Friday, June 28, 2013

SpellingCity

SpellingCity is my favorite site for Spelling & Vocabulary.  This is an ideal site for educators to sign up their students and create, import, or search for word lists to use for Spelling practice.  These lists can then be used in fun educational games to help strengthen and reinforce Spelling & Vocabulary.  Also, there is a free iOS & Android app for mobile learning.  Finally, there are lots of educational resources for educators such as printables, videos, exercises, and more.

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

*SpellingCity is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Edshelf

Edshelf one of my long time favorite sites for curating the web has just come out w/ some noteworthy updates.

A user can now rearrange their collection simply by clicking the edit button and then drag-n-drop their tools icon in the order they want it in (think the way a pin is rearranged in Pinterest).  Also, a person can add "tags' to their collections which is a ideal for organizing and curating a list.  Another neat feature is the ability to filter your collections through these "tags".  Finally, a user now has the ability to add notes to a tool and either set it to public/private.

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

buzzMath

buzzMath is an excellent iPad app for Middle School Math that I found out about on Edshelf.  This app has over 2800 problems based on all different areas of Math such as: Geometry, Algebra, Fractions, and more.  Also, these problems have detailed solutions as well as aligned to Common Core Standards.  Best of all, a teacher can download the app, create a class/school account and then distribute to their students via a classroom code.

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

For other great apps for Math check out Math File Folder Games.

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

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Energy for Life

Energy for Life is an excellent iPad app in the series of Science/Biology apps from iDi Creative.  This is a stunningly beautiful looking interactive app that focuses on the: digestive, circulatory, and respiratory system.  Students learn in an engaging way as the watch vivid animations and interact w/ the  different system inside a dinosaurs body.

I highly recommend checking out Energy for Life by clicking here!!!

Others from iDi Creative....

  • Experience Life - A wonderful iPad app dealing w/ the 5 senses of the body, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system.
  • Miracle of Life - The best iPad app around for teaching students about the fertilization and different stages of the human growth cycle.



Biteslide

Biteslide is easily one of my favorite Web 2.0 sites for creating dynamic presentations (known as slide books) in a safe environment.  Biteslide is a fantastic site for creating presentations that can contain all types of media, such as: video, images, text, links and more.  Once a presentation is completed it can then be downloaded, printed out, or best of all embedded into another site/blog.  This is an ideal site to engage students, use for any subject, and great for educators as no student email is required (teachers create the student accounts).  Also, Biteslide can easily be used to Flip a Classroom or for Project Based Learning!!

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

*Biteslide is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Free Tiiu Pix

Free Tiiu Pix is an excellent resource for educators for finding free school appropriate images.  Not only is this a great place to find safe images in a wide variety of areas, there are also educational slideshows that teachers/students can download.

I highly recommend checking out Free Tiiu Pix by clicking here!!

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational Images click here.

GoClass

GoClass is a wonderful new (beta) site/app for flipping a classroom.  This is a fantastic solution for educators to be able to manage their classes/students and create dynamic lessons that can be shared on mobile devices.  Students can login to a session on their mobile device and then follow the lesson following the "show-explain-ask" method.  Teachers can then get instant real-time feedback on student engagement and learning as well as attendance.

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

Also, be sure to check them out at ISTE going on right now at booth #2266

*GoClass is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

No Red Ink

No Red Ink is a fantastic free site for students to help improve their writing and grammar skills.  NRI uses differentiated learning so it adapts to student's needs and focuses on the areas they need help in.  Also, NRI focuses on a student's content area interest to keep writing interesting and exciting.  Finally, teachers can use NRI for testing and assessing a student's needs as well as generate maps/reports for student/class tracking.

I highly recommend checking out No Red Ink by clicking here!!!

For another excellent site for Writing, I recommend checking out BoomWriter.

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Answer Pad

The Answer Pad is easily one of my favorite ways to "flip" your classroom and turn your classroom paperless.  It allows for testing/assessing to be done on a mobile device as well as turn your mobile device (i.e. iPad) into a "student response" clicker system that has to be seen to be believed.  It is free for 1 teacher per 36 students and w/ this code... tapit_kapuler it will unlock all features for 90 days as long as it is used before June 30th (just login click upgrade).

