TeachersFirst's Teacher Utilities
Technology offers teachers many management tools for classroom procedures, communication, design of the classroom, and more. This collection highlights what we call "Teacher Utilities." These are any tools that make the job of the teacher slightly easier to manage. Some examples of tools in this collection include timers, learning management systems, lesson plan builders, classroom design tools, and many more. Remember our "In the Classroom" suggestions give you ideas about how to use these tools in your classroom.
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Evolve EdTech - Evolve EdTech
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Evolve EdTech shares a variety of free educational resources for educators. Resources include digital templates, Wakelet Collections, infographics, and a digital plan board series....more
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Evolve EdTech shares a variety of free educational resources for educators. Resources include digital templates, Wakelet Collections, infographics, and a digital plan board series. Evolve EdTech also has a YouTube channel that shares a series of tutorials. Visit their podcast page to subscribe to their series, which offers tips and tools for successfully incorporating technology into any classroom.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (101), computers (106), infographics (55), podcasts (73), resources (88), Teacher Utilities (146), video (257)
In the Classroom
Discover the many free resources to add to your technology toolbox. For example, visit the Jamboard portion of the site to find and download many organizers for posing questions, summarizing, and vocabulary development. Download any of the templates to use or modify to fit your needs. Watch the short tutorials for tips and tricks on using PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams. Use the ideas found on this site to learn 24 ways to use ChatGPT reviewed herein 24 days. Learn how to create collections using Wakelet, reviewed here, to curate and share information with students or to use for lesson planning and student projects.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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WellCheq - Jodi Miller
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
WellCheq is a digital application that provides a daily wellness check-in for students. Students log in each day and answer two questions - how are you feeling today, and how ...more
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WellCheq is a digital application that provides a daily wellness check-in for students. Students log in each day and answer two questions - how are you feeling today, and how are you doing overall? This information is then immediately available to the teacher or counselor. WellCheq tracks both individual and class data over the short and long term. Students reporting a three (out of five) or lower are identified with an email to the teacher and go on the Students of Concern page. Students log in through the student portal to provide responses and access suggested resources. There is a link for students to ask for help using the "Cheq on me" button. Create and use a teacher account to add and manage classrooms and access reports. Reports include daily information, students of concern, as well as longitudinal class and student reports.
tag(s): emotions (47), identity (28), social and emotional learning (81), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Share WellCheq with your school counselors for possible use in monitoring the mental wellness of students. If your school doesn't want to use a program such as this, consider other possibilities for sharing wellness tips with students and parents and share resources for obtaining help when needed. Find resources at the TeachersFirst Resources for Self-Identity Special Topics Page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Along - Gradient Learning
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Along is an online tool for providing digital check-ins and reflection activities with students using audio, video, or text. Share a question with some or all students to encourage...more
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Along is an online tool for providing digital check-ins and reflection activities with students using audio, video, or text. Share a question with some or all students to encourage making connections and check in on student wellness. Students select an option to share their responses, and the teacher views reflections within the Along dashboard. Follow up with students as desired to continue the conversation or to make personal connections with all students. Use the tips and content provided by Along to select research-based questions designed to help students build life skills and confidence. Teachers with students under 13 years of age will need to send home a letter of consent, which Along has provided in Spanish and English and for print or to email. There is also a code of conduct which all students must agree to. To find this information and the forms - from the home page scroll down to and click Code of Conduct from the bottom menu.
tag(s): classroom management (128), communication (136), social and emotional learning (81), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Along makes it easy for you to implement this tool into your classroom with their many free resources. Resources include guides to introducing Along to students and fellow educators. Share the privacy information guide with parents as you begin using this tool. Begin by using the customizable calendar as a method for planning to introduce and use Along. Consider using the information found on the site to create and share a presentation about this product using Google Slides, reviewed here, or by creating a short video using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker reviewed here. Be sure to show students how to prepare for their responses. If you find some students are reluctant to use one of the modes, for instance, the video, work with that student to help them feel comfortable. Uses for this tool are only limited by your imagination! Check-in with students during long projects or reports to see where they are in the process and if they have any frustrations, check-in after a science lab to see who has questions, ask students at the end of a project or lab what they would do differently next time. Check-in with Language arts book groups to see how students are doing with the novel, their group, the project at the end, etc.
