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Dynamic Presentations

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Open Canvas

Create, organize, and move freely on an open canvas. Create seamless presentations without the restrictions of linear slides.

Ready-made asset libraries

Choose from millions of images, stickers, GIFs, and icons from Unsplash and Giphy.

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Presentations and videos with engaging visuals for hybrid teams | Prezi Present

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Welcome to Prezi, the presentation software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to bring your ideas to life and make you a great presenter.

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Infographics

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Infographic Maker Trusted By 11 Million Users - Piktochart

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With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, presentations, and more in seconds. No design experience needed. Start for free.

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Podcasts

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Listening to podcasts can be fun and educational. Here are some podcasts that can help out with lessons in your classroom. Please share any that you know of and do not see by going to the Contact page.

EDUCATIONAL Podcasts:

Talks with Teachers - invites dedicated teachers to share their classroom stories

The Edupreneur Podcast - interviews with "Edupreneurs," who are passionate teachers pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors within and outside the classroom

Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers - topics range from keeping your passion high to the lies teachers tell themselves to learning how to thrive - not just survive - in the classroom

#EdChatRadio - great as a development tool, but it's also sure to give you lots of educators to follow

EdSurgePodcast - features news, interviews, tips, and debates on the latest technologies and pedagogies

MATHEMATICS Podcasts:

SCIENCE Podcasts:

SOCIAL STUDIES/HISTORY Podcasts:

READING/WRITING Podcasts:

LEARN ENGLISH Podcasts:

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Listening to podcasts can be fun and educational. Here are some podcasts that can help out with lessons in your classroom. Please share any that you know of and do not see by going to the Contact page. EDUCATIONAL Podcasts: Talks with Teachers - invites dedicated teachers to share their classroom stories The Edupreneur Podcast - interviews with "Edupreneurs,"...

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Shared Screen Recordings

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At ScreenPal, we don't believe that video recording and editing should be difficult, or cost a fortune. Our simple and intuitive tools help you get the job done easily.

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Global Guessing Game

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Educator Center Overview - Microsoft Learn Educator Center

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Microsoft Learn for Educators takes the best of Microsoft Learn online learning paths and helps you to bring instructor-led training materials from Microsoft into your courses. This program provides members with access to Microsoft ready-to-teach curriculum and teaching materials aligned to industry-recognized Microsoft Certifications.

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Mind Mapping

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Animated Slideshow

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Powtoon | Create Awesome Videos Yourself

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Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love! No design or tech skills are necessary - it's free, easy, and awesome!

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WPBeginner is the largest WordPress resource site for WordPress Beginners with easy to understand WordPress tutorials for mastering the basics and beyond.

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I think it was during a Twitter chat I first made the comment that you don't have to be a tech geek to use technology effectively to support learning in your classroom. I later polished the wording a bit and asserted that "Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach, we need teaching geeks who can use tech." Several thought-leaders on Twitter have also shared the quote, like most recently @ToddWhitaker.

Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach, we need teaching geeks who can use tech. @DavidGeurin

