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Jake Miller – #EduGIF Guy. Speaker. Tech Integration Specialist. Google Apps for Edu Trainer. Nerd.

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Jake Miller – #EduGIF Guy. Speaker. Tech Integration Specialist. Google Apps for Edu Trainer. Nerd.

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This idea-a true moment of educational duct tape (using technology to solve a classroom problem or goal)-actually came to me while recording an episode of my Educational Duct Tape Podcast!

In Episode 5, I played a question that Linda Hummer shared to the Educational Duct Tape Community FlipGrid along with Abbey Thomas' answer. Linda's question was, essentially, what is an alternative to Chatterpix that works on Chromebooks? Abbey's answer was Blabberize. And the question was answered! Or, so I thought...

After the episode aired, Dan Gallagher shared on that same grid some words of caution: Blabberize's Terms of Service indicate that it's not appropriate for all ages. So, in Episode 6, I shared this and then, on the spot, found a hack for a solution:

I've posted about #StopMotionSlides a number of times ( here are my tips for making them) and they make a pretty good solution for this. Put a picture into a slide, use some careful cropping and then leverage a stop motion technique. Not only can you make the mouth move up and down, but you can then publish the animation (#13 in these tips) and then record them with Screencastify (or your screencasting tool of choice) with a voiceover (#14 in these tips)!

Voila! Not as easy as Chatterpix, but at least it eliminates the need of adding another tool and another set of terms of service to what you use with your students: you likely already use Google Slides & Screencastify!

Plus, unlike ChatterPix or Blabberize, you can have multiple characters, your characters can move, the scene change... You-and your students-can get super creative!

Here's an animated GIF of the process, followed by a step-by-step breakdown.

Continue reading A Google Slides Hack to Replace ChatterPix or Blabberize

Posted on Categories Blog, Chrome, EdTech, Google, Slides, Social Studies, Video

On 1/7/19, Google announced that you could now embed previously created Google Drawings into Google Docs. Before this announcement, you could create new Drawings from within a Doc, but you could not pull in Drawings created in the regular Drawings platform.

This was limiting, because the Drawings tool within Docs was only provided a small workspace and had less tools. It was also frustrating that a Drawing couldn't be in both places - a Drawing and Doc - without copying and pasting or using the following workaround.

Up to this point, the best workaround was to download the Drawing as an image and then insert that image into the Doc. This was frustrating for a few reasons: it involved inconvenient extra steps and it meant that the Drawing in the Doc would not update if the actual Drawing was updated.

Well, now Google has made good on fixing this. In the Google Docs Insert menu, go to Drawing and now you can select New to create a new one or From Drive to select one that you created in the Google Drawings platform. When the drawing is changed in Drawings, you'll see an Update option in the Doc to show the changes (unless you selected Unlink when you added the Drawing). Check it out in the animated GIF below:

Posted on Categories Docs, Drawings, Drive, Google

Sometimes, I think a trick, hack or shortcut that I do with technology is unimpressive and something that everyone either knows or doesn't care about. But then, when I mention it to someone, and they're like "Whoa!" I think "Welp, this should be an EduGIF."

Recently, I had the good fortune to be recording a guest appearance on the Shukes & Giff Podcast ( er, maybe it's the Shukes & Jake Podcast, now!? Kidding!). When I was chatting about Emoji Bullets with Kim Pollishuke (a.k.a. "Shukes"), I mentioned, "So, I'll just click Shift+Command+8 and then..." and she said "Wait, What!?" And then I knew it, EduGIF time. So here it is . . .

in most Google Tools:

Click CTRL (Command on Mac) + Shift + 7 for Numbering

Click it again to undo numbering

Click CTRL (Command on Mac) + Shift + 8 for Bullets

Click it again to undo bullets

Here's the EduGIF!

Posted on Categories Blog, Chromebooks, Docs, Drawings, Drive, Gmail, Google, Slides

For the EduDuctTape.com Podcast Homepage, please click here.

Posted on Categories Blog

Want to add a little flair to your HyperDocs and some fun to your lesson plans? Ditch those boring bullets for some emoji bullets!

In many cases, this can obviously lead to a less-professional looking document or slideshow, but in the classroom . . . why not add a little fun? Our learners l-o-v-e emoji and it may just make schoolwork look a little more inviting. So, here's how to use them as bullets in Google Docs & Slides. First up: a GIF animation, followed by the step-by-step.

1. Click the appropriate button to add bullets.

2. Add any of the default bullet styles.

3. Right-Click (or two-finger click) on the first bullet and select More bullets.

4. In the first dropdown menu, select Emoji.

5. Now select your emoji!

6. Right-click (or two-finger click) on the first emoji bullet if you'd like to change the size of the bullets.

Posted on Categories Blog, Docs, Google, Slides

Did you ever really, really, really want a student (or colleague) to understand your feedback on a portion of a Google Doc? Well, my friend, I have got news for you. Surround a word (or group of words) in a Google Docs (or Slides, Sheets, Drawings...) Comment with asterisks (*) and you've got bold text. 💥Boom💥 Surround them with underscores ( _ ) and you've got italicized text. 💥Boom💥

🤔❓Why does using the underscore lead to italicized text instead of underlined text!? I have no idea. Ask the Googs. ❓🤔

Even more puzzling, there's no option to create underlined text. But hey, 3 minutes ago, you didn't know about how to do bold or italics, so calm it down, buddy.

Here's the real head-scratcher: some people seem to want strikethrough text in a comment. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Why? I dunno. But it's possible. Just surround your text with hyphens (-) and you've got strikethrough. Medium-half-excited-don't-know-why-anyone-wants-this-feature-💥 Boom💥. But again, 4 minutes ago, you were clueless that this was even within the realm of possibility, so turn your snark dial down, Francis. Anyhow, here's a GIF. Please enjoy.

Posted on Categories Docs, Google

Have you seen my GIF Pronunciation stickers? You can purchase them at JakeMiller.net/Shop and show which side of the battle you are on!

Posted on Categories Tags Blog EduGIF, EduGIFs, GIF

A few weeks ago, I posted a little hack that I like to use for making student answers in Google Docs easier to find. You can see that post here. Multiple people reminded me of a practice that many elementary educators love using:

Instead of just pre-formatting the answer space, actually create an answer table. This makes it less likely that students accidentally mess up the pre-existing content in the doc and makes their answers easier to find. This is a great practice when assigning these Docs as Make a Copy for Each Student in Google Classroom.

There are 3 different ways to do this. I'll show each in the GIF below and then go over them in some additional detail below the GIF.

More details on what you see in the GIF below . . . Continue reading Using Answer Tables in Google Docs

Posted on Categories Classroom, Docs, Google

A few weeks ago, I shared a post about putting Drawings in Google Docs that are assigned in Google Classroom. After seeing some of the reactions, I realized that some educators either weren't aware of the powers of Google Drawings or had never thought of using them in assignments with Google Classroom. I was all "whaaaaat!?" So, now I'm here to dial it back a notch... Let's talk about assigning Google Drawings ( not Drawings in Docs, just Drawings) in Google Classroom. First up: an animated GIF for your viewing pleasure; and then: a quick step-by-step of how to use Drawings in Classroom.

Continue reading Google Drawings in Google Classroom

Posted on Categories Chromebooks, Classroom, Drawings, Google, Slides

If you've ever created assignments in Google Docs, Slides or Drawings for students to complete, you're all too familiar with this struggle: students accidentally deleting, moving or modifying elements of the assignment.

Well, in Google Slides, there are 2 ways to prevent this from happening and here's the easier of the two: put the content of the assignment in as a background. Then, the only way a student can delete, move or modify it would be to actually go into the background settings and change it.... which can't be done by accident.

Let me show you how, first with an animated GIF and then with step-by-step instructions.

1. Set up your slide with any text, images, etc.

2. File > Download as > PNG Image (JPEG will work too)

3. Clear off the slide.

4. Click Background, then, next to Image, click Choose.

5. Click the downloaded image file from Step 2.

6. Voila! Send your assignment out in Classroom (or share it with students or have them make a copy).

Posted on Categories Classroom, Docs, Google

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This idea-a true moment of educational duct tape (using technology to solve a classroom problem or goal)-actually came to me while recording an episode of my Educational Duct Tape Podcast! In Episode 5, I played a question that Linda Hummer shared to the Educational Duct Tape Community FlipGrid along with Abbey Thomas' answer.

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Dropdown List in Google Sheets – Jake Miller

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Dropdown List in Google Sheets – Jake Miller

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Did you know that you could add a dropdown list of options to a cell (or cells, plural) in Google Sheets? This is nice for creating something like a "multiple-choice option," but is also nice when you want to force your collaborators (or yourself!) to select from a specific list of choices.

It can be especially useful if you have formulas acting on that cell. For example, if you were keeping track of a budget and wanted different things (i.e., adding versus subtracting) to happen if a row was marked as a deposit, purchase or interest.

Here's an animated GIF about how to do it followed, as usual, by a list of the steps.

Step 1: Click on the cell or cells that you plan to add the dropdown list to
Step 2: Right-click & select Data Validation
Step 3: In the dropdown by Criteria, select List of Items
Step 4: Type your options into the box, separating them with commas (I tend to alphabetize them)
Step 5: Click Save.

Published by

Jake Miller

Jake is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and is the Lead Technology Integration Specialist for Brady Middle School in Ohio's Orange City Schools. In the past he taught STEM, Science & Math in Stow-Munroe Falls, Ohio, where he was also a leader in the district's Technology Leadership Team and a co-advisor for the middle school's STEM Club. He has been an educator since 2003. His Bachelor's Degree is in middle-level education (math/science) from the University of Akron and his Master's Degree is in Instructional Technology from Kent State University. He has enjoyed providing more than 100 professional development opportunities at conferences and school districts across the state of Ohio. He is very involved in Twitter (@JakeMillerTech) and provides regular pointers for educators with his #GAFETip tweets. View all posts by Jake Miller

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Did you know that you could add a dropdown list of options to a cell (or cells, plural) in Google Sheets? This is nice for creating something like a "multiple-choice option," but is also nice when you want to force your collaborators (or yourself!) to select from a specific list of choices.

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Translate in Google Sheets – Jake Miller

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Translate in Google Sheets – Jake Miller

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Living in a new country where a different language is spoken is something that I can barely fathom. Doing it as a child just blows my mind. Our schools are often ill-equipped to support these kiddos, but they often do have one powerful tool that can help: compassionate teachers.

One of these compassionate teachers once came to me looking to create a tool to support an ELL (English Language Learner) student. His idea was to organize important English vocabulary words and their translations to the student's native language into a spreadsheet. He could just Click here for more translations but he chose to go with others. After he came to me with this idea, I started exploring options. What I discovered was really exciting! There's a Google Translate formula in Google Sheets!

Enter a word in one language in a cell, and then use the formula =GoogleTranslate(text, source_language, target_language) in another cell to automagically translate it! You can even drag the fill handle at the bottom of the formula cell down to apply this formula to more than one cell.

This formula appears to work for all languages supported by Google Translate, of which there are more than 100! It even outputs the results with the correct letters and alphabet-not just our ABC English letters. You'll just need to know the 2-letter code for the language, which you can find in this list.

Check out how to do it in the animation below!

Published by

Jake Miller

Jake is the host of the Educational Duct Tape podcast, the #EduGIF Guy, a Tech Integration Coach, speaker, Former STEM, Math & Science Teacher, and a presenter. View all posts by Jake Miller

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Living in a new country where a different language is spoken is something that I can barely fathom. Doing it as a child just blows my mind. Our schools are often ill-equipped to support these kiddos, but they often do have one powerful tool that can help: compassionate teachers.

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Classroomscreen | The #1 online whiteboard for teachers | www-production-classroomscreen-com

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Manage your classroom in a fun and engaging way. Classroomscreen is packed with widgets for teachers: timers, group makers, interactive polls and much more…

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To add structure to the process of finding a partner, divide the class into two equal groups. Have one group make a circle and face out. Have the other group make a circle around the first group and face in. Students in both circles should stand face-to-face with the person across from them.

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Welcome to the resource page for the 4 Shifts Protocol (formerly known as trudacot), a discussion protocol intended to help facilitate educator conversations about deeper learning, greater student agency, more authentic work, and rich technology infusion! The 4 Shifts Protocol is being used by teachers, principals, instructional coaches, and technology integrationists all over the world to make lessons,...

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6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019 | Cult of Pedagogy

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6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019 | Cult of Pedagogy

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
Sponsored by Listenwise and NewseumED

Every January, I launch a brand-new edition of my Teacher's Guide to Tech. As challenging and time-consuming as it is to put this guide together every year, it's also pretty magical. I find myself sitting at my keyboard with a million browser tabs open and it happens-that moment when I come across some idea that someone has brought into the world and I think Holy cow, this is good. The thought that someone saw a problem or a need in the world, and they used code to create something brand new to meet that need-that process, that realization of human creativity, is just incredible to me. I watch as these tools come and go and change over time and I marvel at the people behind them, the risks they take, their willingness to try new stuff and push their ideas out into the world.

I don't think technology is the end-all be-all, and of course it brings new problems into our lives, but just watching the creativity behind these tools makes me so excited to live in a time when so many ordinary people can actually bring their ideas to life and watch those ideas impact the world.

So every year, I choose six of these tools that I think are worth a little extra attention. Before we get to the six-plus the two "honorable mentions" I squeezed in at the end-let's take a quick look at the 2019 guide:

The Tools

1. Equity Maps
equitymaps.com
Figuring out which students participate in a class discussion-and how often-can be a huge challenge. Equity Maps is an iPad app for keeping track of that.

You start by creating a seating chart that shows where students are sitting for a discussion. When the discussion starts, you just tap each student's icon as that student contributes to the conversation. Equity Maps keeps track of how long each student talks so that when you're done, you can get a summary of how often each class member participated, how many were active participants, and whether there was equal gender distribution among those who actively engaged.

Other features add more functionality: There are buttons to record periods of silence, pair-shares and small groups, and even a "chaos" button to keep track of times when the formal discussion dissolved into many smaller conversations. An audio recorder even lets you record the whole discussion so that you can review it later with the map, helping you and your students reflect on the quality of their participation.

Equity Maps would be a useful tool for most grade levels and subject areas-in any class where you want students to actively participate.

2. ProWritingAid*
prowritingaid.com
We have a lot of good writing tools out there, but this is one of the most comprehensive I've seen. ProWritingAid does a really deep dive into the quality of your writing, looking at everything from passive voice to overused words, from the use of clichés to sentence variety. Just compose in the tool itself, copy and paste, or upload a document and you'll get a summary report with all kinds of statistics about the strengths and weaknesses of the piece, plus suggestions for changes when you hover over highlighted places in the text itself.

Here are just a few of the things your summary report will tell you: the readability of your piece based on four different reading scales, the number of times you used certain words, the most unique words in your piece, your average sentence length (along with a graph that actually shows you where sentences of different lengths are placed), how often you used adverbs (which can weaken your writing), and how often you used weak or passive wording. It has a free and a paid version, but you can get a lot of mileage out of the free version.

If you're an English teacher you really need to take a look at this tool-it will reinforce a lot of what you're trying to teach your students, and will draw their attention to individual strengths and weaknesses, which will make it much easier to personalize instruction.

