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Immersive Reader is a free tool that implements proven techniques to improve reading and writing for people, regardless of their age or ability. Immersive Reader can improve reading comprehension and increase fluency for English language learners.

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You can customize the visual and auditory presentation of text.

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Andrew reads for the first time with Microsoft Learning Tools

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Immersive Reader can improve reading comprehension and increase fluency for English language learners. It can help build confidence for emerging readers learning to read at higher levels, and offer text decoding solutions for students with learning differences such as dyslexia.

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Karrick Learns to Read with Immersive Reader

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Three Ways to Support Your Students With Immersive Reader!

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Three Ways to Support Your Students With Immersive Reader!

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Picture your classroom full of students. Now, realize that, on average, one out of every five of them has some form of reading disorder.

Now, imagine being one of those students. You need help, but you probably don't want to be stigmatized by a special needs aide sitting by your side. (That assumes, of course, that there's a special needs aide available.)

As teachers, we want to support those students. It impacts how they learn in our class. But, more importantly, it helps them to feel successful and confident in their learning.

Thankfully, there's a FREE solution to help them that's non-stigmatizing.

Meet Immersive Reader

Immersive Reader is a tool that helps students to read by ...

dictating speech

blocking out everything but one line to help students focus

identifying parts of speech on the screen

spacing fonts and lines to avoid "visual crowding"

breaking words into syllables

translating text into 60+ languages (40+ read aloud)

changing the color, size and font of text to make it more legible

using the picture dictionary to see visual definitions

How your students can use it

We talked about that stigma. Many students need support but don't want to be ostracized by their peers for getting it.

Picture this ...

Students are working on an activity. Part of it involves reading on a screen on their laptop or Chromebook.

A student realizes that they need some help.

They grab headphones out of their pocket or backpack.

They pull up Immersive Reader in a program or app that supports it. Immediately ...

They can hear the passage dictated.

It can be translated into a language they're more confident using.

They eliminate distractions, break up syllables and make the text easier to use.

How much teacher support does it take for the student to do this? Zero. (After the student knows how to access it.

How much attention does it call to the student that they need help? Zero.

How much does it empower the student and help them to self-support their struggles? A ton.

3 ways to support students with Immersive Reader

If you can see the possibilities and the impact this tool can have on students, this might be your next question ...

Where can I get it?

Oh, and is it free?

The good news: Yes, it's free. And yes, you can get it.

Here are three ways to get Immersive Reader in the hands of your students:

1. By using free Microsoft Office apps

Good news #1: Immersive Reader is available through Microsoft Word, OneNote, Teams, Forms, and more.

Good news #2: Microsoft offers those tools and all of Office 365 -- Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more -- to schools for FREE.

There are two ways to get these Office 365 tools for free:

Teachers and students can sign up for free Office 365 access individually (at office.com/teachers and office.com/students).

Students and teachers can access Office 365 with their Google accounts.

You can get access to 22 free Office apps. When students get free access to these tools, they can copy text into Word or OneNote and use Immersive Reader on it.

As long as they can get text into one of those apps, they can use Immersive Reader to read it easier.

2. By using other apps that support Immersive Reader

The list of apps that use Immersive Reader (or a version of it) is growing. It includes:

The Microsoft Edge web browser supports the read aloud feature that's similar to the Immersive Reader experience. Click the three dots menu button on the Edge browser -- or long-tap or right-click anywhere -- and choose "Read Aloud".

There's also the Immersive Reader Offline Extension, which lets a Windows device use Immersive Reader even when there isn't an active Internet connection.

3. By using the (unofficial) Immersive Reader Chrome extension

Do your students use the Google Chrome web browser on Chromebooks or other devices? They can use the unofficial Immersive Reader extension to help them read text on any web page.

Use the link above to add the extension to Google Chrome.

Highlight some text on the screen.

Right-click (or two-finger tap, or long-press) that text and select "Help me read this" from the menu.

It gives you access to all of the Immersive Reader features, including picture dictionary, background color change, focus view and more.

Things to know about this app:

It was created by a developer in the education space on his own time, so there's no affiliation to any company.

It doesn't save any user data and doesn't require permissions.

It's not endorsed by Microsoft, but it does run using the Immersive Reader API.

How have you used Immersive Reader? What are your best tips and suggestions for using it? Share them in a comment below!
Learn more about Immersive Reader:

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3 ways to support your students with Immersive Reader

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Immersive Reader supports students who struggle to read in a non-stigmatizing way. Students can use it for free in several ways.Picture your classroom

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Immersive Reader Helps Students Read by:

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Immersive Reader Helps Students Read by:

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dictating speech

blocking out everything but one line to help students focus

identifying parts of speech on the screen

spacing fonts and lines to avoid "visual crowding"

breaking words into syllables

translating text into 60+ languages (40+ read aloud)

changing the color, size and font of text to make it more legible

using the picture dictionary to see visual definitions

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Picture this ...

