TeachersFirst - What's Popular
This page shares the 25 resources most frequently marked as Favorites by TeachersFirst Members in the past 60 days. See what tops the list of TeachersFirst's database of well over 15,000+ educator-reviewed web resources. Find out what other teachers are excited about. Not a TeachersFirst member yet? See the time saving benefits of free TeachersFirst membership.
Cartoons for the Classroom - The Association for American Editorial Cartoonists
Grades
6 to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 400 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that...more
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Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 400 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that relate to those cartoons. Alternatively, download the cartoons alone along with space to "draw" your own conclusions. Also find an evaluation form for you and your students use. Click "Home" on the top left of the list to go to the home page and "Today's Political Cartoon." A picture is worth a thousand words, and editorial cartoonists have been boiling down the foibles of politicians and public figures throughout history. One needs only to know about Thomas Nast and his cartoons of Boss Tweed during the 19th century to know that cartoons have a deep impact on political discourse.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (39), politics (98), satire (5)
In the Classroom
These one-page discussion starters could help students keep up with current political issues, provide an opening or closing activity, or serve as an enrichment activity for students who move through other assignments more quickly. Available either with or without guiding questions, and covering a wide range of relevant and timely topics, they are perfect to keep as a Plan B or for an emergency substitute teacher activity. Elsewhere on the site are links to Weekly News Videos with prompts for discussion, and other information about political cartooning through history; most of these latter links connect to outside sites so be sure and preview carefully. In an art class, create a "political" option during a line drawing unit for current events enthusiasts to draw their own political cartoons. Include these cartoons during a unit on humor and satire in an English/Language Arts class or gifted program.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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ToonyTool - ToonyTool
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
ToonyTool is a simple canvas to create a single frame cartoon easily. With ToonyTool you can add a dash of humor and create a single comic to get the message ...more
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ToonyTool is a simple canvas to create a single frame cartoon easily. With ToonyTool you can add a dash of humor and create a single comic to get the message across. Choose from one of their background pictures, or upload one of your own. Create a title or type in part of your message in the Meme text bar. Choose a character or two, add a prop, and select speech bubbles to type a message. Everything is easy to move around by just dragging and dropping. At the bottom of the page find tools to share and edit your comic. Share via Google, Facebook, Twitter, print, download, or email. There is no registration required.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (39), creative writing (116), summarizing (13)
In the Classroom
There is a multitude of ways to use comics/cartoons in the classroom. For instance, create one-page discussion starters to help students keep up with current political issues. Use comics to show sequencing of events, for example, explain the sequence of a story, a science concept, or current event! When studying about characterization, create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Use comic strips for literature responses. Another idea - why not use the comics for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or draw the pictures) than use the actual words. Emotional support and autistic support teachers can work with students to create strips about appropriate interpersonal responses and feelings. World language and ENL/ESL teachers can assign students to create dialogue strips as an alternative to traditional written assessments; summarize through a comic. Challenge students who move through other assignments more quickly to create a cartoon for review of a topic studied in class. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: More Authentic Learning Activities with Jamboard - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from February 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Keep on jammin'...more
Keep on jammin'...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from February 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Keep on jammin' with Jamboard - Google's power-packed whiteboard app. We are back with more great classroom collaboration and integration ideas. Simple enough for even young learners, Jamboard gives students tools to share what they have learned and demonstrate content mastery. Use Jamboard to facilitate active learning strategies that include individual and group work. Come prepared to learn strategies that can be used in traditional and remote classrooms across multiple content areas and grade levels. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basics of using Google Jamboard for remote learning; 2. Explore strategies that foster 21st-century skills; and 3. Share ideas for using Jamboard in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Keep on jammin' with Jamboard - Google's power-packed whiteboard app. We are back with more great classroom collaboration and integration ideas. Simple enough for even young learners, Jamboard gives students tools to share what they have learned and demonstrate content mastery. Use Jamboard to facilitate active learning strategies that include individual and group work. Come prepared to learn strategies that can be used in traditional and remote classrooms across multiple content areas and grade levels. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basics of using Google Jamboard for remote learning; 2. Explore strategies that foster 21st-century skills; and 3. Share ideas for using Jamboard in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): Google (20), professional development (236), remote learning (33)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Write - Krish Dholakiya
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Write. That is all you do with this minimalistic program. This is a great tool for timed writing at the beginning of any class! Choose a length of time to ...more
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Write. That is all you do with this minimalistic program. This is a great tool for timed writing at the beginning of any class! Choose a length of time to write from options on the screen, then start writing. Stop for more than 5 seconds, and your writing disappears. When time runs out, your writing saves with an option to download as a text file to your computer, or upload to a file of your choice.
