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Put your search skills and Google's tools to use. For instance, you can enter 30.891383, -102.885032 right inside the search bar, and learn that it's directly in the center of Ft. Stockton, TX. A quick Search for [Giant bird ft stockton TX] (or perhaps you're the adventurous type who'll "walk" there in Street View) and you'll have your bird: Paisano Pete.

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Welcome to the new daily puzzle from Google. There is no right way to solve it, but there's only one right answer. Find the answer with your creativity and clever search skills.

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17 Online Grading Tools for Busy Educators - The Tech Edvocate

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17 Online Grading Tools for Busy Educators - The Tech Edvocate

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17 Online Grading Tools for Busy Educators

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Grading is at the crux of educational evaluation. It's a major factor in designating student success, and it's a vital skill that every educator needs to have firm hold of. Succinctly, grades represent the extent to which the learner has met the defined objectives.

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EdTechTeacher 3 Strategies for Using G Suite for Education in the K-3 Classroom - EdTechTeacher

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EdTechTeacher 3 Strategies for Using G Suite for Education in the K-3 Classroom - EdTechTeacher

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G Suite for Education provides opportunities for students of all ages to learn and grow. When combined with a Chromebook or laptop, the core G Suite programs create a powerful platform for learning. By designing interactive learning experiences for students in the K-3 classroom with G Suite, we also provide opportunities for students to start building the skills that they will need to be successful in the intermediate grade levels and in our digital world.

By engaging students in Google Drawings learning experiences, teachers are creating opportunities for students to engage in sequencing, classification, evaluating, analyzing, as well as demonstrating their understanding of math, language, social studies, or science concepts. Additionally, students are interacting with icons and menus, strengthening their touchpad or mouse skills, and navigating Google Drive as they work with files and folders. These activities also provide opportunities for students to begin to explore concepts such as URL, website, hyperlink, and file. Building working definitions for these concepts is a key component in successfully navigating more complex systems and sequences.

Google Drawings provides a blank canvas for generating almost anything! It combines a drawing interface in which images can easily be moved and positioned with text boxes, creating a simple desktop publishing environment. Additionally, with all the same features as Docs - such as sharing, comments, revision history, and the explore tool - Google Drawings has great power!

Google Drawings provides gray space on either side of the drawing canvas where teachers can place images, text boxes, and other elements that can later be manipulated by students. Teachers can create a wide variety of interactive learning experiences in which students move images and text around as they work through sequencing and classification activities. Follow the links to see examples of both.

Using the new Explore function in Google Drawings, students can also search for images to complete graphic organizers, charts, or diagrams. Even math activities can be created easily using Google Drawings. Using the Insert Shape function, teachers can construct simple math manipulatives such as base-ten blocks or images representing coins. Tables can also be inserted for activities such as place value and simple data charting.

Google Forms has recently added the capability of inserting images as responses. For our youngest learners who may still be developing their reading skills, the option to associate an image can help them decode the written word. One example of a form for younger students might be a Morning Check-in. Second grade teacher Stacy O'Sadnick uses a morning check-in form with her students to get a better feel for how they are feeling each day. Stacy said that the answers in the form help her better meet her students' needs. Another example of a Google Form for young students is a or a shape recognition activity. Dawn Johnson, a Kindergarten teacher in Northern Illinois, uses Google Forms to create money recognition activities for her students. These activities are excellent formative assessment opportunities, helping to make student understanding and perspective visible to the teacher.

Although it is important to expose our K-3 students to digital learning environments and experiences, most of their day will be spent physically DOING. Primary students write, draw, cut, paste, move, sing, speak, and listen. The artifacts of learning that are created most frequently are physical - not digital. However, recording and chronicling these artifacts can be a great use of the opportunities created by G Suite and a Chromebook or laptop.

In Google Slides, the Insert Image option allows users to Take a Snapshot from the webcam of their laptop or Chromebook. By using this option to take pictures of physical artifacts of learning, students can record their work. This activity could be the beginning of a digital portfolio that might be used to chart growth and development over time and possibly shared with parents. But it could also just be an opportunity for students to practice skills such as taking digital pictures with the computer, inserting those images into slides, creating new slides, and typing letters into text boxes.

G Suite for EDU provides a platform for a wide variety of activities for K-3 students. Manipulating images and text in a drawing environment, responding to images in formative assessment activities, and making physical artifacts digital through the use of the webcam are just a few of the ways that G Suite can help students build the skills they need to be successful in our digital world!

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3 Strategies for Using G Suite for Education in the K-3 Classroom - EdTechTeacher

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G Suite for Education provides opportunities for students of all ages to learn and grow. When combined with a Chromebook or laptop, the core G Suite programs create a powerful platform for learning.

