PeopleRooms

PeopleRooms is a new (private beta) site for creating a joining virtual rooms.  In these rooms people can share files, video conference, and more.  Also, this is a nice place to control all your social networks in one place.

I recommend checking out PeopleRooms by clicking here.

Below is a brief demo video...

Shared Copy

Shared Copy is a wonderful bookmarklet that can be installed in most browsers for bookmarking & annotating websites.  Also, a user can share these pages through: social networks, email, and more.

I recommend checking out Shared Copy by clicking here!

For my top 10 sites for bookmarking and annotating webpages click here.

Thanks to Richard Byrne's blog for the tip.

CyQuiz

CyQuiz is a new site that I just found out about from the great blog, Educational Technology Guy.  This is a wonderful site for creating educational games that can be used in quizzes.  Everything is done via the browser so can work on any type of a computer and even works on mobile devices too.  Also, these quizzes can pictures and sound and are very user friendly.

I highly recommend checking out CyQuiz by clicking here!!

For my top 10 sites for creating quizzes click here.

interactive.i

interactive.i is a site I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a fun site for creating a room that others can chat (via text) and draw.  It's simple to use and is easy to share w/ others once a room is created via a unique URL.

I recommend checking out interactive.i by clicking here.

PageFin

PageFin is a simple and easy site to use to create a free web page in seconds.  A user doesn't have to register and everything is drag-n-drop w/ the ability to add text, images, and video.  Once a page is created it can be shared via a unique URL that is generated.

I recommend checking out PageFin by clicking here.

Thanks to Free Technology 4 Teachers for the tip!!

For my top 10 sites for creating a website click here.

For my Pinterest boards on Website Creators click here.

Online Math Contests

Online Math Contests for Students

For students who love math and want the chance to go above and beyond the typical classroom experience in that subject, or for a teacher looking to spice up her math instruction from the comfort of her own classroom, an online math contest might be ideal.  Here are three excellent online math contest websites for students of various ages.

·      OnlineMathLeague.com: The Online Math League offers team and individual competitions for students in 2^nd grade through Algebra.  Participants compete in three online contests throughout the school year.  Scores may be posted online (anonymously or with students’ first names and last initials), awards are offered to high-scoring teams, and a vast practice area of additional online contests is offered as well.  (Cost: $99/year.)

·      Educontest.com:  Educontest offers team competitions in 3^rd grade through Advanced Math.  Participants compete in four contests throughout the school year.  Scores may be posted online, and awards are offered to high scoring teams.  The contests and practice tests are both pencil/paper only, however. (Cost: $80-90/year.)

·      TheMathLeague.com:  The Math League offers team competitions in 4^th grade through a generic “high school” level.  4^th grade through Algebra contests run once a year and cost $40 per class.  The high school level contests run 6 times per year and cost $90 per class.  Beginning this year, the Math League allows students to compete and take practice tests both online or on paper.  Awards are provided for high scoring teams and individuals.

The three contests above are all housed online and can be completed from a child’s home or school.  For students willing and able to travel, contests like the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools and MATHCOUNTS are also highly recommended.

About the Author:

Neven Jurkovic’s interest in teaching mathematics with technology developed while pursuing a Master of Science degree at Southwest Texas State University. Apart from publishing a number of papers on the application of artificial intelligence in elementary mathematics problem solving, Neven is the creator of Algebrator, a widely used math tutoring software.  Currently, he lives in San Antonio, TX and is the CEO of Softmath: http://softmath.com/  

Audiolip

Audiolip is a new (beta) site for creating for a micro-podcast.  This is an easy way to create a audio recording of a mini podcast and then post online.  It can be done via either a toll free number or a browser.

I recommend checking out Audiolip by clicking here.

HostMath

HostMath is a web based mathematical formula editor that is ideal for typing up and displaying complex mathematical equations.  These equations can then be emailed or embedded into a site/blog.

I highly recommend checking out HostMath by clicking here!!

