Tuesday, December 31, 2013

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is one of the most popular educational sites around, that is ideal for behavior management.  This works in a very fun and engaging way that has teachers create class rosters and assign characters to them.  After that, a teacher can then track how a student is doing in class by the click of a button (or tap of a screen on mobile device) to manage positive or negative behavior.  This is a great site/app to motivate students and a innovative way to integrate technology into the classroom.

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

*ClassDojo is a advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Level It Books

Level It Books is an excellent iOS app for scanning a book's ISBN (bar code) and getting a Reading/Lexile level.  This is ideal for educators and parents looking to find books for their students in a simple way.  Also, a teacher can manage their students as well track their Reading level.  They can even create a digital library of classroom books and search/add books that are not in the database.

I highly recommend checking out Level It Books by clicking here!!!

*Level It Books is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Tools 4 Students

Tools 4 Students is an excellent iPad app designed to help students w/ their Writing/Comprehension.  The way this works is T4S supplies 25 graphic organizers that focus on such skills as: cause/effect, main idea, KWL, etc, and can be edited/saved/shared to help students organize their thoughts and strengthen their skills.

I highly recommend checking out Tools 4 Students by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Educational iOS Apps click here.

GoClass

GoClass is a fantastic all-in-one mobile learning solution for iOS/Android devices.  This is a great place for educators to create a lesson (via the web) and then push them out to their student devices.  Students can then take then join a "class" session and take the lesson.  All results are done in real-time and this is ideal for Guided Learning, Differentiated Instruction, and as well as "flipping" a classroom.  Finally, GoClass now supports Google's ID system which allows users w/ a Google ID to login to their account.

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

*GoClass is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Nabi

This Christmas the kids were lucky enough to receive a Nabi 2 from Santa ;-)  I was very excited about this as we are predominately a iOS family and I have little experience w/ Android devices.  It's unfortunate that after spending a ton of time w/ the Nabi, I have lukewarm feelings at best.  The reason for this is simple, the user interface for the person setting up the Nabi is incredibly frustrating while the child interface is great.

Perhaps, it's because I'm used to working on iOS devices and the iPad but I expected the Nabi to be a lot easier to setup.  My first mistake was using the Nabi before I did any updates.  I highly recommend doing all updates before beginning to get familiar w/ the Nabi.  The reason for this is that the user interface changes once the updates are done and it will require time to get familiar w/ the new controls.  Also, while the Nabi does have a lot of great parental controls that other devices, say the iPad doesn't have, it would take a wizard to figure out how to use them.  For example, I set the default browser in the parental control as a kid safe browser.  This is not what I wanted, I thought it was for the browser my kids would be using not me.  I could not figure out how to switch it back, even after using Google.  (After searching the web, this is one of many issues people are having).

Besides the big learning curve to setup, my other big issue was the misleading information the Nabi gives out.  One of the big selling points of the Nabi is that "Good Morning Red Bird" time setting animation as well as other "goodies".  While I'm sure this works fine, I wouldn't know because what the Nabi doesn't tell you, is there is a fee to "unlock" that feature.  And while that fee might be minimal, on principal alone I don't want to pay for it as it was supposed to be included w/ the Nabi.  This goes for some of their educational curriculum as well.  For example, my 8 yr old son wanted to look through some of their Science apps and when he tapped on the Science button it asked for my password as well as another minimal payment to access it (I will pay in time to "unlock" all features of the Nabi).

As for the good stuff, my kids absolutely love us the Nabi.  We have plenty of iPads and iPhones in this household but all they want to play w/ is the Nabi.  I love how I was able to find them some Android apps that are not available on the iPad and they really like using those.  Also, the size, rub
ber protector case, and camera work nicely and make it easy for my kids to have fun and learn.

All in all, I'd have to say, I do like the Nabi, there is a big learning curve, but once you get passed that, it really is a fun/safe device for kids, and definitely worth the money.

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

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Mathtastical

Mathtastical is a fun little iOS app for practicing basic Math skills (i.e. multiplication, addition, etc etc).  It has users try to solve problems while collecting gems/power-ups in as fast as time as time as possible.  Not only is this a game w/ high replay value but students can tap the hint button to help them solve a problem.

I recommend checking out Mathtastical by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Educational iOS Apps click here.