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Floop - Floop Edu, Inc
Grades
5 to 12
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0 Comments
Use audio and text (and save valuable time) to provide teacher and peer feedback on any assignment with Floop's easy-to-use web tools. Students upload images, PDFs, or Google Docs from...more
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Use audio and text (and save valuable time) to provide teacher and peer feedback on any assignment with Floop's easy-to-use web tools. Students upload images, PDFs, or Google Docs from any device to your educator account. After creating a class, follow the directions to add an assignment and adjust settings. Options include uploading documents for student use, setting a due date and time, and adjusting permission settings for student feedback. Enroll students in your class by providing a join code or upload a CSV file to enroll students automatically. Provide feedback by clicking on any area of the student document to create a hotspot. Students find and click the hotspot to read and respond to feedback. If you teach students under 13 years old, follow the directions to provide school or district consent to sign up students. Free accounts offer unlimited classes with unlimited active assignments. The audio feedback is not on the free plan.
tag(s): assessment (147), editing (93), Formative Assessment (70), homework (34), Online Learning (40), proofreading (21), rubrics (33), Teacher Utilities (146), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Use Floop to provide timely and specific feedback for any assignment. Floop is a great resource for teaching students how to provide and respond to feedback in purposeful ways and engaging them in the learning process. Floop chose to use hotspots on documents to access feedback so that students have to revisit and refer to items shared. Take advantage of this by strategically placing feedback within documents in areas where students are to focus. For example, place a hotspot on an area with grammar mistakes that need correction and guide learning by asking students to revisit that portion of the text. Allow peer feedback when working on group assignments or create rough drafts to encourage students to provide input and direction as a class. After using Floop for several assignments, encourage students to reflect upon common mistakes found in their work. Extend learning by asking students to create a tutorial using FlexClip, reviewed here, explaining how to avoid these errors. One example will be in math class if a student makes an error in several assignments, such as forgetting how to borrow and carry when subtracting. Ask them to create a video tutorial demonstrating the proper steps to reinforce the concept and share it with peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Education for the Real World - EVERFI
Grades
2 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional...more
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional learning, remote learning, summer learning, and more. Select any topic to view the courses offered with a summary and grade-level suggestions. Each unit is correlated to Common Core Standards and includes features such as videos, games, digital lessons, and teacher guides. Use the teacher dashboard to create classes and enroll students after completing the free registration information. Once registered, use the site's features to assign topics that are available for both online and offline learning.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), financial literacy (92), literacy (107), mental health (34), social and emotional learning (81), STEM (262), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Discover the many free resources on this site to provide individual lessons or complete learning units for your students. As students complete assignments, use the many offerings found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to enhance learning through creating timelines, completing graphic organizers, and more. For activities that include new vocabulary, use a digital game creation site such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to review and practice new words and terms. Have students show what they know upon completion of any of the activities using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to create a collage, poster, flyer, or multimedia presentation sharing their knowledge of the subject.
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Wheel of Names - Martin Omander and Google
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Do you need to make random selections of names, items, places, or other items? This tool is for you! Customize the slices on the wheel to include names and/or images. ...more
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Do you need to make random selections of names, items, places, or other items? This tool is for you! Customize the slices on the wheel to include names and/or images. Because Google hosts this wheel, it allows you to save customized wheels onto Google Drive for easy access anywhere. Another handy option offers you the ability to import names from a spreadsheet or Twitter users by importing a hashtag. Although the Wheel of Names allows you to add as many names as you like, the maximum number of names showing at any time will be 48. If there are more, the names change each second until starting to spin the wheel.
