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.

Educandy

Educandy is a wonderful site for creating educational games.  Educandy is a very easy to use and all a educator has to do is enter the questions for and Educandy turns them into educational games/activities (i.e. matching, word search, memory, etc.).  Educandy can be used to teach any grade/subject and is ideal to integrate Game Based Learning into the classroom.

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

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

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!!!

TypeTastic for Game Based Learning

"Game-based learning (GBL) is a type of game play that has defined learning outcomes. Generally, game-based learning is designed to balance subject matter with gameplay and the ability of the player to retain, and apply said subject matter to the real world. (wikipedia)"  Game Based Learning has stood the test of time and been going on since schools have been around.  Lately, it's been getting more and more attention in the media and easier to integrate into the classroom through technology.  Not only is GBL making learning fun, through innovative technology and websites like TypeTastic, kids are easily learning vital real-world skills such as Typing/Keyboarding.

TypeTastic is an excellent K-12 site for students learning how to Type/Keyboard.  TypeTastic's School Edition has an educational portal that allows educators to track, monitor, and assess student progress.  This is a fun and great way to integrate technology into a classroom's curriculum.  TypeTastic uses over 400 innovative games, activities and drills to help teach and reinforce keyboarding/typing skills.

The expanded curriculum introduces students to more than 250 entertaining new keyboarding activities that move from locating letters to fluent typing in four fun steps:

1. Explore the Keyboard: Unique keyboard visualization splits the letters into nine color-coded groups so students see the keyboard like a map and can quickly find the correct letters. 

2. All Fingers Aboard: These games are designed to challenge kids to learn the fundamentals of typing. All sections are centered on finger movement, often first separated into either right- or left-hand activities, followed by more challenging games that use both hands.

3. Ready, Set, Type!: Keyboarding activities take kids on an adventure through underwater coral reefs, thick jungle vegetation, and serene beach vistas to collect words and letters, with the goal of typing simple words and sentences. 

4. Master Those Keys: In the final step, students dig into the secrets of fluent typing, challenging themselves with more complex words, building up their typing speed, and discovering numbers and symbols.

*TypeTastic was one of Technology & Learning's Top Sites/Apps of 2018 (click here)

Below is a brief demo...

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

For more detailed information on Game Based Learning click here.

Mr Rogers - "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children playis serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt is the new online Math game from RoomRecess.  This is a super-fun game for young learners that helps w/ their addition/subtraction skills and number recognition.  All a user has to do is click on the correct answer and avoid the crabs.  The more loot the pirate wins the more pirates they can "unlock".

I highly recommend checking out Treasure Hunt by collecting here!!!

NowComment

NowComment is an interesting online tool for annotating that I just found out about from Richard Byrne's excellent blog.  NowComment looks to be a handy feature for teachers as it lets educators comment on any part of a document including: text, images, videos, and more.  It can be used to assess a student's learning, to create a backchannel for group projects, and more.

Below is a brief demo...



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

Stonly

Stonly is an innovative new site that educators can use to create interactive step-by-step guides for their students.  This is great way for teachers to introduce topics, create digital handouts, and reinforce for student's learning.  Best of all, these "interactive" guides can be embedded into a site or blog and can track usage stats.

Below is a brief demo...



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

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo's blog for the tip.

BitDegree

BitDegree is a nice site for online tutoring where students can go to find a tutor on a wide range of subjects (i.e. programming/coding, etc).  Also, this is a great place for educators looking to earn some extra income by becoming an online tutor.

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

Otus

Otus is a all-in-one mobile learning solution for schools that combines the best features of a: learning management system, data management system, and more.  The sleek new design, 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 some of their 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.

• New Lesson Builder - makes it easier then ever to create, share, and view learning activities

• Differentiate Instruction - now easier w/ more efficient tools 

• Side by Side - new view for for rubrics w/ documents, better organization, and synced calendars

• New Student Profile

• Browser Lockdowns

• Video Feedbacks - great for leaving feedback and more personalized for students then just reading comments.

• Schedule Assessments - a nice feature to let teachers have control of when they want to assess students/assignments

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.