SpellingCity

SpellingCity is easily one of the best sites around for Spelling & Vocabulary.  This is a site used by educators around the world looking to help students learn their vocabulary and spelling words.  This is done by teachers using word lists to help enforce skills.  These lists can be custom made and even imported into educational games to help reinforce learning.  Also, there is an educational portal (i.e. student tracking, etc) and mobile app that allows students to learn on the go.

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

*SpellingCity is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Answer Pad

The Answer Pad is one of my favorite mobile learning solutions for educators.  This is a combo site/iOS app that lets teachers turn their classroom paperless and do testing/assessing on a mobile device.  Also, Answer Pad turns a student's device into a graphically based student response system that is perfect for differentiating instruction and assessing students in real-time.  This can be used by any curriculum for any subject.

I highly recommend checking out Answer Pad by clicking here!!!

*Answer Pad is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Math File Folder Games

Math File Folder Games is one of my favorite companies for making educational iOS games.  These Math games are geared toward students 3rd-8th and are ideal for mobile learning.  Also, many of these games are blue tooth enabled to allow for multiplayer across devices.  Finally, these games have built in tracking which allows for student assessment by teachers or parents.

5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

5 Dice Order of Operations Game Icon5 DIce app store
(Cost: FREE!)
5 Dice: Order of Operations Game is a math app intended for upper elementary and middle school students that helps students enjoy practicing their order of operations. Read More Here

4 Dice: Fraction Games

4 Dice Icon
5 DIce app store
(Cost: $1.99)
4 Dice: Fraction Games is a math app for middle school and upper elementary students. The goal of the game is to present fractions in a way that is both conducive to learning and fun. Read More Here

Grid Lines: Ordered Pair GameOrdered Fractions: Comparing & Ordering Fractions

Ordered Fractions Icon
Ordered Fractions app store
(Cost: $1.99)
Ordered Fractionsgame begins by pressing the button that rolls the dice. Students then insert these numbers into the boxes on the board, which creates the fractions. Students then position the fractions in ascending order by comparing fractions. Read more here

Tangram Chess: Transformation Games

Tangram Chess IconTangram Chess
(Cost: $1.99)
Tangram Chess For Kids, Translations (slides), Rotations (turns) and Reflections (flips). Every game of Tangram Chess has its own story. Some are long-drawn out strategic affairs; others can be quick, but complicated, tactical battles. The winner is the player who can out-think his or her opponent, and make the best plans for attack and defence. Read more here

Skip Math: Skip Counting Games

skip math iconGrid Lines app store(Cost: $0.99)
Skip Math is a simple math game that helps practices skip counting. Skip Math is a a Doodle Jump style math game in which a girl or boy who jump from platform to platform counting by a certain number. Read more here

Jack and the Beanstalk a Mathematical Adventure

Icon Jacks Math
Hi, my name is Jack. I know you have all heard of me before, I'm the guy who climbs an enormous beanstalk to retrieve the princesses amulet. But today I would like to tell you the real story of HOW I was actually able to accomplish such a feat.  Read more here

Grid Lines: Ordered Pair Game

iPhone Icon Grid Lines
Grid Lines app store
(Cost: $1.99)
Grid Lines is a Battleship-style math app used to teach students the coordinate plane. Students will get practice plotting points on a coordinate plane by playing a game similar to Battleship. Read more here
I highly recommend checking out Math File Folder Games by clicking here!!!
*Math File Folder Games is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.




















Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Back Pack Games

Back Pack Games is a excellent site for online educational games.  These free games designed for grades 3rd-8th, cover a wide range of subjects (Math, Science, etc) and are aligned to Common Core Standards.  Future plans are to include student tracking as well as assigning specific games to students.

I highly recommend checking out Back Pack Games by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Online Games click here.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Been

Been is a new site for social bookmarking that has to be seen to be believed.  This is a beautiful looking site that installs a plugin that allows people to bookmark sites in a visual way.  It kind of reminds me of Pinterest in that respect but w/ an element of social networking.  Been allows users to collaborate and comment/invite others to join their collections.  This aspect of Been is ideal for educators who want to share or receive sites from students and then comment on them.

