc. Also, there are different price options depending on what features best suits your needs.
- Desmos - Is a cool new site for creating interactive lessons for education.
- K12 Advantage - This is a wonderful site for educational resources that is built around a social network for collaborating and sharing.
- Story Time for Me - Is an excellent site for grade K-2 where interactive stories are read to kids by professional actors.
- Webdoc - Is a cool new (beta) site for creating multimedia type blog posts w/ comments.
- Fauxflash - A great site for creating flash cards and studying. Also, there are lots of different study decks to browse through on a number of different subjects.
- Study Egg - An innovative site for helping students learn a given subject.
- edWeb - A wonderful social network where educators can browse through webinars they may want to attend.
- Learn 360 - A site that is a cheaper alternative to Discovery Streaming. Learn 360 is ideal for streaming/downloading videos, creating digital content, etc etc.
- FunnelBrain - Is a great site for creating flashcards and quizzes and then joining teams for studying.
- ASCD Edge - Is a educational social network w/ over 25,000 members. Members can create their own blog and share news via real-time newsfeed.
- Memidex - Is a excellent free online dictionary/thesaurus. This is a nice place to find out the origin of words and other interesting facts.
- Tiki-Toki - This is a wonderful new web app for creating stunning looking timelines.
- CK-12 - A great site for free digital textbooks that are aligned to state standards.
- PodOmatic - Is an excellent site for creating podcasts and add audio via iTunes.
- Schoology - Is a content management system similar to Moople or Moodle. While this is a free site a paid subscription gets users more features.
- Fish Smarty - Is a terrific new site for online learning through games, digital comics, and coloring. Also, there is an educational portal which is ideal for student tracking.
- Plagiarisma - Is a great site to check to see if an item/document is being plagiarized.
- TeachAde - Is a social network designed for educators to share educational resources.
- Time Search - A innovative site for searching for events on a timeline. This is a great site for history teachers/students looking for events on a specific time.
- Grockit Answers - Is a cool new (beta) site for interacting w/ educational YouTube videos. This is done by creating a public or private question/answer session around a video.
- Projeqt - A very user friendly site that is great for creating nice visual presentations.
- Present.me - This is a wonderful site for uploading a powerpoint presentation and then adding a narration. The finished product is quite nice as it shows both the narrator and presentation in a side by side window.
- Moople - A nice site that is designed to help educators and students w/ online learning. Users of Moodle or Blackboard should have a nice feel for what this site is all about.
- Scrumblr - Create a fun interactive board w/ online sticky notes.
- Smore - Smore is a site that reminds me a lot of Glogster for creating interactive posters/flyers.
- ThumbScribes - A new (beta) site for creating collaborative digital stories on a number of different things, such as: poems, stories, songs, etc. Once a piece has been created it can then be voted on by other members.
- Draw Island - Is one of the better digital art sites to come around. Draw Island allows a user to create a custom drawing and then even animate it.
- Dweeber - This is a social network designed for students looking to collaborate on homework.
- Catch - One of my favorite new sites to come around for taking notes is Catch. Catch allows a user to capture anything on a site such as: text, audio, photos, and then share w/ others. This is ideal for those w/ mobile devices.
- Ptable - Is a wonderful interactive periodic table. This tables displays all the elements and links them to Wikipedia which makes it handy for studying.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Loose Leaves
Loose Leaves is a site I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's excellent blog. This is a site that reminds me of Quiet Write for publishing on the web. The way LL works is a user starts a new "leaf" and then starts adding text or an image. Once the leaf is done a user gets two URL's one for publishing for others and one for keeping for oneself to edit.I recommend checking out Loose Leaves by clicking here!!!
Time Search
Time Search is an innovative wonderful site for searching for events on a timeline. This is a great site for history teachers/students looking to find events on a specific time. A user can search not only by entering a date but they can search through images and areas as well. Time Search brings up a list of events in chronological order and images as well through Google.I highly recommend checking out Time Search by clicking here!!
For a more detailed review check out Free Technology 4 Teachers.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Useful Charts
Useful Charts is a useful (ha!) site that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog (and he used that joke too). This is probably the best site I've seen to find excellent looking charts. Not only does UC cover all sorts of areas such as: science, philosophy, and social studies, but a user can order laminated versions of these online charts.I highly highly recommend checking out Useful Charts by clicking here!!!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Teacher's Corner
Teacher's Corner is an excellent site for teachers to find lots of resources. This is a great place to find lesson plans, worksheets, links, and more.I highly recommend checking out Teacher's Corner by clicking here!!