tag(s): process writing (38), writers workshop (30), writing (279)
In the Classroom
If you have students who struggle with putting words down due to distractions or other reasons, Write is a good option for developing stamina. This tool allows writers to just write without worrying about content, grammar, or spelling. Stress that the editing process allows writers to go back and rework basic thoughts. If you do journals in content areas such as math or science, Write is a perfect tool to strongly encourage students to get their thoughts down in a short amount time. Have students save their work to include with their final writing projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seterra Online Free Map Quiz Games - Seterra Online
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Seterra Online is a challenging educational geography activity with more than 100 different exercises. Learn about countries, capitals, oceans, flags and cities in Africa, Europe, South...more
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Seterra Online is a challenging educational geography activity with more than 100 different exercises. Learn about countries, capitals, oceans, flags and cities in Africa, Europe, South America, North America, Asia and Australia using outline map exercises! Explore the 50 states of the USA and even the capitals. Choose from quizzes sorted by continent or the entire world. Once the map loads, follow the prompts to click on the correct area of the map. After a few incorrect tries, the right area will flash in red. Correct responses on the first try appear in white, yellow indicates a right answer on the second attempt, and the red areas indicate incorrect responses. When complete, view the percentage correct and time it took to finish the activity.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cities (16), continents (30), countries (67), game based learning (155), maps (216), quizzes (82), states (124)
In the Classroom
Share this link on your class projector or interactive whiteboard. This is a perfect addition if your students are learning the 50 states, capitals, or even countries throughout the world. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Share this tool as an excellent study guide for learning locations around the world. Challenge students to increase time and accuracy in completing these map activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TWiki - Peter Theony
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
TWiki is an open-source application for creating and using wikis. Easily add and share information without any coding or programming skills. Think of it as an easily editable page....more
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TWiki is an open-source application for creating and using wikis. Easily add and share information without any coding or programming skills. Think of it as an easily editable page. Download the application to create your wiki. Add text, links, and documents to your wiki pages. Additional features include the ability to view the history of any topic and receive email notifications of changes to any topic. Enhance your wiki with the site's available plugins including a calendar, chart visualizer, slide show module, and others.
tag(s): collaboration (75), wikis (16)
In the Classroom
In language arts or history classrooms use a wiki to create a favorite historical figures page, have students share their favorite person from history along with supporting evidence. Use a wiki to set up a debate between students. For example, create a wiki and ask students to debate the use of homework in schools, the effect of social media on society, or year-round school vs. traditional school calendars. As your class builds and adds to the wiki, extend student learning by having small groups of students select a topic to research further. A nice feature of TWiki is that it allows you to set up collaborative groups where students can share information and ideas about their research. Culminate the research by having students use a multimedia creation tool like Sway, reviewed here, transforming classroom technology by sharing information including text, images, videos, and more. As a last step have the small groups load their Sway creation to their collaborative page on TWiki. For more ideas and information on how to use wikis, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CleverPDF - CleverPDF
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
CleverPDF is your one-stop site for managing PDF documents. Choose from 27 tools to convert to and from PDF documents, reorder pages, extract images, and much more. Select the tool...more
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CleverPDF is your one-stop site for managing PDF documents. Choose from 27 tools to convert to and from PDF documents, reorder pages, extract images, and much more. Select the tool you need, upload your file, and choose from additional options based on the function selected. Scroll down within each of the tasks to find easy to follow step-by-step directions for converting and saving your file. CleverPDF also includes a downloadable application for use on Windows and Mac computers for converting files without an Internet connection.