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

Monday, December 23, 2013

Super Teacher Worksheets

Super Teacher Worksheets is an excellent educational resource for educators.  This is a fantastic site for finding not only worksheets, but printables, puzzle generators, common
core aligned items, and more.  Also, they have a wide variety of resources for Christmas and seasonal activities as well.







I highly recommend checking out Super Teacher Worksheets by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.

*Super Teacher Worksheets is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

30hands

30hands is a wonderful iOS app for digital storytelling.  This is a perfect mobile learning tool that can be used in any curriculum for all grade levels.  It has a very easy to use drag-n-drop interface and allows students record their audio on top of images to create a digital story.  Once a story is created it can then be exported to a camera roll or published to 30hands educational website for sharing.

I highly recommend checking out 30hands by clicking here!!!!

For my Pinterest board on Digital Storytelling click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Digital Storytelling click here.

*30hands is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Friday, December 20, 2013

iPracticeMath

iPracticeMath is a new (beta) site that is perfect for educators or students looking to teach, learn, or reinforce their math skills.  Geared towards K-12, iPracticeMath covers a wide variety of subjects such as: Geometry, Algebra, Fractions, etc.  Also, iPM has an abundance of resources for educators/students to use such as: worksheets, problem walkthroughs, glossary, and more.  Best of all a registered educator/parent can get detailed reporting and track student progres
s.

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

*iPracticeMath is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

EDpuzzle

Edpuzzle is one of my favorite sites for "flipping" a classroom.  This educational tool allows educators to edit/crop a video and record their own audio to guide a lesson.  This is a ideal for wanting to point out specific points a video, ask a question, etc.  Best of all, a teacher can embed quizzes into their video which makes it perfect for the Flipped Classroom.

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

Below is a brief demo...



For my Pinterest board on a Flipped Classroom click here.

*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Teq

Teq is a new site designed to offer online professional development to K-12 educators.  This site has over 30 educators who specialize in offering best practices and integrating technology in a wide variety of areas, such as: digital whiteboards, web 2.0, Google Apps, etc etc.  (For a complete list click here).  Best of all Teq will develop a customized professional development plan for any school or organization.

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

Thanks to Technology & Learning for the tip.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Book Writer V. 2.0

Book Writer Version 2.0 is now here w/ a brand new user interface that makes it easier then ever to create stunning digital books/presentations.  BW is one of my favorite iOS apps that can be used in a number of different ways for education such as: digital storytelling, "flipping" a classroom, and more.    It's very user friendly, has a drag-n-drop interface and allows for users to not only add images/videos, but record audio as well.

I highly recommend checking out Book Writer by clicking here!!!

Yogome Math Games

To celebrate Yogome's 2 year anniversary they are listing all their wonderful iOS/Android Math games/apps for free.  Yogome is one of my favorite companies for making fun beautiful looking iOS/Android apps starring their famous characters Yogotars.

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

Be sure to pick up these games if u haven't, as they are all free from Dec 18th-20th.


*Yogome is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Cardkiwi

Cardkiwi is a great site for creating digital flashcards that I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a nice site for creating online flashcards that allows users to rate them.  The benefit of this is that Cardwiki then uses a system called "spaced repetition" that differentiates instruction by showing cards that a user needs help w/.  The way this works is a user clicks a thumbs up/down to determine if they know a flashcard.  The cards they need help w/ will appear more often when they are studying.

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

Below is a brief demo...

GoAnimate for Schools

GoAnimate for Schools is the educational portal for the fantastic site for creating animated videos.  W/ GA for schools, educators create the students accounts and monitor all videos before being posted online.  This is ideal for education when having to deal w/ CIPA/COPPA compliance.  Also, all clip art is school safe (i.e., no weapons), videos can't be published publicly w/ out teacher approval, and students can't browse public videos.  Not only is GoAnimate simple to use through their drag-n-drop interface, it can be used for a ton educational purposes such as: guided learning, digital storytelling, or "flipping" a classroom.

I highly recommend checking out GoAnimate for Schools by clicking here!!!!

For my Pinterest board on Web 2.0 for Schools click here.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Stick Around

Stick Around is the highly anticipated iPad app from Tony Vincent that I just had the pleasure of trying out.  This is an excellent app for teachers to create puzzles, diagrams, quizzes, annotating, and more.  SA interface is perfect for education as it allows educators/students to choose from projects or puzzles and then label objects.  These game be used for a wide variety of educational topics such as: labeling parts of a plant, water cycle, cell, etc etc.  Also, users can create them from scratch by drawing or uploading their own picture.  Best of all a person can add audio recordings which can be
used by students to create digital notes or by teachers for Guided Learning.