- Todd (@ToddWhitaker) November 19, 2015

The message seemed to resonate with educators. But I also received some push back. What's wrong with being a tech-geek? Can we not aim for both? In the end, are the results any different? It seems there is plenty to discuss regarding approaches of using technology to support learning. So I wanted to address these issues and clarify the thinking behind the quote.
Why teaching geeks?
1. It's more important to get the instructional design right and develop engaging, highly effective learning experiences, with or without tech. Unless the central aim of your curriculum is technology, the tech should support the learning and not the other way around. It's not good practice to find a nifty tech tool and then contrive some way to get it into your lesson, just to wow or impress. That would be akin to using technology like a cool party trick. Not exactly the professional practice that will develop consistent and quality learning for students.
2. Teaching geeks are concerned with more than technology. A teaching geek will do everything possible to increase learning and help all students be successful. They love to learn about teaching, talk about teaching, join with other passionate educators on Twitter, and just be geeky about all things related to their profession. Most of all, they are passionate about student learning. I love to attend EdCamps because the teaching geeks are drawn to these events. Geeks go to Comic-Con. Tech geeks go to CES. Teaching geeks go to EdCamps!
3. You don't have to be a technology genius to use tech in the classroom. Many teachers think they can't use technology to support learning because it's not a strength for them. But even if it's not a strength, every teacher can take small steps to utilize technology for learning. Pick just one digital tool that has the potential to enhance your lessons and learn more about it. Our school is in the first year of 1:1 with Chromebooks, so a tool that nearly all of our teachers wanted to learn is Google Classroom. It was a good place to start because it serves as a hub for classroom stuff and allows for increased sharing and collaboration.
4. Don't wait, start somewhere. For teachers who lack confidence with technology, it's easy to avoid taking steps to learn new ways to use technology. And this is exactly what we don't want our students to do, to shrink back in the face of something that doesn't come easily. I'm very proud of teachers in our building who have stepped out of their comfort zone to learn new methods with technology even though it's not their strongest area. It models the type of growth mindset we want to encourage in students.
5. Turn the technology over to your students. Even if you don't know all the ins and outs of using technology, many of your students do. If you give students choice about how to use technology to support their learning, you can incorporate tech even though you aren't the source of all the tech knowledge. It's actually a great thing when students and teachers can learn from each other.
6. So you're a tech geek? That's great. It can actually be very beneficial to your teaching if you couple your knowledge of technology with an array of other tools that are important to effectiveness in the classroom. How do you build relationships, set expectations, empower learning, and support diverse needs? There are so many factors that contribute to an effective classroom. Technology alone won't result in an excellent classroom experience. But if you can leverage your knowledge of technology to support all the other components of an outstanding classroom, you're a top draft pick for sure!
7. If you are one of the distinguished educators who are both tech geek and teaching geek, you have an obligation to share your knowledge with others. We all want to learn from you.

Question: What makes you a teaching geek or a tech geek? Respond on Twitter or Facebook.

- EdTech K-12 Magazine (@EdTech_K12) November 12, 2015

- Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) October 11, 2015

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I think it was during a Twitter chat I first made the comment that you don't have to be a tech geek to use technology effectively to support learning in your classroom. I later polished the wording a bit and asserted that "Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach, we need teaching geeks who can use tech."

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by Terry Heick

It could be argued-and probably argued well-that what a student fundamentally needs to know today isn't much different than what Tom Sawyer or Joan of Arc or Alexander the Great needed to know.

Communication.

Resourcefulness.

Creativity.

Persistence.

How true this turns out to be depends on how macro you want to get. If we want to discuss our needs as humans in broad, sweeping themes, then food, water, shelter, connectivity, safety, and some degree of self-esteem pretty much cover it.

But in an increasingly connected and digital world, the things a student needs to know are indeed changing-fundamental human needs sometimes drastically redressed for an alien modern world. Just as salt allowed for the keeping of meats, the advent of antibiotics made deadly viruses and diseases simply inconvenient, and electricity completely altered when and where we slept and work and played, technology is again changing the kind of 'stuff' a student needs to know.

Of course, these are just starters. Such a list really could go on forever.
The Changing Things They Need To Know: 13 Categories & 63 Ideas Information Sources
1. The best way to find different kinds of information

2. How to save information so that it can be easily found and used again

3. Distinguish fact from opinion, and know the importance of each

4. How to think critically-and carefully-about information
Learning Pathways
5. How to own, direct, and manage micro and macro learning processes over the course of their personal and 'professional' life

6. What to learn, how-that is, learning from a book versus a YouTube video versus a course versus a question on Reddit or Quora, etc.

7. How to identify what's worth understanding for them in their life; also, how that changes over time

8. The relationship between skills, understandings, habits, and behaviors
Human Spaces
9. The relationship between physical and digital spaces

10. The pros and cons-and subsequent sweet spots-of digital tools

11. What mobile technology requires-and makes possible

12. The nuance of communication in-person (e.g., eye contact, body language) and in digital domains (e.g., introduction, social following, etc.)
Socializing Ideas
13. The consequences of sharing an idea

14. The right stage of the creative process to share an idea

15. That everything digital is accelerated; plan accordingly. And this kind of acceleration doesn't always happen in the brick-and-mortar world-and that's okay.

