BoomWriter Virtual Summer Camps

Summer is almost here and BoomWriter's Virtual Summer Camps are right around the corner and a soon to be reality for educators!!! This is an excellent solution for teachers looking to make some extra money over the summer (from the comfort of their own home) using BoomWriter's innovative collaborative writing tool.

More info below...

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 a while back, 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!!!

View a sample Virtual Summer Camp "splash page" by clicking here.

Below is a brief video...

*BoomWriter is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

KidsCast

KidsCast is a new mobile (iOS/Google Play) app for educational content.  KidsCast acts as a hub for a wide variety of content, such as: games, videos, activities, and more.  KidsCast is a subscription based service and all of the content is safe and approved for kids.  Finally, they are always adding new content to keep their fresh and engaging and releasing a KidsCast club soon.

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

Kupiter

Kupiter is a super fun online game that I learned about from Richard Byrne's excellent blog.  Kupiter is a game designed around Asteroids where users shoot the asteroid w/ the correct answer/letter, collect power ups, etc.  Educators can upload their own questions from Quizlet, Excel, create their own, browse through already created questions.  Also, Kupiter integrates w/ Google Classroom and can be shared w/ others via link.

Below is a demo video...



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

Buncee Buddies

Buncee Buddies is the new platform for connecting students and classrooms around the world through digital pen pals.  This is done through the use of sharing Buncee creations to collaborate w/ others, project based learning, make friends, learn about new cultures, and more.

Below is an excerpt from their blog...

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

Below is an example of a finished product...


*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

BrainPop Make-a-Movie

BrainPop users are in for a treat as "premium" users can now create videos/movies through the Make-a-Movie feature.  This is ideal for students/educators that want to "show" what they know or to create digital stories, etc. These videos are simple to create and follow the same animated style that BrainPop is famous for.  Also, users have the ability to draw their own animation.

For a more detailed review check out Flipped Technology Coaching by clicking here.

I highly recommend checking out BrainPop's Make-a-Movie by clicking here!!!

Below is an excellent tutorial from Joli Boucher...

GoClass

GoClass is a wonderful 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!!!

*GoClass is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Peekapak

Peekapak is a new (beta) site for educators (PreK-3rd grade) for teaching Social and Emotional Learning.  This free online platform includes stories and lesson plans that teachers use w/ students to develop these SEL skills.  Also, Peekapak lets educators/parents to track student's progress and generate detailed reports.  Finally, Peekapak works on any device and is a great way to integrate Technology w/ Reading.

Below is a brief demo...



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

Storyboard That Webinar

Storyboard That, the excellent learning tool that educators are using for a wide range of purposes such as: digital storytelling, writing prompts, timelines, project based learning, storyboards, and much much more, is offering a free online webinar for educators.  This webinar will show teachers how to integrate Storyboard That into the classroom and use w/ their students.

I highly recommend signing up for the Storyboard That webinar on April 4th by clicking here!!!

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

codeCampus

codeCampus is a great place for educators looking to bring coding/programming into their K-6 schools for free.  codeCampus offers lots of online training videos as well as interactive coding lessons to help teachers integrate codeCampus into the classroom.  All lessons are aligned to state standards and offer a wide variety of teaching materials.

Below is a demo video...



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

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.

Boogie Bot

Boogie Bot is a super-fun free app (iOS/Google Play) that teaches kids how to program/code.  This is done w/ the familiar-friendly technique of dragging-and-dropping blocks of code to make your robot dance.  This is great for educators introducing and teaching concepts of programming and ideal for STEM.  Also, students can build their own robot, customize their dance floor, and even record their own video.

I highly recommend checking out Boogie Bot by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...

30hands News

The other day 30hands Learning the company for the widely used iOS app (30hands Starter) has announced the discontinuation of their free version.  As w/ most Ed Tech tools this is a necessity to help keep companies afloat and to continue to update their products w/ the most effective features.

More information on this and their transition to their paid iOS/web solution can be found here.

From their press release... "To help with the transition away from the free Starter version, we will be offering 30hands Pro at a discounted price of $4.99 through June 2017. Apple’s VPP for education still applies. Think of the value you get: for the cost of a single ice cream party for your class, they get fun learning for the whole year, which is like ice cream for the whole year!. For 30hands Web, we will extend the free trial period as needed for you to better evaluate it as you discuss site licenses with your schools."

30hands is the excellent and easy-to-use learning tool that educators/students everywhere are using for a wide range purposes, such as: digital storytelling, project based learning, blended learning, and much much more.

I highly recommend checking out 30hands Pro by clicking here or 30hands Web here!!!

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.

KingCitation

KingCitation is a wonderful site for generating bibliographies in a wide range of formats.  It allows users to cite digital or print resources by simply entering data into a citation generator.  Also, a user can export their bibliographies into a Word or RTF document.

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

NameCoach

NameCoach is a wonderful web service that educators are using to learn student's names and pronounce them correctly.  This is especially useful w/ commencement/graduation ceremonies on the horizon.  The way this works is simple as a teacher creates a name/web page and then has the student's speak their names.  The audio gets embedded into a page and a user can access them all on one page at anytime.  Also, NameCoach makes it very easy to share recordings and keep track of student's name/email.  It's easy, accurate, and 100% safe for schools to use.

