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* Google Docs: Basic word processing, worksheets, etc.

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* Google Sheets: Forms output into Google Sheets files for quick sorting and analysis; Standards Tracking

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* Google Slides: Presentation files for teachers and students

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* For Docs, Sheets, and Slides: ability to use “shareable link” option is really powerful, since it allows you to “share” the file without having to name specific people with whom you want the file to be shared.

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A brief walk-through of how to use the link sharing capabilities within Google Drive apps (Docs, Sheets, and Slides)

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* Google Forms - Textbook sign-outs; Weekly Google Check-in (grouping & personal check-in); Quizzes; Discipline Referrals; Announcement Form. Open up the document below for examples of each of these.

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Examples of Google Forms:  Textbook Sign-Out Textbook Results Spreadsheet

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* Instructional management tool allowing for assigning work, organizing material (announcements, class resources), and communication.
* Assignments in GC show up with due dates in Google Calendar.
* Many other resources utilize GC, allowing for class list imports and students to use their school Google for Education accounts to sign in.

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CommonLit.org is a free service site that promises to always be free for teachers to use.  This free service, though, packs quite a bit of punch!  You can search texts with CCSS-aligned questions by standard, grade level, Lexile level, theme, genre, and even by book (to pair shorter texts up with longer in-class readings, such as with novels).

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TeachingTeachersTech   CommonLit Overview

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In this video, I provide a brief overview regarding the EdTech site CommonLit.org. Topics that are discussed include a basic idea of what the website has to offer, as well as the sub-categories for which a teacher can search using the power of CommonLit.org with his/her students.

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EDpuzzle.com is a great tool that I have just started to become familiar with. The brief overview is that EDpuzzle allows teachers to take clips from YouTube and assign questions, including written response and multiple choice question types, to students. When using EDpuzzle.com, the teacher is able to first clip down the view to just the portion he/she wants to use.  Along the way, a teacher can also add in audio directions or explanations.  Perhaps one of the nicest features is that the teacher can also "lock" the video so that students are not able to just skip ahead to the questions before viewing the portion of the video assigned.  A brief video showing the student video of an EDpuzzle assignment is provided below.

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A brief overview of what the student view of EDpuzzle could look like. This is taken a sample assignment made for my HS English II students as they read the novel 1984 and are then being asked to compare particular portions of the novel to a short film clip from the 1956 production.

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Formative assessments of student learning are essential tools to know where each student regarding specific skills or standards.  GoFormative.com allows for a variety of different types of questions (written response, multiple choice, multiple select, show your work, etc.) and different elements for those questions (video, image, whiteboard, etc.). A brief overview of GoFormative.com is provided below.

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This video provides a quick overview of the EdTech website GoFormative.com, which allows for different question types, Google account usage, and real-time assessment response viewing.

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Edulastic.com seems to be all about the standards in multiple subject areas. I can tell this from just importing classes from Google Classroom, as it asks for 1.) grade level, 2.) course subject, and 3.) the set of standards from which my students are working. The benefit for Edulastic is that it has questions (and texts with questions for ELA) ready to go and leveled for the specific grade and standards you have entered for each of your classes. From my understanding of pricing, it is free for Teachers, but to have a building-wide use and administrator access, that requires a paid subscription fee. The site is liked with the hyper-text at the beginning of this explanation, as well as below.

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Teachers and admins love Edulastic because it makes

Formatives

Distance Learning

Interims

Benchmarks

Diagnostics

Remediation

Math practice

Science assessment

Distance Learning

Data analysis

Progress monitoring

State test prep

Tracking growth

easy.
Assess at school. Reinforce at home.

Use all of your data to track learning and growth.

Quickly identify learning gaps with diagnostic and formative assessments

Give students differentiated assignments to remediate, reinforce or challenge

Monitor progress towards standards mastery to ensure students stay on track

Engaging technology-enhanced assessments for benchmarks, the classroom, or distance learning

Easily administer district common or classroom formative assessments using high-quality item banks, diagnostic or curriculum-aligned assessments, create your own questions or mix and match.

80,000+ standards-aligned questions from trusted sources

Try one of our 10K free pre-built assessments

Keep students learning at home when school is closed or limited.

Create self-paced lessons by embedding video, links and articles. Check for understanding with quiz questions and watch student engagement soar.

Propel each student with personalized, data-driven recommendations

Fill learning gaps with practice for struggling students and challenge advanced students to move ahead.