I highly recommend checking out Stick Around by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Educational iOS Apps click here.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Sparticl

Sparticl is a new site I just found out about that is excellent for finding STEM based resources.  There are over 2500 curated resources on a wide variety of subjects.  Best of all a user can login and curate their own lists of resources and even vote/comment on them.

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

OpenEd

OpenEd is a fantastic site/catalog for finding educational resources such as educational games, links, and videos.  What makes OpenEd so great is that a user can search for resources by Common Standard or by keyword.  Also, each resource is rated on a 5 star scale.

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Medium

Medium is a interesting new site designed to let users share their thoughts in a stunning way.  I like to think of Medium as a social network that contains a bunch of visual blogs that users can search through.  There are lots of educational possibilities too such as: digital storytelling, collaborative writing, and more.

I recommend checking out Medium by clicking here!!!

For a detailed review and how it can be used in education click here.

9Slides

9Slides one of the best sites/apps around for "flipping a classroom" is now available for the Windows App store!!!  This is a excellent educational tool for adding audio/video narration to a presentation (PDF, Keynote, PPT)  Some of the ways educators are using this in the classroom is for: guided learning, Pecha Kucha style presentations, and even flipping a classroom.

I highly recommend checking out 9Slides by clicking here!!!

Also, 9Slides is nominated for "Best new Startup of 2013" for the annual Crunchies Awards.  Click here to show your support!!!

For my Pinterest board on Flipping a Classroom click here.

*9Slides is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.


Friday, December 6, 2013

QuizBean

QuizBean (formerly known as QuizPoo) is a site I was just reminded about by Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is a great site for educators where they can create student accounts and then give them  online quizzes.  Best of all, teachers get all results sent to their dashboard and students can use QB to assess their own learning.

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

For my Pinterest board on Quiz/Test Creators click here.

BaiBoard

BaiBoard is a excellent free iPad app that turns your iPad into an interactive collaborative whiteboard.  This is a great way for educators or students to share content w/ others through their iPad via the web.  Also, BB lets users annotate on PDFs as well as e-sign documents.

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Endless Reader

Endless Reader is a fun iOS app for beginner readers working on sight words.  This interactive app focuses on the most commonly used sight words and schools and helps reinforce them through the use of animations, puzzles, and sentences.

I highly recommend checking out Endless Reader by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Educational iOS Apps click here.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Top 100 Sites/Apps of 2013


Well, here it is my favorite and most popular post of the year, my Top 100 Sites/Apps of the year!!!  Continuing w/ the trend from last year, readers are going to find more and more apps on the list and less sites, as the flux in mobile learning and BYOD (bring your own devices) continues to rise.  Also, you'll notice that there are a lot of learning tools for Digital Storytelling & Math.  I believe the reason for this is because storytelling is a learning tool that can be used by a wide range of educators for any subject, and Math is a very popular subject w/ lots of diverse ways to go about teaching it.  W/ that I hope you enjoy this list and as always thanks again for reading!!!

* Indicates an iOS app.
**As always any site/app that was listed on a previous year's list will not be listed on this one.