Sites/Apps Every Teacher should try for Back to School

Regardless of if you're making a New Year's resolution to integrate new, more or better technology into your teaching in 2019, here are a few outstanding tools that almost every teacher should consider with school right around the corner:

*In alphabetical order

1. 30hands Learning - An excellent Learning Management System as well as digital storytelling app for 21st Century Learner.
2. Answer Pad - A fantastic Student Response System that lets educators seamlessly assess students, differentiate instruction, and turn their classroom paperless.
3. Answerables - An innovative cross between Learning Management System and Game Based Learning that can be integrated into any curriculum to teach any subject.
4. Book Creator - The world's leading eBook creator for education that can be used in a wide variety of ways.
5. BoomWriter - BoomWriter is a Google for Education Partner that lets teachers conduct fiction, nonfiction, and vocabulary-focused group writing activities. In addition to motivating students with an interactive platform and highly engaging online environment, BoomWriter provides teachers the perfect vehicle to deliver individualized feedback and writing instruction. Teachers can also select from BoomWriter's wide range of offerings from quick and easy to create homework assignments in any subject to class story-writing activities resulting in each student becoming a published author!
6.  Buncee - Buncee is a fantastic learning tool and digital canvas that educators are using in a wide variety of ways (i.e. flipped classroom, project based learning, digital storytelling, etc.)  Educators are loving new features such as: Ideas Labs, Boards, and Immersive Reader.  Best of all, is the educational portal that allows teachers to create and manage students as well as a wide variety of educational resources/templates to help educators integrate Buncee into their curriculum.
7. Chronicle Cloud - A cutting edge all-in-one iOS app for teachers for taking notes, assessing students, providing feedback, and more.
8. ClassHook - One of my favorite sites around for finding educational videos and video clips for your classroom.
9. EDpuzzle - EDpuzzle is a wonderful website that educators around the world are using to          "flip" their classroom or lesson.  This tool lets any user take a video and "make" it their own      by adding questions or voice to assess their audience's learning.  This makes it easy to                differentiate instruction.  Also, EDpuzzle has a fantastic online curriculum which makes it        easy for educators to find resources to meet their needs.
10. Education Galaxy - A new site for grades K-6 that uses Game Based Learning to help students in a wide variety of subject.  Also, Education Galaxy is great for assessing student's needs and to help integrate Self Paced Learning.
11. GooseChase - A wonderful new site for easily creating digital scavenger hunts for your classroom.
12. I Know It - A fantastic site for interact Math practice for grades K-5.  Also, educators can assign lessons, assess students, and differentiate instruction.
13. Oodlu - A innovative new app/site that lets educators create "arcade" style games for their students.
14. Otus - A excellent all-in-one mobile learning solution for schools that combines the best features of a Learning Management System and Data Management System.
15. Socrates - A great new site where educators can asses students and differentiate instruction through a unique Game Based Learning system.
16. Storyboard That - Storyboard That is a widely popular website that teachers are using to            integrate technology in their classroom.  This is a great learning tool that educators are using      for project based learning, graphic organizers, digital storytelling, writing prompts, and much    much more.  Also, there are lots of lesson plans, assignments, and templates, for teachers to      choose from to help meet their needs.
17. Super Teacher Worksheets - One of my favorite sites around for finding educational resources, worksheets, printables, puzzles, and more, for a wide variety of subjects.  
18. ThinkFluency - ThinkFluency is an innovative new iOS app that lets teachers easily assess        student's Reading fluency.  Best of all, the scoring is done in real-time and generates detailed    reports that can then be shared w/ others.  Finally, ThinkFluency helps create individualized      instruction plans for students, saves teacher's time, and makes assessing super-easy.
19. TypeTastic - A excellent K-12 site for educators integrating keyboarding/typing into their curriculum.  Best of all are the wide variety of resources and ability to track students progress.
20. YoTeach - YoTeach is one of my favorite new sites for creating a backchannel chat.  This is a great way to gauge your students and increase student participation.

Kami

Kami is a very handy learning tool that acts as a digital pen/paper to let students annotate on assignments, PDFs, ebooks, and more to interact w/ their peers and teachers.  Also, there are a lot of tools that lets students, draw, comment, etc. to help them retain information.  Best of all, the easy-to-use tools seamlessly lets teachers assess student learning in realtime and differentiate instruction.