Students are working on an activity. Part of it involves reading on a screen on their laptop or Chromebook.

A student realizes that they need some help.

They grab headphones out of their pocket or backpack.

They pull up Immersive Reader in a program or app that supports it. Immediately:

They can hear the passage dictated.

It can be translated into a language they're more confident using.

They eliminate distractions, break up syllables and make the text easier to use.

How much teacher support does it take for the student to do this? Zero. (After the student knows how to access it.

How much attention does it call to the student that they need help? Zero.

How much does it empower the student and help them to self-support their struggles? A ton.

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Google Jamboard is an innovative tool that allows teachers to interact with students with a whiteboard-style experience, only digitally without being in the same room. ... However, Jamboard also works digitally as an app so it can be used on tablets, phones, and other devices.

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1. ,Main Idea and Details
2. Math
3. Comparing and Contrasting Character Traits
4. Sorting Words/Word Families

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1. Increases classroom engagement
2. Real world connections
3. Foster's independence, creativity, and curiosity

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How to use Jamboard when teaching remotely:

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How to use Jamboard when teaching remotely:

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How to Use Google Jamboard for Remote Teaching

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How to use Google Jamboard - 2019 Updates

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Jamboard is the perfect tool to use with your students because it supports the 5 Cs of Education, which are communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and curation.
It allows students to brainstorm, research, organize information, and show their work as well as create illustrations, concept maps, timelines, flowcharts, emoji story writing, sketch notes, and digital storytelling components.

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Book Creator is a simple tool for creating awesome digital books. Create your own teaching resources or have your students take the reins. Combine text, images, audio and video to create: Interactive stories. Digital portfolios.

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Reviewing the MDA Avez Reader for Dyslexia

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Book Creator is a simple tool for creating awesome digital books. Create your own teaching resources or have your students take the reins.

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UDL Connections:                                                 

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UDL Connections:                                                 

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1. Student books can be read aloud via text-to-speech capabilities.
2. Book Creator can highlight words as they are read.
3.  Students can set the pages of the book to turn on their own.
4.  Readers can choose a language or voice, as well as control the speed of reading.
5.  Students can auto-play any media.

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Access: A free app is available for school use on iPads through the App Store. Book Creator requires iOS6.0 or later.

Summary: Book Creator is a simple way to create beautiful iBooks on the iPad.
They can be saved and read in the iBooks app, or shared with a friend through Drop box. This program is ideal for creating children's picture books, manuals, textbooks, and assessments. iBooks can be created in a variety of shapes and sizes including, portrait, landscape or square. By tapping the + symbol at the top right of the screen, users can add pictures from their camera role, or from the internet, add voice recordings, video, music, free hand drawings, and text. These additions can be manipulated simply by touching the screen and dragging them around the page. Further editing is available by tapping the circled i symbol again at the top right of the screen. Editing options includes the adjustment of font, size, color, and style. A Getting Started tutorial, plus online support articles are available at www.redjumper.net/bookcreator

Connections to UDL Guidelines: The Book Creator App provides story creation tasks in keeping with UDL principles and guidelines. Students have choices related to representation, expression, and engagement. Projects offer opportunities for personalization, and can be customized using audio features or writing choice.

Reasoning: Book creator is an excellent addition to a UDL toolkit. Students are engaged in the creative project of composing and editing a digital book that they can share. Book creator has a simple tutorial to start teachers and students toward the creation of high quality projects. This UDL tool allows teachers to set appropriate criteria to individualize expectation for all students. For example, a student that has good writing skills might be required to write several pages of text while a student that has limited writing skills may be required to write very little. That student can create a very nice book project by adding pictures and audio clips instead of text to tell their story. A student with poor fine motor skills has access to a keyboard, so typed work is legible.

Critique of the tool:
Affordances and Constraints
Book creator is an engaging tool for most students. It is ideal for combining text images and audio information. However, teachers may want to create audio based assessments, and these projects have some constraints. While in editing mode audio files can be added. For example the teacher could add an audio file that reads the test question aloud for the student. If the assessment were left in the editing mode, a student could listen to the question, and respond in a new audio file. That would allow students that are none readers the opportunity to demonstrate their learning independently. Unfortunately, as the book is created and saved in iBooks there are no further opportunities to add new student responses file.

Supports: Book creator is a free app for school use. It is designed for iPad and requires iOS6.0 or later to run. A tutorial is available here.