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Fwd: Lesson Content/Notes Documents - j.padgett@msad17.org - Maine School Administrative District 17 Mail

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Fwd: Lesson Content/Notes Documents - j.padgett@msad17.org - Maine School Administrative District 17 Mail

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Gmail is email that's intuitive, efficient, and useful. 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.

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Google for Education: Apps that work #withClassroom

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Google for Education: Apps that work #withClassroom

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Apps That Work With Classroom | Google for Education

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Hundreds of apps integrate with Google Classroom. These apps can help support the classroom in many ways, from helping students learn to code to streamlining a teacher's gradebook.

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From content consumption to content creation, there are many ways to use mobile devices with students. They can create how-to videos for authentic audiences, explain their thinking through screencasting, or use scannable technology in the math classroom, for example. Mobile devices can also be used to help students practice foundational math skills and build their math fluency. You might decide to use an app on this list as part of an intervention plan or add it to a newsletter for families.

In order for students to tackle the multistep word problems they'll be asked to solve as early as elementary school, they need to have mastered addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. If they can answer 4 + 12, 15 - 5, 9 x 7, and 18 ÷ 3 quickly and accurately, students can focus on reading word problems to figure out what those questions are asking them to do and apply their knowledge to real-world situations. There are tons of fun apps that help children build their math fluency through games and manipulatives. Check out some of these fantastic math tools available as mobile apps (for iOS or Android) and web apps (for any web browser).

Operation Math ( iOS $2.99, Android $1.99) This app turns your students into spies who travel around the world on different missions. Kids can choose which operations they want to practice as they make their way through the app.

Number Frames (free for iOS, Chrome, and other web browsers) The Math Learning Center has lots of great resources for students, including interactive math tools to help students practice skills. With this tool, students explore the relationships between numbers as they represent each operation with virtual manipulatives. This free app gives kids the space to build a foundation that makes math fluency practice most meaningful.

Sushi Monster ( iOS free) Scholastic's app offers children multiplication and addition problems. They have to reach a target number by picking the correct factors and addends listed on different pieces of sushi.

Quick Math - Arithmetic & Times Tables ( iOS $1.99) With this app, kids answer traditional skill-and-drill questions-but they don't have to enter answers using a keypad. Instead, they can write the answer anywhere on the screen of their device, and the app reads their handwriting and records their response.

Number Line (free for iOS, Chrome, and other web browsers) This mobile and web app is perfect for helping students model their thinking as they explore different operations.

Pet Bingo by Duck Duck Moose ( iOS $1.99, Android $1.99) In this game, children answer addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division questions and place their answers on a bingo board. The app is full of colorful cartoon characters and offers visual models to help students understand each problem.

Meerkat Math HD ( iOS $1.99) This adventure app asks students to complete different races using math facts. In order to make their meerkat avatar run and jump fast enough to be a winner, they have to answer each question quickly and correctly.

10monkeys Multiplication ( iOS $1.99, Android free) Kids can practice multiplication facts with this animated app. The goal is to help monkeys trapped in a tree escape by answering a set of questions correctly. This app is broken down into different times tables and includes a reference chart so kids can review facts.

Math Vs Zombies ( iOS $4.99, Android free) This silly app asks children to add, subtract, multiply, or divide one- and two-digit numbers. Students need to answer each question correctly in order to zap the zombies back into humans.

YodelOh Math Mountain ( iOS $2.99, Android $1.99) A virtual take on a traditional carnival game, this app helps children practice all four operations. They have to work quickly so that the yodeler doesn't fall from the top of the mountain.

Whether I'm leading a professional development session or having a casual conversation with a fellow educator, I often use the phrase "tasks before apps." As you explore the tools on this list, make sure you've identified your learning objectives and think about which tools will help students achieve those goals.

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Using Math Apps to Increase Understanding | Edutopia

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From content consumption to content creation, there are many ways to use mobile devices with students. They can create how-to videos for authentic audiences, explain their thinking through screencasting, or use scannable technology in the math classroom, for example. Mobile devices can also be used to help students practice foundational math skills and build their math fluency.

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How to Make Great Videos For Your Class – An Infographic - Flipped Learning Network Hub

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How to Make Great Videos For Your Class – An Infographic - Flipped Learning Network Hub

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How to Make Great Videos For Your Class - An Infographic - Flipped Learning Network Hub

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It's official, I've made over 1000 videos for my students, parents, fellow staff and the world in the last three years. Here's what I've learned The post How to Make Great Videos For Your Class - An Infographic appeared first on Joel Speranza.

