TeachersFirst's BYOD Dream Tools: Free Tools that Work on ANY device!
This collection of reviewed resources and tools from TeachersFirst includes web tools and apps that are available for FREE on iOS (iPad, iPhone), Android, and web devices. Come here to find tools that your students can use as they do instructional activities in your BYOD or 1-1 classroom. In this collection, you will find tools and resources that include calculators, quiz creators, game makers, curation tools, interactive lessons, Venn-diagram creators, literacy accessibility tools, online time trackers, meme creators, podcast makers, translator tools, task list creators, and many other free tools that will work on any device.
Even the best device-agnostic resources have slight differences in capabilities on different devices. Encourage your students to share what they discover about additional or missing features on each type of device. Your class will quickly appoint experts for each resource or tool. TeachersFirst encourages our members (membership is FREE) to add comments and ratings to help other teachers and students who are trying these tools. Free resources and tools change quickly, so we welcome your comments on any changes that may occur to these tools and their free status.
(image credit: Jeremy Keith)
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Edpuzzle - edpuzzle
Grades
K to 12
14 Favorites
0 Comments
This tool is a great way to take videos and add your own voice or add questions within the video. YouTube videos are viewable in edpuzzle even if your school ...more
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This tool is a great way to take videos and add your own voice or add questions within the video. YouTube videos are viewable in edpuzzle even if your school filters block them! Search for educational videos from sites such as Khan Academy and Learn Zillion. Use the sliders to choose the video section, then insert your voice or comment on the video. Create a series of questions to go along with your selected video and insert them into the correct part of the video. There is no need for students to watch the whole video to access the questions at the end. Follow the on-screen directions to chop the video for the section you need, add your voice, and choose where to add text-based questions. Create a class and add students into the class either in the dashboard or after creating the video. Use student codes to access the video. At the bottom of the page, on the far right click the "Help Center" button. There is also a short demo video hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, find the video you want to use and embed it in edpuzzle. It will be viewable when used through edpuzzle!
tag(s): assessment (147), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), questioning (32), remote learning (61), video (257)
In the Classroom
Create short review videos or use your own narration with chosen videos to create flipped or blended lessons for your students. Is your school embracing remote learning? This is the perfect tool! Consider the power of students using Edpuzzle to annotate videos to explain the material in their own words. You or your students can use the tool to create and narrate "how-to" videos. Annotate by highlighting the significant features of videos through the creation of voice comments. Students can also create questions to play with each video. Be sure students create a script to read from before beginning their chosen video.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Breaking News - NBC News Digital Network
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
This current events site can take you places! Type in the topic you want to read about and view a list of headlines to stories about the topic. Choose one ...more
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This current events site can take you places! Type in the topic you want to read about and view a list of headlines to stories about the topic. Choose one of the headlines to read the story that comes from a variety of news sources. Click on the globe icon on the upper right of the news page to view the world map. This shows the location of where the stories originate. Clicking on the dots on the map also take you to the stories. This tool is available on web browsers, iOS, and Android devices.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), globe (12), maps (209), news (229), newspapers (91), primary sources (115)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for current events projects. Assign students various weeks through out the semester in which they are to be the class news reporter. The reports should keep their peers up to date and informed. Have students research what is going on via this news site, and give a small presentation at the beginning of class every day during their week. Students can do an oral presentation or create a short video summarizing the same information. View several news articles from different areas and discuss bias and point of view from other cities and countries. Choose dots on the map randomly from the various sections to see what is trending in different regions. Have students create news briefs and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MediaFire - MediaFire
Grades
6 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Get organized with Media Fire. Store and sync files, folders, and media (photos, music, video). Access them from any computer or mobile device. Download the program to your computer...more
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Get organized with Media Fire. Store and sync files, folders, and media (photos, music, video). Access them from any computer or mobile device. Download the program to your computer for times when there is no Internet access. MediaFire Desktop keeps your online and locally stored files safe and in sync. View and edit all files and folders privately or share them to collaborate. Find a comprehensive Getting Started PDF manual on the left side menu. Signing up is as easy as typing in your email. MediaFire claims to be "the only online storage solution to offer unlimited downloads, download resuming, zero wait times and more, all for free."