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

Below is a brief demo...



*NameCoach is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Quiver Education

Quiver Education is a Augmented Reality experience for the classroom.  Quiver offers a free iOS app for download that users can then use w/ their mobile device to get a 3D augmented reality experience.  Quiver Education has created 3D educational coloring pages for download that include subjects such as: biology, geometry, and science.  Best of all, there is even a quiz that educators can use to test a student's knowledge.

I highly recommend checking out Quiver Education by clicking here!!!

Modern Chalkboard

Modern Chalkboard is a wonderful new free site for finding SMART board resources.  This is a great place to find interactive lessons on a wide variety of subjects such as: Math, Grammar, Science, Social Studies, and more Also, this is a nice place to find other resources such as links and help files.

I highly recommend checking out Modern Chalkboard by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Resources click here.

*Modern Chalkboard is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Ulessy

Ulessy is a new social network for educators looking to connect w/ other teachers and even offer online tutoring/classes.  This is an easy-to-use site that lets users stream their content to offer online learning and charge whatever they want per lesson.

I highly recommend checking out Ulessy 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.

GameBox

GameBox is the latest iOS app from Yogome the wonderful company that uses Game Based Learning for a wide variety subjects (i.e. coding, math, science, etc.)  These fun mini-games are designed for kids 5-12 years old and feature the famous colorful Yogotar characters.  Best of all is the downloaded Parent dashboard that lets parents track and monitor their kids progress.

I highly recommend checking out GameBox 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.

Listenwise

Listenwise is a interesting site that takes the "listening" skill to the next level.  This is done by listening to a library of over a 1000 curated stories w/ reading a long to increase comprehension.  Best of all, are the educational tools and activities/quizzes that educators can use to track student progress and differentiate instruction.

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

Below is a demo video...

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.

SpriteBox

SpriteBox is a free iOS game that teaches kids how to code.  SpriteBox follows the familiar platform game style as users select different commands to complete puzzle/level.  Students will learn different aspects of coding/programming such as: sequence commands, logic, and more.  Also, SpriteBox lets users play in Swift which is the popular program language that Apple uses for iOS.

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

Answer Pad Free

Answer Pad is a wonderful mobile learning solution and student response system that educators everywhere are using to integrate technology into their curriculum.  Recently, they just announced that existing users will now receive the premium version for free w/ the attached coupon by entering the activation code by March 31st.

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

*Answer Pad is an advertiser on 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!!!

*I Know It is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Readocity

Readocity is a free educational app (Google/iOS) for helping students increase their joy of Reading.  This is a collaborative parent/teacher app that educators are using to communicate Reading lists/activities to home.  Readocity lets users leave text messages about their reading choice, create Reading logs, and even differentiate instruction.  Finally, Readocity curates and recommends Reading choices that are age appropriate.

Below is a brief demo video...



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

HOOPs

HOOPs is a new basketball game by Zzish for assessing students learning and differentiating instruction.  This is done using Zzish which creates quizzes and gamifies formative assessments.  Teachers can use this for any subject and for individual students or in teams/groups.  Students can then play HOOPs and try to unlock the "All-Star" level.  Best of all are the detail reports that are generated which help educators assess students.

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

Below is a brief demo...

ScreenPlay

ScreenPlay is a new iOS app for learning how to program/code.  This is a fun interactive game that has students traveling through worlds/scenes to work through puzzles using basic coding concepts by jumping on different command buttons.  ScreenPlay is ideal for teaching STEM and designed for kids 9-11 years old.

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

BoomWriter

BoomWriter is a excellent site that educators everywhere are using to help teach Writing grades 3rd-8th.  The way this works is through an innovative collaborative writing/voting process that motivates students in a fun way.  Recently, BoomWriter released a new video to show their writing process in action...

Below is their NEW demo video...



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

BoomWriter Pro is the version of BoomWriter educators are using to grade and assess students in real-time through standards based rubrics.  This lets teachers capture whole class or individual data to make it easy to differentiate instruction and more.

I highly recommend checking out BoomWriter Pro by clicking here!!!

*BoomWriter is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

ClassroomScreen

ClassroomScreen is a nifty little site that I just found out about for creating a desktop background for your class.  What makes ClassroomScreen so great as it can be used in a number of ways in the classroom for those teachers who like to display a computer screen up on a monitor/projector.  It can be used to welcome students to their class to begin a day, while they are taking a test, working in group projects, and many more.  Best of all are the numbers of desktops to choose from and the handy little features such as: a timer, "work" logo, adding text, and more.

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

Grammar Gladiator

Grammar Gladiator is a super fun mobile/web game that focuses on different Language Art skills such as: conjunctions, verb tenses, articles, and more.  The goal of Grammar Gladiator is to control the gladiator and jump on platforms to launch fire into the correct answer, while destroying enemies w/ your spear.  Also, a player can collect gems to purchase upgrades such as: health, life, etc.  Best of all a player can select what skills they want to work on during the game.

I highly recommend checking out Grammar Gladiator by clicking here!!!

For more games from RoomRecess click here.

*RoomRecess is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.