Tool Bank - Technology Resources for Deeper Learning by Mahana Macken

Tool Bank - Technology Resources for Deeper Learning by Mahana Macken https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti This is a collaborative space to share ideas and resources with each other. Post technology resources you may have used or plan to use and lesson ideas that use technology to promote deeper learning in the classroom. en-us 2022-05-31 00:34:38 UTC 2025-12-08 17:35:50 UTC hello@padlet.com Tool Bank msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206392386 2022-05-31 17:06:19 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206392386 Science msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206393581 2022-05-31 17:07:19 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206393581 Literacy msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206396549 2022-05-31 17:09:04 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206396549 Mathematics msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206397090 2022-05-31 17:09:23 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206397090 Health and PE msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206398959 2022-05-31 17:10:08 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206398959 French msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206431764 2022-05-31 17:35:51 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2206431764 Religion https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2207702912 2022-06-01 15:46:06 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2207702912 The Cannon Man https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2207952924 This website was one that I used during practicum. It looks at how you graph relationships and understand the relationships present in a graph. Using height and distance of a man being shot from a cannon, students have to manipulate the graph to accurately show the relationship between the two. There are interactive elements at each step showing how the graph changes throughout. Though this could be taught as a lesson to a class, the aspect of technology creates deeper learning because students can individually think about the relationships and also see answers to understand where they went wrong. If explored as a whole class, some students can easily be passive learners while other are answering all the questions. Once all students attempted the graphing, I then brought them back as a class to solidify learning with other examples. I found this technology to be very useful for teaching and seemed to engage students as the class discussion involved students who often did not participate. - Georgia]]> 2022-06-01 19:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2207952924 Intelloware.com msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208423318

During my last practicum, I used this website for its radial design software to teach radial design in my grade seven art class. I asked students to create a rough draft of their radial design using the app, then using the online rough draft they would then create their final radial design with pencil, paper, and colouring utensils. Using this online website to create the rough draft allowed for students to see how art can be developed in the online world, and use different tools to practice editing and revising their own work. From my experience using this app, students were extremely engaged and felt liberated by being able to go back and forth to edit their rough draft in an efficient way. Efficiency was the best part of using the app because in this assignment creating a rough draft was part of their mark, and since it was so easy to erase things by clicking “undo”, students were more inclined to spend more time on their rough copy. With students spending more on their rough copy, their final product was more thoughtful and students were more pleased with their work. In addition, this software offered a visual aspect to understanding what radial design was as it provided a variation of different axis that students could choose from, and when you designed something on one axis it was replicated in the mirroring axis. Altogether, this online app was definitely supportive in helping students to participate, create, and understand the radial design expectation in the Ontario art curriculum.

By: Jee-Ho Paik

]]> 2022-06-02 04:19:16 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208423318 Arts msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208424555 2022-06-02 04:20:40 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208424555 YouTube msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208425680 In my experience some students can get bored during religion lesson because faith is an abstract concept. Students like to see visuals to make connections with the abstract concept. Hence, I use You Tube videos to explain religious lessons. I found that students take interest when we use technology to teach a religious concept. During my religion lesson, I was teaching them how Jesus healed 10 leapers however, only 1 came back to thank God. The concept of leprosy was hard for the students as most students did not know what leprosy was and how it could affect the daily life of a person. The YouTube video helped them understand leprosy as video had detailed information and most important of all it had visual images of lepers. Video also explained the attitude of gratitude of one person. The video enhanced my lesson as it explained how we can be unthankful in our everyday life and complain instead of complimenting. For my exit ticket, students responded very well because they got the concept. Using technology in the classroom also helped some students concentrate, as some students cannot concentrate for a whole period. However, with the YouTube videos majority was able to concentrate for the full period. Thanks Lubna

