Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Add text to any image or photo, using a web browser or smartphone, and share with no registration. Choose images from one of seven categories or upload your own. Change the color of the text or elect to add more text. Share using FaceBook, Twitter, Google+ (available with G Suite), or the URL given. At the time of this review, all images in the Gallery were appropriate for the classroom. However, we recommend to preview the images before you share with younger students.
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tag(s): creativity (115), DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (146), editing (80), images (274)

Let Outwhiz replace your tired worksheets! Practice math and English with over 200 topics and hundreds of questions per topic. Earn points, move up levels, and earn badges. Sign up with email. At the time of this review, the math levels are for grades K-8, and the English levels are 1-6, with the promise of grades 7-12 coming soon. Outwhiz, in a nutshell, is adaptive learning, gamification, and includes unlimited exercises, all for FREE!
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tag(s): classroom management (145), critical thinking (124), DAT device agnostic tool (174), differentiation (56), game based learning (158), gamification (81), grammar (202), problem solving (291), sentences (45)

Sharalike is a simple and beautiful tool to create slideshows. Import images and use the drag and drop feature to put them in order. Add music from their library or upload your own. Share via email, Twitter, Facebook, embed code, or URL. You may also wish to make your slideshow public and see if it gets featured.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (146), images (274), multimedia (53), slides (55)

Re-Mission 2 offers six interactives that teach about cancer-fighting treatments. These were designed to encourage young cancer patients to stick with life-saving treatments. The interactives offer all players a chance to learn more about this deadly disease. Choose Nano-Bot's Revenge as you target treatments on a growing tumor or become a stem cell defender fighting off deadly bacteria. Beat five levels in each activity to unlock Special Ops with new visuals and scenarios for fighting cancer.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), diseases (78), medicine (64), mental health (33)

Mint is a free money management site featuring several tools for budgeting and tracking finances. Connect to virtually any financial organization to receive real-time updates from bank accounts, credit cards, and investments. Mint analyzes your financial information and provides tips for savings and account management.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), financial literacy (109), money (182)

Seesaw is a digital portfolio that is totally free for all devices and on the web. Students can showcase their work, videos, text, drawings, and images, and get feedback from teachers and parents. Create a class blog in your Seesaw for students to write blog posts. Teachers create an account with email and then start creating as many classes as needed. There is no limit on the number of students a class can have. Once students have parental permission, give students a "join" code for their class, and they sign up from there, choosing to access their account through a Seesaw generated QR code or their email. Teachers can enable or disable student likes, comments, and editing. Blog posts and comments must have teacher approval before becoming public. Students will be able to reflect on their work with a voice recording or text, and can share artifacts from their portfolio by clicking the red button at the bottom of the screen and then either print or get the item QR code. Once you have an account, click Help & Teacher Resources to find Getting Started Tips, Tutorial Videos, FAQs, and Activity Ideas grouped by grade level. If your district blocks YouTube, the tutorials may not be viewable. Please be aware that Seesaw falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Seesaw with their child.

tag(s): blogs (79), DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (146), Learning Management Systems (25), portfolios (20), Teacher Utilities (97)

Use Word Mover to assemble found poems from word tiles. Use word banks, existing famous works, or create your own word tiles. Experiment with word placement, size, font, color options, and twelve backgrounds. Register with a username and save to your device or computer, send as email, or print. Click on the Instructions in the top menu, or find an introductory video (and plenty of lesson ideas below that) here. Word Mover will work on any device that uses a web browser and Flash. There is also an app for both iPads and Android devices.

tag(s): creative writing (155), creativity (115), DAT device agnostic tool (174), grammar (202), poetry (222), sentences (45), writing (358)

Conduct virtual conferences with up to 25 people at one time with Free Conference Call. Instantly share your screen during online calls for participant viewing. Other features allow for recording and sharing meetings when finished. After creating an account, follow instructions for inviting participants and setting up the conference call. This tool works on any device with a modern web browser and Internet access.

tag(s): chat (44), DAT device agnostic tool (174), parent conferences (23), parents (58)