3. Google Tour Creator
vr.google.com/tourcreator
A lot of teachers are already familiar with Google Expeditions, a virtual reality platform that lets users experience hundreds of places in the world in 3D. But what you might not know is that you can now create your own tours using Tour Creator. This tool enables us to create our own tours, using imagery from Google Street View or our own 360 photos, then publish them right into Poly, Google's library of free VR and AR objects.

Students can create tours as part of a research project, use them as a way to reflect after a field trip, or even as a supplement to a creative writing project. They can be used to create tours of your school, your classroom, or your town. If your school doesn't currently have much VR technology, start with an affordable Google Cardboard -just pop a smartphone into one of these and you now have one VR headset that can be used by a small group of students.

4. Great Big Story
greatbigstory.com
Great Big Story's mission statement reads as follows: "We believe there is magic in the world and it's our mission in life to help you discover it. We search for stories showing a sense of optimism for the world...because goodness can grow through the smallest cracks in the sidewalk."

How they help us discover the world's magic is through video: short, professionally produced videos about people and phenomena all over the world, stories that will pique your curiosity and give you the sense of wonder about the world. Videos can be browsed by themes like Human Condition, Planet Earth, and Flavors (yep, all about food), or in curated playlists. There's one on America's oldest female BMX racer, one about a 12-year-old scientist who took on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and one on the accidental invention of the best snack food ever.

Video is becoming a well-respected form of "text" that can be consumed and analyzed as deeply as any print text, so collections like these should become a part of your school's library of options for classroom materials. One word of warning: Although the content on the site has been rated safe for all audiences on YouTube and Facebook, the videos on Great Big Story were not made specifically for a student audience, and some material will not be appropriate for younger viewers. Teachers should preview videos before sharing them with students.

5. GeoGuessr
geoguessr.com
This one is my absolute favorite.

This addictive game plunks you down somewhere in the world using Google Street view. You literally start on some country road and the whole point of the game is to figure out where in the world you are. You can navigate down the road in the app, and you can turn around and zoom in to look more closely at things, but because the game often chooses the most remote locations, you often find yourself traveling for quite a while before you see any clues. Once you do see something-a road sign, ideally, or something at least with language on it-you can start figuring it out.

I don't even know if this is following the rules, but the times I've played this, I've been amazed at the number of resources I ended up pulling together to figure things out: I do Google image matches, use Google Translate to figure out what a language even is, and even look things up on Wikipedia to figure out if I'm on the right track. I've had four or five different tabs open to try and narrow down a precise location, and all the while, I'm learning stuff. I had no idea, for example, that there was an island called Gotland off the coast of Sweden! Or that there's an animal called a springhare in South Africa that looks an awful lot like a kangaroo.

Whenever you think you know where you are, you choose a location on a map, then you're rewarded with a certain number of points based on how close you got. When you get close, it's just thrilling. This would be a fantastic option for early finishers, lame duck days, or even as a reward for good behavior. It's that fun.

6. Webjets
webjets.io
When you first look at Webjets, you might think, "Oh, it's like Padlet." And in some ways, you'd be right: In Webjets, users create boards where they gather items on cards, placing these on a desktop that feels like a bulletin board.

But with Webjets, these cards work even harder than they do on Padlet, and they come in a variety of formats: A card can contain an image, an embedded video, a live Google Doc, an attached file, or a table containing a variety of elements organized into columns. Probably the best feature is that cards can be collected into folders, where the items are listed along the left, and the selected item appears in a larger window on the right. You can keep multiple folders on one board, and all cards can be collapsed or expanded, making it easy to neatly collect large amounts of resources all in one place.

Webjets would be an excellent, flexible tool for any kind of group project or curation task, whether it's done by you or your students.

Honorable Mention

YoTeach!
yoteachapp.com
If, like me, you were completely devastated when the backchannel tool TodaysMeet shut down last year, you'll be happy to know that you can have almost the same experience on YoTeach! Just set up a free room, give your students the URL, and everyone can come on in and chat just like they did on TodaysMeet. What's even better is that you can password protect your room, participants can add pictures and drawings in the chat, and rooms don't appear to ever expire.

ClassroomQ
classroomq.com
This simple website solves a problem that so many teachers have: students waiting for the teacher's attention. Rather than have them wait with their hands up or get off-task, they can add their name to a digital queue, adding a note about what they need if they like. The teacher sees the names in the order they were submitted, and once the student has met with the teacher, their name can be checked off with a single click.

Where to Get the Teacher's Guide to Tech

Single-User Licenses:If you just want a copy for yourself, you can get a copy at Teachers Pay Teachers or on Teachable.

Multi-User Licenses: To get the guide for your team, school, or even district, you can save a lot by getting multi-user licenses. I offer the deepest discounts for these on Teachable.

Purchase on Teachable
Purchase on TpT
*Since the publication of this post, I have become an affiliate for ProWritingAid, which means Cult of Pedagogy receives a percentage of any subscription that comes through my links. This relationship was not established until after I wrote the post, and my decision to choose ProWritingAid as one of these six tools was not financially motivated in any way.

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Listen to this post as a podcast: Sponsored by Listenwise and NewseumED Every January, I launch a brand-new edition of my Teacher's Guide to Tech. As challenging and time-consuming as it is to put this guide together every year, it's also pretty magical.

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From the extraordinary talents of everyday people around the globe, to awe-inspiring wonders of the natural world, come remarkable great big stories.

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This feature is only available to Premium users. If you don't have a premium account yet, you can still install it. You will be offered a free two-week trial when you first try to use it. You can also purchase a Premium license from within the add-on.

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‎Equity Maps – Chart Dialogue on the App Store

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‎Equity Maps – Chart Dialogue on the App Store

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‎Chart & record the interaction of students or colleagues to measure & graphically illustrate levels & types of participation. The instant analytics & animated playback at multiple speeds will help spur discussion & engage everyone in deeper reflection! Effortlessly trace and assess your students' i...

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10 timeless tips for teaching with technology | Ditch That Textbook

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For me, it was the timeless classic Oregon Trail.

When I started teaching 10 years ago, it was webquests.

Today, it's iPads, social media and creation tools on the Web.

There are three certains in life: death, taxes and changing technology. What students are using today will be way out of style when most of them hit the workforce (or even college).

We can't keep teaching students programs. They have to learn how to adapt to new technologies.

As the hardware and the programs and the apps change, certain fundamentals of teaching with tech stay the same. If we center our teaching - and our students' learning - on these ideas, we will be able to weather the storm of constant digital changes.

Here are 10 timeless ideas for teaching with technology. This is certainly not an all-encompassing list, and I would certainly appreciate it if you would add your own timeless tech tips to this list in a comment at the end of the post.

1. Go where the students are

They all have their favorite tools, from the notepad on their iPhones to texting themselves to saving pictures of everything to Instagram. Students feel comfortable with those tools. They should - they've spent significant parts of their lives honing their skills on them! If you can move in next door to students with what they're most comfortable using, you may gain access to them in ways you can't otherwise.

2. Utilize self-directed learning

No longer is the teacher the main portal to information. There's YouTube, Wikipedia and a host of blogs and other sites to guide curious minds. Put those resources to work! There's power in giving students opportunities to pursue what interests them - within the scope of your class OR within the limits of their own imagination.

3. Emphasize task over tool

This is the drum that so many have beaten about technology in education - but for good reason. It's not about the technology; it's about the learning. Technology isn't a learning outcome. Looking back over time, be it Math Blaster or Twitter in the classroom, good teachers have used the technology to accomplish their teaching goals.

4. Give students control

They know what they want to learn. They know what interests them. Why not turn students loose to learn on their own? Teachers have held tightly to control for years, but with information so freely and cheaply available, it's easy to become irrelevant if we don't.

5. Promote creating over consuming

What's easy? Googling the answer to a question. What's hard? Creating a resource for people who might have that same question. If the Web is going to harness the potential we want it to in the future, we must create a culture of creation instead of consumption. If no one ever created, this digital age we're in wouldn't exist.

6. Produce for a large audience

To reach a wide audience in the past, you needed a newspaper, a book publisher, a radio station or an airplane for dropping leaflets. These days, you need a blog or a social media account to reach the world. When students do an assignment their peers will see, they often try harder. Imagine the effort if a global audience could see it!

7. Use visuals to engage

Video and images are so easy to access online, and if you get the right ones for the message you want to convey, they're infinitely more powerful than what you could say in words. Our brains are geared toward pictures. Feed your students' brains!

8. Personalize everything

As a yearbook adviser for a few years, there was one rule that the publishing companies ensured that we (and our staffs) knew. Who is the first person everyone looks for in a new yearbook? Themselves. We want to see ourselves in everything we engage in. Make instant connections with students by making sure they can see themselves in what they're learning and creating.

9. Make it matter

Doing a significant project about an interesting topic can connect with students. Doing it to help improve or solve an important problem makes it meaningful. The constant concern of parents, students and teachers is real-life application. If what you do or create for a class can improve the lives of others in your community or around the world, it's not just academic anymore.

10. Don't assume students already know

They're digital natives. They were born in this technology-laden culture. They understand terms and devices and processes that many of us don't. But that doesn't mean that they have an innate ability to pick up every new digital tool or app instantly. And it doesn't mean that they're all like that. Like us, they need time to develop a comfort level with new technology before wielding it.

What's your best timeless technology tip? Or which one in the list above resonates most with you? Tell us in a comment below!

(For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links, "like" Ditch That Textbook on Facebook and follow @jmattmiller on Twitter!)
Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail!

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10 timeless tips for teaching with technology

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For me, it was the timeless classic Oregon Trail. When I started teaching 10 years ago, it was webquests. Today, it's iPads, social media and creation tools on the Web. There are three certains in life: death, taxes and changing technology.

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This page can be used to access all of the professional development badges created by Chris Tucker.

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Interactive presentation software - Mentimeter

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Your browser either doesn't support Javascript, or you've turned it off. To use Mentimeter, please make sure to turn Javascript on. How do I enable Javascript?

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Interact with your audience using real-time voting. No installations or downloads required and it's free!

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Peergrade - engaging student peer review

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Peergrade - engaging student peer review

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Peergrade is an online platform to facilitate peer feedback sessions with students

Get started

The teacher sets up an assignment

You start by setting up your assignment. You pick a feedback rubric from our library or create your own, select an assignment template and you're ready to get started.

Students submit their work

Students submit their work to your assignment. They can submit anything - text, files, videos, links and even Google docs!

Students review each other

Your students give each other anonymous feedback through your rubric.

Students engage with their feedback

Students receive feedback from their peers, they react, discuss and engage with their feedback.

The teacher has a complete overview

You get the complete overview of everything that is happening in the assignment.

Built on academic research

Peergrade is not just a tool that can provide you with insights into your students' performance and save you time. It also creates a much better learning experience for your students. Don't believe us? There's a bunch of studies that actually proves that it can increase learning up to 30%!

Used by thousands of schools and universities

Get Started

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Peergrade - engaging student peer review

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Learn by giving feedback! Peergrade is a free online platform to facilitate peer feedback sessions with students.

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Doing more with Google Forms - GTT049 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Doing more with Google Forms - GTT049 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Matt and Kasey again tackle Google Forms but this time tackle them with a twist!

Google News and Updates

Featured Content

Forms Add-Ons

What are add-ons?

Where to find them in Forms?

Difference between add-ons for Forms vs. Sheets

Recommended Add-Ons for Forms (We will cover Sheets in another episode!)

Google Teacher Tribe Mailbag

Sean Fahey (via Speakpipe) - Insert a Video into a Google Doc

Becca Pierce, NC - First of all, I love your show! I listened to my first show last night and it was so informative! I will definitely be going back to listen to more! Thank you so much for all you do! My question: I recently have been looking into Hyperdocs. I went on the website and saved some of the already created ones to my Drive. One of them is a Google Doc. As the student scrolls down, he can click on these fraction problems. It brings up a smaller screen with a Google Drawings that can be edited. The student draws on some fractions and types answers. I love it! But I can't seem to recreate this concept. How do you put the editable version of a Google Drawing into a Google Doc (or slide)? Thank you!

On The Blogs

Ask questions or share your feedback

Please Connect with Us

Disclosure

This post may contain links to products or services with which we have an affiliate relationship. We may receive commissions or bonuses from your actions on such links

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Doing more with Google Forms - GTT049 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Matt and Kasey again tackle Google Forms but this time tackle them with a twist! Google News and Updates Featured Content Forms Add-Ons What are add-ons? Where to find them in Forms? Difference between add-ons for Forms vs. Sheets Recommended Add-Ons for Forms (We will cover Sheets in another episode!)

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Amazing Add-Ons for Google Docs - GTT052 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Amazing Add-Ons for Google Docs - GTT052 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Add-ons are just what Google Docs needs and Matt and Kasey go over some of their favorites!

Google News and Updates

Featured Content

Leave voice comments for students

Discuss student work in an online hub

Reuse commonly use comments

Track and rate student progress

Highlight a document in different colors

Pull highlighted text from a document and sort in a table at the end of the document

Hides and reveals text in a document

Use a password to reveal hidden text

WriQ is a new Add-on from Texthelp that helps teachers score and keep track of students' spelling, punctuation and grammar errors so you can focus on the things computers can't score.

WriQ auto-scores your students' docs and tracks the following measures over time:

The teacher dashboard gives you a clear graphical view of your students' writing activity, and let's you track their progress over time.

Read&Write for Google Chrome

Technically a Chrome extension but can use in Docs (and web)

Read&Write offers a range of powerful support tools to help you gain confidence with reading, writing, studying and research, including:

Text-to-speech to hear words, passages, or whole documents read aloud with easy-to-follow dual color highlighting

Text and picture dictionaries to see the meaning of words explained

With speech-to-text, dictate words to assist with writing, proofreading & studying

Word prediction offers suggestions for the current or next word as you type

Collect highlights from the text in documents or the web for summarizing and research

Create and listen to voice notes directly inside of Google Docs

Simplify and summarize text on web pages to remove ads and other copy that can be distracting

FREE for teachers

The Bibliography Creator by EasyBib allows you to easily create a bibliography for your research paper.

Automatically cite books, journal articles, and websites just by entering in the titles or URLs. Format citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7K other styles.

When you're finished creating your bibliography, click Generate Bibliography and we'll alphabetize your citations and add them to the end of your paper.

Easily create mathematical equations, formulas, and quizzes. Intuitively type or handwrite, with no tricky math code to learn.

Google Teacher Tribe Mailbag

Renee Johnson (Oakhurst, CA) - ctrl+z - to add to another location in Drive ... Add student work samples to PD folder for teacher training.

Craig Klement (Garland, TX) - Same three questions on student forms: First name, last name, class period (drop down) ... Spreadsheet: right click on awesome box, sort range (by class period, then by last name)
Differentiate forms: three dots, section based on answer (if correct: to next question, if incorrect: YT vid, article, picture, do over or similar question)

How to Differentiate Questions in Google Forms

On The Blogs

Ask questions or share your feedback

Please Connect with Us

Disclosure

This post may contain links to products or services with which we have an affiliate relationship. We may receive commissions or bonuses from your actions on such links

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Amazing Add-Ons for Google Docs - GTT052 - Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

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Add-ons are just what Google Docs needs and Matt and Kasey go over some of their favorites!