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10 Tools to ROCK Assessments Using Google Apps on the iPad — Emerging Education Technologies

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10 Tools to ROCK Assessments Using Google Apps on the iPad — Emerging Education Technologies

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Google Apps can Play a Powerful Role in Assessment
Dr. Chris McGee will be presenting a full day GAFE Workshop and numerous breakout sessions at the 2015 Teaching and Learning with the iPad Conference this November. Come join Chris and hundreds of other passionate educators at the original iPad educational conference November 12th - 14th in Raleigh, NC!
I love assessment. Seriously. It's one of the most exciting things to talk about in education. One thing we know for sure is that assessment improves learning. Check out this data from Robert Marzano's Classroom Assessment and Grading That Works (pg 10):

I mean check that out. Over a 15 week period students who were assessed more frequently, increased learning by nearly 30 percentile points. WOW! For those of us like me that love standards-based grading, this is perfect news. We can alter (or improve) our assessments using learning goals and proficiency scales to really focus our assessment to improve specific objectives. There is no doubt assessment is a powerful learning tool.

But what's wrong with assessment?

Of course, it's not all milk and honey when it comes to assessments. Let's focus on two simple things teachers do wrong with assessment:

1. They use a "gotcha" mentality. They try to craft assessments to catch students NOT knowing the answer instead of seeking to determine what students DO know.

2. They only see assessment as paper/pen or question/answer. Assessment can be so much more! Just wait and see!

Let's agree on terminology first. What is "Assessment?"

Webster's dictionary defines the verb "assess" as:

1: to determine the rate or amount of (as a tax)
2a: to impose (as a tax) according to an established rate
2b: to subject to a tax, charge, or levy
3: to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation
4: to determine the importance, size, or value of <assess a problem>
5: to charge (a player or team) with a foul or penalty

We see often in education that teachers see assessment as definition #5 more than any other. That's the "gotcha mentality" we spoke of earlier. But what if we took the concepts in definitions 1-4 and applied them to the educational setting? This was done perfectly by Banta and Palomba in Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. They defined assessment as "the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving learning and development."

BOOM that's it! Assessment is:

1. A series of instances as a part of a system over time

2. A collection (possibly demonstrating growth or their best work)

3. Review (read feedback through collaboration)

4. Useful in improving learning

5. Purposeful in improving learning

Now that we have a framework to think about assessment, I'll reference it when we look through the Google App ideas listed below.

Which are my favorite Google Apps on the iPad?
Google Classroom
Google Classroom allows you to set up a system that will easily allow the teacher to review student work, give feedback to students in a timely manner, leverage classroom discussions, and uncover student ideas and thoughts around specific topics.
Using Shared Folders in Google Drive
Probably my favorite of all the options. The ability to make anything on the ipad and turn it into an item that can be shared and uploaded to Google Drive is a fantastic resource. One of my favorite and all-time awesome ideas is to utilize the Camera App. I ask students to turn the camera on, and record themselves answering a question/prompt, then tap the share button to use the apps installed on the iPad to share the video just recorded.
Blogger
One of my favorite quotes from Jon Smith (@theipodteacher) from his talk entitled " The Global Refrigerator " is this: "When teachers ask students to make something for the world, they make it good. When teachers ask students to make something for the teacher, they make it good enough." So asking students to publish their ideas, thoughts, videos, images, etc. through a blog is key. A blog is an easy system to implement in the class and can provide students the opportunity to add their thoughts. The beauty of the blog is that it is always there and is a great collection of thinking. The ability to add comments also allows us to monitor learning and nudge students in the same direction: toward learning. Finally, this allows students to have an online space where their work "lives." It's so important for students in the 21st century to have a space online that creates a digital footprint.
Google Forms
Google Forms is currently a mess on the iPad. Building them on the iPad is less than ideal right now. It can be done, just not great. But we can't overlook the effectiveness of Google Forms. As the teacher in the room, it's a great opportunity to build quick, exit-slip style engaging assessments. So as classroom teachers we can build something on a computer and ask kids to interact with the Form on their iPads. Forms are easy to build into a standards classroom workflow and are an easy way to assess student learning quickly. There are a TON of add-ons we'll talk about later that can transform the simple form into a great way to provide simple feedback. That feedback is essential to improving learning.

Google Docs are an easy way to build, edit, and collaborate on a single document. A few tips and tricks I use with Google Docs:

Make the documents for each group ahead of time.

Author a document to be used as a template. Go up to the URL and change the end from "/edit" to "/copy". This will force everyone who uses it to have their own copy.

Leverage paragraph styles for easy table of contents creation.

Assign font colors at the beginning of the year. Use the "header" to code who did what on the project.

Make the documents for each group ahead of time. I know I already said that, but this allows you to own the revision history (found under file) to double check who did what.

Google Docs is an easy tool to use in any circumstance. It's probably my go-to to plan and then I move to other services. It's such a simple and easy resource to build into your classroom assessment system. Docs is easily organized in Google Drive and it also allows for comments which makes feedback simple.
Google Slides
Using Google Slides is one of the easiest way to build presentations. This is a great way to give students experiences to deliver their content to a group. But thinking creatively about Slides can open up doors to assessment. Some ideas beyond the presentation:

Break up unit goals into slides and assign students to find images, links, and resources to add to each slide building a student-driven study guide.