tag(s): classroom management (128), preK (254), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Use the Wheel of Names to randomly call students during class discussions. Add images instead of names to make the wheel more interesting. In addition to the obvious use for calling names, use this random wheel in a variety of different ways. Add dates onto the wheel when reviewing events in history, review vocabulary, instead of student names add character names from novels for students to discuss, add books to determine the next read-aloud, the list goes on and on! Be sure to save the wheel with the names of class members so that it is ready to go at any time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classkick - Andrew Rowland and Peter Do
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Classkick is a classroom learning management system that offers several tools for guiding instruction from lesson planning through assessment. Create or customize lessons using your...more
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Classkick is a classroom learning management system that offers several tools for guiding instruction from lesson planning through assessment. Create or customize lessons using your own resources or combine with content available on the site's library. Deliver lessons to students for use on any device and monitor progress in real-time. Classkick includes a private chat for students to ask for help privately and also contains options for peer to peer feedback. This site also includes a number of video tutorials and resources for implementing the tool in classrooms and a variety of ideas on how to use it.
tag(s): assessment (147), collaboration (87), Learning Management Systems (22), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Use Classkick in class, for blended learning or remote learning since you can see all students working from anywhere. Use Classkick to differentiate instruction based on students' current performance. Many students are motivated to learn at their own pace using online tools, and Classkick is an option providing lessons in a different format than currently available. If not using Classkick whole - class, it provides many options for helping and enhancing learning for individual students, use for homework, or as a temporary option for providing instruction to home-bound or remote learning students . As students learn through this type of management system, ask them to use a portfolio tool such as Majara, reviewed here, to document and reflect upon their learning process.
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Gooru - Prasad Ram, PhD
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Gooru is a free, online learning management system for classrooms. Use their Learning Navigator system to assess and assign content based on student knowledge. The Learning Navigator...more
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Gooru is a free, online learning management system for classrooms. Use their Learning Navigator system to assess and assign content based on student knowledge. The Learning Navigator provides information on student knowledge then provides a course of learning. Content is continually adjusted and monitored to match student growth and engagement. Use your teacher dashboard to assign and customize learning using Gooru's content. Content is provided for math levels from preK through calculus, English/Language Arts from preK through 10th grade, and middle and high school science and social studies. Students engage with assigned materials using the code generated when adding content.
tag(s): differentiation (84), homework (34), Learning Management Systems (22), Teacher Utilities (146), tutorials (51)
In the Classroom
Use Gooru to differentiate instruction based on students' current performance. Many students are motivated to learn at their own pace using online tools, and Gooru is an option providing lessons in a different format than currently available. If not using Gooru whole -class, it provides many options for helping and enhancing learning for individual students, use for homework, or as a temporary option for providing instruction to home-bound students. Enhance classsroom technology and provide additional support to student learning by asking them to use Pathbrite, reviewed here, to build a digital portfolio of their learning process. Include images, videos, and written work within the portfolio.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Future Ready Schools Planning Dashboard - Future Ready Schools
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Future Ready Schools Planning Dashboard provides a 5-step framework for technology planning for district teams. The framework starts with guidelines and planning assistance and advances...more
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Future Ready Schools Planning Dashboard provides a 5-step framework for technology planning for district teams. The framework starts with guidelines and planning assistance and advances to creating your district team. Additional steps guide you through assessing the district's current readiness and moves toward the final goal of creating an ongoing future-ready plan that is in line with district goals. All work is created and shared within a password-protected format using templates and other tools provided within the dashboard.
tag(s): collaboration (87), data (147), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free online tool to guide your district toward planning and implementing your technology plan. Share with administrators as an option for use with your technology committee. As you gather and share information with your community and staff to use in your guide, consider using a collaboration tool like Padlet, reviewed here. Use Padlet to share technology options with the community and gather comments. Create another Padlet to gather comments and ideas from staff. When considering more complex ideas during your planning, use Flip, reviewed here, to create and share video discussions. Use Flip's MixTape feature to build a "mix" of responses to highlight and share. Help build community support for your technology plan by creating ongoing podcasts using Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here. Share podcasts with your community throughout the planning process to discuss ideas, update listeners on your goals and progress, and to compare and contrast options considered for your plan.