Bring all of your key performance data together in one place - from engagement with online learning to discipline to diagnostics to state test scores - along with your classroom assessments and district benchmarks for a holistic view of each student, or of the whole district.

Integrates seamlessly with the technology you already use

Easy sign on through Google, MS365 or Clever. Sync class rosters and share assignments in Google Classroom or your LMS system and push grades back to your gradebook.

" We love the relationship we have with the people behind Edulastic. It's really easy to get in touch. We get the answers we need in a timely fashion, and it seems really clear that the team cares about whether or not their product is working for us. "

Easy enough to learn on your own, but you don't have to

From basic how-tos to advanced assessment creation, we've got you covered with online training, how-to videos and articles, and self-paced courses for all levels and roles.

See how Edulastic can make a difference at your school

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Edulastic: Interactive Formative Assessment for classroom or distant learning

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Online assessment tools with technology-enhanced items, help students learn and measure growth all in one easy system in the classroom and at home.

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Spiral.ac is a site that allows for both quick "game-like" quizzes as well as video and discussion integration.  While I'm still developing an understanding of the overall structure, it seems to be a bit of a blend of Kahoot and EDpuzzle (mentioned above).  There is a stated commitment to it being free for teachers - always.  Of course, like all of these options, it offers full integration and the ability to import classes from Google Classroom. A link to the homepage to look into things is available below and at the start of this description.

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Silver Spring, Md. (Tuesday, July 21, 2020) Discovery Education -the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms-today announced the acquisition of Spiral. Based in the United Kingdom, Spiral provides educators a multiuse platform that supports collaborative learning and formative assessment both in the classroom and the remote environment. Terms were not disclosed.

Discovery Education's acquisition of Spiral supports the company's efforts to keep students connected to learning wherever it is taking place. Spiral's product features compliment Discovery Education Experience's curated high-quality content and existing assessment and student collaboration tools. The addition of Spiral's features to the company's flexible K-12 learning platform will give educators even more ways to facilitate instruction, deepen student engagement, and create high-impact student learning experiences.

"Discovery Education is focused on providing school systems outstanding digital services that connect students to learning in and out of the classroom," said Discovery Education Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy Philip Nanney. "The acquisition of Spiral aligns with our strategy of adding features to our digital services that save educators time and increase student engagement. We look forward to welcoming Spiral to the Discovery Education team."

Spiral is a past winner of the prestigious Common Sense Education Best EdTech Award. Recognized for empowering teachers to create interactive learning experiences either in advance or on the fly, Spiral also enables teachers to probe class understanding in real time through digital multimedia content.

Spiral is the latest acquisition by Discovery Education. In August of 2019, Discovery Education announced the purchase of Inspyro, a provider of leading virtual reality and augmented reality content also based in the United Kingdom.

"Spiral's team is incredibly excited to join Discovery Education," said Hamish Kennedy, Spiral's Founder and CEO. "Discovery Education shares our commitment to connecting students to learning no matter where they are, and we look forward to working closely on that mission with our new colleagues."

For more information about Discovery Education's digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.

###
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. Through its award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia resources, and the largest professional learning network of its kind, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning, creating immersive STEM experiences, and improving academic achievement around the globe. Discovery Education currently serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 140 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to empower teachers with customized solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
Contact:
Discovery Education
Stephen Wakefield
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com
Phone: (202) 316-6615

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Discovery Education Acquires Award-Winning Interactive Learning Platform Spiral

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Discovery Education Acquires Award-Winning Interactive Learning Platform Spiral

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CheckMark is a Google Chrome extension that helps by adding quick one-click feedback comments on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other mechanics. It also has options to provide feedback on writing quality categories such as needing more detail, evidence being needed, or checking citations. CheckMark can be found in the Chrome Web Store (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/checkmark).  A video introduction and walkthrough is provided below.

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A tutorial video for teachers interested in learning how to use CheckMark, which is a Google Chrome extension that allows instructors to give efficient feedback to their students regarding written work in Google Docs.

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Ever wondered how those "tech savvy" (sarcasm intended) people record their computer screen and share videos?  Well, Screencastify Lite (https://www.screencastify.com), a Google Chrome extension, is one way to do so.  It's very user friendly, and even allows for the creator to choose whether he/she wants to include a video from his/her webcam in the bottom right corner to help viewers make a personal connection.  Check out the tutorial video below.

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This video is designed to show teachers how the Google Chrome extension Screencastify Lite can be used for desktop recording. This free version of Screencastify provides possibilities of use in the classroom that are only limited by your imagination and creativity.