16. The need for digital citizenship-and how to create their own rules citizenships in general-digital and otherwise
Digital Participation
17. How to remix, mash, reimagine, tweak, hack, and repurpose media in credible, compelling, and legal ways

18. How to identify what information is private and what is "social"-and how to make changes accordingly

19. What expertise they can offer the digital world

20. How to take only what you need, even when the (digital) resources seem infinite
Publishing Nuance
21. How to leverage both physical and digital media for authentic-rather than merely digital-purposes

22. The kind of information people look for on the internet

23. What to share with one person, one group, one community, and one planet. (And the difference in permanence and scale between a social message, email, threaded conversation, and text.)

24. How to take advantage of the fact digital text is fluid and endlessly updated and changing
Applying Technology
25. What the relationship is between a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and wearable technology

26. How to use the cloud to their advantage; how to preserve bandwidth when necessary

27. How to effectively use technology in ways that might contradict their original purpose or design

28. How to use technology to perform tasks not traditionally thought of as technology-based-e.g., improving vocabulary and literacy, perform and update financial planning, eat healthier foods, etc.
The Always-On Digital Audience
29. How to choose language, structure, tone, modalities, and other considerations based on a specific purpose and audience

30. Knowing the difference between who's listening, who's responding, who's lurking, who cares, who doesn't care, etc.

31. How to listen with curiosity when there are a million other things to do

32. Popularity and quality often fail to coincide; 'traction' is as much timing and ecology as it is design
Social Rules
33. When it is socially-acceptable to check messages, update statuses, check scores, and so on. (Just because everyone at the table is doing it doesn't mean it doesn't have significant consequences.)

34. The acceptable timing of human responses depending on social channels

35. Even in a digital world, patience still matters

36. That mobile devices are 'me' devices and the 'real world'-while changing fast-isn't like that
Diction
37. Tone is everything; word choice is crucial when every thought is shared

38. Vocabulary & jargon can obscure communication, but also can communicate specific ideas and can't always be avoided

39. Structure-essay level, blog post level, paragraph level, sentence level, world level, and acronym and initialism level-changes depending on where you publish

40. The benefits of being a polyglot (speaking more than one language) are increasing (not in lieu of, but because of digital translation tools). (This includes localized figurative language in the context of global communication.)
Connecting with Experts
41. How to identify and connect with true expertise; what the word 'expert' means and how the definition has (and has not) changed over the last ten years.

42. The role of expert generalists versus niche expertise

43. The difference between someone knowledgeable, someone experienced, and someone adept

44. When to seek expertise; when you need a closed group of friends, a crowd full of moderately-informed people, or a professional and/or academic expert
The Self
45. How to identify and fully participate in critical familial and social citizenships

46. How to prioritize ideas, resources, and connections

47. How to self-monitor and manage their attention; what mindfulness is and how to 'use' it

48. How to choose the proper scale for work, thinking, or publishing

49. How to recognize niches, patterns, and opportunities-and then how to prioritize (there's that word again) them for one's self based on one's own unique goals and circumstance
A Life Built Around Software
50. The consequences of using a single operating system (e.g., iOS, Android, etc.) for everything.

51. The pros and cons of using social log-ins (e.g., facebook) for apps

52. How to evaluate an app for privacy permissions

53. That apps are businesses and some close-and take your media, files, or data with them

54. That as with the physical world, dealing with digital clutter is important, and sometimes less is more.
Other Internet Pro Tips For Students
55. Passive-aggressiveness, snark, arrogance, unjustified brazenness, cyberbullying-without-being-obvious-about-it, blocking-for-dramatic-effect, ignoring people, and other digital habits carry over into the real world

56. A 280 character comment may not fully capture the nuance of a person's stance or understanding of a topic. Don't assume. In fact, assume you don't know.

57. Typos and grammar errors don't mean someone is 'stupid' and swallowing propaganda and disinformation whole may be more worth our time pointing out

58. That popularity is dangerous

59. Video games can make you smarter but that doesn't mean that they automatically do

60. People change and ideas change but communication shared online lasts forever.

61. If you often find yourself needing to 'kill time' and 'binge-watch' shows, something may be off in your personal life.

