Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Create personalized crossword puzzles to embed on your blog or website with this easy puzzle creator. View the help for the directions and examples. It is as simple as typing a question on each line followed by an asterisk, then the correct answer. When complete, submit to view your puzzle online and choose from different options for sharing. Also, you can download puzzles as PDF documents.

tag(s): crosswords (19), puzzles (149)

Create multimedia and interactive ebooks that work on tablets and computers for free with ePubEditor. Create your account to begin, then follow prompts to upload images and text with optional image, video, or audio. Other options allow you to create quizzes with different responses such as multiple choice, matching, or drag and drop response. Allow others to edit and add to your book using the share editing option. When complete, publish and share your book using the created URL or download in different formatting options including epub and PDF.
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tag(s): assessment (147), digital storytelling (154), ebooks (43)

Turn your typing into cool rhythmic beats with TypeDrummer. Listen to your creation as you continue typing into the box. For a change of pace, switch from the drumbeat to the song "Fool" by Moon Bounce. Click on "load new samples" only. Warning: Clicking on "Fool" will take you out of the TypeDrummer tool. After finishing your creation, use the link to share with others at the URL created for you.

tag(s): back to school (55), musical instruments (52), rhythm (21), sound (72)

Create attractive newspapers, brochures, and posters with the interactive tool, Printing Press. No log-in is required. Just choose which format you want, from one of five templates, and upload images. Choose text features and type or paste the text. Edit your work, if needed, before printing, downloading it as a PDF, or share through email. Save your draft to your computer to continue at a later date. Find a basic planning sheet, here, in the overview, to help students gather ideas. Turn the sound off or on at the top right.

tag(s): book reports (28), creative writing (124), newspapers (93), posters (43)

Spice up PowerPoint presentations beyond the templates included with your software! Free PowerPoint Templates offers over 7000 templates available for free download. Browse by theme, top rated, categories, tags, or colors. You can also use the keyword search to find a specific look. Be very careful with all of the advertising to locate the download link - they will have a .zip at the end of the title and are located under the description of the template.
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tag(s): slides (43)

Celebrate poetry with quick and easy ideas found at the Writing Activity Library from USA Gold and Scholastic. Also, watch for contests and new writing activities added throughout the year. Choose the Teacher's Guide for a printable with lesson ideas for students in grades 1-6 that promote poetry writing skills and vocabulary development.

tag(s): narrative (16), poetry (193), vocabulary development (94)

SlideHunter offers over 4000 free templates and backgrounds for PowerPoint users. Browse the site using the keyword search or choose categories to view files for download. There is no registration required; however, downloading is much easier using this option.
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tag(s): slides (43)

Earn, issue, collect, and display digital badges with Open Badges. Set up a Mozilla Backpack to earn your first badge. Once registered, follow to create and issue your badges with documentation features. Share with those seeking to earn the badge; they upload evidence of accomplishment. Once achieved, awarded badges are displayed on an individual's profile and can easily be shared online.

tag(s): assessment (147), behavior (45), classroom management (120), game based learning (205), gamification (83), organizational skills (88)

Sejda is a tool for working with PDF documents without having to register for an account. Use Sejda to split, rotate, merge, convert PDF files to Microsoft Word format, and more. Select the task you desire, upload your PDF document, and follow directions. When complete, download the new document with changes. Documents delete automatically from Sejda's servers after three hours.
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tag(s): conversions (37), worksheets (69)

Quizlet Live is a classroom quiz game for groups created by the makers of Quizlet, reviewed here. Follow directions to create and share a quiz set and assign to student teams. At least six students are needed to create and play a Quizlet Live game. When students receive the code and log in, they find other team members and begin competing. Accuracy is encouraged over speed, providing a wrong answer will send teams back to start from the beginning of the quiz.

tag(s): collaboration (93), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (205), quizzes (90), spelling (98), vocabulary (238), word study (59)

LivingTree is an online collaborative tool for teachers, parents, and students. Share messages, photos, files, and more in 100+ languages instantly. Create a shared calendar for all members to access and contribute information. Calendars offer the ability for parents and volunteers to easily sign up for events such as conferences and field trips. There are introductory videos, and video guides for teachers, parents, administrators, and organizations. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): chat (41), classroom management (120), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), organizational skills (88), polls and surveys (49), Teacher Utilities (198), video (266)