If you would like me to set you up w/ a free 5-10 min Skype demo let me know.

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

*Answer Pad is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Friday, June 21, 2013

BoomWriter

BoomWriter is a site I've covered numerous times in the past and a company I have the pleasure of working with.  This is a fantastic free site for educators that allows students to create a digital story/book in a safe environment.  It's a really innovative site that is super easy to use, where a teacher creates a student account (ideal for education and CIPA compliance), and then students build a story off a story starter (either from a pre-selected one or built from scratch).  Each student then writes/types the next chapter and then votes individually on which chapter they would like to see included in the finished product.  This process continues until the story is done and an actual physical book can be ordered.  Right now each teacher that signs up gets one free class copy (shipping included)... http://www.boomwriter.com/home/Schools

Recently, the Chicago Public Schools completed their 50 school trial Technology Heroes Program and 96% of teachers stated the BW was an effective teaching tool and 94% stated they would use BW again w/ their class.  More info on how to join the Technology Heroes program and get a free book for each teacher and class go here... http://www.boomwriter.com/Home/TechnologyHeroes

Also, BoomWriter is lucky to be working w Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series to bring a online Summer Camp to students to help prevent learning loss and strengthen Reading & Writing skills during the summer.  Use this code... BWCamp10 to get $10 off when signing up... http://www.boomwriter.com/Summercamps



Brickflow

Brickflow is an innovative new (private beta) for digital storytelling that is similar to Prezi and Storyplanet.  It has the zooming capabilities of Prezi w/ a similar style of block building process for story creation via Storyplanet.  Brickflow is a very user friendly site that allows users to upload all types of media (videos, images, links, text) via hashtags and more.  Once media is uploaded it can be rearranged by moving blocks around.  Finally, a finished story can then be embedded into a site or blog which is ideal for education.

Below is an example...



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

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


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Axiom

Axiom is a fun math based iOS app that is free for today.  This educational game has players control a ship by tilting their ipad to collect numbers and math signs to solve a equation, similar to the Marble Math games.  The game has over 80 levels and gets significantly harder as the levels progress.

I recommend checking out Axiom by clicking here!!!

For my favorite Math iOS apps click here.

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS Apps click here.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

eduCanon

eduCanon is a cool new site that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  This site allows teachers to create interactive video lessons for students embedded w/ a quiz.  It kind of reminds me of what PhotoPeach does w/ slideshows but w/ video instead.

The way this works is quite simple a teacher would upload a video and then add a timed question(s) to their video.  This is ideal for "flipped" classroom and best of all teacher gets instant feedback w/ student tracking that can be integrated into a gradebook.

I highly recommend checking out eduCanon by clicking here.

Below is a brief demo video....



For my Pinterest board on Presentations/Slideshows click here.

Words with William

Words w/ William is an excellent iOS app for PreK/Toddlers learning the alphabet, numbers, and colors.  The way this works is a child watches William and selects the letter, number, or color he asks for.  It's very easy to use and has a feature for parents to turn on/off what they want their child to learn.

I recommend checking out Words w/ William by clicking here!!

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

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Easy Studio

Easy Studio is an excellent iPad app for teaching kids how to create custom animations.  This is done in a very user friendly way that has students use shapes to follow patterns and take screen shots to create animations.  The process is not that different then those familiar w/ stop motion.  Also, this is done by building on lessons getting more complex as they go along.

I highly recommend checking out Easy Studio by clicking here!!!

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

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

StoryToolz

StoryToolz is a wonderful site for LA/Writing teachers that I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  This is fantastic place to find word prompts or story starters for students looking to create a composition.  This can be done by choosing either: random conflicts, story idea generator, or half title generator.  These buttons create a list of different ideas to create a story.  If a person wants to create a new list all they can create a new list w/ a click of a button.

Also, StoryToolz has a list of helpful tools for writers such as: word count meters, readability (get a Reading Level of your writing), and cliche buster (make sure your writing is unique and original).