Top 100 Sites/Apps of 2013

  1. Buncee - A fantastic new web tool for creating presentations or digital stories that can be embedded into a site/blog.  Also, this is a great way to "flip a classroom" and through an educational portal allows educators to create student accounts.
  2. Geddit - This is a wonderful educational tool that allows educators to assess student learning on  any mobile device.  The way this works is that a student clicks on a ascending bar graph to determine their level of understand while teachers get their results in instant real-time.
  3. EDpuzzle - Is a excellent new site that allows educators to edit/crop a video and then "flip a classroom" by adding questions to assess a student's understanding.  Best of all, there is a feature to record your own audio to add audio notes or narration to a video.
  4. Educators App - A innovative site that turns teacher's webpages into a mobile app for iOS or Android.  This is ideal for those mobile learning and those schools that are 1:1 or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).  Best of all, as a teacher updates their site, the mobile app updates as well.
  5. eduClipper - A terrific site for creating a digital pin-board for curating and sharing educational content.  Also, allows for teachers to create student accounts which is ideal for education.
  6. *Book Writer - A great iOS app for digital storytelling.  This app allows students to add text, images, video, and even record their own audio narration for creating digital stories.  A finished story can then be printed out via PDF or exported into iBooks.
  7. AR Flashcards - One of the most popular sites for Augmented Reality that allows educators to print out flashcards on a wide variety of subjects to bring objects to "life".
  8. *Mystery Math Museum - MMM is one of my all-time favorite iPad apps for Game Based Learning.  This app designed for kids 6-12, has them helping a ghost rescue dragonflies throughout 8 museums by solving basic Math equations. 
  9. *Level It Books - A wonderful iOS app for scanning a book and getting a Reading/Lexile level.  Also, has the ability to maintain a class roster w/ a student's reading level as well as create a digital library of books for a teacher's classroom.
  10. Quadblogging - A innovate approach to blogging that has 4 schools sign-up and blog in a "quad".  A school will blog while the others view/comment and then rotate around while a educational moderator checks to make sure everything is running smoothly.
  11. UtellStory - A fantastic site for digital storytelling that allows users to upload audio, video, photos to tell a story, as well as the ability to embed a story into a site/blog.  Also, UtellStory has a educational portal for allowing educators to create student accounts.
  12. Quandary - Is a free educational site/iPad app that is ideal for Game Based Learning.  The game focuses on a student's ethical and critical thinking skills while engaging them in a sci fi/fantasy themed setting.
  13. *30hands - One of the simplest and easiest iOS apps for digital storytelling.  This app allows students to add a picture and then record an audio narration to tell a story.
  14. Blendspace - Is a excellent site for collecting digital resources and then sharing them students.  Also, a educator can create online quizzes and assess students in real-time using these digital resources.
  15. *StoryLines for Schools - Is an innovative iOS app that helps students generate their creativity and sentence building skills.  The way this works is similar to the game "telephone" where a student types a sentence and then watches as another draw a picture of that sentence.  When that is done another titles that picture and types their own sentence and the process continues until the StoryLine is complete.
  16. iPracticeMath - A wonderful new site that is an all-in-one stop for a students/teachers Math needs.  This site has online activities in a wide range of topics such as: algebra, division, decimals, and more.  Also, there are lots of educational resources, worksheets, glossary, and even student tracking w/ detailed reporting for registered users.
  17. *SlideIdea - Is a  terrific iPad app for creating engaging presentations/slideshows.  An educator can either create a presentation from scratch or use one of the many downloadable templates.  Once a presentation is done a teacher can share them w/ students through the use of unique ID code.  Also, an educator can use SlideIdea to poll, ask questions, or assess their students, and is great for Differentiated Instruction.
  18. *Brainstormer - A fun iOS app for generating writing prompts by spinning a wheel in three different categories: theme, setting, and location.
  19. eduCanon - A great site similar to EDpuzzle that allows educators to edit a video and add quizzes.  This is ideal for differentiating instruction as well as for "flipping a classroom".
  20. Alchemy SmartBinder - A excellent site for creating a digital lesson w/ any kind of content.  Once this lesson is created it can be shared w/ students via a URL and can be used to "flip a classroom".
  21. Super Teacher Worksheets - A fantastic resource for educators where they can find worksheets, printables, puzzles, and more to print out for students.  Also, this is a great place to find puzzle and activity generators as well as common core aligned worksheets as well.
