Deck.Toys is an interactive lesson creation site that works with your existing content. Use the site's drag and drop features to build lessons using your PowerPoint and Google Slides. Add differentiation features within self-exploration paths. Other options include teacher-sync, turn this feature on, and all students are synced to your current slide. Deck.Toys also includes student progress reporting in real-time and a comprehensive lesson report. Included with the free option are two classrooms, up to three private decks, unlimited public decks, and the ability to assign up to two classroom decks at a time. Be sure to watch the tutorials and take advantage of the site's FAQ section to get started.

tag(s): assessment (135), bookmarks (47), classroom management (128), Teacher Utilities (133)

Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator. Scroll down the landing page to the bottom menu, and click the "Getting started" title. Note: This points out how you need to change to the "teacher sign in" (the default is for students). This is a wonderful tool with many features. Reading the short Getting Started Overview first and watching the beginning videos would be best. Then, you can go to the Resources tab from the top menu, where each grade level has a video, and you'll find example books created by students. Under Resources, you can also search by subject to find suggested ideas and books designed for a specific subject. Next, click Resources from the top menu to find the "Teach your first lesson toolkit" with lesson plans, remixable student templates for different age ranges, and a teacher guide. You can also choose Remixable Books to get you and your class started. When finished, publish and share your book using the site's web-based reader for access on any device. Once you have mastered the basics, click on Features to see the magic of using the pen and discover all the features of the graphic organizers, comics, and more. By clicking the "more" you will can embed documents on your page(s). These documents can be narrated and interactive! The free plan offers one library with up to 40 books storage. Book Creator presents a variety of levels for technology use depending on teacher requirements for the project or even student ability; it allows for adding narration, videos, text, using your webcam, and adding links to help explain the artwork. When creating your book, click on the big + in the upper right corner to add text, audio, images, your camera, and the pen; you will also see The lowercase "i" (for inspector), which offers colors, comics, paper type, and more. There are other apps, but you must have a premium account. You can use Book Creator on iPads, Macs, Android devices, PCs, and on these browsers: Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Chrome. Teachers need to provide an email to create an account. However, students do not need emails to make their books. Once ready, follow the site's prompts to add video, text, images, audio, and more to your book.
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tag(s): collaboration (86), DAT device agnostic tool (138), digital storytelling (141), ebooks (35), literacy (103), preK (248), reading comprehension (134), writing (303)

FutureSmart is an interactive personal finance course designed for students in grades 6-8. The three and a half hour course correlates to National Standards and covers a variety of topics including budgeting, goal-setting, and planning for the future. Enroll using your school email address to register students and access your dashboard that includes student reports and supplemental materials. Be sure to download the information sheet that includes additional details about all available features.

tag(s): financial literacy (93), game based learning (172), money (118)

Podcast Generator is a free download for uploading and publishing audio and video podcasts. Install the software using the three-step setup wizard to begin. The generator also includes options for customizing the appearance of podcasts using themes. Podcast Generator works on most desktops, laptops and web browsers, AND this download seamlessly integrates with the Apple store for uploading podcasts to iTunes.
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tag(s): communication (132), podcasts (65), video (250)

Hypothesis is an easy to use tool for annotating, collaborating, and sharing web content. Add any URL to the search bar on the home page to begin using Hypothesis after creating your account. Create an annotation by highlighting text; the pop-up allows you to add notes including hyperlinks and tags to your annotation. Add notes or highlights using tools on the site. Save your notes for public viewing or just for your use. Invite others to view your notes or collaborate using the sharing link with your personal URL or with social media links. Click the Education tab on the top menu to see examples of classroom use, 10 Ways to Annotate With Students, Creating a Private Group, and more.

tag(s): citations (34), collaboration (86), note taking (34)

Stem in 30 is an interactive classroom offering 30-minute webcasts for middle school students. Interact with scientists by asking questions, participate in polls, and receive resources for follow-up activities. Don't worry if you can't attend, view the archives of all past presentations to enjoy at your convenience. Previous topics include Moon Rocks!, Time and Navigation, and WW1: How History Shaped Technology. Most archived recordings include correlation to Next Generation Science Standards. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): aviation (34), earth (180), earth day (63), ecology (97), ecosystems (71), flight (30), mars (27), molecules (39), space (209), STEM (243), world war 1 (64)

This NewseumED video lesson explores the role of the press in the 1970's Watergate scandal. Activities include watching a video and completing a comprehension worksheet. In addition to the 30-minute lesson, several ideas for extension activities are included. To find related activities on Newseum, scroll to the bottom of the page for additional ideas. Sign up for NewseumED (FREE) to access all materials.

tag(s): 1970s (10), journalism (69), presidents (117)

Designed as an interactive online course this site helps high school students develop the sophisticated research skills needed for college and careers, an important component of most standards. The formal research process is broken down into six steps: Asking Good Questions, Finding Information, Selecting the Best, Putting It Together, Your Presentation, and Making the Grade. Students work through a variety of activities linked from outside sites, including reading articles, watching videos, and completing worksheets. Each module is introduced by Voki avatars, reviewed here. Several popular research tools, such Zotero, reviewed here, and Evernote, reviewed here, are introduced. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): citations (34), classroom management (128), digital citizenship (80), evaluating sources (13), inquiry (25), media literacy (96), note taking (34), organizational skills (89), plagiarism (33), Research (79), search strategies (24)

