Friday, September 28, 2018

Sway

Sway is an educational app by Microsoft that is ideal for digital storytelling.  Sway is very easy to use and lets students create stunning presentations, stories, and even newsletters.  All a user has to do is select their their layout, upload their images, and add text, Sway takes care of the rest.  A finished project can then be shared via a unique URL.

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

For a more detailed review check out Technology & Learning by clicking here.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Storyboard That Customized Worksheets

Storyboard That the worlds leading educational site for creating digital storyboards, timelines, Teachers Pay Teachers.
writing prompts, graphic organizers, and more has just released a major update.  Teachers can now create their own customized worksheets from a wide range of templates curated by type/subject.  Also, a educator can earn some extra money by selling their worksheets on

I highly recommend checking out how to create a customized worksheet by clicking here!!!

*Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

eNotes

eNotes is a wonderful site/iOS app for students looking for homework help and much much more.  Enote is a one-stop-shop for educators looking for educational resources, lesson plans, and even quizzes while students can use eNotes as the "ultimate" cliff notes for study guides on 1000's of pieces of literature.  Also, students can ask questions to get answers from real educators or even browse through a vast library of already answered ones.

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

Monday, September 24, 2018

Star Writing Challenge

The innovative writing platform Night Zookeeper just released a free online writing contest for all students.  All a student has to do is create an account and use Night Zookeeper's Star Writing platform to create a 1000 word story.

Star Writing will provide the writing "prompt" and students will create their own original adventure story in the "Night Zoo".  Every student will receive a pack of Night Zookeeper stickers for reaching 500 words, and for a 1000 each person will win a pack of Night Zookeeper cards.

This is a great contest to help students work on their writing skills as well as their creativity.

Below is a brief demo...



For more info on the Star Writing Challenge click here.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Klassroom

Klassroom is a free mobile (Android/iOS) that I just found out about for parent Monica Burns.  Klassroom reminds me of a cross between Remind and ClassDojo where educators can share: photos, videos, documents, or events w/ parents in a secure environment.  Also, this is a great way for teachers and parents to inform each other of field trips, student absences, and more.
communication/engagement from

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Classroom 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.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Photos for Class

Photos for Class is an excellent site that is ideal for finding safe images for students.  This search engine uses Flickr safe search as well as some built in filtering to find Creative Common licensed images.  Best of all when a user clicks download the image gets cited automatically w/ the proper licensing terms.

I highly recommend checking out Photos for Class by clicking here!!!

For my Pinterest board on Educational Images click here.

Top 10 Tools for Self-Paced Learning

"Self-paced instruction or learning is any kind of instruction that proceeds based on learner response. The content itself can be curriculum, corporate training, technical tutorials, or any other subject that does not require the immediate response of an instructor.  Self-paced instruction is constructed in such a way that the learner proceeds from one topic or segment to the next at their own speed.  This type of instruction is becoming increasingly popular as the education world shifts from the classroom to the internet (Wikipedia)."

Self-paced learning is an excellent way for students or educators to learn material at their own pace.  Also, this is ideal to help users retain information in a low pressure place as well as supplement different learning styles.  Finally, Self-paced learning is becoming more and more prevalent in schools w/ the integration of BYOD (bring your own device) or mobile learning.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

Top 10 Tools for Self-Paced Learning

  1. Brain Pop & Brain Pop Jr. - One of the most popular sites around for self-paced learning where students can watch animated movies w/ the robot Moby then answer questions regarding the subject.
  2. GrammarFlip - A excellent site for students to practice their grammar by watching educational videos and then completing interactive exercises.
  3. Lynda - A great site for online training on a wide range of subjects where users can learn at their own pace.
  4. Mathigon - An innovative interactive textbook that lets acts as personal tutor for students that provides instant real-time feedback.
  5. Outwhiz - A nice site or app for Math and English grades K-8th.  Also, Outwhiz tracks student's progress and lets them learn at their own.
  6. PBS Learning Media - A wonderful site w/ educational portal for students to learn a wide range of subjects at their own pace w/ resources (i.e. videos, lessons) aligned to state-standards.
  7. Sentence Builder - An interesting iOS app for ages 4-7 yrs old to learn about sentence structure and grammar in a fun and engaging way.
  8. Splash Math - A K-5 Math curriculum and iPad w/ individual self learning game based programs for students.
  9. UMU - A fantastic site and mobile app (iOS/Android) that can be used for any subject any even professional development.
  10. VocApp - A great free mobile app that uses flashcards to help users learn at their own pace and differentiate instruction.