Looking to identify a wild bird? Visit the Merlin site to download the Merlin ID app for any phone or device. When using a mobile device, the Merlin app asks a series of five questions starting with when and where, followed by choosing a basic body type and other questions. View the generated list of possibilities to find your bird and identify it! Merlin is capable of recognizing 400 of the most commonly encountered birds in the US and Canada. When you choose the bird, data is recorded with Merlin. Read more about your identified bird and listen to its bird song. The Merlin bird identifier is designed for beginning and intermediate bird watchers. Note: When using Merlin on the web upload a photo of the bird, and then follow the prompts to place "pointers" on the bird image. The web version cannot be used to identify a bird and is different from The Merlin ID app.

tag(s): birds (51), DAT device agnostic tool (174), ecosystems (88), habitats (115)

The 4 Numbers Game is a classic math game. Use the four numbers provided and basic math (+, -, x, /) to arrive at an answer of 24 as quickly as you can. Play alone or with multi-players. Play with a time limit (or without). Choose the kids game to play without division or multiplication. Be sure to view the How to Play link for complete rules and suggestions. Find new puzzles on the site daily, or follow 4 Numbers via Twitter to receive notifications of the puzzle of the day. This site is also available as an app for both iOs and Android devices.

tag(s): addition (226), DAT device agnostic tool (174), division (160), equations (156), mental math (27), multiplication (212), problem solving (291), subtraction (188)

All-inclusive student response is what Plickers is all about. Students do not need to have Internet access. Responders use individualized QR Code cards (print a set FREE from Plickers), to answer questions. You use your mobile device to read the QR Code cards that students hold up. Create an account and get started immediately. No need to wait for an email response. There is a demo to use, or see the Help page for detailed instructions for adding classes, students, questions (with or without images), and folders to organize your questions by unit, topic, lesson and more. You can save student responses to your online Plicker account.
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tag(s): assessment (130), DAT device agnostic tool (174), game based learning (158), gamification (81), qr codes (19), questioning (37), quiz (73)

Jump onto your computer and start your road trip! Choose a destination, and start planning the Hotels, Attractions, Natural Wonders, and Weird Stuff for your trip. Plan your trip by entering the starting address and the final destination. Instantly discover the journey's duration, the amount of money needed for gas, and the mileage. Choose the dates you will travel and save your trip. Print your plans, email them to yourself or others, or access your trip plans on the app. Plan several trips and save them in your account. Not sure where you want to go? Discover interesting areas by viewing the stories posted on Roadtrippers. Be sure to preview what you will show students as not all journals are kid friendly.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), field trips (11), virtual field trips (77)

Find, organize, edit, and share your photos from one place with Google Photos. Automatically upload pictures from any device to one storage platform. Use keywords to locate any uploaded image. Use the editing tools to create animated GIF's from images or combine related images and videos into a movie with a matching soundtrack. Google Photos allows you to upload photos from any mobile device and provides free unlimited storage for photos up to 16 megapixels or videos up to 1080 HD.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), images (274), Storage (7), video (275)

Bloomz is a tool that has more than six free features that teachers need to communicate with their classroom community: share photos, schedule conferences, send reminders, and more. These features are all in one place. So don't use one program to share photos, one to send reminders, one to share calendar updates, and another to schedule volunteers and conferences. Just use Bloomz and do all of the work from the same site. Once you have signed up with your email, watch the introduction video and view the demo class to see how easy Bloomz is to use. This tool works with all mobile devices and computers.

tag(s): calendars (40), DAT device agnostic tool (174), images (274), parent conferences (23), parents (58), Teacher Utilities (97)

Looking for a quiz tool that is better than all the rest? Quizizz is a free tool. It works on any device: web browser, iOS, Android and Chrome apps. You can access hundreds of ready-made learning quizzes or create your own. Join as a teacher, pick a quiz, and use the code for a virtual room to give to your students. Alternatively, you can create your own quiz on Quizizz, even importing questions from excel/CSV files with just a click of a button. Students use the code to enter and submit a nickname, code name, or numerical name (students do not have to register). Better yet, if you have Google Classroom students can join by signing in with their Google Account; just one click. If you assign a Quizizz through Google Classroom, all your data gets updated in your Classroom dashboard. You will get notifications when students complete assignments, and their responses and grades show. Teachers can choose to make their quiz public or private. Embed images with your questions. Check or uncheck the settings including music. You can even duplicate an existing quiz to save into My Quizizz. A created Quizizz can have randomized or non-randomized questions.