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143)
In the Classroom
Use MediaFire to transfer files and images between devices quickly in your BYOD or 1:1 classroom. Student groups working on projects in class can gather and share data easily from anywhere. Use for any work students may wish to collaborate on. They can easily make documents public or private and share with others. What a great way for students to turn their work into you when completed on their devices! During curriculum development and other professional development activities, members of a department (or even school-wide) can share resources and documents easily with each other.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WeTheEconomy - 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss - Vulcan Productions/Cinelan
Grades
9 to 12
10 Favorites
0 Comments
Build your understanding of the U.S. economy through a creative, well-organized collection of short films (5-8 min) designed to explain 20 key concepts that any informed citizen needs...more
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Build your understanding of the U.S. economy through a creative, well-organized collection of short films (5-8 min) designed to explain 20 key concepts that any informed citizen needs to understand. Unlike many informational films, these are quite engaging. The collection is divided into five chapters on Economy, Money, The Role of Government, Globalization, and Inequality. All of us can better understand how our economy works from watching these films and exploring some of the follow-up discussion suggestions, even among adults. Teachers can obtain a link to free, downloadable lesson materials, activities, and extensions by filling out a form with their email address. (The email comes within a few minutes, but watch your SPAM filter. Requesting the link via a home email may be better to avoid school filtering!) The teacher materials include correlations to CCSS standards in ELA, Math, and Writing. The content of the films and lessons supports many major concepts of economics and government included in state and other standards. App versions are available for both iOS and Android.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), financial literacy (92), money (119), supply and demand (4)
In the Classroom
Sign up to download the support materials and plan one or several lessons to demystify the economy as part of a civics/government class or an economics course. Transform the technology use in your class by assigning students to watch films in small groups and create digital booklets explaining the key concepts to the class using a multimedia tool such as Calameo, reviewed here. As economic issues come up in current events or during an election cycle, use these films to explain the underlying issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kodable - Surfscore, Inc
Grades
K to 4
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Kodable teaches coding to young children through programming logic, sequence, loops, functions, and debugging. Create one free class account for an unlimited number of students with...more
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Kodable teaches coding to young children through programming logic, sequence, loops, functions, and debugging. Create one free class account for an unlimited number of students with twelve weeks of lessons. Find lessons with programming curriculum, explanations of key concepts, and Common Core alignment. You can play without an account; however, results are not saved.
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tag(s): coding (88), computational thinking (42), computers (106), DAT device agnostic tool (143), engineering (119), logic (164), problem solving (226), STEM (262)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to experiment while viewing their results. Kodable is great for differentiating for students with different abilities and learning styles. Set Kodable up as a learning center and have students work in pairs to complete the challenges.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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PhotoFunia - Capsule Digital
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Use your pictures and PhotoFunia to create photo collages, flyers, family trees, holiday albums, and more. PhotoFunia has hundreds of effects and filters. More are added weekly. To...more
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Use your pictures and PhotoFunia to create photo collages, flyers, family trees, holiday albums, and more. PhotoFunia has hundreds of effects and filters. More are added weekly. To add shadows, age your photo, or render it black and white just visit the Filters category. Add clever features such as an astronaut or a Santa suit, a witch's hat or a queen's crown. Looking for an attractive frame for your photos? Find one here. Write on the sand or graffiti text on the wall. Carve your name on the ground or create your very own road sign using text effects. The program is as easy to use as picking the effect and uploading a photo. Save it to your computer or email it. Try using PhotoFunia online or get the free app for iOS or Andriod, and most other smartphones. At the time of this review, all photo effects appeared appropriate for use in the classroom. However, we always suggest you preview the tool before sharing it with students.
