Richard Byrnes has a collection of screencasts you will find very helpful–135 Tech Tips!
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135 Practical Ed Tech tips–from Free Tech 4 Teachers
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Category Archives: Free Tools
STEM Tools You Can Use for Any Subjects (ISTE Article)
ISTE posted a great article listing some interesting STEM resources. Have fun exploring!
iFree Tech 4 Teachers’ Favorite Websites of 2014
Richard Brynes has posted favorite websites of 2014. it is always fun to see an overview of useful resources to use in your classroom. If you don’t already subscribe to his practical weekly tips, I recommend it!
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/best-of-web-fall-2014.html
Socrative Update
Socrative is a wonderful student response system you can use to engage students. They have just improved it, too. Take a look: http://www.socrative.com/garden/?p=1924
Padlet
If you used to use “Wall Wisher” you will find “Padlet” (the new and greatly improved “Wall Wisher”) to be a great way to interact with students who can make posts to the wall (like sticky notes). There are so many uses for it in the classroom.
Richard Byrnes (Free Tech 4 Teachers) made a great tutorial you should definitely check out and you will be up and running with “Padlet” in 10 minutes or less!
Richard Byrnes’ Tutorial:
SAMR & the 3 C’s
There are some great graphics on this website that will help you evaluate your program and also give some ideas for apps you can use for the “3 C’s” (Consumption, Collaboration, and Creation).
Here is the website! http://isupport.com.au/education/blooms-samr-the-3-cs-2/
Socrative: An Easy Student Response System
When I was looking for a tool to use for an interactive tool for classroom review, I ran across Socrative!
Socrative is a student response system to engage your students through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, or iPads. It is easy to set up a free account online. Once you do that, you are given a “classroom number.” Students can then go to socrative.com and type in your room number. You can then use the website to create questions, quizzes, games, and polls which you can share using your projector. Student responses show up as they submit them.
There is even a free “teacher clicker app” for your iPad. Socrative could also be very useful for review for the end of the year.
For more information click the link below:
Collaborative Brainstorming Tool: iBrainstorm
This free multi-device app enables several people to collaborate on a project by brainstorming with little sticky notes. I love the iPad version which makes it so easy to move the boxes around. iBrainstorm would be a great tool in your classroom! (by Universal Mind)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibrainstorm/id382252825?mt=8
Open Ed
I stumbled upon this resource when looking for ideas for a flipped classroom. There are resources (over a million videos, games, assessment, and courses) for several different subject areas. They are searchable by standards, also, and there are a lot to chose from:
- Common Core Language Arts (2,786)
- Common Core Literacy:History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (225)
- Common Core Math (6,351)
- Common Core Social Studies Framework (New York) (1,229)
- History – Social Science (California) (1,312)
- National Geography Standards (99)
- Next Generation Science Standards (946)
- PARCC Common Core ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments (1,519)
- SBAC Common Core ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments (949)
- SBAC Common Core Math Summative Assessments (2,695)
- Science (California) (1,190)
OPEN ED Channel on YouTube (to get the videos directly)
Khan Academy and Common Core Math Standards
If you are looking for a way to reinforce or review common core math standards, Khan Academy is a great resource! The site is divided into grade levels, and you can choose different strands and skills to work on!
Click below:
Khan Academy Playlists
Khan Academy is a great way to reinforce or review learning. Teachers can set up “classes” and make playlists for their students. You can find just about anything in the Khan Academy!
Virtual Chemistry Lab (Chem Crafter)
Chemistry can be lots of fun, but students must be careful and there are some chemicals you just don’t use or combine! With Chem Crafter, you can discover all kinds of chemical reactions! (For more great resources, check out Free Tech 4 Teachers!)
Free Books for iPad
When I was looking for iPad apps with books for our students to read over the summer, I stumbled upon FREE BOOKS. Free Books, by Digital Press Publishing, offers 23,469 classic books for middle school students. I tried it out and downloaded The War of the Worlds just to see how it works. There is a very nice bookmark as well as a highlighter to highlight words, phrases, or paragraphs. There is a dictionary feature, also. For both of these tools, you need to hold your finger down on the word(s) and then select them and the tool you want to use.