Don't miss the memes that are displayed when students answer a question; these are sure to be a hit with students. You can also customize your Quizizz by creating your own Memes. Use images of the school mascot, students pets, or favorite game characters to create a set of ten or more memes. Click the My Memes from the top menu, then the plus symbol. You are now ready to start. Be sure to Click "Start Game" after students have entered the code. Send the game link to students (or other teachers to use with their classes) by email, website, or social media. Set time limits of 30 seconds to 5 minutes for students to answer each question. This allows more time for more complex questions. Students earn points for speed and accuracy. Unlike other sites, both teacher and students can see the questions, answers, and the leader board throughout the quiz. Most other tools require the teacher to project the answers and leader board on a whiteboard. The leader board can be turned OFF in this tool as well. And, what is the best part of this tool? Two separate classes can play together using this tool. Quizziz works on any web enabled device including smartphones and tablets, and has an iOS app.

You can now email student reports to parents (even send the student reports to multiple/all parents at once), the main navigation bar has moved from the top to the left, and there is a search bar that you can access on all pages, and now you can search both your quizzes and your reports. Quizizz is now available in Spanish and will soon be adding other languages. Don't miss their new Jungle theme with music, backgrounds, and GIFs... oh my!

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), game based learning (158), gamification (81), polls and surveys (49), quiz (73), quizzes (91), spanish (110)

Easily record and share audio with Clyp. You can use Clyp on a web browser or as an app from the Apple store or Google Play. You have two options when creating your file. You can scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Start Recording" button and use the microphone on your computer to record a message. You can also upload an audio file from your computer. Use the social network links to share via Facebook, Twitter, email, and more. To save your file, create an account using your Facebook profile or email. Account creation allows you to manage Clyps across devices (with a modern web browser and Internet access), make files private, and disable downloads. Recording works best with the iOS or Android apps. Caution: This site is open to the public and anyone can post material (title and songs) that may not be appropriate in a classroom. We do NOT recommend allowing students of any age to explore the already created content on this site.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), speech (87)

Create, publish, and download personalized maps with Click2Map. With just a few clicks add points of interest with display markers featuring text, photos, and videos. Add lines or polygons to outline or highlight geographic areas. Browse through sample maps to find popular uses for Click2Map. When ready to create a map use the toolbar to add items and save for sharing. No registration required, but registering is free and allows you to save maps you create. Click2Map works on all devices.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (146), maps (295)

WikiWand is a browser add-on to enhance the look and use of Wikipedia. Follow links to add the extension to Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. Once installed, WikiWand adds an easy to use table of contents to the side of the screen, easier to read typography and a handy preview-on-hover feature. Personalize your screen by changing fonts and size of fonts.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), media literacy (87), writing (358)

Do you need to choose items in a truly random way? If so, this site is for you! Random.org offers many different categories for receiving randomized information. Choose from the links for random lists, coin flippers, dates, passwords, dice rolls, and much more. Follow directions on each page to set the form and receive results. There is also an app for both Android and iOs devices.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), gamification (81), probability (134), resources (105)

Oh nO is a unique logic puzzle game that is available on your web browser or as an app (on any device). Use the blue dots with numbers to decide where to place red or blue dots on the grid. The numbers on the blue dots indicate how many other blue dots surround each. Click once to make the circle blue and twice to make the circle red. Select different size grids and use the timer to increase difficulty. Follow the introduction on the site to learn more details about this mind challenge!

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), logic (240), problem solving (291), puzzles (201)