Awesome iPad App: PuppetPals

There are many digital storytelling apps for iPads out there. One of my favorites is Puppet Pals 2, which lets students use digital puppets to tell their stories. Students can import their own pictures and backgrounds for unlimited creativity. When students touch a puppet and speak, the character's mouth moves. Students can even move individual limbs and joints on any of the puppets. The creativity...

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Awesome iPad App: Toontastic

One of my favorite iPad apps is now completely free! Toontastic by Launchpad Toys is a digital storytelling app for iPads. Students use puppets, narration, animation and their imagination to tell a story. Students are guided through a 5 part story arc to develop their story. Final cartoons can be exported to the camera roll or uploaded to the ToonTube website for anyone to view. Toontastic...

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Google Earth Pro is free!

Back in January Google announced that Google Earth Pro is now free! Google Earth has always been free, but the Pro version previously cost $400 a year. Why would you want the Pro version? There is a complete list at the Google Earth Pro product page. Some of the advantages for educators are: measure distances in feet, miles, kilometers, and more measure area and radius record and share...

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Cool and Useful Website: TTribune

I recently posted about the Newsela website where students can read informational texts. I came across another awesome site produced by the Smithsonian Institute. It's a actually a collection of 4 websites that also has current news articles on varying Lexile levels. TTribune is a collection of free websites sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute for use by K-12 teachers and students. Teen...

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Cool and Useful Website: ActivelyLearn.com

I recently became aware of ActivelyLearn.com at the Clark County School District Blended Learning Mini-Conference at Valley HS. I attended a session by @chclteteacher and @weberswords who showed how easy the site is to use to practice close reading skills. Two teachers from one of my schools attended the same session and decided they wanted to share the site with the entire school staff....

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Student Presentations: Moving Beyond PowerPoint

Last week I presented at the Clark County School District Blended Learning Mini-Conference at Valley HS. My session was on Student Presentations: Moving Beyond PowerPoint. When I signed up to present at the conference I hadn't planned on this topic, but when it came up I realized that it was just right for me! I have a strong aversion to PowerPoint, mostly because presentations are designed so poorly with it. I've sat through enough presentations where the presenter put too many words...

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2015 Mock Caldecott

One of my favorite activities to do with classes is to connect them with other classes outside of their own school. In the past I've helped classes participate in the Global Read Aloud and Mystery Skypes. This past week I was able to watch two elementary schools Skype together for a Mock Caldecott. I got the idea of Mock Caldecott last year from some blogs that I follow. I put out a request to...

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The Game Design Project

I recently had the opportunity to work with one of the ELA teachers at Swainston MS where I work as a Digital Learning Coach. Dana Hazzard approached me about teaching her students how to code using her class set of iPads. The idea presented to me was that the students would write a story for her that included some kind of game element. I would then teach the students how to code a game based on...

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Cool and Useful Website: Newsela

Today's Common Core State Standards emphasize the need for students to be able to read and understand informational text. Finding informational text for the varied reading levels of students can be challenging. Newsela is an awesome website that gives you access to hundreds of leveled news articles that are updated every day. Articles are available for reading levels from 3rd grade up to 12th...

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Cool and Useful Website: PurposeGames

Students love to play games online. The problem with most games teachers find online is that they are not perfectly suited to the material presented in class or adequately address the topics students need to master. PurposeGames is a website teachers can use to create their own games that covers all the material they want or need. The easiest way to get started is to simply go straight to the site,...

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Formative Assessment Toolbox: FlipQuiz

FlipQuiz is a site that allow teachers to create Jeopardy-style quiz boards for test reviews or game nights. Teachers can sign up for FREE and create as many boards as needed. The boards can then be presented in front of a group of students to review for a test or practice mastery of content. You can view an example of a FlipQuiz board at http://flipquiz.me/demo or check out boards other...

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Formative Assessment Toolbox: Plickers

Plickers is a classroom response app that teachers can use very easily without having devices for each student. Each student is assigned a card (printed from the website) with a unique shape on it. The teacher then uses a smartphone app to scan the cards and view student responses. Responses can also be displayed in real time from the website. Plickers is entirely free. You will need to download...

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