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Deck.Toys - Boon Jin Goh
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Deck.Toys is an interactive lesson creation site that works with your existing content. Use the site's drag and drop features to build lessons using your PowerPoint and Google Slides....more
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Deck.Toys is an interactive lesson creation site that works with your existing content. Use the site's drag and drop features to build lessons using your PowerPoint and Google Slides. Add differentiation features within self-exploration paths. Other options include teacher-sync, turn this feature on, and all students are synced to your current slide. Deck.Toys also includes student progress reporting in real-time and a comprehensive lesson report. Included with the free option are two classrooms, up to three private decks, unlimited public decks, and the ability to assign up to two classroom decks at a time. Be sure to watch the tutorials and take advantage of the site's FAQ section to get started.
tag(s): assessment (147), bookmarks (47), classroom management (128), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Use Deck.Toys to create gamified learning activities for all students. Deck.Toys is perfect for creating mini-lessons for students to explore during center time or as a flipped classroom activity. Use to remediate and enrich lessons for struggling learners or as an enrichment activity for gifted learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Class123 - Choong Hee Lee
Grades
K to 6
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Class123 is a classroom management tool containing several features for organizing classrooms and communicating with students and parents. Tools include a timer, seating chart, attendance...more
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Class123 is a classroom management tool containing several features for organizing classrooms and communicating with students and parents. Tools include a timer, seating chart, attendance manager, random name picker, and more. Sign up for free to add your rosters and avatars. Parents and students sign up with a code provided. Once enrolled, members receive or send communications privately or within groups. Please be aware that Class123 falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Class123 with their child.
tag(s): behavior (43), classroom management (128), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), parents (60), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to communicate specific behaviors with parents - both positive and negative feedback. Share this site with students on the first day of school as you go over class expectations and your behavior plan for your classroom. Take advantage of the other tools to take attendance or rearrange your seating chart quickly and easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ClassTag - Vlada Lotkina and Jason Olim
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
ClassTag is a cloud-based management system for teachers to engage parents in their classroom community. Instead of parents signing up, teachers add emails to send out invitations to...more
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ClassTag is a cloud-based management system for teachers to engage parents in their classroom community. Instead of parents signing up, teachers add emails to send out invitations to participate. All included emails receive notice of updates and information even without signing up. ClassTag allows teachers to view who has read announcements and other pertinent information. Another option allows teachers to send out a weekly newsletter including personal notes and updates.
tag(s): chat (42), classroom management (128), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), parent conferences (24), parents (60), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Create a free account to use for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities. Use this tool to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind parents of upcoming events, practices, or items students need to bring to class or practice. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Symbaloo - Learning Paths - Symbaloo
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Symbaloo, reviewed here, has taken its popular bookmarking tool and enhanced features to provide a platform for creating virtual interactive lesson...more
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Symbaloo, reviewed here, has taken its popular bookmarking tool and enhanced features to provide a platform for creating virtual interactive lesson plans and learning paths. Log in to your Symbaloo account and browse the Marketplace for already created lessons, or begin creating your own. Add websites, PDFs, videos, and more onto tiles and create a game board and learning path. Follow prompts to add items to the lesson and publish when complete. Symbaloo Lesson Plans & Learning Paths also provides analytics after assigning lessons to view student progress and a calendar option to make lessons available during a chosen time frame.
