Answer Pad

The Answer Pad is an awesome teacher tool that has two powerful functionalities: it is both a student response system with a focus on drawing and "show what you know", and a grading solution for your teacher created quizzes.  It is browser based for teachers, and works on any device (BYOD), browser or on free apps for iOS or Android for students.  It is an ideal tool for engaging students for any grade/subject area, and turning a classroom paperless.

New Features

Interactive 

• Quick Connect - no student registration required or prep time for teachers (login via a code).
• quick checks for understanding by just asking questions and sending a response type make it super simple.
• draw tool can easily be sent out for students to work through a problem etc.
• Feedback - color and text feedback w/ the unlock so that students can retry their answer.
• Broadcast - teachers can send out one of the students responses to the entire class.  This is great way for classroom discussion w/ the names hidden.
• Hide names, send out a multi-step problem.  Students complete the first step and classroom discusses the anonymous responses.  As a group decide which answer is best and broadcast response to entire class.
• Yes or No, students discuss response and incorrect response can be sent to group to correct.
• Send a Web Page - Teacher can send a web page, video, etc to students so they can view w/out having to leave the interactive session.

Answer Sheet

• Essay question and multiple correct multiple choice question types now available.  These work in conduction w/ the built-in scratch pad that allows a teacher to see and give partial credit for work.
• Live Monitor - watch live as students work through an assessment

More resources

• Overview presentation 
• Interactive step by step guide

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

  

Below is a demo video...



*The Answer Pad is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Super Teacher Worksheets for Christmas

Be sure to check out all their worksheets/printables on Christmas!!!

Super Teacher Worksheets is one of the best sites around for finding educational resources on a wide range of subjects.  Educators can find, worksheets, printables, puzzle generators and more.  Also, they are constantly updating their site w/ more resources all the time and recently released new crossword puzzle worksheet generator.

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.
Check out their new interactive Math site by clicking here.

*Super Teacher Worksheets is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Buncee for the Holidays

Buncee one of my all time favorite web 2.0 sites for classrooms, has just released a bunch of lessons/templates/ideas for how to use Buncee for the holidays.  This is a great easy-to-use learning tool for creating beautiful looking presentations, stories, posters, eCards, and more.  Finally, educators are using this to "flip" their classroom, project based learning, digital storytelling, and much much more.

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

For holiday ideas click here.



*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Labeley

Labeley is a site I just found out about that is excellent for students or teachers looking to make labels or stickers.

Here is more info from their promotional email...

Labeley is a fully free online label creator, handy and easy to use for both educators and students to make labels for classroom items and it can be used as part of combined ICT and learning. And very importantly, users don’t need to create an account. Some of its features are:

• User-friendly and revamped interface
• Wide range of predesigned label shapes
• Variety of free borders, ribbons, graphics and fonts
• Cool option to upload any photo to fully personalize the label

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

Digipuzzle for the Holidays

Digipuzzle is a wonderful site for finding educational games and puzzles.  Educators are using this for centers or free time for students to introduce Game Based Learning into the classroom.  Finally, Digipuzzle is a great site to find games/puzzles for different holidays.

I highly recommend checking out Digipuzzle for all Holidays activities by clicking here!!!

• For Christmas click here.
• For Hanukkah click here.
• For Kwanzaa click here.

*Digipuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Lumos EdSearch

Lumos EdSearch is a wonderful safe search engine for educational resources, apps, videos, and much much more.  This site reminds me of a cross between EdShelf and Graphite and lets users share, rate, comment, and more on their resources.

I highly recommend checking out Lumos EdSearch by clicking here!!!

Storyboard That for Winter Holidays

Storyboard That the free online resources that educators everywhere are using for a wide variety of teaching strategies has just released their Winter Holiday Classroom Activities teacher guides...

From their site.... Sometimes we use the seasons and holidays around us to engage our students in the skills we are teaching. Whether you want to use these activities just for fun, or if you have lesson plans centered around the winter holidays, Storyboard That is an excellent resource. Check out some of the great things your students can do!