62. Just because you can sing, hack, code, paint, run, jump, lead, or dance doesn't make you any more worthwhile than the next human being, no matter what your follower count suggests

63. Log-in info, passwords, old email address, and other trappings of digital life are a pain. Use password keepers and plan accordingly
63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World

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63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World

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by Terry Heick It could be argued-and probably argued well-that what a student fundamentally needs to know today isn't much different than what Tom Sawyer or Joan of Arc or Alexander the Great needed to know. Communication. Resourcefulness. Creativity. Persistence. How true this turns out to be depends on how macro you want to get.

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Blog Post

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I like this creative list you put together stating all the benefits of blogging. Our school hasn't done any blogging. Seeing these benefits listed could motivate our school to try it.

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Article

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Although LinkedIn gets a lot of love as a professional social media site, Twitter is a force (and a cognitively fertile stream as well) that can't be ignored by up-and-coming young professionals. It's a great place to get connected and informed, and an especially good resource for growing professionally. But how exactly can you use Twitter for professional development? Check out our list to find 25 different ways.

1. Regularly hosted chats on Twitter offer a great way to connect with and learn from others in your professional sphere. You can check out nearly 700 different Twitter chats available on the Twitter Chat Schedule. Use it to find relevant chats and hashtags for your professional and personal interests, and you can be a part of the discussion.

2. Twitter is a great professional tool, but it's important that you don't forget to be a real person. Share some personality and voice in your tweets, and avoid copying and pasting headlines. Letting followers connect with the real you is a much more authentic way to develop your professional network.

3. Twitter is an incredible networking tool, and it can be used to connect with contacts new and old. Discover new networking connections, and find people you already know to converse with them on a regular basis using Twitter.

4. If you telecommute, or work for a company with multiple locations, Twitter offers a great opportunity to connect with your colleagues, even if you can't do it in person. Follow coworkers on Twitter, and you'll be able to stay on top of their professional and personal development.

5. Once you've started connecting and sharing on Twitter, consider how you'll manage your presence on the site. Remember to regularly connect with others, check your mentions, and stay consistent with your interactions on Twitter. You may consider using tools like TweetDeck to manage your brand and networking efforts.
This is a cross-post from content partners at onlinecollege.org

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Although LinkedIn gets a lot of love as a professional social media site, Twitter is a force (and a cognitively fertile stream as well ) that can't be ignored by up-and-coming young professionals. It's a great place to get connected and informed, and an especially good resource for growing professionally.

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Flipgrid Conversations

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Website

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LeapFrog recently announced LeapFrog Academy™, an interactive learning program for 3-6 year olds that guide children on a variety of fun Learning Adventures that they can play anywhere, on a variety of devices. Featuring a well-rounded curriculum, where children can explore a variety of skills that are important to their development, this exciting new subscription-based service offers access to more than 1,000 learning activities for just $7.99 per month (after a free one month trial). Activities teach fundamental subjects such as math, reading and science plus problem solving, and creativity. Also, no wi-fi? No problem! Children using it can learn and play on the go, even when wi-fi isn't available. They can play most of their preferred activities by adding up to 24 of them to their "Favorites," making them accessible to play even without an internet connection, which is pretty cool. Learn more.

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LeapFrog recently announced LeapFrog Academy™, an interactive learning program for 3-6 year olds that guide children on a variety of fun Learning Adventures that they can play anywhere, on a variety of devices.

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Website

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EdTech Magazine explores K-12 technology and education issues that IT leaders and educators face when they're evaluating and implementing a solution.

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IN 1953 B.F. Skinner visited his daughter's maths class. The Harvard psychologist found every pupil learning the same topic in the same way at the same speed. A few days later he built his first "teaching machine", which let children tackle questions at their own pace. By the mid-1960s similar gizmos were being flogged by door-to-door salesmen. Within a few years, though, enthusiasm for them had fizzled out.

Since then education technology (edtech) has repeated the cycle of hype and flop, even as computers have reshaped almost every other part of life. One reason is the conservatism of teachers and their unions. But another is that the brain-stretching potential of edtech has remained unproven.
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Today, however, Skinner's heirs are forcing the sceptics to think again (see article). Backed by billionaire techies such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, schools around the world are using new software to "personalise" learning. This could help hundreds of millions of children stuck in dismal classes-but only if edtech boosters can resist the temptation to revive harmful ideas about how children learn. To succeed, edtech must be at the service of teaching, not the other way around.