tag(s): bookmarks (47), curation (35), DAT device agnostic tool (143), game based learning (171), gamification (74), multilingual (65), personalized learning (9), playlists (10), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
You will want to use Symbaloo Learning Paths for many different types of classroom instruction! Create lesson plans to differentiate learning and assign based on student needs and interests. Embed a lesson on your class website for students to complete at home. Using this site allows you to create a clear and concise learning path for any lesson. Share it on an interactive whiteboard with students as you follow through any learning path. Be sure also to include a link to the lesson on your class website for students to use throughout the unit and as a review. Use Symbaloo Lesson Plans as enrichment for independent learning for advanced students, or for remediation with students needing additional help. This site is perfect for use with ENL/ESL students - include links and activities to resources in their native language or add tools for practicing English. There are too many uses for Symbaloo Lesson Plans to include here, be sure to take the time to learn how to create and use this wonderful tool with your students!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
1 Comments
Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature...more
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Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Also, click Discover and use the search bar to find topics already on the site your class is studying like dinosaurs, explorers, black history, volcanoes, etc. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): animals (280), architecture (64), art history (86), aviation (38), black history (123), civil war (134), dinosaurs (39), explorers (64), images (270), inventors and inventions (71), Learning Management Systems (22), oceans (146), scientists (62), shakespeare (93), Teacher Utilities (146), volcanoes (55)
In the Classroom
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Comments
Sal, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Seesaw - Charles Lin, Carl Sjogreen , Adrian Graham
Grades
K to 10
8 Favorites
1 Comments
Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from ...more
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Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from teachers and parents. Create a class blog in your Seesaw for students to write blog posts. Teachers create an account with email and then start creating as many classes as needed. There is no limit on the number of students a class can have. Once students have parental permission, give students a "join" code for their class, and they sign up from there, choosing to access their account through a Seesaw generated QR code or their email. Teachers can enable or disable student likes, comments, and editing. Blog posts and comments must have teacher approval before becoming public. Students will be able to reflect on their work with a voice recording or text, and can share artifacts from their portfolio by clicking the red button at the bottom of the screen and then either print or get the item QR code. Once you have an account, click Help & Teacher Resources to find Getting Started Tips, Tutorial Videos, FAQs, and Activity Ideas grouped by grade level. If your district blocks YouTube, the tutorials may not be viewable. Please be aware that Seesaw falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Seesaw with their child.
tag(s): blogs (66), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), digital storytelling (141), Learning Management Systems (22), portfolios (22), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Sign up for Seesaw, and after students have parental permission, generate a join code for the class from the menu at the upper right corner or by clicking your name or initials in the left corner to get a drop down menu. The join code expires in 15 minutes, so it is best to do this in your classroom or computer lab. Teachers can add photos, drawings, links, notes, and upload a file from this same menu by clicking the + symbol. You can even add a co-teacher! See Seesaw's FAQs for ways for parents to sign up and letters to send home. Use Seesaw portfolios for any subject or grade level. Once your account is set up, create a simple project or borrow one from the Activities on the Help and Teacher Resources page. Share the project on your interactive whiteboard or projector to get your students started. The teacher portal allows you to access and comment on student work. View the work of an individual or the entire class. The ability to import work from many creation apps to Seesaw makes this a perfect portfolio tool. Don't forget to watch the video about setting up blogs for your students. Remember, this is all free! Science teachers could have students write up their lab reports, take photos of their labs and label them in a portfolio. History teachers could set up portfolios for student report writing or digital storytelling projects. Seesaw is the perfect tool to use during parent conferences.Comments
I love using Seesaw with my elementary school students. It's great that parents can comment also.Katy, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Better Lesson - BetterLesson
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site offers over 10,000 lessons aligned with the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards. The lessons were created by 130 Master Teachers. You can browse resources...more
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This site offers over 10,000 lessons aligned with the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards. The lessons were created by 130 Master Teachers. You can browse resources without registering. Click the blue "Browse" button to get started. Choose along the top from Common Core Math, Common Core ELA, or Next Generation Science. Lessons are arranged by grade level or Math, Language, and Science subjects. However, if you want to create your own resources, registration is required. After registering, create a class and then create a unit for that class. Finally, create a lesson for that unit, fill in an objective, select a state standard, and estimate the total time on task. Upload files (or drag and drop) to assign them to the lesson or keep them "unassigned" for later use. Additionally, simply add other members' files to your own curriculum. Search for files by keyword, age-level, and type of format. Click on a result to see every lesson plan using that file.