UMU

UMU is a fantastic site and mobile app (iOS/Android) for "self paced learning" and "mobile learning" that I just found out about from the innovative educator Naomi Harm.  UMU can be used in a number of different ways such as: creating quizzes/polls, adding voiceovers to slides, create infographics or live broadcasts, and much much more.  Also, UMU is a excellent way to assess an audience/students and can be used for professional development and blended learning.

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

Edji

Edji is an innovative site for annotating texts for collaborative learning that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  Edji lets users read a online text and then interact w/ it by: highlighting passages, annotate w/ text, images, or emojis, and, more.  Educators can then view a "heat map" which shows highlighting being done in real-time that helps them differentiate instruction and assess student's understanding.

Below is a brief demo...



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

Monday, September 17, 2018

Design Wizard

Design Wizard is an excellent site for making beautiful looking presentations.  Design Wizard has a very user-friendly interface where all a user has to do is select a template where they can customize anything such as: images, videos, audio, and more.  Best of all, a user can share/embed their presentation online, download it, or even print it out.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Design Wizard by clicking here!!!

Vocab Victor

Vocab Victor is an innovative mobile (iOS/Android) app for building vocabulary words/skills that I just found out about from the wonderful blog, Class Tech Tips.  Vocab Victor uses "game based learning" to help students develop their vocabulary.  These games offer high replay as well as different varieties of game play, such as: matching, sorting, targeting, and more.  Best of all, Vocab Victor monitors and tracks students progress while differentiating instruction to help student's learn words.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Vocab Victor by clicking here!!!

Project Rush

Project Rush is the new video editing app from Adobe that I just found out about from the amazing Ed Tech Specialist Clara Galan.  Project Rush looks to be similar to iMovie for creating, editing, and sharing movies online.

Be sure to sign up for Project Rush's private beta by clicking here!!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Sketch Nation

Sketch Nation is a wonderful free app (iOS/Android) and website for creating games.  Sketch Nation reminds me of Pixel Press Floors but w/out the paper.  All a student has to do is select their category of game (i.e. platform, jumping, etc) then draw their backgrounds/characters/items and let Sketch Nation do the rest.  The advanced level editor will help students create more complex games and work on their STEM skills.  Sketch Nation even has a nice section for education w/ a collection of games and lesson plans created by educators/students.

More Features...

- Custom movement / coding - You can now learn the basics of coding by setting custom movement for enemies. You can specify exactly how enemies move by setting each step of movement, such as “Go left”, “Go right”, “Start over”, etc.. We will add more customization like this in upcoming releases.

- Comments - You can now comment on online games created by other users. See what other users think of your games and give feedback to other game creators. All the comments will be checked by an admin before they are viewable to others.

-  News feed - You can now see what users are doing in your games. You’ll see news feed items for new high scores, new comments, when your games have been favorited or featured. You’ll also be able to see when games and comments you have submitted have been approved or rejected. 

- Art gallery - You can now re-use art you have previously drawn when creating a new object. Local games will be limited to art stored locally, while online games will be able to access all the art you have created for your online games.

- Pushable blocks - You can now create obstacles that can be pushed by the player. This opens up a whole new way to design levels by requiring the user to push obstacles in order to solve puzzles.

- New ammo settings - You can now create non-moving ammo that appears directly in front of the player. This can be used to let the player wield a weapon such as a sword. 

- New dying animations - New dying animations for enemies like “Cut”, “Flatten” and “Fall over”.


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

Below is a brief demo...



For my Pinterest board on Programing/Coding click here.



