MAET​
JOURNEY​
DIGITAL TOOLS FOR LEARNING​
Tinkercad
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Tinkercad is free and simple to use. Other elementary teachers have found success in teaching it to students aged 10-12. Tinkercad has built-in lessons that are short and user friendly, which is extremely useful for someone who has never 3D printed before.
Tinkercad has “Project Ignite”, which allows teachers to create classrooms and track student projects. This would be a great tool for monitoring student progress. Tinkercad is useful for creating 3D printed designs and is accessible for learners of all ages.
Khan Academy​
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Khan Academy is an online learning site, that provides video lessons for an array of skills. Students can create accounts and master skills by answering practice questions correctly. It is a wonderful resource for my math classes. Students who need an extension can work through the advanced skills as fast as they want, and students who need to watch and rewatch lessons have the ability to move through at their own pace.
Genius Hour
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Engage your students in the classroom by tapping into their passions with Genius Hour. This informational site provides book recommendations, lesson ideas, and advice on implementing Genius Hour.
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Popplet
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Popplet is a user friendly digital organization tool. Students can create visual webs about any topic they wish. They can add images and videos into the popplet. Students can also create a Popplet collaboratively by inviting others to contribute.
Schoology
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Schoology displays assignments and grades, provides online quizzes and tests, and creates a calendar for students with important dues dates. By using Schoology, schools can offer students a way to manage academic workflow in one place. It is no longer necessary to keep track of a physical planner, a couple binders, and several homework and class assignments. Long-lost crumbled papers, will no longer be spilling out of lockers and book bags. Class materials can be digitized, stored, and organized in Schoology. All these services offered by Schoology provide students the organizational support they need to thrive academically.
Screencastify
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Screencastify is an app that records your computer screen. Teachers or students can record video of their computer screen and include voice-over commentary. It is great for creating video tutorials, or sharing digital creations. With screencastify, you can simply record the screen and your voice at the same time. It also has the option to include a webcam box on your recording as well.
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With Screencastify, students are able to record their screen and talk over it, then listen to the recording. After listening, they are able to notice if their voice is clear, at the right pace, and using engaging voice inflection. They can reflect as an audience member and ask themselves, “Was this a good recording/presentation?”. If they are unhappy with their performance, they can easily re-record their screencast, making necessary improvements.
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Read more about my experience with Screencastify here.
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Google Slides
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Google slides is a simple user-friendly slideshow program. My elementary students enjoy creating slideshows to share their knowledge each other using pictures, videos, and text.
WeVideo
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Capture, edit, and publish videos using WeVideo. Creators can cut and paste video files. They can add music and text to a video, making it look professional. There are many video editing tools out there, but WeVideo offers free accounts that work for creating short movies.
Kahoot!
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Kahoot! Is a website educational tool that allows teachers to create games and quizzes for students to interact with. Teachers can create multiple choice questions that students can pick from on their devices. Teachers can add pictures, diagrams, and videos to add interest to their game questions.
The big screen at the front of the room will display the teacher questions, while students can sign in with a PIN# to play the game and answer questions from their own devices. There are four types of Kahoots a teacher can create: quiz, jumble, discussion, or survey.
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Read more about my experience with Kahoot! here.
Discovery Education
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This website offers an array of digital textbook resources. Teachers and students can also stream media. The content is connected to standards in Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies. One of my favorite parts of this site is the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) section. There are links to other resources, articles of interest, and lesson/unit materials.