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Access: A free app is available for school use on iPads through the App Store. Book Creator requires iOS6.0 or later. Summary: Book Creator is a simple way to create beautiful iBooks on the iPad. They can be saved and read in the iBooks app, or shared with a friend through Drop box.

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Book Creator for iPad & Android Tutorial

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Creativity can happen anywhere!

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Find out how Book Creator can be used as the perfect tool for remote learning - for schools, teachers and families.

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1. 50 hand-picked fonts to choose from
2. Add images or take your own photos
3. Drop in video, music, or record your own voice
4. Use the pen tool to draw or annotate
5. Use shapes, arrows and emojis to express your ideas
6. Portrait, square, or landscape book layouts

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Whether you're using Chromebooks, Android tablets, Windows PCs or MacBooks, Book Creator comes with all the great features that have been so popular with teachers and students using the iPad app.

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Create. Read. Publish. Education is changing. Bring creativity to your classroom with Book Creator, the one app you need for any subject or grade level. Unleash student creativity Book Creator is a simple tool for creating awesome digital books. Create your own teaching resources or have your students take the reins.

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50 Ways to Use Book Creator in  the Classroom

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50 Ways to Use Book Creator in  the Classroom

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This book is packed with resources covering every subject and grade level you can think of! We draw from over 5 years of case studies, thought-pieces and tutorials published on this website and beyond, packaging them in an easy to read ebook.

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We're excited to be publishing a free new resource for teachers, made entirely in Book Creator.

50 ways to use Book Creator in your classroom is our new year gift to teachers. This book is packed with resources covering every subject and grade level you can think of! We draw from over 5 years of case studies, thought-pieces and tutorials published on this website and beyond, packaging them in an easy to read ebook.

Created by teachers, for teachers

Each idea in the book has been tried and tested in real-world classrooms, by teachers from around the world. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this book!

You can read the book from cover to cover in half an hour, or dip in as you need to using the interactive contents page. Be inspired, and click on the 'Read more' links on each piece if you want to delve deeper.

Use the link below to access the online version of the book. Book Creator for Chrome users will find a handy link to the book in their profile menu (click on your avatar in the toolbar).
Read 50 ways to use Book Creator
If you'd prefer to read it offline, you can also download it from the iBooks Store.

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50 ways to use Book Creator in your classroom - Book Creator app

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We're excited to be publishing a free new resource for teachers, made entirely in Book Creator. 50 ways to use Book Creator in your classroom is our new year gift to teachers. This book is packed with resources covering every subject and grade level you can think of!

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Ten Ways to Use Jamboard in your Classroom

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Ten Ways to Use Jamboard in your Classroom

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The goal for your classroom/school Jamboard should be to get it into the hands of your students, for them to use as a brainstorming and collaboration tool, and to help them break free from the boundaries of the classroom and school building in order to create connections elsewhere.

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If you are asking yourself, what is a Jamboard? Hold your horses. My first post in the series will explain what it is and how it works.

If you are still reading, you probably agree that while a Jamboard looks incredibly fun and useful to have as a teacher during lectures and presentations, the real magic of the tool lies in its collaborative functions.

The goal for your classroom/school Jamboard should be to get it into the hands of your students, for them to use as a brainstorming and collaboration tool, and to help them break free from the boundaries of the classroom and school building in order to create connections elsewhere.

But before I get too far ahead of myself... Let's start at the center (with the teacher) and move outward (to infinity and beyond).

10 Ways to Use Jamboard in the Classroom

For Lectures and Presentations

As Jamboard allows you to add files from your Drive, teachers are able to pull a slide presentation from Drive onto the Jamboard and interact with each slide as they present.

That might mean writing additional notes, adding images, or using the "magic" highlighter tool (that makes a temporary highlight on the board and then fades away.)

The best part about using Jamboard for slide presentations, is that you can save them and share them with your class, or pick back up where you left off the next day.

Additionally, you can assign a copy of the Jam, or a specific board within the jam, for students to annotate after the presentation is done.

This would be particularly beneficial for math teachers who like to demonstrate how to work through a problem on the board. The Jamboard even has an option to turn the background into a grid. Plus, shape recognition, which makes it easy to draw perfect geometric shapes.

Teachers can save all these demonstrations of how to work through problems,

and give students access to view them.

Additionally, for math teachers with access to 1-1 devices (or BYOD) you can create a separate board (like a slide) for each student within the same "Jam." Each student can manually work through the problem on their own board, while you monitor all the boards on your device to check for understanding.

Afterwards, you can easily pull up any of the students' work on the main board and use it as an example for the class.

3. Live Note Taking Demonstration

Let's get a little more creative...