Pencils down

The conventional model of schooling emerged in Prussia in the 18th century. Alternatives have so far failed to teach as many children as efficiently. Classrooms, hierarchical year-groups, standardised curriculums and fixed timetables are still the norm for most of the world's nearly 1.5bn schoolchildren.

Too many do not reach their potential. In poor countries only a quarter of secondary schoolchildren acquire at least a basic knowledge of maths, reading and science. Even in the mostly rich countries of the OECD about 30% of teenagers fail to reach proficiency in at least one of these subjects.

That share has remained almost unchanged over the past 15 years, during which billions have been spent on IT in schools. By 2012 there was one computer for every two pupils in several rich countries. Australia had more computers than pupils. Handled poorly, devices can distract. A Portuguese study from 2010 found that schools with slow broadband and a ban on sites such as YouTube had better results than high-tech ones.

What matters is how edtech is used. One way it can help is through bespoke instruction. Ever since Philip II of Macedon hired Aristotle to prepare his son Alexander for Greatness, rich parents have paid for tutors. Reformers from São Paulo to Stockholm think that edtech can put individual attention within reach of all pupils. American schools are embracing the model most readily. A third of pupils are in a school district that has pledged to introduce "personalised, digital learning". The methods of groups like Summit Public Schools, whose software was written for nothing by Facebook engineers, are being copied by hundreds of schools.

In India, where about half of children leave primary school unable to read a simple text, the curriculum goes over many pupils' heads. "Adaptive" software such as Mindspark can work out what a child knows and pose questions accordingly. A recent paper found that Indian children using Mindspark after school made some of the largest gains in maths and reading of any education study in poor countries.

The other way edtech can aid learning is by making schools more productive. In California schools are using software to overhaul the conventional model. Instead of textbooks, pupils have "playlists", which they use to access online lessons and take tests. The software assesses children's progress, lightening teachers' marking load and giving them insight on their pupils. Saved teachers' time is allocated to other tasks, such as fostering pupils' social skills or one-on-one tuition. A study in 2015 suggested that children in early adopters of this model score better in tests than their peers at other schools.

Pay attention at the back

Such innovation is welcome. But making the best of edtech means getting several things right. First, "personalised learning" must follow the evidence on how children learn. It must not be an excuse to revive pseudoscientific ideas such as "learning styles": the theory that each child has a particular way of taking in information. Such nonsense leads to schemes like Brain Gym, an "educational kinesiology" programme once backed by the British government, which claimed that some pupils should stretch, bend and emit an "energy yawn" while doing their sums.

A less consequential falsehood is that technology means children do not need to learn facts or learn from a teacher-instead they can just use Google. Some educationalists go further, arguing that facts get in the way of skills such as creativity and critical thinking. The opposite is true. A memory crammed with knowledge enables these talents. William Shakespeare was drilled in Latin phrases and grammatical rules and yet he penned a few decent plays. In 2015 a vast study of 1,200 education meta-analyses found that, of the 20 most effective ways of boosting learning, nearly all relied on the craft of a teacher.

The second imperative is to make sure that edtech narrows, rather than widens, inequalities in education. Here there are grounds for optimism. Some of the pioneering schools are private ones in Silicon Valley. But many more are run by charter-school groups teaching mostly poor pupils, such as Rocketship and Achievement First-or Summit, where 99% of graduating pupils go on to university and laggards make the most progress relative to their peers in normal classes. A similar pattern can be observed outside America. In studies of edtech in India by J-PAL, a research group, the biggest beneficiaries are children using software to receive remedial education.

Third, the potential for edtech will be realised only if teachers embrace it. They are right to ask for evidence that products work. But scepticism should not turn into Luddism. A good model is São Paulo, where teachers have welcomed Geekie, an adaptive-software company, into public schools.

In 1984 Skinner called opposition to technology the "shame" of education. Given what edtech promises today, closed-mindedness has no place in the classroom.

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Together, technology and teachers can revamp schools

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IN 1953 B.F. Skinner visited his daughter's maths class. The Harvard psychologist found every pupil learning the same topic in the same way at the same speed. A few days later he built his first "teaching machine", which let children tackle questions at their own pace.