*Sketch Nation is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Reading Racer

Reading Racer is a new iOS app that I just had the pleasure of reviewing.  This is an excellent easy-to-use app that uses the mobile device's microphone to "listen" as a student speaks the words on the screen.  This is really innovative and separates Reading Racer from other educational apps on the market.

Reading Racer is designed for kids ages 5-8 and uses speech recognition as the user speaks the words/sentences as fast as they can.  The way this works is the student presses the microphone button and holds it down while speaking the word.  The words highlight as they are read and calculating how many in a row are read.  If a user takes their finger off the microphone the word is then read to help them along.  This continues as other characters race against them.  The better a student finishes the more points they get to help them unlock other racers and tracks.

This is a great educational app to use for Reading and Comprehension and to use Game Based Learning in the classroom.

I highly recommend checking out Reading Racer by clicking here!!!

Below is a brief demo...

PhotoPeach for Educators

PhotoPeach is a site I've blogged in the past and is rather popular.  It just came to my attention that they now are offering a educational solution for schools.  However, this is not a free service but cost effective none the less for a minimal monthly fee.

A paid class premium account offers lots of attractive features for education such as:

  • teacher creates student account (no email necessary)
  • commenting is turned off by default
  • students do not have access to social features
  • only teacher can delete user accounts or slideshows
  • and more
I've been a big fan of PhotoPeach for awhile and this just makes it that more viable for education w/ these class premium accounts.

I highly recommend checking out the educational edition by clicking here!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Quick Rubric

Quick Rubric is the wonderful site for creating rubrics from the creators of Storyboard That.  This is far and away the easiest site I've seen for creating a beautiful rubric where a user can add a row or a column w/ a tap of an arrow button.  Everything inside of the rubric is customizable (i.e. from the heading to customizing points) and a user can save/print out as many rubrics as they need.

I highly recommend checking out Quick Rubric by clicking here!!!

Monday, September 10, 2018

Buncee 3.0 One Stop Shop for Creativity in Schools

Buncee the world's leading digital canvas for education, have been hard at work w/ their latest and biggest update, version 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.

New Features include:

  • Canvas Sizing - Now there are lots of more options for users to customize their canvas then just the standard 16:9 rectangle.  Users can now choose from other sizes such as: banner, letter, square, business card, or even custom, to offer endless possibilities of creativity.
  • New Media Options - Standard media options such as: videos, audio, graphics, and more, have been taken to the next level to give student's the most options to express them creatively.  New Media Options include: emojis (ideal for Social-Emotional Learning), take photos, and shape tools to make it easier to add them w/out having to search through existing clip-art.
  • New and Enhanced Creation Tools - These tools will give users the ultimate experience to share and create stories in a new and exciting ways.  Some new features include: enhanced drawing (i.e. the ability to draw over layers, etc.), enhanced text editing to give users more control over their text and customize it, opacity (to make a item solid or transparent), zoom in/out, hide and show panels, undo and redo buttons, and much more.
  • Buncee Boards - This features allows users to share, collaborate, and provide feedback never seen before in Buncee.  Students can now comment and provide feedback on their peers work by adding comments or Buncee emoticons.  Also, users can share Buncee's via a unique URL and set permissions on who can view/edit their work.
Below is a brief demo...



Be sure to check out the highly esteemed educator Stacey Roshan to read her detailed review on Buncee 3.0.

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.

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.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Edventure Builder

Edventure Builder is an innovative new site that is perfect for sparking student's creativity by providing a online platform for creating: scavenger hunts, interactive stories, or choose your own adventures.  Also, this is a fantastic tool that educators can use to build mobile lessons, interactive tours (think Back to School night or outside activities), and more.

The way this works is quite simple, from a browser a user can create an adventure (i.e., lesson, hunt, tour, etc) by adding text, images, video, and links.  Then by clicking a button it gets published to any browser based mobile device.  Best of all, are the different features that allows a user to fully customize their adventures and edit, save, and publish them easily.

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

Below is a brief demo...