tag(s): conversions (33), images (253), worksheets (66)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site on all classroom and personal computers for use throughout the year. If you have a large PDF file but only need a page or two, use CleverPDF to extract it for you. Convert PDF files to Word or Pages when working with a document that needs editing. Convert student work into PDF then convert into a book using Flipsnack, reviewed here. Flipsnack even includes a handy page-turning effect! This is a helpful utility for students entering contests or completing applications offered only in PDF form. Help students create a more organized and appealing portfolio by converting all items to one standard file type such as PDF. PorfolioVillage, reviewed here, is an easy to use tool for creating and sharing portfolios, include student-created PDF documents to share any work document.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: 3 Cool Tools for Digital Portfolios - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
There are many reasons...more
There are many reasons...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
There are many reasons to use portfolios in the classroom - documenting student growth, reflecting on assignments, and developing communication skills are just a few. But once you've decided to implement them, how do you decide what tools will work best for your class? Join us and learn about free digital portfolio tools that can be used in multiple instructional settings. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn about three tools for creating student portfolios; 2. Share ideas on ways to use portfolios; and 3. Plan to use portfolios in your instructional setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
There are many reasons to use portfolios in the classroom - documenting student growth, reflecting on assignments, and developing communication skills are just a few. But once you've decided to implement them, how do you decide what tools will work best for your class? Join us and learn about free digital portfolio tools that can be used in multiple instructional settings. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn about three tools for creating student portfolios; 2. Share ideas on ways to use portfolios; and 3. Plan to use portfolios in your instructional setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): portfolios (22), professional development (236)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Remote Learning with Microsoft Forms - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Microsoft Forms are...more
Microsoft Forms are...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Microsoft Forms are often overlooked when discussing free tools for remote instruction. Join us for this session and learn to use Forms to personalize instruction, accommodate learner differences, foster independent learning, and implement formative and summative assessments. Come prepared to explore and to add this tool to your teaching toolkit. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basic functions of Microsoft Forms; 2. Understand how to use Forms to support remote instruction; and 3. Create a form for instructional use or data collection. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Microsoft Forms are often overlooked when discussing free tools for remote instruction. Join us for this session and learn to use Forms to personalize instruction, accommodate learner differences, foster independent learning, and implement formative and summative assessments. Come prepared to explore and to add this tool to your teaching toolkit. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basic functions of Microsoft Forms; 2. Understand how to use Forms to support remote instruction; and 3. Create a form for instructional use or data collection. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): Formative Assessment (23), Microsoft (57), professional development (236), remote learning (33)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Tech Integration Made Easy with the Smithsonian Learning Lab - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Connect your students...more
Connect your students...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from April 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Connect your students to primary sources, capture their imagination, and develop their content knowledge in any subject area with the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Learn how to combine the Smithsonian's wealth of resources with your own to quickly create personalized lessons and activities that increase engagement and develop critical thinking skills in grades 3-12. You can even adapt one of the thousands of existing collections to better suit your instructional setting. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore Smithsonian Learning Lab collections; 2. Create a personalized digital collection; and 3. Plan for the use of the Smithsonian Learning Lab in your educational setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Connect your students to primary sources, capture their imagination, and develop their content knowledge in any subject area with the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Learn how to combine the Smithsonian's wealth of resources with your own to quickly create personalized lessons and activities that increase engagement and develop critical thinking skills in grades 3-12. You can even adapt one of the thousands of existing collections to better suit your instructional setting. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore Smithsonian Learning Lab collections; 2. Create a personalized digital collection; and 3. Plan for the use of the Smithsonian Learning Lab in your educational setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): primary sources (96), professional development (236)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Magazine Cover Maker - Big Huge Labs
Grades
3 to 12
18 Favorites
0 Comments
Create authentic-looking magazine covers sure to attract double-takes. Simply upload a photo to create your cover. If you do not need to SAVE the photo for online access later, you...more
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Create authentic-looking magazine covers sure to attract double-takes. Simply upload a photo to create your cover. If you do not need to SAVE the photo for online access later, you do not even need to join the site. Covers you create can be downloaded as completed images or sent via email and other sharing tools (Facebook, etc). Photos can be uploaded from your files, Flickr, your website, or other photosharing sites. Fill in your desired text for the titles and sub-titles and choose colors for them. It's that simple. Click 'Create' at the bottom and you have a magazine cover that will leave others in awe. For more creative ideas using Big Huge Labs, go to the top of the page and click on Big Huge Labs Blog or Forum. Big Huge Labs offers MANY similar tools, such as Mapmaker, reviewed here. Of course, this site offers advanced options for a fee or with free registration, but neither is necessary.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bulletin boards (15), collages (21), firstday (19), flickr (2), images (253), posters (43)
In the Classroom
Enhance classroom technology use by using this tool with your students. They will need to know how to locate your photos on your computer or photo sharing site. Click the little white boxes to change text colors, etc. as you enter desired text. SAVE your completed cover when done. Be sure to give it a meaningful name if you are creating several covers on the same computer!Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations, and view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here. If you and your students simply use the tool without joining the site, there are no problems with email, profiles, etc. You do need to demonstrate the tool and specifically explain which links students should NOT use, including ads and links to social networking sites that are prohibited in your school. These may be blocked, anyway. Make sure you watch and teach copyright issues in snatching photos from the web.