  22. *Animoby - A wonderful iPad app that turns an iPad into an interactive whiteboard.  A user has a wide variety of tools to write, type, draw or annotate over an object.  Also, Animboy is great for creating a digital lesson as a user has the ability to record their voice which makes it ideal for creating a "flipped lesson".
  23. Wikispaces Classroom - While Wikispaces has been around a long time, Wikispaces Classroom is a new spinoff of the great site.  WC gives educators a place to have students create digital content in a safe controlled space.  Also, it can be used in many different educational ways such as: social networking, assessing students, project based learning, and more.
  24. *Story Creator - A fantastic iOS app for digital storytelling that allows students to their audio narration to a story.  A real cool feature is the ability to enable text to be highlighted as a student reads text.
  25. *Jack and the Beanstalk a Mathematical Adventure - This is a excellent iPad app for Game Based Learning that focuses on different concepts of Math in the unique take on the Jack and the Beanstalk tale.  Students will learn about different Math concepts such as: counting money, telling time, and recognizing shapes, while practicing their reading of Jack and the Beanstalk.
  26. RoomRecess - One of my favorite new sites for educational online games for grades K-5.  These games focus on a wide range of subjects such as: Math, Reading, Word, Typing, etc.
  27. LaunchpadEDU - Is a excellent educational portal to support the use of Launchpad iOS apps in education.  This site has lots of educational resources such as: lesson plans, resources, worksheets, and more.
  28. *Daisy the Dinosaur - A wonderful iPad app that teaches the kids the basics of programming by having them drag-drop commands and watching as Daisy preforms them.
  29. *Science Heroes 1: Digestive System for Kids - Is a fun iOS app from one of my favorite educational app developers, Yogome.  This is a game that focuses on all 5 phases of digestion through 15 levels of play.
  30. *Toonia Storymaker - A great iPad app for digital storytelling.  Students have a choice of up to 20 characters to choose from as well as 7 different themes to build their story.  Also, Toonia has high replay value as students are able to unlock features as they build their story.
  31. *Hopscotch - A iPad app that reminds me a lot of the site Scratch for programming.  This app has students assembly blocks of code and then watching as characters preform their moves.
  32. *Story Wheel - An innovative iOS app for digital storytelling that has students spinning a wheel and then recording a story to the picture that comes up.  Once a story is completed it can then be shared online or published to iBooks.
  33. *Write About This - A fantastic iPad app for creating or finding Writing prompts aligned to Common Core Standards.
  34. Google Connected Classrooms - Is a interesting new site by Google for educators to take their students on virtual field trips.  These field trips are all done through Google Hangouts inside of Google+ and has students visiting such places as: museums, zoos, memorials, and more.
  35. *Math Heroes 1: Basic Operations - The second iOS app by Yogome to make this list that is excellent for basic Math skills.  Math Heroes has students traveling through over a 100 levels while practicing their basic Math skills (division, subtraction, etc.) while unlocking secret power-ups and features.
  36. Google Play for Education - Is a new online story dedicated for education in seamlessly bringing educational Android apps to Google devices.
  37. Rewordify - Is one of the most interesting sites I've come across this year.  This site allows students to enter text (or copy/paste) and then w/ a click of a button "rewordify" their sentence. This is a great way to learn how to paraphrase or even work on vocabulary by highlighting words.
  38. eLearning Infographics - This is probably the best site around for finding educational infographics on any number of subjects.  Also, a user can print out, submit, or even embed an infographic as well.
  39. Brickflow - An innovative site for creating presentations by turning hashtags into digital stories.
  40. *Tabtor - An excellent iPad app/program that helps students learn Math.  This is done by having students watch video tutorials on a given subject and then writing their answer on an iPad.  This is a great way for educators to "flip their classroom" and differentiate instruction.
  41. SchoolsWorld - One of my favorite new sites for finding safe educational videos.
  42. *Tangram Chess - The second app on this list by one of my favorite Math app developers, Math File Folder Games.  This excellent app has students trying to recreate shapes by rotating, reflecting, or translating them to the other side of the chess board.  Also, this game is blue-tooth enabled allowing multiplayers players across multiple devices.
  43. ClassXP - An innovative new site that uses Game Based Learning to help motivate students to get better grades.  The way this works is by giving a student a dashboard/digital environment to create an avatar and watch as they progress through the year by monitoring their grades and earning experience points (XP).  As student earn experience points they can use these to get badges as well as other digital "goodies".
  44. *Easy Studio - Is an excellent iPad app for creating custom animations.  Easy Studio uses a very user-friendly stop-motion technique to have students create step by step creations.