If you have a Jamboard in addition to your traditional whiteboard/projector setup. You could set the Jamboard up *slightly off to one side of your presentation, and ask a volunteer student to demonstrate taking notes while you give a lecture. Sketchnoting, would be particularly effective in this context, as the student would be able to add images and use the autodraw function to add visual notes. Afterward, those notes could be shared with the entire class.

I would make this into a rotating role, and everyone in the class could take a turn at being the "note taker" for the day.

*You could also set the Jamboard up out of view of the rest of the class if the note taker is in danger of becoming a distraction during the lesson and unveil their notes at the end as a review.

4. Mind Mapping or Sketchnoting

As I mentioned above, the Jamboard would be an excellent tool for any type of visual note taking.

If your students have access to 1-1 touch-screen devices (tablets, smart phones, or some Chromebooks), you could ask them to Sketchnote or Mindmap a chapter you read, a podcast played for the class, a film you are all watching, or a presentation.

For Group Work and Collaboration

5. 'Graffiti Walls" for Pre/Post Assessment

Graffiti walls are one of my favorite ways to gage student understanding on a general level.

Essentially, the graffiti wall in a blank canvas for words and pictures on a given topic. You might ask students, "Show me everything you know about photosynthesis," and set them free to write, draw, and respond.

Graffiti walls can easily be done on a whiteboard or poster, but the benefit of the Jamboard is that not only will you be able to save the graffiti walls and share them with the class later. You can also use them for a next-day or post-unit discussion, making notes on, or editing the original wall as you go.

6. Interactive Timelines

Timelines are an excellent tool for summary and review. The Jamboard improves this classic activity in a couple ways. First, the easy integration of images will help students easily create visually memorable timelines.

Even better, the integration of Docs could turn the timeline into a collaborative, multi-part project.

Perhaps you assign each student in the group one event from the timeline, and ask them to research it and write a paragraph about it in a Google Doc. Then, when the group comes together on their Jamboard, they are asked to add their Docs to the jam, and discuss how to order them on the timeline adding images to accompany each paragraph.

7. Infographics, Posters, and Visual Annotations

By now you probably see how easy it is to collaboratively create large graphic documents by adding and creating shapes and images. The Jamboard is perfect for creating posters and infographics to demonstrate understanding of a topic*.

Additionally, by inserting a paragraph of text onto a blank jam as an image, you could ask your students to annotate the text in groups using Jamboard's "sticky notes", underlining and highlighting, and inserting corresponding images.

*I should mention that I think Google Draw would be an equally good tool for this.

For Connections Beyond the Classroom

8. Collaborate on Interdisciplinary Projects Within your School.

Cross-curricular projects are becoming more and more common, with good reason. After all, it is rare that we only use one isolated skill at a time in the working world.

Imagine your grade level is working on an interdisciplinary project, let's say creating historical documentaries, and your school had two Jamboards; one is in your English class and one is in the history class on the other side of the building. Using the Google Hangout integration on Jamboard, your English class could easily video conference with the history class to discuss elements of the project, and brainstorm on the same jam, despite being in different rooms.

9. Work on a project with another school

The same logic can be applied to several different scenarios, but one of the most appealing to me is to connect with schools in other parts of the world or country.

"Mystery Skype" or "Mystery Hangouts" have become increasingly popular, especially in elementary classrooms. If you are unfamiliar, this is where you video call with a class somewhere else in the country or world, and ask each other 'yes' or 'no' questions about your locations, until each class can guess where the other is located.

Jamboard is an amazing addition to this activity, as the students are able to share text and images with each other while simultaneously video calling. You could even display a shared map on the board and have students circle the locations they are guessing.

For older students, having a class discussion, brainstorming, or even working on a project with a class in another part of the world is possible with Jamboard.

10. Work with experts or mentors within the community

In addition to connecting with other students, experts and members of the community have more access to the classroom, and can share ideas and collaborate with students virtually using the Jamboard.

For example, imagine you ask your students to create a product and write a "Shark Tank" type sales pitch. Using the Jamboard to video conference, you could invite local business owners to watch your students deliver or practice their pitch, and even give them live notes and feedback on the board.

As you can see, I'm excited about the Jamboard, and although I am getting paid to demonstrate how to use one at Bett this year, I am certainly not being paid to write this post or to sell them.

Jamboards are expensive, and the sad reality is the cost will be prohibitive for most schools.

But for those with the access, Jamboard could be far more than a white board. It could be an invitation to break free from the traditional boundaries of the classroom, to create, and to collaborate.

*Keep in mind, while the board itself is quite expensive. The software can be accessed on any device, and used with any touch screen. I do not recommend using Jamboard on a non-touch screen computer or device.

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The Jamboard Series Part II: Ten Ways to Use Jamboard in your Classroom

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If you are asking yourself, what is a Jamboard? Hold your horses. My first post in the series will explain what it is and how it works.