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Encrypt and hide sensitive information, store passwords, share censored documents or collaborate securely.

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Highlighting tool for Google Documents. Create and share customized highlighters. Save highlighted text to a separate document.

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try | Ditch That Textbook

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try | Ditch That Textbook

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The basic functions of Google Drive and Google Classroom are only the starting point for the innovative and creative uses one can use in the classroom.

Alice Keeler, my co-author in our upcoming book Ditch That Homework, proves that again and again.

Alice is one of the only people I know personally who codes for fun. (OK, she's probably the only one I know like that!) She writes scripts for teachers to use with their Google tools.

It's like Google Sheets bows down on one knee to this woman and does her bidding. Seriously.

Alice has created dozens of pre-created templates, add-ons, scripts, extensions - you name it, she's created them. After browsing her library of them, I knew I had to share some of them with you.

Two of these are Google Chrome extensions - little programs you install in your Chrome web browser that will perform certain tasks. (Kind of like an add-on in that you're "adding on" a function to what you do within Google Classroom.)

But most are scripts/add-ons she wrote to run inside Google Sheets or other Google tools. With those, you just make a copy of her original form and follow the instructions to make those files dance, sing and do whatever you want them to do. (Figuratively, of course ...)

Here are 10 of them I like the most. Some are super simple (see: RosterTab). Others are a bit more complicated but doable (see: Teacher Newsletter).

1. DriveSlides - DriveSlides is a Google Chrome extension. DriveSlides was created by Alice Keeler and me in connection with the book Ditch That Homework that we're currently writing.

With DriveSlides, you can:

Save images to a folder in Google Drive

Create a slide presentation, putting each image on a separate slide automatically

How to use it: I wrote a blog post about DriveSlides, including step-by-step directions and a tutorial video. Click here to see it!
Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/driveslides-by-matt-mille/ijnjlojbdhgpamjiflocklhfeciokfdl

Capture an image of your screen (a screenshot) every minute

Put each screenshot on a separate slide in a new Google Slides presentation

2. SlideShot - SlideShot is a Google Chrome extension. It will let you:

This is great for having students look back over their work for the day and reflect on what they've learned or how they've spent their time.
Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/alice-keeler-slideshot/aedgoefpkibhaiigkbjjgccgncldoice?hl=en
How to use it: In the DriveSlides blog post I mentioned above, I outlined SlideShot, too - and included ways both can be used in the classroom. Here's a blog post by Alice about SlideShot as well.

3. Group Maker - Group Maker lets you use the roster for your class to randomly assign students to groups.

How to use it: Add your roster to the roster column. Change the size of the group to the number of students in each group. From the menu, click: Add-ons > Group Maker > Start. Then click the "Make Groups" button. Alice has a blog post that explains it in detail here.

Link: alicekeeler.com/groupmaker

4. Google Classroom: List Docs - List Docs does what it sounds like it does: it gives you a list of all of the documents students have submitted through Google Classroom. It makes a spreadsheet - one sheet has a list of all of your Google Classroom folders, and the subsequent tabs list all of the documents students have turned in to each folder.

How to use it: Alice's blog post (and tutorial video) outlines it in detail, but generally, here's what you do:

Open the template in the link below. You'll need to provide the folder ID for your Google Classroom folder (which Alice shows you how to do in her blog post above). Run the add-on called "Show me all the docs" (great name, huh?) that's already pre-loaded in the spreadsheet. It will create a spreadsheet with links to all of your docs.

Link: alicekeeler.com/showdocs

5. Teacher Newsletter - This one is amazing, but it does take some setting up first. Teacher Newsletter lets teachers create unique newsletters customized for each student. It can include unique praise for each student, unique goals, etc. It then automatically emails those newsletters to parents.

How to use it: Alice details it in her blog post here. Basically, you use the template at the link listed below. Design your newsletter in Google Docs. Add merge tags to the newsletter where you want to pull in the unique information for each student. (If the term "merge tags" sounds scary, don't worry ... the detailed step-by-step instructions in Alice's post show you how to do it.)

Add each student's name and email address in the sheet along with any unique comments/info to send to parents. Then run the add-on and it emails those personalized newsletters to parents!

Link: tinyurl.com/keelernewsletter

6. Comment Maker - Comment Maker lets you email each student a note quickly and easily. You can type everything you'll need to send everyone an email all on one screen.

How to use it: Open the spreadsheet at the link below. Copy and paste in student names and email addresses. Type individual comments to each student. You can also add a "global note" - a comment that goes to everyone AND choose not to send emails to specific students. Click the "send emails" button and you're done! Alice has detailed directions with screenshots in this blog post.

Link: alicekeeler.com/sendcomments

7. Pull the Paragraph - Want to save the time and hassle of opening lots of documents turned in by students to Google Classroom? Pull the Paragraph pulls in all of the students' documents into one Google Sheets spreadsheet. You can read everything on one screen, type feedback and submit it to students.

How to use it: Load the spreadsheet in the link below. Open a folder of student work in your Google Drive. (If you're using Google Classroom, it will be in the Classroom folder.) Pull the Paragraph will pull in all of the students' writing in the spreadsheet. You'll want to make the columns wider and use word wrap so you can see everything. Read student work and type comments to return to them in the comments column. Pull the Paragraph will add those comments to the students' documents automatically and can even email them, telling them that there's feedback to see.

See screenshots and detailed directions in Alice's Pull the Paragraph blog post.

Link: alicekeeler.com/pulltheparagraph

8. RosterTab - This one is so simple and saves time. Create a spreadsheet with a tab for every student - giving each student his/her own digital space to work within an entire class file. RosterTab will create all of those tabs for you instantly.

How to use it: Load the spreadsheet with the link below. Copy and paste (or type in) the names of all of your students. (Note: The link below goes to RosterTab2, which adds an option to email students a link to their tabs (less confusion!).) In the menu, go to Add-ons > RosterTab2 > Start and it will create those tabs - one for each student. Detailed directions and screenshots are available in this blog post.

This is great for having students do some simple work that's gathered in the same file - so you don't have to open lots of documents to grade.

Link: alicekeeler.com/rostertab2

9. TemplateTab - TemplateTab is a variation of RosterTab (above). TemplateTab will create new tabs in a spreadsheet for every student in your class. However, you can pre-design those tabs for the students by adding text, color, etc. You create a template for everyone to use and TemplateTab will copy it on each student tab when they're created.

How to use it: It's the same as RosterTab (above) except you design the template you want your students to use in the template tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Do that before starting the add-on. Here's a blog post with step-by-step directions.

Link: alicekeeler.com/templatetab

10. RubricTab - Again, another take off TemplateTab (above). In this version, RubricTab copies a rubric that you create to each student tab. You can give a grade and provide feedback on each student rubric. When you're done, you can copy/paste and email a link to each student's tab to each student.

How to use it: Check out Alice's blog post for step-by-step directions.

Link: alicekeeler.com/rubrictab
For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Matt is scheduled to present at the following upcoming events:
Looking for more?

Alice LOVES coding and she has created lots of other add-ons/scripts like these. They're available on her site: alicekeeler.com/scripts. I just picked my top 10 favorites, but there are literally dozens for you to try!

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try

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The basic functions of Google Drive and Google Classroom are only the starting point for the innovative and creative uses one can use in the classroom. Alice Keeler, my co-author in our upcoming book Ditch That Homework , proves that again and again. Alice is one of the only people I know personally who codes for fun.

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try | Ditch That Textbook

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try | Ditch That Textbook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The basic functions of Google Drive and Google Classroom are only the starting point for the innovative and creative uses one can use in the classroom.

Alice Keeler, my co-author in our upcoming book Ditch That Homework, proves that again and again.

Alice is one of the only people I know personally who codes for fun. (OK, she's probably the only one I know like that!) She writes scripts for teachers to use with their Google tools.

It's like Google Sheets bows down on one knee to this woman and does her bidding. Seriously.

Alice has created dozens of pre-created templates, add-ons, scripts, extensions - you name it, she's created them. After browsing her library of them, I knew I had to share some of them with you.

Two of these are Google Chrome extensions - little programs you install in your Chrome web browser that will perform certain tasks. (Kind of like an add-on in that you're "adding on" a function to what you do within Google Classroom.)

But most are scripts/add-ons she wrote to run inside Google Sheets or other Google tools. With those, you just make a copy of her original form and follow the instructions to make those files dance, sing and do whatever you want them to do. (Figuratively, of course ...)

Here are 10 of them I like the most. Some are super simple (see: RosterTab). Others are a bit more complicated but doable (see: Teacher Newsletter).

1. DriveSlides - DriveSlides is a Google Chrome extension. DriveSlides was created by Alice Keeler and me in connection with the book Ditch That Homework that we're currently writing.

With DriveSlides, you can:

Save images to a folder in Google Drive

Create a slide presentation, putting each image on a separate slide automatically

How to use it: I wrote a blog post about DriveSlides, including step-by-step directions and a tutorial video. Click here to see it!
Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/driveslides-by-matt-mille/ijnjlojbdhgpamjiflocklhfeciokfdl

Capture an image of your screen (a screenshot) every minute

Put each screenshot on a separate slide in a new Google Slides presentation

2. SlideShot - SlideShot is a Google Chrome extension. It will let you:

This is great for having students look back over their work for the day and reflect on what they've learned or how they've spent their time.
Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/alice-keeler-slideshot/aedgoefpkibhaiigkbjjgccgncldoice?hl=en
How to use it: In the DriveSlides blog post I mentioned above, I outlined SlideShot, too - and included ways both can be used in the classroom. Here's a blog post by Alice about SlideShot as well.

3. Group Maker - Group Maker lets you use the roster for your class to randomly assign students to groups.

How to use it: Add your roster to the roster column. Change the size of the group to the number of students in each group. From the menu, click: Add-ons > Group Maker > Start. Then click the "Make Groups" button. Alice has a blog post that explains it in detail here.

Link: alicekeeler.com/groupmaker

4. Google Classroom: List Docs - List Docs does what it sounds like it does: it gives you a list of all of the documents students have submitted through Google Classroom. It makes a spreadsheet - one sheet has a list of all of your Google Classroom folders, and the subsequent tabs list all of the documents students have turned in to each folder.

How to use it: Alice's blog post (and tutorial video) outlines it in detail, but generally, here's what you do:

Open the template in the link below. You'll need to provide the folder ID for your Google Classroom folder (which Alice shows you how to do in her blog post above). Run the add-on called "Show me all the docs" (great name, huh?) that's already pre-loaded in the spreadsheet. It will create a spreadsheet with links to all of your docs.

Link: alicekeeler.com/showdocs

5. Teacher Newsletter - This one is amazing, but it does take some setting up first. Teacher Newsletter lets teachers create unique newsletters customized for each student. It can include unique praise for each student, unique goals, etc. It then automatically emails those newsletters to parents.

How to use it: Alice details it in her blog post here. Basically, you use the template at the link listed below. Design your newsletter in Google Docs. Add merge tags to the newsletter where you want to pull in the unique information for each student. (If the term "merge tags" sounds scary, don't worry ... the detailed step-by-step instructions in Alice's post show you how to do it.)

Add each student's name and email address in the sheet along with any unique comments/info to send to parents. Then run the add-on and it emails those personalized newsletters to parents!

Link: tinyurl.com/keelernewsletter

6. Comment Maker - Comment Maker lets you email each student a note quickly and easily. You can type everything you'll need to send everyone an email all on one screen.

How to use it: Open the spreadsheet at the link below. Copy and paste in student names and email addresses. Type individual comments to each student. You can also add a "global note" - a comment that goes to everyone AND choose not to send emails to specific students. Click the "send emails" button and you're done! Alice has detailed directions with screenshots in this blog post.

Link: alicekeeler.com/sendcomments

7. Pull the Paragraph - Want to save the time and hassle of opening lots of documents turned in by students to Google Classroom? Pull the Paragraph pulls in all of the students' documents into one Google Sheets spreadsheet. You can read everything on one screen, type feedback and submit it to students.

How to use it: Load the spreadsheet in the link below. Open a folder of student work in your Google Drive. (If you're using Google Classroom, it will be in the Classroom folder.) Pull the Paragraph will pull in all of the students' writing in the spreadsheet. You'll want to make the columns wider and use word wrap so you can see everything. Read student work and type comments to return to them in the comments column. Pull the Paragraph will add those comments to the students' documents automatically and can even email them, telling them that there's feedback to see.

See screenshots and detailed directions in Alice's Pull the Paragraph blog post.

Link: alicekeeler.com/pulltheparagraph

8. RosterTab - This one is so simple and saves time. Create a spreadsheet with a tab for every student - giving each student his/her own digital space to work within an entire class file. RosterTab will create all of those tabs for you instantly.

How to use it: Load the spreadsheet with the link below. Copy and paste (or type in) the names of all of your students. (Note: The link below goes to RosterTab2, which adds an option to email students a link to their tabs (less confusion!).) In the menu, go to Add-ons > RosterTab2 > Start and it will create those tabs - one for each student. Detailed directions and screenshots are available in this blog post.

This is great for having students do some simple work that's gathered in the same file - so you don't have to open lots of documents to grade.

Link: alicekeeler.com/rostertab2

9. TemplateTab - TemplateTab is a variation of RosterTab (above). TemplateTab will create new tabs in a spreadsheet for every student in your class. However, you can pre-design those tabs for the students by adding text, color, etc. You create a template for everyone to use and TemplateTab will copy it on each student tab when they're created.

How to use it: It's the same as RosterTab (above) except you design the template you want your students to use in the template tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Do that before starting the add-on. Here's a blog post with step-by-step directions.

Link: alicekeeler.com/templatetab

10. RubricTab - Again, another take off TemplateTab (above). In this version, RubricTab copies a rubric that you create to each student tab. You can give a grade and provide feedback on each student rubric. When you're done, you can copy/paste and email a link to each student's tab to each student.

How to use it: Check out Alice's blog post for step-by-step directions.

Link: alicekeeler.com/rubrictab
For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Matt is scheduled to present at the following upcoming events:
Looking for more?

Alice LOVES coding and she has created lots of other add-ons/scripts like these. They're available on her site: alicekeeler.com/scripts. I just picked my top 10 favorites, but there are literally dozens for you to try!

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10 add-ons to Google Classroom you MUST try

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The basic functions of Google Drive and Google Classroom are only the starting point for the innovative and creative uses one can use in the classroom. Alice Keeler, my co-author in our upcoming book Ditch That Homework , proves that again and again. Alice is one of the only people I know personally who codes for fun.

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Assessment, Accountability, Embedding Instructional Content

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Assessment, Accountability, Embedding Instructional Content

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Insert instructional content into any web page

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Content Creation

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Animation & Drawing by Do Ink is the fun, creative way to make animations on your iPad. The app was designed to be easy for beginners and young animators, but with powerful tools for creating advanced animations. Use the drawing editor to create vector artwork and frame-by-frame (flip book) animations. Use the composition editor to combine your artwork - along with props from the Do Ink prop library - into more complex and sophisticated scenes. Save to the camera roll, then share your creations with friends, classmates, or the world!

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Do Ink provides Creativity Apps -Green Screen by Do Ink and Animation and Drawing by Do Ink for students to show what they know in education.

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Content Creation

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Portfolios, unit previews, self-paced courses, digital notebooks, multimedia lessons, timelines... and much more!