Tarr's Toolbox contains many quick and easy suggestions for spicing up lessons. Although created by a history teacher, most ideas can easily adapt to any subject. Click on any text box for a complete description of activities. Some of the descriptions have suggestions for use of the tools found on Classtools, reviewed here. Be sure to subscribe to Tarr's Toolbox blog to receive updates as new ideas are added.

tag(s): classroom management (120), differentiation (84), game based learning (205), professional development (385)

Build your own digital badges to award and share. Badge List offers the ability to design a badge using their built-in badge designer. You can also upload your own. Share with those seeking to earn the badge; they upload evidence of accomplishment using one of the five supported formats. Once achieved, awarded badges are displayed on an individual's profile and can easily be shared online. Since the free portion of Badge List is public, it is important for teachers to keep student identities anonymous. Use a code for the student name that is only known by the teacher. Also, be sure to obtain parent permission before using this tool with students. At the time of this review, stated by Badge List: "Badge List is currently developing simpler privacy settings to help K12 teachers protect student data. Until these features are released, teachers will need to take extra precautions to make sure that student data is safe."

tag(s): assessment (147), behavior (45), classroom management (120), game based learning (205), gamification (83), organizational skills (88)

Create interactive games, books, and presentations with TinyTap. Choose the Activities link to access resources made by teachers. Sort by category, age, and language. TinyTap allows creators to include drag and drop activities, videos, quizzes, and more - all in one activity. Create groups to assign activities to different students. Most games are free; however, some games by professional authors are not free. Play games and activities on any device; however, creation of games requires you to download the free iPad app. At the time of this review, TinyTap worked well on most browsers (except Safari). The free version is public and comments are permitted. Be sure to preview anything before you share with students.

tag(s): assessment (147), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (205), quiz (67), quizzes (90), Teacher Utilities (198)

Spice up any countdown with this versatile, yet easy to use, countdown timer from Classtools. Options include running multiple timers, adding music or video, and saving a web link to your timer. Choose the Get Started button to begin and follow prompts to choose included music or select your own from any YouTube video. Click the save icon to receive a personalized URL for sharing.

tag(s): classroom management (120), counting (60), time (91)

Collaborate with up to 100 participants from anywhere and at any time with Zoom's free online video conferencing options. Features include screen sharing, scheduled or instant meeting times, and private or group chat. Up to 40 minutes of group meeting time, and unlimited 1:1 meeting time is included with the free meeting plans. Sign up using your email or social network account to begin hosting a meeting. The step by step instructions make it easy to quickly begin video conferencing at your convenience.

tag(s): chat (41), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), parent conferences (21), video (266)

The Mindset Kit is a large compilation of resources for parents and teachers for teaching and developing growth mindsets. Based on the book, Mindset, by Carol Dweek, these lessons and activities provide tools for developing positive mindsets, in turn, leading to increased academic performance. Choose the section for teachers to find seven lessons for educator teams, or take advantage of ten lessons for parents to learn about growth mindset and how to instill this in students. Other portions contain ideas for specific content areas and mentors.

tag(s): brain (56), learning styles (18), professional development (385), social and emotional learning (102)

Microsoft's OneNote, a downloadable app, keeps all notes, emails, drawings, photographs, and more organized into folders on a page in different sections of a "notebook." Drag copies of files or documents from your computer into OneNote. Share and collaborate with others. Access your OneNote account by signing in to any computer or device.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), Microsoft (80), organizational skills (88), Storage (6)

Create standards-based lessons and rubrics in minutes with ThemeSpark. Incorporate your ready-made materials or use global resources available on the site. The lesson builder includes the ability to add a hook, information to learn, practice, and application activity. When finished, download the lesson in an easy to use format. Be sure to watch the QuickStart Lesson Builder video and read through the FAQ section on the site for full information about creating lessons and using ThemeSpark. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): assessment (147), professional development (385), rubrics (37), Teacher Utilities (198)

PenPal Schools connects learners from around the world with three to six-week courses in cross-cultural learning and understanding. After sign up, PenPal Schools matches classes based on class size and age range. Choose courses from four categories based on global issues or American issues. Each week, students log in to complete an assignment that typically involves viewing a video and reading a news article before answering a set of questions. Assignments are aligned with the Common Core Standards. PenPal Schools will work on any device with a modern web browser and an Internet connection.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173)