Yahoo Axis

Yahoo Axis is a new free web browser/extension that reminds me a bit of Chrome/Safari.  Oddly enough,  for a desktop computer it is an extension for your favorite browser, ie (Chrome, Explorer, Safari) or a stand alone app for a mobile device.  What makes Axis neat is the ability to browse on one device or computer and then pick up where you left off on another (almost how iCloud works).  Also, it has a nice way of displaying visuals w/out leaving the page or when typing in a search query.

I recommend checking out Yahoo Axis by clicking here!!

TinyTap

TinyTap is a free iPad that allows kids to make educational games.  This is done by uploading photos and then recording your audio and placing them into existing games.  Also, a user can create their own Q/A, add a soundtrack, and track their child's score.

I highly recommend checking out TinyTap by clicking here!!

Meograph

Meograph is an innovative new (beta) site for four-dimensional digital storytelling.  It integrates w/ Google Maps & Google Earth and looks to be very user friendly.

I highly recommend checking out Meograph by clicking here!!

Thanks to Free Technology 4 Teachers for the tip.

• Top 10 Sites for Digital Storytelling
• Top 10 Apps for Digital Storytelling
• Digital Storytelling on Pinterest

Musicshake EDU

Musicshake EDU is a site I've blogged about in the past but wanted to revisit due to it's ease of use for education.  This is a site designed to bring music to every student in a school via web browser for a very low price.  These audio files/music are created by students in the browser and turned into WAV or MP3's and are very easy to create.

I recommend checking out Musicshake by clicking here!!!

FindtheBest

FindTheBest is a innovative unbiased data-driven search engine that reminds me a bit of Wolfram Alpha. A user can find data on all kinds of information (colleges, cars, technology, etc etc.)  They have an educational section which compares universities, tutoring, K-12, test prep, and more.

I recommend checking out FindTheBest by clicking here.

Learnist

Learnist is a new (private beta) site for pinning educational resources.  At heart this site is ideal for curating but offers more features such as collaboration and more.  It does resemble Pinterest quite a bit and allows users to "pin" videos, audio, text, images, etc to their boards.

I recommend checking out Learnist by clicking here!!

Thanks to Richard Byrne's blog for the tip.

Spokenlayer

Spokenlayer is a free iOS app for an iPhone which turns any text/article into audio.  This is ideal for those that like to multi-task and listen to one thing while doing another.  I can also see this being used in Spec Ed classes or ELL/ESL classes for those that have trouble reading/seeing.

I recommend checking out Spokenlayer by clicking here!!

BeeclipEDU

BeeclipEDU is a wonderful web 2.0 site for education.  This site is designed to allow students to create digital scrapbooks in an online secure way via their educational portal.  Educators can manage their classes/students while students create and collaborate on their scrapbooks.  They can upload video, images, and more to create an engaged visual project.

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

So.cl

So.cl is a new social network that I just found out about from The Educational Technology Guy.  This is a nice way to share and discover topics w/ others through collaborating.  Also, a user can create a "vide party" which is a vide chat that reminds me a bit of "hangouts" in Google+.

I recommend checking out So.cl by clicking here!!

For my top 20 social networks for education click here.

PortfolioGen

PortfolioGen is a great site for creating online portfolios for teachers.  A teacher can create a custom URL for sharing as well uploading, certifications, photos, documents, resumes, etc.  I like to think of it as a cross between VisualCV and Linkedin.

I recommend checking out PortfolioGen by clicking here.

Thanks to Free Technology 4 Teachers for the tip.

Ask the Owls

Ask the Owls is a new site that I learned about from, Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a great site for online tutoring/teaching.  A educator can create a course and then teach via a webcam.  Once the course is created it can be shared online w/ others for social learning.  Also, ATO is a nice site for finding online courses for subjects you are interested in.

I recommend checking out Ask the Owls by clicking here!!

For my top 10 sites for online tutoring/teaching click here.

QuizSlides

QuizSlides is a new (beta) site for creating quizzes that I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  The way this works is that QS turns slides from PP into quizzes that can be answered once or more then once by students.