Below is a brief demo...



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

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for the tip.

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!!!

Below is a brief demo...

 For another detailed review check out Monica Burn's excellent blog by clicking here!!!

*Answerables is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Codelicious

Codelicious is a wonderful Computer Science curriculum designed to help educators integrate STEM into their classroom.  Codelicious is for grades 3rd-8th and teaches students to program and code in Javascript, create games, use Photoshop and more.  Best of all, there are lots of educational resources and lesson plans to help teachers use Codelicious w/ their classroom.

Below is a brief demo....



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

Projector Screen

Projector Screen is a great site for educators or parents looking to find screens, projectors, cables, and more for home or their classroom.  Also, this is an ideal place to find good deals and other resources such as: how to build a home theater or how a green screen works.

I highly recommend checking out Projector Screen by clicking here!!!

*Projector Screen is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Code With Google

Code w/ Google is the latest initiative from Google to help continue to provide Computer Science Resources for teachers to help students strengthen their STEM skills and learn how to Program/Code.  This is done through their free CS First or Grasshopper app.  Code w/ Google will help all levels of learners and is a great way to integrate STEM into the classroom.

For more information on Code w/ Google click here!!!

Thanks to Technology & Learning for the tip.

Play4A

Play4A is a relatively new site that I just found out about for Game Based Learning and creating quizzes.  This is a great educational tool that teachers can use to easily create games/quizzes that they can then use w/ their students.  This is a fun way to assess student's learning of a subject and differentiate instruction.

I highly recommend checking out Play4A by clicking here!!!

*Play4A is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

GooseChase

GooseChase is an innovative site/app (iOS/Google Play) for creating digital scavenger hunts.  Also,
GooseChase is very easy to use, and allows for easy setup by adding images, text, etc. as well as simple logins for others to play.  Best of all, educators can use template from other existing games to implement their own or download a free PDF to help incorporate GooseChase into their curriculum.

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

Super Teacher Worksheets for Summer Fun

Super Teacher Worksheets is one of the best sites around for educators looking for printables,
worksheets, puzzles, activities, and much much more.  W/ back to school right around the corner this is a fantastic place for teachers to go looking for ideas/printables such as: desk tags, games/puzzles, calendars, etc etc.  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.

I highly recommend checking out Super Teacher Worksheets for summer learning worksheets such as: puzzles, reading comprehension, and more, by clicking here!!!

*Super Teacher Worksheets is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Course Hero

Course Hero is an excellent site for students looking for online tutors in any number of subjects.  Unlike other online tutoring sites, Course Hero instructors specialize in "their" subject and offer step by step instructions to help increase understanding and retain subject material.

I highly recommend checking out Course Hero by clicking here!!!

Book Creator Creativity Update

Book Creator is one of education's leading learning tool for creating beautiful looking eBooks and digital stories recently released their latest Creativity Update.  This update includes AutoDraw, Magic Ink, new pen styles, emojis, and more.

AutoDraw is very convenient for those that struggle w/ art or drawing.  AutoDraw lets a user start drawing then fill in the rest to help them create their idea.

Magic Ink is a great tool which lets users create beautiful looking pictures or word art w/ a vast array of different templates (i.e. rainbow, grids, etc.).

Below is a brief demo...



I highly recommend checking out Book Creator and their latest update by clicking here!!!

For a more detailed review check out Richard Byrne's blog.

Kolibri

Kolibri is an interesting new site for finding interactive resources, videos, and quizzes, that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  This is a great learning site/app for students looking for help in a wide variety of subjects.

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

Buncee + Immersive Reader

Recently Buncee announced that they have partnered w/ Microsoft to bring Immersive Reader to the classroom.  This can be found on Buncee's "Ideas Lab" and is a great way for students to get help and increase their love of reading and writing.  The combination of Immersive Reader and Buncee makes it easier for students to: increase Reading Fluency and Comprehension, build confidence, and much much more.  Finally, some way educators are using this exciting new tool is to: create flashcards, flip a lesson, explore sentence structure, etc.

Below is a brief demo...



For more information on Buncee and Immersive Reader click here.

I highly recommend checking out Buncee + Immersive Reader by clicking here!!!

*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.