Have students create magazine covers of themselves as a getting to know you activity and classroom bulletin board. Print and laminate magazine covers to make them appear even more authentic. Or share the images (WITHOUT student names) on your class wiki or web page. When doing reports for any subject, have students create magazine covers that mimic the real thing instead of boring plain covers. Make covers about famous Americans, scientists, or historic figures. Make covers about objects, as well. Assign students to research a vegetable and create a cover about its nutrients, recipes, and more as part of your nutrition unit! Guidance teachers or principals can feature exemplary students using this tool. Bulletin board creativity will skyrocket using Big Huge Labs Magazine Cover. Why not offer a rotating PowerPoint slide show of student-made magazine covers for parents to view as they wait in the hallway for conferences?
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Requires registration/log in (NO email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Mix - StumbleUpon
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Are you looking for some of the best content on the web? Use Mix to browse and search for information based on your interests and those of like-minded people. ...more
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Are you looking for some of the best content on the web? Use Mix to browse and search for information based on your interests and those of like-minded people. Mix imports content from news sources, popular blogs, and additional world-wide resources. The more you browse and save material, the more Mix will refine its understanding of what you like. Create collections by adding information found on the site or by keeping links to web content found as you browse the Internet. Use Mix's web browser extension to save URL's to collections with just one click. When ready to share your collection, use the share icon to copy the link, send via email, or share on social media.
tag(s): bookmarks (53), evaluating sources (15), social networking (83)
In the Classroom
Use Mix for your personal research and professional development. Visit Mix occasionally to find new ideas and new sites for teaching. Create and share collections of websites to share with students for use with research projects. For example, as you prepare to teach a science unit on plants, create a collection containing news articles, explainer sites, and online games for students to use as a virtual resource for supplementing classroom lessons. Include documents, slide presentations, and more from your Google Drive for student access from any device. Another use of Mix is to create collections when teaching students how to evaluate online resources. Create a collection from a variety of different resources based on the same topic and ask students to reflect upon the validity of the information and the source. Ask them to use a presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share their findings by including links to the information along with supporting evidence. Another idea for using Mix is for students to create collections to share as part of multimedia projects as a virtual bibliography. In addition to websites shared, ask them to add their written work, images, or other creations. Mix is an excellent tool for creating an online portfolio for students to use when applying to college. Show students how to easily create new collections using their work, but personalized to individual college applications.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Unsplash for Education - Unsplash
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Unsplash, the amazing site for finding free, high-quality images, has curated several collections of photos for use in educational settings. Topics include health, nature, politics...more
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Unsplash, the amazing site for finding free, high-quality images, has curated several collections of photos for use in educational settings. Topics include health, nature, politics and current events, and much more. Browse through any collection to find and download images. Although attribution isn't required, it is encouraged. Include the provided attribution text when using images for any project. Registration isn't required; however, it allows you to save images and create and share collections.
tag(s): creative commons (21), images (253), photography (130)
In the Classroom
Use images from Unsplash as creative writing prompts. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Beautiful.AI, reviewed here. This site allows you to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced) and then narrate it as a news report. Allow students to browse through Unsplash when locating images for multimedia projects and curate collections for all to use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Semantris - Google
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Semantris is an engaging pair of word association games offered as a Google experiment in predicting the use of words by players. Arcade is a quick-thinking game; write a word ...more
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Semantris is an engaging pair of word association games offered as a Google experiment in predicting the use of words by players. Arcade is a quick-thinking game; write a word associated with the shared selection to drop words to the bottom of a list as quickly as possible. Block is a slower paced game; try to provide a short phrase to describe one of the words in the blocks to drop the blocks and prevent them from reaching the top of the page.