tag(s): collages (20), comics and cartoons (53), DAT device agnostic tool (143), editing (93), images (270), photography (131), posters (47)
In the Classroom
You do not need to be artistic to transform a personal or stock photo into a stunning work of art or even an amusing image. Adjust any image's color intensity, value, and hue using the filters. Use this tool anytime that photos need to be edited for use in class blogs, newsletters, wikis, or websites. In primary grades, this tool could be useful for teachers to use to edit pictures from a field trip, science experiments, and more. Share the editing process with your younger students using your interactive whiteboard or projector. Edit together! Engage older students by encouraging them to use this site themselves on images for projects or presentations. Use the features and effects to edit images to fit styles of photos when doing historical reports or to set the mood.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cram - Online Flashcard Library - Cram.com
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create your own flashcards using Cram or find what you need from Cram's library of over 50 million flashcards! Browse by subject to find flashcards or use the search box ...more
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Create your own flashcards using Cram or find what you need from Cram's library of over 50 million flashcards! Browse by subject to find flashcards or use the search box to explore available cards. Create your own flashcards then download and share for use on PC or Mac. View flashcards in several modes such as traditional flashcard, memorize, or test. Shuffle cards or place in alphabetical order for studying.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), flash cards (42), test prep (66), vocabulary (235), vocabulary development (90)
In the Classroom
Create flashcards for your classes or have students make their own. Try using them as an introduction to a concept, then again in the practice of the concept, and again as a final review. It is a nice three for one creation deal! This would be great for teaching Latin prefixes and suffixes of words. Use for science terms, or standardized test preparation. Try having students create flashcards and share with each other to quiz themselves within their own groups. Teach students in higher grades how to create flash cards with multiple blanks to challenge their brain to remember more pieces of the puzzle. Show them how to carefully read through classroom notes and underline the most important word or words in a sentence. Then have them leave out the most important words for their flashcards. Learning support teachers might want to have small groups create cards together to review before tests. Have students create flashcard sets to "test" classmates on what they "teach" in oral reports. Be sure to check the data base for already created sets to save you time making them yourself!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LifeSaver - The Resuscitation Council (UK)
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Lifesaver is a crisis simulation that fuses interactivity and live-action film to teach how to help someone during a heart attack and CPR in a new way. View different crisis ...more
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Lifesaver is a crisis simulation that fuses interactivity and live-action film to teach how to help someone during a heart attack and CPR in a new way. View different crisis simulations while reacting within acceptable limits. Scores give feedback at the end of each scenario. In addition to the simulator activities, view answers to medical questions related to heart health, CPR, and choking by scrolling down to choices at the bottom of the home page. This simulator works on any device. However, the CPR demonstration does offer more ease in the free app versions than on a personal computer. This site was created in the UK. American English speakers may notice some slight spelling differences. Tip: you must check that you accept the terms to "Enter" the site!
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), heart (27), medicine (55)
In the Classroom
Use Lifesaver as part of your heart health unit. Allow students to explore the site and participate in simulations while challenging them to increase scores with continued play. Include it as part of a child care unit in FACS. Share with your school nurse or health professional for use with professional training sessions. Share this link on your class website for students to view (and share with families) at home. Download the free app available for all mobile devices for even better use of this site. Moving the app up and down to do CPR demonstrates the technique much better than options on a personal computer. For an extra research challenge, have students compare this UK-based CPR training with U.S. Red Cross or American Heart Association training to see if there are any differences.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Homeroom - Cluster Labs, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Homeroom is an online tool and mobile app to share your class photos privately with parents, students, and others. Create an album and invite people to view it. Each time ...more
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Homeroom is an online tool and mobile app to share your class photos privately with parents, students, and others. Create an album and invite people to view it. Each time you update it, the members will be notified. When you populate your album with photos, you can also add a comment. Access Homeroom and upload photos on any device. For Initial registration you can use the app (iOs or Android) or register using your Google or Facebook account, or manually using email. Once registered, you can access the tool using any device using your username and password. Invite others from any device or computer by phone number or email address. They will become members and will be able to update your photo albums. You will be alerted about the new content. Albums are private. Only the people with the invite have access to the photos.