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You just download it on Google Play or iTunes and use it with your touch Chromebook or iPad after listening to Tom Mullaney share how it works. Enjoy this fun, free tool.

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oogle Jamboard is a fun interactive app. There's hardware too, but don't be worried. The free app has lots to play with. You just download it on Google Play or iTunes and use it with your touch Chromebook or iPad after listening to Tom Mullaney share how it works. Enjoy this fun, free tool.

Listen Now

***

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e257
Date: February 20, 2018

Vicki: Today we're talking with Tom Mullaney @tommullaney. He is in the San Francisco Unified School District as a Learning Integration Designer, and he does it with digital technology.

Now Tom, you and I have talked about two technologies that you're particularly excited about with Chromebooks - Google Jamboard and Google Expeditions.

Now first of all, I have never heard of Google Jamboard. What is it?

Tom: So Google Jamboard is actually a $5,000 piece of equipment. Don't stop right there. Don't get worried. It comes with a free app that students can access.

Google Jamboard is a free app

They could access it on a their phones. It's a little bit small. But also on iPads and on Chromebooks that have the Play Store enabled, which is where education Chromebooks are going.

In Google Jamboard, you have this collaborative space which doesn't sound all that exciting, but when you think about all the things you can do, you can bring in web content, you can draw perfect shapes, you can draw perfect angles, you can do all these crazy things, including having Hangouts occurring in this Jam. This is a great way to get your kids collaborating, and it's very, very new.

Vicki: OK. So Jamboard is a piece of hardware, and this is going on inside the hardware that's connecting them? Is it like something physical that you're interacting with?

Google Jamboard is also a piece of hardware, but you don't need it to use the free app

Tom: I mention that there's hardware, because if you Google "Google Jamboard," you're going to see this hardware. Ignore the hardware. We don't care about that. We care about the free app that lives in the iTunes store and the Google Play Store. It's called Google Jamboard.

Your kids could do this on an iPads tomorrow. If they can get Google Jamboard on their iPad, they can be in there collaborating with their peers, just like you would in any other Google app, but you have all this fun drawing and collaboration abilities, essentially. So it's the app that we're focused on.

Vicki: So your school doesn't have to own a hardware piece to use Google Jamboard... for this to work. All you have to do is download a free app.

Tom: That's correct. The hardware that you have to own - iPads or touchscreen Play Store enabled Chromebooks - which if you own them now, it's very likely your district may own in the next year or two.

Vicki: That's kind of confusing, isn't it? (laughs)

But we're just talking the free app, here - Google Jamboard.

Tom: Right. It's the kind of thing where - they want to make money, right? They're a business - but you just have to dig a little deeper and get the app. You can do all the stuff for free.

Vicki: Cool. OK. So you said that kids can interact. They can have a collaborative space. So this is past what they can do with Google Docs, sharing in Google Classroom?

How is this different from collaborating using Google Docs?

Tom: Yes. So in this space, you can draw. They have shape recognition, handwriting recognition, or autodraw. So you can try to draw a house, and then it will predict what you drew and give you options. "Did you draw a house? Did you draw a sun? Did you draw a boat?" of all this cool stuff. It will highlight, or cut things up. You can add more frames, so the space can be somewhat infinite because you can always add frames.

You can also save individual frames as images or entire jams. Each file, let's say - in Google Docs, a file is called a "doc," but in Jamboard, a file is called a "jam." You can save each jam as a PDF.

There are emojis. You can insert emojis right away. Think about how teachers could use that. They could be a collaborator on a jam, and start putting check marks and smiley faces into the elements of the jam they like, and so on and so forth.

Vicki: OK, so this is like the next level of the next step of Google Drawing?

It's like the next level of a next step of Google Drawing, but much more

Tom: It is, but let's think of it a few different ways. So Google Drawing is not sketch or touch-friendly, and there's no mobile app for it. It's only a web app.

Jamboard is very touch based, but you could use your mouse for most of its functions. So it's more artistic as far as sketching or scribbling words. And you can scribble words or use the handwriting recognition. It's a lot more tactile and artistic. Think of drawings as kind of a posterboard, and Jamboard as tactile drawing plus integrating content such as images from the web or or images from your webcam or something like that.

Vicki: Cool. So this is 2D, not 3D.

Tom: This is 2D, yes.

Vicki: Cool. And is it easy to share, like Google Docs and other things are? Or is it easy to share with other - what do you call them - jammers? (laughs)

Tom: Yes, now of course, this is so new. There's no Google Classroom integration yet.

There's no Google Classroom integration yet, but there are ways to share

At the same time, when you start a jam, you click the three dots - you see them in a lot of Google apps - and you see "Add people." That's where you would add people. You just type in their email address.

