educatorsAPP

educatorsAPP is a free site that turns teacher's websites into mobile apps for any platform.  This is ideal for 21st Century Learning, Mobile Classroom, and those 1:1/BYOD districts that use mobile devices on a everyday basis.  Best of all as a teacher updates their website the mobile app gets updated automatically.

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

Create your own App

Justin Holladay the man behind Math File Folder Games has designed an online course for teachers who want to learn how to create their own educational apps w/out needing to know programming.  This is a fantastic inexpensive course that will guide teachers in the process of developing their apps from scratch into getting them on the App Store and being used by students in their class or around the world.

I highly recommend checking out this course entitled, Teacher Created Apps.

Super Teacher Worksheets

Super Teacher Worksheets is one of my favorite resources for educators.  This is a great place for teachers to find all sorts of resources such as: printables, worksheets, puzzles, and more.  Also, there is a innovative puzzle & math generator to create your own worksheets from scratch.  Finally, a user can also search for common core aligned worksheets and even smart board resources too.

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

*Super Teacher Worksheets is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Flowboard

Flowboard is a wonderful free iPad app for creating stunning presentations.  This is done through a very easy to use touch drag-n-drop interface for adding images, text, video, and more.  There is even a nice selection of templates for users to create stunning interactive presentations.  Best of all, a user can share their presentations via a unique URL or embed them into a site/blog.

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

For my Pinterest board on Presentation/Slideshow Creators click here.

SpellingCity

SpellingCity is a site I've mentioned before that is absolutely fantastic for all a teacher's vocabulary and spelling needs.  This is a great safe site to use for students where educators can create their own word lists and then import them into educational games to reinforce learning.  Also, SC has a free mobile iOS/Android app that integrates seamlessly w/ the website for mobile learning.

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

30hands

30hands is a wonderful free iOS app that is ideal for digital storytelling and mobile learning.  This is a very user friendly drag-n-drop app that allows students to create digital stories by importing photos from their iPhoto library.  Best of all, a user can add narration to a slide by recording their voice.  Finally, a finished story can then be published to their iPhoto library or shared to the 30hands Collaborative Learning Community.  There is even a very simple to follow walk-through that shows how to create your first story.

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

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

*30hands Learning is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Answer Pad updates

Answer Pad one of the best educational web tools/apps for turning a classroom paperless and flipping instruction has just released a bunch of updates.  Rather then try to explain, I'll just copy/paste in the info from their email...

TAPit app update should be live by Monday. Includes an update for Answer Pad+ users: Paperless solution. When you create an answer sheet, if the teacher uploads the pdf file to the library, when assigning the test, click the Display pdf box and the pdf will be displayed on the iPad app for a paperless solution. The paper test slides in on top of the answer sheet by clicking the pdf icon. The sheet can be dragged around, altered in size, with zooming for text size etc. It's pretty cool. We have this on the browser version, but we are going to be updating the browser version to be the same as the iPad app- it's much smoother.

Also, on the teacher side, just released: Again for Answer Pad+ users: Take an image that you have uploaded in the the Go Interactive Template library, or just use one of ours- you can now add test to it  ( eg, Type in a question), or add a drawing to it before sending it out. An example of this is the coordinate grid. The teacher could take the grid, draw a shape on it, send it out and ask the students to draw the reflection. In addition you can also take an image and add an interactive response type to it. So you could take a graphic and add ABCD to it, a slider or a fill in for eg.

If you would like a brief demo on how to use Answer Pad w/ your class let me know!!!

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

Math Heroes 1

Math Heroes 1 is a fantastic iOS app for kids for learning their basic Math skills.  My 8 yr old loves playing this game to practice his addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication skills in this fighting-style game that has over 50 levels of fun.  This game has a high replay value as there are lots of hidden levels and powers to unlock.  Best of all there is a Parental dashboard where parents/teachers can track students progress and adjust what skills they should focus on.

For more Yogome educational apps click here.

I highly recommend checking out Math Heroes 1 by clicking here!!!