Have students create a non-linear slide set where they use links to move from slide to slide and demo their learning. (See my example on Solutions and Mixtures here).

Use it as a "portfolio." Set each student to have the same slide deck pre-loaded with the unit goals and outcomes (see 2nd bullet under the Google Doc section), then assign a student to populate each slide with links to their created/curated resources and images of them and their learning.

Google Slides is easy tool to use in any circumstance. It's probably my second go-to to plan, and then I move to other services. It's such a simple and easy resource to build into your classroom assessment system. Slides is easily organized in Drive and it also allows for comments which makes feedback simple.

Add-ons

Add-ons could really take up their own blog post. The idea of Add-Ons is that Google services and many of its tools are "open source" which means that people-more well versed in computer programming than you and me-can create amazing services that enrich our lives and make our workflow even simpler. Below are some of my favorite Add-ons.
Some of my favorites: Padlet
Padlet is a great tool to brainstorm ideas, curate rescues, build interactive spaces, and collaborate. We've all seen the 3M Post-It Note, now imagine a Post-It that can hold text, images, graphics, links, videos, and more. We can use a Padlet site in a ton of different ways for formative assessment. It's a great place to post a question and have students find as many different solutions to one prompt.
Google Voice
Did you know your iPad has a microphone? Did you know that your Gmail (Google Hangouts really) can make phone calls? Plug in a set of headphones and have students "dial" using the Handouts app to "call" and leave a message. Now, here's where the awesome happens. Set up your Google Voice account and use it to be able to record student information. Voice is a great way to record a selection of readings, post a quiz, or just get feedback. Next you can go to your Voice account and download those audio files and play them in class the next day as a great feedback/instructional tool. This can be done with the whole group or one-on-one.

NOTE: Rumor has it that the services of Google Voice are being phased out and wrapped into the hangouts app. The same ideas apply when/if this happens.
Peardeck
This is a cool service that is a great interactive way to get feedback on a presentation. Imagine you are going through a slide deck, and you want to do a quick, simple formative assessment. Peardeck allows you to ask questions of the class and get immediate feedback. You can ask students to type, draw, and interact through multiple choice or simple answers. The "coolness" factor goes up when you take the formative assessment data and alter your instruction mid-presentation. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the "sit-and-get" model of teaching, but sometimes it has to be done. The key to executing this "sit-and-get" model well is making it as interactive as possible and being able to shift mid-presentation to ensure learning is happening.

Here's a few more. In the time between this post and when I deliver the GAFE workshop at TLIPAD in November I'm sure there will be at least 15 more awesome Add-ons, so I hope I see you there and have more to share!
So what are some of your favorites?

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10 Tools to ROCK Assessments Using Google Apps on the iPad

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Dr. Chris McGee will be presenting a full day GAFE Workshop and numerous breakout sessions at the 2015 Teaching and Learning with the iPad Conference this November. Come join Chris and hundreds of other passionate educators at the original iPad educational conference November 12th - 14th in Raleigh, NC!

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How to Test if an EdTech Product is Worth Using | Edutopia

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How to Test if an EdTech Product is Worth Using | Edutopia

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Librarian Approved: 30 Ed-Tech Apps to Inspire Creativity and Creation | MindShift | KQED News

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Librarian Approved: 30 Ed-Tech Apps to Inspire Creativity and Creation | MindShift | KQED News

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For her own productivity, Luhtala likes the changes Audible has made to its app, which now allows her to put different news sources into channels, that can be read aloud to her while she's getting ready in the morning or commuting to work. "It is transformational for me to be able to have my newspaper read to me through an app," she said.

She's also pleased that Google Slides now allows users to insert charts, which she says has been long overdue, and adds more functionality. In addition to highlighting some of her favorite digital learning tools, Luhtala called on her professional learning community to recommend their favorite learning apps. Together, they offer this list to overburdened educators looking to hone in on just the right tech tool.
30 APPS LIBRARIANS RECOMMEND

Adobe Capture: "This is one of my two favorite new things," Luhtala said. The app lets users take a photo of something and then trace the outline. A student can then erase parts, color it in, or enhance areas, all based on the initial sketch provided by the photo. "This has been my dream app because I don't draw well, but I do art well," Luhtala said. "It is super rich."

Adobe Voice (now called Adobe Spark): Librarians recommend this app because it's an easy way of kids to attach a voice memo over an image. It can be a good presentation tool. "You have to have a subscription, but you don't have to pay for your subscription,"Luhtala said, so don't be put off by a sign up process.

Photo Editor by Aviary: This powerful photo editing app allows students to make all the tweaks they need to produce a stellar photo. Luhtala said it reminds her of Photoshop, but for a phone.

