Featured Sites Week of: May 31, 2020 -
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
MakeCode Arcade - Microsoft
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Modify or create your retro games with MakeCode Arcade. Scroll the page to find resources on the site include coding tutorials, game design concepts, learning outcomes, and courses...more
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Modify or create your retro games with MakeCode Arcade. Scroll the page to find resources on the site include coding tutorials, game design concepts, learning outcomes, and courses in coding. Follow the prompts within the tutorials to create unique games using drag and drop code blocks. As you become familiar with coding, expand knowledge with Javascript or Python. Share using the links or download onto Microsoft game devices if available.
tag(s): coding (110), computers (102), game based learning (295), Microsoft (47), STEM (385)
In the Classroom
Use Microsoft Arcade to introduce coding to both new and experienced coders. Share some ideas from the site on an interactive whiteboard (or with a projector), then have students experiment on their own. Encourage students who are comfortable with coding to become classroom experts and explain ideas to other students. Enhance their learning by asking them to make recordings using ScreenPal, reviewed here, to share tips, and demonstrate different features of coding. Use this tool with gifted students for a great challenge. Set up a coding activity center for interested students when they finish classwork or for rainy days and snow days. Share this link on your class website for students to access both in and out of the classroom.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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draft.io - Draft
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Think of draft.io as a collaborative workspace that offers features to investigate ideas, solve problems, and draft plans to move forward with a designated workflow in place. Sign up...more
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Think of draft.io as a collaborative workspace that offers features to investigate ideas, solve problems, and draft plans to move forward with a designated workflow in place. Sign up using your email to begin, then choose from three workflow options. Use the dashboard to add notes, create drag and drop lists, upload documents and images, and add information from the web. Use the sharing options to invite others to edit the board or allow viewing only. Use the examples on your home page as inspiration, using draft.io in a variety of ways. Free plans allow members to use up to 500 objects in drafts, create an unlimited number of drafts, and have unlimited contributors.
tag(s): graphic organizers (63), organizational skills (92)
In the Classroom
Have students use draft.io to create storylines that include links and images to tell the story of events in history or to retell novels. Ask students to use draft.io to create mood boards to share the different works of artists or to demonstrate different types of architecture. Draft would be an excellent choice as a collaborative tool for large projects to brainstorm ideas, assign tasks, and document progress. Use draft.io with students as part of your science experiments to share the steps of the experiment, document hypothesis, and add images and reflections upon the outcomes of the experiment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Snapstouch - SnapsTouch
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Snapstouch converts your photos into images that appear to be paintings. Choose and upload your image to begin. Select from the two options of painting 1 and painting 2, each ...more
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Snapstouch converts your photos into images that appear to be paintings. Choose and upload your image to begin. Select from the two options of painting 1 and painting 2, each option provides a different look to the "painting." This site also provides a couple of options to add outlines, change the brush size, and adjust the level of painting. Click "paint" to convert your image, when finished, choose to download to save on your device as a JPG image.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (276)
In the Classroom
Before sharing with students, you may want to share this tool on an interactive whiteboard or projector and show students how to save images correctly. Use this tool anytime to add interest to photos for use on class blogs, wikis, or in presentation tools. Share with older students to use for converting images for projects or presentations. Have students create a painted image to use instead of a photograph to use as their image within Google Classroom or other learning tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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elink - Bit Tech Labs, Inc
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Curate and bundle online content into engaging websites or newsletters using elink's easy to use templates and tools. Begin by selecting a template or start from scratch. Add website...more
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Curate and bundle online content into engaging websites or newsletters using elink's easy to use templates and tools. Begin by selecting a template or start from scratch. Add website links, customize the header text and image, select a layout, and adjust theme colors as desired. When finished, publish to access links to share as a website, use the embed code to embed into popular website platforms, or share via social media. Another option allows you to share as a newsletter using most email providers; however, not all of the templates work as a newsletter, so look for that option if that is how you plan to use this tool. The free plan offers one published post per day that includes up to 5 links.
tag(s): bookmarks (34), curation (27), digital storytelling (177), social networking (54)
In the Classroom
Use elink to curate and share information in a variety of ways with students, parents, and peers. For example, use elink to create a grouping of links to videos for student use then embed your newsletter on your class website for use at home and school. Create a monthly newsletter to share with parents that include links to websites for use at home to support your current class lessons. Ask older students to use elink to curate resources used when submitting research and multimedia projects. Have students include their elink as part of a project created with Sway, reviewed here. As an example, if students research the causes of the Revolutionary War, ask them to include a link to their elink creation to share their online project resources. Be sure to check out the Education Curation Tools templates found on elink's website for additional ideas.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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GorillaPDF - Softpile
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
GorillaPDF offers tools to convert images, text, Word documents, and more to PDF without creating an account. Download for use with files up to 50MB. Select the link to the ...more
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GorillaPDF offers tools to convert images, text, Word documents, and more to PDF without creating an account. Download for use with files up to 50MB. Select the link to the type of file you are converting to PDF, then follow the prompts to upload and convert your file. When finished, download and save to your computer.