tag(s): commoncore (75), professional development (393), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Use this site to create lessons for students to follow. Use this site to share inspirational lessons you create or to find inspiration in the work of others. Meet the Common Core goals by using the tools and lesson plans offered at this website. Though the site deals with the technical aspect of lesson planning, many ideas exist to reverse engineer to your own lessons. Create a course to maintain and tweak your lessons for your classes. Expand PD to others in your school or in other schools to learn from the best ideas of others!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nearpod - Nearpod
Grades
5 to 12
15 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site...more
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Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site does offer ready-made presentations (some free). The interactive, pre-made videos and text presentations are from Ted-Ed, Khan Academy, Nearpod, and others. Some include questions to answer as you work through the presentations. What is the best part of Nearpod? There are now three different presentation modes.
When in the "live presentation" mode (in person or remote web conferencing), teachers control the lesson's pace, and students do not move to the next screen until advanced by the teacher. With the "student pace" mode, students progress through independently, whether at home or in class. The third mode is "front of the class;" you project your presentation, and the students do not use their devices. Use the teacher version of the app to push out the presentation to your students. For the first two modes, every student uses their own student app to follow the screens and answer the questions. This provides immediate feedback about every student. The feedback can be emailed to the teacher for later review. This formative assessment tool is invaluable and a unique part of the app. The tool also includes drawing for students to work out problems. Teachers can identify students who are not "on task" and not working within the app when a little red light pops up. Absent students can complete the assignment at home.
The free version of Nearpod for Educators is called Silver; you get 100 MB of storage, 40 students per session/lesson, access to 20+ formative assessments, 7,500 pre-made interactive lessons, 1,000 pre-made interactive videos, 40 students can sign up per lesson, and more. How many lessons and videos will depend on your storage.
When in the "live presentation" mode (in person or remote web conferencing), teachers control the lesson's pace, and students do not move to the next screen until advanced by the teacher. With the "student pace" mode, students progress through independently, whether at home or in class. The third mode is "front of the class;" you project your presentation, and the students do not use their devices. Use the teacher version of the app to push out the presentation to your students. For the first two modes, every student uses their own student app to follow the screens and answer the questions. This provides immediate feedback about every student. The feedback can be emailed to the teacher for later review. This formative assessment tool is invaluable and a unique part of the app. The tool also includes drawing for students to work out problems. Teachers can identify students who are not "on task" and not working within the app when a little red light pops up. Absent students can complete the assignment at home.
The free version of Nearpod for Educators is called Silver; you get 100 MB of storage, 40 students per session/lesson, access to 20+ formative assessments, 7,500 pre-made interactive lessons, 1,000 pre-made interactive videos, 40 students can sign up per lesson, and more. How many lessons and videos will depend on your storage.
tag(s): assessment (147), classroom management (128), DAT device agnostic tool (143), differentiation (84), Formative Assessment (70), gamification (74), Learning Management Systems (22), multimedia (43), Online Learning (40), personalized learning (9), playlists (10), remote learning (61), slides (45), Teacher Utilities (146), teaching strategies (41)
In the Classroom
This is an exciting way to begin iPad (or BYOD), blended learning, or remote learning integration into the classroom. Initially it may be difficult to determine the best pacing of the lesson, the ability to slow down the advancement of the next screen allows more time to digest the information. Be aware that students needing more time may be very frustrated as the screen may advance before they are able to finish. Start small by uploading presentations and using JPEG and other images. Add interactive elements such as polls and videos. Grab students attention by using the first slide to deliver a piece of humorous information. Create guided learning stations and push out several presentations to different devices as students move through the various lessons to be learned. This technique can be helpful for struggling learners. Use this tool to help reinforce the most difficult parts of the lesson. Use the app to create schedules for training, clubs, and more. For English, learn about grammar rules, sentence structure, and other elements necessary for good writing. For ENL/ESL classes and world languages, practice various vocabulary words and learn tenses of verbs. Learn vocabulary and basic scientific concepts in any science class or facts about historical periods in history classes. This app is a valuable tool in any classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12
12 Favorites
1 Comments
Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message. When sending a text, the site is set up so that students & ...more
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Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message. When sending a text, the site is set up so that students & parents do not see the teachers' phone numbers nor do the teachers see the students' phone numbers. Create an account. Any phone that can receive text messages will receive these. Communication through this site is safe and secure. You only see the names of your students, not their phone number, and they only see your name -- not your cell phone number. With Remind you can schedule reminders for the future, translate your message into 70 languages, send photos, PDFs, voice clips, and see who has read your messages.