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is one of my favorite Web 2.0 sites for educators.  This is a fantastically simple tool to use to manage student behavior.  This can either be done online or w/ their free mobile app.  Also, it has a very kid friendly user interface w/ characters that keeps interested and engaged.  Finally, CD has one of the best teacher resource sections I've seen.  There are lots of resources here to share on how to spread the word and integrate ClassDojo into the classroom.

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

Be sure to sign up and take the quick and easy tutorial to learn how to get started!!!

*ClassDojo is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Educade

Educade is a new (beta) site that I just found out about from Edshelf.  This is an excellent site to find free educational resources such as: lesson plans, videos, apps, and more.  Not only can a user search by subject and grade level, but they can build "backpacks" to save their favorite content.

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

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

Math File Folder Games

Math File Folder Games is easily one of my favorite companies for finding Math iOS based apps/games.  These games are unique in that many of them are bluetooth enabled and can be played by multiple players at the same time on multiple devices.  Also, every game has the ability to email scores so parents/teachers can see how a student is doing.

Here is a list of the different games available by MFFG...

5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

(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

(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

Ordered Fractions: Comparing & Ordering Fractions

(Cost: $1.99)

Ordered Fractions game 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

Grid Lines: Ordered Pair Game

(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

Skip Math: Skip Counting Games

(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

Tangram Chess: Transformation Games

(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

Jack and the Beanstalk a Mathematical Adventure

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


*Math File Folder Games is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

EDpuzzle

EDpuzzle is a fantastic site I just found out about that allows a user to edit/crop a video and "flip" a classroom by adding questions.  This is ideal for the Flipped Classroom model where instruction can be given at home and assessing/collaboration/learning can be done in the classroom.  A educator can record their own narration over audio of any existing video to help guide learning.

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

For my Pinterest board on a Flipped Classroom click here.

Mystery Math Museum

Mystery Math Museum is the sequel educational iOS app from the hugely popular Mystery Math Town.  This is an excellent follow up to one of my favorite iOS Math apps for Game Based Learning.  As w/ the first game Mystery Math Museum is a big adventure that has students exploring 8 different museums in a eccentric town.  As they explore different museums they will have to solve basic Math problems that focus on skills such as: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Also, this game allows for multiple accounts which is ideal for schools and has a fantastic parent/teacher section where different skills can be set.  This is ideal for Differentiated Instruction.  Finally, MMM has a very high replay value as there are lots of different objects to find and secrets to unlock to keep students coming back for more.

I highly recommend checking out Mystery Math Museum by clicking here!!!

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

For a brief demo view below....

Power My Learning

Power My Learning is a site I've covered before but has just relaunched their site redesign w/ exciting new features for educators.  This is a excellent site for finding educational activities for students such as:  games, videos, interactives and more.  Also, a educator can create their own "playlist" for a class or modify an existing one to meet their needs.  Finally, PML has aligned activities to common core standards to make assigning/finding content easier.

I highly recommend checking out Power My Learning by clicking here!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Online Games click here.

iPracticeMath

iPracticeMath is a new (beta) site for Math grades K-12th.  This is a fantastic all-in-one stop for educators/students looking to teach or reinforce their Math skills in such areas as: addition, multiplication, algebra, decimals, and more.  Also, there are tons of resources for educators like online worksheets, glossary/terms/walkthru that breaks down how to learn a skill, and more.  Finally, a registered user gets a detailed reporting feature that is ideal for parents/educators wanting to track student's progress.

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

For my Pinterest board for Educational Online Games click here.
For my Edshelf collection for Educational Online Games click here.

Level it Books

Level it Books is a fantastic iOS app that allows users to scan a book's ISBN and get a reading level for the book.  This is ideal for educators, parents, or librarians wanting to know which books are appropriate reading level for their kids or students.  Also, Level it Books will not only tell the reading level and Lexile, a teacher can use it to create a digital library of books and manage their students' (create class rosters) reading level data.