tag(s): conversions (34), digital storytelling (177), ebooks (48)
In the Classroom
GorillaPDF makes it easy to convert a variety of file formats into PDF for easy use in a variety of ways. Use this tool to combine multiple documents and images into one cohesive packet that is easy to share and view on any device. Ask students to use this site to combine research information into one easy-to-manage document.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Knowt - Knowt
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Knowt is a free study and learning platform that helps students and teachers create, organize, and review learning materials. Users can create unlimited flashcards, notes, study guides,...more
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Knowt is a free study and learning platform that helps students and teachers create, organize, and review learning materials. Users can create unlimited flashcards, notes, study guides, and practice assessments, or choose from millions of shared resources created by other users. Knowt offers multiple study modes, including flashcards, learn mode, matching games, practice tests, spaced repetition, and interactive review activities designed to improve retention and understanding. The platform also includes AI-powered tools that can generate flashcards, summaries, notes, quizzes, and study guides from text, PDFs, presentations, videos, and other learning materials. Teachers can use Knowt to create classroom review activities, formative assessments, and differentiated study resources while tracking student participation and progress. Resources can be shared through links or assigned to students for independent practice. A robust free plan is available and includes access to core study tools, unlimited flashcards and notes, and many AI-powered learning features, while premium plans offer expanded AI capabilities, additional study options, and enhanced learning tools.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (358), assessment (142), DAT device agnostic tool (134), quizzes (83), study aid (175)
In the Classroom
Share Knowt with students as a resource for practicing for upcoming quizzes and tests. Consider this option as an alternative to flashcards or other review methods. As students become familiar with Knowt, use this tool as a starting point on lessons sharing how to find and understand important information within any piece of writing. Create a quiz together and share it on your interactive whiteboard. Ask students to analyze the questions that Knowt creates and discuss why they are included in the quiz. Once students understand how to create an effective quiz, ask them to create their own quizzes for personal study or to share with peers. Gimkit, reviewed here, offers a free quiz-creation tool for use in a variety of educational settings.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Google Slides - Google
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Google Slides is the presentation tool component of the Google document collection. Use Slides to create slide presentations that include images, animations, embedded videos, and much...more
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Google Slides is the presentation tool component of the Google document collection. Use Slides to create slide presentations that include images, animations, embedded videos, and much more. Create your Slides or choose from pre-made templates to fit your needs. Share Slides for others to view or adjust settings to allow collaborators to edit presentations in real-time. Slides automatically saves your work to your Google Drive using auto-save, making it easy to share and save all updates across any device. In addition, Slides works with PowerPoint, offering you the ease of uploading a PowerPoint file to Slides or importing any Slides presentation to PowerPoint.
tag(s): blended learning (30), multimedia (71), Online Learning (35), remote learning (33), slides (40)
In the Classroom
Discover the many features of Google Slides to create presentations, interactive stories, and much more. Create a class poetry presentation by asking students to create individual Slides, then put them together in one slide show as a class poetry book to share on your class website. Deliver blended, flipped, or remote learning lessons using Google Slides by adding links to videos, websites, assessment information, games, and other learning activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Data GIF Maker - Google News Lab
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Data GIF Maker is a free Google tool for creating animated data visualizations that make statistics and comparisons easier to understand. Choose from three visualization styles--rectangles,...more
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Data GIF Maker is a free Google tool for creating animated data visualizations that make statistics and comparisons easier to understand. Choose from three visualization styles--rectangles, circles, or a donut chart--then enter a title and the data you want to compare. Add numerical or percentage values, then customize the visualization with the available color choices. When finished, generate the animation as a high-quality or low-quality GIF. Download the completed GIF to your device or use it in presentations, websites, social media posts, and other projects.
In the Classroom
This tool provides you and your students an excellent resource for engagingly sharing data. Use the Data GIF Maker to create a visual display when collecting data. For example, begin using this tool by polling your class to find out their favorite type of pizza and then enter the data to create a GIF. Use the same data in all three included formats to compare and contrast how the information looks based on the type of chart used. Take this same information and have students calculate the percentages and create GIFs to compare and contrast this information with your original images. Once you and your students are familiar with how to use this site to create GIFs, use it to enhance student learning by including GIFs within your presentations for students to evaluate and to visualize any data. Create GIFs to document student reading logs, the amount of time spent on homework, or time spent on community service. Have students include GIFs when annotating images using Image Annotator, reviewed here, or within presentations created with tools such as Sway, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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QRickit QR Codes - Denso Wave Inc.