This app allows users to add images, text, video and interactive stickers to an existing product. "I love uploading student work and adding interactive things on top," Miller said. Her college-aged daughter, meanwhile, uses it for presentations because it's a good storytelling tool. Students can also work on individual Buncees and then stitch them together into a collaborative project. The end result doesn't print well, but it is possible to create a QR code for the Buncee and view it on the app or website.

There are many blogging sites for students that work well, but Miller recommends this one because Kathy Cassidy uses it with first graders. "I've always loved using Kidblog and Edmodo, but this is spot-on the easiest things I've seen, especially for younger learners," Miller said. Rather than asking five- and six-year olds to remember usernames and passwords, students can login with their photos. The app version costs $5.99 but the web-based version is free.

Luhtala appreciates Goodreads because it helps make reading social. Students can easily search each other's reading lists for ideas. As a librarian, she also finds it to be a huge timesaver when teachers are coming up with their summer reading lists. She can scan the books' barcodes and easily add 50 to 100 books, order them in lists and embed them on the library site or in emails to students. Miller recommends Biblionasium as a good alternative for younger learners, especially because students can recommend books to one another. If a library uses Follett Destiny, sharing functions are integrated there too.

This study guide creation tool has taken off at New Canaan High School. "It has gained huge traction not among teachers, but among students," Luhtala said. Her students use Quizlet for almost everything, divvying up the work of making flashcards amongst themselves. Interestingly, Kahoot has also become a student favorite, but not necessarily for studying. Luhtala has noticed students using it for social activities like organizing prom. "These tools were designed for education, but the kids are using them in completely different ways," Luhtala said.

A favorite of Jane Lofton, this easy-to-use app allows students as young as five to create videos. They can add their voice over the images and explain their thinking or their story. This app is only for iOS devices.

A long time image manipulation app favorite of Miller's, this free tool has seamless integration with Evernote, which owns it. The app allows users to annotate over anything, circling errors, adding text or arrows, etc. "I use it a ton on my phone," Miller said.

Mindmup: This is Jay Salerno's favorite mind mapping tool. It is a Chrome extension, so it integrates well with other Google products."I just think it's really great to give kids lots of options when you're asking them to diagram their thinking," Luhtala said.

Scratch and more: All the librarians that contributed to this list acknowledge that it's a great idea to get students started coding early. Some well-liked apps include Scratch, Scratch Jr, and Hopscotch. For younger students Miller recommends Kodable and Daisy the Dinosaur as well.

The app offers an easy way to move images from a phone to a computer, although Miller cautions it may not be free for much longer.

Recommend by Miller's son who is in fifth grade, this game rivals Minecraft in his mind. He likes it because it's easier to create things than in Minecraft. The game costs $4.99. "I like how they can add words and the characters look a bit more realistic than they do in Minecraft," Miller said.

"You stand in a spot, particularly in a city, and it finds you on the map and tells you about the history of what was there," Luhtala said. "It's very powerful." The app shows the Google Maps street view with a historical overlay. Kids can also add their own content, which could make for a fun digital storytelling tool or examination of primary sources.

This image manipulation tool adds some fun to digital storytelling by allowing students to animate mouths or eyeballs. "I really loved this one because there were a few more features that were a bit richer for older kids,"Miller said. She sometimes uses Chatterpix as well.

Check out previous years favorites here and here.

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Librarian Approved: 30 Ed-Tech Apps to Inspire Creativity and Creation

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For her own productivity, Luhtala likes the changes Audible has made to its app, which now allows her to put different news sources into channels, that can be read aloud to her while she's getting ready in the morning or commuting to work.

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools! — Emerging Education Technologies

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools! — Emerging Education Technologies

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Lesson Planning Doesn't Have to be Hard ... Here's Help

Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding to your lesson plan collection, nobody needs to lesson plan alone. This month, App Ed Review is kicking off the new school season with four hand-picked resources to support your development of lesson plans. Whether the resources result in the creation of blended learning lessons or are a compilation of more generalized literacy strategies, the resources offered in this Round Up are sure to appeal to a wide swatch of teachers!

Also, remember, each resource we offer has been assessed using one of our two research-based evaluation rubrics, offers multiple ideas for use in the classroom, and an original description that describes what teachers and students will experience while using the app. As always, if you want to learn more about any of the resources mentioned in this Round Up or want to locate more resources for your classroom, please visit the free App Ed Review resource database.