I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That for Winter Classroom Activities by clicking here!!!

Storyboard that is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Share My Lesson

Share My Lesson is a excellent free site that educators can use to find lesson plans for Grades PreK-12th.  These lessons can be searched by grade level and subject and even by state standards.  Share My Lesson works like a social network so users can download/upload, rate, comment, and more.  Also, they even have resources for professional development.

I highly recommend checking out Share My Lesson by clicking here.

KidzType

KidzType is a fantastic site for students learning how two Type.  This site is designed by grade level and students can choose from games, lessons, exercises, and more.  Also, KidzType tracks student's progress and offers helpful hints on how to refine their typing skills.

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

For a more detailed review check out Class Tech Tips.

Help Teaching

Help Teaching is an excellent site for educators, parents, and others looking for educational resources such as quiz/test creators, online assessments, or worksheets/printables.  These printables are for K-12 and cover a wide range of subjects.  Also, there is a test/virtual room where students can take online assessment and get results in real time.

I highly recommend checking out Help Teaching by clicking here!!!
For my Printerest Board on Educational Resources click here.

*Help Teaching is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Swift Playgrounds

Swift Playground is the new free iPad app (requires iOS 10.0) for teaching kids how to code.  This is a fantastic app that works very similar to those familiar w/ apps such as Hopscotch or Scratch.  All a user has to do is tap on a "block" of code or drag-n-drop to create commands.  No typing is required.  Once Swift is a downloaded a student can select between two step by step tutorials: Learn to Code 1 (Fundamentals of Swift) or Learn to Code 2 (Beyond the Basics).  Each section is very easy to learn and there is a "hint" button to help those that are stuck.

Also, there are "challenges" (i.e. Drawing Sounds, BattleShip, Brick Breaker, etc.) that users can do to help polish up on their programming skills and begin to create their own games/activities.  Other features include a built-in glossary to help learning programming words/language.  Import your own files/images/sounds to create your own "playground".  Record your own video coding to create a tutorial or to help "Flip a lesson".

Finally, Swift Playground makes it easy to share across iOS devices and integrates w/ iTunes U to make it easy to integrate into the classroom.

I highly recommend checking out Swift Playgrounds by clicking here!!!

LearnZillion

LearnZillion is a very popular site that educators all over are using to find free lesson plans and videos.   What makes this such a great site is the Common Core Navigator that lets a teacher type in an area code and find all the resources, lesson plans, and videos in their area aligned to Common Core Standards.

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

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.

Projector Screen

ProjectorScreen.com is an excellent site for people or educators to find projectors and other type of equipment for their classrooms.  Not only can a person search through an immense amount of screens, but from other categories such as fixed or manual, multimedia carts, boards, chairs, and more.

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

*ProjectorScreen is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

PrepFactory

PrepFactory is a wonderful free site for ACT and SAT prep.  This interactive site uses a variety of educational videos, texts, games, and more to help students to prepare for their texts.  Also, there are step-by-step instructions on how to solve/approach problems.  PrepFactory is a great way to not only prepare for the ACT/SAT but help HS/MS in the subjects of Math, Vocabulary, and Grammar.

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

Paperscorer

Paperscorer is a fantastic new mobile (iOS/Android, or Chrome plug-in) app that allows educators and students to assess their learning in real-time.  The way this works is a teacher creates an assessment/quiz in Google Forms/Documents and then create and print out a unique answer form/bubble sheet for each student.  The student then uses those forms to answer the question and take the assessment/quiz.  Once the form is complete the user can then open the app on a mobile device and take pictures of the forms.  Paperscorer will then grade the form/assessment and generate detailed reports.  Also, Paperscorer will import student responses back to a educator's Google account.  This makes it ideal for teachers to differentiate instruction.

Features of Paperscorer:

• saves time grading and assessing learning/quizzes/projects
• generates detailed reports
• improves quality and frequency of feedback
• aids in differentiating instruction
• ideal for a self-guided feedback or exit slips for students

Below is a brief demo...