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]]> 2022-06-02 04:21:59 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208425680 Solar Systems msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208427210 This is a website that I used often on Practicum while teaching my Grade 6 students about the solar system and outer space. It is a great way to get students engaged and allow them to explore something that for many of them, is still a concept that is difficult to grasp as you can't see it. I incorporated this resource into my lessons and asked students to explore a planet that they were interested in and see what kind of facts and information they could pull. The NASA website has several images of the planets, on their own and in the context of the larger solar system too, so students can see where each planet is in comparison to others. You can also move the image around to explore all aspects of the planet. NASA also has an accompanying app that can be used in schools, with even more images that get uploaded daily. This is a great way for students to consolidate their learning because it helps establish a visual connection to the information and allows them to take charge of their own learning based on their interests. - Maham Naqvi]]> 2022-06-02 04:23:44 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208427210 Blooket msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208990841 Www.blooket.com is a tool that integrates interactive questions with games. By using one of their question sets (or creating your own), you can bring students through a brief quiz, track progress, identify areas of unfamiliarity and have students begging to "do a blooket"! I've used it both in math (for formula repetition) and for social science. Works best if students are frequently on their chrome books and can transition easily from the blooket to the lesson. Think of kahoot with games! Simon D]]> 2022-06-02 13:40:07 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2208990841 History https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209088197 2022-06-02 15:03:36 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209088197 Historical Online resources https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209119618 For me growing up, history was always my favourite subject. I was able to imagine myself living amongst the things and people I was learning about. I found that this interest came more from outside research and what I learned at home than the boring worksheets/textbooks I had at school. I enjoyed history class, but I could see how only people who really loved the subject could manage how it was being taught.

When I decided I wanted to become a teacher, a big part of it was wanting to spark this genuine interest in students. I want to teach history, preferably in a high school setting, and be the teacher that makes students enjoy a class they otherwise thought they would find boring. History is NOT boring, it’s just been unfortunately taught the same way for a long time.

With the invention of technology and it’s introduction into the classroom, I feel like it is so much easier to grab students’ attention. They have grown up in a technological and constantly stimulating world, and yet we get mad at them when they don’t want to focus on mundane worksheets and textbook work.

I didn’t grow up with all that is available now, but as I grew up, I kept note of all the cool websites my history professors told me about. I figured one day these may help me relate to my students and deepen their interest of history.

I’m sharing a few resources that I’ve been shown in school or that I’ve found on my own that would help students engage more directly with history. It will also help them research beyond just a Wikipedia search, which I think should be discouraged from the get-go.

An interactive red lining map of the US:
https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=9/39.777/-86.083&city=indianapolis-in&adview=full&adviewer=sidebar

Google Arts & Culture:
(I discovered this when the pandemic started and I missed the ROM)
https://artsandculture.google.com/

Interactive treaty map:
https://native-land.ca/

A website where students can try and solve mysteries from Canadian history:
https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/en/index.php

Celeste Tyndall]]> 2022-06-02 15:30:22 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209119618 99Math https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209447041 This resource is an online interactive math website where students are able to compete and play math games either in a group class setting or individually. There are hundreds of math topics that range from grades 1-6 with multiple categories. 99 Math is similar to “Kahoot”, where students use their own devices and are able to enter a game code provided by teachers when a game is set up. The game also provides the teacher with score results on how each student performed, which is a great indication on the students who may require additional help in that specific math area. This will also deepen the learning of the students as they will understand which areas of math they need to concentrate on, and it provides them with multiple real-world math questions.

It is very important to me that I create an engaging and safe classroom environment if I teach math in the future. Incorporating simple and fun mathematical games online in the classroom encourages student engagement and participation. It enables students to practice what they learn and deepen their skills such as, problem solving, collaborating and communicating. This online resource is a great resource to provide extra practice for your students, all while having fun! -Julia Makos

]]> 2022-06-02 21:25:44 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2209447041 Babelio https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2210611494 Independent Novel Study using Babelio -
Babelio is a French social cataloging website and app dedicated to books.