That's where you can also connect to a meeting and make it a Google Hangout, which takes place inside the jam, which is cool. Think of the collaboration possibilities for that - for homebound students, for guest experts that want to collaborate with your class, or vice-versa.

There are so many different ways to collaborate in this space. It's really fun and new and different and exciting, for sure.

A practical example of a way to use Jamboard

Vicki: OK, You've talked a lot about Jamboard. Tom, if you had a teacher who said, "I teach history. How can I use it?" What would you say?

Tom: I would say a few things. So let's say we're studying Andrew Jackson, just to throw an example out there. So what I'd probably do is I would divide the subtopics of that for the unit, amongst the class. "So you guys, you're 1824 election. But you guys are his Native American policy. And you guys are Bank War," and so on.

And what I would do is say, "As we go through the unit, I want each group to continue creating and putting things into their jam for that topic. So in a few ways, that can be beneficial. If you get a new student, the new student becomes a collaborator in each of the jams, and they're caught up in a nice visual way.

Also, at the end of the unit, you could have a gallery walk. Another way you could do that is you could say, "Alright, this group has this project, that group has that project. Then use Jamboard as the kind of storyboarding and idea generation space that the teacher is also a collaborator in, so they can collaborate in that space in real time and give feedback.

Vicki: OK, lightbulb! So it's like SketchNoting. Right?

So it's like Sketchnoting?

Tom: You could. So if you have the Jamboard app, it's not designed for this, but I will say this: I like jotting notes on Squid or on Google Keep. But I actually prefer jotting notes in Jamboard because I have a little embedded web browser, where you get your web content. I can put emojis in there. I have handwriting recognition, or draw shapes in there. As a jotting/sketchnoting tool, it actually is really robust and fun.

Vicki: Neat. OK, and so when you're done, you export it as a PDF and you can put it into Google Keep? Can you also export it as a JPG or PNG, or just a PDF?

How do you share the content if there's no Google Classroom integration?

Tom: So, the entire jam you can do as a PDF. So you can do it that way, and then once you have that you can submit that as an assignment.

I would say that jams are kind of "messy," so if I was assessing a jam, I wouldn't assess on neatness. You get messy. You just do. It's fun. It's part of the process.

As far as images... So it will save an individual frame of a jam - think of that being like one slide of a Google Slides - it will save that one frame as an image. And that can be brought into Google Keep, where more things can happen with it.

Vicki: Cool. Well, we've learned all about Google Jamboard today. I'm going to be playing and taking a look at this. Remember, it doesn't integrate with Google Classroom quite yet, but if you can pull it out, you can pull that content in in other ways.

Tom: That's correct.

Vicki: Thanks, Tom! This has been fantastic!

Tom: You're welcome!

Contact us about the show: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Tom Mullaney is a Digital Learning Integration Designer for the San Francisco Unified School District. Tom's education experience includes Special Education, Social Studies, and educational technology coaching in New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. He is a Google for Education Certified Innovator and Trainer. Tom hosts the Sustainable Teaching Podcast where he interviews teachers about their careers and passions. Connect with him on Twitter, @TomEMullaney.

Blog: https://tommullaney.com/

Twitter: @tommullaney

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

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Google Jamboard is a fun interactive app. There's hardware too, but don't be worried. The free app has lots to play with. You just download it on Google Play or iTunes and use it with your touch Chromebook or iPad after listening to Tom Mullaney share how it works.

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Math, ELA, History, and Science

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10 Jamboard Templates for Distance Learning!

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10 Jamboard Templates for Distance Learning!

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This post has 10 engaging ideas for using Jamboard in your class that will get your students working together, even though they may not be face to face.

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G Suite

This post is written by Kris Szajner, a tech integration specialist and former kindergarten teacher Prior Lake, Minnesota. You can follow him on Twitter @kszajner and check out his website kszajner.com.

Have you heard of Jamboard? It creates whiteboards that are a lot like slides. Looking for more collaborative activities to complete during distance learning? Look no further!

This free Google tool isn't just about expensive interactive displays.
Don't I need an expensive interactive display board to use it?
Nope! You can use the app for free on any device! It works with Google Drive and allows you to present your whiteboard to people viewing remotely. Which makes it a great online whiteboard option for distance learning.

What is Jamboard?

With Jamboard you can:

Add sticky notes, drawings, images, text and more.

Search Google and insert images or webpages.

Move images, texts, notes and drawings around on the screen easily.

Drag and resize text and images with your fingers.

Share your "jams" with others and let them collaborate.

Getting started with Jamboard

The Google Teacher Cente r has some great resources for educators looking to get started using Jamboard in your classroom.