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

*Paperscorer is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

WriteReader

WriteReader is an excellent learning tool for grades K-4 to help students w/ their Reading and Writing.  This is done through a educational portal where educators can create an account and then share a unique code for students.  Also, this portal allows for teachers to manage/monitor student accounts and track progress.  Best of all, there are lots of resources for educators such as: tutorials, lesson plans aligned to Common Core Standards, and more.

WriteReader also allows students to create digital books in a safe environment (i.e. comment moderation, Google Safe image search, etc) and share them w/ others.

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

For WriteReader lesson plans click here.

Below is a brief demo...

Yash Math Adventure

Yash Math Adventure is a super fun mobile (iOS, Android) platform game for basic Math skills (i.e. addition, multiplication, etc.) for grades 1st-4th. There are over 36 levels through 6 worlds, where a student can select the skills they want to practice and then "unlock" secretes by solving equations correctly to progress through the game.

I highly recommend checking out Yash Math Adventure by clicking here!!!

Below is a demo...

Sketch Nation on TV

Sketch Nation the simple to use mobile (iOS/Android) app/site for creating games recently updated their lesson plan ideas page.  This is a great place for educators to go to find ways on how to integrate Sketch Nation into their classroom.  These lesson ideas focus on a wide variety of subjects such as: Coding, History, Math, and more.  Sketch Nation makes it a seamless way to introduce STEM into their classroom in a fun and engaging way.

I highly recommend checking out Sketch Nation Lesson Plans by clicking here!!!

Be sure to check out Sketch Nation on TV by clicking here!!!

*Sketch Nation is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

DimensionU

DimensionU is one of my favorite companies for Game Based Learning.  These games take place in an interactive 3D virtual world where students strengthen their Math/Literacy skills.  The games are designed for kids grades 3rd-9th and are aligned to Common Core Standards.

Here are a list of DimensionU games...

Watch the videos below to see all 4 AMAZING
DimensionU Games in action:

Meltdown is the DimensionU game that

offers students a second chance

when answering difficult questions, and

rewards creative strategies to achieve victory.

Swarm is DimensionU's team-based

game that most strongly reinforces

cooperation and collaboration between

students to achieve a common goal.

Towerstorm is the DimensionU game

 that is best for working through the most

 curriculum in the shortest amount of time.

Velocity is DimensionU's high-speed

obstacle course that ensures players

answer questions correctly in order to

continue progressing through the race.

Click to view the MATHEMATICS or LITERACY content included in

DimensionU Games.

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

For my Pinterest board on Game Based Learning click here.

*DimensionU is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

GoNoodle Kids

GoNoodle Kids is the free iOS app for students to use GoNoodle at home.  GoNoodle is the super popular app that educators everywhere are using to help give students much needed "brain breaks" during classroom time.  This is done through interactive fun movement videos such as: dancing, stretching, jumping, and more.

I highly recommend checking out GoNoodle Kids by clicking here!!!

BoomWriter Virtual Summer Camps

BoomWriter is a site that I’ve written about many times because it lets elementary, middle, and high school teachers conduct engaging nonfiction, fiction, and vocabulary development group-writing activities in almost any subject area. But their new offering is not just another product- it’s a chance for teachers to completely change how they make money (and relax) over the summer!

BoomWriter announced this week that they are developing The BoomWriter Virtual Summer Camp to create engaging, flexible, and profitable experiences for teachers as they work to make extra money over the summer. Teachers can make upwards of $1,200 per week with their camp by facilitating online instruction and writing activities for campers in Grades 4-9 using BoomWriter’s easy to use group writing site.

At $0 cost to teachers, BoomWriter will provide the curriculum, camper sign-up web page, and everything else needed to run a camp, so all teachers have to do is recruit students from their own schools or learning communities to participate. Educators can run as many sessions as they want from wherever they want and truly become their own boss on their own schedule.