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

*Level it Books is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Halloween Heroes

Halloween Heroes is another fantastic new iOS/Google Play game by Yogome the creators of Math and Science Heroes 1.  This is a super fun app that is similar to Recycle Hero where kids learn about recycling and composting by cleaning up after Halloween parties in haunted locations.  Also, kids can then decorate their Yogotars (avatars) in eco-friendly costumes.  Finally, there is a parental dashboard to track their kids progress through this 15 level adventure.

I highly recommend checking out Halloween Heroes by clicking here!!!

Tiggly

Tiggly is a new product/toy designed for the iPad that will be in Apple stores Nov 5th.  This is a fantastic learning tool for toddlers as it combines physical play w/ digital play.  Having 4 kids myself we needed two iPads to meet the needs of the adults and our kids.  They've been using them since about the age of 1 and it's prefect for developing their learning skills.  This is where Tiggly comes in.  This is an excellent product that helps children develop their spatial ability and shapes by placing Tiggly shapes on the iPad to interact w/ them.

Below is a brief demo of Tiggly in action...



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

To buy Tiggly online click here.

Science Heroes 1

Science Heroes 1 is an excellent iOS app by one of my favorite Educational App companies Yogome.  This is a great game that covers all the different parts of the digestive track (mouth, stomach, intestine, etc) and then has follow-up quizzes to make sure that students are learning.  Also, SH has tutorials in both English and Spanish, 15 levels, and covers all 5 phases of digestion.

I highly recommend checking out Science Heroes 1 by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational iOS apps click here

Buncee

Buncee is a innovative new (beta) site for creating interactive presentations/lessons.  This is a fantastically simple site to use to create not only beautiful looking slideshows but e-cards, posters, and more.  I like to think of it as a combination of Glogster, Smore, and Biteslide.  Best of all a user can embed a Buncee (presentation) into their site/blog.  Finally, there are a ton of educational resources to browse through such as: lessons, projects, flyers, etc.

Here are some ways Buncee can be used in the classroom (from their site)...

*A great learning tool for Blended or Project Based Learning, as well as Flipping a Classroom.

• create interactive lessons or projects that flip your classroom in a fun and easy way
• introduce technology w/ Buncee projects and assignments that spark creativity and help support common core standards
• have students of any age easily create multimedia projects
• share engaging school event invites, or class news w/ students, parents, and the community.

Below is a brief demo...

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

For my Pinterest board on Web 2.0 click here.

For my Edshelf collection on Web 2.0 click here.

Toonia Storymaker

Toonia Storymaker is a fantastic iPad app for digital storytelling.  This is a very user friendly app ideal for ages 4 on up.  A student has the choice of up to 20 characters to choose from to start building their story.  Also, there are lots of objects, animals, and backgrounds to choose from as well as 7 different themes of stories.  A nice feature which helps up the replay value is the ability to unlock more objects/themes/features as one starts creating a story.

I highly recommend checking out Toonia Storymaker by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



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

Playback

Playback is an excellent iPad app for creating screencasts.  This is done by giving a user an interactive whiteboard to edit on.  Also, a user can annotate over existing slides for Guided Learning.  Best of all, a educator has the option to narrate their recordings which is ideal for Flipping a Classroom or for creating presentations such as a Pecha Kucha.  All finished movies can then be exported into mp4 files or uploaded into Dropbox.

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

*Thanks to the wonderful educator Naomi Harm for sharing this find.

For my Pinterest board on Flipping a Classroom click here.

Math Live

Math Live is an innovative site for teaching Math that I just found out about from Free Technology 4 Teachers.  ML covers 4 basic concepts of Math such as: numbers, patterns and relations, shape and space, and statistics and probability.  The way this works is a student watches an animated video (think BrainPop) and then completes a worksheet to determine if they learned that lesson.  What makes Math Live so great is that a teacher can use it for Differentiated Instruction as students can go at their own place.  Also, there are lots of resources that can be printed out as a PDF such as parents or teacher notes, and a assessment/rubric, not to mention a handy online glossary for students.