For social studies teachers

The structure of timelines, the simplicity of slides.

Inspire curiosity

The perfect format for inquiry-based instructional strategies. Motivate discussion and spark new ideas.

Critical thinking

Upload primary and secondary sources to train students' eyes to analyze and make connections.

Collaboration

Students work together as they address problems and make decisions as a team to reach a common goal.

Perfect for History, Geography and Sociology

For English, Language and Arts teachers

Writing and multimedia assignments have never been better.

Enhance literacy

Rich-editing features make Sutori a valuable companion for continued reading and writing development.

Creativity

Just the right amount of options to see creativity flourish for all types of learners.

Communication

Sutori's visual nature show the breadth of ways to convey ideas and knowledge.

Templates, lesson plans and more!

For STEM teachers

Showing the process of learning

Structured learning

The canvas to organize content. Set up templates for a cohesive learning experience.

Self-reflection

Students demonstrate their approach, outline their learning and reflect along the way.

Engage

Add formative quizzes, polls and any type of media to build fun activities with your students.

Some ready-made lessons to inspire you

Growing in classrooms across the world.

2,359,762Teachers & students

"With a super-simple design and tons of flexible features, this is an appealing and intuitive way for teachers and students to organize and share class content."

Read the review

Sutori 💙 Cares

Education is the key to a better world and we want to play our part in supporting educators.

Check out our ambassador program and the meaningful and impactful learning initiatives Sutori supports.

Learn more

Who we are

We're a tight knit team of three friends (including two brothers) who have come a long way from recreating historical events on Twitter.

Learn more about our story and how we seek to empower educators in their teaching and keep students' data secure.

Learn about us

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Sutori is a collaborative tool for classrooms, ideal for multimedia assignments in Social Studies, English, Language Arts, STEM, and PBL for all ages.

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Screencastify - Screen Video Recorder - Chrome Web Store

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Screencastify - Screen Video Recorder - Chrome Web Store

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Content Creation

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Screencastify is Chrome's simplest free screen recorder and video-creation platform, empowering anyone to become a better communicator by recording, editing, sharing, and assessing videos in seconds.

With Screencastify, use simple yet powerful screen recording tools to:

Record your desktop, browser tab, and/or webcam
Edit video from your browser
Share your video in multiple ways
Assess effectiveness with Interactive Questions and analytics
Request video submissions with Submit

Educators, professionals, and personal creators across the world use Screencastify screen recorder as a simple way to communicate more effectively through video.

🎬 Join a massive community of video creators
✔ Millions of weekly users
✔ Hundreds of millions of videos recorded
✔ Incredibly easy to learn and use

🎥 Create engaging videos with our easy-to-use screen recorder
▸ Record your browser tab, desktop, and/or your webcam
▸ Narrate with your microphone's audio
▸ Embed your webcam into the recording
▸ Annotate in real time to highlight key points

✂️ Simple video editing
▸ Trim the start and end of your videos
▸ Draw on your tab with the pen tool
▸ Merge, crop, and add text to videos

🚀 Share with your audience, wherever they are
▸ View and share videos on Google Drive
▸ Share to Google Classroom
▸ Export as MP4, animated GIF, or MP3
▸ See who has viewed your videos
▸ Add Interactive Questions to check viewer comprehension


👀Available free
▸ Create and store up to 10 videos free or upgrade for unlimited video creation
▸ Record and store videos up to 30 minutes for free

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How do people use Screencastify to communicate more effectively?

🎓 Education:
▸ Create instructional videos to engage your students whether they're university students or kindergarteners
▸ Create feedback videos to save time and increase your impact
▸ Embrace flipped classrooms or blended learning with video lessons
▸ Have your students practice foreign languages or public speaking
▸ Easily check for student comprehension with Interactive Questions

🏛️ At Work:
▸ Eliminate emails in favor of more effective, personalized communication
▸ Create performance review videos for coworkers
▸ Share engaging messages with your customers, users, and colleagues
▸ Create training and onboarding videos that captivate your employees
▸ Cancel meetings by sharing video instead

🌍 Everyday creators:
▸ With millions of weekly users, we've helped creators share countless ideas for videos to life - from professional YouTubers to personal trainers and attorneys to UFO hunters. What are you waiting for? Install Screencastify and inspire the world with your video communication.

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📝 Specs:
▸ Screencasts are captured as webm/vp8 files with ogg vorbis audio
▸ Videos can be saved to your local disk as various file types (GIF, MP4, etc), directly to your Google Drive, or you can simply share the link
▸ Screencastify screen recorder does not depend on any external software (like Java, Flash or other plugins) so it runs on Chrome OS, Chromebooks, and Chromeboxes
▸ Screen recording is a CPU intensive task. Older or weaker computers may lag if multiple programs and tabs are open at the same time as a screencast

📨 Info / Contact Us:
▸ Twitter:  @Screencastify
▸ Support Docs:  https://learn.screencastify.com
▸ Tech Support: support@screencastify.com

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The leading screen recorder for Chrome. Capture, edit and share videos in seconds.

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Communication Portfolio

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Apr 19, 2018 ... Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio that empowers students of all ages to independently document and share what they are learning at school. **Named Best App of 2015 by Graphite Common Sense Media, American Association of School Librarians, and Richard Byrne's Free Tech for Teachers**

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Assessment, Gamification, Engagement

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Review student understanding at the class, individual student, or question-level.

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Make Graphics, Videos and Web Pages for Free in Minutes | Adobe Spark

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Make Graphics, Videos and Web Pages for Free in Minutes | Adobe Spark

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Content Creation

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Bloomz - The Parent Communication App for Schools & Teachers

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Bloomz - The Parent Communication App for Schools & Teachers

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Communication, Portfolio

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School districts often end up using five to ten different classroom communication apps across all their schools. Schools might be using one tool for msging, and a completely different tool for taking attendance or healthcheck forms. When a school or district uses too many communication apps, things get lost in the shuffle. Overloaded parents often miss important messages leading to further disengagement and frustration.

Bloomz is the unified parent teacher communication app that increases parental engagement by connecting everyone with one easy-to-use tool. Bloomz handles ALL district, school, teacher, parent, and student communication. Bloomz is designed to be the complete unified solution, bringing together teachers, parents and students.

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Parent Teacher Communication App with PBIS Behavior Management

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Bloomz makes it easy for teachers to securely share photos and classroom updates, reach parents through messaging, and coordinate events.

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Assessment, Gamification, Engagement

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Engagement, Content-Creation

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Productivity

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Productivity

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Assessment, Gamification, Engagement

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The evidence is in the practice

ESSA Level 3 correlation evidence in math and ELA, earned by teachers running frequent formative assessments.

When teachers run 30+ formative questions a week, the research is clear: they get more data-driven, their students get more engaged. Wayground is built to make that practice enjoyable ot run, attainable to fit a class period, and habitual enough to last past September.

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Quizizz is now Wayground | Teacher AI and Resources

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Find standards-aligned resources that engage every student. Wayground (formerly Quizizz) helps teachers differentiate instruction with AI and track student progress.

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Productivity

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Collaborate & Create Amazing Graphic Design for Free – Canva

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Collaborate & Create Amazing Graphic Design for Free – Canva

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Content Creation

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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Student-Voice, Vocabulary, Assessment, Collaboaration, 1:1

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Redefine how your students learn vocabulary.

Flashcard Factory was designed to transform the way students engage with vocabulary. When you play Flashcard Factory students pair up and work together to create dynamic and engaging flashcards. Students collaborate to illustrate and define terms, making learning vocab an active and social experience! Flashcard Factory is free to use and works with
Google Apps for Education.

Create a vocabulary list, using either your own definitions or suggestions from Pear Deck's seamless integration with Merriam-Webster.

Play Flashcard Factory! Students are paired up to create unique visual and written illustrations for each term. Their cards go to Quality Control where you can review and choose which ones to ship!

Once your final set is approved, save the cards. Your class can print their cards for review, or export to Gimkit to play with their own class set!

"[Flashcard Factory] grew my ELLs scores, content retention and most importantly, understanding. The weeks we created in Pear Deck vs the weeks we didn't are obvious when looking at data or talking with the students."

- @MrBTechTeacher, 5th Grade Teacher

"We love using Flashcard Factory in the classroom! What a great review and students were able to keep their flashcards to study! Who said vocabulary has to be mundane!"

- @MsLWaterman, 7th & 8th Grade Language Arts

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Flashcard Factory was designed to transform the way students engage with vocabulary. When you play Flashcard Factory students pair up and work together to create dynamic and engaging flashcards. Students collaborate to illustrate and define terms, making learning vocab an active and social experience!

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Relevance, Exposure, Engagement

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Explore the dynamics of our changing planet over the past three and a half decades.

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(1) Google Expeditions: over a million students, on trips to virtually anywhere - YouTube

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(1) Google Expeditions: over a million students, on trips to virtually anywhere - YouTube

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Engagement, Relevance, Content-Creation

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Google Expeditions: over a million students, on trips to virtually anywhere

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Flipgrid - Video for student engagement and formative assessment

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Flipgrid - Video for student engagement and formative assessment

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Student-Voice, Assessment, Engagement, Interconnectedness

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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On the Spot Assessment, Exit Tickets, Engagement, Student Voice

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My friend Kyle asked me to code a way for his son to practice spelling words. Clearly the answer is always a spreadsheet. Enter spelling words onto this spreadsheet and use the Add-On menu (Kyle spells) to practice spelling words.
http://tinyurl.com/kylespelling
List spelling words in column A.
Write a sentence that defines the spelling word without using the word in column B.
Write a sentence that includes the spelling word in context in column C.

Press Start

Check

Next Word

Click on "Next Word" in the sidebar to generate a random word from the spelling list. The sentence for the spelling word will appear and the yellow cell D4 will be cleared to allow you to enter the next spelling word. Click on "Check" in the sidebar to check the spelling.

The "Reset" button in the sidebar deletes the practice page and returns you to the spelling list.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015

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My friend Kyle asked me to code a way for his son to practice spelling words. Clearly the answer is always a spreadsheet. Enter spelling words onto this spreadsheet and use the Add-On menu (Kyle spells) to practice spelling words. Template http://tinyurl.com/kylespelling How it Works After making a copy of the template, locate the Add-On ...

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To make things a little easier for myself, rather than trying to remember what tools I recommend I started a spreadsheet to keep a list. I also asked some of my friends who I consistently learn a lot from to add their favorites to the list. I'll keep adding to the list! Link to the spreadsheet. I have the first tab randomizing the list so that you can discover new tools. The static list is on the second tab.

(I had previously blogged a crowdsourced EdTech tool list. You may enjoy this list too!)

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2017

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To make things a little easier for myself, rather than trying to remember what tools I recommend I started a spreadsheet to keep a list. I also asked some of my friends who I consistently learn a lot from to add their favorites to the list. I'll keep adding to the list!

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7 Best Apps for Student Goal Setting | Emerging Education Technologies

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7 Best Apps for Student Goal Setting | Emerging Education Technologies

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Goal Setters do Better!

Not all students are created equal. That's why we have phrases and clichés like "class clown" or "teacher's pet", two drastically different types of students that we've all come across at some point or another.

The students with the best performance tend to be those who are self-motivated and who love learning for learning's sake. They take notes in lectures not because they have to but because they want to, and they set themselves goals and hold themselves accountable for meeting them.

But equally, we all know it's easy to lose focus if you don't have something to keep you on track. That's where this post comes in. Here are just seven of the best apps that are out there on the market.

This handy little application can be accessed through both the web and through a smartphone application and it's all about helping people to set and stick to SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goals. Bigger goals can be broken up into smaller chunks so that they're easier to swallow, and you can also take notes on your goals and your progress or track your progress offline.

If you're looking for the app with the coolest name then this might be the one for you. Of course, it also has a bunch of unique features, including the ability to create to-do lists and to share them with your friends and family. The people you know can often hold you more accountable than any software ever could. Better still, Toodledo users can create a hotlist of their most important goals or add them to a schedule so they can view deadlines in the form of a calendar. All of this makes it one of the most versatile goal-setting apps that's out there.

This app is one of the market leaders and so no list like this would be complete without at least a mention. It uses a clean design and is easy to use, and while it's relatively light when it comes to planning functionality, it has a bunch of added bonuses including a dedicated community and the ability to upgrade from the free app to a paid account with personalized habit and leadership coaching. The beauty of this is that the advice doesn't come from an algorithm - it comes from real productivity experts, which is why you need to pay for it.

This app is a little different in that it's more targeted towards parents and teachers. The idea is that it makes it easier for people to track the progress of their kids or their students without having to ask them for regular updates. You simply create a goal and then set a referee, whose job it is to make sure that progress is being reported accurately and that the student is staying on track. Better still, they can invite their friends to track their progress, and lecturers can create group goals so that entire classes can track progress and discuss the course material together.

If you want to go into detail with your goal tracking then this is probably the app for you. Like GoalsOnTrack, it's all about setting and tracking SMART goals, but this app has the advantage of some great charts and visualisation tools that help to bring it all to life. The only downside is that it can be a little overcomplicated, and so it might be worth starting with a simpler, cleaner app to begin with and then upgrading to Lifetick if you find goal setting apps to be useful.

This one's all about breaking bad habits and setting new ones, allowing students to detail the habits they want to start and then to monitor whether they're sticking to them - either for the week, for the month or for all-time. It's also easy to set repeating tasks, which makes it a great tool to track revision on the run-up to an exam. But ultimately, whether you want to study harder or start going to the gym, this app is the one you need to establish a new habit. You just might want to use it alongside another app to see whether your new habits are helping to push you towards your actual goal.

The rest of these apps have all focused on academic performance, but this one's a little different. After all, studying is all well and good but you also need to find a little balance. This app will help you to do just that by encouraging you to do the things that you wish you'd do more often. That might be as simple as encouraging you to take regular breaks or spending time with friends and family, or it could be as complicated as pushing you to finally set some time aside to work on that novel you've been planning.

Conclusion

Not everyone needs to use an app to set and achieve their goals - but most people will at the very least feel some benefit. After all, they're specifically designed to help you, and many are even based on research or latest best practices.

In fact, these apps are so good that if you try one and you don't like it, we'd suggest giving another one a chance instead. It might just be that you haven't found the right app for you - which is why we shared seven instead of just one!

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Not all students are created equal. That's why we have phrases and clichés like "class clown" or "teacher's pet", two drastically different types of students that we've all come across at some point or another. The students with the best performance tend to be those who are self-motivated and who love learning for learning's sake.

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Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) Using Google Docs

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Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) Using Google Docs

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Differentiate with Learning Menus and Choice Boards

"...at its core, differentiated instruction means addressing ways in which students vary as learners." - Carol Ann Tomlinson

[Tweet "Interactive Learning Menus with @GoogleforEdu #edtech#gsuiteedu"]

What Are Learning Menus?

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICE! Learning menus (aka choice boards) are a form of differentiated learning that gives students a menu or choice of learning activities. Learning menus and choice boards can be created in a variety of styles and mediums. They've been around for a long time and originated in a static, paper format. But with digital tools, we can bring the menus to life with interactivity and creation. Menus can be a simple list, a tic-tac-toe or bingo-style game, or get as creative and intricate as you like. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas.

