EDpuzzle

EDpuzzle the world's leading tool for "flipping" a classroom or lesson has been hard at work w/ new features and updates to make it easier and even better for teacher to integrate in their classroom.

Main improvements:

• Main My Classes section:
• Cleaner and simpler design.
• Notifications which alerts teachers teachers to which assignments/videos requires a teachers attention.
• Specific assignment page:
• Easier to preview video for teachers to double-check videos.
• Possibility to quickly edit the title of the assignments
• Easy to update/change due date
• Grading an assignment:
• Teachers will now be able to see formulas and images when grading an assignment.
• Teachers will be able to see the feedback they left in every question for easier grading
• Option to quickly grade all answers as correct (TIME SAVER!)
• Inclusion of time spent. This means that the teacher will know exactly how much time the students spent watching the video. This is ideal for 1:1 conversations with students to push them to work harder on their assignment to get better results.
• Gradebook:
• All teachers will now get access to this feature for free. It's not premium anymore. This means teachers will now be able to see the progress of their students across multiple videos with just one click. 
• On top of that, teachers will be able to select the range of dates they want to have this information (weekly, monthly, quarterly, or picking the dates). 
• Export all the grades to a CSV file.
• To make grading easier, we have included a Total score and Total time spent across all the videos assigned to the student.
• Ideal for formative or summative assessment.
• Main improvements coming up the end of July:
• Enable teachers to assign to individual students. This is something that we have worked really hard to build. Teachers will be able to truly differentiate their instruction. Instead of assigning to a "class" in Edpuzzle, they will be able to assign to a few students.
• Enable to create subgroups.

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

*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

YO Teach!

YO Teach is a fantastic new site for creating a backchannel chat that I just found out about from the amazing Richard Byrne.  YO Teach is a very user-friendly tool to use to create a backchannel chat by simply creating a room and then setting a password.  Students can then join via a URL, and the admin feature allows educators to set privacy settings and moderate users.  Finally, students are even able to draw on a "scratchboard" and have that show up in the backchannel.  Backchannels are a great way for educators to encourage discussion and can use it in a number of ways (i.e. discussing a educational video in real-time, note taking, etc.).

I highly recommend checking out YO Teach by clicking 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.

I Know It Contest

"i Know it just keeps getting bigger and better! Currently, there are more than 22,000 interactive math questions live on the site! Sign up for a free account, and you'll see why iKnowit.com is the next best thing for your classroom!" 

I Know it is running an online contest where any person over 18 yrs of age can win a collection of 6 Math Board Games.  

Here are the rules:

No purchase necessary. Both members and non-members can enter. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

Only one entry per person and per e-mail address. The contest will end on June 30th, 2018.

Winner agrees to let iKnowIt publish his/her full name after the contest has ended. The winner will be notified by e-mail. If you win, you will need to provide a mailing address so the prize can be sent to your home or school. If the winner does not respond to our e-mail within 3 days, a new winner will be selected.

I highly recommend checking out I Know It's contest by clicking here!!!

Be sure to check out this excellent site for grades K-5th for interactive Math practice in these fun engaging games/exercises.

*I Know It is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Sentence Builder

Sentence Builder is an excellent iOS app designed to help students ages 4-7 learn about: grammar, sentence structure, pronunciation, and more.  This is done by dragging and dropping words around to build sentences.  Also, a user can upload their own pics and include them in a sentence and even record their own voices.  Sentence Builder is ideal for self paced learning and has two different levels to choose from.

I highly recommend checking out Sentence Builder by clicking here!!!

Worddio

Worddio is a free mobile (iOS/Android) app for for learning a new language.  Worddio has over 30 libraries of languages w/ over 8000 words spoken by native speakers to help students learn.  What makes Worddio ideal for learning a language is all a user has to download the app, select the language (download that library) and listen.  That's it.  It can be used anywhere at anytime.

Below is a brief demo...



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

ThinkFluency

ThinkFluency is an oral reading fluency assessment app developed by a teacher for teachers.  ThinkFluency replaces the tedious paper, pencil and timer assessment with an app that enables teachers to quickly assess students’ Oral Reading Fluency Rate. ThinkFluency is easy to use, provides instant results with data that is easy to download and share, and is perfect for RTI and showing student growth. It comes with 6 passages each for grade levels 1-5, but users can add their own passages for the ultimate customized assessment tool. ThinkFluency gives users the option of going PAPERLESS. The student reads the passage from a second device as the teacher follows along in the app. When the student finishes reading, the results are displayed (only to the teacher) and saved so you are immediately ready to test the next student. ThinkFluency is FREE to try when you download the app.

