Digital Resources
Disclaimer: This is an information-only site. It is a list of tools that might be used for designing engaging schoolwork. The Schlechty Center has no business connection with these sites. Any decision to use these sites lies exclusively with the user. The Schlechty Center urges the practice of ethical media literacy. Educators should always check website terms of service. Many sites are restricted to ages thirteen and older.
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WHAT'S TRENDING
This is where we spotlight the digital tools that are showing popularity by students and teachers in our work around the country and in our Engaging the Net Generation workshops.
Math Playground HTML5 Version - Math Playground in HTML5 format.
CoolMathGames - These are html tased. Site ads are not tool obnoxious!
Make Believe Comix - A wonderful, free-to-use site to create comics. Billed as a site to teach writing. Totally free but you will need to teach your children to close Google ads.
Remove.bg - Remove.bg stands for remove background. It is a photo editing tool that lets you remove a background and then add a new background. It's like a green screen tool for photos without the green screen.
Classroom Screen - Use this site to create a default screen your students can view when other work is not up on the projector. You can add a clock, timer, text notes, a warning light, and other cool stuff.
SmallPDF - SmallPDF aims to solve all your pdf issues. Convert, annotate, merge, lock, unlock, etc.
Coggle - graphic organizing for any device. Easy to use. Three free diagram max in the free version but you can delete and reuse as much as you want.
WriteReader - online eBook platform for elementary kids. Use provided pics or add your own. Lots of free features.
Google Tour Creator - A pretty cool tool that let's students create their own VR projects. Based on Google map, students assemble a series of street level 360 pics to create a tour. Tons of possibilities. Read Richard Byrnes great blog on it and while you are there, sign up for his newsletter!
Flippity - A most unusual site! The games are based in Google drive and were created with Google apps. You make copies, customize, and share with your students. Crossword puzzles, jeopardy, random picker, word search, hangman, and many, many more [16 total]. Ad presence is minimal and easily avoided.
Loom Screencasting for Chrome - Move over Screencastify. Loom is here. It is free, quick, and easy. Install it as a Chrome extension use on demand.
Book Creator for Chrome - We first came across Book Creator as popular iPad app. It is now available online for free in your Chrome browser.
ViewPure - ViewPure is a site that allows students to watch YouTube video free from ads. You can enter any RUL from YouTube. However, one neat addition on ViewPure is the Teacher Resources link. Here you can see video already curated by subject area and topic. ViewPure makes it's money on site embedded ads [not video]. There is no login.
The Noun Project - What Unsplash is to photos, The Noun Project is to icons (or clip art as we used to say). This is an enormous library of free to use icons. A free account is required. Downloads require that the source be cited, but that is done for you on the icon.
Unsplash - gorgeous, free-to-use, pictures. Really! No strings attached we can see. Read the license notes - you won't believe it.
Toontastic - hot off the presses from USA Today as a top five app for creativity. Toontastic is an iPad app. Create great animations. Toontastic teaches users to follow standard writing formats including three and five paragraph writing forms.
Hyperdocs - Hyperdocs are a national craze. There is not one all encompassing hyperdoc site. They are typically made in Google docs or slides. Hyperdoc.co is a great site for Hyperdoc collaboration. This Google Doc tutorial from Amy Soupiset, Alamo Heights, Texas is a great intro.
Poetry Machine - Create your original poem below using Poetry Machine!
Rewordify - This site allows teachers to reword any article to an easier reading level. Whereas, sits like Newsela and Tween Tribune give you articles in a variety of reading levels, rewording, allows you to import [by copy/paste] ANY article and change the reading level.
Shodor - Tools to better understand science and math, to practice math skills, or simply to explore and experiment. No login needed.
DoGoNews - A great source of articles sorted by grade levels [note: not lexiles]. DoGoNews has a read-aloud function for each article.
TweenTribune - Lexile leveled ready examples. Similar to Newsella. Completely free with no commercial side. From the Smithsonian.
Freerice.com - Vocabulary practice with a twist. For ever right answer, the sponsor donates rice to a needy country.
Write About - Pretty comprehensive writing site.