1. TES Teach with BlendSpace has an entire library of lesson plans, as well as resources to inspire teachers to create new lesson plans. After registering, teachers can select either the "Planbook" icon to create their own lesson plan or select the "Home" icon to browse other teachers' lesson plan creations. When browsing the lesson plan library, teachers can select a subject area, touch a lesson that interests them, view it, and then tap the "Upload" button to share the lesson plan. When selecting the "Planbook" option, teachers first categorize the subject of the material they are creating a lesson plan around. TES Teach will then search through all of its resources for the most appropriate images, links, YouTube videos, etc. Teachers can select their own web links from a web browser, create quizzes within TES Teach, or upload documents from Google Drive and Dropbox for more personalized touches. Teachers then select resources which interest them and drag the resources into the tile dashboard to save and sequence them. Tiles can be rearranged at any time. When completed, teachers can hit the "Upload" button to share their lessons with students. Scoring a 9 in Design and a 9.2 in Efficiency, TES Teach with Blendspace will make lesson planning a breeze in the new year!

2. The gamification of education is growing and the Tiny Tap app (available for both the iOS and Droid platforms) provides teachers with a huge database of ready-made activities that can be used in the classroom. Inside TinyTap's database, teachers will find hundreds of lessons that develop students' reading, thinking, and identification skills, and all the lessons are categorized by subject area, which takes a lot of pain out of locating the lessons. In addition, if teachers are unable to find just the right lesson plan, TinyTap provides a feature that lets them create their own ones, and, for savvy teachers, they can flip it and create assignments where students actually make the learning activities. With so much content and the abilities to peruse and engage ready-made lessons along with being able to create their own, TinyTap is sure to be a hit in the classroom. Find out more by clicking here.

3. Teachers Pay Teachers is a great resource for adding a different perspective to lesson planning, or getting another teacher's plans for course material you've never taught before. When navigating the app, teachers sign in, hit "Browse" button, and then search by grade, subject, type of resource, or price. Unit plans, lesson plans, and other classroom ideas, ranging in price from free to $10, are available for download. Teachers can either download/buy the lesson plan by selecting the "Purchase" option, or save the lesson plan and think about downloading it on a later date by adding it to their "Wishlist." If a certain teacher's materials are especially intriguing, teachers can follow that teachers' accounts, ask the lesson plan supplying teacher questions, and rate that teacher's lesson plan materials. Scoring a 7 out of 10 on our comprehensive rubric, Teachers Pay Teachers will save you time and energy!

4. Reading Rockets' Classroom Strategies is a go-to resource for teachers who are working to develop their students' reading and writing abilities. With this handy-dandy list, teachers can view several dozen strategies that are classified as Before, During, and After Reading, which teachers can use to guide their thinking about when to use the strategy. In addition, teachers can click on any of the strategies' names. By doing so, teachers are able to access additional information that includes its research base and examples. Reading Rockets' comprehensive lists of strategies is ideal for brainstorming different ways to teach text, and its high scores for Efficiency and Design are sure to make it useful in the classroom. Learn more about Reading Rockets by clicking here.

That's all for this month's Roundup. If you would like more information about any of the resources mentioned here or that are on the App Ed Review website, please contact us at info@appedreview.com. And remember ... lesson planning is not an isolated activity, support and help are just a few clicks away!

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools!

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Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding to your lesson plan collection, nobody needs to lesson plan alone.

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8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren’t Boring — Emerging Education Technologies

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8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren’t Boring — Emerging Education Technologies

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Dozens of free web tools and ideas that can pack a technology integration punch and kick those lessons up a notch

Are you tired of delivering the same old lectures on the same subjects year after year? Are you using the same lesson materials over and over and wishing you could make learning in your classroom more interactive?

While lectures and lessons can be informative and even â€œedutainingâ€ when delivered with passion and good materials by knowledgeable experts, sadly many traditional lectures and lessons are boring, and even worse often ineffective. The good news is that the Web is loaded with great free tools that can enable teachers to bring a sense of fun and engagement to their lessons.

Of course, you do need devices with Internet access to give these tools a try. Even if you donâ€™t have computers or tablets available in your classroom, the fact that an increasing number of High School and college students have smartphones is making it easier than ever to leverage technology to create engaging, active lessons students enjoy working on. For younger grades, if you donâ€™t have access to devices with Web access, perhaps you can access a computer lab by request, or use devices in your library.

Hereâ€™s a whole bunch of ideas for leveraging technology to kick those lessons up a notch!

1. Incorporate Student Input & Gather Feedback

There are many applications that allow students to provide live feedback. A lot of them can be used from smartphones. You can also gather feedback by creating a â€œback channelâ€ using Twitter.

Quick, easy Polling Applications: PollDaddy and PollEverywhere are two of many applications that make it quick and easy to create simple polls that can let you gather feedback from students â€" determine if they are struggling with a topic, if they know the correct answers to questions you ask, and so on. They can often participate in these polls using a smartphone.

Take it up a notch with Socrative: Socrative is a powerful free app that lets you go well beyond simple polls to more elaborate quizzes, or just use it to gather quick and easy feedback. Learn more here.