I recommend checking out QuizSlides by clicking here!!

For my top 10 sites for creating a quiz click here.

Slide.ly

Slide.ly is a site I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  This is a nice site for creating free online slideshows that combines photos and music.

I recommend checking out Slide.ly by clicking here.

For my top 10 sites for creating a slideshow click here.

GoClass

GoClass is a free iOS app and website that allows teachers to create lesson plans, annotate images, and more.  Also, the app interacts w/ the website to allow for student assessment while interacting w/ student devices in real-time.  Students can learn at their own pace w/ GoClass while interacting w/ the lessons and images.

I highly recommend checking out GoClass by clicking here!!

Venngage

Venngage is a new site that is ideal for creating infographics.  This is a very easy site to use that reminds me a lot of Easel,ly.  Also, a user can track results which is a nice feature.

I highly recommend checking out Venngage by clicking here!!

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

15 Sites for Creating Flashcards

"A flashcard or flash card is a set of cards bearing information, as words or numbers, on either or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private study. One writes a question on a card and an answer overleaf. Flashcards can bearvocabulary, historical dates, formulas or any subject matter that can be learned via a question and answer format. Flashcards are widely used as a learning drill to aidmemorization by way of spaced repetition. (wikipedia)"  Flashcards are used by students and educators everyday and are one of the most popular ways to learn a subject/topic. The internet makes this learning tool even easier through the use of dedicated websites that allow for flashcard creation, collaboration, and more.




15 Sites for Creating Flashcards

1. Braineos - A fun site for students to create flashcards to play educational games on a wide variety of subjects.
2. CoboCards - A nice site and mobile app for creating and sharing flashcards.  Also, a great way to collaborate w/ others.
3. Ediscio - A great site for creating flashcards and arranging them into boxes.
4. Fauxflash - A wonderful site for creating flashcards and searching through educational categories.  These flashcards can contain images as well.
5. Flashcard Flash - A innovative search engine designed for finding publicly shared flashcards. 
6. FlashCardFriends - A nice site for creating flashcard.  Also, FCF is a social networking site which allows for collaboration as well as the ability to edit existing decks.
7. Quizlet - A neat little site for creating flashcards which is ideal for studying vocabulary, languages, or more.  Also, a nice site for playing studying games.
8. Smash Cards - An innovative site that uses augmented reality for creating flashcards for English and Reading.
9. Social Decks - A nice site for sharing flashcards via a unique URL that allows others to edit.
10. Study Blue - A great site for creating flashcards from photos, audio, or notes and then sharing w/ others.  Also, a SB has a wonderful mobile app for studying on the go.
11. Study Shuffle - One of the best sites for creating flashcards that teachers can use to track students progress.
12. Study Stack - A nice all in one solution for creating and studying flashcards.  Also, there are lots of educational "stacks" to browse through.
13. Word Dynamo - A excellent site for creating flashcards.  Also, a user can take quizzes, view study guides, play games, and more.
14. Yappr - A nice online community for creating a flashcard or quiz.
15. Zendo - A great site for turning notes into flashcards.

Zoho Sites

Zoho Sites is a new site by the creators of the Zoho Suite (online learning tools) that allows users to create free web pages.  This is ideal for educators and is a nice alternative to Google Sites/Weebly/etc.  Also, ZS is very easy to use, has stunning looking themes/templates (Blue Fume rocks!!), and even allows for blogging.  (FYI, a paid PRO account offers for more features).

I recommend checking out Zoho Sites by clicking here!!

Thanks to David Andrade's wonderful blog for the tip!!

For my top 10 sites for creating a website click here.

BacciZ

BacciZ is a company dedicated to creating educational iOS apps.  They have a lot of apps that are great for interactive storytelling such as: Rapunzel 3D, Old Macdonald had a Farm, etc.  Also, this company has apps for other subjects such as educational games, writing, etc.

I highly recommend checking out BacciZ by clicking here!!