School Express
School Express is a great website for teachers to visit for free worksheets. This site has 1000's of worksheets to look through and even a custom worksheet wizard to help teachers create one from scratch. Other resources can be found here as well such as links, games, and more.I highly recommend checking out School Express by clicking here!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
VidCaster
VidCaster is a site that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog. This is a great site for creating a video "warehouse' of a users favorite YouTube videos. This page can then be shared w/ others as a one stop shop for viewing videos. It kind of reminds me a little bit of Vod Pod.I highly recommend checking out VidCaster by clicking here!!!
Edublog Awards Nominations
The annual Edublog Awards for 2011 are finally here. This blog has been lucky enough to get nominated for best new blog and best resource sharing blog the last two years. Here's hoping it gets nominated again ;-)Of course feel free to nominate whoever you think deserves to be nominated and be sure to follow the instructions for the nomination process by clicking: http://edublogawards.com/nominations/
Here are my nominations
- Best Individual Blog - Teacher Reboot Camp - Shelly Terrell
- Best Individual Tweeter - Shelly Terrell - @ShellTerrell
- Best Ed Tech/Resource Sharing blog - Websites of the Day - Larry Ferlazzo
- Most Influential Blog Post - Dreaming (iLearn Technology) - Kelly Tenkley
- Best Librarian/Library Blog - Unquiet Librarian - Buffy Hamilton
- Best Free Web Tool - Gnowledge
- Best Educational Wiki - Ozge Karaoglu
- Best Open PD/Webinar Series/Unconference - Reform Symposium
- Best Educational Use of a Social Network - Educator's PLN
- Lifetime Achievement - Naomi Harm
Best of luck to all nominees!!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Study Blue
StudyBlue is a site/app that I just found out about from an email I received. This is an excellent site for making flashcards (via photos or audio) and notes. Also, w/ their recently released mobile app it helps students learn in a more efficient and accessible manner. This is a great time saver compared to "old school" notes/flash cards.I highly recommend checking out StudyBlue by clicking here!!!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Study Stream
Study Stream is a wonderful new (beta) site for learning a new language. This is done w/ an innovative use of videos, articles, blogs, etc. A user can watch videos dedicated to a specific language and then answer questions related to that video. This is a very easy site to use and a user can sign in w/ either their FB or Twitter account.I highly recommend checking out Study Stream by clicking here!!!
eVersity
eVersity is a new site for students to collaborate and find answers on their questions. This is done in a similar way as a social network works, where users have access to an online calendar, to-do list, and forum to ask/answer questions. This is geared more towards higher education but I can see it being used in a HS setting as well.I recommend checking out eVersity by clicking here!!!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Mr Nussbaum
I highly recommend checking out Mr Nussbaum by clicking here!!!
For my top 10 sites for educational resources click here.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Kinder Town
I highly recommend checking out Kinder Town by clicking here!!!
For a more detailed review check out Free Technology 4 Teachers.
For similar sites check out:
Cyber Sleuth
Cyber Sleuth is an oldie but goodie when it comes to being a safe search engine/guide for kids. This is a great place to find activities, clip art, games, etc etc. It reminds me a lot of Yahooligans so users of that will feel right at home.I recommend checking out Cyber Sleuth by clicking here.
Worth Ave Group
Worth Ave. Group is a company I just became familiar w/ for ensuring electronic devices in schools that I am really impressed. I'm sure we've all worked in a district where somebody dropped a laptop or had a device stolen, with Worth Ave. Group insurance this would protect any district from losing money.Ideally, I see this more and more important as 1:1 and BYOD (mobile computing) is becoming more and more popular in school districts throughout the world. WAG offers complete coverage, 30 day free trial, secure funding, etc etc for insuring electronic devices.
I highly recommend checking out Worth Ave. Group by clicking here!!!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
9 Slides
I highly highly recommend checking out 9 Slides by clicking here!!!
For my top 10 sites for presentation/slideshow creators click here.
FYI, 9 Slides is right now in private beta so make sure to sign up to get your free account.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Historic Map Works
Historic Map Works is an interesting site that shows a giant collection of historical maps through Google Maps. These maps can be searched by continent, states, and other various criteria. I find this to be a very interesting site and a great asset for History/Geography teachers.I highly recommend checking out Historic Map Works by clicking here!!
For a more detailed review check out, Free Technology 4 Teachers.