tag(s): game based learning (155), logic (177), puzzles (153), vocabulary (235), vocabulary development (90), word study (53)
In the Classroom
Share Semantris with students on classroom computers or devices for use as a quick word association and vocabulary building activity. Challenge students to become more proficient in "beating" Google by earning as many points as possible. For younger students, this site is an excellent way to build vocabulary skills. Have older students take this site a step further and research how machine learning works through this Google activity. Enhance learning by asking them to substitute a traditional report or presentation by making a video explanation tool like Biteable, reviewed here, to describe the concept of machine learning. After spending some time practicing this game, take it a step further and extend student learning by having students create their own vocabulary learning game using a tool such as Scratch, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Playlists to Personalize Learning - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from May 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Personalizing instruction...more
Personalizing instruction...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from May 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Personalizing instruction doesn't have to be complicated. Using an instructional playlist is a simple way to honor student voice and choice while structuring the work your students do independently. This session will help you create playlists that integrate multiple types of activities while using incremental checkpoints. Of all the tools that you can put in your blended learning toolkit, the playlist is one that you don't want to miss. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the purpose of instructional playlists; 2. Learn how using playlists can support student voice and choice; and 3. Begin planning an instructional playlist. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Personalizing instruction doesn't have to be complicated. Using an instructional playlist is a simple way to honor student voice and choice while structuring the work your students do independently. This session will help you create playlists that integrate multiple types of activities while using incremental checkpoints. Of all the tools that you can put in your blended learning toolkit, the playlist is one that you don't want to miss. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the purpose of instructional playlists; 2. Learn how using playlists can support student voice and choice; and 3. Begin planning an instructional playlist. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Enhancing Student Voice with Flipgrid - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Input and expertise...more
Input and expertise...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Input and expertise from peers can help students learn and grow. Learn to use Flipgrid, a video discussion platform, to increase student voice in your classroom. This tech tool can enhance social learning and ignite discussion through sharing short videos centered around a topic. Getting started is easy. After this session, you will be ready to use Flipgrid to encourage every student to share what they know. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Create your classroom Grid and learn to add Topics with student prompts; 2. Understand ways to use Flipgrid to increase student voice in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Flipgrid in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Input and expertise from peers can help students learn and grow. Learn to use Flipgrid, a video discussion platform, to increase student voice in your classroom. This tech tool can enhance social learning and ignite discussion through sharing short videos centered around a topic. Getting started is easy. After this session, you will be ready to use Flipgrid to encourage every student to share what they know. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Create your classroom Grid and learn to add Topics with student prompts; 2. Understand ways to use Flipgrid to increase student voice in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Flipgrid in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): Microsoft (57), professional development (236), remote learning (33), video (243)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Flipping Out Further with Flipgrid - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
It's fast! It's fun!...more
It's fast! It's fun!...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
It's fast! It's fun! It just keeps getting better! Learn how to elevate the use of Flipgrid, a free social learning platform that amplifies student voice, and bolsters creativity as learners record short, authentic videos based on your topics. Find instructional inspiration in FlipgridAR, Whiteboard Mode, Flipgrid Shorts, Screencasting, and more! Basic knowledge of Flipgrid is recommended. Be ready to help your learners create content that demonstrates their learning in powerful and personal ways. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Identify Flipgrid features that ignite creativity and amplify student voice; 2. Learn where to find templates and sample activities to support instruction in all content areas; and 3. Plan for the use of Flipgrid in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
It's fast! It's fun! It just keeps getting better! Learn how to elevate the use of Flipgrid, a free social learning platform that amplifies student voice, and bolsters creativity as learners record short, authentic videos based on your topics. Find instructional inspiration in FlipgridAR, Whiteboard Mode, Flipgrid Shorts, Screencasting, and more! Basic knowledge of Flipgrid is recommended. Be ready to help your learners create content that demonstrates their learning in powerful and personal ways. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Identify Flipgrid features that ignite creativity and amplify student voice; 2. Learn where to find templates and sample activities to support instruction in all content areas; and 3. Plan for the use of Flipgrid in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): augmented reality (7), creativity (90), Formative Assessment (23), professional development (236), remote learning (33)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: 3 Cool Tools for Digital Reading - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from August 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Digital or online...more