Register for their mailing list to receive more information and updates to get you ready for Summer of 2017. BoomWriter is a free site that keeps finding new and better ways to support teachers through technology, and The BoomWriter Virtual Summer Camp is no exception!

I highly recommend checking out BoomWriter Virtual Summer Camps by clicking here!

*BoomWriter is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

EDpuzzle on Android

EDpuzzle the amazing educational tool (web/mobile app) is now available for free on any Android device.  This as well as their easy to use iOS app makes it easy for any teacher to flip their classroom/lesson and have students view it on any device.  Educators are using EDpuzzle to edit their videos (crop, add questions, etc) differentiate instruction, and more.

Below is a trailer video...



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

*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Time Hunter

Time Hunter is the new educational game (web/mobile) from RoomRecess for telling time.  The game follows a familiar platform/action game style as a student tries to shoot the "correct" clock while avoiding/defeating enemies and collecting stars for power-ups.  Time Hunter lets users choose a bunch of different skills to practice such as: hours, minutes, elapsed time, etc.

I highly recommend checking out Time Hunter by clicking here!!!

For more RoomRecess games click here.

*RoomRecess is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Storyboard That for Thanksgiving

Storyboard That the wonderful resource that educators everywhere are using for a variety of educational purposes (i.e. timelines, digital storytelling, project based learning, etc), has just release their latest bundle for Thanksgiving.  These activities cover a wide range of topics such as story starters, holiday cards, and more.

Storyboard That is an excellent learning tool w/ educational portal, where teachers can manage, track, and assess student accounts in a safe environment.  This easy-to-use site has an abundance of teacher guides and lesson plans, that makes it easy to integrate into any classroom or curriculum.

I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That for Thanksgivinghere!!!
by clicking

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Digipuzzle for Thanksgiving

Digipuzzle is a wonderful site for finding educational games and puzzles.  Educators are using this for centers or free time for students to introduce Game Based Learning into the classroom.  Finally, Digipuzzle is a great site to find games/puzzles for different holidays.

I highly recommend checking out Digipuzzle for Halloween activities by clicking here!!!

*Digipuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

codeSpark Academy

codeSpark Academy is a wonderful free iOS app for students learning how to code/program ages 4-9 yrs old.  Kids learn how to code by simple step-by-step instructions where they interact in the Foo Studio.  This is done by dropping blocks of code and watching the actions they preform.  Also, there are projects, activities, and printables, that help teach coding.  This is an ideal way to introduce STEM into the curriculum.

I highly recommend checking out codeSpark Academy by clicking here!!!

SpellingCity

SpellingCity w/out a doubt is my favorite site for Spelling and Vocabulary.  This is a great site w/ educational portal that allows educators to create word lists that can be incorporated into educational games.  These games are not only fun but highly engaging and help students learn their "words".  Also, an educator can track students, find an abundance of resources/videos, and even use it for mobile learning w/ a free mobile app  (iOS/Android).

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

Below is a brief demo of the free mobile app...



*SpellingCity is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Amazon Rapids

Amazon Rapids is the new free mobile (iOS/Android) app for Reading kids 7-12 yrs old.  This exciting app engages students in a innovative way as it tells hundreds illustrated stories in a new way.  The way this works is Amazon Rapids tells a story via a chat-style dialogue that helps bring the story to life.  For $2.99 a month parents can get unlimited access to short stories.

More features...

Amazon Rapids Includes:

• Unique chat style — Stories are told through the lens of characters chatting with each other, letting stories come to life one message at a time.
• Hundreds of original stories — Kids can explore a large and growing library that’s filled with original stories spanning adventure, fantasy, humor, mystery, science fiction and sports.
• Age-appropriate content – All content is thoughtfully edited to be appropriate for kids ages 7-12.
• Built-in glossary — Kids can easily look up the definition and pronunciation of words to help build their reading confidence. Each time they look up a word, it is automatically added to their personal glossary for easy reference.
• “Read to me” —Kids can have stories read aloud to them while they follow along with the text.