BubbaBox

BubbaBox is an interesting site that for a paid membership delivers activities for kids 3-6 yrs olds.  These activities include: doing tangible projects w/ all the materials included, a nature based theme project, storytelling, and approved online downloads.

I recommend checking out BubbaBox by clicking here.

Flashcard Flash

Flashcard Flash is a great search engine for finding flashcards.  The way this works is by search flashcard sites for publicly shared flashcards.

I recommend checking out Flashcard Flash by clicking here!!

Thanks to Richard Byrne for the tip.

GCF - Free Online Learning

GCF is a great site for free online learning tutorials that I found out about from, The Educational Technology Guy.  These tutorials cover a wide range of topics such as: Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc.  Also, these tutorials are broken up into video segments that may contain interactives.  Also, a user can complete a quiz after each tutorial for self assessment.

I highly recommend checking out GCF by clicking here!!

For my top 10 sites for self help technology, click here.

TalkMiner

TalkMiner is a site I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a great site that aggregates lecture videos.  The way this works is it searches videos for text, slides, metadata, etc and then indexes the video and aggregates it to best suit the viewers needs.

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

Yumpu

Yumpu is a excellent new free site for turning PDF's into stunning visual ebooks/digital magazines.  Best of all these e-documents are easy to read, user friendly, and can be shared via other social networks.

I highly recommend checking out Yumpu by clicking here!!

Skype in the Classroom Sweepstakes

Skype has just announced that are having a sweepstakes to bring celebrities into the classroom via Skype.

Here are more details...

"Skype just announced a new sweepstakes that gives teachers around the world the opportunity to bring Steve Harvey, James Patterson, Jackie Collins, Dylan and Cole Sprouse (Zack & Cody stars), or Twilight’s Tinsel Korey face-to-face with their students via a Skype video call."

Here’s how teachers can enter on Facebook:

• ‘Like’ Skype in the classroom’s Facebook page
• Sign up for Skype in the Classroom (if you are not already a registered member)
• Describe in 150 words or less the ways they currently use or would use Skype in their classroom

For more info click here!!

Skoolbo

Skoolbo is a wonderful free online game that focuses on kids 4-10 yrs old literacy and math skills.  This is done by playing a wide variety of games in a fun/safe online world.  There is also a parent/teacher dashboard which allows for student tracking and more.

I recommend checking out Skoolbo by clicking here!!!

Nearpod

Nearpod is a site/app I've covered before in the past, here.  Before, Nearpod was in a private pilot program w/ schools that is now available for free for everyone.

Here is more info from their promotional email...

"Nearpod is an all-in-one mobile teaching solution that give educators the ability to create lessons, direct those lessons on students' mobile devices, receive real-time feedback on how students are interacting with their lessons, and monitor class or individual progress.  It is quite revolutionary!  You can download it and use it for free at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod-teacher/id523540409?mt=8 (it should direct you to setup an account and then give you more info about downloading the student app - found here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod-student/id480295574?mt=8 to student devices).   

With the Content Tool, teachers can create interactive presentations with drawing, writing, and quiz activities and more, or use existing lessons - aligned to Common Core State Standards - from content providers like Khan Academy and TED Education.  From the Nearpod Teacher Dashboard app on their iPads, teachers can share lessons with students who have the Nearpod Student app, and monitor how kids are progressing through lessons, freeing teachers to provide support to struggling students and challenge excelling students, making personalized learning a reality.  Using the Reporting Tool lets teachers analyze classroom and student progress and create reports."

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

Pinta

Pinta is a new free painting/drawing app for Windows, Mac, and Linux.  This allows users to upload photos and edit/draw/add effects the way Photoshop does.

I recommend checking out Pinta by clicking here!!

Thanks to David Andrade's blog for the tip!!

Spreaker

Spreaker is a site I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a great site for broadcasting a live or recorded podcast.  It has a very user friendly interface for recording audio, and mixing in effects and music.  Also, Spreaker interacts w/ social networking sites making it easy to share podcasts w/ your audience/followers.