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Top 15 Sites and Apps for Flipped Learning

A "Flipped Classroom" is a classroom that uses class time to do activities/lessons (guided by the teacher) and "homework" time (at home) for guided instruction (usually through video).  Basically, it turns a classroom upside down (or on it's head) where the learning of a topic is done at home and then they applied practice or "work" is done at school.  With Mobile Learning and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) becoming more mainstream, "Flipped Classroom" models are happening more and more, leading me to create my list of favorite tools for "flipping a classroom".

For an excellent info-graphic on what a "Flipped Classroom" is click here.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

Top 15 Sites and Apps for a Flipped Learning

  1. Answer Pad - The ultimate assessment tool for teachers to use w/ their mobile devices or browser to gauge student's learning.
  2. BoomWriter - A excellent innovative site that allows students engage their creativity by completing chapters of a book/story and then having other students vote on which one should be included in the finished product.  Once a book/story is completed a trade paperback copy can be ordered turning students into published writers.
  3. Buncee - A fantastic digital canvas for creating presentations or digital stories that can be embedded into a site/blog.  Also, this is a great way to "flip a classroom" and with an educational portal that allows educators to track and monitor students.
  4. Comment Bubble - An innovative site where users can comment on a video to create an interactive discussion as well as interactive graphs.
  5. EDpuzzle - Probably, the world's most popular site for flipping a classroom or lesson by adding questions to a video and then assessing student's answers to differentiate instruction.
  6. Educreations - A terrific iPad app that is very similar to Ask3 as it turns the iPad into a recordable whiteboard.  However, a teacher can not only create a bunch of guided lessons, they can also post them on the web for their students to view at home for "flipped learning".
  7. FlipSnack Edu - A nice site w/ educational portal that allows students to upload their stories and projects to a safe site then have educators assess them to differentiate instruction.
  8. GoClass - A wonderful iPad/web tool that allows educators to create lessons and then assess students learning in real-time.  Also, students can view the lessons at home on their mobile devices and learn at their own pace.
  9. Khan Academy - Flipped Learning and Khan Academy go hand-in-hand where learning takes place outside the classroom.  Also, they have an excellent free mobile app for kids, Khan Academy Kids.
  10. LessonPaths - A fantastic site for educators to create guided learning playlists that students can use at home for self learning.  One of the best sites around for creating a "Flipped Classroom".
  11. Math File Folder Games - A great site/company for educational iOS Math games that can be used to create 21st Century "Math Centers".  This is a great way to use educational apps to reinforce "flipped learning".
  12. SimpleShow - A very popular site for educators to create a "flipped" class or lesson and mobile learning where they create beautiful looking explainer videos.
  13. Nearpod - A terrific all-in-one solution for mobile devices in education.  Teachers can use it to create engaging lessons that students can do from home.
  14. Otus - A excellent one-to-one learning management solution as well as mobile learning environment where educators can "flip" student's learning.
  15. Verso - A wonderful site where educators can "flip" their classroom by creating online lessons that students can work on and respond to at home.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

30 Sites and Apps for Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling is the process of telling a story through the use of digital means.  Also, it happens to be one the easiest ways to integrate technology into the classroom.  Educators can use digital storytelling w/ almost any subject and can even "flip" their classroom by using mobile apps.  Below is my comprehensive list of sites/apps that can be used for digital storytelling...

*This list is in alphabetical order.