Study Stack - At it's core, you make digital flashcards. But then the cards can be used to create a variety of games. The games can be exported easily with web address or html code [no ads!]
Fun4TheBrain - Free math games with no login!! Covers many academic areas! Grades 1-7. Can you say YEAH!
Math Playground - Free math games with no login!! Covers K-12 topics.
My Shakespeare - Four of the bards most popular plays augmented with audio recordings, contemporary translations, pop-up notes, videos, performances, and character interviews. Free with no login required.
Adobe Spark - Adobe has moved their Post, Page, and Video tools under one website. One of the easiest sites to work with we have seen. Create stunning posters, beautiful websites, and fast picture videos.
Adobe Spark for Schools - works just like Adobe Spark. It is Adobe Spark! Adobe Spark for Schools offers some great resources to assist teachers with using the tools. Installs on your school server. Here is a great blog on the process.
Lucidchart - Great graphic organizing that works seamlessly through your Google Drive.
Librarian Approved: 30 Ed-Tech Apps to Inspire Creativity and Creation. From Mind/Shift. This is a pretty good list.
70 Best Apps for Teachers and Students - Edudemic's take on the best apps for teachers and students.
Newsela - a great "newspaper" site for students. Lots of options for teachers including reading lexile controls. Video tutorial.
MathSnacks - Great math games. Check out Gate!
Do2Learn - This site is packed with games and activities for students with disabilities.
My Storybook - This is a free, easy to use laptop storybook tool. Students can type text, draw, and insert pictures. The final product can be printed...
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Chromebook
Jump-off sites are websites that serve as gateways to other sites. This site is a jump-off site.
What's Trending in Math - A great Pinterest board for digital math ideas.
If I was Teaching Social Studies Today - A great blog with a lot of SS ideas from Dangerously Irrelevant.
The Big List of the Best Websites for Teaching Math - from We Are Teachers - lots of math applications.
Russell Paines Awesome Webmix - Russell Paine is the instructional technology specialist at Southwest Georgia RESA and compiled this awesome web mix with a lot digital resources. Check it out.
Digital Tools for Math - Janet Corder and Joan Gore have curated a treasure chest of digital tools with math applications.
Teacher Recommended: 50 Favorite Classroom Apps - a pretty fine list of tools.
Projects That Rock - This is a phenomenal site from Angie Bakke in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. What makes it unique is Angie not only gives you links to great tools, but she also gives you a list of how a teacher might use the tools. With a spec sheet of your students and Design Qualities in mind, you could match up some very specific activities and tools to produce some real engagement.
Kinard Elementary School Technology Site - looking for a "boots-on-the-ground" site that has lots of tools categorized by elementary grades and subjects? Look here.
Digital Collaboration - A Scoop-it jump-off site for exploring digital tools.
A+ Technology - Roland Rios, Ft Sam Houston ISD, excellent site designed for educators. A cool thing about Roland's site is he categorizes web tools by grade level.
Cool Tools for Schools - An award-winning site featuring Web 2.0 applications.
ILoveMath.org - Jump-off site for math.
Illuminations - NCTM's site with jump-off links for lessons and activities.
EdTech Market Map - Jump-off site categorized by data, curricula, talent management, and instructional systems.
Enchanted Learning - A massive site for a wide variety of curriculum materials.
Web 2.0 Practical Applications for Instruction - Ms. Salena Rabidoux's excellent jump-off sites to a treasure chest of Web 2.0 applications.
Web 2.0 Practical Applications for K-6 Classrooms - Ms. Rabidoux's sites follow a technostuff trait of including a description of every site.
Web 2.0 Practical Applications for 6-12 Classrooms - Ms. Rabidoux is a professor at UNC Wilmington.
Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything - A variety of Apps aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy. Covers Google, iPad, Android, Web 2.0
Tech Transformation - Maggie Hos McGrane's great combination blog/jump-off site.
Education Technology and Mobile Learning - I put this here, but it is quite unique. It is a jump-off site for teacher guides to using technology. Try it.
Ultimate Web 2.0 Toolbox - Quite a claim! You decide if it lives up to it.
Technology Tailgate - This site reviews apps for the classroom.