Learning Menus Can Be Used with Any Age Group

I have found that menus and choice boards tend to be more popular among elementary teachers, but I used them in my middle school classroom, and now I use them in professional learning workshops with adults. Any grade level can use learning menus!

Learning Menus Can Be Used in Any Subject Area

Since learning menus are so flexible, they can easily be created and adapted for just about any subject area. So no excuses! Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy.

[Tweet "Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy. #edtech"]

Are Learning Menus Hyperdocs the Same Thing?

No, but they could be part of a Hyperdoc assignment. I love Hyperdocs! But these two are not one in the same. Keep in mind the definition of learning menus stated above. It is simply a menu of choices from which students can choose. Student choice is the big idea behind learning menus and choice boards.

A Hyperdoc is a complete packaged assignment that also meets some additional criteria. A Hyperdoc doesn't have to include choice, but it could. To learn more about Hyperdocs, visit their site or read the AMAZING book by Lisa Highfill, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton.

Creating a Tic-Tac-Toe Learning Menu in Google Docs

One easy way to dip your toes into the learning menu water is a Tic-Tac-Toe menu. A Tic-Tac-Toe can be used for anything from short activities to more long-term projects, both assessment FOR learning (formative) and assessment OF learning (summative).

Below is an example of a Novel Unit Tic-Tac-Toe menu that I created as a summative project. It was created in Google Docs, nothing fancy, just a table and some color. Depending on how you want to use, you can add links, rubrics, images, video and more. (Click here to use my blank tic-tac-toe template.)
CLICK HERE to use the Novel Study Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy.
Learning Menu Design

Remember when you are creating a learning menu to align it with your learning goals! First, I use the middle square as my non-negotiable, the one activity that I want every student to complete. This could be reading an article, watching a video, or in this case; every student will write a summary and add it to a collaborative Google Slide deck where they will also add links to their other projects. Everything in one place!

Some teachers also make the middle square a free space where students can propose their own ideas to demonstrate their learning. LOVE THIS IDEA!

I had some students who would try to find the easiest or fastest way to complete the tasks. But if you pay attention to the learning design, you can design it so that it gives choice and flexible learning paths, not just an easy completion grade.

I use the color to guide the learning design. Because I use the middle square as a non-negotiable, I control how they make the tic-tac-toe just a little bit more. Every student will do the middle square and one from the blue and one from the yellow. In this summative example, students are mostly creating, but in the example below, you will see how it can also work for activities that guide the learning.

Below is a professional learning example that I designed for teaching Google Chrome. As a trainer, I typically have very mixed groups in my training sessions (multiple grade levels, subject areas, and tech savviness). I usually address general skills, and apps and extensions that are applicable across all grade levels and subject areas as a whole group.

Then I move into an activity like the Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe learning menu to allow teachers to dig deeper into their own subject areas and grade levels AND move at a pace that is comfortable for their level and learning style.
CLICK HERE to use my Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy of the template.
Other Types of Learning Menus

As I said, a tic-tac-toe is just one type of menu. It happens to be a favorite of mine because they are easy to design and are not too overwhelming. But I have used many other types of menus, and I have been curating ideas on this Learning Menu Pinterest Board.

Digital Menu for Student Creation with Google Slides by Tommy Spall

Below is a Google Slide example of a learning menu that takes on the look of a restaurant menu from my friend, Tommy Spall. Follow him @TommySpall. (You can thank me later!) Click here to make a copy of Tommy's template that includes linked slides to lots of Googley projects and room for you to make it your own. (If you are on mobile and having trouble with the template link, try this make a copy link.)

Professional Development BINGO Board by Amber Teamann and Melinda Miller

Another option is to make it a full out BINGO board, like in this example from my friend Amber Teamann and her collaborator Melinda Miller. (Follow them at @8Amber8 and @MMiller7571, and yes, you will thank me for this one, too!)

Amber and Melinda are both elementary school principals. They issued this BINGO PD Challenge to her teachers over the summer, and I thought it might inspire you with some other options for choice and challenges in your classroom or professional learning. You can learn more details about PD Bingo in Amber's blog post.

Using G Suite to Create Learning Menus

The possibilities are truly endless! Consider all the ways you could use G Suite to create learning menus and the extended activities and links. Try thinking of the ways you could create menus using these G Suite tools:

Google Docs

Google Slides

Google Drawings

Google Sheets

Google My Maps

Google Sites

How to Use Google Templates and Assign in Google Classroom

If you enjoyed this post, you will love the more in-depth look at the power of choice boards and more examples in this post and podcast episode.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) Using Google Docs

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I love learning menus, and it is one of my favorite ways to incorporate student choice and to differentiate learning. And with digital tools like G Suite for Education, it's super easy to make menus interactive, digital, and more dynamic! Digital Differentiation offers teachers and students many ways to reach all learners.

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g(Math) - gmath Math Software | Texthelp | Texthelp

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g(Math) - gmath Math Software | Texthelp | Texthelp

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g(Math) - gmath Math Software | Texthelp | Texthelp

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g(Math) is making math digital as a Google Doc Math Add-on. You can write math in a google doc.

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Flipgrid - Explains a great way to get kids to share their voice in short clips - might work well for readers response with some students

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If you haven't heard of Flipgrid is a video response platform where educators can have online video discussions with students or other educators. Teachers can provide feedback to students AND better yet students can provide feedback to one another. With Flipgrid One (Free) you get one grid with unlimited topics. So if you have multiple classes or subject areas you can just create a different topic for each and share that topic code. With Flipgrid Classroom ($65 per year) you get unlimited grids, topics, responses, and replies to responses. You can definitely do a TON with the free version so check that out first and if you decide to take it further then you can look into getting a classroom account. Check out more info on the differences and how to get started ( Want to try Flipgrid Classroom for FREE? It really IS as easy as 1-2-3 to Flipgrid yet then you will soon be seeing it everywhere. I had my first experience with Flipgrid on March 2nd in a #Ditchbook chat. I was hesitant to try it out and almost skipped the chat because I wasn't sure about trying to learn how to use yet another tool at 7pm on a Thursday night. However, here. Matt Miller and my Ditchbook pals Sign up and use promo code KARLYMOURA for free access for 45 days, after that you can pay to upgrade or it will revert to a free Flipgrid One account.) Sandy Otto and Craig Klement assured me it was easy peasy and I decided to try it out. Boy am I sure glad I did!

get started using Flipgrid with your class.

My first few experiences with Flipgrid were in an educational chat setting where a group of educators from all over the country shared ideas and inspired one another online. I have become so excited about using it with students and other educators that I have become a Flipgrid Ambassador. But don't take my word for it, check it out and try it yourself!

1. Create a discussion board and share the link with your class. (With the classroom account you can embed fully functional Flipgrid cards or a grid in Google Classroom, Haiku, Blackboard, Canvas, Schoology along many other sites or in an LMS)
2. Students record their video (Flipgrid can be used on ANY device)
3. You and your students reply to one another and take the discussions further.

So how can you use the Flipgrid with your class? Here are 15 ideas for using this video platform in your classroom. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Want to check out even MORE ideas for using Flipgrid inside and outside of the classroom? These amazing posts by
Reading response goes digital. After your class reads an article, chapter or book have them respond to a question about their reading. Take the conversation further by having students comment on each other's responses.
End of year (semester) reflection. What better way to say goodbye than to have your students record a video reflecting on their learning over the course of your class? (I'm pretty sure many of these would require a box of tissues for those tear-jerker posts!)
Advice to next year's class. How cool is it to have a Flipgrid of advice videos from your current students to show next year's class? Check out this End of Year Reflection HyperDoc and link a Flipgrid in the share section.
Debate a topic! Add a Flipgrid to the share section of this " Great Debate" HyperDoc by Show what you know! Choice and voice are so important for getting students to share their knowledge with us. What better way to do that then to add Flipgrid as an option in a Show What You Know BINGO board? Reflect on a lesson or unit. Seems simple but having your students reflect on a lesson is great feedback for us as teachers. How did it go? What changes would you make? What was your favorite part? Take a look at their responses for planning next year. Rayna Freedman to get your students debating. 30-second book talk challenge. Have your students share about their favorite book in 30 seconds or less. Check out this example. Exit tickets get a makeover. Post the question "What did you learn today?" or better yet ask your students "What did you create today?" for the students to answer before leaving class.
Number talks. Have students explain their thinking and critique the reasoning of others as they work through a math problem.
Brainstorming in the Engineering Design Process. Students can jump very quickly to planning or even building before they get out their ideas in a brainstorming session. Slow them down a bit and capture their thinking as they throw out their ideas on Flipgrid. Add a Flipgrid to the brainstorm portion of this Intro to Engineering Design Process HyperDoc. Put a spin on student of the week. Have each student record a video sharing why that student of the week is special. Students will enjoy watching video messages from their classmates sharing why they are a valued member of their classroom community.
Reboot your standard biography report. My friend Sean Fahey had the fabulous idea to use Welcome back to school Flipgrid style. Have all staff record a welcome back message for your students at the beginning of the year. Ask a local (or national) celebrity to join in and give a shout out to your students. Nadine Gilkison's amazing Appreciation/Thank you card. After a field trip, on your admin's birthday or during Teacher or Classified Staff appreciation week have your class record their own video thank you cards. Biography Inquiry HyperDoc to teach students all about biographies. Finally, have students dress up as the person they are researching and record short presentation video. Appsmash! OK, I'm kinda cheating here since this is really WAY more than one idea but it's just too good to leave out. I have had the opportunity to connect with an incredible educator and Flipgrid Ambassador, Jornea Erwin. In this episode of Flipgrid Unplugged Jornea shares SO many ideas for how to appsmash with Flipgrid to kick it up another notch. Once you have a few Flipgrids under your belt you REALLY need to check this out! Sean Fahey and Jen Giffen are FULL of great ideas.

- Sean Fahey (@SEANJFAHEY) June 11, 2017

- Flipgrid (@flipgrid) June 16, 2017

The opportunities to utilize this platform with your class are endless. The best way to get started? Try it out yourself! Share how YOU have used or will use Flipgrid with your students below!

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Catch the Flipgrid Fever! 15+ Ways To Use Flipgrid in Your Class

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If you haven't heard of Flipgrid is a video response platform where educators can have online video discussions with students or other educators. Teachers can provide feedback to students AND better yet students can provide feedback to one another. With Flipgrid One (Free) you get one grid with unlimited topics.

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As we seek to enhance instruction with technology, one tool we might not think of is podcasts. These can be used in flipped classrooms or blended learning models in the same way you might use videos: to deliver content, provide enrichment, or explain topics in a different way for students who don't get a concept the first time around. As podcasts become a more popular medium, a growing number of them are being produced just for kids. Today we're going to look at eight of them that you can share with your students tomorrow.

If you know what podcasts are and you already listen to them, then you can skip this part. If not, this section will introduce you to the wonderful world of podcasts.

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a lot like a radio show. It has episodes, like a TV show would have, and it's usually in audio-only format, although video podcasts do exist. The length of a podcast episode can vary drastically, anywhere from two minutes to two hours, and they produce on a schedule that ranges from daily to "whenever." Listeners will typically subscribe to favorite podcasts, so that new episodes are delivered to them through whatever app they use.

How does one listen to podcasts?
Although you can listen to them right through a desktop or laptop computer, many people listen to podcasts on a smartphone, on a tablet, or in their cars, using a podcast app that can grab just about any show you're interested in and update that series whenever a new episode is published.This overview from Digital Trends explains how podcasts work and what your options are for listening.

Got it? Now let's dig in to these eight fantastic podcasts.
tumblepodcast.com
Age Range: Best for ages 6-12, appropriate for any age

Tumble is a science podcast that shares the stories behind science discovery. It explores how science actually works as a process. With stories ranging from reaching the deepest part of the ocean to hunting for black holes in distant galaxies, Tumble is co-hosted by a science journalist and a teacher.
Sample Episode: The Mystery of When Brains and Sports Collide
bookclubforkids.org

Age Range: Best for ages 9-14, appropriate for any age
Sample Episode: abc.net.au/radio/programs/shortandcurly Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
In every episode of this podcast, a different group of kids discusses a young adult book. Each episode also features a celebrity reader and an interview with the book's author.
Sample Episode: soundcloud.com/the-show-about-science Is it ever okay to lie?
Age Range: Best for ages 7-12, appropriate for any age

Short & Curly is an ethics podcast from Australia. The hosts investigate dilemmas relevant to kids, like whether you have to love your sibling or whether Pokemon Go is actually playing you.
shabamshow.com
Age Range: Best for ages 3-9, but fun for curious minds of any age!

This science interview show is hosted by 6-year-old Nate, and while it has some serious science chops, it's also just plain adorable. Nate talks to scientists about everything from alligators to radiation to vultures, in his distinctly original interviewing style.

Sample Episode: Ants with Mikey Bustos
brainson.org
Age Range: Best for ages 8-18, but entertaining for older ages as well

This fast-paced, quirky podcast uses fictional stories to teach listeners about science. It's hosted by an emergency medicine physician, a science journalist, and a filmmaker. Season 1 tells the story of three kids who are separated from their parents during a zombie apocalypse.

Sample Episode: Episode 1: Brain Traps
(Note: The audio player on this site takes some time to kick in after you press play.)
digital.vpr.net/programs/why-podcast-curious-kids
Age Range: Best for ages 6-12, but interesting to all curious minds

Each episode of this science podcast is co-hosted by a different kid, tackling their questions with interviews, fun segments, and the occasional musical number. Episodes cover a wide range of topics like carnivorous plants, interpreting dog and cat sounds, and life on other planets.

Sample Episode: Mosquitoes: What are they good for?
classicsforkids.com
Age Range: Best for ages 5-10, but interesting to all curious minds

Produced by Vermont Public Radio, each episode of this podcast starts with an audio recording of a child asking a question (listeners are invited to send in their own), such as why people have different religions, why the sea is salty, and whether bumblebees have hearts. The rest of the episode goes on to answer that question by inviting experts to share their knowledge on the topic in simple language kids can understand.

Sample Episode: Why is soccer called "soccer" instead of "football"?

Age Range: Materials available for grades K-5, but content would be interesting to anyone wanting to learn about composers

The short episodes of this classical music podcast introduce listeners to different composers, often taking several episodes to study specific pieces or aspects of a composer's work. The site also offers lesson plans, games, and other activities to supplement the show.

Sample Episode: Scott Joplin: Ragtime Music

This list is just the beginning: Let's keep growing the collection in the comments! If you know of a great educational podcast that teachers and parents can share with their kids, tell us about it below, and feel free to provide a link so other readers can find it quickly.♦

I'd like to give a BIG thanks to Lindsay Patterson of the Tumble Podcast for putting this awesome list together for me, and providing many of the descriptions!

Learn something new every week.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll also get access to my members-only library of free resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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As we seek to enhance instruction with technology, one tool we might not think of is podcasts. These can be used in flipped classrooms or blended learning models in the same way you might use videos: to deliver content, provide enrichment, or explain topics in a different way for students who don't get a concept the first time around.

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Turn YouTube into a Classroom with PlayPosit | Cult of Pedagogy

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Turn YouTube into a Classroom with PlayPosit | Cult of Pedagogy

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This post was originally written about this tool when it was called eduCanon. It has been updated to reflect the name change to PlayPosit.

