Want your students to have rich, complex conversations about the texts they read? This method leads to the kinds of classroom discussions you thought only happened in college.

What do you want your students to do? There’s an edtech app for that! Created by @Poeteacher TechUseGuide pdf

Close reading is an essential skill for middle school and high school English Language Arts. Students need to be able to decipher complex texts, and this strategy will help students take their literary analysis to a deeper level during reading workshop. It will also help facilitate writing worksho

Some Favorite Tools When selecting tools for students, carefully consider the following: New House Checklist – an Android app that helps new homeowners to move into the new house. May be useful for new college students who are planning to move into the college dorms. Advertising – Be careful that if there are ads, that they are appropriate for your students. Log-Ins – Can you set up a class login, generic login, or must all students have their own? Be clear on what is required by the site and have that established before your students try to use it. Save/Share – Is there some feature that allows students to share their work with you and others? COPPA Compliant - Review COPPA regulations on all sites to determine if students under 13 years old should be accessing the site. Creation Tools Name Purpose Free Version Education Version Sharing Login Web iOS Android Animoto slideshow creator x yes, not free x email; Facebook x x x Blendspace interactive lesson x yes, not free x Google, Facebook, email x Canva graphic design x no x Google, Facebook, email x x Edpuzzle interactive video x x Google, Edmodo x x Evernote notes, curate x yes, free x username; email x x x Fotobabble photo editing x no x username; Facebook x x GoAnimate animated video x yes, not free x email; Google; Facebook x Haiku Deck slideshow creator x no x none x x Little Bird Tales story building x yes, free limited email x x MeoGraph timeline tool x yes, not free x email; Facebook x Notability notetaking no x none x Padlet blank wall for posts x no x email; Google x Powtoon animated video x yes, not free x email; Google; Facebook; LinkedIn x Prezi slideshow creator x yes, free x email; Facebook x x PsykoPaint photo editing x no limited email; Facebook x x Quizlet flashcards x yes, not free x email; Google; Facebook x x x SpiderScribe mind map x no x email x x Storybird story building x yes, free x Google, email, username x Sumopaint photo editing x no limited none x x Tagxedo word clouds x no limited none x Thinglink interactive media x yes, not free x Google, Facebook, email x Timeline JS timeline tool x no x Google x VoiceThread story building x yes, not free x username (student) x x WheninTime timeline tool x no x username; Google; Facebook; others x Wordle word clouds x no limited none x Zaption interactive video x yes, not free x Google, Facebook, Edmodo x x Student Curriculum Sites Web-Based Digital Public Library - Wealth of resources for research and projects. DigitWhiz - a foundational math program for students ages 8+ using adaptive games. Aligned to CCSS, provides reports to parents and teachers. iPad app now available! Google Doc Research Feature – Highlight a term in your document and instantly access a web search and citation. Keyboarding Applications: Qwertytown (lots of positive comments); Typing Web (good practice and tracking); Key Hero (no log in, can save); Dance Mat (all ages and fun); Typing Test (simple to hard); E-Learning for Kids (fun games); Fix the Keyboard (for learning key location); Mrs. Sara Schoepke’s Keyboarding page Membean - Comprehensive web-based vocabulary program that provides individualized instruction to students. NoRedInk – Customizable grammar practice site that teachers can manage. Teacher dashboard monitors progress. Numberphile - Video collections on numbers, math laws, and other number related concepts. ReadWriteThink: Many different interactive student tools to help students learn about language, organize their thoughts, show creativity, practice critical thinking, and much more. VocabAhead – Great vocabulary resource – web-based and apps (see below). Apps DigitWhiz - a foundational math program for students ages 8+ using adaptive games. Aligned to CCSS, provides reports to parents and teachers. Field Day - Project-based learning think and do tool. Great app to get students' PBL work organized. Tap To Learn – Very fun grammar practice games for iPad and Android devices. VocabAhead – Vocabulary practice site for both iOS and Android, with lots of options and quizzes. Teacher Tools & Resources Web-Based Buck Institute - Project-based learning resource, including presentation rubrics California Learning Resource Center - excellent OER resource Edcanvas - Organize all your resources for the units you teach. LearnZillion - A collection of lesson plans aligned to the Common Core. Mathalicious - Real world math lessons aligned to the common core and 21st century skills. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - 'Compilation' site with categories for Algebra, Measurement, Operations, Geometry, etc., divided by grade. Selecting a 'category' presents a page with MANY online tools for practice, visuals, and more. National Science Digital Library – Common Core aligned Math and Science resources. VERY popular site. Next Generation Science Standards - Just released; in review phase as of 4/2013. Next Vista for Learning - 1000's of student and teacher created videos, and fun contests. OER Commons – Common Core resources and much more for all subjects. Opus – Math practice problem bank that is aligned to the CCSS. Teachers can search for problems by grade level and subject area. Scholastic's Tax Basics for Middle Schoolers - Collection of cross-curricular lessons on money management for junior high. Share My Lesson - OER resource with lessons linked to specific CCSS. Skype in the Classroom - Hundreds of opportunities to take your students outside of the four walls and engage with the world. Symbaloo - Use tiles to organize all your online resources, then share with students and colleagues. Teaching Channel – Many videos on a variety of topics, from classroom lessons on Common Core aligned topics, to professional development, classroom management, etc. Apps 5 Search Tools for Android Education Apps - Detailed look at five of the best tools to find Android apps. Board Cam – Document camera alternative for your iPad, with presentation, annotation and recording capabilities. Mastery Connect – Access the Common Core on your iOS and Android devices. Can search by grade level and subject area. Also see Sites We Like. easel.ly