1. Students will first have the option to explore books and choose a title for their next read by using Babelio. - 2. The teacher will set up a private group for students (after students create an account) and have students follow each other on the platform. - 3. Students will provide a weekly status update in French of their reading - then they will all be encouraged to engage in each other’s status / posts (this could go into a participation mark or as homework). - 4. After reading - students can be asked to write a book review and post it on the platform in their groups or as a status. The teacher will provide an outline on how to create this book review beforehand. - 5. The outline and expectations of the novel study unit will be provided prior to reading. This specific activity using Babelio is meant to supplement the novel study unit. The goal of integrating this platform into the unit is to make homework and activities more engaging (by using a social platform / app instead of traditional write ups). - 6. Students will have the opportunity to write in French and have conversations in French through their interactions with each other. - Noreen N.

]]> 2022-06-03 23:15:29 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2210611494 GoNoodle mariapetrucci06 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2210980334 During my first practicum, I taught Health and Physical Education online, which allowed me to collect many online resources. GoNoodle is one of the online platforms I utilized during my practicum. When I first started my placement, I asked myself “how do you teach physical education online???”. This is where I realized I had to change the way I thought about physical education in order to adapt to the environment my students were currently in (at home). GoNoodle features many interactive activities, workouts, and games for students, which made teaching PE online easier for me. The videos and activities are tailored for various age groups to keep students engaged and moving. Instead of having my students follow me (which can get boring and repetitive), I would use one of the GoNoodle videos as our warmup or a fun activity for us to keep students active while they were at home. GoNoodle also features many topics such as food and nutrition, mental health and mindfulness, as well as music and dance, which gives educators a variety of options depending on which topic they are teaching.

- Maria P

]]> 2022-06-04 16:52:04 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2210980334 Scratch - Nidhi Andrews https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211026805 https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/scratch

Scratch can be used beyond the math classroom, to not just improve proficiency in coding skills but to tell stories, explain concepts, and create art and games, through animation, audio, image, and text. The Scratch platform can also be another option for project-based assessments, an alternative to writing, presentations, etc. Thus, students can engage in deeper learning through knowledge creation, as opposed to consumption, where they create their own knowledge structures through construction, experimentation, and modification. Moreover, there is room for online collaborative learning, as Scratch has an expansive community of users and educators (from around the world, since Scratch supports dozens of languages). Because of this community, everyone from the complete novice to the seasoned expert can find tutorials, answers to questions, projects to remix, and, most important, inspiration to continue building their coding skills and finding new challenges.]]> 2022-06-04 18:43:30 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211026805 Gizmos kepatel3 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211448997 This is a tool that I used for one of my science lesson plan! Gizmos is a resource that offers many different simulation activities that students can use to explore different concepts in Math and Science. I remember using Gizmos for some of my classes, but I really understood how engaging it could be when a teacher I volunteered with used it in her classroom. The site allows for exploration and is inquiry- focused, getting students to ask questions, predict and then observe results. There’s a strong interactive element to the simulations where you can change up the context and scenarios to investigate different factors and how they might lead to different results. The site also provides different options for teachers to assess, track progress and ideas on how to use the simulations to encourage collaboration or even independent activities! In one of my science lesson plans, I used the forest ecosystem simulation and was able to use it to lead an inquiry-based exploration about the importance of biodiversity. By changing the number of individuals in different species, the simulation showed how the forest would change in after some years. Instead of reading about what might happen, students can see the consequences with the simulations and do this by exploring different variables. There are also different simulations that allow students to design experiments and discover what might happen involving a wide range of topics for grades 3-12. Using this kind of simulation and experimentation activities allows for deeper learning as it allows for conceptual understanding. It’s different way for content discovery that goes beyond the limitation of a classroom and time!