BAM takes the notion of "fitness made simple" to a new level while making fitness, safety, and disease prevention engaging for kids. The Centers for Disease Control provides a wealth of colorful, visual, and interactive resources for children looking to maintain healthy, fit lifestyles. Sharing information on diseases, food, nutrition, physical activity, safety, and the changing body and mind through children's lingo, articles, and interactives. Access all interactives through the left-hand navigational menu, making it easy for kids to find information. A prominent search box in the upper right-hand corner returns links to articles in the whole CDC site, not just BAM. A teachers' corner provides ideas for integrating these activities into the classroom. Because of some of the mature or disturbing nature of the information, e.g. deadly diseases, be sure to preview materials.

tag(s): bullying (48), child development (23), dental health (15), diseases (67), fitness (51), human body (93), mental health (31), nutrition (133), safety (71)

Create multimedia and interactive ebooks that work on tablets and computers for free with ePubEditor. Create your account to begin, then follow prompts to upload images and text with optional image, video, or audio. Other options allow you to create quizzes with different responses such as multiple choice, matching, or drag and drop response. Allow others to edit and add to your book using the share editing option. When complete, publish and share your book using the created URL or download in different formatting options including epub and PDF.
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tag(s): assessment (135), digital storytelling (141), ebooks (35)

This free interactive site is an extensive digital literacy curriculum that improves technology proficiency, builds information literacy and digital citizenship skills, and provides 21st century and project-based resources online. The 21 Things are 'big ideas' in technology and learning such as Visual Learning, Global Collaboration, Powerful Presentations, Search Strategies, Digital Footprint, and many others. The student activities use free web resources designed to address the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students, and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The non-sequential Things, delivered as project-based Quests, provide links, resources, and activities for students to earn badges and awards. Registration for teachers is required and gives access to teacher resources and a downloadable Moodle version of the site; Moodle is not required to use this site. To access certain external activities and tools, students may need to register with an e-mail. Each Thing contains a Teacher Lesson Guide, Student Checklist, Learning Objectives, and links to various web resources and apps. Choose a Things and see that the Quests have roadmap documents for students to use for tracking progress. A Quest includes an introduction (frequently as a short, animated video), vocabulary, directions, tutorials, standards, apps, and a student checklist. Extensive teacher resources and support are provided. Assessments are through multiple-choice quizzes at ProProf with a provided password. You may want to choose MITECHKIDS where you will find grade level links and categories by curriculum.

tag(s): careers (135), computers (97), consumers (14), cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (80), digital storytelling (141), game based learning (172), internet safety (109), media literacy (96), organizational skills (89), social media (51), social networking (70), thinking skills (13), webquests (20)

This site, delivered via a LibGuide format, is a virtual field trip to a college campus and college library, giving high school students a taste of the higher education experience. Topics emphasize the college and career readiness standards. Short, interesting videos (with transcripts) of college students lead visitors through what to expect, give tips on adjusting, and doing college-level work. Additional links, mostly other college sites, provide more helpful information.

tag(s): assessment (135), college (45), digital citizenship (80), media literacy (96)

This article from Buzzsprout offers a great deal of information about mobile learning and how to incorporate it into classrooms. Discover the importance of mobile learning along with some of the hurdles faced when incorporating it in any learning situation. Read about the advantages of using podcasts in a flipped classroom or as a solution for self-paced learning. Be sure to check out the infographic included with this article that has statistics about the increased presence of mobile learning.

tag(s): podcasts (65), professional development (356), radio (21)

Highlight, annotate, and share parts of any YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, (and others) videos with Vibby. Create an account then paste in the URL of any YouTube video. Choose the start and stop points of any area to highlight and type in notes of up to 500 characters. Follow prompts to finish creating your "vib" then share using social networking links or the direct URL. Use the embed code to embed the "vib" directly into a blog or website. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): video (250)

MasterMath offers a large variety of resources for middle school mathematics, including videos, worksheets, and quizzes. Choose from 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade math, or Algebra 1 divided into quarters. Click on any lesson description correlated to FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) standards to view all resources offered for that standard. If your district blocks YouTube, you are given an Archive link that should play the video.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (165), decimals (85), equations (116), fractions (160), functions (53), integers (21)

TeachThought stretches teachers to think beyond the norm, and try new exciting ideas such as learning in a digital world, flipped classrooms, project based learning, and simulations. A few examples of the articles include: 10 Team Building Games that Promote Critical Thinking, 25 Reading Strategies That Work In Every Content Area, 55 Free Apps For iPads, 249 Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs for Critical Thinking, 14 Brilliant Bloom's Taxonomy Posters For Teachers, and 20 Things You Can Do in 10 Minutes For A Smoother Running Classroom. Join in the conversation, add your opinion, or ask a question. Sign up for TeachThought's newsletter.
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tag(s): blooms taxonomy (6), classroom management (128), critical thinking (106), flipped learning (10), professional development (356), reading strategies (90)