Features included:

• Paperless assessments
• Smart diagnostics for developing individualized instruction plans
• Spreadsheet data for sharing and tracking
• Dashboard for quick view of student data

Saves valuable teacher time

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

*ThinkFluency is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Coda Game

Coda is a wonderful free iOS app that students are using to create their own games and learn about programming and coding.  Coda uses a familiar visual interface where users drag-n-drop blocks of commands (code) together to create their game.  Finally, the safe online Coda community allows students to share and play other games.

Coda also helps students w/ their:

•  Problem solving 
• - Logic
• - Computational Thinking
• - Creativity
• - Game Design & Game Development
• - Pattern Recognition
• - Algorithmic Thinking
• - Basic intro to STEAM subjects

I highly recommend checking out Coda Game 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.educational resources

TypeTastic

TypeTastic is an excellent site for students learning how to Type.  Next week, TypeTastic will launch their educational portal/edition which will allow educators to track and monitor student progress while integrating a fun and innovative K-12 Keyboarding curriculum.  This is done through a wide variety of over 400 games, activities, and paragraph drills.

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

Code Kingdom: Treasure

Code Kingdom: Treasure is an excellent free iOS app to introduce coding/programming to young students.  The way this works is a user drags-n-drops code (i.e. Scratch) to have their character/troll maneuver around a board and collect an item or treasure.  The better a player does the more levels they unlock (over a 100).  Code Kingdom helps students develop their critical thinking, spatial ability and to work and solve problems.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Code Kingdom: Treasure by clicking here!!!

Storyboard That

Storyboard That the innovative educational tool that teachers everywhere are using in a variety of ways (i.e. digital storytelling, project based learning, graphic organizers, etc) just released a bunch of new clip art for their storyboards.  Users can now find new characters, scenes, items, and more by clicking here.

Also, Storyboard That released a bunch of new activities and resources for educators in subjects such as: Science, ESL, Social Studies, and more.  Check out their lesson plans and educational resources by clicking here.

Below is a brief demo...



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

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Code Karts

Code Karts is a fun iOS game designed for kids 4 on up to introduce them to programming and coding.  This is done by using pre-coding logic to program a car through a racetrack to finish a race.  Code Karts has over 70 levels for kids to play through to develop their sequential thinking skills and use logic to complete the race.

I highly recommend checking out Code Karts by clicking here!!!

Actively Learn

Actively Learn is a site I've blogged about in the past that is ideal for increasing reading comprehension or adding "depth" to any text.  AL reminds me a lot of EDpuzzle but instead of "making a video your own" it is "making reading material your own".  This can be done using any text and lets educators track student's learning and understanding of a passage through the use of asking questions, annotating, collaborating, and more all in real-time.  This is a great resource for teachers and easily lets them gauge a student's understanding, differentiate instruction, or even "flip" a lesson.

More updated features include:

• Updated instruction for thousands of ELA, Science, and Social Studies texts
• Text pairings for topics and novels that help teachers find content related to what they already teach
• Videos that tie to academic topics, w/ embedded questions to monitor student comprehension
• The ability for students to highlight key vocabulary right in the text and hear an entire text read aloud
• A redesigned catalog and workspace to improve navigation and usability

Below is a brief demo video...



I highly recommend checking out Actively Learn by clicking here!!!

Book Creator

Book Creator is a fantastic (iOS/Chrome) app that educators are everywhere to create and share eBooks.  This is done using a very user-friendly interface that makes it easy to creating stunning presentations, digital stories w/ the ability to record audio, projects, and more.  Teachers are using Book Creator for project based learning, digital storytelling, and much much more.  Book Creator can be used to teach any subject or grade level and can be published online, downloaded as an eBook, or
even printed.

Below is a brief demo...



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

*Be sure to check out Book Creator's special offer to get it for Chrome for your whole school for $999 by Sept 30th.

For a detailed review on how to use Book Creator for digital storytelling check out Monica Burn's excellent blog.

*Book Creator is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Super Teacher Worksheets Back to School

Super Teacher Worksheets is one of the best sites around for educators looking for printables, worksheets, puzzles, activities, and much much more.  Also, all items are labeled if they are aligned to Common Core Standards and there are even generators/wizards for users to create their very own worksheets/puzzles/etc.  Best of all, teachers can use STW for any subject and browse through 1000's of educational resources that can work for them.

*Be sure to check out STW for all back to school activities such as: classroom scavenger hunt, "All about Me" worksheets, puzzles, and more.

I highly recommend checking out Super Teacher Worksheets for all Back to Schools needs by clicking here!!!

*Super Teacher Worksheets is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Flowries

Flowries is an interesting new free site for creating presentations/slideshows that I found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  Flowries has a nice easy-to-use interface which lets users create beautiful multimedia presentations that include: images, animations, drawings, and more.