Resources include:

a video library or tutorials

tips and trick from teachers

PDF guides

lesson plans and more

10 Jamboard Templates for Distance Learning

Pro Tip - Be sure students are not signed into Google and you have the permissions set to "anyone with the link is an Editor". This will ensure that each student is anonymous!

The Do More with Google Jamboard Online Course!

This course will introduce you to Jamboard features you might not know. It will give you dozens of ideas for using it in the classroom.

Plus, it provides you with:
- A collection of more than 100 templates.
- 40 activity ideas you can use immediately
- Tutorial slide s to use as a quick visual review.
- I nteractive infographics you can give your students
- Video playlists, posts, and extra resources.

Pro tip: Be sure students zoom into the canvas. This will make writing or drawing WAY easier!

Pro tip: Be sure students zoom into the canvas. This will make writing or drawing WAY easier!

For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links:

Are you looking for quality, meaningful professional learning that both equips and inspires teachers?

Matt provides in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions that equip, inspire and encourage teachers to create change in their classrooms. Teachers leave with loads of resources. They participate. They laugh. They see tech use and teaching in a new light. Click the link below to contact us and learn how you can bring Matt to your school or district!

FREE teaching ideas and templates in your inbox every week!

Subscribe to Ditch That Textbook

©2023 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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10 Jamboard templates for distance learning

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This post has 10 engaging ideas for using Jamboard in your class that will get your students working together, even though they may not be face to face.

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Click on the black box that says: Try It Out! (and YOU ARE WELCOME!)

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Microsoft Learning Tools are free tools that implement proven techniques to improve reading and writing for people regardless of their age or ability.

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Introducing Immersive Reader to students!

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In this video, YOU are walked through the features of Immersive Reader on Flipgrid. From how to access the tool to working with the different features, this 5 minute clip (geared toward families and students) will have you ready to jump in!

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Flipgrid is a website that allows teachers to create "grids" to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is like a message board where teachers can pose questions, called "topics," and their students can post video responses that appear in a tiled grid display.

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How does Flipgrid meet criteria with UDL? 

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How does Flipgrid meet criteria with UDL? 

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Providing Alternatives to Written Response:                            Action and Expression: Physical action and expression and fluency;
Engagement: Recruiting interest and effort and perseverance;
Example:
A student that has a lot of ideas but may struggle or not enjoy writing will share less as a result.  Many students may find it easier and more enjoyable to speak their ideas into the video feature on Flipgrid, which then provides a transcript.  Some students with disabilities may acutely benefit from this as an alternative to some writing tasks.

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Teacher Blog

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Flipgrid video Templates for Students (Rubric options)

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Flipgrid video Templates for Students (Rubric options)

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Teachers Pay Teachers $3

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Use these templates to help guide your students when they are creating a FlipGrid video. There are easy to use rubrics for easy grading as well.

☠ ARGG! ☠

Welcome to Fair Winds Teaching! I hope you enjoy this product, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!
Includes:
☞ General topics (fill in) with rubric option

☞ All About Me - with rubric option

☞ All About My Culture

☞ Two Truth and One Lie - with rubric option

☞ Climate

☞ Weather

☞ Book Recommendation - with rubric option

☞ Kindness Challenge - with rubric option

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Clip Art & Font credit: NilitArt Digital SBdigitalDesigns Huckleberry Hearts Amy Groesbeck Fonts Google Fonts A Perfect Blend Hello Literacy A Primary Kind of Life

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Flipgrid video Templates for Students (Rubric options)

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Flipgrid video Templates for Students (Rubric options)Use these templates to help guide your students when they are creating a FlipGrid video. There are easy to use rubrics for easy grading as well. ☠ ARGG! ☠ Welcome to Fair Winds Teaching! I hope you enjoy this product, if you have any questions ...

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Pin this up next to a Flipgrid station so kids don't forget the steps to logging in and adding a video. Teachers Pay Teachers $1.50

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We pin these up next to our Flipgrid station so kids don't forget the steps to logging in and adding a video.Fonts: KG Lego HousePlease rate my products if you download and use them!:) I would appreciate it!

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9 New Ways to Use Flipgrid in the Classroom

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9 New Ways to Use Flipgrid in the Classroom

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Article from Edutopia

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9 New Ways to Use Flipgrid in the Classroom

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The popular tool has features that teachers in any subject can use to help students connect with each other and share their learning.

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Youtube video

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THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA!!
What a great way to utilize Flipgrid in the classroom! Mrs. Singletary's class uses Flipgird for their spelling tests!

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Teaching First Graders how to record a video using Flipgrid

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Teaching First Graders how to record a video using Flipgrid

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Youtube video

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I love this guy! San Kary How to teach engaging lessons!

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Great article with examples of teacher troubles and the solutions!