You can also purchase audio books and get rid of advertisements for $3.99!
To read more about this iPad app go to:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-books-23-469-classics/id364612911?mt=8
Air Sketch
I just found out about this iPad app that can turn your iPad into a wireless projector. It is really a useful tool if you are a teacher or a presenter in any situation. There is a free version (it only has black ink) or a paid for version (which I bought at the App Store).
Your iPad works as the presentation device, and with an IP address (generated for you by Air Sketch), any person on the same network can enter the address in their browser and see what is on your iPad! They also see (in real time) what you are doing on your iPad. If students want to capture something, they can easily take a screen shot on their computer. You can also use your computer (connected to a projector) as a wireless way to show what you are doing on your iPad if your students do not have individual computers. You could hand your iPad to a student to show how to do something and the whole class will see it as it happens. It is so cool!
Newsela
A librarian friend, Dianne Salminen, shared this great news website. It is especially versatile because you can choose the reading level of the articles depending on the students’ language skills. You do have to sign up and provide students with a user code.
Word Dynamo
Word Dynamo (by Dictionary.com) has a lot to offer students who need reinforcement with vocabulary. There are pre-made word lists for a variety of subjects and situations as well as the ability to make your own word lists. Flash cards and word games are a way to memorize and reinforce vocabulary.
Chemistry App (Virtual Elements)
My favorite website, http://freetech4teachers.com , has a post listing a useful chemistry app to play around the elements safely!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goreact/id649585694
Digital Learning’s Top 100 Sites and Apps of 2013
If you enjoy finding new sites and apps, you will have fun exploring David Kapuler’s 100 favorites for 2013. You are sure to find something you will want to use in class!
Top 100 Sites and Apps of 2013
Flash Cardlet
Flash Cardlet is a simple and mobile way to study vocabulary. Teachers can make their own cards or have students make them. It is a good way to study and reinforce vocabulary related to your course of study.
https://itunes.apple.com/gr/app/flashcards*/id403199818?mt=8
flashcardlet (Click for a PDF “How To Use Flash Cardlet”)
Phrasal Verb Machine
As an international teacher, I am always on the lookout for resources that will help my English language learners. My favorite website, Free Teach For Teachers, just posted this:
http://ipadapps4school.com/2013/02/25/the-phrasal-verbs-machine-a-nice-app-for-ell-students/
Using QR Codes for ELL
I just saw a post on Free Tech 4 Teachers listing several educational uses for QR codes. I especially like the one using QR Voice to help ELL students reinforce their skills!
Science Apps
My favorite teacher website, Free Tech 4 Teachers, has a new post listing some very cool apps for SCIENCE!
Take a look!
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/10/7-free-ipad-apps-for-science-lessons.html#.UuVcM3s76K0
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences for iPads
Here is a list of iPad apps related to Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Blooms Taxonomy, and 21st Century Skills (from Globally Connected Learning):
http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/apps-grid-ipad.pdf
iPad Apps and Resources for Innovative Teaching and Learning
I love the way this list of iPad apps is organized by subject area and price (i.e., free or not). This resource is from TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) http://tcea.org .
Tools for Creating Info Graphics
iPad As . . .
I saw this post on one of my favorite sites, http://edtechteachers.org .
Using an iPad can be an outstanding tool for teaching and learning. These two sites called “iPad As” and “EdTechTeacher Recommended iPad Apps, Links, & Ideas” are organized around learning objectives and provides web resources and ideas for making the best use of your iPad!
More great resources from edtechteachers.org!!!!
Tech For a Global Early Childhood Education
I stumbled upon this wonderful site with great resources and ideas for using technology in the early years.
NASA Lunar Electric Rover
Here is another great site with an ap you can download on your phone, iPad, or laptop that enables you to navigate the moon! What a great way to study and explore!
ICT Magic Web Tools
This site was posted in my Diigo Education group and is so packed with tools and ideas for teaching that I had to share it:
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools
Free Tools Challenge
Here is a great site to share ideas and free tools for teaching.
Free Tools Challenge: Connecting Teachers Through Free Professional Learning