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By: Robert Sevilla
More than 63 percent of U.S. K-12 teachers use varying forms of technology in their classroom. Without a doubt, technology has not only transformed teaching and learning, but also plays a significant role in how students are prepared for college and career. However, research shows that the majority of technology integration in the classroom takes place as a substitute for traditional methods, rather than presenting a new learning opportunity - 60 percent of the time students are using technology, they are passive consumers rather than using it to "practice the higher-level technology skills that are required for many jobs."

In my technology class, I apply the well-known SAMR model to ensure that students are not merely consuming technology, but instead are learning to leverage these digital tools in a variety of ways to amplify their ideas. Through the lens of storytelling, I help students embrace the power of student voice while honing their communication skills - a highly valued attribute in today's workforce. By using a variety of online tools, students gain essential 21st century skills that will help them succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Three Projects That Promote Storytelling Online

In today's digital learning environment, students need to start by learning foundational skills such as keyboarding, digital literacy, and digital citizenship. My computer technology course for seventh and eighth graders is anchored by three projects that require active participation, build comfort with a variety of technology, and teach them to leverage those tools to become effective storytellers in a digital context.
Project #1: Sharing Digital Literacy Insights Through Blogging
It may seem obvious (or it may be so obvious that it becomes easy to overlook), but typing is perhaps the most important foundational skill students must learn to be up-to-speed in today's wired classrooms. My students use Typing.com for the first 10 minutes of class each day to learn proper keyboarding technique as well as touch-typing skills. After learning the basics of the 'home row,' they proceed all the way through advanced punctuation, while also learning proper hand position, body posture, and accuracy. Students immediately apply their new typing skills using KidBlog, where they write their own blogs. For example, they may be prompted to answer questions about the lasting effects of a digital footprint or respond to Common Sense's digital citizenship videos. The platforms allows for them to receive constructive, written feedback by myself and their peers.
Project #2: Storytelling with Podcasts
Later in the course, students learn the basics of podcasting, a form of media that represents an exciting new addition to their storytelling skillset. Students start by listening to and reviewing three podcast episodes on their blog to identify different storytelling techniques, such as shorter, snappier sentences or the use of natural sound to amplify the narrative. After choosing a topic for their own podcast, they collaborate on a script using Google docs and then use GarageBand to record, edit, and embed sound effects into their podcast. Some students also create their own podcast logo using Google Presentations or the GIMP image editor. Both the script and final recording are uploaded to their KidBlog page, which serves as a digital portfolio to showcase their growth.
Project #3: Producing an Instructional Video
The final project takes storytelling a step further by tasking students with creating a three-minute instructional video. Students break into teams, identify team roles, choose a topic, and begin to draft a script. They collaborate on a storyboard with in-depth scene descriptions, camera shots, and angles, shoot video, and edit using programs such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Windows Movie Maker. They then upload their final product to their digital portfolio on KidBlog and present it to the class.

Storytelling in the Digital Age

Storytelling has always been a central theme in my class, but prior to the advent of these awesome and easy-to-access tech tools, students were limited to pen, paper, and oral presentation. Today, students can use a variety of formats and tools to share their unique thoughts and perspectives. Their digital storytelling skills not only translate into academic success, but also equip them with a tremendous amount of self-confidence and the digital know-how to navigate the future of work.

For more, see:

Robert Sevilla began his educational career as a music and math educator and for the past 13 years has taught computer technology at Chaboya Middle School in San Jose, California. A lifelong learner himself, Robert obtained an M.A. in Educational Technology in 2010. Robert still brings his musical background and passion for multimedia to help create interesting, authentic, and real-world projects. Follow Robert on Twitter @rrksevilla
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Amplify Storytelling in the Classroom with 3 Tech-Enabled Projects

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By Robert Sevilla - One teacher suggests three EdTech projects for students to learn to leverage digital tools in a variety of ways to amplify their ideas.

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Sharing a Great Resource and Techniques for Web Content Fact Checking

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If we Don't Teach Students how to Confirm the Validity of Information They Find on the Internet, Who Will? In yesterday's post, we were introduced to Michael Caulfield's free, Creative Commons. Please click on the post title to continue reading the full post. Thanks (and thanks for subscribing)!].

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8 Tips For Teachers Frustrated With Technology

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