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), images (270), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Invite parents and students as you create albums of specific events such as field trips, service projects, hands-on activities, field experiences, class speakers, and more. Anywhere photos can be used to showcase achievement, this service would be a great resource. Use for any project, class explanation of concepts, experiments, or demonstrations. Resource teachers, speech teachers, or world language teachers can collect images into "albums" for students to practice/develop speech and vocabulary. In science class when having students do insect collections, instead of having them collect the actual specimens, have them take pictures using their phones or digital cameras. Have the students upload to the album at home, and then they can create a multimedia project with the pictures and statistics of the specimen. Students can snap a picture anywhere, with any device, and upload to the web to use in class or cooperative groups. This tool would be great for clubs and performance groups as well! Do you send a newsletter home to parents? Try creating a heading made from a collage of your latest class activity. Use a program such as Mosaic Maker, reviewed here, to create a collage. Though the content is private, monitor student photos and comments as nothing would be prohibited by Homeroom. You will be notified of all new content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Time and Date - Steffen Thorsen
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Time and Date is your one-stop resource for anything concerning time zones, calendars, and weather. View current time for any place in the world, explore time zone maps, and create...more
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Time and Date is your one-stop resource for anything concerning time zones, calendars, and weather. View current time for any place in the world, explore time zone maps, and create and print personalized calendars. Explore the short news articles. Calculators and timers offer countdowns to any date. Find the number of days until a chosen date or tell the date in X number of days. Other options allow you to find the weather anywhere in the world, explore sun and moon phases, and browse through upcoming holiday events. There are also many free apps available to specific sections of this site (see the Apps link). There is a LOT here to explore!
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tag(s): calculators (37), calendars (40), DAT device agnostic tool (143), moon (70), sun (69), time (92), time zones (7), weather (163)
In the Classroom
Bookmark (or save in your favorites) Time and Date on your classroom computers for students to use throughout the year. Find out the local time and temperature in countries as you study them, count down the number of days until spring break or the end of the school year. Use the stopwatch or timer/alarm for timing class activities. Create a personal classroom calendar. This is a perfect addition to your Calendar Math lessons in elementary school. Share the site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) as you count how many days you have been in school, daily weather, or a countdown to a special occasion. The possibilities are endless using all of Time and Date's features! Include time/date conversions for online conferences you will hold with parents who are deployed or traveling in different time zones. Share meeting dates/times for Skype sessions using the time conversions so everyone is "on time." Humor your fellow teachers by warning them of the upcoming full moon and its supposed effect on student behavior!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Legend - Jay Meistrich and Grant Watters
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Organize YOUR way with Legend (was Moo.do). Just begin typing to create lists. Mark to set priority options and highlight important text. Drag and drop items at any time ...more
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Organize YOUR way with Legend (was Moo.do). Just begin typing to create lists. Mark to set priority options and highlight important text. Drag and drop items at any time to place in order. Use @date to automatically add items to your calendar and instantly add names from your contacts for email or phone access. Be sure to watch the video (requires YouTube) and follow tutorials to quickly learn how to organize your life with Legend. If your school blocks YouTube, you may want to view the tutorial at home.
tag(s): calendars (40), DAT device agnostic tool (143), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
Any student would appreciate having an online time/task management tool they can access anywhere, but learning support students and disorganized gifted students need one. If they are over 13 or have parent permission, this is perfect! You may want to model using this online tool to help middle and high school students learn better personal organization. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector during the first week of school to help students set up their own accounts. Parents may appreciate learning about this site also. Use this site professionally to keep yourself organized! Make a demo account for a mythical student and organize it together so students can see how it works. Teachers in lower grades can use this tool for their own productivity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Raindrop.io - Mussabekov Rustem
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Raindrop.io is a smart bookmarking tool to "collect" online and media content. It is available as a mobile app, as a web tool, and as a browser extension for Safari, ...more
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Raindrop.io is a smart bookmarking tool to "collect" online and media content. It is available as a mobile app, as a web tool, and as a browser extension for Safari, Chrome, Opera, or Firefox. After adding the extension to your browser, a couple of clicks saves and organizes content into thematic collections. Collections can include videos, files, images, and other media. Watch the tour videos to see how it works. Add tags and notes, and drag and drop bookmarks between collections as you wish. Browse your collections using the search bar and keywords. Use Raindrop's social networking feature to create and share collections or find and subscribe to others' collections. Receive a weekly email digest of your bookmarks, or turn that feature off.