  45. The Time Tribe - A fun engaging site that uses Game Based Learning to immerse students in adventure through the past learning about different cultures and ways of life.
  46. StoryToolz - A wonderful site for finding/generating word prompts as well as finding other beneficial writing tools (i.e., word count, readability level, etc.).
  47. Free Tiiu Pix - A great place for finding safe educational videos and slideshows.
  48. *ChemDraw - A nice iPad app for HS/College students for students studying Chemistry.  This app lets students create and draw molecules and their chemical reactions.
  49. YouTube Time Machine - A fun site that allows users to use YouTube to travel through time and view favorite videos by year and subject.
  50. Graphite - One of my favorite new site for finding educational sites/apps reviewed by educators.
  51. *Gummii - A fantastic iPad app that has students creating an avatar and solving Math equations in a Minecraft style 3D world.
  52. *Cloudart - A excellent iPad app for creating word clouds.
  53. The Lost Function - Is a in depth Math game that has students interacting w/ a number of characters to solve Math equations to progress further in the game.  This game takes place in a fully immersive 3D environment and has students solving a wide range of problems such as: decimals, fractions, and more.
  54. TypeKids - A great site for students to learn Keyboarding/Typing.  This game has 30 levels for students to complete as they improve their Typing skills and unlock other educational games.
  55. *Experience Life - A beautiful iPad app for Health/Science/Biology teachers looking to introduce the different internal systems of the body.  This interactive app focuses on systems such as the: senses, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system.
  56. NuSkool - Is an interesting new site for students 6-12th grade for learning Math, Science, English, etc through pop culture based lessons.
  57. *Flowboard - A wonderful iPad app for creating stunning presentations that can be embedded into a site/blog.
  58. Brainscape - An impressive site/app for creating multimedia style flashcards that can be shared to mobile devices.
  59. *Shadow Puppet - A nice iOS app for digital storytelling that allows students to add audio narration to a photo.  A finished story can then be embedded into a site/blog.
  60. Submrge - A cool new site for learning about Gamification (Game Based Learning) in the classroom.  Submrge reviews recommends in detail what games are good for the classroom as well as how they can be integrated and what Common Core Standards they may be aligned to.
  61. Voki Classroom - Voki is a site that has been around for along time that allows users to create a talking avatar.  Now, they've released an educational portal that allows teachers to create student accounts and assign/manage Voki based assignments.
  62. Science4Us - A wonderful Science curriculum for K-2 students that focuses on different subjects such as: Earth, Space, Matter, etc.
  63. LivePrezo - A fantastic site that turns presentations interactive.  The way this works is by taking a presentation in PDF format and then making it interactive by supply a unique code that students can use to login to.  Teachers can then ask questions while students answer and assess them in real-time.
  64. Balefire Labs - Is one of the best new sites around to find detailed educational app reviews.
  65. *The Human Body by Tinybop - One of the best apps around for teaching students about the human body.  This interactive app covers such areas as the: heart, eyes, lungs, etc.
  66. Quest - An innovative site/Windows app for creating interactive text based adventure games (i.e. Zork) and great for learning the basics of programming/scripting.
  67. SimCity EDU - A new site based on SimCity that is perfect for Game Based Learning.  This is a great way for students to play the popular PC game in a safe environment, as they build cities cans learn about: Math, Science, Economics, and more.
  68. Power My Learning - A wonderful site for students to find educational games, activities, printables, and more.  Also, a educator can create a playlist for students or even find activities based on Common Core Standards.
  69. BrainRush - A great site for creating flashcard style games that can be used for differentiating instruction.
  70. *Tellagami - Is a fun iOS app for creating a talking avatar that can then be placed in a story.  It reminds me a bit of a Voki and great way to integrate digital storytelling into the classroom.
  71. Fotor - A very powerful and user-friendly site for editing photos.
  72. Weavly EDU - A great site designed for classrooms to have students create video and music mash-ups/presentations.
  73. *Phrasalstein - A fun iPad app that helps students learn vocabulary and phrases in a mid-evil/horror setting.  The way this works is by having a student select a verb and preposition and watch as an animation occurs.
  74. *Basher's Presidents - A nice little iOS app for learning about the US Presidents as well as play a game of putting them in the correct order.
  75. Lucidpress - A excellent new site for creating multimedia collaborative documents.
  76. Mathalicious - Is a wonderful resource for Math teachers as it provides lots of resources and lesson plans aligned to Common Core Standards for solving real world Math problems.
