Nifty Fifty Tips and Tools: to the Core and Beyond
Resource Materials:
In this section of the Resources Page you will find reference materials, tutorials and how-to information that will help you review or extend your knowledge from the presentation.
Tools and Tips from the Session
- Math Games
- TeachersFirst Review of Math Games
- Math resource for PreK-8
- Tips for using Math Games
- Register for the site as an educator to get individual progress reports.
- Share the link on your website for students to get extra support and practice.
- TeachersFirst Review of Math Games
- Banzai!
- TeachersFirst Review of Banzai!
- Financial Literacy Interactive
- Tips for using Banzai!
- 3 Levels Banzai! Jr (ages 8-12), Banzai! Teen (ages 13-18), and Banzai Plus (ages 16+)
- Financial literacy + Game-based learning + assessment
- Video tutorial of Banzai!
- Blog – Banzai!
- TeachersFirst Review of Banzai!
- Arcademics
- TeachersFirst Review of Arcademics
- Collaborative interactive games for math, language arts, and social studies
- Tips for using Arcademics
- Share the link on your website for students to play individual games
- Create learning groups of 4, 8, or 12 students in math or language arts and set up a collaborative game.
- TeachersFirst Review of Arcademics
- Virtual Music Instruments
- TeachersFirst Review of Virtual Music Instruments
- Play virtual keyboard, guitar, bongos, and other instruments
- Tips for using Virtual Music Instruments
- Share these on your interactive whiteboard and on your class website so students can explore them on their own.
- Add this tech tool to your music class lessons or lessons on sound in science.
- Blog – Virtual Music Instruments
- TeachersFirst Review of Virtual Music Instruments
- Reading Treks
- TeachersFirst Review of Reading Treks
- Virtual field trips of resources about books that integrate Google Maps.
- Tips for using Reading Treks
- Use the maps to show students the locations of the story.
- Find stories to share related to various cultures and historical events.
- Blog – Reading Treks
- TeachersFirst Review of Reading Treks
- iCivics
- TeachersFirst Review of iCivics
- Immersive interactives designed to teach students civics and encourage them to participate in the democratic process.
- Tips for using iCivics
- Explore the GAMES link to find interactives related to your curriculum.
- Open a FREE teacher account. Teacher accounts allow you to see how much time students have spent on the interactives and how they did.
- Blog – iCivics (Argument Wars)
- TeachersFirst Review of iCivics
- Mission US
- TeachersFirst Review of Mission US
- Seven immersive experiences that engage students in learning about transitional times in US History.
- Tips for using Mission US
- Ask students to explain why a specific story represents a transitional time in US history (what was happening).
- Have students do the simulations at home and then discuss them in class and view their progress from the teacher portal.
- Blog – Mission US
- TeachersFirst Review of Mission US
- Google Arts & Culture: Paint with Music
- TeachersFirst Review of Google Arts & Culture: Paint with Music
- This neat experience offers four different canvases that allow you to translate your painted brushstrokes into music.
- Tips for using Paint with Music
- Have young students pick a favorite instrument and write their names. Have them listen to the music their name makes and share it with the rest of the class.
- Use this tool to introduce the heptatonic or Hirajoshi scales to your music classes.
- Share this site with families as a unique (and colorful) way to practice spelling words.
- Blog – Paint with Music
- TeachersFirst Review of Google Arts & Culture: Paint with Music
- GoNoodle
- TeachersFirst Review of GoNoodle
- Use these videos to promote your students’ health, fitness, and mindfulness or to reinforce curricular connections with topics such as the water cycle, pronoun practice, and the 50 states.
- Tips for using GoNoodle
- These activities are ideal for indoor recess, transition times, or even as a morning wake-up exercise to “get the wiggles out.”
- Enhance your English lessons with GoNoodle, as students learn how to use commas or the differences between, by, bye, and buy.
- Many videos are available in Spanish and some even teach 15 additional languages!