Below is a brief demo...



I recommend checking out Flowries by clicking here!!!

ClassDojo Portfolios

*ClassDojo Portfolios is live and FREE for all teachers!!!

ClassDojo the widely used (free) tool for behavior management and communication for education now offers digital portfolios.  ClassDojo Portfolios is a great and safe way for students to share digital stories, projects, classwork, etc.  Best of all, this is done through the innovative ClassDojo app/web interface where the teacher moderates/approves all of the their student's work and the parent sees only their own child's work.

More info from their press release...

• Students take the lead - students can share and celebrate their learning by snapping photos of projects, taking videos of presentations, and writing reflections.
• Work is shared, not stored away  - rather than being stashed in desks or stored in boxes, work is shared instantly w/ parents sparking hours of conversations at home.
• All communication in one place - parents, teachers, students, and school leaders on ClassDojo can now use it for all communication between home and school.
• Perfect for shared device classrooms - no need for every student to have their own device; Student Stories can be used on one device shared by all students in the classroom.
• Closed platform creates a safe space for sharing - a student's Story can only be seen by the teacher, and that student's parents.

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

*ClassDojo is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Studytracks

Studytracks is a innovative new (to the US) mobile (iOS/Google) app that is ideal for studying MS/HS students.  The way this works is through "catchy" music/soundtracks where students can learn from 45 subjects (i.e. Math, Chemistry, etc.) through over 1300 tracks.  Also, through the web platform educators can assign homework to create tests and playlists and even track/assess student progress making it ideal for differentiating instruction.

Below is a demo...



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

For a more detailed review click here!!!

Buncee 3.0

Buncee the world's leading digital canvas for education has been hard at work w/ their latest and biggest update, 3.0.  Buncee has been used in schools for a number of years in a wide variety of ways such as: digital storytelling, as an assessment tool, differentiating instruction, flipping a lesson, project based learning, and much much more.  "Now w/ their latest version, Buncee 3.0 is a fantastic all-in-one-stop-shop for creativity in the entire school community."

New Features include:

• Canvas Sizing - https://blog.buncee.com/buncee-3-0-canvas-sizing/
• New Media Options - https://blog.buncee.com/buncee-3-0-new-media-options/
• New and Enhanced Creation Tools - https://blog.buncee.com/buncee-3-0-new-and-enhanced-creation-tools/

Below is a brief demo...

For more information on Buncee 3.0 click here!!!

Also, be sure to sign up for Buncee before Sept 14th to receive 20% off for their "Back to School" special by clicking here!!!

*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Oodlu

Oodlu is a excellent new (beta) site/app for creating games that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  The way this works is that an educator signs up for a free account on Oodlu and then add questions to already created games.  Then students play the games online or in a free mobile (Google/iOS) app.  These games come in a wide variety of styles such as: shooters, breakout, archery, etc. and have high replay value.  Best of all, educators and parents can track student progress online or via a parent app to make it easy to differentiate instruction.

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

30hands Learning

30hands Learning is the excellent company for creating an innovative LMS (Learning Management System) as well as the popular mobile iOS app that is ideal for digital storytelling 30hands Pro.  The 30hands community is a perfect cloud based solution that allows educators to: manage/track students, hand in/out assignments, schedule events, and more.  While the mobile is 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

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.

Study3

Study3 is a new free site for creating online flashcards to help a student study.  Study3 has a very user-friendly interface and uses time spaced repetition to help users learn.  Also, a user can import cards from Quizlet or even export them into notes.  Hopefully, more features are still to come as Study3 is still relatively new, such as the ability to add images, etc.

I highly recommend checking out Study3 by clicking here!!!

Math and Sorcery

Math and Sorcery is a new free iOS app that is quickly becoming one of my favorite educational games for my iPhone/iPad.  Math and Sorcery uses a familiar RPG gaming element to reinforce basic Math skills (i.e. addition, subtraction, etc.).  RPG fans will love the 8bit style graphics as they defeat enemies by solving equations, buy/sell items, and unlock different characters/animals to join their party.  This is an excellent app for parents/educators looking to introduce "game based learning" into their student's life.

I highly recommend checking out Math and Sorcery by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...



For a more detailed review click here.

ClassPad

ClassPad is a new free online tool for Math.  It acts as your digital scratch paper where it lets users have all the tools they will ever need to solve/work through Math problems.  I like to think of it as the ultimate "Swiss Army" knife for Math.  Also, it has all the functions of an advanced graphing calculator allowing students to plot points, formulate equations, and more.  Best of all, on a touch device users can draw on ClassPad like they are working on paper.

Below is a brief demo...



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