I highly recommend checking out Amazon Rapids by clicking here!!!

Below is a demo video...

Level it Books

Level it Books is the popular educational app (Android/iOS) for scanning a book's ISBN and getting a Reading Lexile/Level.  It's being used by educators, parents, and librarians around the world to keep a virtual library of books, manage students Reading Levels, and more.  Also, a teacher can use it not only to create class rosters and book libraries, but a "book of the day" as well.

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

*Level it Books is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

LearningApps

LearningApps is a nice site I just found about from Larry Ferlazzo's excellent blog for creating learning modules.  This site reminds me of Tackk as a user can create a virtual "pinboard" and to add any multimedia content to create a lesson.  Also, LearningApps is a good place to find already curated educational resources.

Below is a demo video...



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

30hands

30hands Storyteller for Chromebook, Mac or PC free 30 day trial here!

For more info on 30hands Storyteller Web click here!!!

30hands Learning is the excellent company for creating an innovative LMS (Learning Management System) as well as the popular mobile iOS apps that are ideal for digital storytelling (30hands Starter (free), 30hands Pro (paid)).  The 30hands community is a perfect cloud based solution that allows educators to: manage/track students, hand in/out assignments, sched
ule events, and more.  While the mobile apps are being used in education for project based learning, digital storytelling, and more.

30hands has lots of exciting news on the horizon...

After upgrading to Pro, users will have access to existing advanced features and new features in the works:

• Video clips as slides

• Google Drive + Dropbox Integration

• Importing of Google Slides and PDFs as 30hands slides

• Backgrounds and scenes

• Higher quality videos

• Advanced drag-and-drop drawing with editing 

• Slide sharing with parents and students 

• Slide Transitions 

• Unlimited presentations

• Unlimited saves to Camera Roll

Districts that purchase 30hands Pro will get free or discounted professional development (depending on licenses purchased). The PD can be onsite or virtual and selected from our areas of expertise: Digital Storytelling, PBL, Blended Learning, Teaching Coding, and Teaching Entrepreneurship. 

For more info on how your school can participate, email info@30hands.com.

Join our newsletter here: http://30hands.com/newsletter.

*30hands Learning is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

tapStory

tapStory is a new free iPad app for young learners that is ideal for digital storytelling.  The way this works is a student reads a storybook on the iPad while animating the characters/objects by moving them across the screen w/ their finger while it records.  Then they can play back the story for others and even add text for a caption.  Students can even create their very own stories from scratch using existing clipart.


Below is a demo video...



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

Flying Superstars

Flying Superstars is the educational Math game from Skidos.  This is a fun yet challenging mobile (iOS/Android) app for grades 1st-5th practicing basic Math skills (i.e. subtraction, word problems, fractions, etc.).  Flying Superstars is easy to play but hard to master as a student tries to guide his player through levels while collecting gems and avoiding lava.  Sounds easy?  It's not.

What makes Flying Superstars fun to play is that a user answers Math questions to unlock secret characters and power ups to help add replay value.  Best of all, Flying Superstars tracks all student data and can generate detailed reports that can be emailed to parents/teachers.

I highly recommend checking out Flying Superstars by clicking here!!!

Below is a demo video...



For more educational games by Skidos click here.

Buncee for Halloween

Buncee is a fantastic and simple tool to use for education.  Educators are using it for project based learning, digital storytelling, announcements, digital cards, and much much more.  A great way to use it is for holiday projects such as Halloween.  Buncee, has lots of free resources for educators (lesson plans), as well as state of the art clip-art, animations, backgrounds, etc.

Below is a buncee I created for Halloween...



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

*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

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.

Below is a demo video...



I recommend checking out Musicshake by clicking here!!!

Radly the Readbot

Radly the Readbot is the wonderful new online game from RoomRecess.  This game is designed for grades 3rd-6th and focuses on different Reading skills such as: vocabulary, cause & effect, making inferences, and more.  Radly, is a fun platform style game where a student controls the robot and shoots the correct barrel/answer while trying to avoid enemies.  As they progress through the level they can collect gems to help power-up Radly.