Digital or online...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from August 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Digital or online reading is different from reading print. Digital reading often includes a research component that is not linear, so when reading online, students need to clarify their purpose and then evaluate and synthesize information. Come learn about the processes involved in digital reading and explore three tools that will help you teach critical strategies to your students. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand skills and processes involved in digital reading; 2. Explore tools that help students find, evaluate, and synthesize what they read; and 3. Plan for digital reading instruction in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Digital or online reading is different from reading print. Digital reading often includes a research component that is not linear, so when reading online, students need to clarify their purpose and then evaluate and synthesize information. Come learn about the processes involved in digital reading and explore three tools that will help you teach critical strategies to your students. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand skills and processes involved in digital reading; 2. Explore tools that help students find, evaluate, and synthesize what they read; and 3. Plan for digital reading instruction in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): digital reading (4), professional development (236)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching Tree - teachingtree.co
Grades
9 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Teaching Tree is a free resource for learning about computer science. View videos organized into five categories with dozens of topics inside each category. Main categories include...more
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Teaching Tree is a free resource for learning about computer science. View videos organized into five categories with dozens of topics inside each category. Main categories include Algorithms and Data Structures, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Databases, Graphics and Animation, and Programming Languages. Most topics have 10+ specific lessons. University professors provide most videos that are a mix of short and long tutorials. Find tags within the longer videos to key concepts that they contain. Clicking on a tag jumps you to the spot in the lecture that addresses the concept you want to learn about.
In the Classroom
Use Teaching Tree as a great resource for students who want to learn about computer science on their own. This is a great tool to share with students considering a major in computer science in college or wondering about computer careers. If you teach computer science courses, Teaching Tree could be useful for locating review materials to share with your students. You may also consider having your students search for or create videos to share on Teaching Tree and then tag them to help other people learn from their work. Use a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Capital Toss - ABCya
Grades
2 to 5
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Match capital cities to their states and countries with this entertaining game. Match ten correct to earn different forms of the ball toss. Miss three in a row and the ...more
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Match capital cities to their states and countries with this entertaining game. Match ten correct to earn different forms of the ball toss. Miss three in a row and the game is over.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site as an introduction to state or country capitals. Share a link on your class webpage and classroom computers for practice as a center. Take this information a step further and have students create an annotated state image, including text boxes and related links, using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Icebreakers, Games, and Fun Group Activities - icebreakers.ws
Grades
K to 12
20 Favorites
0 Comments
Start the first day of school or a new marking period with a getting-to-know you activity from this great, searchable collection. The activities are designed for all ages, so some ...more
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Start the first day of school or a new marking period with a getting-to-know you activity from this great, searchable collection. The activities are designed for all ages, so some will not work well with very young ones (such as writing things on slips of paper). The site is easy to navigate and sorts ideas by group size and activity level for easy retrieval. You are also invited to submit your own ideas. Since the site is designed for general use, not for schools, some ideas may be impractical in a classroom setting but could be easily adapted. If your school is in distance/remote learning mode, be sure to see the Virtual Icebreakers for Zoom - 2020 Pandemic.
tag(s): back to school (56), newbies (15)
In the Classroom
New or veteran teachers who want students to get to know each other as they enter a new school (starting middle school, for example), want to observe them so YOU get to know them, or need to build better team skills with a challenging class or club, will find ideas to try. Mark this one as a Favorite so you can find it again, since "first day" activities tend to get lost in the flurry ---and in the fading memory-- during the year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Based Learning Checklists - ALTEC: Advanced Learning Technologies in Education Consortia
Grades
1 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
This online tool creates checklists for your class projects. Oral presentations, writing, multimedia, or science projects will become a cinch to grade when you have exact guidelines...more
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This online tool creates checklists for your class projects. Oral presentations, writing, multimedia, or science projects will become a cinch to grade when you have exact guidelines generated by this site. Not only will it be easier for you to assess, but it gives students exact knowledge on what is needed. Just choose a grade level, then choose from a list of project guidelines (or add your own), and make a checklist with the touch of a button. You may even personalize your checklist to your own specific criteria.