Veengle
Veengle is cool new site that I found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers. This is a great site for editing and mashing up videos. This is done by searching for a video and then editing that video by either cropping it or adjusting the colors. This process is done over and over to different videos and then weaved together by transitions.I highly recommend checking out Veengle by clicking here!!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
GameUp
GameUp is a wonderful free site for educational games as part of a section of BrainPop. Games are on a variety of subjects and are even for PreK-3rd grade (BrainPop Jr.) or ESL games. These cartoon/animated interactive games are very easy to use and intertwine nicely w/ BrainPop's popular/successful lesson plans and quizzes.
I highly recommend checking out GameUp by clicking here!!!
I highly recommend checking out GameUp by clicking here!!!
Education.com
Education.com is an excellent site for educational resources. This site has it all, such as: worksheets, videos, activities, etc. Also, a person can browse by subject and even find advice on raising kids and child development for all ages.I highly recommend checking out Education.com by clicking here!!!
Quixey
Quixey is a wonderful new (beta) site that I found out about from iLearn Technology. This is a great site that is a search engine for apps. What makes this so nice is the result page that shows so much useful information such as: cost, review, rating, platform, etc etc.I highly highly recommend checking out Quixey by clicking here!!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Vizlingo
Vizlingo is an interesting new site that links text w/ video. Think of it as a slideshow w/ text but instead of using still pictures it uses video. It's easy to use and all a user has to do is register and upload their video and type in text to get started.I recommend checking out Vizlingo by clicking here!!
Pipo Games
Pipo Games is an excellent site for educational games for kids ages 3-12. The game helps build skills towards child development and learning. Also, another great feature is the ability to embed their games into a site/blog. Keep in mind that while you can demo and play some games this is a paid site similar to Education City.I highly recommend checking out Pipo Games by clicking here!!!
For my top 10 sites for educational games click here.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Teacher Planet
I highly recommend checking out Teacher Planet by clicking here!!
APPitic
Appitic is a terrific site for finding educational apps. The site reminds me a lot of Mind Leap in that a user can search by grade level or subject. Appitic has a collection of over 1300+ apps and is designed by Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) for finding the best tools for the classroom.I highly highly recommend checking out Appitic by clicking here!!!
Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's excellent blog for the tip!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Drawpr
Drawpr is a nice new free site for file sharing. This is done in a rather unique way by dragging and dropping files on a bucket. These buckets can be made public for others to download your files, or private so only you have access to them. The max size a file can be for upload is 50 MB.I recommend checking out Drawpr by clicking here!!
For my top 10 sites for file sharing click here.
Wondrous Worksheets
Wondrous Worksheets is a great site for educators for finding worksheets on any number of subjects. Keep in mind to access all the worksheets there is an $11.95 charge for a 1yr subscription.I highly recommend checking out Wondrous Worksheets by clicking here!!
For other similar sites for finding worksheets I recommend checking out:
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Artsonia
Artsonia is a great free site for art teachers that I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers. This site allows students to upload their art work to an online gallery. However, there is also a teacher section which has lesson plans for grades PreK-12th.I highly recommend checking out Artsonia by clicking here!!
National Geographic Education
National Geographic Education is a new (beta) site designed to bring the best educational standardized resources/media to educators/students. This site has lots to offer such as: projects, activities, videos, photos, etc. Also, there a nice map making feature which is ideal for geo learning.I highly recommend checking out NGE by clicking here!!!
PBS Teachers
I highly recommend checking out PBS Teachers by clicking here!!!
Education World
Education World is a wonderful site for teachers for educational resources. This site is a one stop shop for educators. There are lots of beneficial things to be found on there such as: lesson plans, research materials, links, articles, etc etc. Also, there are resources for professional development, technology, templates, and more.I highly recommend checking out Education World by clicking here!!
For my top 10 sites for educational resources click here.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Teaching Channel
Teaching Channel is a great site to see teachers "in action". This is a great way to learn effective teaching techniques and strategies while being inspiring as well. A teacher can join their online community to share and collaborate w/ other educators and share lesson plans as well.I highly recommend checking out Teaching Channel by clicking here!!
Kids Know It
Kids Know It is one of my favorite new sites that is a "complete" learning network for kids. What that means is that you can find educational links, games, etc etc here. Also, a kid can find educational music, comics, movies, interactive activities, etc etc.I highly recommend checking out Kids Know It by clicking here!!
Word Dynamo
Word Dynamo is an excellent new (beta) site for creating flash cards. However, there is more to like then just creating flash cards, there are educational games and quizzes as well. Basically, everything uses a word list which users can create or can browse for others, then they search for what they are looking for by grade level or subject.I highly recommend checking out Word Dynamo by clicking here!!
Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog and his new feature, This Week in Web 2.0, for the tip.