- Kesha

]]> 2022-06-05 17:35:38 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211448997 Radio-Canada, Niska MissDockery https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211590445 Published in 2016, this roman jeunesse follows the story of an elder in the native community sharing his childhood with his granddaughter. He recounts being sent off away from his family to join other children at a catholic residential school. Separated in 5 parts, the total length of the story is 2h. Suitable for grades 8 and up. I created a series of comprehension questions that can prompt students to further understand the historical context of this narrative and engage further with one another. - Sierra]]> 2022-06-05 23:36:34 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211590445 Eco Foot Print lauraseijasfigueredo https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211630772 Though perhaps we have all individually come across this site at some point or another, I thought it would be helpful to include it in our resources for future Science lessons. Foot Print Calculator is an interactive way to introduce students to the topic of their influence on the planet's well-being, especially when first beginning a climate change unit. Students can input their information about how much waste they produce in their day-to-day lives and Foot Print Calculator tells them how much they've impacted the planet, and how they can change their lifestyles to lessen the severity of their overall affect. The site tells students how the environment is affected by the most miniscule of human actions, helping raise their awareness of how average behaviours can lead cumulative repercussions on the environment.
(Laura Seijas Figueredo)]]> 2022-06-06 01:03:39 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211630772 MinecraftEdu.com msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211686857 I'm intrigued by "sandbox" video games that allow users to create their own worlds. Minecraft is one that I think would be fun and flexible to give as an option for students to build a civilization as part of a Geography final project. This could relate to either Grade 7 or 8, depending on the approach.

In my practicum, the culminating project for one of our Geography units was to "discover" a new island. As part of the assignment, they needed to create a topographical representation of the island, name, flag, description of where it was located on the earth, and a settlement pattern with explanations of what factors they considered when determining how to settle the island (proximity to water, fertile growing land, natural resources). Other things they had to address were sustainability, education, daily life, resource gathering/jobs/industry, and family life.

Animal Crossing would be another option for this, but it would be more limited because the game is less flexible in terms of the terrain that can be created.

MinecraftEdu.com is specifically created for use in educational settings and has been used in lessons for science, math, engineering, STEM, STEAM, architecture, and coding, among others.

- Mahana Macken]]> 2022-06-06 02:28:22 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211686857 Geography msmacken22 https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211687523 2022-06-06 02:29:19 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211687523 Book Creator https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211779701 This is a website I used during practicum. Book Creator is a wonderful resource that can be used in various cross-curricular activities. It allows users to create virtual books; adding pictures, videos, and text. There are two account options: student and educator. As an educator, you can create virtual classroom libraries and folders for different subjects and units. Using this feature, educators are able to keep track of all their students' work and everyone in the online library are able to easily share their books with one another. In my first practicum, my AT and I used Book Creator as the platform for our final science assessment (gr. 5). Students were asked to create a non-fiction book about a major organ system of their choice. Each page in the book was required to have different topics that were outlined in the assignment instructions. For example, a labeled diagram, how the organ system functions with the rest of the body, three medical conditions that affect the organ system and how to improve it, a glossary, an appendix, etc. We were able to assess students' oral skills through a presentation, their ability to include non-fiction text features (we taught a mini-lesson on this topic too during one of the language periods), and we also evaluated their science knowledge and thinking. This site allows students to be creative, especially those who enjoy using technology and may not be the best at hand drawing images for their novels. - Breanne Dharmai]]> 2022-06-06 04:43:33 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211779701 Chrome Music Lab https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211789773 Chrome Music Lab is an awesome online music making platform that has various options (almost like mini games). As a music student/educator, this resource was very useful when the pandemic began and we switched to online learning. Music (especially instrumental or vocal ensembles) has been difficult to teach and facilitate in an online setting since we cannot play/sing in real time in-person. This site has different experimental music making software that allows multiple people to participate together and create music. Some examples of the options include an online piano, strings, chords, song maker, rhythm, voice spinner, etc. Even though it has slowly become safer for people to make music together, I believe this resource will continue to be a strong tool for educators to incorporate technology and music for longer lessons or short warm-up activities in the classroom. - Breanne Dharmai]]> 2022-06-06 04:59:23 UTC https://padlet.com/msmacken22/wl5sfs07mm4m4jti/wish/2211789773