Plickers: This is a pretty cool lo-tech approach to collecting student responses during class that doesnâ€™t require students to use technology. Learn more here.

Twitter: Twitter is a great way to gather input by creating an easy to use â€˜backchannelâ€™. This is great for students with smartphones (they will need the Twitter app and an account). Simply create a unique hashtag and have students post feedback to Twitter using that hashtag.

2. Gamify It

Leveraging gaming mechanics that can make learning more fun is probably easier than you think. Any time you bring competition or levels of achievement to a classroom exercise, youâ€™re adding an element of 'gamification'. For a simple example, in one recent assignment in my classroom, I had students search through an interactive computer history timeline for specific facts. The first student to correctly identify a fact (like â€œwhat was the first computer bug?â€) that I had them seek out â€œwonâ€ for that question! Of course, gamification can be leveraged in much richer ways.

Hereâ€™s a variety of resources and ideas for using gaming in the classroom:

3. Let Students Create

There are so many fun free tools and apps available today that can let students create all kinds of awesome digital content. Below is diversified set of different article and resources that share different tools and ideas for students (and teachers) to create digital content â€" presentations, interactive digital posters, eBooks, videos, and more. In the spirit of creating in the classroom, we also included an article introducing the burgeoning Makerspace Movement in education.

4. Get Interactive

Many teachers enjoy using interactive tools with their students. Hereâ€™s a few tools and ideas to consider.

Online Interactive White Boards: Did you know that there are several good free interactive whiteboards available online? If you have a computer and a projector, you can make them work a lot like a â€œsmart boardâ€. Some of these applications even allow students to log on online and collaboratively edit content. Check out these 6 Online IWBs to explore this idea further.

Bounceapp (bounceapp.com): You can review, notate, and share any web page with Bounceapp. Just paste a web page address into the â€œappâ€ and it turns it into an interactive screenshot where students can jot ideas.

Interactive apps that work with Smartphones: Many of the tools in this article work on smartphones!

If you happen to have a physical white board in your classroom, get more out of it with these creative ideas.

Explore additional tool and ideas in this popular article that we published earlier this year.

5. Have Students Collaborate

Getting students to work together as partners, in small groups, or maybe even as one large group, teaches them about team work. Collaborative work can be fun. It is even possible to collaborate with students across the world thanks to many of todayâ€™s technologies.

Here are a number of tools and techniques for classroom collaborations.

Share writing and encourage feedback with NewsActivist: NewsActivist is a free tool that lets teachers set up their students with a private area where they can write about selected subjects. You can enables them to share what their write with just their classmates, or with the larger audience of students from across the world using NewsActivist. Students can then provide feedback on other studentsâ€™ writings. Learn more in this brief article.

Collaborative Document Editing with Google Drive (drive.google.com): Google Drive lets you share and collaboratively edit Google Docs with anyone else who has a Google account, for free. This is a powerful capability.

Collaborative Mind Mapping with MindMeister (mindmeister.com): This applications lets users easilyÂ create mind maps that can be edited collaboratively.

Collaborative Research: Working in pairs or small groups to find, assess, summarize, and present content in specific topic areas make for a great learning experience and assignment.

6. Project Based Learning

When students apply what they are learning to projects that they undertake, the topics they are learning about can take on a much deeper meaning. Not only does the activity and the increased sensory exposure of project work help to stimulate the mind, the extended time often required of project work, and the visible, tangible results further reinforce learning.

Here are two excellent, rich resources for further exploration of PBL from TeachThought.com:

7. Simulations

Simulations can be a powerful addition to the classroom. Since they tend to be somewhat complicated, they are typically suited towards high school, college, or post-graduate or professional studies. Here are some examples of simulations being used in education:

Economics: This site, Economic-Games.com, offers free online classroom games for teaching economics.

Marketing: Have you ever wished you could give your Marketing students the chance to practice different e-marketing skills and techniques? Check out Simbound.

Medical: Simulations have been a significant teaching and learning tool in the medical field for many years. Harvard Medical School has even created a web site focused on their use of Simulations.

Business: Business Simulation Games are a great way to bring active, applied learning into Business courses.

8. Bring in a Guest or Two

With the power of video conferencing apps like Skype, Google Hangout, Facetime, and others, our ability to connect with people all across the world has never been better or less costly. Teachers have been using Skype and similar tools to being guest lecturers, experts, students, and others into the classroom for years. Nothing breaks up the monotony of â€œsame old thingâ€ like an enthusiastic subject matter expert from another county or a room full of students from another continent!

Check out this great video about Skype in the Classroom. This is a perfect way to wrap up this post about leveraging tech in the classroom to make lessons captivating, fun, and exciting!