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Create and share QR codes from any device using the free resources from QRickit QR Codes. Use the dropdown box to select the type of code you wish to create ...more
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Create and share QR codes from any device using the free resources from QRickit QR Codes. Use the dropdown box to select the type of code you wish to create from the many available options, including links to websites, playing a YouTube video, viewing a Google Map location, and more. Fill in the blanks to add relevant information then choose QCreate to view and download the QR Code image. When finished, QRickit provides an option for embedding the code into a flyer, select this option to personalize and create your flyer that is ready to print and use.
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tag(s): qr codes (15)
In the Classroom
Create a QR code that directs to your class website or blog. Include it on handouts for Back to School night. Create a QR code scavenger hunt for students or make a webquest more engaging. Add QR codes to documents for students to check their answers. Further, develop knowledge of a topic by adding a QR code to a site that expands upon what is in the textbook. Create a data chart accessible via a QR code. Students can access the data and manipulate the information. Have students create a book trailer or review and affix a QR code to the outside of the book. Students may be more apt to read a book that has been reviewed by another student. Make a display completely interactive with a QR code that describes the assignment, the process, the research, students' reactions, and more! Add extra help information to any assignment that asks students to solve problems. Create an online help tutorial accessible via a QR code, and place the code beside a similar problem. Link a QR code directly to a Google Map. Place QR code contact information for you and your school on contact cards to give to parents. Attach QR codes to physical objects around the room to provide information about the object. Instead of copying/pasting links in a newsletter, put them into QR codes for easier access by readers. Post QR codes to resource sites and new articles on your BYOD classroom bulletin boards for students to access information on their tablets or smartphones. As a time-saver, post a QR code to the class wiki or web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SceneVR - KnightLab Northwestern University
Grades
K to 12
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0 Comments
SceneVR is a virtual reality editor that turns panoramic images into a slideshow. Use the editor to upload panoramic photos from a camera or panoramic scenes from phones. To create...more
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SceneVR is a virtual reality editor that turns panoramic images into a slideshow. Use the editor to upload panoramic photos from a camera or panoramic scenes from phones. To create your slideshow, log in using your Google account to open SceneVr Creator and follow prompts to upload images. After editing your project, publish using the links to share online, embed it into a website, or share it on social media. Be sure to check out the site's tips for creating projects.
In the Classroom
Use SceneVR to take slide presentations to a whole new level. Quickly upload panoramic photos from class field trips, science experiments, or presentations to create a unique presentation to share with parents and families on your website. Ask students to use their photos to create a virtual reality presentation. For example, when learning about geometric shapes, have students take panoramic images of your classroom and school. Put these images into SceneVR to create a presentation and allow students to explore your "virtual world" for shapes found around them. Extend learning further by incorporating the slideshows into a multimedia presentation such as a digital book made with Book Creator, reviewed here, or Sway, reviewed here. Use your (or student-created) multimedia presentations to present a larger picture of any concept by incorporating text, images, and videos along with your slideshow.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CleverPDF - CleverPDF
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
CleverPDF is your one-stop site for managing PDF documents. Choose from 27 tools to convert to and from PDF documents, reorder pages, extract images, and much more. Select the tool...more
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CleverPDF is your one-stop site for managing PDF documents. Choose from 27 tools to convert to and from PDF documents, reorder pages, extract images, and much more. Select the tool you need, upload your file, and choose from additional options based on the function selected. Scroll down within each task to find easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions for converting and saving your file. CleverPDF also includes a downloadable application for use on Windows and Mac computers for converting files without an Internet connection.
tag(s): conversions (34), images (276), worksheets (72)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site on all classroom and personal computers for use throughout the year. If you have a large PDF file but only need a page or two, use CleverPDF to extract it for you. Convert PDF files to Word or Pages when working with a document that needs editing. Convert student work into PDF, then convert into a book using PDF to Flipbook Converter, reviewed here. PDF ro Flipbook Converter even includes a handy page-turning effect! This is a helpful utility for students entering contests or completing applications offered only in PDF form. Help students create a more organized and appealing portfolio by converting all items to one standard file type such as PDF. bulb, reviewed here, is an easy-to-use tool for creating and sharing portfolios, including student-created PDF documents to share any work document.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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