Let the adventure begin!

Hey guys. After considering all the instances when I wanted to share cool websites or ideas over the last month, I decided to create a blog. My plan is to update it weekly with new tech ideas for your classroom or your school. Hopefully I can provide you with some great resources each week. Below are just a few of the cool tools I have found or have been using lately.

This week’s top picks:

Websites

WWW.COMMONSENSE.ORG is a great resource with everything from digital citizenship to top picks for teacher tools. An entire curriculum for digital citizenship can be found here complete with activities, videos, and discussion questions for your students.

Do you have students with interests in creating things? WWW.MAKEZINE.COM and WWW.INSTRUCTABLES.COM are somewhat like Pinterest for makers. They include DIY project ideas and videos explaining topics such as blacksmithing and woodworking.

Chrome Apps and Extensions

Copy Folder App - This app solves the problem of wanting to copy an entire folder that is shared with you as view only. It take a little while but provides a Google Sheet with the current progress in the copied folder and doesn’t require you to stay on a particular site while it copies in the background. You can only copy one folder at a time, but it will definitely save you some time and frustration.

Polling in Google Slides - Insert you Poll Everywhere polls directly into Google Slides. It will automatically begin when you get to the desired slide and end when you click to the next slide. Decrease transition time by including questions in your presentations.

Padlet - As essentially a digital bulletin board, Padlet allows you to collect and store materials on a particular topic in one location. Students can contribute resources (web links, documents, text, images, and even videos) from basically any device, or as a teacher, you can place resources on a Padlet and share them with your students or colleagues.

The key is to use these tools to make a lesson more engaging, not rely on them as the most important part of the lesson. Remember, pedagogy first, technology to enhance. Thanks for reading! Make it a great week!