Filler Activities for ELA (blog post) What can you do with five extra minutes in secondary ELA? Here are a few ideas to engage students until the bell.

@MarcusLuther6 I saw this and I like it.

In my last post, I shared free technology resources that enhance the teaching of the traditional 3 R’s: reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic. Today I’ll share tools that can help you provide skills practice in some the 4 C’s: the new skills required for students to gain jobs in the 21st century job market. Collaboration Padlet […]

This is from Ryan Read – an instructional technology teacher with a great idea to give choices to students when using technology – especially for our 1-1 environment. Check out #appdic…

Choice is the unspoken 5th "C" of digital learning. It fits right alongside Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Communication.

Explore our comprehensive collection of classroom resources, including classroom posters, engaging activities, classroom management techniques, and more. Enhance your teaching and inspire your students with these valuable insights.

These English teacher supplies are must haves for quick ELA lesson plans. Pair your back to school wish list with ideas for English teachers!

Explore some uses of Wakelet via this edition of Twitter Takeaways. Learn more about how to use Wakelet, as well as embedding in OneNote and more.

This is your complete guide to all of the Google Certifications for Educators: Google Certified Educator, Level 1 & 2, Google Certified Trainer, and Google Certified Innovator. This guide will help answer all of your questions and clarify the differences between all of the certification options.

The Internet is useful and fun, but is it safe? It can be, if you follow Moby's simple tips and learn about digital citizenship and how to manage chat rooms, IMing, and cyberbullying!

Check out these 14 useful infographic examples for education to improve your teaching skills and become a better person and educator.

Check out tips, tricks, and resources about technology for teaching English. Learn all you need to know about ESL technology lesson plan.

Ready to take collaboration to the next level? Check out these 20 collaborative tools that are NOT Google!