tag(s): assessment (119), rubrics (30)
In the Classroom
If you do not want to figure out the math and relative weights of a scored rubric, these checklists share project expectations in a simple list form. You must save the web page URL for your checklist in order to view it later. Include a completed project checklist link on your teacher web page for students and parents to refer to as they work on projects at home. Note: There is no database of other teacher-generated checklists. With very young students, you will want to use the "add your own" option to write very simple text for a checklist that they can read.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mt. Cleverest - James Villarrubia and Bernie Prat
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Mt. Cleverest uses AI technology to create quizzes based on any content you provide. Use videos, lesson plans, websites, and more and provide the URL for use. Mt. Cleverest's artificial...more
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Mt. Cleverest uses AI technology to create quizzes based on any content you provide. Use videos, lesson plans, websites, and more and provide the URL for use. Mt. Cleverest's artificial intelligence (they call it Andi) takes your information and turns it into quiz questions ranked and ordered by real-world performance based on research. Order and choose items based on your needs, then assign to students. Students can take variations of the quiz as many times as necessary until they pass. Mt. Cleverest grades student responses and emails scores to you on your selected due date.
In the Classroom
Use Mt. Cleverest to create quizzes as pretests or final assessments. Use your documents stored in Google Drive or OneDrive to provide the URL for creating quizzes. Mt. Cleverest includes a search feature for finding previous quizzes, take advantage of this to add content for your classroom. Ask students to reflect on missed quiz questions and research the content further. Have them replace paper and pen and extend their learning by sharing their reflections on a simple webpage using Hashify, reviewed here. Hashify provides a simple tool for sharing texts and images without the distractions of multiple backgrounds and formatting options.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Year-End Roundup, 2016-2017: Questions for Writing and Discussion - New York Times/The Learning Network
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
The Year-End Roundup includes 179 questions asked by the New York Times Learning Network between September 2016 and June 2017. Each prompt promotes discussion on current events appropriate...more
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The Year-End Roundup includes 179 questions asked by the New York Times Learning Network between September 2016 and June 2017. Each prompt promotes discussion on current events appropriate for students 13 years and older. Choose the link to any question to read a short article with background information and suggested points to consider. Download the complete list in a PDF form for easy reference; however, this form doesn't include links to the articles and additional information.
tag(s): debate (38), persuasive writing (51), process writing (38), writers workshop (30), writing (279)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for writing prompts, current events discussions, or as a springboard to debate topics. Before writing, encourage students to research their topic and take notes. Use an online note-taking site like Google Keep, reviewed here, to save and share notes. Have students share their completed projects in a blog and ask for feedback from their peers using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. There is no registration with Telegra.ph and you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. Take completed writing projects one step further and ask students to create a Story Map, reviewed here. Story Map offers the ability to tell a story through interactive maps including video, images, and more.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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OK2Ask: Data and Charts and Graphs, Oh My! Let Google Tools Be Your Guide - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from February 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Humans respond...more
Humans respond...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from February 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Humans respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. Whether students are learning to collect, organize, graph, or interpret data, this webinar offers proven tools and strategies that assist learners in developing and applying those skills. Together we will explore and plan for the use of forms to collect data, web resources to access data, spreadsheets to manipulate and graph data, and Google MyMaps to visualize data. Students from beginner to advanced can use these tools to visualize and connect math, science, and social studies concepts to concrete, real-world applications. Let's get students excited about learning and help them incorporate complex data literacy into their world view. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. Participants will: 1. Understand how to use data visualization in the classroom; 2. Explore digital tools that will assist students with data visualization projects; and 3. Plan for the use of data visualization in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Humans respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. Whether students are learning to collect, organize, graph, or interpret data, this webinar offers proven tools and strategies that assist learners in developing and applying those skills. Together we will explore and plan for the use of forms to collect data, web resources to access data, spreadsheets to manipulate and graph data, and Google MyMaps to visualize data. Students from beginner to advanced can use these tools to visualize and connect math, science, and social studies concepts to concrete, real-world applications. Let's get students excited about learning and help them incorporate complex data literacy into their world view. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. Participants will: 1. Understand how to use data visualization in the classroom; 2. Explore digital tools that will assist students with data visualization projects; and 3. Plan for the use of data visualization in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): charts and graphs (167), data (138), Google (20), infographics (52), professional development (236), visualizations (13)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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