You know the Internet is loaded with great videos that can teach just about every subject imaginable. But holding students accountable for watching an assigned video, or making the viewing experience more active, is a challenge. Without standing right over students, how do you know if they're really watching?

This issue is put to rest with the arrival of PlayPosit (formerly eduCanon), a free, web-based platform that allows you to build formative assessments right on top of any YouTube or Vimeo video. Once you sign up for an account, which takes about 60 seconds, you are given access to a lesson builder, where you select a YouTube video, then create your own multiple-choice questions to go along with it. You can build your own library of video-based lessons, and even maximize higher-level thinking by asking students to create their own PlayPosit lessons.

Check out this video to learn more about how PlayPosit works:

I opened up an account to play around with the platform, using one of my own videos, and here's what I can tell you: It's easy, and it's fun. In less than half an hour of watching a few tutorials and reading the information on the FAQ page, I got the hang of building a lesson. (Click here to view a sample lesson I created.) From that point on, it was a piece of cake. The whole time I was building my practice lesson, I kept thinking, This is so cool. And once I got past the learning stage, I started to realize all the possibilities this platform opens up. Everything on YouTube. Everything on Vimeo. So much we could all do with that!

Here are some of the best features of PlayPosit:

Embed questions at specific points. You decide exactly when a question will pop up during the video. Even better, students will not know when a question is coming. This means they really have to pay attention!

Teachers can monitor student results. When you sign up as a teacher, you create class lists, then assign lessons to these classes. As students complete a lesson, you are given a question-by-question breakdown of their responses (see sample below - green is correct, red is incorrect). This allows you to see in an instant which students are having trouble understanding and which concepts need re-teaching.

More than simple multiple choice. When building questions, you have the option to add explanations that will pop up when students choose an answer. This means even getting an answer wrong is a learning opportunity. In my lesson builder below, you can see I entered explanatory text to appear for every answer. (By the way, these only pop up after students commit to an answer.)

Robust re-takes. Students can re-do lessons, but PlayPosit offers a way to make the process more than a simple guessing game. If a student guesses the correct answer the second time around, you can set it up so they are prompted to type in an explanation for why this is the correct answer.

Did I mention it's free? The site developers are committed to keeping the essential features of the site free. They are working on a premium offering which will include features like open-ended questions (the free account only allows multiple choice), gradebook download of student scores, and access to a library of lessons created by other teachers, but the basic platform will remain free.

We're fast approaching the time of year when anything new will be a breath of fresh air for you and your students, so this is a great time to try PlayPosit on a small scale. My advice would be to choose a topic that you have coming up in a month or two, find a video that would support that unit, and experiment with building a PlayPosit lesson around it. Maybe you've wanted to try flipping your classroom, but didn't know where to start. This would be a great first step.

If you use PlayPosit, tell us about it, and send us a link to your lesson! ♦

Learn something new every week.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll also get access to my members-only library of free resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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Turn YouTube into a Classroom with PlayPosit

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This post was originally written about this tool when it was called eduCanon. It has been updated to reflect the name change to PlayPosit. You know the Internet is loaded with great videos that can teach just about every subject imaginable.

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Of PARCC and Pivot Tables - Teched Up Teacher

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Of PARCC and Pivot Tables - Teched Up Teacher

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Productivity

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PARCC is finished in my district! It couldn't have gone better. My Central PARCC team did a great job running the tests, the teachers were amazing, and the kids were fantastic. It was a total team effort and a smooth event from start to finish.

Now, to me, the fun starts. If you're an avid reader of my site, you know I have a small obsession with data. So, after the first part of PARCC (PBA for those in the know), we made sure we surveyed all of our kids. It was important to me and my district to survey our kids because 1) we worried that the PARCC-peeps may not share their end of the year survey data with districts and 2) we wanted to make the best decisions we could for our kids as soon as possible.

The spreadsheet of responses for our Post-PARCC survey is 20 columns wide and 600 rows deep. Sheets like this use to scare me. Now, I love them. Why? Pivot Tables!

A Pivot Table is a data summarization tool found in most commercial spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Excel, etc.). I love Pivot Tables because it allows me to drill down into data and find meaningful takeaways to share with my school and community. With this PARCC data, I'm looking for takeaways that can improve the PARCC experience and instruction for my district.

Here's an example of how I used Pivot Tables recently that will highlight their power:

One of our survey questions asked kids if they preferred to take the PARCC online or on paper. Here's a pie chart of their responses:

Without using a Pivot Table, I'd have to take this information for what it is, but what if I wanted to break this data down even further, say by grade, to see if I can glean anything that might make kids more comfortable with online testing. With Pivot Tables this is a breeze! Here's how I setup a Pivot Table for a deep dive into this pie chart.

First, Data -> Pivot Table. Then I set the row's value to Grade and the Column's value to the question I wanted to dive into. Next, I filled the Pivot Table with the answers to the question I wanted to dissect, and finally set it to summarize the values by COUNTA which is how you turn written feedback into numerical data.

Now, my Pivot Table looks like this:

3rd and 4th graders favored online testing. 5th, 6th, and 7th graders were split. 8th graders preferred paper-based testing by a wide margin.

Now, conjecture! I wondered if 3rd and 4th graders preferred online testing because, for lack of a better way to say it, they don't know any better. In New Jersey, until this year, they've been testing everyone on paper starting in 3rd grade. This is the first year that everyone has taken an online standardized test. Most people don't like change, so maybe it wasn't the online nature of the test 5th-8th graders didn't like, but the fact that they weren't use to it. I mean, 8th graders, who were the least into online testing, were the most use to paper testing. 3rd and 4th graders who preferred online testing have had the least experience with paper-based standardized testing.

I won't be able to test this familiarity hypothesis until/unless PARCC releases the end of the year data, then I can look at change over time in test preference.

But as they often do, this hypothesis led to another. I started to wonder if student preference for paper testing had anything to do with a lack of device use. I mean, I would think that a student who was unfamiliar with how to use a device in an academic setting would prefer paper-based testing.

Luckily, with the help of a Pivot Table, I can dive even deeper into this question. Check it out:

By adding the question and data, "How often do you use a computer or Chromebook in school" to the row section of my Pivot Table, I can make a Pivot Table that not only breaks students down by grade and shows me if they prefer online testing over paper, but also juxtaposes that with how often they self-reported using devices in school.

Here's what the Pivot Table looks like now:

Looking at the original Pivot Table of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders ambivalence toward online testing, and knowing that my students in those grades share Chromebooks, my original recommendation to my district probably would have been to get them more Chromebooks. Thanks to the Pivot Table, I can see that would have been a bad call. The new Pivot Table clearly shows my district does a fantastic job getting devices into the hands of our students. I may still recommend getting more devices for other reasons, but device use and preference for online testing don't seem to be correlated.

That may not sound sexy, since I didn't figure out why our middle grades weren't thrilled with online testing, but not knowing the cause of something is just as important as knowing the cause. Instead of making the wrong recommendation, I can continue to explore the reason, if any, our middle grades were neutral toward online testing with the hopes of making the experience better for them.

This is just one recent way I've used Pivot Tables, but I encourage everyone to constantly survey students. Before I left the classroom, I surveyed my students every two weeks on a variety of things. I then used Pivot Tables to dive deep into their responses to refine my teaching practices. Now, out of the classroom, I'm using them to help my leadership team make the best decisions we can for our staff and students.

I'm an English teacher, so if I can do it, anyone can do it. Give Pivot Tables a try, they're amazing.

Until Next Time,

GLHF

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Of PARCC and Pivot Tables - Teched Up Teacher

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PARCC is finished in my district! It couldn't have gone better. My Central PARCC team did a great job running the tests, the teachers were amazing, and the kids were fantastic. It was a total team effort and a smooth event from start to finish. Now, to me, the fun starts.

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Jamesalansturtevant.com James Alan Sturtevant You've Gotta Connect

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Jamesalansturtevant.com James Alan Sturtevant You've Gotta Connect

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You stroll into class and you're stoked! You have an awesome lesson and you can't wait to lay it on your young disciples. Alas! Your students are more interested in who's zoomin' who. You have to compete with contemporary school and youth culture...which is a tall order. You get discouraged because you know that if they gave this lesson their full attention, it would enrich their lives.

So...that's the problem and this episode will help you grab them by the virtual lapels and pull them into an amazing learning experience! I brought back some original sources we all love so much...the students! For this episode, I'm joined by Campbell Allen and Emma Neeper ...two wonderful young adults. They took time out of their busy existence to talk about how to prime the pump for tomorrow's lesson.

Here's the approach we'll all advocate:

Begin the lesson by issuing an interesting hook question. This question should be a real-life application, or at least something relevant to modern youth life. Campbell suggests pop-culture connections. Give kids a minute or two to contemplate your creative subtle prompt:

Direct the kids to collaborate about their ideas. This should also take about two minutes.

Finally, conduct a class discussion, or debriefing. This can last longer, but regardless...the pump will have been primed and your students SHOULD be far more receptive to the day's lesson!
Episode Template The Problem:
Your kids aren't pumped about today's amazing lesson.
The Solution:
You need to prime their pumps with an engaging introductory activity!
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Randomly sort students into small groups...check out Episode 43 for ideas!

2. Issue a subtle relevant prompt about the day's lesson.

3. Allow kids a brief time to contemplate the prompt.

4. Direct student to collaborate about their ideas.

5. Conduct a class discussion or debriefing.

6. NOW...dive into your transformational lesson!

Think of the catchy Anticipation song by the lovely Carly Simon. Prime the pump for your awesome lesson and watch engagement blossom!
Listen to "52-Priming the Pump for Tomorrow's Lesson...Starring Campbell Allen and Emma Neeper" on Spreaker.

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Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it will seem like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl, and an hour seems like a minute. That's relativity. Albert Einstein

This wonderful quote is the embodiment of engagement. As teachers...we need to be more like the beautiful companion (obviously not in terms of physical attraction) and less like the stove.

And that's why I'm simply thrilled to bring you my interview with Norman Eng.

Norman's outstanding new book Teaching College is a must read for educators who want to avoid being Einstein's hot stove.

Now, don't panic! Norman's book is about engaging students at all levels and he has cred. While Norman is currently an adjunct Education professor in the New York City University System, he spent many years instructing at the K12 level. In fact, he believes college profs could learn a lot about engagement from K12 teachers! Isn't that a delicious switch?

But the heart of this episode is our conversation about...and how to apply, a marvelous lesson template. Magdalene Lampert's You...Y'all...We template is an ultra engaging way to teach anything! I learned about it from Norman, applied to the next day's lesson, and struck engagement gold! Listen and get inspired!
Episode Template The Problem:
Teachers need an engaging template they can apply to various lessons.
The Solution:
Apply the You...Y'all...We template.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

Issue an engaging hook students work on individually (YOU). Here are some examples:

You're introducing variables in Algebra...so you prompt:
Describe when you solved a mystery.
You're beginning a unit on Cather in the Rye in English...so you prompt:
Describe what you miss most about being a little kid.
You're delving into plate tectonics in Earth Science...so you prompt:
Describe the heaviest thing you've moved.
You're introducing flexibility in your Health and PE class...so you prompt:
Describe a law or a school policy that n eeds to be eliminated, or updated.
2. After a few minutes, have students discuss their responses in small groups (Y'ALL).

3. After a few minutes, conduct a class discussion, or debriefing (WE).

4. Now that the pump has been primed...dive into the lecture, the reading, and the lesson activity.

This constitutes active learning plus profound engagement. Please apply this template to tomorrow's lesson!
Listen to "51-Please Apply the You...Y'all...We Template Tomorrow...Starring Norman Eng" on Spreaker.

Posted in Uncategorized |

Today, I'm celebrating the release of the 50th episode of the Hacking Engagement Podcast, so I thought I'd do something special. I interviewed an expert on the future of this noble profession. What will schools look like in 2027? How about 2037? Today's episode will not sound like my other programs. This episode is longer than most...almost 40 minutes. This episode does not have the tight little list at the end explaining what you can do tomorrow. You're certainly encouraged to implement ideas from this conversation into tomorrow's lesson, but I was more focussed on what your lessons and your school will be like 10 and 20 years down the road!

My problem with retirement is simple...schools are becoming too fascinating to leave! The way I instruct has changed fundamentally over the past decade. I'm a markedly different teacher than I was just last year. I'm closing in on the end of this school year, but I keep thinking about tools, tactics, and strategies I can't wait to try next fall. In short, I'm nowhere near ready to call it quits!

Then...I go and interview April Domine and I really get stoked!

April is the superintendent of Gahanna Christian Academy. April also has decades of experience as a public educator. She was a teacher, building administrator, and superintendent in the public realm prior to her recent migration to private education. April also worked as an education researcher. This was a pivotal role because if she's going to advocate a program or policy, it needs to be backed by thorough objective research. April was my superintendent a decade ago. She evolved our district.

Listen to how she's going to transform her school next year. Understand, this will just be the first step. The portrait that April paints in this episode is important because we'll all be teaching like this in the near future! I think I just may have to stick around and watch this amazing process unfold.

Next week I'll be back with the template and great suggestions about tomorrow. But for this auspicious episode...sit back and dream about the future!
Listen to "50-Take a Peek at your School in 2037...Starring April Domine" on Spreaker.

Posted in Uncategorized |

Okay...here's the way this went down! I was a college freshman and I had a long way to go in the writing department. I needed to cite more, I needed more supportive evidence, and my sources were meager and of low quality. Sound familiar? When I got my paper back, I noticed the grade...which was a C, shoved the paper in my book bag, and went on with my existence. The next class, our professor urged us to read the comments she'd wrote on our papers. I read a few, but then I got discouraged and quit. It seemed like she was yelling at me! I missed some great directives and advice.

Now, I teach 18-year-olds how to write research papers. I totally get the struggle of students not embracing advice on how to evolve as writers. Karma is a beautiful thing! I was frustrated because I knew my students needed help. And then...I met a lovely little app called Kaizena. It detonated my paradigm on providing students with feedback. It transformed grading papers into a collaborative process!

Kaizena is voice grading. You highlight a portion of kid's paper, hit record, and start enlightening.

There are a bevy of benefits to utilizing your voice as opposed to your default red pen:

Your voice is far more emotive than a simple written comment

Your voice can be far more encouraging

Your voice can better communicate tone and emphasis

It's easier to listen than it is to read, hence kids are more inclined to listen to your comments

Most educators can speak a lot faster than they can type or write

This method invites collaboration because students respond to comments

Kaizena has the potential to make grading papers engaging for students and teachers
Episode Template The Problem:
Students don't read assessment comments.
The Solution:
Utilize Kaizena and transform assessment into an engaging collaborative process.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Sign-up for Kaizena

2. Generate a student invite code

3. Commandeer a student guinea pig to help you navigate the process

4. Designate a future writing prompt for your Kaizena maiden voyage

With Kaizena, students are far more likely to listen and then apply important directives they may have previously ignored. Student writing could become a collaborative process.
Listen to "49-Engage as you Grade...Starring Kaizena" on Spreaker.

Posted in Uncategorized |

I'll bet you've gazed out at your students and thought:

I wonder if some kids aren't being challenged.

If I personalize instruction...my your room will be unmanageable.