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

I also recommend using StoryToolz in combination w/ BoomWriter to create some dynamic writing!!!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Discover Indian Monuments

Discover Indian Monuments w/ Tamarind Tots is a very beautiful looking iPad app that is ideal for teaching kids/students about the different monuments in India such as the Taj Mahal and more.  This app not only is very informative as it describes the different landmarks in great interactive detail, it allows youngsters to engage in activities such as connect the dots or swipe the screen to reveal a picture.

I recommend checking out Discover Indian Monuments by clicking here!!!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Super Teacher Worksheets

Super Teacher Worksheets is one of the best sites around finding worksheets on any number of subjects.  Not only can a teacher find printables on different subjects such as: Math, Grammar, Writing, Reading, Spelling, Science, and more a educator can even customize their worksheets for their students.  For example, if a Math teacher wants to create their own equations to use for their class this is the place to go.  Also, STW is a great place to find and customize different exercises such as word searches, cross words and more.

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

BTW, a teacher can access all STW resources for $19.95 or a whole school for $300.

For my Pinterst board on Educational Resources click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Educational Resources click here.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

9Slides

9Slides is an excellent site/app that I've blogged about in the past.  This is a great tool for adding video/voice narrations to all kinds of presentations (ie, PPT, Keynote, etc).  This is ideal for Guided Learning as well as "flipping" a classroom.  With 9Slides new educational portal educators can create and share educational content, track student usage, and more.

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

Skip Math

Skip Math is a fantastic iOS app for teaching young learners PreK-on up sequential counting.  For example, is a person wanted to learn how to count by 2's, 4's, 10's, etc. this is the perfect app for them.  The way this works is similar to the popular game Doodle Jump where a person tries to keep jumping to the top of the screen while landing on the correct number.  Also, SM has high replay value w/ the ability to track your score to try to improve and even the unique ability to add their face to a playable character.

I highly recommend checking out Skip Math by clicking here!!!

For more excellent iOS Math games click here.

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

*MathFileFolderGames is a advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Copyright Kids

Copyright Kids is an excellent resources for students/teachers/parents wanting to learn about copyright laws/issues.  This site has it all pertaining to copyright such as: examples, FAQ, definitions, and more.

I highly recommend checking out Copyright Kids by clicking here.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

PlayScience I

PlayScience I is an excellent iPad app for El Ed studying Science.  This app covers the complete Grade 1 curriculum through interactive animations and exercises.  PlayScience covers different topics such as: Plants, Animals, Our Earth, Weather and Sky, Matter, and Energy and Motion.  This is a great way for teachers to engage students and "flip" their classroom through a variety of activities such as: crosswords, word association, multiple choice, T/F, and more.  Finally, there is a high replay value as students earn "play money" by completing activities and buy fish, toys, or plants for their aquarium.

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

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

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

ClassXP

ClassXP is an innovative new site that will be launching soon.  This site uses the "gamification" (popular term for using game-based learning) to display student's grades in an interactive digital environment.  This works by engaging students and motivating them as they have a unique environment/dashboard where they can create their own avatar, monitor their grades, and gain XP.  As they progress through the year they will gain XP for accomplishments and have the ability earn badges and more.

I highly recommend checking out ClassXP by clicking here!!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Math Playground

Math Playground is an excellent site for students wanting to practice and strengthen their Math skills.  This is done through educational online games that focuses on different aspects of Math: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more.  Also, these games are aligned to Common Core standards and there are a printables as well online flashcards too.

I highly recommend checking out Math Playground by clicking here.

For a great collection of iOS apps for Math click here.
For my Pinterest collection of Educational Online Games click here.

Monday, June 3, 2013

The Answer Pad

The Answer Pad is a wonderful mobile solution for "flipping" the classroom.  I did an in depth review on this a while back that you can view here.  Basically, The Answer Pad is a great way to turn the classroom paperless to allow for all testing and assessment to be done on the iPad (or other mobile device).

Also, w/ their latest feature, Go Interactive, it turns an iPad or mobile device into a Student Response "clicker" system.  This takes the whole "clicker" system that most schools use w/ an interactive whiteboard to a whole new level.  Now teachers can engage students and assess their learning in real-time w/ no prep work.


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

*The Answer Pad is a advertiser of Technology Tidbits.