Be sure to tell us about some of your favorite ways to make lessons more fun with the help of today's powerful instructional technologies!
Related Posts (if the above topic is of interest, you might want to check these out):
10 Pretty Awesome Things You Can do With PowerPoint
Add Voice Over to PowerPoint Presentations in 5 Easy Steps
20 Fun Free Tools for Interactive Classroom Collaboration

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8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Arenâ€™t Boring - Emerging Education Technologies

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Dozens of free web tools and ideas that can pack a technology integration punch and kick those lessons up a notch Are you tired of delivering the same old lectures on the same subjects year after year? Are you using the same lesson materials over and over and wishing you could make learning in your [...]

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools! — Emerging Education Technologies

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools! — Emerging Education Technologies

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Lesson Planning Doesn't Have to be Hard ... Here's Help

Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding to your lesson plan collection, nobody needs to lesson plan alone. This month, App Ed Review is kicking off the new school season with four hand-picked resources to support your development of lesson plans. Whether the resources result in the creation of blended learning lessons or are a compilation of more generalized literacy strategies, the resources offered in this Round Up are sure to appeal to a wide swatch of teachers!

Also, remember, each resource we offer has been assessed using one of our two research-based evaluation rubrics, offers multiple ideas for use in the classroom, and an original description that describes what teachers and students will experience while using the app. As always, if you want to learn more about any of the resources mentioned in this Round Up or want to locate more resources for your classroom, please visit the free App Ed Review resource database.

1. TES Teach with BlendSpace has an entire library of lesson plans, as well as resources to inspire teachers to create new lesson plans. After registering, teachers can select either the "Planbook" icon to create their own lesson plan or select the "Home" icon to browse other teachers' lesson plan creations. When browsing the lesson plan library, teachers can select a subject area, touch a lesson that interests them, view it, and then tap the "Upload" button to share the lesson plan. When selecting the "Planbook" option, teachers first categorize the subject of the material they are creating a lesson plan around. TES Teach will then search through all of its resources for the most appropriate images, links, YouTube videos, etc. Teachers can select their own web links from a web browser, create quizzes within TES Teach, or upload documents from Google Drive and Dropbox for more personalized touches. Teachers then select resources which interest them and drag the resources into the tile dashboard to save and sequence them. Tiles can be rearranged at any time. When completed, teachers can hit the "Upload" button to share their lessons with students. Scoring a 9 in Design and a 9.2 in Efficiency, TES Teach with Blendspace will make lesson planning a breeze in the new year!

2. The gamification of education is growing and the Tiny Tap app (available for both the iOS and Droid platforms) provides teachers with a huge database of ready-made activities that can be used in the classroom. Inside TinyTap's database, teachers will find hundreds of lessons that develop students' reading, thinking, and identification skills, and all the lessons are categorized by subject area, which takes a lot of pain out of locating the lessons. In addition, if teachers are unable to find just the right lesson plan, TinyTap provides a feature that lets them create their own ones, and, for savvy teachers, they can flip it and create assignments where students actually make the learning activities. With so much content and the abilities to peruse and engage ready-made lessons along with being able to create their own, TinyTap is sure to be a hit in the classroom. Find out more by clicking here.

3. Teachers Pay Teachers is a great resource for adding a different perspective to lesson planning, or getting another teacher's plans for course material you've never taught before. When navigating the app, teachers sign in, hit "Browse" button, and then search by grade, subject, type of resource, or price. Unit plans, lesson plans, and other classroom ideas, ranging in price from free to $10, are available for download. Teachers can either download/buy the lesson plan by selecting the "Purchase" option, or save the lesson plan and think about downloading it on a later date by adding it to their "Wishlist." If a certain teacher's materials are especially intriguing, teachers can follow that teachers' accounts, ask the lesson plan supplying teacher questions, and rate that teacher's lesson plan materials. Scoring a 7 out of 10 on our comprehensive rubric, Teachers Pay Teachers will save you time and energy!

4. Reading Rockets' Classroom Strategies is a go-to resource for teachers who are working to develop their students' reading and writing abilities. With this handy-dandy list, teachers can view several dozen strategies that are classified as Before, During, and After Reading, which teachers can use to guide their thinking about when to use the strategy. In addition, teachers can click on any of the strategies' names. By doing so, teachers are able to access additional information that includes its research base and examples. Reading Rockets' comprehensive lists of strategies is ideal for brainstorming different ways to teach text, and its high scores for Efficiency and Design are sure to make it useful in the classroom. Learn more about Reading Rockets by clicking here.

That's all for this month's Roundup. If you would like more information about any of the resources mentioned here or that are on the App Ed Review website, please contact us at info@appedreview.com. And remember ... lesson planning is not an isolated activity, support and help are just a few clicks away!

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AppEd Review Roundup: New School Year, New Lesson Planning Tools!

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Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding to your lesson plan collection, nobody needs to lesson plan alone.