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tag(s): bookmarks (47), collaboration (87), curation (35), DAT device agnostic tool (143)
In the Classroom
Use Raindrop.io to create a bank of resources for each content unit within your subject or your class. Have students download and use the materials you provide via Raindrop to make their own projects, complete webquests, or to learn independently. Create a separate class account for students to curate their own lists of bookmarks and resources. Use this tool to compile web treasure hunts to learn or introduce any topic within your content area. Collect links to informational texts for students to read "closely" a la CCSS. With younger students, create collections of audio books for children to view and listen to. Share simple interactives teaching colors, numbers and more for a computer center. Have students create their own Raindrop as a place to store links for a project and ask them to attach it to attach it to their final project. Share a link to your Raindrop on your class webpage. Save pictures of class activities with a Raindrop collection to share with parents. Encourage your gifted students to curate collections of media and articles above the level of current curriculum or for individual research on related topics they are interested in. Share these "advanced" collections with all students to spark personal learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Send Anywhere - ESTmob, Inc
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Send Anywhere offers simple, unlimited, instant file transfers across any device. Drag and drop or click to add files. Simply click to send files. A pop-up box appears with a ...more
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Send Anywhere offers simple, unlimited, instant file transfers across any device. Drag and drop or click to add files. Simply click to send files. A pop-up box appears with a QR code and a 6-digit numerical code for downloading the file. The pop-up remains active for 10 minutes. The countdown on the screen shows the time remaining. Mobile users need to download the free Send Anywhere app to their mobile device. When sharing across computers, go to the Send Anywhere site to input the 6-digit code to receive files.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143)
In the Classroom
Use Send Anywhere to quickly transfer files and images between devices in your BYOD or 1:1 classroom. Student groups working on projects in class can gather and share files easily. This tool would work well when students do not have email addresses or Google Accounts for sharing work with their teachers or each other. What a great way for students to turn in work done on their devices! Just make sure you retrieve it before the time limit expires. During curriculum development and other professional development activities, members of a department (or even school-wide) can share resources and documents easily with each other.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Slack - Slack Technologies, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Slack is a real-time messaging and video tool for teams that includes archiving and search features. Create channels for different groups or teams to include messages, files, images,...more
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Slack is a real-time messaging and video tool for teams that includes archiving and search features. Create channels for different groups or teams to include messages, files, images, and more for sharing. Drag and drop files work with Google Docs, Dropbox, Twitter, and others making it easy to share across several different platforms. Easily search Slack archives to find discussions, documents, and more. Slack's now offers free voice and video calls between teammates.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), microblogging (18), organizational skills (90), social networking (68), video (257)
In the Classroom
Share this resource with high school students working on group projects for better group communication, managing workflow, and more. Take the time during the first week of school or as group projects approach to model how to plan and manage group processes using such a tool. Use this tool with school clubs, as well. Manage professional discussions by creating channels for different departmental or grade level teams.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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My Live Chat - mylivechat
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a polished, professional live chat on your blog or class site with this FREE tool. Create a "How Can I Help You?" message to pop-up as parents and students ...more
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Create a polished, professional live chat on your blog or class site with this FREE tool. Create a "How Can I Help You?" message to pop-up as parents and students visit the page. When in an active chat, visitors receive a pop-up asking if they wish to join the chat. This tool runs on every platform and mobile device. Be sure to check out the demo tab to understand how to use the tool in your website. Add the HTML code into your site to add the chat box and features. Use this tool to analyze site traffic so you can identify what is most used by students and parents.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143)
In the Classroom
Create a chat message pop-up for the most frequently asked questions students and parents have about finding items on your classroom site. Offer a set time for office hours published well in advance for parents and students to drop in and ask questions about assignments, homework help, or any other questions that they may have. Set up a chat time early in the school year for "meet and greet" so parents discover your website or for those who are unable to attend back to school night! Cut down on email! Encourage students to identify the questions they (or their parents) have the most as you develop the scope for your chat. ESL/ELL teachers can use the chat to provide extra written language practice for their students in an engaging way! Use the chat with your colleagues in a Teacher Lounge format to help each other in the appropriate use of technology, content sharing, or professional development.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Toggl - Toggl