- Blog – GoNoodle
- TeachersFirst Review of GoNoodle
- Lyrics Training
- TeachersFirst Review of Lyrics Training
- A video/gaming tool to use with emergent readers, ENL students, learning support, and in world language classes. Students are given a song or video clip and need to fill in the missing words using multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank answers.
- Tips for using Lyrics Training
- Start with the multiple-choice option of one song. As kids gain confidence, use the same song but fill in the blank or go from the lowest level to the next one up.
- Check out the genres appropriate for your class (from Children’s music to movies to TV shows)
- TeachersFirst Review of Lyrics Training
- Fluent Key
- TeachersFirst Review of Fluent Key
- Game-based learning tool for world languages, ENL, or general listening comprehension. Video games can be assigned as homework or done as live games.
- Tips for using Fluenty Key
- Use with all students for comprehension practice.
- Use the “gear’ on YouTube videos to slow down the game process.
- Read lyrics ahead to check for appropriateness.
- TeachersFirst Review of Fluent Key
- SMMRY
- TeachersFirst Review of SMMRY
- Summarize long pieces of text, PDFs, websites, and more into 7 or fewer sentences.
- Tips for using SMMRY
- Introduce SMMRY to students working on research projects as a way to quickly determine the content and viability of using websites.
- Use SMMRY summaries when teaching how to summarize in an ELA class. Compare the summary you create as a class or small group with the “automated” one.
- Blog – SMMRY
- TeachersFirst Review of SMMRY
- Adobe Creative Cloud Express (video)
- TeachersFirst Review of Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- The free education version allows you to create web pages, video presentations, social media images, and much more.
- Tips for using Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- If a student is not a strong writer, let them share the story orally rather than by writing. They can click the microphone and create a presentation.
- Use the video option in world language classes to hear the pronunciations of the words.
- Blog – Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Adobe Spark)
- TeachersFirst Review of Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- Phrase.It
- TeacherFirst Review of Phrase.It
- Add cartoon speech bubbles to any photos in seconds – – no membership is required.
- Tips for using Phrase.It
- Use this for tough vocabulary words in English or world language classes
- Upload your own photos to use Phrase.It after a science experiment.
- Blog – Phrase.It
- TeacherFirst Review of Phrase.It
- Telegra.ph
- TeachersFirst Review of Telegra.ph
- A writing tool for publishing web content, such as a digital story or a blog. No registration is needed. You can upload photos, videos, and Tweets.
- Tips for using Telegra.ph
- The images and videos embedded would help to add understanding to the context.
- Students could create a blog as a “show what they know” project – adding photos and details and then easily share using the URL.
- Blog – Telegra.ph
- TeachersFirst Review of Telegra.ph
- Flip
- TeachersFirst Review of Flip
- Flip is a video response tool. They are owned by Microsoft and are entirely FREE! Create grids for students to answer questions. Grids are easily accessed by a code.
- Tips for using Flip
- Try out GridPals to find another class to connect with.
- Have students read on Flip to hear their own voices or share privately with families.
- Blog – Flip (formerly FlipGrid)
- TeachersFirst Review of Flip
- Online Voice Recorder
- TeachersFirst Review of Online Voice Recorder
- This simple site allows you to push a button and record your voice, no membership is required.
- Tips for using Online Voice Recorder
- Record interviews with community members or family.
- Use for students to practice spelling words, speaking skills, and more orally.
- TeachersFirst Review of Online Voice Recorder
- Write Reader
- TeachersFirst Review of Write Reader
- WriteReader allows young students to create their own books. Children can add their own images, type text, draw, add (or delete) multiple pages, and even add video recordings. Teachers can add their own comments on the space of the page.
- Tips for using Write Reader
- Use this tool for students to practice kid writing, with less concern about proper spelling.
- Educators can use the added space on each page to show students the correct spellings of unfamiliar words, make comments to the students, and add additional information.
- Blog – Write Reader
- TeachersFirst Review of Write Reader
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