Be sure to obtain parental permission FIRST, as standard messaging rates apply. Be sure to click the Security Overview to read about Remind's FERPA and COPPA compliance.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), microblogging (18), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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Lesson Planning Made Easy: Chalk - Planboard - Power School
Grades
K to 12
13 Favorites
1 Comments
Plan and view your academic year using this online lesson plan organizer. Integrate standards by choosing from Common Core, Ontario Curriculums, or your own custom-created standards...more
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Plan and view your academic year using this online lesson plan organizer. Integrate standards by choosing from Common Core, Ontario Curriculums, or your own custom-created standards (or IEP goals?). Select your own schedule by choosing days of the week and time periods. The site also supports custom rotations up to an eight-day length. Attach files, edit, set off days, or share schedules easily with links in the software. Print finished plans or save as a PDF. You can also email plans at any time. The free version of this application supports up to 100 lesson plans and 25 MB of storage.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (128), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Create your lesson plans using this application easily from anywhere you have computer access. Share lesson plans with other teachers when team planning. If you need a printed copy of lesson plans, easily print them in PDF format upon completion of planning. Use this tool to email "last-minute" substitute lesson plans into school.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
Comments
david, TX, Grades: 9 - 12
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TED-ED - Ted.com
Grades
6 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what...more
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Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what they've learned and know. The videos are even more appealing because of the professional animators who worked in the background (with the educators) to get the message across to the audience. You can search these videos by "Lessons" (under "Discover") and from there by subject, "Collections," is organized by theme, or by "Exploration." Every video has a "Think" section with multiple choice and open ended questions. If you get a multiple choice answer wrong you will receive a video hint to help you get it correct. Every video has a Dig Deeper section with additional resources for exploring the topic. You can take one of these videos, a video from YouTube, or any other video with a URL and "flip" them to make them your own. You can change the title, put in instructions, discard or keep the questions, create your own questions. In other words, you can make the video your own, to suit your needs. Once you save the video it will have a unique URL so you can track the progress and participation of anyone using it. Don't miss such clever offerings as David Hunter's video about the importance of geography concepts in deciding "How do you decide where to go in a zombie apocalypse?" Ted-Ed is only part of the TED offerings. View the full TED site reviewed here. Be sure to look at the Discover and Create tabs on the top menu.
tag(s): business (47), design (83), literature (217), psychology (67), religions (75), Teacher Utilities (146), video (257)
In the Classroom
Choose a video or create your own videos for students to use for review. After students view a video that has the questions, show one that doesn't, and have students generate questions for it. Assign videos for students to view at home or in the computer lab. Use them as a springboard for engaging writing prompts or to spark a discussion connected with a unit of study. Challenge students to do a compare/contrast activity using an online Venn Diagram tool, reviewed here. Most of the videos are less than twenty minutes, which makes it realistic to use them in a one-period class lesson or if you are implementing blended learning or flipped learning in your classroom or school (leaving class time for asking questions and clarifying).Show a video or two with your class and discuss the set up of the lesson. Discuss the difference between basic comprehension questions and open-ended questions. Show your students an inspirational video or two from TED reviewed here. As a class, pick out eight or ten of the TED videos and allow students to sign up to work on one of the videos. Have cooperative learning groups develop a TED Ed video lesson. You will need to proofread all work using a word processor, before allowing students to upload their questions on TED Ed.
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