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Easily track time spent on projects without time sheets! Enter your task and click to begin tracking. View the day-by-day breakdown of time spent on the activities. Generate summary,...more
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Easily track time spent on projects without time sheets! Enter your task and click to begin tracking. View the day-by-day breakdown of time spent on the activities. Generate summary, detailed, or weekly reports. Use this tool to create teams and generate team reports. Invite members by email and mark team data as public or private as needed. Use multiple machines in the day? No problem. Time is tracked across multiple devices including Android and iOs.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (128), DAT device agnostic tool (143), organizational skills (90), Teacher Utilities (146), time (92)
In the Classroom
Introduce this tool to students as you talk about study skills and homework habits at the start of the school year. Make it part of your lessons on "how to study" or part of your first long term project, especially with disorganized middle schoolers (and gifted students). Have students track how they are spending their time outside of school and make resolutions about how they can adjust it to improve grades, etc. Even teachers need to track time spent on activities. Record time spent in preparing lessons, collaborating, maintaining your PLN, communicating with parents, extra-curricular activities, and more. This tool is beneficial with student groups and tracking time spent on activities. Be sure that students break down the specific responsibilities needed for the project and separate them out to the group. Students can show the work they completed as well as the summary report of time spent. Students can use this information as self-reflection upon completion of any class project and see the possible impact of time well spent!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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Smithsonian Science Education Center Games - Smithsonian Science Education Center
Grades
K to 2
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Enjoy science activities correlated to Common Core and National Science Standards at this site from the Smithsonian Science Center. The initial game offering, Shutterbugs: Wiggle and...more
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Enjoy science activities correlated to Common Core and National Science Standards at this site from the Smithsonian Science Center. The initial game offering, Shutterbugs: Wiggle and Stomp, offers the opportunity to describe movement and motion while visiting exotic animals from the zoo. Game difficulty levels scale up or down based on your response and adults receive printable reports of mastered words. Coming soon is a Memory Match game. These games are device agnostic. Click on the actual game and scroll to the bottom of the page for links to download free app versions from the Google Play or Apple stores.
tag(s): animals (280), DAT device agnostic tool (143), habitats (87), motion (49), preK (254)
In the Classroom
Be sure to check out the "About Our Games" portion of the site for game features and information. This site is excellent for use as a classroom center or on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to share the link with parents on your classroom newsletter or website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whereby - appear.in
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create video conversations including up to four people instantly with Whereby (formerly Appear.in). There is nothing to download, and no registration is required. Add a name for your...more
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Create video conversations including up to four people instantly with Whereby (formerly Appear.in). There is nothing to download, and no registration is required. Add a name for your room and click "create." Allow access to your computer's webcam and microphone, and your room is all set up. Send the link to others to click and join in. Claim a room to get privileges such as customizing your room's background and locking your room when empty. Whereby works with Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Opera browsers.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), remote learning (61), video (257)
In the Classroom
Whereby is a perfect tool to use for your blended learning or remote learning classroom. Use it for any subject for small group interactions such as small group projects, literature circles, writing consultations, and more. Connect up to four whole classrooms across the country for book clubs. Connect experts such as authors and scientists to classrooms of children. Create connected learning experiences with other students, especially those in older grades. Connect world language classes to classes in other countries. Students interested in graphic design can connect with an expert or artist far away and share current work in a virtual critique. Connect students with mentors or older students for help with homework. Teachers can hold "office hours" for homework help and student questions. Whole buildings can collaborate and share professional development with others in their own district and beyond! Of course, you will want to pretest whether this service works in your school since some filters block access to such "interaction."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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