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

Student Lance

Student Lance is a site for online tutoring that I just found out about from one of my readers.  This is a nice site that allows for students to post requests/questions for problems in subjects they are looking for help in.  Tutors/teachers can then answer these requests and even charge how much it
would cost for them to help a student.

I highly recommend checking out Student Lance by clicking here!!

For my Pinterest board on Online Tutoring/Teaching click here.

Excellent Resources for Project Based Learning

"Project-based learning is considered an alternative to paper-based, rote memorization, teacher-led classrooms. Proponents of project-based learning cite numerous benefits to the implementation of these strategies in the classroom including a greater depth of understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved communication and interpersonal/social skills, enhanced leadership skills, increased creativity, and improved writing skills. (Wikipedia)"  PBL or Project Based Learning is a method of teaching that has been around for a long time that is getting more and more attention due to all the tools technology leads itself to.  Basically, PBL allows for teachers to "ask" a question that allows students to solve in a variety of a ways using many different analytical methods.  Since, Project Based Learning incorporates a lot of different techniques and tools to use I've decided to create a list of resources rather then just one of sites or apps.

Excellent Resources for Project Based Learning

Definitions/Explanations/Introductions

• What is PBL - Great definition from the Buck Institute from Education (BIE) 
• 7 Essentials for PBL - a top notch list from ASCD

Lessons/Projects

• LifePractice PBL - A fantastic resource created by Kevin Honeycutt & Ginger Lewman that is ideal for K-12 that seamlessly fuses PBL w/ technology and a 21st Century learning environment.
• PBL in Hand - a nice site/lesson created by educational app (Stick Around) creator/educator Tony Vincent
• Lesson Plans - a robust collection of lesson plans from Lesson Planet designed around PBL
• Share My Lesson - Share My Lesson is a free website created by the American Federation of Teachers and TES Connect.

Videos

• Introduction to PBL - a great video from Edutopia
• PBL explained - a excellent video by BIE (Buck Institute from Education)
• Introduction to PBL - a nice resource w/ examples of Project Based Learning by Global SchoolNet

Misc

• Checklists/rubrics - a nice collection of resources to ensure success for PBL
• PBL w/ iPads - a excellent resource w/ list of apps for using iPads w/ PBL
• Cybraryman's Internet Catalogue - one of the best all around places for finding resources on not only PBL but anything
• iPad Bootcamp for Teachers - a nice site for explaining how to use iPads for PBL
• An Inside Look on how PBL Actually Works - a terrific article by Edudemic w/ videos on how PBL is being used in school districts
• Project Based Learning - a great resource on PBL w/ videos, tutorials, rubrics, and more by the New Tech Network

Earth 101

Earth 101 is a fantastic iPad app (free today) for learning about Geography and other facts about the world.  This is done by interacting w/ a 3D globe that contains lots of interest things such as: weather, political maps, and landmarks.  Also, there are over a 1100 geographical objects and 250 wonders of the world.

I highly recommend checking out Earth 101 by clicking here!!!

Alchemy SmartBinder

Alchemy SmartBinder is a new (beta) site/teaching tool that is great for creating digital lessons and then assessing student data.  This is done via a very easy to use web interface that allows educators embed any kind of media/file content into a lesson and share them w/ students.  Since SmartBinder is browser based it works on any mobile device and is ideal for Flipping a Classroom.  Finally, once a lesson is completed teachers get instant real-time data which is ideal for assessing students performance.

I highly recommend checking out Alchemy SmartBinder by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo....



For my Pinterest board on Flipping a Classroom click here.

SimCity EDU

SimCity EDU is a new (beta) fantastic site for GBL (Game Based Learning) based on the popular PC game, SimCity.  This is a safe site for students where they can go to create cities and strengthen their skills in many areas such as: Math, Science, Civics, Economics, and more.  Also, this is a great place to find lesson plans based on SimCity aligned to Common Core Standards.