  77. Taught It - A nice free site for educators to share all sorts of media (documents, photos, videos, etc.).
  78. Code Monster - A cool site for students wanting to learn how to program in Javascript through 58 interactive lessons.
  79. *Playback - A great iPad app for creating screencasts that can then be shared via Dropbox or exported into an mp4 file.
  80. Explania - A fantastic site for finding educational animated videos on a wide variety of subjects that can then be embedded into a site/blog.
  81. Metta - A great site for creating video lessons that can be used for Guided Learning or "flipping a classroom".
  82. QuestBase - A wonderful site for educators that allows them to create: quizzes, tests, puzzles, etc, and then publish them online for students take.  This is a great way to assess students in real-time and a teacher can even password protect their work.
  83. Math Live - Is a innovative site for teaching different areas of Math such as: numbers, patterns, shapes, and more.  The way this works is a student watches an animated video (think BrainPop) and then takes a quiz to reinforce learning. 
  84. Educade - A great place for educators to find a wide variety of resources such as: lessons, videos, apps, and more.
  85. *Sight Words Hangman - A fun iOS iOS app that is great for students learning how to read, vocabulary, and word recognition.  Best of all a teacher can review all word lists and even generate reports.
  86.  EasyDefine - A fantastic site for uploading a list of words and getting a definition, synonym, flashcard, and more.
  87. Screenhero - This is a great site/application that allows users to not only share their screen w/ others, but take over the other person's computer to help them troubleshoot problems.
  88. appoLearning - A great site for finding detailed reviews (on a 100% scale) of educational apps.
  89. NicerTube - A fun way to share YouTube videos and remove all comments/links.
  90. Copyright Kids - A excellent resource for students, parents, and teachers looking to find out about all issues pertaining to copyright.
  91. TeachQuest - A new social network for educators to share resources and collaborate w/ parents.
  92. *QR Code Maker - A nice simple iOS app for creating QR codes that can be used in the classroom in many ways, such as: scavenger hunt, flipping their classroom, or mobile learning.
  93. ScootPad - Is an excellent site/app that is ideal for adaptive learning that aligns w/ Common Core Standards.  Also, this is a great way for educators, parents, and students to collaborate online as well as track student/analyze student data.
  94. Teacher Gaming Network - This is a cool new social network that is dedicated to Gamification in the classroom.  TGN allows educators to create educational games and share them w/ their students or embed them into a site/blog.
  95. Smart Kit - A nice site for finding safe educational games and puzzles in a wide range of subjects.
  96. Jukeboxlessons - A new site for educators wanting to teach or tutor online done through Google Hangouts or Skype.
  97. *GazziliMath - A fun iOS app for youngsters and preschoolers learning about Math.  This beautiful looking interactive app focuses on such concepts as: counting, number sequence, addition, and subtraction.
  98. Lessonwell - A interesting new site that allows educators to create digital lessons based on different types of media (photo, videos, audio).
  99. Memofon - A wonderfully simple site for brainstorming and creating mind maps.  All a user has to do is fill in an outline and watch as the mind map is created.
  100. Chem Pro - A great iOS/Android app for learning about Chemistry.  This app has over 80 video lessons, an interactive periodic table, and flashcards to help students learn about Chemistry.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Edublog Awards 2013

It's that time of year again for us educators w/ a blog or public forum to nominate our favorite blogs, educators, web tools, etc in a wide variety of categories for the coveted Edublog Awards.  Below you'll find my list and of course I wish everyone the best of luck!!! :-)


To nominate your own candidates or for more info on the Edublog awards click here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Geddit

Geddit is a new educational tool that I just found out about from Edshelf.  This is a wonderful site that allows students to use any mobile device to gauge their understanding of any given topic/lesson.  The way this works as a lesson is being given they click/tap a on bar (think bar graph increasing vertically) to show their understanding (i.e., 1 bar - not very - 4 bars - very).  On the the teacher's device they will receive instant real-time feedback and be able to see which students are doing good and which ones are struggling.  This is a great way for teachers to differentiate instruction and adjust their lessons to meet individual needs.

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

Below is a brief demo...

eLearning Infographics

eLearning Infographics is an excellent site for finding educational infographics.  Not only can a user search for infographics in a wide range of topics a person can submit their infographics as well.  Once a user finds their infographic, they can print it out, share it w/ others, or even embed it into their site/blog.

I highly recommend checking out eLearning Infographics by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.