Graphite - Digital tools reviewed by teachers for teachers.
Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites - An unusual and unique site. Catalogues educational hashtags and classroom teacher websites.
Gamindex - a cool jump-off site to review digital games.
JUMP-OFF SITES FOR iPad APPS
Blooming' Apps - A compilation of iPad apps tied to Bloom's taxonomy and SAMR from Kathy Schrock.
70 Best Apps for Teachers and Students - Edudemic's take on the best apps for teachers and students.
Projects that Rock - Lot's of great ideas from Angie Bakke
Apps in Education - A great jump-off site for i-Pad apps you can use in the classroom.
iPad Apps & Resources for People With Autism : Reviews, Links, Prices - This site also includes some good general education resources.
iPads4Education - This site includes discussion forums.
iPad Academy - A comprehensive site with app recommendations and tutorials.
Appitic - This may be the mac-daddy of all jump-off sites for iPad users.
iPads in the Classroom - Kathy Schrock's jump-off site for iPad.
inClass - a really neat app that amounts to a digital notebook students can use to take notes, record audio, save links, pictures, and video. Link is to web site for info.
50 Resources for IPad - A great jump-off site. Created by Charlie Osborne for iGeneration column.
iPads in Schools Livebinder - a very, very comprehensive site that shares iPad apps in the Livebinder format.
iOS Education App Reviews and Websites - a jump-off site from Digital Directions.
TCEA iPad List - Comprehensive iPad app list from the Texas Computer Educators Association
Tiny PDF - this iPad app allows student users to both read and write on pdf docs. Indespensible.
Jump Off Sites for Google Cardboard Apps
Appdazzle - Twelve VR apps for iOS devices.
Wareable - The "Best" VR from Wareable
Google Cardboard - Google's oficial site for GC.
Google Cardboard iOS Apps - a great Symbaloo from Ann Witherspoon with lots of VR apps for Google Cardboard. http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/googlecardboardiosapps
Digital Design Tools
Linoit - lino is a site that allows you to create bulletin boards with sticky notes; very useful for storyboarding and general design
Stixy - another sticky note site similar to lino; allows more collaboration options than lino
Zunal - create webquests
Chromebook
Livebinder - site with many Chromebook apps and info
OMGChrome - a really neat site for all things chrome.
Screenshots on a Chromebook - from OMGChrome.
Screencasting on Chromebook - with screencastify from OMGChrome
Chrome Apps Perfect for the Classroom - From Holly Clark.
Collaboration for Professional Development
Cyber Cafe - Roland Rios' excellent blog site
Scoop-It Favorite Tweets - a collection of technology tweets
Scoop-It Mobile Learning with BYOD - a Scoop-It collection on using BYOD in the classroom
Information that Helps Us Understand Technology
The Internet of Things - The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the ever-growing network of physical objects connected by the Internet and how they interact. This TED talk is a great explanation of where we are headed. A must see for every educator and every citizen..
Copyright-friendly images - a phenomenal tutorial from Kathy Schrock on finding and using copyright friendly images.
On Artifical Intelligience - Will machines be able to learn with human coding? Yes.
ISTEs Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards Same content as a graphic.
Effective Classroom Practice Involving Technology Tools and Interactive Media - from the Fred Rogers Center, this document discusses appropriate technology use for early childhood students.
Do Digital Tools Belong in Pre-School? - This article contains several appropriate digital examples and resources for early childhood classes.
Digital Media and Learning Resources - Thought provoking site with recommendations for digital tools from the Fred Rogers Center.
ECE Technology - Ten Trending Tools for Teachers - Technology tools for early childhood.
Software Tutorials
Prezi Tutorial
Mixbook Tutorial 1
Mixbook Tutorial 2
Jing screencasting tutorial
Too Big to Categorize
ThinkQuest - There is a Product Focus component in that the library houses a vast number of student-generated products and lessons that are well worth a look by schoolwork designers. There is a project design component where designers can collaborate.
Edutopia - Edutopia is the George Lucas Foundation's site for Project Learning. Lots to be gleaned here from ideas for Product Focus to thoughtful articles.