I highly recommend checking out Radly the Readbot by clicking here!!!

 

Also, check out RoomRecess Halloween games by clicking here!!!

*RoomRecess is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

I Know It

I Know It is the excellent new (beta) site from Super Teacher Worksheets for interactive Math lessons grades K-5th.  This is a super fun easy to use site for practice on a wide range of topics, such as: place value, multiplication, counting coins, time, and more.  Best of all, I Know It, allows a user to use a certain number of "hints" to help solve a problem and it gives the correct response w/ reason for the wrong answers.

I highly recommend checking out I Know It by clicking here!!!

Owl Eyes

Owl Eyes is an innovative site that lets teachers create "classrooms" where their students can read and interact w/ texts.  Student's are able to select through a wide variety of literature and then annotate the text.  This is helpful as they can take notes and pickup right where they left off when reading.  Best of all, the teacher tools allows educators to create quizzes to assess how students are doing and they can even track/manage their student accounts.  Educators are using Owl Eyes in a number of different ways such as: differentiating instruction or flipping a classroom.

I highly recommend checking out Owl Eyes by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



*Owl Eyes is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

EDpuzzle - School Channel

EDpuzzle the excellent free tool that educators everywhere are using to flip their classroom/lessons and assess student learning, just released their "School Channel".  This channel allows teachers to share/
copy other video lessons from their colleagues.

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

Below is a brief demo...



*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

iCivics

iCivics is a fantastic site for learning about Civics through Game Based Learning.  Best of all, iCivics has an educational portal that allows educators to create and manage student accounts.  Also, teachers can create assignments such as games/webquests and track student performance w/ detailed reports.  Finally, a educator can create a forum or message board to engage students in online discussions and send out class announcements.

Here is a bit more on iCivics features...

• Lessons: Print-and-go lesson plans make civic learning fun, relevant, and easy. Lessons may include PowerPoints, and ALL are aligned to state standards. 
•  Webquests: Our webquests help students connect civics concepts to the real world with readings and questions that link to specific web resources. Webquests can be used on individual computers or by the whole class using a projector or a smart board 
• Games: Expand the learning experience for your students by putting them in the action. Each game is accompanied by a teacher guide with tips for game play, pre– and post-game discussion questions and ideas for additional activities. 
•  Drafting Board: Guide your students through the process of producing a clear and polished argumentative essay. This blended learning tool brings the skills of writing persuasively together with civic topics that matter to your students. 

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

For a more detailed review check out Graphite.

For my Pinterest board on Game Based Learning click here.

Answerables

Answerables the innovative educational tool that combines the best features of game based learning w/ a learning management system has just released their free iPad app.  Answerables is being used by educators in a variety of ways from collaborating w/ other classes, to browsing the web, all in a secure 3D virtual environment.

Answerables is used as a:

• Virtual classroom 
• Lesson planner
• Learning manager 
• Quest creator
• Resource manager 
• Web browser (managed)
• Social Network
• Student portfolio
• Presentation space

Features include:

• Multiplayer game environment
• Learning management system
• Quests and badges
• Assessment tools
• Analytics
• Resource/Content management system
• Web browser
• Secure audio/video streaming

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

*Answerables is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Animatron Updates

Animatron the excellent free online tool for creating custom animations has just released a bunch of new updates.  Teachers and students are using these updates to creating stunning digital stories, for project based learning, collaborative projects, and much much more.

New Features

• Lite Mode - Lite mode is a simplified version of the Animatron video editor.  This makes it easier for students to create video and control the length of a scene.

• Appearance Effects - A user now has the ability to add a zoom in/out effect (i.e. fly in, draw, etc.) to an object.

• Speech Bubbles - A great way to add a voice to a character by drag-n-dropping a speech bubble.

• Whiteboard Animation - Anticipate what's going to be drawn next using this innovative tool to create explainer videos and more.