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

IconBug

IconBug is a excellent site for 1000's of free icons and clip art.  A person can even upload their own images or search in a variety of ways.

I recommend checking out IconBug by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Richard Byrne's blog for the tip!!

For my top 15 sites for images and clip art for education click here.

Gymnasium for the Brain

Gymnasium for the Brain is a site I just found out about from Edgalaxy.  This is a nice site for educational games/activities to help stimulate the brain.  Ideally, this site is geared toward helping students solve math problems but there is much more, such as: puzzles, patterns, etc.

I recommend checking out Gymnasium for the Brain by clicking here!!

Memplai

Memplai is a cool new (beta) site for creating collaborative videos that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  These videos are easy to create and a user can upload any video or photo to include in their project. Also, a user can invite others from their social networks to contribute content to a video and then share the final project.

I highly recommend checking out Memplai by clicking here!!

For my top 10 sites for creating/editing video click here.  FYI, Jaycut is no longer in service.

Letter Bubbles

Letter Bubbles is a fun little typing game that I just found out about on Twitter.  This game allows students to choose their skill level (ie, beginner) and then try to type the letters in the bubbles before the crash into the end of the board.  Once the game is completed the students can share their scores online and even compete against their friends.

I recommend checking out Letter Bubbles by clicking here.

DabbledooMusic

DabbledooMusic is an excellent site for primary level Music teachers.  This site aims to teach students about music creation through the use of colors and animations.  These animations are interactive and allows students to add sounds through instruments or the use of their own voice.

I highly recommend checking out DabbledooMusic by clicking here!!

Vook

Vook is a nice site for those looking for an alternative to iBooks Author.  This allows users to create eBooks for a variety of different including the iPad, Nook, Kindle, etc.  Also, it has a very friendly user interface and users can even sell their eBooks for profit.

I recommend checking out Vook by clicking here!!

Film Story

Film Story is a nice repository for film listings.  These films are listed by country/region and can also be searched by era.  This can be a very handy resource for History/Geography teachers.  However, this site only lists the films but does not actually "house" them.

For a more detailed review check out Free Technology 4 Teachers.

I highly recommend checking out Film Story by clicking here!!!

Easel.ly

Easel.ly is a site I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's excellent blog.  This is a very user friendly site that allows users to create a infographic by simply dragging/dropping what they want on their image.

I recommend checking out Easel.ly by clicking here!!

Docspile

Docspile is a new (beta) site for file sharing.  A user can upload files, share, publish, and download files of others.  There are a few files for education which can make this a more viable option for teachers as it becomes more popular.

I recommend checking out Docspile by clicking here!!

Gather Education

Gather Education is a new site in private beta that I wanted to share.  This is a great place to teach online classes in a secure environment.  However, this requires a Microsoft Kinect 360 and iPad or Windows table to work.

I recommend checking out Gather Education by clicking here.

SpellingCity

SpellingCity is one of if not the best site for vocabulary and spelling.  It allows educators to create word lists that they can integrate into games to help students improve their skills.  Also, there are lots of teacher resources to enjoy such as: videos, worksheets, printables, and more.

I highly recommend checking out SpellingCity by clicking here!!

SpellingCity is a paid advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Lure of the Labyrinth

Lure of the Labyrinth is a super cool game for pre-algebra middle school students.  The game is linked to state standards and is easy to integrate into any curriculum.  The game is divided into three wings each containing puzzles and covers areas such as: proportions, variables, equations, and more.

I highly recommend checking out Lure of the Labyrinth by clicking here!!!

For another innovative math game, I highly recommend checking out DimensionU.

Lectrio

Lectrio is a new (beta) free LMS for education.  This is an ideal site for creating online courses and materials for students.  This is done w/ an easy to use interface and allows educators to upload content such as YouTube videos, Slideshare presentations and more.  Also, it is built around Google Docs so is simple to integrate w/ Google Tools as well.  Other features include the ability to take attendance, assessments via reporting, etc.

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