Do you want (or need) to cut down on paper? Is there a paperless initiative at your school, a harsh photocopying limit, or new 1:1 technology in your classroom? (Or, are you simply tired of hauling 60+ journals to and from school?) Whether you’re already a digital native or are terrified of letting go of hard copies, here are 12 baby steps to start taking if you want to tiptoe (or cannonball) into a paperless classroom. Joining me today is Christina, who blogs at The Daring English Teacher. 1. Do a Quick Inventory of Resources (and Permissions) Sara: Find out not only what your goals are, but what software and programs are already provided to you by your school. Then, find out what limitations you have and how to go about getting the programs you WANT (including how to fund them). For example, I wanted the Teacher edition of Quizlet, and I was able to get reimbursed for that $35/year registration fee. But when our team wanted to use Edmodo as our course management system (more on that later), it involved getting more permissions from the school than actual costs. 2. Utilize Valuable EdTech Sites Christina: There are so many EdTech sites available to teachers and students. From sites that help students improve their writing to vocabulary quiz sites, you are sure to find one that fits your classroom. Check out this blog post I wrote about my five favorite EdTech sites. 3. Make Your Digital “Home Base” Sara: Some students (especially disorganized ones) can feel overwhelmed when there is a long list of websites, apps, tools, and logins to keep track of. Consider creating one “home base” (such as Google Classroom or a class website) to make clear lists that tell students where to go and when. (Their parents and tutors will appreciate you, too!) Christina: When using Google Classroom, be sure to take advantage of the labels feature to help keep all of your assignments and information organized and easily accessible. 4. Ditch Your Flash Cards Sara: Quizlet is one of the easiest starting points to lose some paper. Even with the free accounts, you can create vocabulary sets that are interactive for students. (However, I’m a huge fan of the paid Teacher account and the data that it gives you about every student and/or class!) Feel free to check out some of the vocab sets I’ve made here. Christina: While you are on Quizlet, try the Quizlet Live game option with your students. They will love the competitive and game show nature of the activity, and you’ll love the collaboration required to complete each task! 5. Google Forms Christina: Start using Google Forms in the classroom. You can read about ten different ways on how to incorporate Google Forms in your classroom here! One time-saving feature I love about Google Forms is how it collects data and even grades quizzes. I use Google Forms at the end of the school year as my year-end survey. 6. Make Quizzes that Grade Themselves Sara: One massive time-saver is Edmodo’s option to make self-grading quizzes that I can assign to an entire class. In addition to each child’s score, I get basic pie charts that show me how the class trended on each question, so I know which questions are going to need more review. (Christina uses Google Forms as a way to administer self-grading quizzes.) 7. Assign Collaborative Work in Docs Christina: I remember back in high school when group work was so difficult to complete because you had to coordinate everyone’s schedules, find a parent to drive you to a designated location, and work as quickly as you could in the one-hour-long block you could meet with everyone. Those days are over now! It is so easy to assign collaborative work using Google Docs and Google Slides. Some of my favorite collaborative projects are digital novel introductions. I have my students work in small groups researching various aspects about a novel’s context before we read it in class. This project helps to engage and excite students! 8. Digital Note Taking Christina: If students have access to Chromebooks in your classroom, encourage them to create notes digitally in Google Docs. Use the Google Draw feature within the Google Suite so that students can create diagrams and drawings to enhance learning. Sara: Regardless of the software you use, seize this opportunity to have a nonfiction discussion about whether it’s better to type or handwrite your notes. During this conversation, encourage students to try a variety of tools (Word, Google Docs, Evernote, or other) to find the note-taking tool that works best for them. 9. Gamify the Classroom Christina: Whether you prefer Kahoot, Quizziz, or Quizlet Live, utilizing live, online gameplay for classroom review is a great way to encourage classroom participation and make learning fun! Sara: If you want to try a more complex game, you can make your own game board (digital or hard copy) that sends students off to do digital tasks in a set order. 10. Let Students Create Your Tech Sara: One of my most meaningful grammar activities is the instructional video assignment, in which students teach each other concepts (using Google Slides and a screen recorder). Sharing the ownership of our content makes students excited to not only use tech for creation but also watch (and learn from) the videos. Christina: Another great site to utilize in the classroom is Adobe Spark. With Adobe Spark, students can easily make great videos for projects. 11. Choose Tools with Timestamps Sara: The best paperless tools for me are the ones that allow me to prove that a student actually did the task (and when). For example, I love the revision history in Google Docs that lets me see if (and when) a student contributed to a doc. This information is important if I need to verify who contributed what on a group assignment, if the student used class time effectively, or if the student procrastinated. 12. Show Off Your Digital Work! Christina: One minor drawback to going paperless in the classroom is that it becomes difficult to post student work. Since I can’t post digital work in my classroom, I create a digital corkboard for my class instead. Once students turn in their completed assignments, I use Padlet to create a digital corkboard where I post student work. I then post the digital board onto each class’ Google Classroom Stream! Sara: Depending on what you want to display (and where), you can try making screenshots that appear on screensavers or as images in a digital picture frame. Also, host “view only” folders where students can read or listen to each other’s work, which is what I do when we are sharing recordings from our Digital Poetry Slam. Do you have more suggestions? Tell us in the comments!

Freckle helps K-12 teachers differentiate instruction and reach every student at their own level across Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science.

Finding great resources online is the best! In this post (and podcast episode) I’m sharing my favorite sites for free creative lesson plans and teaching ideas online. Listen in below, or read on to learn about my favorite online resources.

Today I wanted to stop by and share some strategies for teaching vowel teams and diphthongs in our classroom! It’s always challenging to teach spelling patterns that aren’t easily decodable! […]

Learn how one educator uses G Suite for Education to help students overcome their negative self-images and embrace learning.

Writing the claim. It’s the sentence we hype up, the “one sentence that holds the WHOLE PAPER TOGETHER!!!” No pressure, right? Well the truth is, there IS a lot of pressure to get this sentence right and a lot of pressure on us to help students write them. My kids want

This quick post will give you engaging ideas to help connect ELA skills to the real world for your students. If you're looking for ways to show students how the skills you're working on will benefit them beyond high school, this is the post for you.

12 Infographics That Will Help You Improve Your Grammar and Spelling. Insights to help you grow your business.

Explore our comprehensive collection of classroom resources, including classroom posters, engaging activities, classroom management techniques, and more. Enhance your teaching and inspire your students with these valuable insights.