• Voice Over - One of the best ways to tell a story is to record your own narration, this takes digital storytelling and presentations to the next level.

Finally, Animatron is always adding new characters, objects, scenes and more, to help make it more useful for their users.  In the future they'll have more collaboration tools, ability to import your own media, and more animation sets.

For more information on Animatron's latest update click here.

Below is a brief demo...

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

*Animatron is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Edynco

Edynco is a wonderful site for creating Learning Maps.  This site reminds me of Prezi in that it allows educators to create a multimedia presentation that is "zoomable".  These Learning Maps can contains all types of media (i.e. audio, video, images) and are ideal for "flipping" a classroom or Guided Learning.  Best of all, a finished Map can be shared via a URL or embedded into a site/blog.

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

Here's a brief demo...

Toca TV

Toca TV is one of my new favorite free iOS apps for kids.  This super fun app is kinda like YouTube Kids but w/ the ability to record your own video.  All the videos in Toca TV are curated into categories and are safe for kids to watch.  Best of all, a user can create their own video w/ fun animations/filter to show to their family and friends.

Below is a brief demo video...



I highly recommend checking out Toca TV by clicking here!!!

Otus

Otus the excellent and easy to use Learning Management System for schools has a sleek new design, that allows for easier functionality, a brighter customizable color interface, and real-time analytics and third party integration (i.e. Khan Academy), and of course Otus Worksheets.

Here is a list of their updated features...

• Cleaner Interface: A polished, streamlined functionality lets users more easily navigate existing features including polling for instant feedback, a real-time assessment center, blogging capabilities and classroom organization tools.

• Real-Time Analytics: A comprehensive analytics dashboard integrates a wide range of performance indicators into one place, including content from select third-party apps like Khan Academy. Teachers can link data to Common Core State Standards or integrate their own custom standards to report on. Otus tracks a variety of data like attendance, participation, student blogs, assessments and grades. In addition, teachers can also create and track meaningful behaviors like grit, leadership and staying on task through Otus ‘Recognitions’. Because Otus logs all student activity in real-time, teachers can quickly gauge their impact on student growth and provide timely, constructive feedback.

• Toolbox:  Otus functions as an open, interoperable educational ecosystem allowing teachers to integrate and quickly access the third party apps and content that they use everyday in their classroom. Any Otus user can access free third-party apps or content. If third-party apps and content require a subscription, the subscriber must simply link their account to Otus and they will never have to sign-in to access it again.

• Colorful Work Environments: Now teachers and students can choose from a variety of theme and background color options to create a more personalized, vibrant work environment.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Otus by clicking here!!!
For more information check out Otus on Technology and Learning.

*Otus is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Storyboard That for Halloween

Storyboard That the wonderful resource that educators everywhere are using for a variety of educational purposes (i.e. timelines, digital storytelling, project based learning, etc), has just release their latest bundle for Halloween.  These activities cover a wide range of topics from story starters, holiday cards, and monsters, to safety tips.

Storyboard That is an excellent learning tool w/ educational portal, where teachers can manage, track, and assess student accounts in a safe environment.  This easy-to-use site has an abundance of teacher guides and lesson plans, that makes it easy to integrate into any classroom or curriculum.

I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That for Halloween by clicking here!!!

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Credo

Credo is an excellent online library resource that I just found out about from EdTech Digest.  It reminds me of Wikipedia w/ a lot more curated educational content, such as: encyclopedia, videos, dictionaries, images, and more.  All a user has to do is login w/ their online library account (that partners w/ Credo) and they are able to view and use all their learning tools available to them.

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

Help Teaching

Help Teaching is an excellent site for educators, parents, and others looking for educational resources such as quiz/test creators, online assessments, or worksheets/printables.  These printables are for K-12 and cover a wide range of subjects.  Also, there is a test/virtual room where students can take online assessment and get results in real time.

I highly recommend checking out Help Teaching by clicking here!!!
For my Printerest Board on Educational Resources click here.

*Help Teaching is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.