Last spring, I had a student teacher. He was doing well, but one aspect of his instruction...and mine for that matter, that needed work was personalization. While he was busy teaching, I had some downtime and a chance to observe my kids and think. I came up with a method to personalize by combining 2 powerful tech tools... Google Classroom and Edublogs. We employed these 2 tools to offer enrichment to any student who wanted to go deeper in a particular unit.

A separate section was set-up on Google Classroom for Enrichment. Any student who wanted to go deeper in a particular unit could join, review the prompts...or propose something new, and then dive in...or take a pass and see what's available next unit.

The students posted their efforts on Edublogs. This platform encourages various methods of expression. Edublogs is visual, expressive, empowering, and public. The public nature of Edublogs facilitates and encouraged student collaboration. Students can review and then comment on one another's posts.

On today's episode, I have 3 magnificent guests:

Camden Edwards

Emily Kuederle

Coltrane Matos

They'll enlighten listeners about how important it is to offer enrichment and how they endorse my method of doing it. Below are links to examples of their work:
Episode Template The Problem:
Offering enrichment opportunities is needed, but problematic.
The Solution:
Utilize Google Classroom and Edublogs.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Create a new section of Google Classroom just for enrichment

2. Provide students with a list of choices

3. Direct students to post their work on Edublogs

Personalization needn't disrupt your class. Utilize Google Classroom and Edublogs for epic enrichment!
Listen to "48-Google Classroom...Plus Edublogs...Equals Epic Enrichment...Starring Camden Edwards, Emily Kuederle, and Coltrane Matos" on Spreaker.

Here's one massive unintentional lesson the world learned from Communism...incentives are necessary to inspire productivity. Here's where Capitalism falls short. This tired cliche is also lacking:
Competition brings out the best in people!
Granted competition is motivational, but I've witnessed competition bring out the WORST in people! Watch parental behavior at your next youth sporting event. Study the history of the Industrial Revolution. Teach a World History unit on Imperialism. Then, reevaluate that cliche. Perhaps it could be reworded as:
Competition is motivational!
When it comes to the classroom, some students love incentives and competition and some kids hate them. It's been my experience, that incentives motivate many students, but not all. Hence, it's important to offer the right kind of incentives. It's been my mission to include the incentives that are:

Fun

Low-risk

Simple

Social in nature

Non-academic

Engaging

Relationship-inducing

In this episode, I'll promote 6 such incentives. Only 2 of these carrots are academic in nature, but even those are promoted and administered in a joyous non-threatening fashion. My objective in unleashing all this academic Capitalism is 2-fold:

I want to inspire reserved kids to join the class-participation party

I want to coax even more out of students who are already contributing

The key for teachers is to have fun. When you're having fun, the kids are often having fun. In that spirit, below is a photo essay of how Mr. Sturtevant awards a PLUS +1. Of course, I could just say it...but I like to do things with more style and originality. Listen to the episode to hear a description of the entire dramatic performance.

Here's my joyous list of 6:

1. Plus +1

2. Questions Off

3. Potty Pass

4. Food Pass

5. Teacher's Pet for the Day

6. Verbal Praise Coupon (You have to hear about this one!)

Episode Template The Problem:
Your students need to up their class participation game.
The Solution:
Incorporate some low-risk incentives.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Determine the target audience for your incentives

2. Decide whether your incentives will be academic, social, or both

3. Create some non-transferable reward cards or coupons

4. Consider ways to deliver the goods with style!

Maybe...all your students need to up their participation game is a little Capitalism. Don't be shocked if you and they have a lot of fun in the process!
Listen to "47-6 Incredibly Simple and Powerful Student Incentives" on Spreaker.

As I read through the 20 page assignment on the Industrial Revolution, I kept thinking to myself...Wow, this is boring! If I was feeling that burn, imagine what my students were going to feel. I decided it was time to break out of the box. In this case, literally break out of the box of the four walls of my classroom. I sent my students on a school-wide scavenger hunt utilizing QR-codes, a hint sheet, and provocative prompts from the reading. This episode will detail this EPIC lesson plan from the vantage point of two of my awesome students. I will also offer advice on how you can create a scavenger hunt at your school.

First, secure a QR code reader. I love this simple, but powerful app i-nigma.

Second, produce QR codes. Classroom Tools has a remarkably easy site to utilize in this quest. Merely type in the questions and answers and then Classroom Tools will generate the codes.

And finally, concoct hiding places around the school for your codes. Create a HINT SHEET to help students search. Below, is my list. I'll bet you could apply many of my hiding places to your building!

HINT SHEET:

1. Finding this one could take you to another level

2. On the back of a warning

3. Where Sturtevant gets his Old Skool messages

4. These kids looked great in 88

5. Behind something black and gray

6. If you find this one...YOU'RE REALLY ON A ROLL!

7. If you don't find this code, your prospects of winning will be extinguished

8. Open this door and find an awesome relationship

9. If you get to the bottom of where this code is placed...I'll be shocked

10. Search this virtual tool we use daily

ANSWERS:

1. Elevator

2. On the back of the "No Firearms" warning on the front door

3. My mailbox in the main office

4. The Class of 1988 composite

5. On the backside of a trashcan in the hallway

6. On the the large paper rolls in the supply room

7. On an obscure fire extinguisher

8. On the backside of my wife's office door

9. On the bottom of the defibrillator in the basement

10. On the "About" section of Google Classroom

Episode Template The Problem:
Your next lesson looks a bit dry.
The Solution:
Incorporate unit concepts into a scavenger hunt utilizing your entire building.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Download the i-nigma QR reader

2. Create QR codes on Classroom Tools

3. Determine hiding places for codes around the building

4. Craft a Hint Sheet

Morph a dull lesson into challenging your students to hustle around the building formulating wonderful responses to the day's essential questions.
Listen to "46-Utilize the ENTIRE School Building with this Engaging Scavenger Hunt...Starring Caroline Craig-Bowden and Sandy Smith" on Spreaker.

Just because I've authored a couple of books and host a podcast on engagement, does not mean that I don't have challenging days in the classroom. Last Friday was one of those days! The first 3 periods went great. My students were animated and participatory. The last 3 periods were miserable. My kids were lethargic and crabby. They were not the least bit impressed with my lesson. I left home on Friday defeated!

Now...I've been teaching a long time. I've learned what to do when I have a miserable day like Friday. I've had plenty such days in my career. In this episode, I'll tell you about my miserable Friday and about 5 coping mechanisms I employ whenever I have a bad day. The good news is that I bounced back on Monday and thoroughly engaged ALL my classes.

This episode will help you bounce back too!
Episode Template The Problem:
It's easy to get discouraged when you have a bad day in the classroom.
The Solution:
Bounce back with these 5 coping mechanisms.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Evaluate your lesson plan

2. Analyze your delivery

3. Consider your audience

4. Don't take a bad day personally

5. Embrace that you will bounce back

Everyone has bad days. Use such experiences as teachable moments where you can learn to better engage kids!
Listen to "45-How to Bounce Back After a Bad Day in the Classroom" on Spreaker.

A few years ago, my students matriculated through two days of student presentations. IT WAS PAINFUL! I was bored! They were bored! The novelty wore off after about three presentations. It wasn't that there weren't some good ones...there were, but many were low energy, filled with endless bullet points, and were rehashing tired topics. Once a student gave their presentation or grasped a concept, they had little incentive to listen to the next gabfest. I vowed I wasn't going to do this to my kids again!

Enter...the Gallery Walk. Here's a very brief video on how a large number of students can present simultaneously:

The video presents a scenario where 9 students present simultaneously. You can expand this idea. In my class, I had 27 students presenting simultaneously. And...don't be afraid if you don't have a multiple of 3 like 27. I have 27 students, but without fail, two of my kids were absent on presentation day. That will happen!

On today's episode, two of my students Kat Brammer and Peter Pohlod will discuss their experiences in the Gallery Walk. Here are links to the project prompts before, during, and after the presentations:
The Prompt Visitor Impressions Rubric
This is the cheesy after school special the presentation was based upon:
"The Wave" Episode Template The Problem:
Many student presentations are NOT engaging.
The Solution:
Unleash the Gallery Walk.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Watch the Gallery Walk video

2. Sort students into groups of 3

3. Designate 3 important concepts from the unit you're currently studying for presentations

4. Decide what form the presentations will take

Student presentations do not have to be a tedious marathon. Institute the Gallery Walk and watch engagement soar!
Listen to "44-Stage 27 Student Presentations in 9 Minutes! Starring Kat Brammer and Peter Pohlod" on Spreaker.

February represents the Dog Days in education. All the freshness of the school year are gone. Spring break is still a long way off and the weather...at least in the great state of Ohio...is nothing to write home about! Sometimes, as you watch your kids march in at the beginning of the period, you feel like you're observing a church congregation full of middle-aged parishioners. Everyone sits in the same pew, shakes hands with the same people, and says pretty much the same things. It's time to shake things up!

In today's program, I'm going to give you 3 totally original icebreakers with which you can randomly sort your students. Perhaps, a new seating chart is needed. Or, it's time get kids working with different peers on the next project. These icebreakers will help you rearrange your students socially...BUT THE REAL DRAW...is your students and you will have a blast working through these easy prompts:

Oscar Night Best Picture Award

Your 30th Birthday Surprise Party

1970s Speed Dating
My Zodiac Description Google Doc Episode Template The Problem:
Teachers assume students know one another well.
The Solution:
A student icebreaker.
What You Can Do Tomorrow:

1. Decide on a pretext for randomly sorting students

2. Try either the Oscar Night or Birthday Party icebreaker

3. Debrief students to find out what they learned about their peers

Teachers and students sometimes get in a rut. Randomly sort your students with a fun icebreaker and shake things up in the process.
Listen to "43-3 Totally Original, Easy, Powerful, and Joyful Icebreakers to Randomly Sort Students...Tomorrow" on Spreaker.

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You stroll into class and you're stoked! You have an awesome lesson and you can't wait to lay it on your young disciples. Alas! Your students are more interested in who's zoomin' who. You have to compete with contemporary school and youth culture...which is a tall order.

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Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Fraction Splats! have arrived! The original Splat! post rocketed up to over 35,000 hits in less than a month, which included over 19,000 lesson downloads! All 50 lessons in the Splat! post involved whole numbers. In this post, I've turned my attention to fractions, and have created 20 new lessons for you to download! This is The Fraction Splat! Series. Watch the video, download the lessons, and try them in your classroom!
Note: I've created the lessons in PowerPoint, so I recommend using PowerPoint to view them. Note: These lessons use a single splat along with a mixture of unit fractions and whole numbers. In Level 11, you control the Splat!
Instant Fraction Splat!
Note: These lessons use a single Splat! which that appears at the same moment as the whole numbers and fractions. Each question instantly presents missing information.
Multiple Splats! with Fractions
Note: These lessons include multiple Splats! and you control the timing of those Splats! The entire screen can be seen, the total can be determined, and then Splat! Remember: Each Splat! that is the same color must be covering the same number.
Multiple Splats! with Fractions
Note: These lessons use multiple Splats! which appear at the same moment as the whole numbers and fractions. Each question instantly presents missing information. Remember: Each Splat! that is the same color must be covering the same number.
Other Posts and Resources Which May Be of Interest

Splat! The original 50 downloadable Splat! lessons include 10 levels and variations.

Tiled Area Questions is a colorful, powerful, highly visual strategy for decomposing numbers - and offers many downloadable pages.

The Animated Multiplication Table remains one of the most popular downloaded resources from this blog, and this post includes several ideas about how to use it.

The Maze Hundreds Chart is another downloadable resource that can lead to some highly intriguing questions and rich discourse.

You may also be interested in Provide Massive Space to Notice.

Please take a moment to subscribe to the blog so you'll be notified each time new resources are posted!

I would treasure hearing about your experiences using The Fraction Splat! Series to promote number sense in your classroom!

All my best,
Steve

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Fraction Splats! have arrived! The original Splat! post rocketed up to over 35,000 hits in less than a month, which included over 19,000 lesson downloads! All 50 lessons in the Splat! post involved whole numbers. In this post, I've turned my attention to fractions, and have created 20 new lessons for you to download!

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Listen to my podcast interview with Monica Brady-Meyerov (transcript):

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of public radio for decades. The quality of reporting, the depth of storytelling, the luxurious length of time spent on a single feature, it helps me to dig in, to learn with my senses, to actually care about a topic because I've gotten to know the people involved.

Every day, dozens of exceptional stories are published on public radio, and they have the potential to offer our students that same rich experience, helping them connect to the content in ways written text can't reach them. Imagine listening to an interview with Elie Wiesel when learning about the Holocaust, or having your study of the Civil Rights Movement include activist Franklin McCain's description of participating in a lunch counter sit-in. If you happen to catch a broadcast on a topic you're teaching, that's lucky. If not, you might try to find something in a station's website archives, but otherwise that outstanding content is tucked away, hard to find unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

Now that has changed. The people at Listenwise have made it their mission to bring public radio podcasts directly to the classroom. They curate a growing collection of professionally produced podcasts, organize and tag them into categories, and build a set of outstanding instructional resources around each one. With Listenwise, teachers can easily use podcasts as classroom texts, amplifying content and giving students practice in required listening skills.

Suppose I'm a science teacher wanting to teach about ecosystems. I can plug that term into the search bar on Listenwise, and I'll get a list of all the podcasts in their library that have some connection to ecosystems. Here's just part of my search results:

Let's say I choose the one about overfishing. When I click on that, I go to a page where the podcast itself is embedded in a player right on the page. I also get free resources to use with my students: a graphic organizer that helps students follow along as they listen plus a list of listening comprehension questions, so I can monitor whether students are really paying attention.

Notice that some of my search results were marked with a content area label, while others were called "Current Events." The Current Events stories, which are added every weekday, don't have the player embedded on the page; instead, these link right to the original podcast on the page of whatever public radio outlet originally produced them. Listening comprehension questions are provided for these as well.

So far, everything I've described is completely free, an excellent set of tools for finding just the right stories to complement your content. But Listenwise also has a premium subscription for schools and districts that offers so much more.

Listenwise Premium, which is only offered on a school-subscription basis, includes an incredible set of support materials and tools to help you and your students get the most from the podcast library. The supports include:

Interactive transcripts that allow students to read along with the podcast while they listen, highlighting each word as it is spoken. This offers incredible scaffolding for English language learners, not to mention any other student who just wants a little extra support. Because the vocabulary used in public radio reporting tends to be more challenging, seeing those words written down can go a long way toward boosting comprehension for any student.

Variable playback speed, giving students the option to play the podcast at its original speed or slowed down. This is another feature that's wonderful for English language learners.

Vocabulary lists defining key terms that appear in the podcast. The lists are divided into several tiers, which allows you to differentiate for students if desired.

Standards-aligned lesson plans for science, social studies, and English language arts, which help teachers build solid lessons to accompany each podcast. Lessons can also be searched for by standard.

Listen to this lesson on Child Soldiers here.