30 Sites and Apps for Digital Storytelling

  1. 30hands Learning - A fantastic user-friendly iOS app for creating a story by adding a narration to photos. Also, 30hands has excellent video tutorials to help users create a story.
  2. Animaker Class - An excellent site w/ educational portal for students to create animated stories.
  3. Book Creator - A great mobile (iOS/Chrome) app that educators everywhere are using to create stunning eBooks and digital stories.
  4. BoomWriter - A fantastic safe site for students (teachers create accounts - not student email required) to create digital stories/books through a collaborative process.  Once a story is completed, it gets published online and an actual book can then be ordered.
  5. Buncee - The world's leading digital canvas for creating digital stories and more.  Best of all, is the educational portal that allows educators to track and monitor student progress and assignments.
  6. Comic Life - Probably the most popular digital comic iOS app for creating comics.  This is a very fun and easy to use app for telling the story by creating a customized comic.
  7. Digital Films - A nice site for creating a digital animated story and then embedded into a site/blog to share it w/ others.
  8. Imagine Forest - An innovative site where a student can create a digital story or use a story starter for brainstorming that writing process.
  9. Little Bird Tales - One of the most popular sites for digital storytelling that allows students to create their own art and record their voice.  Also, there is a excellent iOS app available for mobile learning.
  10. Make Beliefs Comix - A nice site for creating digital comics in a number of different languages as well of lots of educational resources.
  11. Motion Comics - A cool site for creating animated comics that lets users embed into a site/blog.
  12. My Story - A wonderful iPad app for creating a digital book/story.  All a user has to do is draw or upload a picture, add some text, and then record audio to tell a story.
  13. Nawmal - A popular site for creating stunning looking animated videos w/ educational portal.
  14. Pixntell - A simple to use iOS app for organizing iPhotos into a story then recording audio.
  15. Pixton for Schools - A nice site w/ educational portal for creating digital comics.
  16. Plotagon - An innovative site that reminds me of the now defunct Xtranormal, where are user selects a character then types up a script and Plotagon takes care of the rest.
  17. Speech Journal - A nice iPad app for pairing recorded audio w/ a digital picture from one's iPhoto library to create a story.
  18. Sock Puppets - A very fun iOS app that allows users to lip sync audio to a sock puppet, one of my kids favorites.
  19. Story Creator - One of my favorite iOS apps for creating a digital story by syncing audio and photos together.  Also, an option allows for highlighting of text during narration to help a student w/ Reading.
  20. Storybird - A great site w/ educational portal where students create art inspired stories and then embed into a site/blog.
  21. StoryJumper - A fantastic site for creating a digital story by building a story from scratch or choosing one of the story starters.  A student can add objects, text, and even upload their own art too.
  22. StoryKit - A simple to use iOS app for telling a story by adding text, photos, and audio. 
  23. Storyboard That - A wonderful site w/ educational portal that teachers are using in a wide variety of ways including digital storytelling.
  24. Strip Designer - A iOS app similar to Comic Life for creating a digital comic.
  25. Tellagami - A nice way to tell a short story by creating an avatar and then recording audio, similar to Voki.
  26. ToonDoo Spaces - A great site w/ educational portal for students to create digital comics.
  27. UtellStory - A nice place to tell a story through audio, images, and video, as well as collaborating w/ others.
  28. VoiceThread - One of the most popular educational sites/apps for creating a interactive digital storytelling by uploading multimedia content and recording an audio narration.  A finished VoiceThread can then be embedded into a site/blog.
  29. WriteComics - A simple to use site for creating a digital comic to tell a story.
  30. Zimmer Twins - A fun site w/ educational portal for creating animated movies/stories.
For my Pinterest board on Digital Storytelling click here.
For my Edshelf collection on Digital Storytelling click here.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Fiete Math Climber

Fiete Math Climber is a fun iOS game to help students w/ basic Math skills (i.e. addition, subtraction, etc.).  The concept to FMC is simple as a student solves an equation and their character jumps up on the ladder collecting coins.  If a player gets a question wrong they jump down on the ladder.  The coins can then be used to unlock other characters.  Best of all, FMC tracks students progress and differentiates instruction to help them w/ problem areas.

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Fiete Math Climber by clicking here!!!

For a more detailed review click here.

Monday, September 3, 2018

Badaboom

Badaboom is a new "game based" learning tool that I just found out about from the amazing educator and friend, Naomi Harm.  Badaboom bills itself as an alternative to Kahoot, where educators can make quizzes/games and then have students answer them in a "game" setting.  These quizzes can be multiple choice, have multiple answers, and even have written or drawn responses.  As w/ Kahoot, student's can respond via their mobile devices and responses can be shared via the web up on a projector.  Finally, Badaboom makes it easy for educators to integrate "game based learning" into the classroom as well as differentiating instruction.

Below is a brief demo...



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