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Why I Flipgrid.
Teachers: do you have teacher troubles? Flipgrid has solutions!

Hey Teachers! Do you have the kind of teacher troubles that pop up day after day? The questions that linger without a solution? That is why I am here with 10 ways Flipgrid can solve them!

In my work as an instructional coach I often work with teachers who want to try something new, but...how? When? What if? There is always a hesitation to give precious time to something that might not work. When I saw Flipgrid, not only did I instantly see how powerful it would be for students, but I saw the huge advantages for teachers, too!

Flipgrid is a FREE tool that allows teachers to upload discussion-style questions and students to answer by adding video responses. It helps teachers use technology in the right way. Holly Clark, an educational strategist for EdTechTeam, which bills itself as a global network of educational technologists, believes there are three simple things teachers should be doing with technology in order to use it to its fullest:

make student thinking visible,

give every student a voice, and

easily share work.

Flipgrid allows this to happen.

You should be hearing from every kid, all day...What do you know? What do you not know? And how can I adjust my instruction in real time to meet your needs? How can I hear from every kid in my classroom? - Clark

She uses Flipgrid as a tool to help her do this.

It is simple to navigate, and its potential for impact on teaching and learning is strong and wide. I loved it so much I made a video about it! You can watch it here:

Teacher Trouble #1: Did the students get it or not? I think they got it? Or most of them seemed to? Or did they not get it at all!?

FlipGrid Solution: Flipgrid gives teachers an easy way to get individual feedback from their students. It makes for an easy formative assessment. Student voice, straight to you!
Teacher Trouble #2: How can I reach the quiet kids who aren't comfortable answering in front of a large group? I want to know what they are thinking, but I hate to put them on the spot!
Flipgrid Solution: This is what makes Flipgrid so powerful for students. All students have a voice and a space for that voice.

They can re-record if they need and have time to prepare and think.

Teacher Trouble #3: How am I supposed to integrate technology and teach students to use it if I'm not good with technology? Teacher Trouble #4: How can I use technology if I only have one device Teacher Trouble #5: How can I find the time to communicate and share with parents? Teacher Trouble #6: I work with busy adults- how can I have get through my content, get teacher feedback and answer their questions in my limited time? Teacher Trouble #7: How do I find the time to do all of my writing and reading conferences? Teacher Trouble #8: How can I encourage my students to explain their thinking and ideas and then find a way to meet with each student or group? Teacher Trouble #9: How can I help my students share their ideas with other students or audiences?
They can even record as a group.
Teacher Trouble #10: How do I decide what to try when there is so much out there, I don't know where or how to start?
Flipgrid Solution: The intuitive nature of the site makes it easy for even the smallest of hands or the most worried about technology to navigate.

Flipgrid Solution: You just need one device! Have students rotate using your device(s). Or, the first time you use it, call students up one-by-one and project your device. Kids love to hear each other's answers!

Flipgrid Solution: Flipgrid makes it easy to share individual responses or a whole grid with parents. Teachers in our building had students record a special message for parents that they played to start parent-teacher conferences.

Flipgrid Solution: Flipgrid is a great way for teacher leaders to get feedback from adults after a Professional Development session. We used Flipgrid after a Science PD and were able to then reply back to teachers to answer their questions.

Flipgrid Solution: Have students read into the grid for fluency or accuracy. Have them read their favorite part of their writing, or a part that they are struggling with so you can give them feedback that they can then watch and listen to!

Flipgrid Solution: With Flipgrid, students can explain their thinking or ideas for teachers, who can then listen and respond at a later time. We used this during Genius Hour for one class, and it gave students an opportunity to explain their plan and also gave the teacher an opportunity to touch base with each group.

Flipgrid Solution: Let kids watch each other's grids! Have a grid for book recommendations, author's chair, or how-to explanations.

Kids love seeing themselves on the big screen, so try putting their grid up on the projector and let your class view their grid.

Flipgrid Solution: Flipgrid has a team of supporters who are ready to help and champion teachers who are trying this one small thing called Flipgrid.

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Why I Flipgrid. Teachers: do you have teacher troubles? Flipgrid has solutions! Hey Teachers! Do you have the kind of teacher troubles that pop up day after day? The questions that linger without a solution? That is why I am here with 10 ways Flipgrid can solve them!

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MY FIRST FLIPGRID ASSIGNMENT FOR A COURSE!

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MY FIRST FLIPGRID ASSIGNMENT FOR A COURSE!

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Reflecting on an activity I had to try to understand how students with learning issues feel.

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Innovative Reading Instruction with Tech 2

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Flipgrid is where social and emotional learning happens! The leading video discussion platform for millions of PreK to PhD educators, students, and families.