Another key feature of Listenwise Premium is the ability to create student accounts. This allows teachers to set up classes, assign podcasts to some or all of their students, customize lessons and discussion questions however they like, and assess student responses, all inside the Listenwise platform. Using the site this way makes the most of flipped or blended learning, allowing your students to consume content on their own and freeing you up to interact with students one-on-one or go more in-depth with class discussions of the content. This video demonstrates how to set up a lesson with Listenwise Premium:

Aside from the fact that public radio podcasts are superlative in quality and simply offer students a break from the way they typically consume content, these podcasts help teachers satisfy state and national standards that require students to develop listening skills. As a former English language arts teacher myself, I will admit that these were the standards that often got left behind. It was easy to find ways to have students work on writing, reading, and even speaking, but I rarely made time to explicitly teach listening skills, as the Common Core requires. Part of the reason for this oversight is that I didn't have a lot of materials available for listening practice. With the podcasts on Listenwise, such as the story about the Freedom Riders, or the legal impact of Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, that problem is solved.

We live in a time when digital content-in the form of text, video and audio-is available to us like never before. Still, we only have so many hours in a day to find the materials that are just right for our students; that lack of time can keep us doing the same things the same way. With a tool like Listenwise, you can easily bring your classroom into the 21st century without sacrificing time or quality. In fact, with the years of experience public radio stations already bring to the table, you get the high standards of old-school journalism delivered with high-tech efficiency; truly the best of both worlds. ♦

Learn something new every week.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll also get access to my members-only library of free downloadable resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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Listenwise: Bringing World-Class Podcasts to the Classroom

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Listen to my podcast interview with Monica Brady-Meyerov (transcript): This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. I have been a fan of public radio for decades.

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Splitting a List of Names in a Google Spreadsheet - Teacher Tech

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Splitting a List of Names in a Google Spreadsheet - Teacher Tech

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Productivity

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Have you ever had a list of students first and last names and wish you had their first and last name separated? If you've asked for "name" on a Google Form this is a likely scenario for you. Note: I always ask for first and last name in 2 different questions.

The formula in Google Spreadsheet to split up the text in a cell is =Split(

Here is my list of names. (In this case I got it from http://listofrandomnames.com)

Gaylord Balcom
Hosea Jack
Vera Fuselier
Kacy Poplar
Scottie Wallen
Deeanna Soukup
Brant Dipaola
Jeffie Parnell
Monte Heilig
Terrell Metzer
Annelle Ziolkowski
Lucila Tiger
Marybelle Ensign
Carmen Caylor
Coretta Harriss
Melida Waiters
Darlene Mund
Minta Lofton
Roxie Galyean
Theressa Hoaglin

In this case I want to split the first name up from the last name into different cells. In Excel I would use text to columns but that is not an option in Google Spreadsheet.

First, make sure you have enough blank columns to split up the names. If someone has 2 last names or a middle name or middle initial you will need a column per. Otherwise the =split( ) function WILL overwrite your data in adjacent columns.

If necessary, right click on the column to insert a blank column.

Hint: if you highlight multiple columns and then right click you can insert multiple columns at once.

If your list of names is in column A, you should now have columns B and C inserted as blank columns if they were not already blank.

In the blank cell next to the cell with a name in it, type =split(A2," ").
Note that "A2" refers to the cell that your text is in, adjust accordingly.

Notice that after the comma is a quotation, a space bar, and a quotation. You are telling Google Spreadsheet to SPLIT the name up at the spacebar. Not that what you tell Google Spreadsheet to split at, will be "eaten."

Drag and fill down the split formula. You do not need to write the formula multiple times.

While it looks like the first and last names are in columns B and C, really it is the formula. It is probably fine to leave it, but can cause some complications depending on what you want to do with the list.

Highlight the columns containing the split up information. In this example, columns B and C.

Command C on a Mac, Control C on a PC, to copy the cells.

Right click on the first first name and choose
Paste special
Paste values only

This will override the formula and make the names permanently text.

Delete column A by right clicking on the column identifier and choosing delete.

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Splitting a List of Names in a Google Spreadsheet - Teacher Tech

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Have you ever had a list of students first and last names and wish you had their first and last name separated? If you've asked for "name" on a Google Form this is a likely scenario for you. Note: I always ask for first and last name in 2 different questions.

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I live for collaboration and feedback conversations instead of comments. This is what I love about using G Suite with Google Apps. Instead of scribbling comments onto a kids paper that they probably do not get a lot of learning out of, switching to inserting comments in a Google Docs, Sheets or Slides allows for back and forth conversations until the student gets it. More importantly, these learning conversations can happen BEFORE the due date. Students will learn more from feedback given before they mentally think they are done with something.

Drawings

Earlier I blogged about the Aww Whiteboard which allows for collaborative drawing on any device and will share to Google Classroom. This allows the class to collaboratively visualize ideas. Students can also create drawings and submit the link to the drawing by using http://awwapp.com.

Pro Version

Aww Whiteboard is going to give away a free Pro version. To enter, fill out this Google Form.

Integrate Drawings

Drawings are great but even better is to integrate them into a Google Text Doc, Sheets or Slides to allow for explaining the thought process and having feedback conversations.

Image Link

To create an Aww Whiteboard and insert the drawing into a Google Doc you will need the image link. You can also just download the image and upload it to your documents.

1. Go to http://awwapp.com and draw something. (It's also collaborative!)
Tip: Zoom Out. Use Control Minus repeatedly to view the entire drawing canvas.

2. Use the Share icon in the toolbar (image of 2 people)

3. Choose "Share image."

4. Choose to "Show full size" from the toolbar.

5. Copy the URL from that screen.

Google Apps

You can insert images into Google Apps via URL. One the URL is copied use the Insert menu in Google Docs, Sheets, Drawings or Slides to insert "By URL."

Google Docs

After inserting images from Aww Whiteboard into a Google Text document, double click on the drawing to crop it. Clicking on the image allows for inserting feedback comments into the Google Doc. These comments show on the side of the Google Doc and allow for the student to respond. Note that updating the Aww Whiteboard drawing does NOT update the inserted image. This can allow the student to continue to build on the same drawing and insert the different variations by sharing the drawing again and inserting it.

Click here for a sample.

Google Slides

Slides are my favorite. Organizing ideas over several slides really helps students to more clearly communicate their ideas. I also love the collaborative design of Google Slides. Each student can insert their Aww Whiteboard drawing onto a slide of the same presentation.

Template

alicekeeler.com/awwslides

Use this collaborative Google Slides template to share with the entire class. Each student contributes one slide and inserts their drawing from Aww Whiteboard onto the slide.

Google Sheets

You can insert images onto a Google Sheets spreadsheet just like you can in Docs and Slides. However, I like to insert images into cells.

=Image("URL")

In a cell in a Google Sheets spreadsheet use the formula =Image("URL"). Tip to merge several cells together to make one giant cell.

Example:
=image("https://s3.amazonaws.com/aww-imagedata/b1aa09ad-45a4-4412-a829-d724aa97d8bb.png")

Before You Share With the Math Department

I know the low hanging fruit here is to instantly think "I can use this in math." I'm a math teacher; I obviously think about math.

Doing the same thing digitally on paper does NOT improve learning.

I'm into sketching and modeling math concepts rather than writing out steps. If you have not yet read Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler, I highly highly recommend. Mathematics is CREATIVE and VISUAL.

Paradigm shift for mathematics...
the value is not in "show your steps."

Go to Wolfram Alpha and get the step by step solutions for math problems all the way up to calculus. Ask students to use this free tool that is available to them 24/7 in their real life to find the steps to 2 problems and compare and contrast. To explain the concepts rather than the procedures.

Can students visually model their mathematics, in different ways?

Better Than Paper?

Handwriting on drawing tools is rarely better than using paper, it's usually uglier. Use drawing tools to draw. Showing steps digitally is the exact same thing we were asking students to do on paper. This is not better than paper. Writing out math problems on digital tools does not help students to love math more or understand it better. To reach more kids to have them understand and have a passion for math we need to approach it differently. Check out youcubed.org for some great resources on how to help students focus on number fluency, visually approaching mathematics, and other strategies.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016

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Insert Drawings into Google Apps - Teacher Tech

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I live for collaboration and feedback conversations instead of comments. This is what I love about using G Suite with Google Apps. Instead of scribbling comments onto a kids paper that they probably do not get a lot of learning out of, switching to inserting comments in a Google Docs, Sheets or Slides allows for back and forth conversations until the student gets it.

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10 great obscure Google tricks for school, life | Ditch That Textbook

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10 great obscure Google tricks for school, life | Ditch That Textbook

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Google is such a behemoth.

It's next to impossible to count all of the apps it has produced, let alone all of the extra services and goodies that hide within its catacombs.

Google has a unique work atmosphere. It's famous 20 percent time program (where employees have had freedom to pursue projects that interest them for 20 percent of their working hours) and atmosphere of collaboration.

Thanks to that atmosphere, we have some great tools at our disposal.

Unfortunately, there are many that we've never heard of - or have heard of but can't remember how to find.

Here are 10 of them that you can incorporate into education or into life in general, and I'll bet there's at least one you didn't know about!

1. Teach Parents Tech - This site, developed by some Googlers, is a tongue-in-cheek initiative to get the less tech-savvy some help. It allows users to generate messages to react to their recent technology use, provide them with tutorial videos and sign it with a personal touch. Videos include:

the basics (i.e. copy/paste and taking a screenshot)

the World Wide Web (i.e. creating a stronger password or making bookmarks)

communication (i.e. video chatting and changing an e-mail address)

media (i.e. resizing a picture and cropping photos)

finding information (i.e. how to check the weather or find a pizza restaurant)

Classroom use: Some of the videos are very useful things that I wasn't exactly sure how to do. They might be worth showing students as a tutorial or posting on a class website for later reference.

Classroom use: If you don't want to make a video full-screen that you show in class, this is a simple way to keep students focused.

Classroom use: This is a great tool to use with virtual field trips. Take students to these places that they may visit. You could also play a "Where in the world are we?" game where you drop students in the middle of a World Wonders site and let them guess where they are.

Classroom use: Teachers can create Story Builder videos to show what historical characters would say (umm ... type) if they were alive today. Students can create a dialogue between themselves and a teacher or someone else explaining what they've just learned.

Classroom use: Any class that touches a Google search can benefit from this resource. This is a skill that students will likely need throughout their entire lives.

Classroom use: Language arts, math, social studies and science classes could potentially integrate the A Google A Day questions directly into their instruction. Students could do them in self-directed learning, and teachers could complete the challenges and then find ways to adapt them to their own content.

7. Google Correlate - Ever wonder how often people searched for a certain keyword or term on Google over time? That's where Google Correlate can help! It plots searches over time and shows correlated keywords as well. This search for the term "textbooks" shows how cyclical searches for them are. (Don't think the "Ditch That Textbook" guy didn't notice that searches for them were tailing off over time, either.) If it seems too confusing, there's an awesome comic book explanation of how it works.

Classroom use: Searching for terms related to whatever your class is studying could yield some pretty interesting conversations in class.
- (UPDATE - It appears that YouTube Time Machine is no longer active.) Remember that McDonald's commercial from the 80's where people would "Do The Arches" and make the McDonald's "M" with their arms? The YouTube Time Machine will help you find videos like that and much more. Do a search for a specific keyword or move the year slider to find videos for a particular year. (By the way, here's where you can watch the "Do The Arches" commercial.) Classroom use: Classes can see how things have changed over time (public perceptions, designs, technology, etc.) or how certain things in history were portrayed by viewing videos on the YouTube Time Machine.
Classroom use: Display videos without worry to your classes.

Classroom use: Students can save links to recently-used tabs using OneTab. Teachers and students can share their tab lists with others using the share feature.

Do you know of other great Google products that others might not know about? What was the one you're most likely to try/use? Share either in a comment below!

(For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links, "like" Ditch That Textbook on Facebook and follow @jmattmiller on Twitter!)
Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail!

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10 great obscure Google tricks for school, life

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Google is such a behemoth. It's next to impossible to count all of the apps it has produced, let alone all of the extra services and goodies that hide within its catacombs. Google has a unique work atmosphere.

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2 Digit Multiplication (Card Sort) * Activity Builder by Desmos

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Why Diigo Rocks for Educators! | TeachHUB

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Why Diigo Rocks for Educators! | TeachHUB

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Content Curation, Research

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Recently, I was asked why do I use Diigo for my social bookmarking tool. The more I thought about it the more I needed to write about all the great features Diigo is not just for regular ol' users but has some great features for educators too.

First, what the heck is Social Bookmarking?

Most people are familar with favorites or bookmarks in their browser. Basically, when you come across a website you want to make sure you come back to later or want to visit a lot, you bookmark it (or for you Internet Explorer users you favorite it). But there is a flaw. Unless you have some add-on installed or special program, your saves don't travel with you from computer to computer and device to device.

Enter Diigo. When you save to Diigo your saves go anywhere because they are saved to the cloud. Sounds mystical doesn't it?

The social part is because you can make your saves public and share the wealth of knowledge with others. Say you are a science teacher. Your fellow science colleagues can go and view your saves because you have made them public.

What Can You Do On Diigo?

There are loads of other features as well, like highlighting on a webpage, adding sticky notes to pages, saving pages to read later without actually adding them to your collection and so much more.

One of the most powerful features is the tagging. Basically, if I save Google.com and don't tag it, I will have to remember the name of the site or something in the address. That can be tough when you start to get 1000-2000 saves like I do. Trying to remember exactly the name of a site I want to share just isn't going to happen. Instead I use tags. With tags I can categorize my saves. So, looking at Google.com I might tag that as "Search" or "Search Engine." So this way I look at my tags and find what I need. Now, I do at this point have too many tags but its super easy to go back in and reorganize things.
Blog Posting
Another feature I love is the ability to auto-post to my blog. If you look at the post previous to this one you will see 10 of my favorite saves from last week. I set that up through my preferences. I tell Diigo what saves I want to post (either everything I save or specific tags) and what time I want it to post. And presto! A fresh blog post of resources to share.

Sharing with Groups

And the groups are great too. Have a special interest or area that you want to find resources for and share with? Maybe you have an Interactive Whiteboard or you are interested in Pre-K education. Or perhaps you are in a 1:1 school. There are groups for all these where members can share their saves to not only their inventory but to the group as well. Diigo will email you once a week with all the new content. Pretty neat, huh?

Anyone can do any of those things. Joe Smith off the street can sign up for a Diigo account and do all of those things. But if you are an educator, watch out! So many more features await you.

How to Use Diigo with Students

First thing to do is get a regular Diigo account. Then visit the Educator Area and apply for the Educator upgrade. Once you get upgraded you can access all the new features in the Teacher Console. You can create class groups and student accounts.

The next step is to create a group. This could be one group for all your students or individual groups for individual projects. You give the group a name and it gets a unique URL. And one of the best features is you can make the group private, meaning only who you want to see the information will be able to.

Once the group is created, you can create student accounts. No email addresses needed. You create the username and password. Then you can add those created accounts to the group. If you have already created accounts you have the option to just add those accounts then.

The advantage here is that anything the students save goes to the group. So if students are working on a group project they can share their saves together, automatically. Or as a class, if you are working on something everyone can contribute information they find.

There are so many more features to learn about. Check out this video from the good folks at the Palm Breeze Cafe to learn more. And don't take my word for it. I asked this on Twitter.
How do you use social bookmarking to teach? Share in the comments section!

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Recently, I was asked why do I use Diigo for my social bookmarking tool. The more I thought about it the more I needed to write about all the great features Diigo is not just for regular ol' users but has some great features for educators too.