I highly recommend checking out SimCity EDU by clicking here!!!

Grade Inifinity

Grade Infinity is a nice new site for parents or students looking to learn any number of subjects.  This doesn't specifically need to be for education but can be for learning something such as programming or magic.  Once a person finds a topic they are interested in they can find a number of resources such as: links, video, apps, etc.

I recommend checking out Grade Infinity by clicking here!!

LifeDojo

LifeDojo is a wonderful resource/curriculum for Phys Ed/Health teachers and anyone else interested in leading a healthy lifestyle.  This is all done through engaging interactive videos (ie, Atomic Learning).  Best of all teachers can track and assess students progress as they complete lessons and quizzes.

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

Below is a brief demo...

Time Machine: Age of the Emperors

Time Machine: Age of the Emperors is a excellent educational iOS eBook that is free today.  This is an innovative digital book that is great for History teachers that is highly interactive for students.  The way this works is a user creates a profile/character and then makes decisions as they explore different ancient emperors and civilizations.  The choices they make affects their progress throughout the book and best of all it saves their progress as they go along.

I highly recommend checking out Time Machine: Age of the Emperors by clicking here!!!

Nuskool

Nuskool is an innovative site that I just learned about from Edshelf.  This is a fantastic new site that uses pop culture as teaching moments for students.  Tailored to grades 6th-12th students learn a variety of subjects such as: Math, Science, English, etc through educational lessons based on the different elements of pop culture (video games, sports, films, etc.).

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

For my Pinterest board on Web 2.0 click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Web 2.0 click here.

eStoryStudio

eStoryStudio is a new (beta) site for creating digital stories.  This is a very user friendly nice looking site that allows users to create a story by adding: text, images, audio, video, etc.  Also, once a story is finished a person can then publish it online for others to buy.

I recommend checking out eStoryStudio by clicking here!!

For my Pinterest board on Digital Storytelling click here.

Quandary

Quandary is a fantastic free site/game that I've blogged about in the past that is built around engaging student's ethical and critical thinking skills.  This game actually kind of reminds me of the book Divergent where students have to make choices that affects the outcome of the game.  This game definitely has a Science Fiction feel as it takes places on a planet named Braxos where players have to make choices between questions that have no right or wrong answer.  It really is a unique gaming experience and one that has landed Quandary many awards.

Quandary has just released their mobile app which not only allows students to play on a mobile device but also allows them to create their own characters.

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

For the free Quandary iPad app click here!!!

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

Lucidpress

Lucidpress is a wonderful new tool for creating free multimedia collaborative documents.  This reminds me of a bit of Google Doc's and Richard Byrne put it best when he said, " look at Lucidpress as being the best of Apple's Pages and the best of Google Documents combined into one slick service."

The way this works is by creating a document and then having a real-time chat going on to collaborate.  There are other nice features such as commenting and setting permissions on who can and can't view/edit.  Also, this works in a browser so can be used on any device.

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

Edshelf News

Edshelf one of my favorite educational sites for curating the web has just teamed up w/ Balefire Labs another excellent curation site to make it easier to find top quality educational apps.  As of right now it is in the beginning stages of this exciting partnership where users will find a Balefire Top Rated badge on certain apps in Edshelf's collection.  Click here for an example.

I highly recommend checking out Edshelf by 

clicking here!!!

Faces iMake ABC

Faces iMake ABC is a wonderful iPad app by iMagine Machine for PreK-KDG/toddlers wanting to learn their letters/alphabet.  There are lots of apps that do this but what makes Faces so great is how interactive it is for kids.  A user has two choices either to learn the letters or find a letter.  The learning part has a kid tap a letter, here it pronounced, and then try to put together a picture associated w/ that letter.  The find a letter is a great way for kids to associate words w/ a letter such as D for Dog.

Right now I have my 2 yr old playing this and she loves it, but also I'll use it w/ my 4 yr who started KDG this year to help reinforce the alphabet which he is learning in school.

I highly recommend checking out Faces iMake ABC by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



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